N째 17 - June 2014
TENNIS WORLD Roger Federer is training as if he is a happy child.
MONFILS On The Edge Of Greatness
MUGURUZA This is an important moment of my career
TOWNSEND Hungry For Success
Roger is training as if he is a happy child by Roassana Bianco Roger is training as if he is a happy child. Recalling the old days, his hair gathered in a ponytail, he jokes around with Stefan Edberg.
Roger is training as if he is a happy child. Recalling the old days, his hair gathered in a ponytail, he jokes around with Stefan Edberg. The Swede, though serious himself, also laughs every now and again as he walks around looking for stray balls. He is Federer’s idol, and there is no doubt Edberg has a fair share of admiration for the Swiss. All of this happened far from the grass of Wimbledon, but it is clear that both of their minds are actually on the green courts of the All England Club. Even though the French Open is not yet over for Federer, he is already looking towards England. After an approach shot goes
awry, Federer speaks to Edberg, who nods his head. They try something else. It was only a day later that Federer lost in five sets to Ernests Gulbis. He did not play badly against Gulbis, though he did waste opportunities to go up two sets to love. Yet the loss was not a bad one for the former world number one. After the disaster of 2013, this year has proven to be very successful for Federer. He is playing well and, above all, feeling fit and healthy. At 33, that is the most important thing. There had been earlier warning signs that Federer was not completely focused at Roland Garros. Against Tursunov he had been sloppy,
converting only four of 22 break points. His only worse conversion rate in Paris had been in 2007 against Nadal, where he won two of 21 break points. "There is a fine line between wanting something and wanting it too much," Federer’s former coach Paul Annacone said some time ago. In this case, the wanting too much might not exactly apply to the French Open, but to Wimbledon. Against Gulbis, he seemed distracted and unfocused, and woke up when it was way too late to save the situation. Afterwards, at his press conference, journalists wanted to know what had gone wrong. Federer did not seem too concerned.
But perhaps we can cut Federer some slack. He has, after all, become a father of a second set of twins recently, right in the middle of his preparation for the French Open. This is not a distraction other players have to deal with. Also, given his age and the lack of other players from his generation who are still around, just the fact that he is still ranked number four in the world is incredible. So perhaps that wry smile after the loss to Gulbis is not so mysterious after all. Federer is simply a man who has seen it all before, who knows what he is capable of and knows what he wants. What he wants, of course, is simple: more Grand Slams. Specifically, Wimbledon is what he wants, and it is something he might very well get. The Swiss has been written off so often in the past, only to come back stronger than ever. He has done the impossible before, and it will ultimately surprise nobody if he does it again. He might not be sharing his plans or his thoughts with the public, but one thing is for sure: whatever he is brewing up will certainly get everyone talking, no matter where it leads.
An Interview With Garbine Muguruza Blanco by Francesca Cicchitti
“Garbine Muguruza Blanco is not the name of a fancy wine or magic potion Garbine Muguruza Blanco Born October 8, 1993 E' una tennista spagnola. Garbiñe was born to a Spanish father, José Antonio, and a Venezuelan mother, Scarlet Blanco, in Caracas, Venezuela Height 182 cm Wight 73 kg Prize money $870,037 Turned pro March 2nd, 2012
“Garbine Muguruza Blanco is not the name of a fancy wine or magic potion. It is the name of a Spanish tennis player that, it seems, we will need to learn to pronounce in the future.” This quote is from an article two years ago about Garbine’s success on her debut at a WTA Premier tournament in Miami. Already then there was no doubt that the girl had great talent. It is perhaps for that reason that is didn’t surprise a lot of people who knew of her when she beat Serena Williams at Roland Garros this year. It took eventual winner Maria Sharapova to bring a stop to Blanco, and even then she did not go down easily, taking a set in a 6-1, 5-7, 1-6 loss. When she played in Miami in 2012 she was 208 in the rankings. Today she is on the verge of the Top 20. You had a great tournament in Paris. What was it like beating Serena Williams? "It was an emotion that made my legs shake,
literally. It seemed to me something so distant and impossible to achieve. It was also nice to hear from Serena after the match, when she said: ‘Continue to play as well and you can win the tournament.’ I told her that I would try, I would do my best." When did you realize that you could win? "Towards the end, the last few games of the match. I had won the first and if I'm not mistaken I was 4-1 up. I was nervous, but I realized that if I just kept my cool I could win such an important match. She was very nervous."
It is true that Serena Williams has always been your favorite player? How was it to prepare to play against your player idol? "It was very difficult, because since childhood when I turned on the television I saw her play. I admired her, I have more than 100 videos of Serena, I studied her play. But it was hard to stay calm, I pretended that it was not her but another player. Perhaps because of this, I managed to win and play so well." Who else inspired you growing up? "There is Martina Hingis, I always wanted to be able to get to her level. Then I really liked the play of Pete Sampras."
Against Maria Sharapova you were very close to winning. At times you seemed to control the match. Then, what happened? "It's true, I was so close. It's hard to admit, but I really had the opportunity to win the match. I think I need more experience to be able to face and win matches like that, against such strong opponents. I think I played very well in all three sets, but in the important moments I missed, my head was not up to the task. It's hard to admit it. I'll have to improve on this." It seemed that it was harder for you to play against Sharapova than against Williams. Before playing with Serena you explained that you had nothing to lose. Do you think that you had just put too much pressure on yourself? "No, look, I really just didn’t have the experience to play such an important match. Mary plays with great intensity, but it did not bother me, I know it is his style. Besides, even with her I had nothing to lose...She's a tennis player at such a high level, and it is no coincidence that she won the tournament. I did everything I could do, I tried to focus on my game, but I could not play well when I needed to."
Masha rewarded you with many beautiful words. She said, for example, that this French Open will represent a turning point in your career. Do you think so as well? "Now I'm more confident, sure. I believe more in myself. All the matches I played, not just those against Williams and Sharapova, made me grow. I do not know if this will represent a turning point in my career. We'll see. At the moment I'm happy to have reached a good level of play. You can always improve (laughs)."
Is it true that grass is the surface that you prefer the most? Wimbledon is upon us, do you give yourself a chance to get another important result? "I cannot wait. Also because there are tournaments on grass for only three weeks a year, far too few. The idea of ​coming back for a few weeks to "graze" on the lawns makes me feel good. A result equal to that of Roland Garros would be a nice way to close the season in Europe. I hope so."
How did you get so good on clay? We know that you prefer the fast surfaces‌ "Yes it is true, but I also like to play on the clay, I trained in Spain a lot, and there you know there are not many alternatives to the red clay. The surface counts and does not count, and then if you lack concentration, then it has even less of an influence."
We know you're half-Spanish, halfVenezuelan, but you still have to decide which of the two nations you want to play
for in the future. What does your choice depend on? "I was born in Venezuela, in Caracas, but my father is Spanish. Then, he moved to Venezuela to work, while my mother came to Spain. I lived in Venezuela for six years, and there I started to play tennis, along with my brothers, then we moved to Barcelona. As for my future, it's true, I'm still thinking about it, it is not an easy decision and not about money. The point is that I have a great family, a part in South America and another in Spain, and I have to decide in which country I want to spend most of my time.
To find regularity and continuity will be important It's a bit like asking a child if she prefers her mom or dad. And then, this is an important moment of my career, I'm learning a lot of things, I'm getting better. To find regularity and continuity will be important. Even more so after a period full of injuries like last year, when I was forced to give up half of the season. Making the right decision will be crucial for my future."
