Advantage Tennis 2023

Vol. 23, 2023

Who will take over the baton from Sania Mirza?

Exclusive interviews

Ramkumar Ramanathan

Ankita Raina

Tennis after Roger & Serena

Tennis after Roger & Serena

The Unbeatable Novak Djokovic

The Unbeatable Novak Djokovic

The Talented & Charismatic Stefan Ostsit

The Talented & Charismatic Stefan Ostsit

Moving On Ashleigh Barty

Moving On Ashleigh Barty

Photo:

Dear Readers,

Welcome to another issue of Advantage Tennis. I hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as you have enjoyed reading our earlier issues. As always, we have tried to improve our magazine content and quality with every new issue.

Advantage Tennis is devoted to the cause of promoting and encouraging tennis as a sport in India by providing a high quality magazine at an affordable price. We hope that we have been able to provide you with a magazine worth its cause.

We look forward to your continued readership and association with Advantage Tennis in the years to come. This issue includes some excellent articles including ‘The Unbeatable Novak Djokovic’ which discusses Novak’s dedication to the sport and his sheer determination to go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game. ‘Tennis After Roger and Serena’ is another insightful article on what the tennis world will be like post their retirement.

Ashleigh Barty’s unexpected decision to retire at the height of her career had the tennis world spinning for a while. ‘Moving On’ discusses her personal reasons and thoughts behind this sudden decision. Stefanos Tsitsipas, the charming and talented player, is one of the bright stars on the tour. The article ‘The Talented and Charismatic Stefan Ostsit’ gives an insight into the Greek star who is here to stay. “The Life of a Tennis Spouse’ is another article that makes an interesting read on the joys and pressures of being the companion of a tennis player. The young and beautiful Emma Raducanu conquered the hearts of the tennis fans when she won the US Open title in 2021. The

Vol. 23, 2023 Rs. 150

article titled “The Allure of Emma Raducanu’ discusses her emergence as one of the next gen stars of tennis.

On the Indian front, we have exclusive interviews with India’s No. 1 tennis player Ramanathan Ramkumar, and Ankita Raina. Both have spoken about the importance of being the No. 1 players of their country, their goals and life on and off the court. ‘Who will take over the baton from Sania Mirza?’ is an important subject and the article discusses the pertinent question of ‘who next?’.

Our poster this year is Serena Williams. We wanted to dedicate the poster to Serena for her immense contribution to tennis. She conquered the world of tennis and left it as one of the greatest who ever played the game.

Rafael Nadal is our choice for the ‘Player of the Year’. He went on to become the player with the maximum number of Grand Slam titles when he won the French Open title in 2022, totaling his Grand Slam wins to 22. Iga Swiatek, with two Grand Slam wins at the French and the US Open this year and the No. 1 ranking under her belt, is our choice for the women’s ‘Player of the Year’.

The Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy is one of the best coaching centres in the world based out of Spain and has contributed an important article ‘RNA Methodology of the Rafal Nadal Academy’.

The 2023 AITA, WTA and ATP calendars and Top 50 singles and doubles rankings of the ATP, WTA, and AITA have been provided for the avid tennis followers. ‘AT Trivia’ is also included in this issue for all our readers who are interested in testing their knowledge on tennis.

My letter would not be complete without mentioning the following

people for their support and belief in Advantage Tennis. I would like to thank Kamesh Srinivasan, Janella Rachal, Susan & Fred Mullane, Bhagya Iyyavoo, Shreya Chakravertty, Rohinee Iyer, Deepti Patwardhan, Sharmistha Chaudhuri, Aman Jaiswal, Manoj Sharma, Anil Madan, Manoj Pandey, Tajinder Pal Singh, Harinder Singh, Rajinder Arora, my parents, husband Amit Sood and my sons Jaisal & Arman.

Priya Nanki Singh Sood Editor-in-Chief

Advantage Tennis is edited and published by Priya Nanki Singh Sood from the First Floor, Eros Cinema Building, Jangpura Extension, New Delhi 110014 India, Tel: 011 4308 4871. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission of the author/ editor/publisher is strictly prohibited. Advantage Tennis invites tennis related articles, interviews, news items and photographs for publication, which can be sent to our above given address or to advantagetennis74@gmail.com Designed and printed by ISHTIHAAR, New Delhi. ishtihaar@gmail.com Tel: 9810018857

Top: At the US Open 2022. Above: With former Grand Slam champion Stan Smith

Photos: AT Bureau

Cover and poster photos: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc.

Player of the Year

Rafael Nadal

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Player of the Year

Iga Swiatek

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

A New Dawn: Tennis after Roger and Serena

BY R. SHARADA

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo: Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

When the 2022 tennis season began, much like the year itself its audiences greeted it with optimism and expectations. However, while the playing action dominated and steered the headlines, the sport began to see a chain of retirement announcements, almost from the start of the year.

From Juan Martin del Potro to Ashleigh Barty, and to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kevin Anderson, several names in the professional tennisplaying circuit decided to hang up their boots. These decisions were met with both resigned understanding and the presence of shock – the latter more to do with the timing than the player’s call. Heart-of-hearts, these prompts also added a sense of inevitability about the decision two of the biggest names in the sport –Serena Williams and Roger Federer –could take, after months of absence from the circuit.

If there were any sense foreboding that filled one’s hearts about whether Williams and Federer would choose to retire, still while being able to on their terms, this feeling came to pass in August and September when the American and the Swiss made their announcements, respectively.

And each approached the subject in their singular way.

Williams broached the topic in an article in Vogue in which she spoke about evolution. Hers, away from the game.

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” the former world No. 1 said.

Federer, on the other hand, addressed the subject in a poignant video message.

“To my tennis family and beyond,” it began, before it reached its objective “…Today, I want to share some news with you all... The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the Tour. This is a bitter-sweet decision because I will miss everything the Tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”

So, a few months down the line, here we are then – much like the rest of the tennis world around us – trying to come terms with the ending of the careers of these two players that’s taken the form of evolution for one, and a definite full-stop for the other.

Both born in 1981, a couple of months apart, Williams in September and Federer in August, the two both lent their uniqueness to the sport even as they revitalised it throughout the 40-years of their collective careers. The numbers in themselves are staggering.

Williams won 73 singles titles in her career, with her first title coming

“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the Tour. This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the Tour has given me.”

Roger Federer

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”

Serena

Williams

Photo: Camerawork USA, Inc

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic having an emotional moment at the Laver Cup

in 1999 in Paris, at the Open Gaz de France against Amelie Mauresmo. Her last title came 21 years later, at the Auckland Open in 2020. Of the 73 titles she won, 23 came at the Grand Slams. The last Grand Slam Williams won was the 2017 Australian Open against an old-time rival and older sibling, Venus Williams. This win saw her go past Steffi Graf’s tally of 22 Grand Slam titles and put her within reach of Margaret Court’s record of 24 Slam titles.

Federer’s feat of not having retired mid-match in any of the 1,526 singles and 224 doubles matches he played in his career will stand the proverbial test of time

Williams’ quest to go past Court’s record number of Slam wins hit a pause after her campaign in Melbourne Park that year on account of her pregnancy. When she resumed her career following the birth of her first child, it didn’t take long for her to hit her stride again. She reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals at the 2018 and 2019 US Open, and also made it to the Wimbledon final in 2019. However, for the first time in her career, not only was the momentousness of what she was attempting to do seemed to be hitting hard at her but she wasn’t also able to rise to the occasion.

With injuries also making frequent appearances in her comeback journey that was further hampered by the post-Covid scenario in the world, Williams’ journey in the tennis circuit became sporadic where once it was prolific. And as the days wore on, the expectation that she had to break Court’s record took on the tone of an obligation for Williams to fulfil, regardless of whether she felt the need to do so.

In Federer’s case, the time he took off to help his injured right knee heal coincided with the advent of the pandemic in 2020. At the time,

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Roger Federer brought a wonderful elegance to the game

he was still leading the Grand Slam count with 20 – his last Major win came at the 2018 Australian Open – with his rivals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic still following his trail. With the memory of what he’d done in 2017 after having to reset his season and career in 2016 due to an injury to his left knee still remaining fresh, hope lingered that Federer would’ve a similar resurgence in his next comeback.

Sadly though, although Federer attempted a return in 2021 after undergoing two surgeries in his right knee, the going had gotten tougher for him. Yet another surgery forced him to pause his plans for a lengthy return and while he had initially hoped to make a return to competitive action in 2022, his physique had had enough and it didn’t seem prudent for him to go under the knife in what was essentially the twilight of his career, which eventually accounted for him calling time on his career.

Of the 73 titles Serena won, 23 came at the Grand Slams. The last one saw her within reach of Margaret Court’s record of 24 Slam titles. And while Nadal and Djokovic surpassed his tally of 20 Slams, with 22 and 21 Slams to their respective names, Federer’s overall record of 103 career singles titles are no less hefty. Likewise, the Swiss’ feat of not having retired mid-match in any of the 1526 singles matches and 224 doubles matches he played in his career will stand the proverbial test of time, perhaps for the longest even if the other records he holds get broken as is their wont.

Serena Williams and Roger Federer’s Impact on the Game

The talk of numbers and records then brings us around to the impact these two greats had on the sport. In the truest of terms, the impact that Williams and Federer have

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Serena Williams had power like no other

left behind is a lot harder to gauge than analysing their numerical contribution. Moreover, rather than right away, the imprints they left behind will be felt over the course of years.

Williams and Federer were such constants in our tennis journey as the sport’s consumers, audiences and those playing it, as peers, that it felt inconceivable that there would be a time when they wouldn’t be around.

To that end, even if one had such a thought in their mind, it flew away like a wisp of maudlin thinking. More importantly, given how they’d prioritised their fitness – Federer even quit skiing once he knew tennis was his way forward in life – it seemed ludicrous to even consider that injuries would play their part in stopping them from doing what they enjoyed doing.

As such, going forward, when we see tournament draws not featuring their names or the rankings not containing their names and the entry

lists bypassing them, the reality of Williams and Federer not being around in the Tour will hit us hard.

Likewise, when we see videos and clips of their matches – regardless of what the eventual result was – we’ll knowingly and willingly fall into the tunnel of nostalgia that will not only give us the chance to reminisce what we enjoyed about their game but also rekindle the days of when their lore was the present for everyone to see and experience.

The biggest impact of the careers of Serena Williams and Roger Federer will, however, be in how they were seen and perceived by their rivals. When it comes to this facet, the path Williams and Federer took to reach the highs of their respective professional journey, diverged significantly.

In her playing heydays, Williams was an intimidating competitor whose aura of dominance became her persona causing her opponents to respect and fear her, equally. While rivalries will continue to emerge and

be continued to built upon, for those who’ve played Williams, it will be hard to find another competition that will be as difficult to take on.