Growing Up Slowly by Diego Barbiani "As a child I struggled with focus during workouts. But now I understand why they are necessary, now I want to train, now I want to win."
"As a child I struggled with focus during workouts. But now I understand why they are necessary, now I want to train, now I want to win." These are the words which fans of Ernests Gulbis have been waiting to hear for a long time. Of course, they have heard similar statements in the past, such as when the Latvian beat Roger Federer in Rome four years ago, but this time there is reason to believe that he means it. Indeed, his performance at Roland Garros seems to indicate a turning point for the career of the tempestuous youngster, whose potential has gone sadly unfulfilled so far in his career. To be sure, the court needs a character like him. Tennis players are often criticized for giving boring answers to questions in interviews and at press conferences. Gulbis does not seem to have received this memo, for he rarely gives rote answers to questions. Some of his comments are interesting, such as the fact that he reads
Dostoevsky and would like to have dinner with Albert Einstein. "Although I do not believe that he would have wanted to waste his time with a stupid athlete like me,” he adds smiling. Most of his comments go beyond being interesting, and are the sorts of words that make journalists very happy indeed. For example, he does not want to encourage young women to take up tennis. "For women it is a difficult choice, they must enjoy life more and then think to start a family, but how can they do that if they have tennis on the brain?” Not quite as controversial as Richard Krajicek, but his comments did stir up a lot of controversy. "He’s a comic,” Maria Sharapova said sarcastically in response. “A great comedian. When I'm in a bad mood I read his statements to make me laugh." When asked about Murray’s choice of hiring Amelie Mauresmo as his coach, Gulbis said he would rather hire someone like Ana Ivanovic or Maria Sharapova. Gulbis is, it seems fair to say, never at a loss for words.
Still young at heart It has been six years since Gulbis first made a splash on the men’s Tour, that time also at Roland Garros, where he reached the quarterfinals. Six years lost in the wilderness, for the most part, but even when he wasn’t playing well he still managed to make headlines. In 2009 in Stockholm, for example, he was caught with a prostitute. "When I go out with a girl I do not ask what she does,” he said at the time. “And if she asks me I tell her that I'm a musician or something." Never a dull moment with Ernests. He has not mellowed since then. After doing so well at Roland Garros, he reportedly took his prize money to a casino in Latvia and promptly
lost it all with his cousin. So his maturity on the court has not been reflected off the court. But on the court things are much different indeed. His staff, in fact, says that training sessions are a massive grind, and Gulbis is determined in each and every one of them to improve his game. Gulbis grew up in Bavaria in the tennis academy run by Nikki Pilic. It was his mother, an actress, who contacted Pilic, a Davis Cup captain, to ask him to take on her son. Indeed, they summoned him to Riga, something which they could afford to do. Pilic took him, but his judgment was not flattering: "He’s too privileged to become good at tennis." Privileged background Gulbis’ father, Airnas, is the owner of one of the largest oil pipelines in Latvia, and extremely wealthy as a result. Yet Gulbis was good in school and in sports. His current coach, Gunther Bresnik, is very proud of his student. "He's the best I ever had. He knows how to do everything and is well-prepared physically. He is very dedicated." Gulbis credits much of his success to Bresnik. "It's true, there were years in which I did not want to play,” he said recently. “I escaped to Latvia and spent days without doing anything. But when I met Gunther I realized that I would
"Gulbis likes to joke around,” Djokovic said
have to be different. He did not tell me not to go out or not to have fun, I was only required to be ready at ten o'clock the next morning for training. Since we started working together I have been late only once. Ask him if you do not believe me." "Gulbis likes to joke around,” Djokovic said of his former training partner and semi-final opponent in Paris. “We often played cards, we liked to laugh together, yet now we find ourselves here again. He has always been a lover of life, a well-rounded person." Music and beer "I like the opera, I love the music of Philip Glass, Pierre Boulez and Irmin Schmidt,” says Gulbis.
“And I love beer. If I go out in the evening and start to drink, I do it all night. I like the Netherlands, marijuana is legal there. We tennis players cannot smoke it, but I like the idea." “As early as 14,15 years old we could see his potential,” Djokovic, who trained with Gulbis when he was younger, remembers. “He played loose, without worrying, and destroyed the other guys." Now he has changed his style of play and his relationship with the court. "Today I go on court with the desire to win,” says Gulbis. “It is a matter of whether you will give up or not. It is up to you and you alone."
An Interview With Amelie Mauresmo by Daniele Azzolini It is essential that women are recognized and appreciated in this type of work, which in the past was characterized by a strong male presence
When she was still playing and, more importantly, winning, the French press used to call Amelie Mauresmo “notre douce coquelouche,” or “our sweet darling.” It is doubtful whether Andy Murray uses such nicknames when he is training with her, but there is no doubt that he will call her anything she wants if she helps him win another Grand Slam. Amelie Mauresmo was a surprising choice as coach for Andy Murray, who parted ways with Ivan Lendl earlier this year. Their first tournament together in Queen’s did not go well, but they are hoping that things will get better once they are more used to each other.
Amelie, you won your only Grand Slam at Wimbledon, without much of a net game. Perhaps it is this that encouraged Murray to approach you? "His choice also surprised me. We talked for a long time, in recent weeks, after his first phone call. And little by little, the decision took shape. It is not for me to reveal all the details. If you want, you can ask Andy. But it is a task that I feel within my reach. I've seen him play often, and I have some ideas to take forward." Before Andy you trained with Michael Llodra, and you won two tournaments
ÂŤI hope I can help Andy reach some big goalsÂť
together. A good result, but the job did not last long. What are your anxieties about this job? "Andy offered me a challenge, and I'm not one to run away when the choices are difficult. I think the split with Lendl was due to the fact that Ivan could not assure a constant presence. On this point, I gave him full assurance. The rest, we'll see. We will deal with the grass season and there will see if we are good or not." You are the first choice of a Top Ten player‌ "Us girls, we are prepared. I'm not the only one to work as a coach, Andy himself had long been beside his mother, Judy, who is a great technician
and is now also a Fed Cup captain. Then there's a great champion like Martina Hingis. I am not the first, but I hope I can help Andy reach some big goals. It is essential that women are recognized and appreciated in this type of work, which in the past was characterized by a strong male presence. We have a different way of approaching things, this is true, but I think it is also interesting. We have something different to offer."
On The Edge Of Greatness by Gianluca Maestri
Gael Monfils
In many ways, the quarter-final match between Andy Murray and Gael Monfils at the 2014 French Open was a perfect microcosm of the Frenchman’s career. Drama, explosiveness, reflexes and incredible shotmaking have been a hallmark of Monfils’ days as a pro, but his inability to play his best tennis when it really matters has haunted him from day one. As had happened so many times in the past, Monfils went toe to toe with a top player in a big match at a prestigious tournament, and came up just short. It is a story Monfils is getting tired of, as was evident after the match in his press conference. What could have been a turning point in his career turned out to be just another disappointment. He felt betrayed by himself and the thing he loves most: tennis. Monfils has loved sports his entire life. As a child, he enjoyed a number of sporting activities, especially basketball of any variety.