As regards Federer, the poignancy that was on display at the Laver Cup where his colleagues, especially Nadal and Djokovic wept at the reality taking form before their eyes, showed the rapport Federer had inculcated with his fellow professionals that went beyond the courts despite how hard they went at trying to beat the other while playing.

And as with Williams, it’s a tough task to try and imagine any other player evoking such depth of emotion from his rivals at the time of their retirement.

In the end, Roger and Serena brought to the game a standard of tennis and achievements that will be a tough act to follow. They are icons of the tennis world and calling them the greatest to ever play the game would be a fair statement.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Serena with Martina Navritolava and Chris Evert

Novak

The Unbeatable Djokovic

BY BHAGYA AYYAVOO

The star was on the rise for Novak Djokovic.

Most slams (tied at 20 at the end of 2021)

Winning head-to-head against Federer & Nadal

Most weeks as #1

Most Year-end #1

Most Masters 1000 titles

Double career slam

Most top 10 wins

Most top 5 wins

Oldest Year-end #1

Most consecutive slam wins in a season

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

With a plethora of records achieved in 2021, despite the pandemic-hit two years on the ATP tour, the Serb was on the historic raceway. For any player the above STATS could be termed two good seasons. Not for Novak.

The Covid-19 pandemic struck in a way unparalleled and derailed expectations, his and the others.

What could be the worst low in a sportsperson’s career – not being able to play? It wasn’t an injury or loss of form that kept Djokovic to just 3 tournaments in 5 months since the ATP World Finals in 2021 November, which he terms as one that has “left a mark mentally and emotionally.”

Djokovic’s NoVax stance

The media always gravitated towards controversies. Djokovic’s stance to not get vaccinated and the

unfavourable incidents that panned out- from staging an exhibition event in Belgrade in 2020 during the pandemic that got bad press (with star players failing to follow the covid-19 protocols and testing positive) to later when the Australian government denied him entry into the country for the 2022 edition under debatable circumstances further dented his reputation.

Perhaps the most misunderstood player on the tour, after a tumultuous few months, the 35-year-old with over 1000 wins on the ATP tour, roared to his 7th Wimbledon title at The Championships, sealing his 21st Grand Slam title, beating Nick Kyrgios with a come-from-behind 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 victory.

With this backdrop we trace the timeline of one of the greatest champions in tennis history.

Federer-Nadal era

Terming Djokovic’s career just a great tennis career is like calling Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s era by just the numbers, disregarding the bromance between the two; turning a blind eye to how we romanticize the friendship - one never heard of in competitive tennis.

In a sport dominated by the Americans and Europeans, and at a time ruled by Federer and challenged by Nadal, a Belgrade tennis player’s chances of being spoken in the same sentence could have been a preposterous idea. The Djokovic story began in the war-torn Serbian capital 29 years ago, when a six-year-old boy had a dream - a desire to be World No.1. At that time, he gave himself one percent chance to make it possible. The Djokovic family’s sweeping sacrifices to feed

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Accepting the Wimbledon trophy from Catherine, Princess of Wales

“I’ve been in lots of situations on and off the court that are kind of traumatic, starting with those disgusting wars while I was growing up, and onwards. It all leaves a scar. This year I experienced what I never experienced in my career, in my life. It certainly left a mark mentally and emotionally. I don’t know how big it is, for how long it will be with me. It’s something I can’t predict and I can’t spend energy thinking about.”

seemed to be dwarfed by the stature of his opponents on the other side of the net. A quality the Gen-Next players attribute to Djokovic.

Fabio Fognini, who celebrates his birthday in the same month as Djokovic, reminiscing the early days said, “Djokovic and I have known each other since we were 14, and it was already clear that he would do great things. He already had an iron character.”

“I’m always very confident in myself. I think confidence is derived from self-belief and self-belief is derived from clarity,” Djokovic said on ‘In Depth with Graham Bensinger’

A rivalry for the ages

A champion’s story is never complete without a healthy rivalry. The side story of a rivalry says why someone is better than the other.

The early part of the millennium belonged to the Federer-Nadal rivalry. Thus Djokovic’s streaks of brilliance at Grand Slams weren’t talked about as much. While fans started romanticising the Fedal clashes, Djokovic’s rendezvous with either Federer or Nadal left a dent.

their talented son’s early career fuelled that dream.

Formative years

To be disciplined in sport, one must possess devotion and commitment. His growing up years between 1993 and 2007 followed a pattern: start by doing what’s necessary - Practice. In Djokovic’s case he even prepared to practice; then do what’s possible - practice a shot over and over, he never hit a shot in a match that he hadn’t practiced over and over.

All this hard-work gradually saw him doing the impossible early in 2008. It was at Melbourne Park, a venue that would stage multiple

success chapters of his career, the Djoker tumbled the King - Federer who was on a grand slam winning spree was defeated for the Serb to win his breakthrough slam. Djokovic was 21 years old when he lifted his maiden major trophy.

He soon became a global force, even dictating terms against the likes of Federer and Nadal in his early 20s growing into a champion who never

A modern-day rivalry was born. His clashes with Nadal that made the courts a battleground, could only be justified through their matches and not by words.

What began at the 2006 French Open quarterfinals has grown into a 16-year-old epic rivalry. They first locked horns in a final at the 2007 Indian Wells Masters tournament.

Since then, the two have faced each other 59 times with Djokovic leading 30–29. Djokovic leads 15–13 in finals with 17 played at the Grand Slams. Nadal has a superior 8-2 lead at the French Open and 2–1 at the US Open, while Djokovic leads 2-0 at the Australian Open and 2–1 at Wimbledon.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Novak Djokovic with friend and rival Roger Federer

“A very ugly image of me was created [in Australia]. They humiliated me, if I may say so, on a world level.”

Nadal won their first-ever encounter as well as their first clash in a final. It took the third meeting for Djokovic to get the better of Nadal, at the 2007 Miami Masters, on the hard surface where he enjoys a 20-7 head-to-head against the Spaniard.

The two played their first Grand Slam final at the 2010 US Open and until then Nadal had the upper hand in the rivalry winning 16 out of the 23 matches played between the two

Every duel featuring Djokovic and Nadal have been fierce - the 2009 Madrid Masters semi-final, 2013 French Open semi-final, 2018 Wimbledon semi-final to name a few, however their face-off at the 2012 Australian Open final and the 2013 French Open semi-final have been tagged as the two best matches played between the two on the hard and clay courts, respectively.

2011: The invincible Djokovic

If 2008 was his breakthrough season, 2011 oozed with his dominance when he became the world No.1, other than Federer or Nadal since February 2004.

The 2011 Wimbledon final pitted the world No. 1 ranked defending champion Nadal against the No. 2 ranked Djokovic who was looking for his first title at the All England Club. Nadal, on a 20-match winning streak at Wimbledon was favoured by many to win despite Djokovic coming into the match with four finals victories over Nadal during the year. However, with a four-set triumph, Djokovic became the first Serbian man to win Wimbledon and for the first time overtook Nadal for the No. 1 ranking.

2015: The invincible Djokovic II

Reached finals of all the elite tournaments he played

Record 15 straight finals in a single season

Won 11 ATP Masters finals in a row

Won 18 successive top-tier tournament finals

hours and 10 minutes to win his first US Open title, with that becoming the sixth man in the open era to win three of the four majors in the same season.

The fact that Djokovic and Nadal met six times that year and that too in finals with the former triumphing on all six occasions helped Djokovic dominate the second swing of their rivalry up till 2016.

That started a phase during which Djokovic conquered Nadal in the next two back-to-back Major finals - the 2011 US Open and the 2012 Australian Open final. Djokovic came out on top in a match that lasted 4

The 2012 Australian Open final took their rivalry a notch higher where in the longest Grand Slam final in history, Djokovic prevailed after a 5-hour-53 minute marathon, which is considered the greatest match of all time.

“I choose to play. No one is forcing me to play. I’ve done enough in my career that I could stop today. But I still feel motivated and inspired.”

“I also, as weird as it sounds, I love being devastated by losing big matches. Because I know that means that I care about winning and being able to compete with the best players in the world.”

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

And the 2018 Wimbledon semifinal where Djokovic defeated Nadal in a thrilling five-setter played over two days and that lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes is one of the alltime favourites. This rivalry that had headlined various finals at all four grand slam tournaments, has the potential of being the greatest rivalry in tennis history due to the number

of games the two featured in, and most importantly the quality of the matches played.

Superior head-to-head

A player could also be valued based on how well they fare against superior opponents in their fortresses.

Djokovic, the only player to beat Federer and Nadal in multiple Grand Slam finals, multiple ATP Masters finals, and in the finals of the yearend ATP championship has beaten the Swiss ace three times at the Wimbledon Championships (2014, 2015 and 2019). And against Nadal, who’s the last player to beat him in a final, Djokovic has overcome the Spaniard four times (Wimbledon 2011, US Open 2011 and Australian Open 2012, 2019).

Comparison with peers

While his peers like Andy Murray could manage only 10 years at the peak, with just three grand slam titles, Djokovic has outshone with his consistency for

two decades. Seeing off the younger guys is the challenge that stands between Djokovic and many more milestones in his already star-studded career.

nearly

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

With the US Open 2018 trophy: One of his 21 Grand Slam titles

“Every stage of your career — especially after playing for 20 years on the Tour — has its differences in terms of how you approach things mentally. My life has changed so much over the last 10 years, and my body as well. So you have to adapt to that, understand these changes, understand what I’m going through and figure out the biology of things. I constantly strategise, organise and plan with my team that helps me to peak at the right time and be able to compete with the young guys.”

ASHLEIGH BARTY MOVING

BY SHREYA CHAKRAVERTTY

The numbers promise to lay the world at her feet. $23 million in career prize money. The highest-earning tennis player on the WTA tour in 2021. An estimated personal wealth of $30–40 million. But Ashleigh Barty, 2022 Australian Open champion, world No. 1, and allround nice girl, isn’t tracking the likely upward curve of this trajectory. Instead, she’s dreaming of what she calls her ‘perfect Fridays’.

‘A relaxed eighteen holes of golf at my local course. A quick cold one as I toss the ball back and forth with my dogs in the backyard as the sun sets. Then settling onto the couch to watch the mighty Tigers get to work on winning another flag,’ she writes in her column on Australian sports website Code.

But there’s always fine print attached to any proclamation of a Barty retirement, an inconspicuous asterisk you’ll have to look closely to find. Conditions apply. Barty has already retired from the sport once earlier, saying the constant travel and rootlessness of pro tennis had got

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

too much for her and she wanted to give ‘normal’ life a shot—back in 2014. But a chat with the Australian women’s cricket team the very next year got her intrigued in that sport— as different from tennis as Roger Federer is from Virat Kohli—and soon she had exchanged racquet for bat and was tucking away sixes instead of match points. So much for normal life.

She returned to tennis in 2016— but this was a different tale from the oft-repeated ‘quit tennis–have child–get fit–return to tennis’ storyline that we have come to expect on the WTA tour.

Let’s delve into the origin story of this superhero of Aussie tennis, the one grinning at the camera in that now-famous photograph—of a ruddycheeked tot grinning from ear to ear, balancing a yellow tennis racquet on her shoulder and holding a tykesized trophy in the palm of her hand. Barty has joked in interviews that the picture ‘haunts’ her, customary as it is to splash it over every bit of newsprint and media that celebrates a Barty achievement. It harks back to the days of the four-year-old’s baby steps on a tennis court, when training sessions would occasionally be interrupted by the appearance of chickens—‘chooks’ in Aussie parlance—along with the odd sheep, dog or other farm animal. In the industrial suburb of West Brisbane, on a property owned by her first coach Jim Joyce that combined animal pens and tennis courts, began the Barty Party.

Age four is certainly an early start, but one that’s necessary to forge the nerves of steel required for the unforgiving life on tour. Joyce has remarked that Barty’s focus was so sharp, her hand–eye coordination so impressive, that he agreed to take her on as a student despite her young age, not something he was accustomed to doing. She delighted in her groundstrokes and was fierce in her determination to carve perfection into every shot, and when

she wasn’t dodging chickens on his court to hit a few forehands, she was doing some good old wall practice at home. When she began hitting against male players who were much older and taller, she could hold her own. Her serve, too, for her short stature, made her stand out. There was greatness to come.

The 2011 junior Wimbledon victory at age fifteen has been described by Barty as ‘the best thing and the worst thing’ to have happened to her. She had turned professional a year ago, in 2010, and was already realizing the drudgery of life on tour—the lack of human connection, the rush of packing and unpacking suitcases, sterile hotel-room walls in each new destination every other fortnight or so, and school lessons on a computer.

tossing it in the air. You feel the weight of anticipation, the thousands of eyes on you, and realize the nature of the beast. The silence echoes in your ears. Out there, it’s just you.

Not that it’s all doom and gloom. Barty says she knew this was her sport with the first ‘thwack’ as racquet met ball—and the undeniable rewards of hard work, the acknowledgement of top-drawer professionals, and walking hallowed grounds that legends had conquered were certainly opportunities few are fortunate to experience. In 2012, as she appeared in her first WTA main draw events in singles and doubles, people were taking note. She was handed wild cards for the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon— and the first-round defeats at all three notwithstanding, the debutant imbibed lessons that held her in good stead. By this time, she had also met the person she called her ‘tennis mom’, Casey Dellacqua, friend and mentor, doubles partner, and the fellow competitor who showed her the ropes. The pair made it to the doubles final at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2013, and were the team with the infectious enthusiasm.

It was ‘too much too soon’. On her first comprehensive tour of Europe, at age fourteen, she was miserable. Homesick and upset, but determined to carry on, Barty braved it out. ‘It was terrible. It was all just too much. I was younger than the other girls on tour, so I knew them but not well. I just felt lonely and strange,’ she has told the Sydney Morning Herald in an interview.

She had to grow up quick, fend for herself and deal with doubt and demons on her own. Every tennis player in this millennium has a team—coach, physio, dietician, trainer, sometimes family—but the illusion shatters as you stand with your shoes touching the service line and silently bounce the ball before

Behind the scenes, though, there wasn’t much breathing room. In one of those early years, Barty was home only for a total of twenty-seven days. Being away from familiar faces and stomping grounds would have her so upset that she was advised by family to return a few times. She persevered—after all, she was made of sterner stuff. But the penny finally dropped in 2014. She had to pause, and breathe. She had to step away to reflect, to collect her emotions, to look for meaning elsewhere. The tour waits for no one, and it rolled on. At the time, she did not figure even in the top 200 of the WTA’s singles rankings. ‘I was so relieved,’ Barty has been quoted as saying. ‘It was a weird time, but as soon as I got it off my chest I was so much better.’

The off season for tennis players has been pointed out even by

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

champions as being far too short— there are but a few weeks between the end-of-tour events and the Down Under swing that opens each season. Rest and relaxation, friends and family, Christmas and New Year— all somehow squeezed into that time before the smorgasbord of Grand Slams, WTA tournaments, exhibitions, Fed Cup ties, training sessions and more flights than blades of grass at Wimbledon takes over. This is a sport that demands a lot, and only the ones intent on survival stay at the top. Nerves of steel, the thickest of hides, a memory straight out of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—these are the arrows a tennis player’s quiver needs, not just inch-perfect drop shots and ballistic serves. Barty’s compatriot, Nick Kyrgios, has taken a starkly alternative, aggressive approach—refusing most travel, letting off steam on the basketball court, losing his cool in very unique

ways during matches, and frequently voicing in public how much he hates being a tennis player—but staying on. His belligerence betrays vulnerability—and a mind clouded with much the same reasons Barty has chosen to retire a second time— but he is a study in what not to do.

Barty, meanwhile, shows us the way. She too knows a life beyond tennis, of beers and ‘barbies’—that Aussie slang again, this time referring to barbecues—deep and meaningful family interactions, playing fetch with her dogs, obsessing about that perfect tee shot on the golf course.

Her days are beautiful and sparkling, and tennis occupies a single compartment, not the entire train.

Eighteen months after calling time on her tennis career, weeks after the Women’s Big Bash League cricket tournament, Barty had a moment of clarity. During a chat with Dellacqua, she realized she was ready for round two. The maturity and perspective she gained in her time away has shone through in her second outing on tour.

Her return was low-key, in May 2016 at the Eastbourne Trophy in the UK—one of just a few tournaments she played that year. In January 2017, when she reached the third round of the Australian Open, it was a highlight of her singles career. She breezed through qualifiers for her next tournament, the Malaysian Open, and won the titles in both singles and doubles, the latter in partnership with—who else—Dellacqua.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Barty became the first Australian since Evonne Goolagong Cawley to win the Venus Rosewater Dish at Wimbledon, and the first No. 1 since Serena Williams in 2016.

Ashleigh Barty: looking beyond tennis

The milestones kept being ticked off the list. Two round of 16 appearances at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati, where she also claimed her first top 10 scalp: No. 9 Venus Williams. Not much to write home about from Roland Garros and SW 19, but a US Open third round shot her into a new realm: No. 37 in the singles rankings. A singles final showing at Wuhan—aided by wins against three top 10 players—and she was up to No. 23, now armed with the added pride of being the highestranked Aussie. Her year-end ranking was 17—not too shabby for her first full season since her comeback.

The momentum carried over into 2018, and she won her second WTA title at Nottingham in the grass swing. She had saved the best for last. The year-ending Elite Trophy—featuring the 12 best players barring those who had qualified for the WTA Finals—had her name on it, making it her biggest title till then. An unforgettable side act was her doubles career—this was the year she won her first Slam, with Dellacqua, at the US Open.

In the singles draws, top 10s and big names were daunting no more, and neither was it right to call her wins over elite opponents ‘upsets’. In 2019, Barty could hold her own— just ask those who toppled: then world No. 1 Simona Halep, along with Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova. A place in the top 10 was hers. Then came the No. 2 ranking after her singles victory at the French Open—and Barty 2.0 was deemed a smashing success. After winning her very next event, the Birmingham Classic, she was No. 1, and that was how she ended the year.

Tennis was a downgraded priority as COVID changed the world in 2020, and Barty chose to skip her defence of the French Open—travelling and risking health was indeed not the best idea as the virus tore the world apart. Despite the truncated season, and thanks in part to the changed ranking rules, Barty kept her

No. 1 ranking as 2020 drew to a close. Missing almost the entire season, she admitted not hating the enforced ban on travel; the lockdowns meant she could stay home and be with family—the ‘silver lining’ in a situation out of her control.

What remained in control, though, was her competitive streak. Refreshed and rejuvenated, the enforced break meant 2021 looked promising.

A successful defence of the Miami Open title (she had won it in 2019) set her on course for the most successful months of her singles career. She won the Stuttgart Open, reached the final of the Madrid Open, and after injury setbacks at the Italian Open and the French Open, it was her time to conquer the final hurdle. Barty became the first Australian since Evonne Goolagong Cawley to win the Venus Rosewater Dish at Wimbledon, and the first No. 1 since Serena Williams in 2016.

Another title followed at the Cincinnati Open—paving the way for her to end her third year in a row at No. 1.

There was controversy in the men’s quarter at the 2022 Australian Open, with the dramatic events surrounding Novak Djokovic’s detention and deportation unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry. But on the women’s side, Barty brought unparalleled joy to a legion of tennis

fans. She delivered a masterclass of a run all the way to the final, where she didn’t drop a single set, eventually defeating American Danielle Collins in the final. Victory at home surely tasted the sweetest—Barty became the first Aussie woman since Christine O’Neil in 1978 to pick up the singles crown.

And just when it seemed like it was business as usual—life getting back to normal, vaccines allowing movement around the world, and various sports including tennis resuming regular service—Barty delivered a bombshell. She joined Belgian star Justine Henin as the only other women’s No. 1 to go out while at the top. ‘I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself . . . I don’t have that in me anymore . . . I am spent.’ Unlike her first retirement, this one is on her own terms. Barty has left a winner, and you sense that this time she has walked away for good.

These days, it’s golf that occupies her time, and there are whispers of it being the third sport she tries her hand at professionally. A recent move to Melbourne and a membership at the city’s finest golf course has given credence to the rumour.

Whatever she does, Barty will remain a sparkling reminder of the happiness and satisfaction competitive sport can provide. She arrives, she sees, she conquers.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

With tennis great Billie Jean King and Sofia Kenin

The

talented and charismatic

The talented and charismatic

STEFAN OSTSIT

STEFAN OSTSIT

BY SHARMISTHA CHAUDHURI

The red clay smeared across the back of his green shirt spoke volumes. Just some minutes before, serving 6-3 in the second set tie break, Stefanos Tsitsipas’s demeanour at Court Rainer III exuded determination. Throughout the following short rally, Tsitsipas never let the ball out of his sight, chasing down whatever Alejandro Davidovich Fokina sent his way. But the moment the Spaniard’s backhand volley went out, Tsitsipas collapsed on the court in relief, and then joy. The scoreboard may have read straight sets, but the final had been anything but easy. The lanky Greek had even doubted himself during the long rallies, but “it is always important to keep your head high.” With father-cum-coach Apostolos in his box, Tsitsipas won his second consecutive Monte Carlo Masters and became the sixth player ever to have accomplished the feat.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Tsitsipas’s connection to this tournament goes a long way back, when he’d visited for the first time at the age of six. There’s also a legacy angle because his mother had won the “ladies tournament” during her teenage years on these courts. Last year, winning Monte Carlo was the starting point of his brilliant clay court run (finalist in Barcelona and Roland Garros, and winner at Lyon). And amid all the glare and scrutiny on his gamesmanship recently, his first win of the 2022 season at one of his favourite venues couldn’t come at a better time.