He even played in a minor league in Geneva. He was also very good at athletics, running the 100 and 400 meters. Judo and cycling were also favorites. Physically gifted, tall and strong, Monfils eventually settled on tennis as his sport of choice. From a young age he boasted a big serve, great court coverage and incredible power. His love for tennis was equaled only by his love for showmanship. On court he would often engage in silly antics, such as sliding on hard courts, diving for volleys and playing trick shots. While the crowds loved his displays, many tennis pundits criticized him for not taking his tennis seriously enough. Monfils arrived at Roland Garros having already played at a few clay court events, such as Bucharest and Monte Carlo. He had not played as much as he had hope to, however, as injury plagued him throughout the first months of the season. Injuries have been a big part of, and a big problem for, Monfils’ career. He has suffered from everything from knee and back injuries to ankle and wrist complaints. The frequency of these injuries often meant that Monfils would
The only man who can get Gael to behave is his father, Rufin Monfils not be able to play for more than a few months at a time before having to take an extended break. Each time he had to discover his game and his confidence all over again. Along with the many injuries, the Frenchman has also had many different coaches: Richard Warmoes, Thierry Champion, Tarik Benhabiles, Roger Rasheed, Patrick Chamagne and Eric Winogradsky. None have managed to get the most out of the talented youngster. Though Monfils said in Paris that he was working hard and that he is more committed than ever to tennis, he still could not keep himself from enjoying life off the court. One night during the tournament, for example, he postponed an appointment with a masseuse because he wanted
to find a good kebab restaurant. As a result, the massage session began only at 1:30 AM. The only man who can get Gael to behave is his father, Rufin Monfils. "When was the last time you met your childhood idol?” Monfils was recently asked. "I encounter him every day,” he replied. “He’s my father." A former soccer player, now employed by France Telecom, Mr. Rufin hails from Guadeloupe. Sylvette, his wife, who works as a nurse, is from Martinique. Rufin was his son’s first coach, even though young Gael could beat him easily by the time he was 12. Monfils takes refuge with his family when things get tough. This was particularly necessary when he fell from 7 in the world to 108 in the space
of a few months thanks to injuries. In Paris, Monfils found the stage on which he would resurrect his career once more, and the fans embraced him from the start. Hanescu, Struff, Fognini and Garcia-Lopez all fell to the newly inspired Monfils, who made more than a few spectacular dives during those matches. Then, at 21:40 on a wet and windy Wednesday night, his resurgence was halted by Andy Murray, who put Monfils away in front of a screaming and partisan Parisian crowd. Half an hour earlier, in the near-darkness, chair umpire Stefan Fransson had called the two together to tell them there would not be much time left before bad light stopped play.
Under pressure, Monfils tried to speed things up, going for more winners than he usually would. It was a grave mistake that ultimately cost him the match. "No. I do not think it was a great tournament for me,” he said afterwards. “Make no mistake, I am sad. I have to work harder, this match was the key to becoming a champion." Monfils had wanted to prove to all his critics, and even his fans, that he could win his way. That he did not need a coach to tell him what to do. That he could still enjoy life off the court and be himself while winning important tournaments. He wanted to be the person to give France its first men’s champion since Yannick Noah lifted the trophy in 1983. But ultimately, though he wanted it more than anyone, his desire was not enough to get him across the finish line. Monfils is still relatively young, and he certainly has the talent to one day become France’s first Grand Slam champion in 30 years, but he still has a long way to go before then. Ultimately it might require a little more discipline from the Frenchman, and whether he is willing to admit that to himself is an open question.
David Nalbandian’s New Life by Alessandro Varassi His driving debut took place in Villa Carlos Paz, near Cordoba, on the 22nd and 23rd of March.
The last time we saw David Nalbandian on an official court was in March of 2013, when he played, and lost, his last match as a tennis pro. The former world number three is now retired, thanks in large part to an unending stream of injuries. The birth of his first child, Sossie, also played a part in the decision to retire, which he announced at a press conference on 1 October, 2013. But sport is in his blood, and Nalbandian soon found himself itching to compete in some way again. Ultimately, he decided to trade in his racket for a steering wheel. And he is not taking the exercise lightly either, as the Argentine is competing in the Argentine national rally
championship, which started in March and has ten stages. Part of his team is Marcos Ligato, a professional driver, and former soccer player Claudio Lopez. His driving debut took place in Villa Carlos Paz, near Cordoba, on the 22nd and 23rd of March. Nalbandian came 15th, paired with compatriot Daniel Stillo. Nalbandian’s car was eagerly watched by an adoring public, even if things did not go so well at first. "We went out twice in the street, and we lost at least 15 seconds,” he reported at the time. “In the second session, we were slowed down by a competitor who turned right in front of us.
Nalbandian’s love for rally driving goes back quite a while, and is one of his many sporting passions. Another is fishing. "But we will fight for victory, it is a kind of apprenticeship, I have to make as few mistakes as possible, and gain experience. The car is fantastic, completely different from the previous ones, and with an impressive braking system.� Nalbandian might not have won anything yet, but he has not excluded the possibility of taking part in the world championships. "I prefer to proceed in stages," he said of the matter. His results have certainly improved since March and in the last race, held in Catamarca, Nalbandian and Claudio Lopez finished in fifth place. Nalbandian’s love for rally driving goes back quite a while, and is one of his many sporting passions. Another is fishing. It is an often-told story that Nalbandian was busy fishing in 2005 when he was informed that he would be participating in the Masters Cup in Shanghai. His participation was not planned, and happened thanks to a strange series of events. Despite his lack of preparation, he went on to win that tournament, beating Roger Federer in one of the greatest comebacks the event had ever seen. But in late 2007, with his performances at Madrid and Bercy, Nalbandian reached his peak. He was absolutely unplayable, beating Nadal, Federer and Djokovic without even breaking a sweat. Even though he did reach a Grand Slam final in his career (at Wimbledon in 2002, where he lost to Lleyton Hewitt), it was during this time in 2007 that he played his
The biggest controversy of his career came in 2012, when he was disqualified from the Queen’s Club final for injuring a linesman after kicking at a wooden fence in anger over a lost point. best tennis. Yet despite all his success, some people had expected more from the Argentine in his career. Tremendously talented with all the weapons needed to dominate the modern game, Nalbandian always seemed to be at the edge of greatness, but was never able to cross the threshold. In addition to his final at Wimbledon, he reached the semis at all the other Slams at least once. The most memorable of those semis was at the US Open in 2003, where he blew a two set lead to lose to eventual champion Andy Roddick. He also experienced a lot of success at Davis Cup level, but was involved with a fair number of controversial episodes.
The Trouble With Being Taylor Townsend by Marco Avena
When you think about certain sports stars, the first thought that might spring to mind is of someone who looks like a marble statue, with every feature perfectly carved.
When you think about certain sports stars, the first thought that might spring to mind is of someone who looks like a marble statue, with every feature perfectly carved. While this might often be an accurate reflection of reality, it is not always true of everyone. Just think about sports where a bulky figure can be advantageous, such as hammer throwing or weight lifting. In women’s tennis, however, the image of the beauties that dominate the sport is hard to shake. From Maria Sharapova to Daniela Hantuchova and Flavia Pennetta, the ladies of the court are more akin to supermodels than rough and tumble athletes. Yet tennis is perhaps the most biologically forgiving sport of all sports, at least for women. You can win if you are two meters tall or if you are 1.7 meters short.
You can win a Grand Slam if you have a catwalkthin physique, and you can win the same Slam if you have a much portlier figure. One needs only think of Maria Sharapova as an example of the former, and the latter is embodied by the likes Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, or even Dominika Cibulkova, who reached the final of the Australian Open this year. Serena Williams and Vika Azarenka can also be named as examples of female athletes who do not have a tremendously slender physique. One would certainly not call them fat, but their proportions are certainly different from many of their other colleagues. But their success, whatever their physical characteristics, is well documented. We mention this because another American, Taylor Townsend, made headline at Roland Garros this year for her figure. Taylor Townsend, an 18-year old who weighs in at 80 kilograms, caused quite a few waves in Paris when she reached the third round at the expense of a Frenchwoman, Alice Cornet.