Early start

Julia Apostoli-Salnikova always knew her first-born was meant to play tennis. In an interview with The New York Times, the former Soviet tennis star said as much candidly. “The doctor, who helped me deliver the child, told me that Stefanos was coming out with his hand up, like a tennis player. I always knew he was going to do something in tennis, but I didn’t know how.” Born in the suburbs of Athens in the month of August of 1998, it wasn’t so much of a surprise when young Tsitsipas was introduced to the game at the tender age of three. With a Greek father and Russian mother, both of whom worked as tennis coaches at the Astir Palace resort hotel in Athens, the sport was possibly the most obvious choice. However, the youngster wasn’t sure. He tried out other sports like football and swimming that helped develop his hand-eye coordination.

It was six years later that decided the young player’s fate. It was a twoweek summer camp where his father had been invited and Tsitsipas had tagged along. His father’s friend

urged the young boy to play the camp’s tournament and to everyone’s delight, he won it. Apostolos recalled that it was that very night his eldest son decided to pursue tennis. “I have to tell you something,” he said in the middle of the night. “I want to become a tennis player, I like the competition, I like the challenge.”

His mother had done everything herself during her playing days, and didn’t want that for her son. So her husband took over. Apostolos studied coaching to be able to travel with Tsitsipas full time, giving up his job when his son was 11. That was an extremely important step and helpful for the youngster, something he realised in the later years. But like all families, his wasn’t perfect.

In tennis, there have been plenty of coach-parents who’ve guided their children to stardom. Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Murray, Serena and Venus Williams are a few names that immediately come to mind. Once in Dubai, when asked about his family’s support, he mentioned that they hassled him at times. And while it led to a playful banter in the following press conference where Julia followed him and asked if he knew of great tennis players helped by their parents on

tour, Tsitsipas knew he wouldn’t have “achieved the things I have today if it wasn’t for them.” Apart from his parents, he’s also been immensely thankful to his aunt, Julia’s twin sister, without whose financial support it would be tough for the family of six (he has three other siblings) to continue with his training.

Warnings galore

Tsitsipas is a lanky right-hander, standing tall at 6’4”, and plays with grace and style akin to his idol Roger Federer. There are the strong, thumping baseline strokes, quickness at the net, ability to scramble on the run, a monumental serve, closing points assertively with his booming versatile forehand and, of course, a remarkable right-handed one-handed backhand that often devastates opponents. Brad Gilbert, the former world No. 4 and coach, heaped praise, calling the stroke a combination of Grigor Dimitrov and Federer.

Yet, the fan-anointed stylistic heir to the Swiss great often finds himself in trouble. Along with father Apostolos. Senior Tsitsipas has probably received more ‘coaching warnings’ than anyone else for, well, coaching from the side lines. The most prominent flare up was during this year’s Australian Open where Daniil Medvedev accused the umpire of not clamping down on the said illegal coaching. While Tsitsipas made light of the situation, claiming he really can’t hear anything in court, his father described himself as a victim, “they’ve been targeting me already a long time.”

Not just code and time violations, but the youngster has also found himself amid more contentious controversy – taking lengthy toilet breaks. When Andy Murray accused

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

The challenger with the champion

Tsitsipas of “cheating” by using a long bathroom break at a crucial juncture as a strategic advantage during their opening round US Open match in 2021, the floodgates opened. Not only does Tsitsipas have a history of taking long bathroom breaks much to the chagrin of his opponents, Alexander Zverev had raged at Cincinnati a week prior when the Greek went with his bag and phone to the bathroom. It didn’t help when TV cameras saw Apostolos messaging during the same break.

Starting 2022, the ATP announced stricter guidelines, including allowing players just one bathroom break of no more than three minutes per match. No long bathroom breaks for anyone.

Mind games

Fearless on court, Tsitsipas’s mindset stems from a very scary incident. The year was 2016 and during a Futures tournament, he went swimming. But it was stormy and instead of a refreshing swim, it turned out to be the worst moment of his life. “The waves were getting bigger and bigger…there was no lifeguard…there was a sense of panic. I remember surrendering…I remember drowning. I remember that feeling of dying. For a second I thought I was dead already,” he once revealed. Ultimately, Apostolos helped his son out of the water. “That was the day that I saw life in a different perspective. I remember saying to myself, ‘you cannot feel fear. This is the worst it can ever get. I felt fearless, like I could do anything after that’.”

Off court, Tsitsipas mentally struggled when the Tour was put on hold in 2020. “This whole pandemic was something that I’ve never imagined, you know, we as like humans to go through. Right now, I am in a better state, mentally, I wasn’t at the beginning of it,” he said in a podcast. In fact, the youngster has been extremely vocal about mental

health saying he had moments in his life when he didn’t feel at a 100 per cent, but “I aim to place emphasis on my happiness and try to improve myself, whether that’s on court, by becoming a better tennis player, or a better human being in general.”

Once an active travel vlogger, Tsitsipas shared glimpses of his personal life with fans. Showing places like Iceland, Monaco and Oman, his well-edited videos that were a creative outlet also caused him anguish. He did take a short hiatus in 2019, away from the constant likes and comments because “it’s a waste for my brain and for my

quickly racked up views, it’s clear Tsitsipas is doing things on his terms, at his pace.

The meteoric rise

After Tsitsipas’s second Monte Carlo win, coach Patrick Mouratoglou tweeted how the Greek keeps exceeding his expectations. Their partnership began in 2015, when “I was lucky enough to be spotted by Patrick at the age of 14. I think most of my success comes from training here (at the academy),” Tsitsipas once said.

The very next year was a turning point in his young career—from

thinking.” However, much to his fans’ disappointment, he tweeted in the early days of the pandemic that he was quitting for good: “I’m trying to be someone that I’m clearly not.” He’s gone on record stating how social media impacted his mental wellbeing, how reading people’s remarks made him feel “miserable”.

While his YouTube subscriberbase is still strong, and his newest vlog after the win in Monte Carlo

adding an A category title in Italy and the European Junior Championships on his resume, Tsitsipas also won the junior boys’ doubles at Wimbledon with Estonia’s Kenneth Raisma and became the best junior player in the world, following in his mother’s footsteps. The momentum carried on next year when he won his maiden ATP match.

2018 saw him advance to the final of Barcelona (ATP 500) to play then-

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Tsitsipas: playing on his own terms

world No. 1 Rafa Nadal. It seemed like a dream. He tried but was no match for Nadal. However, he did carry away the Spaniard’s wisdom with him—“he told me to keep up the hard work, to make the right steps and success will be the result.” On his birthday the same year, they again faced-off, this time in the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto, after having beaten four of the top 10 opponents enroute. The then-19-year-old lost in straight sets but the runner-up result helped him gain 12 spots to become world No 15. He added the Stockholm (ATP 250) and the Next Gen ATP finals to his name by year end.

final before avenging the loss in the ATP Finals summit clash against the Austrian. His ranking steadily rose, ending the year at No. 6. While the shortened 2020 season could have been better, Tsitsipas’s magnificent clay court season last year won him accolades. He climbed to No. 3 in the world just before the hardcourt stretch. A career-best rank just days before his 23rd birthday as he ousted Nadal from the top three for the first time since May 2017.

Major barrier

While his rise and controversies have the tennis world talking, there’s

contender for the French Open. Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski believes Tsitsipas has what it takes to go all the way. “It puts him in the list with four guys you’d think have a real shot to win it, with Rafa, Novak and (Carlos) Alcaraz,” he said.

The current world No. 5, however, isn’t trying to think too hard about the situation. He has other things on his mind, especially after recovering from an elbow injury and subsequent surgery during the off season. He had even briefly toyed with the idea of quitting the sport because of the bothersome elbow. With semifinal showings at Melbourne and Acapulco, and a final at Rotterdam before the Monte Carlo triumph, the year has been good for Tsitsipas so far.

While the 1000 ATP points will push him to second spot in the Race to Turin chart, Tsitsipas’s goal is to finish the year as either the best or No. 2 in the world. “I have a surface that I might be adjusting easier to than other surfaces and we know which one that is,” he said recently. “My goal ever since I have realised that… is if I’m able to score points [on] this surface as much as I can and really concentrate on the other surfaces a bit more, I can really pull off a great year, maybe even finishing among the two best tennis players at the end of the season.” Only five active players have reached the No. 2 spot, and they’ve all ascended to world No. 1.

The following year came his big breakthrough. He reached the Australian Open semis, beating Federer and Bautista-Agut before losing to Nadal in the last-four stage. Tsitsipas then went on to win Marseille, reach the final in Dubai where Federer got his revenge, winning in Estoril, losing to Novak Djokovic in the Madrid final, losing to Dominic Thiem in the Beijing

no doubt that when it comes to results, Grand Slams count. He’s well aware of the monumental task. He’s reached the final four at least once every year since 2019, and in his maiden final appearance at Paris, he was worn down by Djokovic after leading two sets to love. But after the recent Monte Carlo trophy, his fourth victory on clay, many pundits have picked the youngster as a strong

Djokovic once said that Tsitsipas is “always looking to learn from the experience and to understand something new about himself so he can improve. That for me is the trait of a champion, of someone that for sure has a great potential to be No. 1 and win Slams and be the great ambassador of our sport.” With such glowing praise, controversies aside, Tsitsipas has a long career ahead. But for now, he’s focused on taking it one tournament at a time.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Staying focussed on winning

During a tennis match, the camera often pans around the stadium catching spectators, either revelling in euphoria for their favourite player or wearing moroseness on their faces in case of their favourite not doing so well. The camera also pans at the “player’s box” in which the player’s coaching team, and family and in case, if the player is married, the spouse, are also seated. The play of emotions on the spouse’s face is unlike anyone else’s who is sitting and watching the match, in person.

But there is more to being a tennis player’s better half than just sitting and watching matches and offering support. Life is not that simple for players’ spouses and involves more than just fist-pumping from the

TENNIS SP USE LIFE OF A

BY R. SHARADA

stands after winners are hit, games and sets, and matches are won or bowing heads down when the result hasn’t gone their partner’s way.

In that, as much as the players carry the weight of their results on their shoulders – and for however long it is – their spouses do the same. And while the players keep getting asked to speak about their results – especially losses – and are able to vent their feelings (whether or not they want to), their spouses do not get the same courtesy extended to them.