So if Townsend does win Wimbledon one day, remember you heard it here first. The French never like it when their players lose, especially when it is at the hands of Americans. This is even more so when that American does not possess a traditional physical frame. But criticism about her weight has followed Townsend for years, going back as far as her appearance at the US Open Junior event in 2012. Yet for all the nasty comments – and there have been many – Townsend did what many of her American colleagues could not do in Paris: win matches. Indeed, she did better than many locals as well. Other tennis players have praised Townsend, and even said they admire her. Andrea Petkovic admitted that "Taylor is my idol," and Andy Murray had similarly kind words to say about the young American.
At the end of the day, Townsend just wants to win, and there is no reason why she cannot go on to do just that. After all, it was just a year ago that an even more unlikely person that she, Marion Bartoli, won Wimbledon against stupendous odds. Few pundits would have ever wagered a cent that Bartoli would one day be a Grand Slam champion, yet she proved that with will power and determination basically anyone can win the greatest prize in tennis. So if Townsend does win Wimbledon one day, remember you heard it here first.
A Whole New Game by Gianluca Atlante
A generational change has started in women's tennis. The men? Not quite yet.
The red clay of the Bois de Boulogne is cruel. Blame the English Channel, perhaps, for those sudden changes in temperature. This clay, the clay of Roland Garros, knows only one mantra: “Take nothing for granted.” This is as true as ever among the women who hope to advance far at the French Open. In the women’s draw, the line between victory and defeat is as thin as it’s been in years. Unlike with the men, where strength and athleticism play a much bigger part at the top of the sport – just see how long it has taken the likes of Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic to break through – the women’s game still relies more on finesse and grace than brute strength. We collected opinions during the two weeks at Roland Garros, analyzed the situation carefully. In the end we also had a close look at the many numbers the tournament gave us, for after all that is the most solid evidence for any theory we might come up with.
On a wet afternoon at the stadium complex, we started with Jose Luis Clerc, former Argentine player who ranked as high as four in the world. He made the semi-finals here at Roland Garros in 1981 and 1982, and is now a commentator for ESPN America. "Today, there is Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray,” he says of men’s tennis. “Tomorrow, there will be Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori. The rivalries in tennis have never been lacking, and they will continue. I believe in generational change, but all things have their time and until those four players at the top, at least in the men's field, stop being hungry for trophies, it will not be easy for others to try to sit at their table. But it might happen soon, provided that the three I mentioned – Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori – have the right credentials to change the history of the sport. “In women’s tennis it is different,” he went on. "The process of change, and as we have seen right here at Roland Garros, has already begun. Serena Williams lost in the second round to Muguruza, a very interesting player, and Li Na lost to Mladenovic.
In the men’s draw, especially at a Grand Slam, it's unlikely to be seeded number one or two and then go out early. In the women’s draw, it happens a lot lately In the men’s draw, especially at a Grand Slam, it's unlikely to be seeded number one or two and then go out early. In the women’s draw, it happens a lot lately. Today the muscles often make the difference, and not the talent, especially with the men. Although there are players like Muguruza, Mladenovic and the Canadian Bouchard, not to mention Halep, who seem to be able to play great tennis without being very strong. Today, women's tennis seems to have more moving parts, and the playing field is pretty level. For the men the field is very topheavy. It takes considerably longer for the younger guys to make an impact." After we said goodbye to Luis Clerc, we continued on our journey, pushed on by that annoying drizzle that makes everything
more difficult. We found shelter in the players’ lounge with Riccardo Piatti, the man who, together with Ivan Ljubicic, is coaching Milos Raonic. He accepted our invitation for a chat, but did not want to talk about the women. "I really admire coaches who work with women,” he started. “I think it takes a lot more patience than with men. But I have no experience with it, so it does not seem fair to talk about the women’s field. I’ll just say on clay things are much more even between them." About Raonic, he is more comfortable to talk. "He's very close to the big guys, much more than you could ever imagine," he said. "I think the gap is small, for him and for Dimitrov and Nishikori, players who currently represent what you might
call the new generation. Milos is making great progress, from a technical point of view, but also from a purely psychological point of view. He handles everything well, especially in times of difficulty. I think the distance is minimal and that the time for a change at the top…it should be soon." Francesco Cina, Roberta Vinci’s coach, was next on our list. He had no problem delving straight into the women’s Tour, and goes against the prevailing opinion that the women’s field is wide open. "I do not know this, but I say that if the top players, and I speak of Serena Williams, Li Na, Sharapova and Sara Errani, are playing well, it is difficult for the others.
Halep, Muguruza and Bouchard are players that are coming out great. They are young, and certainly have big room for improvement, but they need work on their games. Sure, if you carefully analyze the numbers the women’s Tour is more open than the men’s, but I don’t think a massive change at the top is due." Our final stop was Giorgio Di Palermo, a member of the ATP Board. He thinks change is afoot among the women, but less so with the men. “Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray still have a little more,” he insisted. “They have the qualities to manage the match to their liking. They know how to start a Slam and how to end it. It happens that they can stumble, but if we look at the numbers of the last Majors, we see that they are still calling the shots. They know how to handle the tension of an important match, like taming an important game, how to approach it and bring it home. This is the main difference. Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori, the three knocking on the door of the top players, are improving but they are not there yet. Among the women, however, the situation is different. Mainly because the physical qualities required for success are not such a big factor. It can happen very quickly that Serena does not do well, and then the field is wide open for everyone.
"Here at Roland Garros, everything happened. Li Na and Serena came out early and opened both halves of the draw." Here at Roland Garros, everything happened. Li Na and Serena came out early and opened both halves of the draw. Players like Halep, Bouchard and Muguruza, who are talented players who can beat everyone, came to the fore." Perhaps the biggest argument in support of this theory is that, without a slip-up by Federer against Gulbis, we would have had the Fab Four in the semis again. Bouchard, Halep and Petkovic, however, all made the semis without a lot of people expecting them to.
The greatest game ever played by Princy Jones The 2008 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal is considered by experts as the greatest final ever played
A few decades back, football fans used to say how lucky they were to have lived in an era which witnessed the phenomenal brilliance of Diego Maradona. We can say the same about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and their enchanting rivalry that elevates tennis fans to euphoric heights. Indeed, we are fortunate to watch two of the best, fiercest rivals clash against one another, especially in the Grand Slam tournaments. Roger and Rafa make tennis a pleasurable experience for the spectators with their contrasting styles. Both of them have been instrumental in bringing out the best in the other, even though Nadal has once quipped that it was unlucky that he had to
play in the same era as ‘the best player of the history, Roger Federer.’ The 2008 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal is considered by experts as the greatest final ever played. All those who watched the final from the Centre Court and from their televisions sets at home would concur with that. In a rain-interrupted match that lasted for four hours, 48 minutes, 22-year-old Nadal emerged as the champion, defeating Federer, who was eyeing for his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title - 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-7 (8) 9-7.
Nadal had won 209 points against Federer’s 204.
It was a nail-biting finish for that Sunday evening, and either of them could have become the champion; there was no loser. Nadal had won 209 points against Federer’s 204. It was also their third straight Wimbledon final, and also Nadal’s first and only win against Federer at Wimbledon. In 2006, Federer beat Nadal in four sets -- 6-0, 7-6 (5), 67(2), 6-3; in 2007, Nadal displayed a brilliant tennis, but Federer once again proved to be too good for him, crushing his young opponent 7–6 (7), 4–6, 7–6(3), 2–6, 6–2. That evening, the odds were in favour of Federer, even though Nadal had a head-to-head advantage of 11-6 over the Swiss maestro. After all, it was Wimbledon, not Roland Garros; to beat the ‘King of Grass’ on his favourite surface was a big challenge. But Nadal was in incredible form, moreover, he was confident after a lopsided 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 win over Federer at the French Open the previous month. Nadal clinched the first set 6-4, breaking Federer in the third game. In the second set, Federer broke Nadal in the second game itself, and took the lead to 1-4. The Spaniard then made an amazing comeback winning the next five games in succession for a two-set lead.
Finally, that happened - Nadal became the Wimbledon champion - terminating Federer’s half a decade of dominance on grass In a rain interrupted third set, Federer bounced back sealing his first set in a tie-break. Federer, who finally found his rhythm back, denied Nadal an easy win. Also, Nadal started displaying signs of nerves as he was on the verge of winning. He seemed to be in a hurry to finish off the business. While Nadal was serving for the match at 8-7 in the tie break, Federer, who sensed the anxiety of his opponent, grabbed that opportunity back from him with an amazing backhand winner. A dejected Nadal watched in disbelief as Federer clinched the set 10-8 in the tie-break. After finishing four sets, both the players had won the exact same number of points - 151! As the duo were heading for a fifth set, the crowd was reeling in exhilaration.
Once again, rain played the spoilsport as the score stood 2-2 in the fifth and final set. Despite getting their chances to break their opponent’s serve, both the players took the score to 7-7. By then, it was already dark, and people began to wonder whether the match will postponed to the following day. But a forehand error by Federer helped Nadal to finally break his rival’s serve and take the score to 8-7. During the match point, Federer’s forehand return landed on the net, and an exhausted Nadal fell to the floors. Finally, that happened - Nadal became the Wimbledon champion - terminating Federer’s half a decade of dominance on grass.
As the 22-year-old new champion climbed through the stands to celebrate his historic win with his family and also with the members of the Spanish royal family, Roger Federer sat on his chair trying to come to terms with the reality. It was the first time ever he had to be satisfied with the runners-up trophy at Wimbledon, his most favourite ground. That final changed the whole equation of Federer-Nadal rivalry. It heralded the beginning of Nadal era in tennis. After that loss, Federer hasn’t managed to defeat Nadal in a Grand Slam event again. In the fifteen encounters that followed, he was able to topple Nadal only four times.
Age finally took a toll over Federer’s game. His impeccable backhand, which used to be the most lethal weapon in his arsenal, started losing its sharpness and it has now become his ‘Achilles’ heel’ , much to the delight of Nadal. Nowadays, the Spaniard’s chief strategy against Federer is to fire his shots repeatedly towards the latter’s backhand, eventually forcing him to commit an error. Both Nadal and Federer added two more Wimbledon titles to their names after their epic encounter of 2008, but they never had to face each other. Federer is 32 now; Nadal 28. If they ever meet again at Wimbledon finals, it wouldn’t be as exciting as it used to be since both the players are past their prime. We were lucky to have witnessed such a historic final between two best players -- the serve-and-volleyer and the baseliner -- displaying their best performance in a quest for the top spot. It was a final which inspired a book - ‘Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played,’ by Jon Wertheim; it was a final which symbolises the triumph of the will; it was a final which embraced diverse playing styles the offensive and the defensive; moreover, it showed us how thin the line is that separates tears and triumph!
Hungry For Success
by Fabrizio Fidecaro The rise of Taylor Townsend
Date of Birth: 16 Apr 1996 Birthplace: Chicago, IL, USA Status: Pro (November 2012) 2013 - Played first three WTA main draws, reaching 2r once at Indian Wells and falling 1r twice; fell in qualifying four times (incl. US Open). 2012 - Continued to play on ITF Circuit. 2011 - Played first WTA qualifying at US Open (as WC).
Fat, lazy pigs.” This is what Richard Krajicek famously called "80 percent" of female tennis players in the early 1990s. It sparked a firestorm of controversy and, days later, the future Wimbledon champion corrected himself, admitting that he exaggerated, having meant to say "75 percent." Seeing Taylor Townsend play cannot help but bring to mind the mocking words of Dutchman. The young American, who turned 18 in April, enchanted French Open crowds with her powerful tennis, but unfortunately the first thing that fans noticed – and it was commented on early and often in Paris – was her size. Townsend currently weighs 80 kilograms, and is working hard with dieticians from the USTA to try and shed some weight. She has already lost several pounds on the diet, according to reports. Weighty issues The issue of her weight had already been raised a couple of years ago. In April of 2012, having won
the Australian Open junior title, Townsend became the number one under-18 player in the world. As a reward, the USTA refused to pay for her to participate at the US Open junior event as a punishment for “not having made the commitment to becoming fit.” Her mother, Sheila, had to cover all costs. Townsend did participate in the end, but only reached the quarter-finals. "Our concern is her long-term health, number one, and her long-term development as a player,” Patrick McEnroe of the USTA said of the issue.
«We have one goal in mind: for her to be playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium in the main draw and competing for major titles when it’s time» (USTA) “We have one goal in mind: for her to be playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium in the main draw and competing for major titles when it’s time. That’s how we make every decision, based on that. No tournament is worth more than a player's career, especially when she is only sixteen years old." Townsend did not like the treatment she received at the hands of the Federation. "It was shocking," she said. "I was very disappointed, I cried. I had worked hard…becoming number one was no miracle." She turned pro soon afterwards, and although results were slow in arriving at first, and despite the controversy about the US Open, the USTA has continued to reserve Wild Cards for Townsend at the bigger events.
The American has shown some progress in 2014, winning some matches in Indian Wells and going on to win her first title at the ITF event in Charlottesville. She quickly followed that up with another trophy at Indian Harbor Beach. Following these successes, she was granted a Wild Card into the French Open, where she made her biggest splash to date. each. Upsetting the locals Townsend came into the French Open with a lot of confidence, and quickly showed that she was ready to make her mark on the upper echelons of the game. In Paris, she reached the third round after beating compatriot Vania King and hometown favorite Alize Cornet, the 20th seed.
It was against Cornet that Townsend impressed the most, overcoming her heavily favored opponent in front of an intensely partisan crowd. Against Suarez-Navarro in the next round, there was not much she could do against her vastly more experienced opponent. Yet Townsend left Paris in a good frame of mind. She had arrived ranked 205 in the world, and left in the Top 150. After her heroics in Paris, Andy Murray took to Twitter to praise the American’s efforts. Where she goes from here remains to be seen. Her relationship with the Federation is still strained at best, and she apparently has no interest in training exclusively at their facilities.
She divides her time between Chicago and Washington, where she works with her coach, Kamau Murray, who has known her since she was six years old. She is also working with 1990 Wimbledon finalist Zina Garrison. Townsend’s talent is obvious, and she is able to create some incredible angles with her forehand. "Having so much choice on the court is a gift and a curse at the same time, the risk is that you confuse yourself," she admitted recently. But it is undeniable that she will have to lose weight to realize her full potential. Currently her movement is limited by her figure, though it is not as obvious as one might think. Townsend seems to be truly committed to her career, and it’s clear that she will do anything she can to become the best player she is capable of being. We just hope that she does not let all the negativity get to her. Luckily, that has not happened so far.