At times, when offered, them not wanting to communicate is by choice. It is understandable, too, given the scrutiny that they face when travelling their tennis-playing partners. If attention is focused on them when their partners play tournaments, there is more of the same that is redirected towards

them, when they do not travel with their working spouses.

Insinuations are made, rumours are kicked up like dust storms, and where is not even the proverbial molehill standing, mountains are conjured up as if to provide justification for external assumptions. The higher ranked a player, more common is this phenomenon. Case in point: the speculation that had risen about Novak Djokovic and his wife, Jelena Djokovic encountering problems as a married couple after the latter did not attend the 2019 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer.

After the incident, Jelena, who runs the Novak Djokovic Foundation, opened up on the difficulties of being a tennis player’s wife on the professional tennis tour. “When you are young, the spotlight and attention certainly feel comfortable,” she shared, in one of her recent

interviews with Serbian news site Vesti.

“At first, the experience does not alarm you because it can bring you some difficulties. We look at public figures and think that kind of publicity is okay. But as time goes on, you lack anonymity, you lack the privacy to be able to do whatever you like at any time, in any situation. I try to resist all these expectations to always be myself and for Novak to be able to be himself.”

Now, in 2022, over three years since these chaotic moments erupted, they’ve also subsided, leaving Djokovic and his wife at peace, away from prying and unnecessary questions like these.

However, staying inconspicuous does not mean the spouse of a tennis player is not supportive.

When Kim Clijsters announced her second comeback to the

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Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian and daughter Olympia

professional tour in 2020 after an absence from the circuit that’d lasted almost seven years, she shared her thought process about the reasons for wanting to make a return again. In the social media post announcing her return, she said, “For the past seven years, I’ve been a full-time mom. And I love it. I really, really do. But I also loved being a professional tennis player. And honestly, I miss that feeling. So, ...what if I tried to do both? Could I be a loving mum to my three kids and the best tennis player I can possible be?”

Later, in an interview, Clijsters spoke about how her husband had spurred her decision further by asking her to think about why she could not make a comeback, instead of doubting herself. “I talked to my

husband. He was, like, ‘Why not? Stop worrying about why, and ask yourself, “Why not?”’ He made a very good point,” Clijsters said of her husband, former basketball player, Brian Lynch, to whom she has been married since 2007.

In these near 15 years, Lynch has been the pillar of support for Clijsters, seeing her win three more Majors – including a long-awaited Australian Open – and return as the world no. 1 in 2011, almost seven years after she first topped the ranking, in 2003.

Although this time around, Clijsters’ comeback didn’t go as planned what with the Covid-19 pandemic stalling her return and also because, she wasn’t able to get the results she wanted. Eventually, the Belgian announced in 2022 that she would be stepping away from competitive tennis decisively this time, thus bringing a unique chapter in the sport’s history to a definitive close.

Nonetheless, despite the anticlimactic turn of events Clijsters’ career took, her attempted return was something to be marvelled at. Likewise, coming at the time it did,

when the women’s tour had seen several of its formerly top-ranked players retire – for personal reasons – Clijsters’ decision to re-enter the Tour was also inspiring indeed. And one that could not be done without her husband lending unconditional brace for her to do so.

The aspect of spousal support also takes a different turn on account of the presence of social media. Although social media started off as an informal mode of disseminating information, it’s now become the primary source of sharing information by sports persons, including tennis players. The flip side of this existence of social media is the insouciance with which the concerned information is shared and spread, by people. This is to say that adding undertones and removing context while spreading communication through social media has become par for the course for several users.

In today’s times, on account of usage of social media not only being at its zenith but also extremely necessary – across both written and photographic platforms – there is an acceleration in the constancy of curiosity towards the players, and their spouses.

Regarding this aspect, Jelena pointed out, “The development of technology and social networks have contributed to making the lives of public figures available at all times. I am aware that as a wife of a popular athlete I might be interesting for the tabloids, that is why I try not to give them much material to write about me.”

Striking a Balance

Jelena Djokovic’s statement about not wanting to give much to write about her presents the contradiction that currently envelops tennis, much like other sports. Of, those seeking information not knowing where to draw the line between doing just that and overstepping this boundary, barging into players’ and their partners’ privacy.

... there is more to being a tennis player’s better half than just sitting and watching matches and offering support.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena Djokovic

Daniil Medvedev’s wife Daria Medvedeva

The scope of this lack of respect of privacy – especially towards a player’s spouse – also extends in quite a convoluted manner. Instead of acknowledging that a spouse is an individual with personal preferences instead of a tag attached to a tennis player, there are often attempts to pass off expectations placed on a player onto their spouse.

As if to connote that the player’s spouse would only be deemed to be acceptable – among the audiences –if their behaviour was an extension of their tennis-playing counterparts’. Striking and maintaining a balance of one’s personal opinions in such situations becomes all the more necessary. For using subjective choices and redirecting them at players – and their spouses – is not only inconvenient but also entirely irrational.

Couple this with the aforementioned employing of social media and there is widespread chaos that usually take unpleasant and vitriolic turns. Furthermore, despite the spouses’ social media accounts being protected, they are not exempt from being tagged by those keen on making their point. The mindless tagging of their accounts in less polite memes and crude jokes breaches an etiquette of courtesy and decency that spills onto the real world as much as it is seen through the prism of the virtual world.

There again, if spouses do retaliate, they are pegged as rude and inconsiderate with more belittling tacked on. And, if the first time around, any social media users had decided to ignore the thread of discussion, even those make their way into the conversation, adding unasked for insult to an unwanted injury.

Clarity of Thoughts

At this juncture, in order to understand where this misunderstanding creeps in from, it is important that audiences retain the rational premise that much like

players, their spouses and partners, too, are not bound to them. Their gestures of friendliness, their personalities are about them and the extent to which they are comfortable sharing these attributes with the audiences. And whatever they do share, it is done so of their own free will and has to be reciprocated with acceptance without questions, or further demands.

Demands that are made not only directly at them but also through their tennis-playing spouses. That,

then, is as much a violation of their personal space as much as it is about the players’. To give an example: there are times when it is thought to give players room to deal with the vicissitudes of their career instead of nit-picking on their struggles. Their spouses merit the same consideration – across all days, good and bad – for they are the ones who are a part of the players’ journey for the longest haul, committing to them for an arduous life in the guise of frequent travel and relocation.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Rafael Nadal’s wife Maria Perello

Roger Federer’s family

The allure of Emma Raducanu

BY BHAGYA AYYAVOO

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Emma Raducanu’s incredible Summer of 2021 – it’s a career that peaked right from the start.

As a wild-card entrant at Wimbledon last year what was spoken and written more about was the fact that she failed to see through the Round of 16 match and instead retired. That she had made the fourth round in her maiden Slam was a pale shadow to the former.

Emma satiates England’s hunger

In less than two months, the Kent girl came out all guns blazing and did something that no one had ever done – man or woman – in 150 years of tennis, coming from the qualifying and winning a major title.

What followed was unimaginable fame showered on the teenager’s triumph at the US Open, where she won 10 straight matches on her way to the title.

WTA Tour is not new to having a champion from nowhere. In the last two years, we had witnessed that in more than one occasion. Bianca Andreescu’s Fairy tale of New York and Iga Swiatek has been growing from strength to strength since her 2020 title at Roland Garros and clinching her 2nd French Open title this year.

So, what’s special about Emma’s feat? She won the title at first attempt as an 18 year old; the first qualifier to do so; and that too without dropping a set. It’s tough to recall anyone playing only her fourth tournament on the WTA Tour and only second Grand Slam tournament rising to the occasion the way young Emma didbecoming the first British woman to win a major since Virginia Wade in 1977.

Any tennis star from Great Britain is burdened with expectations from the day they are earmarked for success. Every move being watched, every match under intense scrutiny and every loss sounding the alarm bells. Even as her rankings shot up to

top 25 from 300s. Off the courts, new brand-endorsement deals poured in. In the ensuing nine months, she has been living out of hotels doing everything she never dreamed of.

• On the red carpet at the Met Gala

• At the sets of Good Morning America

• Visited New York Stock Exchange

• Sizzled at the James Bond premiere

• Honoured with an MBE

• Awarded BBC Sports Personality of the Year

• Starred in a Christmas advertisement for sporting goods

• Even had a penguin named after her at the Young London Aquarium.

• And while hopping jets for such commitments, she also turned 19.

‘I’m just a normal 19-yearold. My bedroom is a mess…

It’s like a bomb exploded’

– Emma Raducanu

The Emma Raducanu Story

Raducanu’s twitter profile London | Toronto | Shenyang | Bucharest furnishes her complete background in a nutshell. Born as an only child to Ian Raducanu and Renee Zhai, pursuing a career in finance, she was ‘thrown into every extra-curricular school activity’ and even as a little girl Emma was consumed by the desire to win.

She met tennis by accident, while waiting for her parents who played the sport. The five-year-old would hit some balls and realized she was better at it and soon she was learning the skills under Harry Bushnell at The Parklangley Club in Beckenham in south-east London.

Fast, strong and improvise on the run. That was the style followed in the initial years. Her father would hire

a coach for a couple of sessions to work on something specific and once that’s cracked, he was dispensed of – a style for which she now faces brickbats.

Britain sees a future champion in Raducanu

Her talent was evident early on, six years before the perfect summer.

The grammar school she attended Newstead Wood in Orpington held the culture, “work hard, play hard” and allowed Emma to travel for junior tournaments.

On her 13th birthday (November 13, 2015) she entered the Nike Junior International (Grade-5 event) in Liverpool and became the youngest player ever to win an ITF U18 tournament (with the earliest entry age of 13).

There were stories floating around that time when Judy Murray was coaching Britain’s women’s team, that she had mentioned Emma Raducanu in the team meeting as the “future”.

Her ITF junior success continued in 2017 with two titles in February at the Yonex ITF Hamburg and ITF Oslo Open Grade-4 events followed by a couple of ITF titles in India and two more at the Biotehnos Cup and Siauliai Open Grade-2 events. Later that year, she reached the Girls’ singles quarterfinals at both the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open.

Never Complain, Never Explain

A tough upbringing, with parents as her biggest critics helped Emma balance both academics and tennis. They are very private people and are known to sit among the crowd and not in the player’s box.

Following in the footsteps of Richard Williams and Judy Murray, Emma’s dad has questions about what’s best for his daughter’s career, about coaching philosophies and the word is that he’s very knowledgeable

about tennis in the same way as the above two famed tennis parents.

Focus on academics, tennis takes back seat

‘Mum’s more on the mental and the off-court, respect side of things… and then my dad is more on the business and task side.’

Although the 16-year-old turned pro in 2018, she alternated between junior and professional tournaments. It was at that time Emma was spoken as a genuine talent, but soon she went into the oblivion and there were some rumblings about her focus on academics.