What It Takes To Win A Slam
by Alessandro Varassi
CNN has tried to analyze what the keys to success are for a tournament that is played over two weeks and features matches that are the best-of-five sets.
Roland Garros 2014 was just another chapter in the endless clay domination of Rafael Nadal. But his incredible accomplishments have often led people to question: what is the secret to his success? Like any tournament, a Grand Slam requires meticulous planning, preparation and support from a player’s team. The biggest difference when it comes to the Majors is that you could possibly play a five-set match in any round. Usually there is a day of rest in-between each match, but rain and darkness can wreak havoc with that assumption. You might even find that you have to play multiple five-set matches stretched over several days, and that can take a massive physical and mental toll on a player.
The surface also makes a big difference. At the clay of the French Open, for example, rallies can last much longer than on grass or on hard courts. The effects on the body also differ depending on whether you play on the hard, unforgiving cement or on the softer grass. Muscles can often go into spasm at the end of a long five-set match, something which can take quite a toll on a player who has to potentially play another five-set match in just 24 hours’ time. An important element in maintaining the body during such a tournament is diet. Most players eat diets rich in proteins and carbohydrates, and try to get as many calories in their bodies as possible. There are no official statistics, but on average it appears that between 500 and 800 calories are burned per set in a five-set match. That means as many as 4000 calories are burned per match! While hearty meals are important, other resources must also be taken advantage of, such as protein shakes.
But managing all of this is not easy. You never know how tough a match will be, and there is always the danger that you over or underprepare in terms of your diet. If you have an easy win on the one day, you might want to take it easy in terms of food for the next match, but that can have tough consequences if it turns out to be a long encounter. Adequate physical recovery after each match is essential, but not always possible. It is difficult to know your exact daily schedule, or whether your match will be delayed for whatever reason. If you end later than you expected, it is entirely possible that you will have only a fraction of the sleep you are used to, which can severely affect
your performance. Playing five-setters can take its toll over two weeks, and it is very difficult to play more than two such matches and still be effective in the second week of the competition. Gustavo Kuerten won three five-setters to win Roland Garros in 1997, but that is the exception rather than the rule. One of the secrets of Roger Federer’s success it that he has limited the number of long matches he has had to play in Slams, especially in the first week. So doing well at a Grand Slam depends on many factors, a lot of which has nothing to do with your talent as a tennis player. It requires incredible physical preparation and the management of a variety of factors. It is telling that Novak Djokovic only became number one after he completely changed his diet. Knowing this makes it all the more incredible that certain players can keep winning so many tournaments for such long periods of time.
No Sport For The Young by Brent Kruger By winning Roland Garros for the ninth time this year, Rafael Nadal seems to have righted the ship that had hit such rough waters after the Australian Open
By winning Roland Garros for the ninth time this year, Rafael Nadal seems to have righted the ship that had hit such rough waters after the Australian Open. In Melbourne, of course, he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final. It was the first Slam the Swiss had ever won, and he did it at the relatively advanced age of 29. Of the 40 Majors played in the decade covering 20042013, 35 ended up in the hands of the just three players: Federer (16), Nadal (13) and Djokovic (6). Only four other players have had the pleasure to lift a Slam trophy during the same period: Gaston Gaudio, Marat Safin, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray (twice).
Federer was 22 years old when he won Wimbledon in 2003, while Rafa was 19 at his first triumph at Roland Garros in 2005. Djokovic prevailed in Melbourne in 2008 at the age of 20. In the ATP rankings, no player in the Top 100 can emulate either Nadal or Djokovic, given that they are all already older than those two were when they first won. Only four could emulate Federer: Dominic Thiem, Jiri Vesely, Jack Sock and Bernard Tomic. Of these, the American Sock won the junior US Open in 2010, the Czech Vesely won the boys’ singles at the Australian Open in 2011, while the Australian Tomic lifted the trophy in Melbourne in 2008 and in New
Some of them (Gael Monfils, Marin Cilic) have built decent careers with Top 10 potential, but many have disappeared entirely. the following year. But what are the chances that these youngsters will win Slams at all, never mind at such a young age? Why has tennis become so hostile towards younger players and, more importantly, what has happened to the winners of the 40 junior tournaments in the same timeframe? Well, of the 33 winners of the last decade, only Andy Murray (who won the US Open in 2004) has been able to repeat his exploits as a professional. Nobody else has managed to even reach a final. Some of them (Gael Monfils, Marin Cilic) have built decent careers with Top 10 potential, but many have disappeared entirely. Bernard Tomic, born in 1992, reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon when he was eighteen, while fellow former junior champion Jeremy Chardy got the same result (quarter-final at the Australian Open in 2013). Both these results were many years removed from their junior triumphs. And then there's Grigor Dimitrov, the champion at junior Wimbledon and the US Open in 2008. He is currently number 13 in the world, has won fourt tournaments and reached the quarters of the Australian Open already. However, his results in other majors have been somewhat disappointing.
As has already been mentioned, most junior Slam winners fail to become successful pros. An example is the American Donald Young, who had a sterling junior career. He won the title in Melbourne at the young age of 15, but peaked at 38 in the ATP rankings and today mostly splits his time between the Challengers and lower-level ATP events. Slovak Martin Klizan is another example. He won in Paris in 2006 and was number 26 in the world at one point, while American Ryan Sweeting, a junior US Open champion in 2005, has won just one small title on the ATP Tour. Some junior Slam winners have never been in the Top 100. Alexandre Sidorenko’s best ranking was
145, with Australian Brydan Klein reaching only 174. The Belarusian Uladzimir Ignatik (137), Ukrainian-born American Alex Kuznetsov (120) and the Czech Dusan Lojda (161) have struggled similarly. It seems a long shot, then, that the likes of Australian Nick Kyrgios (born in 1995) can make a huge impact on the Tour in the next few years. That being said, Kyrgios is one of the more promising cases. The boy from Canberra won the Nottingham Challenger recently, where he started from the qualifying and won 8 consecutive matches. He also played well at the Australian Open and has shown some good form in Davis Cup play as well. His compatriot Kokkinakis, along with the Italian youngster Gianluigi Quinzi, junior champion at Wimbledon a year ago, have also impressed pundits recently. Time will tell if they can make it in the big leagues, but one thing is for sure: history is not on their side
Smart Court, Training Technology by Laura Saggio
A Smarter Way To Play
Call it a sort of helpful Big Brother. Or perhaps a personal technological trainer. Maybe a multitasking, interactive coach is a better prescription. I am talking about the Smart Court, an innovative data collection system which was originally designed for the training of fighter pilots. The highly sophisticated software, developed by a US company called PlaySight, uses five HD cameras strategically placed around the court to measure speed, depth and rotation of shots, types of errors, number of steps taken, calories burned and meters covered. It then provides specific analysis of a match or a simple training session without the aid of any sensors. Smart Court is therefore a special statistical machine capable of showing every detail of a match in real time. One of the features of this system that most impresses is its training function. In fact, Smart Court allows you to analyze tactical aspects of a person’s game, such as the exact height of the ball over the net.
All of this information can be sent to a PC or smartphone. Smart Court is certainly newsworthy, not only for the advanced technology it uses, but also for the way it changes the way we practice. Another newsworthy feature is that the project has attracted so many big-name investors, including the likes of Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King, Bill Ackman (founder of Pershing Capital Managment LLC), Mark Ein (Member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame) and Jim Loehr (co-founder of the Human Performance Institute and coach of Jim Courier and Monica Seles). Cen Shachar, the CEO of PlaySight, says that having a group of such important investors is a source of great pride for the company. "We aim to spread Smart Court globally, to put our technology at the service of the players of every club,” he said recently. “This technology will forever change the way you play tennis." Today, Smart Court is available at 35 locations worldwide, 19 in the United States alone. The company has set a goal of installing 100 devices by the end of 2014 in the areas covering New York, Florida and California.