She popped back into everyone’s consciousness at the back of As in mathematics and economics and was named a fringe player in the Great Britain Fed Cup team in 2020.

The Wimbledon Story

Raducanu was a product of Vodafone’s commitment to grassroot tennis – she confesses that she came through ‘Play Your Way to Wimbledon’ campaign.

There are tales galore that when the young Brit made her WTA debut at the 2021 Nottingham Open, one of the Wimbledon warm-ups in June, it was virtually an empty court!

However, those two weeks before The Championships proved to be very crucial in her career. Ranked 338, she was handed a Wild Card. The inside story is that the wild card was upgraded from a qualifier wild card to a maindraw one.

On her Grand Slam debut at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the local girl smashed records -- beat Vitalia Diatchenko and Markéta Vondroušová thus becoming the

‘Honestly, at the beginning, I didn’t like it at all. I hated tennis. But I gradually fell in love with winning and working hard. Seeing results pay off after you put in so much work, it is really rewarding to see.’

‘Being a bit of the underdog is great because you can go out there with no fear.’

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo: Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Emma with her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open 2021

youngest British woman to reach the Wimbledon third round. She followed that up with a win over Sorana Cîrstea to be hailed as the youngest Briton at 18 years and 239 days to reach the last 16 in the Open Era since Elena Baltacha in 2002.

All that was forgotten when Raducanu retired in the second set of her fourth-round match against Ajla Tomljanovi; her “breathing difficulties” excuse didn’t go well with the pundits. The impressive run however helped her crack into Top 200.

Style of Play

In her own words, she’s aggressive, fairly a big hitter and likes to take control of the point. Emma has an appreciation for the stage she’s on and essentially learns the game while playing tennis. One of the best returners in the women’s game right now, and that helps her bounce back when she’s behind; she forces a lot of double faults from opponents.

What makes her a great watch is her aesthetically pleasing tennis, great shot-making, athletic and dynamic (reminds us of Simona

Halep, courtesy her Romanian roots and China’s Grand Slam champion Li Na with her ponytail and visor); hits the ball early and is adept at redirecting power down the line; the shot that stands out in her game is the backhand with which she blasts many winners.

US Open win and sponsors queuing up

Many believe Emma has a very bright mind with an awareness of her capacities and the fearlessness that champions possess. So, when she was presented with such an opportunity at Flushing Meadows, she grabbed it with both hands.

Qualifying: beat Bibiane Schoofs, Mariam Bolkvadze & Mayar Sherif

Main Draw: Beat two top-40 ranked players in her 7 straight wins: Stefanie Vögele, Zhang Shuai, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Shelby Rogers, Belinda Bencic & Maria Sakkari to reach the final, the youngest player to since Maria Sharapova in 2006.

In progressing to the final of the US Open, she gained more than 100 ranking places, entering the top 25

and displacing Konta to become British No. 1.

‘Before the match there was a little bit of pre-match nerves. As soon as I got onto court...it was just doing what I had done a 100 times before...’

As a result of her US Open victory where she defeated Leylah Fernandez in two sets, winning with a 109-mph ace in what was the first all-teenage women’s singles final since the 1999 US Open between Serena Williams and Martina Hingis, Raducanu rose to No. 23 in the rankings- a jump of 332 places from the start of the year.

‘I have no idea what I’m doing tomorrow. I’m just really trying to embrace the moment, really take it all in.’

The Emma effect on the marketing side of women’s tennis

Besides sponsors Nike for clothing and shoes, and Wilson for racquets, here’s a look at the brands that’s roped her in since her New York exploits: McLaren, Porsche, Tiffany & Co., British Airways, Dior, Evian and Vodafone to name a few.

Tennis turned professional in 1968 and since then male players had enjoyed better monetary incentives. However, times are changingNaomi Osaka, after becoming an international superstar, tops the best-paid female athletes list with earnings of $37.4 million in 2021 from prize money and endorsements according to Forbes. Also, nine of the world’s top 10 best-paid female athletes are from the WTA circuit.

In contrast to the empty court where she made her WTA debut, during the peak of the US Open final the numbers (viewership of

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

9.2 million) coming out of the UK on Channel 4 were within earshot of the peak of the 2019 DjokovicFederer Wimbledon final (9.6 million). Interestingly, more watched the women’s singles final than the men’s title clash.

‘I don’t focus on tennis. I think that it is unfair but it’s something I have learned to deal with and become a bit more insensitive to the outside noise.’

So, with advertisers queuing up, Raducanu’s Career Earnings that read $2,967,929 in March could soar higher. A BILLION dollar earnings is something associated with Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods; not even Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were discussed with that reference. Emma after her appearance in the Forbes 30 Under 30 List along with Mo Salah (already worth $90m) is touted to unlock the magical figure.

I heard one of the tennis analysts say, “everything that Raducanu does gets a lot of attention, and this could be for the rest of her career.” How true! So far Emma has shown remarkable poise, despite the sneering from the haters, people questioning her work ethics. With more success on court, Raducanu (with 2.3 million Instagram followers at the time of writing) could become the next international superstar from the world of tennis. Even in the glare of the spotlight, how quickly she adapts, and her humility are huge attributes that could take her far. Female grand slam champions fade away after their first victory, will there be a change in the script for Emma Raducanu?

‘.. one thing I think I should do more – wake up and be proud of my achievements.’

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork

USA, Inc

RNA Methodology of the Rafa Nadal Academy

The prestige of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar was built with a detailed methodology designed by the coaching team that has taken Rafa Nadal to the pinnacle of the professional tour. Led by Toni Nadal himself, the large team of experienced coaches seeks to maximize the players’ strengths in order to get the best out of each of them, both on and off the court.

The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar is a very special and unique project, offering young people from all around the world the chance to train with the working methodology of one of the best tennis players of all time. Through this project, Rafa intends to leave a legacy by passing on everything he has learned during his formation as a person and as a tennis player. To do so, he has transformed his training area into a high-performance centre and put together a team of coaches he knows is capable of creating that legacy by means of the daily teaching of a methodology that allows players to fight for their dreams of becoming professional tennis players, all while continuing with their academic education.

The implementation of this methodology focuses on three aspects, highlighted by Rafa Nadal and implemented by Toni Nadal in his role as Director, that dictate the line of daily activity at the Academy; technical work, building character and value coaching. To this end, and in order to be able to establish this comprehensive methodology, all sporting aspects of the players’ daily lives are brought together in a teaching system based on 5 pillars:

1. Tennis

2. Fitness training

3. Psychology

4. Nutrition

5. Technology

Tennis

The tennis coaching system is based on the experience acquired by Rafa Nadal and his coaching staff during his prolific years of learning on the professional tour.

Through the implementation of this methodology, the coaches at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar prepare the young players to immerse themselves in the future of tennis by applying personalised training systems and combining them with the characteristics that have set Rafa and his winning spirit apart.

For this reason, particular focus is placed on the development of the following skills and aptitudes. Firstly, the improvement of technique using

strokes and footwork. Then, the understanding of the game through tactics, a competitive mindset and knowing how to learn from victories and defeats by means of managing emotions, humility, respect and good sportsmanship and body language. Finally, an increase in intensity through mobility and anticipation, concentration, hard work and determination.

The coaching staff at the academy responsible for implementing this methodology is directed by Toni Nadal and coordinated by the Head Coaches: Marc Górriz, Joan Bosch and Gabriel Urpí. Under their supervision, the Lead Coaches are each responsible for one of the groups of players organised by standard and age.

The Academy’s teaching programme underlines the fact that the tennis of today and the future is played first with the “eyes”, then the “mind”, next with the “legs” and

The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar Training Method

Photo courtesy: The Rafa Nadal Academy

finally with the “hands”. The coaching systems are based on this paradigm and they are combined with the aptitudes that have brought Rafa so much success throughout his career. Therefore, mobility, a winning character, intensity, competitive mentality and concentration are some of the key focal points in the daily training session.

The technical concepts at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar revolve around a simple and easy technique based on body shape, harmony and rhythm, strike and ball flight and footwork and movement.

The tactical concepts cover all possible positions on court, shot selection, direction options and the ability to unlock the opponent’s game. This means that the execution of attacking, neutral, defensive and counterattacking shots will be specifically worked on.

Starting with the understanding that technique is the foundation of the game, the Head Coaches and Lead Coaches decide the percentage of time that will be dedicated to each of the aspects (technique, tactics, physical, mental) in the sessions, so that the players at the RNA train and play in the most competitive way possible. Every training session will target clear goals, from the most basic to the most complex, in order to complete the “Development Plan” assigned to every player at the start of each year, which will evolve with the progression of each individual player.

The coaches play a basic role in the formation of the player, as they are their most direct reference. To do this, as well as intensity and respect, attendance, cleanliness, organisation, punctuality, attitude and body language are considered essential. The goal is to keep them engaged, help them understand their needs, motivate them with explanations (not orders), to make them responsible for their own work and participate in their goals and actions. By means of simple and

short messages that are easy to take on board, they have to transmit the goals that through reflection and customisation. By doing so we produce players who not only listen, but who also learn.

This technical methodology is based on the values that have been established by the staff who laid the foundations for Rafa’s success stories. These values have been passed on by his team and are now taken on by the students of the RNA in all areas. Values such as hard work, discipline, honesty, perseverance,

teamwork, dedication, humility and respect, among others, are the calling cards of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar and the pillars that underlie the comprehensive education, training and formation of the students.

As well as the daily training sessions, the Academy designs an optimal competition calendar that allows the tennis players to be able to combine their activities on the tour with their school activities at the Rafa Nadal International School. While the tournaments form part of the players’

Photo courtesy: The Rafa Nadal Academy

Photo courtesy: The Rafa Nadal Academy

lives, the Academy understands that the most important thing is to see training as a competition. Once this goal has been achieved, the young tennis players are considered ready to play in suitable tournaments for their age group and standard. In addition, the coaches make sure that each player also completes their academic tasks during competition weeks.

The end goal is for every player to learn and, therefore, improve as a tennis player and as a person, by means of a positive experience and being aware that, although daily work is not always gratifying, hard work every day is the only way to achieve the goals.

Fitness training

The huge scientific evolution seen in sport in the last 15 years has led to fitness training taking on increasing importance as part of the coaching and education of players from an early age. To develop an efficient functional working methodology, the Academy has drawn inspiration from the successful work carried out by Joan Forcades with Rafa Nadal throughout his career.

This methodology, which has been created through knowledge and study of the technical body positioning and physical attributes required in tennis, has been implemented by Domingo Rosselló, the head of the Academy’s fitness training and health centre, with the department’s team of professionals. In order to put this methodology into practice, the purpose of all working sessions is to improve the physique of the players by compensating for the muscle imbalance brought on by intense sports activities.