Although romantic purists might scoff at Smart Court, it is hard to argue against its usefulness. Given the enthusiasm behind the technology, especially from tennis professionals themselves, Smart Court seems poised for quick proliferation. Moreover, it has already started rolling out at Roland Garros, the Court Sense Tennis Training Center in New Jersey, Queen’s Club in London, the Stefan Edberg Academy in Sweden, Laurense Tennis Academy in the Netherlands and finally, at Ramat Hasharon Tennis Center in Israel. “The technology is very powerful, it is a great tool available to the coach and the player," Stefan Edberg said of the technology. And if Edberg likes it, who are we to argue?
The Slam that never loved Pete Sampras by Princy Jones
In his all glory, could never lift the trophy at Roland Garros
Pete Sampras is a legend, without question; a winner of 14 Grand Slam titles, his record of most year-end No:1 rankings, that too consecutive (1993-1998), still remains unmatched. Yet, the iconic player, in his all glory, could never lift the trophy at Roland Garros. In the 14 years of his career, his best performance in Paris was reaching the semifinals in 1996. He is a legend, indeed, but the ‘French Open jinx’ will always cast a shadow over his greatness. Of all the four Grand Slams, French Open is the hardest, and also the most ‘biased’ - the red dirt has its favourites, and it takes more than will or talent to conquer that surface. The Slam is notorious for tearing down the top seeds, thereby making any predictions pointless; although there
are exceptions like Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal. But historically, Roland Garros had turned its back towards many of the famous players - Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, etc., to name a few. On a court where power and speed are of little significance, these players have stumbled on their way despite repeated attempts. The most significant name is perhaps that of Pete Sampras, bearing in mind his many records. At French Open, Sampras had lost eight times in either the first round or second; reached the quarterfinals at least three times; and the semifinal for once during his career. In 1994, he came close to completing a Career Grand Slam after winning the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open consecutively, but was knocked off rather easily by Jim Courier, a player whom he had defeated in the previous Wimbledon final. The following year, he suffered a shameful first round exit in the hands of a relatively unknown Gilbert Schaller of Austria. By crushing the World No: 1 and second seed, Schaller proved that Sampras is
not a formidable, but rather a vulnerable player on clay. But in 1996, much to the surprise of everyone, Sampras, seeded No:1, reached the semi-finals of the tournament, defeating hot favourites like Sergi Bruguera and Jim Courier enroute. That year was his best shot at winning a Slam on clay, but Yevgeny Kafelnikov proved to be too good for him. The sixth seed crushed Sampras in straight sets -- 7-6, 6-0, 6-2; the Russian eventually went on to win the title that year. Sampras eventually had to pay the price for his longest stint ever at French Open when he suffered an early exit at Wimbledon the following month.
No one foresaw his defeat to Richard Krajicek in the quarterfinals, and a physically drained Sampras gave up rather easily to his Dutch opponent, who was seeded 17th. The year 1996, was his best ever in Roland Garros, but it was also his worst ever at Wimbledon. It is unfair to draw any conclusions, but Sampras never went beyond the third round at French Open after that. Incidentally, for the next four years, he won four consecutive titles at Wimbledon. Clearly Sampras’ style of play never suited the high-bouncing slow clay courts. His penetrating serves and razor-sharp volleys became inert on clay. Unlike on grass, he could never conjure up that magic on clay - the court was so inapt to his game that it drove the usually cool champion nuts! Sampras is known for his ice-cold demeanor, but at French Open, he is a different man, especially when he makes errors. He will kick the clay, slam his racket, and at one instance, threw his towel and smacked the ball into the stands. He even got a warning from the umpire for ball abuse once. After his second round exit in 1999, the devastated champion told the press: “I was very frustrated. I wanted to contain myself. I’m still boring, let’s not forget that. But I was on the edge of breaking a few sticks.”
“On every surface, it’s a natural instinct. Sometimes on clay, my instinct is not the right call” Sampras added “On every surface, it’s a natural instinct. Sometimes on clay, my instinct is not the right call,” he added. Sampras even resorted to hiring clay court expert Jose Higueras as his coach in a desperate attempt to win in Paris. Even Jose’s magic didn’t do much help to the American. Despite being the World No: 1 and multiple Grand Slam winner, Sampras was the least feared player on clay. Like how Andre Agassi puts it, “Pete was obviously off the hook on faster courts but during the clay season, players wanted to play against him. It was an opportunity to get a win over him, it was an opportunity to beat him.”
Agassi was right - French Open was the only tournament where low-ranked players could topple Sampras. He was only as good as any other rookie player in Roland Garros. Clay to Pete Sampras was what grass was for Ivan Lendl. Unfortunately, his failure to complete a Career Grand Slam has prevented him from being regarded as G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). It will always remain as a blotch on the legendary champion’s career, and also a pain in the hearts of his fans.
Sports Parents – Can It Work? by Sara Di Paolo Being a top tier tennis player comes with many challenges, and they multiply significantly as soon as you are planning to become a parent. success. Alas, everything has a price." Though her comments did cause a little controversy, there is no doubt that raising children as a professional athlete is enormously difficult, especially for women. This is even truer, today, with the tennis season being as long as it is, and constant travel being a requirement for players of every level.
"I am happy, it is the best…I cannot wait to experience fatherhood. I see it in a very positive light. You will get tired but a child gives you new energy. I will try to win all the tournaments, but with the arrival of my child my priorities will definitely change.” These were the words of Novak Djokovic when he announced to the world that his girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, was pregnant. Rumor is that the due date is as soon as 9 July. He is the latest player to have children while still on Tour, but he is not the first. Federer has two sets of twins, while Tommy Haas, Lleyton Hewitt, Bob Bryan and Andre Agassi all had children while still playing. And that’s just the men. Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport and Sybille Bammer also had children, even though they did take quite bit of time off to do so. In Rome last year Serena Williams said: "It would be nice to have a child, but there is always something that you have to give in exchange for
Breaking the news Having children is a trying experience, even for normal couples. For celebrities and professional athletes it can seem almost impossible. Something trivial, such as announcing the news to the world, requires an enormous amount of planning and consideration. These days, announcements come through carefully crafted statements on Twitter or Facebook. Kim Clijsters did just that when she announced the birth of her second child: "Hello everyone, I have very exciting news to announce, Jada is going to be a big sister," she wrote online. A few months later, she wrote: "Jack Leon Lynch is born. We're both fine…His sister, dad and I are really happy."
Kim's old flame, Lleyton Hewitt, also wrote about his children online: "Bec, Mia, Cruz and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl. Mom and baby are fine, dad and siblings are radiant." And who else? Poland's Klaudia Jans-Ignacik (ranked 28th in doubles in 2012), in a very thorough interview, recalled: "My pregnancy went very well, I did not have any problems. I even played a little tennis until the seventh month, and I did a lot of yoga, so I prepared myself to come back much faster after childbirth. Three months after the birth of my daughter, I started to train and do all the physical preparation. It was tough and I knew it would be
a bit more difficult than usual, but I wanted to come back and be fit again." Keeping fit while pregnant seems to be a big factor in the time it takes to return from pregnancy. Davenport and Bammer are examples. The short amount of time that separated them giving birth and winning titles leaves no doubt that the return to active play must start when the pregnancy is still in its infancy. The question of motherhood, on the other hand, is interpreted very differently by everyone. But does "the price to pay", as indicated by Serena Williams, apply only to female tennis players, or does it affect men in the same way? It seems obvious that it is much less of a problem for men. For one, they do not have to spend nine months being pregnant. Agassi, the Brian twins and Haas managed to continue their career with barely a blip on the radar. The fact that their physical involvement was not required was a big factor in their ability to keep playing through the pregnancy and afterwards. Roger Federer was present for the birth of his twin sons, and withdrew from Madrid to be with his family. However, he rushed to play in Rome soon afterwards.
He was distracted and lost early, but he was obviously determined to get his career back on track as soon as possible. "So far everything is going well and we hope it stays that way,” he said at the time. “Four years ago, when we heard that the two girls were coming, it was different. Everything went well back then and now everything seems easier, mainly because Myla and Charlene are now grown up a bit. I am less tense now, but twins are still a massive commitment.” But it is not simple for everyone. Certainly there have been cases where relationships were torn apart by the fact that the parents had different ideas about how involved the sporting half of the relationship had to be with the children. There is certainly no easy remedy for any of this, and each couple has to make their own way during this challenging time of their lives. Interestingly, it seems that many players are putting off having children because of how they were treated by their parents growing up.
"When I was a player, my mother decided everything: my hairstyle, my clothes, my shoes," Arantxa Sanchez wrote in 2012 about her famously tempestuous relationship with her parents. "If you decide to train your child, it becomes difficult to separate the role of a parent and a coach. It is impossible to talk about something that is not tennis and it is easy for a young tennis player to think: ‘OK, let me live my life a little.’ To live their dreams through their kids is wrong and counterproductive." Luckily, not all players had such tough relationships with their parents. "My parents never put pressure on me,” Ana Ivanovic once said.
“They told me just how important it was to be happy and to behave on the court. That was the most important thing for them. Looking back, I think about how nice it was to have them by my side."Having children while still maintaining an active sporting career is something that will never become easy. The demands of being a professional athlete are immense, and when combined with the demands of being a parent, the strain can be overwhelming. That being said, it can be done, and we can only hope that parents are able to balance all of the demands of the two worlds successfully, and give their children a good and happy life.
The Importance Of Spin by Andrea Guarracino
In order to reach the heights of modern professional tennis, you need to be able to hit with great power
In order to reach the heights of modern professional tennis, you need to be able to hit with great power. To this end, the knowledge and proper use of ball spin is absolutely critical if you are to get the most out of your game. The ball can be made to rotate in various ways, which affects the way it travels through the air and bounces once it hits the ground. If the ball rotates from top to bottom, we call it normal topspin, and when it rotates in the opposite direction we call it backspin. Heavy topspin rotation is fundamental to the modern game.
It is obtainable by brushing the ball from the bottom upwards, attacking from a lower level to that of impact. By hitting the ball with topspin you can gain the following benefits: 1 – You drastically reduce net errors, as the topspin will allow the ball to travel over the net in an arc. Nadal’s balls travel over the net, on average, at a height of more than one meter. 2 – You can more easily keep your opponents on the defensive, since your balls will bounce high and far, forcing your opponents to stay back from the net.
3 – You create the opportunity of exploiting narrow angles that are unattainable with a flat shot. This lets you move your opponent around more easily. 4 – You make it difficult for your opponent to control the ball. A professional generally hits a forehand with revolutions of up to 2000 a minute. Nadal has been measured at up to 5000 a minute. More spin for you means less control for your opponent. 5 – You are able to mix up the speed of your shots. Topspin lets you vary the speed of the rally greatly, which makes life more difficult for your
opponent. 6 – You are able to create difficult shots for your opponent. If you hit with a lot of top spin, the ball bounces very high and becomes really difficult to control. Just observe Nadal’s forehand topspin to Federer’s backhand. 7 – The ball will dip towards the end of its flight. Because of its rotation, the ball will come down quickly towards the court at the end of its flight, making it more likely that it will land inside the lines. 8 – You can control your shots more effectively with topspin. Hitting the ball with the same force using different speeds will result in many different shots, but does not require a lot of touch on the side of the player. 9 – Your motor memory will improve, since the ball stays on the strings for marginally longer when you hit extreme spin shots. It will also affect your feel for shots. 10 – You will gain more confidence in your game, since you will be making fewer errors than before due to your increased control.
A stroke can be defined as topspin when its horizontal thrust component is less than or equal to the vertical thrust component. Heavy topspin shots will react to the ground differently depending on which surface is being played on. Every surface has different resistance and friction, which means that the same ball will bounce completely differently on each. On clay, for example, the surface offers a lot of friction which, when combined with the topspin of the shot, means the ball will bounce extremely high. It will, however, lose some speed when it bounces. This behavior is, as has already been explained, a big reason why Nadal has been so successful against Federer in the past on clay. Grass, on the other hand, offers little friction and resistance, which means that the ball will shoot through much more effectively and easily, bouncing low and travelling fast.
The Mental Side Of Tennis by Laura Saggio
Attention is one of the main elements that influence an athlete’s performance
Today we will focus on the main psychological aspects linked to tennis, with a special focus on the factors that characterize competitive performance as well as the mind and its cognitive abilities. In modern tennis, unlike a few decades ago, we are realizing that the knowledge of physical skills and talent are not enough to produce a top-tier tennis player. Instead, the physical factors must be supported by solid mental elements as well. Why do some athletes lose concentration during a match, while others are able to maintain a more consistent level of focus?
Attention is one of the main elements that influence an athlete’s performance, and can be the decisive factor in a match’s outcome. Sport psychology is an integral part of an athlete’s preparation for competition, and supports both the management and overcoming of problems that stand in the way of victory. The performance of a player is conditioned mainly by four interconnected factors: 1. Tactical and technical elements 2. Coordination 3. Conditional elements (strength, power, speed) 4. Psychological elements (focus, cognition, psychomotor and emotional control) Let us look more closely at attention span as it relates to tennis, trying to answer the questions we posed above. Focus is defined as the process that allows you to steer and focus your mental activity on a particular item. People who practice a sport such as tennis need to be able to be selective in the processing of stimuli.
Tennis players need to prevent themselves from being overwhelmed by the stimuli that they receive, and only focus on those that are absolutely essential to them. For example, specific stimuli such as the positioning of the feet of the opponent and the movements that need to be carried out to hit the ball effectively need to be focused on. More general stimuli, such as the probing of the opponent’s strategy and choosing one’s shots, are also important. Eventually, technical movements become automatic and focus consciously shifts to tactical and strategic elements.
We now come to focus during a match. As we have previously said, the problem of maintaining your concentration is an important one, since it might very well make the difference between victory and defeat. It is easy to lose your focus in a match for a variety of reasons, whether they are related to fatigue, stress or simple boredom due to the rhythm and routine of the match. To avoid problems with focus, there are certain tactics that a player can use. These might be as simple as training exercises performed beforehand, or more specific routines used during a match. Usually, players who tend to perform constant analysis of the situation they find themselves in, as well as what tactics they should use in that situation, are the ones who lose focus first. On the other hand, players who are more singular in their tactics and approach, such as serve-and-volley specialists like Stefan Edberg, are able to maintain their focus more effectively. In essence, players who have the most complete game, both tactically and technically, have to remain the most vigilant in order not to lose their concentration on the court. That being said, ultimately having a complete game is better because it gives you many more options for getting out of trouble in various situations, but it requires more work from a mental standpoint.