In order to be able to handle the demands of the professional tour, and taking into account the needs of players in their formative years, fitness training at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar is based on two pillars; Coordination Skills and Injury Prevention.

Coordination Skills give the players the foundations for making the impossible possible, the possible easy and the easy, elegant. This includes balance in foot positioning, reactions, changes of pace and direction, footwork and visual reaction speeds. These aspects will be worked on comprehensively on court and in fitness training sessions, where various tasks based on real-game situations will be set, with students receiving individual coaching.

Injury prevention is a very important part of the Academy’s methodology, as tennis is an asymmetrical and aggressive sport that causes muscular and skeletal imbalances that have to be compensated so that possible injuries do not force downtime from sports. Preventative training, which aims to minimise risks, is built around the following aspects: joint mobility exercises, muscle stretches to relieve tension and strengthening of the stabilising muscles around the various joints in the body and deep back muscles.

In addition to having a large and experienced team of fitness coaches and physiotherapists, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar enjoys the support of Quirónsalud, an internationally recognised health group, for all of its medical services. Quirónsalud makes available the best professionals in the field of health and sports medicine and has state-of-theart injury detection technology and the application of advanced sports physiotherapy techniques.

Psychology

At the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar psychology is approached from an educational perspective, with the purpose of achieving the comprehensive development of the players, both on and off the court.

With extensive experience in prestigious football teams, such as Benfica in Portugal, the Rafa

Nadal Academy by Movistar’s Head of Psychology Carlos Fernandes is responsible for designing a methodology based on Rafa Nadal’s values.

At the Academy, we work daily on the integration and implementation of a programme for teaching psychological skills that help players develop good habits and attitudes necessary for increasing their selfawareness. This, in turn, improves their capacity both on the court and in their studies and generates virtues such as commitment and responsibility.

In addition to the daily sessions that make up the educational “Sports Science” programme, once a week, all students attend a participative and interactive session in which the importance of the values, aptitudes and skills taught at the Academy is reinforced.

Through gamification, the teachers, coaches, fitness trainers and academic tutors score the players every week based on the development of their values and behaviour in 4 areas: college, tennis, fitness and boarding. The final goal is to motivate the players and integrate these values into their daily behaviour with weekly, quarterly and annual goals.

Nutrition

Adequate nutrition plays a fundamental role in general life and especially in sports. Nutritional strategies help improve an athlete’s performance and prevent injuries. Therefore, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar’s nutritional plan is based on several patterns broken down into stages.

Following its design, this nutritional project has been implemented through working together with coaches, fitness trainers, physiotherapists, psychologists and doctors, in order for the players to learn to eat with the nutrients they need at all times.

The Academy’s nutritional programme includes an evaluation of the player’s nutritional condition, an assessment of specific needs and the creation of balanced and healthy menus by selecting the highestquality products on the island of Mallorca. Hydration before, during and after training and competition, based on the environmental conditions, forms a key part of this plan.

This personalised plan includes an assessment of supplements and ergogenic aids, support for recovery and injury prevention and nutritional education in cooking workshops that are given in the weekly Sports Science sessions.

In order to be able to implement this nutritional plan, designed by Gemma Bes (Rafa Nadal’s nutritionist), the Rafa Nadal Academy has its own kitchen and a team of chefs and cooks with experience in high-performance centres.

Technology

As well as laying its foundations in first-class human resources, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar uses technology as the backbone of a project that is still growing and innovating so that its players can reach the pinnacle in their tennis, academic and personal lives.

In order to be able to analyse, study and improve the learning processes and performances of the players, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar has created the “RNA 360 ©”, an innovative tool that carries out an integral measurement of the parameters and factors that come into the players’ daily lives.

The synergy and daily cooperation between the departments allows the “RNA 360 ©” platform to be a useful and effective tool as, by means of the configuration and synchronisation of all the data, the coaches,

specialist technicians, psychologists, educators, health team and teaching staff, objective and graphical results are obtained that help them in the decision making process when it comes to optimising the evolution of the players, both professionally and personally.

In addition, and thanks to the implementation of video analysis platform PlaySight, the Rafa Nadal

Academy can monitor the players using cameras installed on the courts, allowing for subsequent technical video analysis of training sessions and matches.

Through the development of the 360 platform and the implementation of PlaySight, parents can closely follow and participate in the development and growth of their children from anywhere in the world.

For additional information about Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, their mental training method and tennis programs, please log on to www.rafanadalacademy.com

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo courtesy: The Rafa Nadal Academy

LIVING THE DREAM

An Interview with Ramkumar Ramanathan

Q. You have achieved an all time high of No. 111 in the ATP rankings. Do you think that you still have a shot at cracking the top 100?

Yes I have become a lot smarter on court and much more disciplined in the way I play. But tennis has also got tougher over the years both physically and mentally. Covid was a tough time for all of us. But I am staying focused on my health and luckily I am keeping healthy and haven’t been injured for the last couple of years which is very important for me to keep my consistency and goals on target.

Q. Are you going to be playing with Rohan Bopanna as your doubles partner in the future ?

Bopanna is a good friend of mine and he is doing a lot for Indian tennis. He has got an academy in Bangalore and is doing lot of things for juniors. When I play doubles with him, I am very relaxed as we know both know each other very well. We have a good bond and vibe together. That is very important when we play doubles together and ofcourse I look forward to playing with him in the future sometime.

Q. What is life on the tour like especially as there are very few Indian players?

It is tough but the good side is that I get to travel and see different parts of the world. We get to go to many cities but rarely have any time to see them properly as we have a very busy schedule between our practice and tournaments. It does get lonely sometimes but it helps a lot if you have a support team travelling with you and friends around, especially when you lose a match and you need someone to talk to you. I am very happy with the way doubles is going and I am working very hard to get

At 28 years of age, Ramkumar Ramanathan has a lot to be proud of. He is India’s No.1 player, represented his country in several Davis Cup matches and has won two ATP Doubles titles.

In this exclusive interview with Priyananki Singh Sood, the Editor of Advantage Tennis, Ramkumar talks about his future goals, life on the tour and his life off the court.

my rankings up in both singles and doubles.

Q. Do you have a support team that you travel with?

I won the junior nationals in Chennai and for a while I trained under the Tamil Nadu Tennis association. Then I went to the Sanchez-Casal tennis academy in Spain. I moved to Spain for 4-5 years. The Tamil Nadu association and my parents were very supportive. I played under a very different environment on clay and it was good to see the high level of tennis that was being played

in Spain. I still go to the Academy sometimes but more recently I have been practicing with Sanjay Singh. He used to be the trainer for Leander Paes and has been helping me out. He lives in Tampa, Florida and travels with me sometimes to some of the tournaments.

Q. Where are you currently based out of?

I am based in Florida.

Q. How many tournaments in a year do you play?

In the last few years I have been

Photo: Kamesh

playing a lot of tournaments. I play around 30-40 tournaments in a year. I play about for 25-30 weeks in a year.

Q. What made you want to become a tennis player?

My dad put me in tennis at a very young age and I really enjoyed playing it. Then, the coaches were very happy with the way I played. That is the way how I started. My father used to accompany me for all the national tournaments till I was 14 and then I went to Spain to train at the Sanchez–Casal academy. My parents are my biggest supporters and I am very thankful for that.

Q. It seems that South India has always traditionally produced more tennis players than the North. Why do you think that is the case?

I don’t really know the reason but there is a good heritage of players from the South such as Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan, Vijay Amritraj etc.

Q. What has been the most important win of your career till now?

Beating Dominic-Thiem clearly stands out as one of my best wins. At the time I beat him, he was ranked in the top 10 in the ATP rankings. I beat him in Antalya. That was probably one of my best tournaments I have played. I think beating Somdev in 2014 started everything for me.

Q. What has been your toughest match till now?

I think losing to Marcos Baghdatis in Antalya. I was 0-6 down in the tiebreak. I made it 6-6 and then lost 8-6 in the 3rd set tie–break up. That match really hurt a lot.

Q. Who would you consider your toughest opponent till now?

I would say Jared Donaldson is the player I find toughest to play against.

Q. What is the routine day for you on the tour like?

During a tournament I wake up early, I eat breakfast and do a little bit of

training. If I have late matches then I sometimes take a little nap and try to keep my head focused.

Q. What kind of influence did Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have on the next generation of Indian tennis players?

Leander and Mahesh Bhupathi achieved some amazing results. They have won so many Grand Slams which is something for all of us to be proud of. Mahesh has an academy in Bangalore and Leander still helps us all. I play doubles with him and I gel very well with Leander and I am quite close to him. They both are very important figures in Indian tennis.

Q. How does it feel to be India’s No. 1 player?

It was a dream for me. I always looked up to Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes and Somdev. It was a tough journey but I am very happy to be at the place

Beating Dominic-Thiem clearly stands out as one of my best wins. At the time I beat him, he was ranked in the top 10 in the ATP rankings. I beat him in Antalya. That was probably one of my best tournaments I have played.

where I am. But the next 10 years is very important for me. It is a proud moment for me to be the No. 1 player. It is such a huge population and I am proud and happy to be ranked to No. 1 in the country. I hope I can be a good example for the others to follow.

Q. Do you enjoy being a role model for young inspiring Indian tennis players?

Yes, I definitely enjoy being a role model for them. It is not easy to become India’s No. 1 player and I hope I can give back to the game in a positive way. That’s how India will grow in strength in tennis. I learnt a lot from my seniors and I hope I can do the same for my juniors as well.

Q. Do you think tennis as a sport has grown in India?

Yes, I think it has grown a lot especially because of the recent influence of Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes and Sania Mirza. I always say that it is very

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

important to train in an academy like Rohan Bhopanna’s academy in India or if they can afford it, they should try and go to an international academy. Youngesters should try and train in Spain and in the U.S to get more exposure to different surfaces and coaching. There are a lot more kids playing now and there is more interest in the game.

Q. You are 27 years old. Are you happy with the way your career has gone so far?

Yes, I am happy with the way my career has gone. I have no regrets. I am very happy, thankful and grateful to be playing and living the life that I have always dreamt of. I would like to get an Olympic medal for India which is one of my goals and I would also like to try to get into the top 100 in singles.

Q. Was it a difficult period during COVID?

Yes, obviously it was a difficult during COVID with the restrictions on travel etc. But now things have improved a lot and travel has opened up. The ATP tour was very supportive in providing letters to the players for travel etc. during COVID.

Q. Who is your all time favorite player to watch in the men’s and women’s game?

I have always enjoyed watching Roger playing. I also like the way Nick Kyrgios plays. Stan Wawrinka is also right up there. In the women’s game I like the way Emma plays. I also like Belinda Bencic.

Serena ofcourse is a great player and has done lot for the game. I recently watched the movie called King Richard which was very inspirational about her family.

Q. As a young aspiring player who inspired you?

There was no particular person. When I used to come home, I used to watch a lot of Grand Slams on television. When I was young I used to watch players like Pete Sampras and Lleyton Hewitt but really the turning point for me was when I went to Spain

when I was 15 years old that showed me the way.

Q. When did you turn pro? I turned pro in 2009.

Q. What are your other interests apart from tennis?

I like listening to music. When I come back to Chennai, I like to meet my friends. I also enjoy going to watch a Tamil film. I like bowling and also like to play poker. Like a typical Indian I enjoy playing cricket also.

Q. Have you made any friends on the tour?

I am friendly with the entire Indian Davis cup team. I also have a few friends from Spain who I talk to a lot.

Q. How much time in a year do you get to spend with your family?

Not too much. May be about a month in a year.

Q. What is your favourite tournament? Newport.

Q. What is your favourite surface? Grass.

Q. Who is your favourite player? Roger Federer.

Q. What is your favourite song? There is song in Tamil called Light of Ram. It’s actually a funny song.

Q. Which is your favourite movie? ’96.

Q. Which is your favourite city? Barcelona.

Q. What is your favourite food? Indian, anytime. I also like Hibachi.

Q. Who has been the most influential person in your life?

My dad because he is the one who paved my path to become a tennis player.

Q. What are your goals for 2023?

I have not set any particular goals. I just want to keep playing and enjoying myself. I don’t want to put any pressure on myself.

I just want to keep playing and I want to stay healthy and enjoy playing and improve my rankings. I am sure if I work hard the results will keep coming.

Q. Have you got any plans after tennis?

I would like to give back to the game as much as I can.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

With his Davis Cup teammates

Who WILL tAKE OVER THE BATON FROM SANIA MIRZA?

BY DEEPTI PATWARDHAN

With her explosive game, Sania reached the world No. 1 spot — winning six Grand Slam titles on the way (three in women’s doubles and three in the mixed event) — took time off to start a family and immediately got back to winning titles.

When Sania Mirza burst onto the international stage, in 2005, it seemed like Indian women’s tennis had found the piedpiper who would lure new generation of players to the tennis courts. But 17 years later, as Mirza embarks on her farewell season in 2022, Indian tennis is still pondering over the question, ‘Who will pick the baton from the firebrand Hyderabadi?’

Mirza reached a career high of 27 in singles with her explosive game, successfully forged a career for herself in doubles – reaching the world No. 1 spot and winning six Grand Slam titles on the way (three in women’s doubles and three in the mixed event), took time off to start a family and immediately got back to winning titles.

As the tennis world came to a shuddering halt in 2020 due to the pandemic, Mirza was forced to take another long break. She returned to the tour in 2021, competed in her fourth straight Olympics – the most for an Indian female tennis player, won the Ostrava Open and broke back into the top-100 in doubles. At the time of writing, Mirza is still the highest ranked Indian doubles player on the WTA charts at 34.

The 35-year-old has now taken more of a leadership role in the team event, Billie Jean King Cup – earlier known as the Fed Cup. In 2020, on making a comeback from childbirth, Mirza led India to the Fed Cup World Group Playoff stage for the first time in the country’s history.

That win, though a surprise achievement, came at a time when Indian women’s tennis has a pool of young talent steadily working their way up to the big stage. There’s still a vast gulf in class between the upcoming players and what Mirza had demonstrated during her time in the singles. Mirza’s firepower is not easy to replicate, but some of the younger players have made their resilience and work rate count.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

The Indian icon

Ankita Raina

One of the players who has put in the effort to maximize their talent is Ankita Raina. The 29-yearold has been India’s No. 1 singles player for quite a while and reached a career-high of 160 in May 2020. The Ahmedabad-born player is a defensive baseliner with the ability to grind out long matches tirelessly, putting back ball after ball into play.

She has developed a keen eye, however, for scouting out opportunities to open the court and can play angled shots to put the opponent in awkward positions. It’s a tactic that has seen her beat former world no. 12 and 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisciki and 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur. In the 2018 Fed Cup tie against Kazakhstan, Raina also pulled off an upset win over former world no. 27 Yulia Putintseva.

That same year, at the Asian Games in Jakarta/Palembang, the Ahmedabad-native became the first Indian woman since Mirza to win a medal at the quadrennial event, winning bronze in the women’s singles.

Raina’s perseverance seemed to pay off in 2021 when she earned few career firsts. She won her first WTA doubles title in Australia, made her Grand Slam debut by competing in the women’s doubles at the 2021 Australian Open and also represented India at the Olympics for the very first time. She competed in the women’s doubles along with Mirza.

But Raina’s most battling performance came at the Billie Jean Cup, when India took on Latvia in the World Group Playoffs. On the opening day, she had former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko on the ropes. The slow indoor courts in Jurmala gave Raina ample time to run down balls from the big-hitting Ostapenko and frustrate her. After losing the first set, Raina fought back to take the second set 7-5 and kept the pressure on till the very end, before Ostapenko was just able to eke out the third set 7-5.

The Latvian, piqued by Raina’s resilience, accused the Indian played a ‘strange’ and ‘ugly’ game. “It is difficult to play someone when you don’t know anything about their

game,” Ostapenko said. “In the end, I just had the confidence that I am a better player than her; I stepped it up on the big points.”

In the reverse singles, Raina once again fought hard before going down 0-6, 6-7 to Anastasija Sevastova. Even though India lost the tie, the Indian team had showed that they are not intimidated by the more established countries in the women’s team competition.

Karman Kaur Thandi

The youngster from New Delhi has been endorsed by Mahesh Bhupathi, who had spotted her talent when she was still a teenager and has created avenues for her to train at the famed Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France.

Standing tall at 6 feet, Thandi has booming serve and powerful forehand, with the tendency of going for big shots. When she finds consistency and some rhythm in her game, she can be a dangerous player with the ability to blow past her opponents.

It’s a playing style that for long

Photo: Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

had her touted as the next big player from India. She did make some strides up the ranking and became only the sixth Indian player – after Nirupama Sanjeev, Mirza, Shikha Uberoi, Sunitha Rao and Raina – to break into the top 200 singles rankings, reaching a career high of 196. Injuries, however, have plagued her ever since and she’s slipped down to 449 in the WTA singles ranking.

She has one singles career title to her name so far – an ITF Futures $25,000 event in Hong Kong in 2018. The frequent injuries have meant she hasn’t had the time to get some matches under her belt and build momentum. Even though Thandi showed glimpses of her attacking game in Ortisei, Italy last November as she made the finals of a W25 event, she had to retire in the second round of the very next tournament. At only 23, however, Thandi has some time to work on her fitness and be battle ready in the coming years.

Riya Bhatia

Though Riya Bhatia has kept a low profile, the 24-year-old from New Delhi has been working tirelessly for the past five years or so. She has three career singles titles to her name, the last of which came in 2019, when she won a W25 event in Lagos.

Bhatia is one of the very few Indian players who likes playing on clay and has gained valuable experience on the European clay circuit in recent years. Since last year she has stepped up to a tougher competition bracket and competed in some $60,000, $80,000, $125,000 and $235,238 events on different surfaces.

“I was winning against higher ranked Russians. I was a set and double break up against Laura Siegemund, ranked 55 at that time, in a WTA event. Recently, I was a break up in both the sets against Sachia Vickery of America, who had a career-best rank of 73”, Riya was quoted as saying by Sportstar in April 2022.

She reached a career-high of 338 in March 2020 but has slipped to 463 since.

Bhatia, who made her Fed Cup debut back in 2017, was given the opportunity to compete in singles for the very first time during India’s BJK Group I campaign in Turkey this April. She lost 1-6, 3-6 to Lin Zhu of

China in her first match but helped India beat South Korea 2-1, with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Na Ri Kim in the opening singles.

Rutuja Bhosale

Bhosale, who hails from Shrirampur, in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, played a

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

Photo: Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

India’s Grand Slam champion

crucial role for India at their 2020 Fed Cup triumph. The 26-year-old won three of the five singles matches, crucially reducing the pressure on Raina – who was to play the second singles rubber as well—during India’s Group I Fed Cup ties in Dubai.

Once a shy teenager, Bhosale has bloomed into a confident but steady player, mainly owing to her stint in US collegiate circuit. In the four years at the A&M Texas University, she not only earned a business studies degree but also developed into a more assured individual. She possesses strong aggressive ground strokes from the baseline, and the ability to attack her opponent’s second serve. A fully-fit Bhosale, who stands at 5’10, can really help lift Indian women’s tennis.

Ever since she returned to India in 2017, Bhosale has struggled to cope with a shoulder injury that has kept her off the circuit for a while. She is currently ranked 477 in singles and 270 in doubles.

Like Thandi, Bhosale has also been set back by injuries. She took a long break at the end of 2019 just to get fit for the tour. When she did return to the tour in 2020, she reached the quarterfinal of the Jodhpur W25 ITF before making a return to the Fed Cup team for the first time since 2013.

Pranjala Yadlapalli

Like some of the other Indian women on the pro circuit, Yadlapalli has struggled with injuries in the last couple of seasons. The player from Hyderabad seemed to have gained some momentum in the summer of 2018 when she won two US $25,000 ITF titles in Lagos and peaked at 265 in the rankings the following year. But fitness and form have deserted her since then and she has tumbled to 632 in the rankings.

After an injury long injury layoff, which began at the tail end of 2019, Yadlapalli made a comeback to the tour In October last year and picked

up a W15 title in Bengaluru to end 2021.

The baseliner has picked up some crucial match experience since then.

Zeel Desai

The bighitting, tall player has been around the 500-600 mark on the ranking charts for a while, but hasn’t been able to breakthrough.

Desai, born in Ahmedabad, has won ITF singles and four doubles titles so far. The 23-yearold has had a few encouraging results this year as she made two semi-finals and the final of the W15 Ahmedabad event in February.

Unfortunately the new batch of players is facing the same old problems that plague Indian tennis for quite some time now. Though none of the current women’s players have been able to break through into the top-100 in singles – the last one to do so was Mirza—and only Raina and Thandi have been able to breach the top-200 mark, a lot comes down to the lack of support and expertise. Whatever these women have been able to achieve has been on their own steam.

Indian tennis in general also

suffered heavily due to the pandemic. Not only were there no events scheduled in the country, but travel became more expensive and Indian nationals were banned from some of the tournaments as it was a red-zone country.

The players are slowly turning things around and there are a few exciting juniors like Shruti Ahlawat and Suhitha Maruri are on the horizon. But the void that Sania Mirza will leave, when she retires at the end of 2022, will be extremely difficult to fill.

*All rankings as on April 11, 2022.

Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc