Tennis World 13

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USA / South Africa number 13 ISSN 2075-6526

Special New Year’s Edition The best of 2010

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In this issue Tennis World Published by Matchball Tennis

Editor’s Letter

Editor & director Federico Coppini federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com

Tennis Through Photography

Contributors Philp Marè, Andre Christopher Smith, Jason Lampione.

The year ahead is full of promise and excitement for tennis fans. Starting at the top, world number one Rafael Nadal will be chasing a Grand Slam across two seasons in Australia, something that has not happened since Rod Laver in 1969. Nadal’s great rival Roger Federer will be keen to try and stop the Spaniard, and retake the top ranking in order to surpass Pete Sampras for most time spent at the top.

editor in chief for USA section: Andre Christopher Smith Collaboration Tennis World is published in collaboration with Matchpoint Tennis Magazine (Italy).

Special thanks to director Daniele Azzolini and his editing team.

Matchpoint Tennis Magazine, Via Santa Giovanna Elisabetta 36/F 00189 Roma Tel: + 00 39 063 638 2189 segreteria@mpmtennis.com

On the other hand, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will once again try and break

Australian Open

the deadlock that Federer and Nadal have had over Grand Slams for so many years.

Other players like Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych and perhaps even Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, will also want to make their mark on the men’s game.

As far as the ladies are concerned, there is much speculation as to who will emerge as Serena Williams’ true successor. The American will be out until at least March, so there is plenty of time for someone to assert themselves over the rest of the field. Will it be Kim Clijsters? Perhaps Justine Henin will again find some form at the Australian Open. Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva also look like contenders, though only time will tell if they can take that final step to Grand Slam glory.

As is often the case, the start of the season not only prompts us to look ahead at

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what is to come, but also cast an eye back at the year that was. In this special edition of Tennis World, we are looking back at the 2010 season, and featuring all

Roland Garros

the most memorable moments of a thrilling tennis year.

COPY AND CONTENT EDITOR: Philip Maré CREATIVE: Simone “Fela” Micheletti Business Details MatchballTennis (Pty) Ltd 85 Jonkershoek Road Stellenbosch, South Africa info@matchballtennis.com Advertising advertising@matchballtennis.com www.tennisworldusa.org www.tennisworldsa.com

The main medium we have chosen for our retrospective is photography. A photograph captures a moment in a way that nothing else can. It allows us to experience the essence of an instant long after the actual event has faded from memory. Each photo is unique and beautiful in its own way, and illustrates one of the most interesting paradoxes of time – a moment is over in an instant, but it also lasts forever. Photography is our way of rebelling against the former impression of time, and embracing the latter.

Only through photography does time truly become visible to us. It freezes the past, and records for eternity the split seconds that we otherwise never would have noticed.

Wimbledon

This issue is a book of stories, though the stories will be different for everyone who experiences them. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane, and that you form some new fond memories along the way.

Federico Federico Coppini federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com

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Contents

TennisWorld #13

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Exclusive Interview 6 Roger Federer 10 Australian Open 46 ROLANd GARROS 80 WIMBLEDON 118 US Open

Š 2010 TWSA. Permission Required to re-use any information in printed or digital format.

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An interview with

Roger Federer

By David Cox

Roger Federer sweeps into the suitably grand setting of London’s Marriott County Hall Hotel. He’s half an hour late for our scheduled interview, but striding through the elaborate dining hall he still exudes class and sophistication. The word “suave” was almost invented for Federer – he eases seamlessly through multiple languages at press conferences, and possesses the kind of aura which reduces even the most experienced journalists to hushed whispers and reverence.

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t November’s ATP World Finals, Tennis World had the privilege of speaking to the sixteen-time Grand Slam champion.

He looked back on some of the highlights of his career, as well as forward to what promises to be an exciting 2011 season.

How do you see the battle for the world number one spot going in 2011?

“It’s going to be challenging for sure. It’s going to be very difficult because Rafa’s playing well. I have Australia to defend first so things look very good for him over the next few months. I’m not thinking too much about it though, just looking to prepare well for next season and hopefully at some stage try to get it back and if not I’ll focus on trying to win tournaments as that’s what I like doing as well!”

When you look back to 2003 and your first Grand Slam title, do you think the game’s moved on a lot since then?

What do you think has changed?

“Well there’s different players, maybe there’s more athletic players now, taller players, stronger players in general. Every guy who serves well also returns really well whereas back then you

just had offensive players like Philippoussis who you knew had a huge serve and great volleys. He volleyed much better than many of the guys we have in the draw today. Henman also, you knew his attacking style was very uncomfortable to play against. It’s just a different game today than it used to be, not entirely but it changes.”

Now you’re regarded as a bit of a veteran on the tour, do wins and losses have the same impact as they did say, ten years ago? Do you treat things a little more evenly now?

“Well I think through the success I’ve had and it’s spoiled me.

I can take a loss a little bit lighter today than in the beginning when I was trying to make a breakthrough. When you don’t know if you’ll ever achieve anything you take a loss much, much harder. Today when you lose nobody can take all your wins away from you anymore, but when you’re striving for that breakthrough and under pressure from the media and yourself, that’s the most stressful time in your career, more than being number one and trying to prove it. That’s why today I can play much more relaxed.”

The courts worldwide have slowed down in the past decade. Would you prefer to see more tournaments with fast TennisWorld

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surfaces?

“I think it’s nice for the game in general to have quicker courts. It reminds some players that it’s good to come forward and finish points quicker. Sometimes you can bluff your way through, so if your backhand’s not working well then you don’t have to hit many backhands, you just keep coming in. That’s not something you can do on a slow court, the backhand will be found. It’s fun playing on a quick court but for better tennis maybe a slower surface is best. Overall I think variety is important, but don’t get me wrong – I like playing on slower courts too, most of my career has been spent on them!”

If you were making the decisions, how much of an offseason would you have ideally?

“Well some sports have six months, no? But we’re not gonna go that far! Look, I was never a big complainer about the long season because that gave me the chance to take more breaks during the season. A long season means that if you’re injured, you can come back and still play. I think some players forget that. In skiing if you get injured and it’s bad then the whole season’s gone.

Having said that, four weeks is not enough, six weeks is better, 8

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eight weeks would be great so you could take a month off if you wanted and still be able to work on your game. However, the Tour is really healthy and successful right now. We will always see injuries in our game, it’s just part of the sport, you work so hard and you will get unlucky at times.”

“You’ve won the Tennis Masters Cup/ATP World Finals four times in the past, which one stands out as being the most memorable?”

“I guess the first one back in 2003 when I qualified for the second time around in Houston. I remember I arrived and I heard the group was going to be Nalbandian, Agassi and Ferrero and I was like: “this is not a group I like!” I did not like to play baseliners back then, I liked guys who would come in or who would not be so solid from the baseline. I think for me that was obviously a huge breakthrough, also Wimbledon a few months earlier obviously was the big breakthrough but this was the confirmation.

Beating Agassi twice in Houston was amazing and I think I also beat Roddick in the semis – who then finished the year as world number one – so that was a real huge win. Then obviously, some of the Shanghai Masters that I won were terrific. I played some of my best tennis quite often actually at the World Tour Finals,

which I’m happy about.”

ers coming up through the rankings?

What was it like to go to Downing Street and visit the Prime Minister? Did David Cameron give you any tips?

“There’s not a whole lot really. I was asking myself the question, ‘why don’t we have any teenagers in the Top 100?’ I’m not even sure if we have players there under 21 or 22. I don’t know the statistics on that, but it’s quite surprising for me because when I was coming up there was Hewitt, Safin, Roddick, Ferrero and you name it, Tommy Haas too. They were all excellent players and in the Top 100 as teenagers. It was always a normal thing, Becker won Wimbledon young and Chang won the French at a similar age. On the women’s side it was even more extreme, but they have a similar trend it seems because of rule changes, but maybe the game has become more physical and more mental and that’s maybe why players today need more time to break through.”

“Yeah it was an interesting trip. Things you don’t expect to do in a life as a tennis player when you grow up, but all of a sudden you’re there so it’s kind of a funny feeling but I think it was nice that all eight players were invited. It’s a great sign for the sport, it shows how important the ATP World Finals is to the city and the country. Mr Cameron was very excited to have us there, but he was giving more tips to Murray than me, I think, so nothing I can use for my game quite yet!”

How much fine tuning of your game do you do in the days before big tournaments?

“It’s all about just saving energy, getting used to the conditions and just trying to play points in practise so you’re ready for the matches really. It’s not about worrying about a particular shot any more, I’ll know what I can do and hopefully my game will be right there where I want it to be. You’re just concentrating on showing it on the match court which is not an easy thing. At the ATP World Finals you’re starting against a top ten player which is tough, but this is my ninth appearance so I know the drill.”

Have you been keeping an eye on any promising newcom-

Do you feel that Olympic singles gold is the one major goal you’ve got left in your career?

“No, I want to achieve many more things than just Olympic gold.

I mean I already have one in doubles which was fantastic, very unexpected which is maybe why it felt so good. Obviously London 2012 will be very special as it’s held at the club I’m a member at. I hope that my kids can join and see me play, my parents may come for the first time at an Olympics as they missed Sydney, Athens and Beijing. Maybe I will take decisions which will help me peak right then but it depends on the schedule.”

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Roger Federer

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Serena Williams

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In Their Own Words Men “Yes, I ran into one of those immovable objects called a referee” Andy Roddick on his clash with a line umpire “We made the decision later on last year. That’s when my knee was still hurt. We didn’t think it was smart to be switching surfaces from hard to clay to hard. I never wanted to be one of these guys who played when it was convenient.

I feel like if you commit at the beginning of the year, then you commit. Last thing I’d want to do is have those guys go battle early in the year, then me waltz in and try to play later in the year when they’ve been the ones to get the team to that point.”

Andy Roddick on his decision to not play in the Davis Cup in 2010 “To finish at this time, it’s tough. You know, look, I have no excuses, but I think if I’d have played during the day, which I requested, it could have been all changed. I think I should have won.”

Bernard Tomic laments his loss to Marin Cilic – their match ended after 2 AM “It’s always really difficult to compare generations. But when you look at McEnroe, was a genius on the court. But when you look at the matches with Roger/Rafa, the big final we had at Wimbledon, here last year. When you look at Sampras...But I must say that the best opponent I ever had is Roger Federer.”

Fabrice Santoro on who he thinks is the

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best player of all time “At the end of the second set I felt a similar thing to what I had last year. After that I could not bend and it was impossible to win the match. When I have the chance to play, I never retire, but I knew I was going to lose like I did in Rotterdam last year. I felt pain was still there and I could not win so I preferred to stop.”

Rafa Nadal explains his decision to retire in the quarter-finals against Andy Murray “It’s probably a Top 5, for sure for me. Obviously the one with Rafa is great. But for some reason, I like the ones who are my age as well: Roddick and Hewitt. I like playing against them, because I came through with Lleyton in the juniors. Roddick I don’t remember him that much back then, but we played on so many big occasions in big matches. Same as Lleyton. And we’re the same age. I really like those matches a lot.”

Roger Federer on his “rivalries” with Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick “Love for the game, like it’s always been.

There’s always ways to motivate and challenge you. I’ve never really been in it for the money anyway. It’s always been my dream to play on the biggest stages around the world, especially Wimbledon.”

Roger Federer when asked: “Grand Slam record, family, and heaps of money. What motivates you now?”

“It’s quite strange. You can’t imagine a football

World Cup quarter-final stopping in the 60th minute and going, ‘you’ve got a few fireworks, just hang on.’ It was very strange. I think it will be the first and last time this happens in my career.”

Murray on the nine-minute interruption during his match against Nadal “I had never realised that my mouth was that large.”

Andy Murray watches a replay after beating Cilic in the semi-finals “‘You know, it’s good to have experience, but for that you have to win before. Roger has experience because he won, you know, like 15 or 16 Grand Slams. But he won the first one without experience, so I think at this level you never know what’s going to happen.”

Tsonga explains his theory on experience before his semi-final match against Federer “It’s really important. I mean, after last year I had a few tough losses in the Grand Slams. You know, Wimbledon, I had a chance to make the final but I lost a tough match against Roddick.

Now I have a great feeling, it’s the reason why I work hard, and every year at the end of the season I go and train in Miami, to give myself a chance to do well in these tournaments. Of course I want to win one.”

Murray explains how he feels after finally reaching another Slam final

“Crowds were rather on the quiet side towards the end because, you know, also they were a bit surprised I think how fast it went. I thought make it a bit more entertaining maybe in the on court interview after. So it was fun, you know (smiling).”

Roger Federer after crushing Tsonga 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals “It’s actually only 74 years since we haven’t won a Grand Slam.”

“How many years did I say?”

“You said 150,000.”

“I missed it by a little bit (smiling).”

“Can you imagine what it is like for a nation to have to wait for so long to win a Grand Slam?”

“You could be one of those nations that never had a Grand Slam champion, you know.”

An exchange of wisecracks between Roger Federer and a British journalist before the final “I don’t think anybody can.”

Tsonga after the semi-final, when asked: “when Roger plays like this, who do you think could beat him?”

“Friends and family, you know. See if the babies are up. Hope not (smiling). Otherwise I’ll wake them up tomorrow or I’ll just grab them because I’m so happy.”

Federer on how he will celebrate his 16th Slam victory

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Brjan brothers

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Stats Male Champions by country Amateur Era

Open Era

All-time

Australia (AUS)

44

6

United States (USA)

4

Sweden (SWE)

First title

Last title

50

1905

1976

14

18

1908

2003

0

6

6

1983

2002

5

0

5

1912

1934

Switzerland (SUI)

0

4

4

2004

2010

Argentina (ARG)

0

2

2

1978

1979

(TCH) *[m]

0

2

2

1989

1990

Germany (GER)

0

2

2

1991

1996

2

0

2

1906

1909

0

2

2

1999

2005

0

1

1

1998

1998

France (FRA)

0

1

1

1928

1928

Serbia (SRB)

0

1

1

2008

2008

South Africa (RSA)

0

1

1

1981

1981

Spain (ESP)

0

1

1

2009

2009

Country

United Kingdom (UK/

GBR)[l]

Czechoslovakia

New Zealand (NZL)

Russia (RUS) Czech Republic (CZE)[n]

Former country *

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Argentinian tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro in his win over US opponent James Blake

Andy Roddick in his quarter-final loss to Marin Cilic

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Rafael Nadal of Spain at a practice session in the lead-up to the Australian Open

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Rafael Nadal of Spain in his win over Phillipp Kohlschreiber 20

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Marin Cilic of Croatia celebrates his quarter-final win over Andy Roddick

Melbourne - Australia Day celebrations at Rod Laver Arena TennisWorld

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Roger Federer

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Men’s Final

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Andy Murray in his quarter-final win over Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer during his win over Lleyton Hewitt

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In Their Own Words Women “I made all the mistakes. She didn’t do much…”

Kim Clijsters after losing 6-0, 6-1 to Nadia Petrova in the third round “I started thinking about many other things.

Walking off the court, the massage. What I would say in the press conference, who we would be playing against the following day in the doubles…all sorts of things you should never think about when you’re playing.”

Alicia Molik, who lost to Julie Coin after leading 6-1, 5-2…

“What happens, you know, is I start well and play good, and then because I have no expectations I just go out there to enjoy. Then I think I can play like this all the time. Then I get tense and I start making mistakes because I want to play like that. Then I just want to go back to playing normal.”

Ana Ivanovic on her mental state “I’ll talk to Fernando about that. Like, Dude you got to finish earlier. You can’t hold all the TV time. They got Nikolay, Mr. Personality now. He just wanted to be on TV, and they took all our time. Have to have a talk with those guys next time.”

Serena Williams talks about her match only being televised for a few minutes thanks to the fact that the VerdascoDavydenko clash ran late “There’s a lot of competition, and there are a

lot of girls that are playing good tennis. A new generation also. The good thing is that I don’t feel old yet, so that’s already a good point. Even if when I came here I realized it was six years ago I won the Australian Open, so it did hit me a little bit.”

Justine Henin speaks about returning to the Tour after coming out of retirement “It’s certainly a tough draw. But in Grand Slam every match is difficult. I love to play against the top players. I know I’ll have to be at a very high level. But, I mean, I’m not negative about that draw. I take it in the positive way, and that’s gonna push me to be a better player.”

Justine Henin philosophises about the luck of the draw “Steffi Graf in first place, Roger Federer in second and Justine Henin in third place.”

Jie Zheng’s ranks her favourite players “I wasn’t actually thinking anything. That was a good thing (laughter).”

Nadia Petrova when asked what she was thinking when she was up by a set and a break against Kim Clijsters “My back again. It suddenly hit me. It was getting worse and worse. I have no idea really how it could happen. It’s really, really terrible.”

Dinara Safina laments her continuing physical struggles “That’s not what a champion is supposed to

think, but I was actually thinking: ‘If I lose today and I lose in doubles I guess I can catch a flight on Friday.’”

Serena Williams on her thoughts when she was 6-3, 4-0 down against Victoria Azarenka

Wimbledon and the US Open

“Oh my God, there’s no Russian in the semis? Is this a first?

Serena Williams on the state of Russian tennis

“I think you have to have a life outside of tennis, because the moment you feel you’ve hit one forehand too many it becomes bad. I think I am at that stage. This is why I took fashion and design, so that when I get to that point I can take some time off. I make sure my schedule has some breaks when I can stay out of some tournaments. I’m not going to play tennis until I’m 100 years old!”

Serena Williams’ recipe to avoid getting tired of tennis

“So exciting, maybe I will have a beer tonight.

My goal this year was Top 10, but it’s only January, and it’s come quickly!”

Na Li on being the first Chinese player ever to enter the Top 10 “Now I have my team come with me and then because I’m lazy, so right now if I didn’t want to practice, I just tell my team, say, we take day off. But before if I was come with national team, I say, can I take a day off, maybe they say no to me.”

Na Li on the advantages of no longer belonging to the Chinese national team “Well, like I said so many times before, if I would have kind of gotten involved in what people said I would have never left the ghetto. So here I am playing pro tennis, playing well. The sky’s the limit in this sport. I’m looking for that.”

Venus responds to suggestions that her only chances of winning a Slam are at

“I don’t go to a tournament to defend a title. I go to a tournament to win a title. That’s how I look at it.”

Serena Williams and her winning mindset

“I definitely think of her as a rival. I think we bring out the best game in each other. I think that we both just play our hearts out. I think that’s what creates a good rivalry.”

Serena Williams on her rivalry with Justine Henin “You know, it’s far away now. It’s a long time.

We exchange a few words here. There is a lot of respect between the two of us. It was such a long time ago that I don’t think we have any problems about that incident”.

Justine Henin on her controversial 2003 French Open semi-final against Serena Williams

Stats Female Champions by country Amateur Era

Open Era

All-time

Australia (AUS)

33

10

United States (USA)

7

Germany (GER)

First title

Last title

43

1922

1978

15

22

1938

2010

0

4

4

1988

1994

United Kingdom

2

1

3

1935

1972

Yugoslavia (YUG) *

0

3

3

1991

1993

Switzerland (SUI)

0

3

3

1997

1999

0

2

2

1980

1987

France (FRA)

0

2

2

1995

2006

Belgium (BEL)

0

1

1

2004

2004

Russia (RUS)

0

1

1

2008

2008

0

1

1

1998

1998

France (FRA)

0

1

1

1928

1928

Serbia (SRB)

0

1

1

2008

2008

South Africa (RSA)

0

1

1

1981

1981

Spain (ESP)

0

1

1

2009

2009

Country

Czechoslovakia (TCH) [k]

Czech Republic (CZE)[n]

Former country *

28

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Doubles match Serena & Venus (Front L) Williams vs Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka

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Women’s Final

Serena Williams during her third round match against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 32

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Justine Henin on her way to the women’s singles final

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Serena’s piercing

Melbourne - Venus (R) and Serena Williams in a doubles match

Sharapova

Serena Williams 36

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Nadia Petrova of Russia celebrates her win over Kim Clijsters of Belgium

Venus Williams during her third round match against Casey Dellacqua TennisWorld

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Prince William

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Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark during her third round match against Shahar Peer

Yan Zi of China in her doubles match with Bethanie Mattek Sands against Venus & Serena Williams TennisWorld

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Maria Kirilenko in action at her quarter-final loss to Jie Zheng

Serena (L) & Venus Williams in a doubles match against Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka 40

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Jie Zheng in action at her quarter-final win over Maria Kirilenko

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Records Unlike the other three Grand Slam tournaments, which became open in 1968, the Australian tournament opened to professionals in 1969. Thus, the records here break at the 1969 tournament.

Record

Open Era*

Player(s)

Count

Years

Men since 1905 Winner of most Men’s Singles titles

Winner of most consecutive Men’s Singles titles

Winner of most Men’s Doubles titles

Winner of most consecutive Men’s Doubles titles

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Before 1969:

Roy Emerson

6

1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967

After 1968:

Andre Agassi Roger Federer

4

1995, 2000, 2001, 2003 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010

Before 1969:

Roy Emerson

5

1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967

After 1968:

Ken Rosewall Guillermo Vilas Johan Kriek Mats Wilander Stefan Edberg Ivan Lendl Jim Courier Andre Agassi Roger Federer

2

1971, 1972 1978, 1979 1981, 1982 1983, 1984 1985, 1987[27] 1989, 1990 1992, 1993 2000, 2001 2006, 2007

Before 1969:

Adrian Quist

10

1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950

After 1968:

Mark Edmondson Bob Bryan Mike Bryan

4

1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010

Before 1969:

Adrian Quist

10

1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950[28]

After 1968:

Mark Edmondson Kim Warwick Mark Edmondson Rick Leach Jim Pugh Fabrice Santoro Michaël Llodra Bob Bryan Mike Bryan

2

1980, 1981 1980, 1981 1983, 1984 1988, 1989 1988, 1989 2003, 2004 2003, 2004 2006, 2007; 2009, 2010 2006, 2007; 2009, 2010

Winner of most Mixed Doubles titles Men Winner of most Championships (total: singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles) - Men

Before 1969:

Harry Hopman Colin Long

4

1930, 1936, 1937, 1939 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948

After 1968:

Jim Pugh

3

1988, 1989, 1990

Before 1969:

Adrian Quist

13

1936-1950 (3 singles, 10 men’s doubles, 0 mixed doubles)

After 1968:

Mark Edmondson Jim Pugh Rick Leach

5

1976-1984 (1 singles, 4 men’s doubles) 1988-1990 (2 men’s doubles, 3 mixed doubles) 1988-2000 (3 men’s doubles, 2 mixed doubles)

Before 1969:

Margaret Court

7

1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966

After 1968:

Serena Williams

5

2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010

Women since 1922 Winner of most Women’s Singles titles Winner of most consecutive Women’s Singles titles

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Records Before 1969:

Margaret Court

7

1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966

After 1968:

Margaret Court Evonne Goolagong Cawley Steffi Graf // Monica Seles Martina Hingis

3

1969, 1970, 1971 1974, 1975, 1976 1988, 1989, 1990 1991, 1992, 1993 1997, 1998, 1999

Before 1969:

Thelma Coyne Long

12

1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1958

After 1968:

Martina Navrátilová

8

1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989

Before 1969:

Thelma Coyne Long Nancye Wynne Bolton

5

1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940

After 1968:

Martina Navrátilová Pam Shriver

7

1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989

Before 1969:

Daphne Akhurst Cozens Nell Hall Hopman Nancye Wynne Bolton Thelma Coyne Long

4

1924, 1925, 1928, 1929 1930, 1936, 1937, 1939 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955

After 1968:

Jana Novotná Larisa Savchenko Neiland

2

1988, 1989 1994, 1996

Before 1969:

Nancye Wynne Bolton

20

1936-1952 (6 singles, 10 women’s doubles, 4 mixed doubles)

After 1968:

Martina Navrátilová

12

1980-2003 (3 singles, 8 women’s doubles, 1 mixed doubles)

Men’s singles:

Ken Rosewall

18 years and 2 months (1953)

Winner of most Women’s Doubles titles

Winner of most consecutive Women’s Doubles titles

Winner of most Mixed Doubles titles Women

Winner of most Championships (total: singles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles) - Women

Miscellaneous Youngest winner

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Oldest winner

Men’s doubles:

Lew Hoad

18 years and 2 months (1953)

Women’s doubles:

Mirjana Lučić

15 years and 10 months (1998)

Women’s singles:

Martina Hingis

16 years and 4 months (1997)

Men’s singles:

Ken Rosewall

37 years and 8 months (1972)

Men’s doubles:

Norman Brookes

46 years and 2 months (1924)

Women’s doubles:

Thelma Coyne Long

37 years and 7 months (1956)

Women’s singles:

Thelma Coyne Long

35 years and 8 months (1954)

Mixed doubles (men):

Horace Rice

Mixed doubles (women):

Martina Navratilova

52 years (1923) 46 years and 3 months (2003)

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Roland Garros

46

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Nadal

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48

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In Their Own Words Men “He hit everything, he left me on the ground. I felt I was a bit like his pigeon…”

Josselin Ouanna after being beaten 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga “Disappointed? Yeah, of course I’m disappointed.

I prepared really good for this tournament, but it’s okay. Whatever. I mean, it’s okay. It’s a Grand Slam, it’s a big tournament. But I have maybe nine more, eight more years of my career, I will have 20 Grand Slams in front of me, and if I if I concentrate on one, which wasn’t that good, I will get nothing.”

Ernests Gulbis speaks about his early exit at the hands of Julien Bennettau “When I was a kid, I was hitting full power every ball. That’s why they sent me to Spain, to learn a little bit around the points”.

Teimuraz Gabashvili speaks about his aggressive style

“If I didn’t believe in my tennis, I would have caught a plane yesterday, I would be with my girlfriend and having a barbecue at home.”

Nicolas Almagro speaking about his selfbelief before playing Rafael Nadal “I never play two points with the same ball.

Never.”

One of Rafa Nadal’s superstitions “I’ve always believed that I’m a good tennis player. It was just a few links here and there were missing. I had enough game all the time. I played good matches.

I remember the Murray match when he made the finals at the US Open, I had him there. Then I won at home in Vienna. I started to actually believe I can win those big matches.”

Jurgen Melzer on what’s kept him going through the years without big results

“I mean, I respect everyone, but I’m always “I have never come this close to winning Roland honest enough with myself that I know I can win Garros!” them all. I felt confident going into the match Nicolas Mahut after winning his first match knowing that if I play well, if I play solid, I’d probin eight appearances at Roland Garros ably win this match.”

Roger Federer after being defeated by “When I’m back in my hotel room I’ll have to Robin Soderling Google him to see how he plays.”

Andy Roddick on Blaz Kavcic, his second “No, I haven’t watched the match against Nadal round opponent last year. I know my dad watched it a lot, but I haven’t. So, you know, normally I don’t watch “I felt a little stupid slipping and falling on my tennis that much. I play so much. When I’m not face, so I tried to get the crowd back on my side playing, I try to do other stuff.” by doing push-ups on court.”

Robin Soderling on what he likes to do in Robby Ginepri talks about his on-court his free time antics against Novak Djokovic

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Stats Men’s Singles Event Statistics Round Matches Played Sets Played Tie Breaks Played Total Games Winners Return Games Won Server Points Won Total Points First Serves In % 1st Serves In Total Aces Total Double Faults 1st Serve Pts Won % 1st Srv Pts Won % 2nd Srv Pts Won

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Q-F

S-F

F

64

32

16

8

4

2

1

232

115

59

25

15

8

3

30

15

7

2

3

1

0

2198

1084

558

234

148

78

28

5972

2873

1466

560

382

223

75

472

261

137

58

23

17

4

8691

4277

2174

856

614

298

119

13825

6957

3518

1372

961

479

181

8278

4253

2217

837

598

303

120

59

61

63

61

62

63

66

968

411

221

83

57

46

14

482

193

105

24

29

19

5

5895

2928

1503

575

424

215

84

71

68

67

68

70

70

70

50

49

51

52

52

47

57

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Stats Men’s Aces Leaders Rank

Player

Country

Matches

Aces

1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10 11 11 13 14 15 16 16 18 18 18

R.Soderling T.Berdych J.Isner N.Almagro J.Melzer A.Murray L.Mayer J.Tsonga T.De Bakker R.Federer A.Roddick S.Wawrinka I.Ljubicic T.Bellucci A.Dolgopolov Jr R.Ginepri M.Fish F.Gonzalez T.Gabashvili L.Lacko

SWE CZE USA ESP AUT GBR ARG FRA NED SUI USA SUI CRO BRA UKR USA USA CHI RUS SVK

7 6 3 5 6 4 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 4 3 4 2 2 4 2

82 70 55 51 44 44 42 41 39 38 36 36 35 33 29 27 27 26 26 26

Men’s Serve Speed Leaders

52

Rank

Player

Country

KMH

MPH

1 2 3 3 5 6 6 8 9 9 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

T.Dent R.Soderling A.Roddick J.Isner S.Querrey J.Tsonga T.Berdych N.Almagro E.Gulbis K.Anderson L.Mayer M.Baghdatis R.Gasquet F.Verdasco A.Murray S.Wawrinka D.Brands C.Ball V.Troicki

USA SWE USA USA USA FRA CZE ESP LAT RSA ARG CYP FRA ESP GBR SUI GER AUS SRB

240 229 228 228 225 224 224 222 221 221 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 220

149 142 141 141 139 139 139 137 137 137 136 136 136 136 136 136 136 136 136

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Men’s Double Fault Leaders Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 11 11 13 13 15 15 15 15 15 15

Player

N.Djokovic R.Soderling F.Verdasco A.Murray F.Fognini T.Berdych T.Dent J.Tsonga G.Monfils S.Wawrinka L.Mayer G.Garcia-Lopez B.Kavcic M.Cilic A.Montanes E.Roger-Vasselin P.Kohlschreiber L.Hewitt T.Bellucci J.Melzer

Country SRB SWE ESP GBR ITA CZE USA FRA FRA SUI ARG ESP SLO CRO ESP FRA GER AUS BRA AUT

Matches 5 7 4 4 3 6 2 4 2 4 3 2 2 4 3 2 3 3 4 6

Double Faults 33 29 22 21 20 18 16 15 14 14 13 13 12 12 11 11 11 11 11 11

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Cilic 54

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Nadal

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Daniel NESTOR (L) of Canada and Nenad ZIMONJIC (R) of Serbia during the men’s doubles final match

Tsonga 56

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Gianni Mina

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Roger Federer

Robby Ginepri does some push-ups

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Jurgen Melzer

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59

60

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Ground staff pull covers over courts due to rain

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61

62

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In Their Own Words Women “There was a time during the tournaments when I had to show my outfits in advance, as they needed to be approved.”

Bethanie Mattek-Sands on being forced to tone down her eccentric look “Of course you want to win, but I saw her cramping and I started to look at her instead of thinking what I was doing. I lost the momentum”.

Dinara Safina after her loss to the 40year old Kimiko Date-Krumm “I was in the worst situations, and I mean, that’s life. After rain, the sun always comes.

I will do my best.”

Safina on her plans for the future “My husband pushed me a lot. He’s a racing driver. He likes sports, he likes tennis. So he always said to me, you must go back to tennis. It was not serious. Because he never see me when I was a player before. Then after that he push me so hard. Then I decide I just enjoy to play again.”

A reborn Kimiko Date on her return to tennis after several years in retirement “Monica Seles was my favourite player when I was 10. If I started grunting on court

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it’s her fault.”

Venus Williams on her vocal histrionics “It would be great to do the Grand Slam doubles with Serena, especially for our CV.” Venus, keen to make doubles history “I didn’t get much sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I would replay the match in front of me.”

Nadia Petrova laments her insomnia after her rain-suspended match against Aravane Rezai “I felt very nervous, very upset, which is normally not the way I am” A disappointed Justine Henin explains her loss to Sam Stosur “Today it wasn’t me. It wasn’t my game out there.”

Jelena Jankovic after her 6-1, 6-2 bludgeoning at the hands of Stosur “When I look at the calibre of the players I have beaten, I ask myself ‘why can’t I beat another one?’

A confident Samantha Stosur ahead of the final

Stats Women’s Singles Event Statistics Round Matches Played Sets Played Tie Breaks Played Total Games Winners Return Games Won Server Points Won Total Points First Serves In % 1st Serves In Total Aces Total Double Faults 1st Serve Pts Won % 1st Srv Pts Won % 2nd Srv Pts Won

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Q-F

S-F

F

64

32

16

8

4

2

1

140

72

39

18

10

3

2

13

3

4

2

1

1

1

1256

634

372

167

96

28

23

2951

1550

893

365

249

64

62

431

252

139

58

35

8

3

4731

2248

1383

621

344

108

93

8393

4176

2504

1100

602

191

136

5244

2687

1614

679

377

127

88

62

64

64

61

62

66

64

298

118

69

33

37

12

9

420

173

123

57

32

11

2

3281

1594

1011

424

248

81

65

62

59

62

62

65

63

73

46

43

41

46

42

42

58

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Women’s Aces Leaders Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 11 12 12 12 15 15 15 18 19 19

Player

S.Williams S.Stosur N.Petrova Y.Shvedova J.Jankovic M.Rybarikova L.Hradecka F.Schiavone V.Williams J.Groth A.Petkovic A.Wozniak D.Hantuchova J.Henin A.Rezai A.Amanmuradova M.Sharapova J.Goerges S.Kuznetsova F.Pennetta

Country USA AUS RUS KAZ SRB SVK CZE ITA USA AUS GER CAN SVK BEL FRA UZB RUS GER RUS ITA

Matches

Aces

KMH

MPH

5 7 5 5 6 2 1 7 4 4 2 3 4 4 3 3 3 2 3 4

37 34 25 23 22 19 18 15 14 14 13 12 12 12 11 11 11 10 8 8

Women’s Serve Speed Leaders Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 9 9 9 13 14 14 14 14 18 18 20

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Player

V.Williams S.Williams S.Perry N.Li S.Stosur K.Sprem T.Pironkova N.Petrova E.Bychkova J.Groth A.Amanmuradova Y.Shvedova K.Mladenovic C.Wozniacki A.Ivanovic K.Kanepi F.Schiavone P.Hercog M.Sharapova A.Szavay

Country USA USA USA CHN AUS CRO BUL RUS RUS AUS UZB KAZ FRA DEN SRB EST ITA SLO RUS HUN

207 206 200 199 198 197 197 196 194 194 194 194 192 190 190 190 190 189 189 188

128 128 124 123 123 122 122 121 120 120 120 120 119 118 118 118 118 117 117 116

Women’s Double Fault Leaders Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 10 11 11 11 11 11 16 16 16 19

Player

E.Dementieva J.Henin V.Williams S.Stosur N.Petrova A.Ivanovic S.Williams A.Rezai D.Safina Y.Shvedova K.Date Krumm J.Jankovic S.Ferguson A.Pavlyuchenkova

M.Sharapova K.Kanepi J.Groth Y.Wickmayer L.Hradecka

Country RUS BEL USA AUS RUS SRB USA FRA RUS KAZ JPN SRB AUS RUS RUS EST AUS BEL CZE

Matches 6 4 4 7 5 2 5 3 1 5 2 6 2 3 3 2 4 3 1

Double Faults 36 27 23 21 20 19 18 17 17 16 13 13 13 13 13 12 12 12 11

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Mary Pierce and Francesca Schiavone 68

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Ivanovic

Serena Williams

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Jelena Jankovic 70

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Aravane Razai

Silvia Espinosa of Spain plays the 2nd round qualification match TennisWorld

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Venus Williams

Serena Williams and her fancy nails

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Francesca Schiavone of Italy in action during the women’s singles final match.

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Ana Ivanovic 74

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Venus Williams and her flesh-coloured underwear

Zuzana Kucova of Slovakia in action during the 2nd round qualification match at French Open TennisWorld

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Records Record

Open Era*

Player(s)

Num

Years

Men since 1891 Winner of most men’s singles titles

Winner of most consecutive men’s singles titles

Before 1925:

Max Decugis (French club members only event)

8

1903, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1912, 1913, 1914

1925-1967:

Henri Cochet

4

1926, 1928, 1930, 1932 Note: Also won World Hard Court Championship in 1922

After 1967:

Björn Borg

6

1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981

Before 1925:

Paul Aymé (French club members only event)

4

1897, 1898, 1899, 1900 1948, 1949

Frank Parker 1925-1967:

Jaroslav Drobný Tony Trabert

2

Björn Borg

Winner of most men’s doubles titles

Before 1925:

1925-1967:

Rafael Nadal Max Decugis (French club members only event)

Roy Emerson

4

Yevgeny Kafelnikov Leander Paes

1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

14

1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1920

6

1960, 1962 with Neale Fraser; 1961 with Rod Laver; 1963 with Manuel Santana; 1964 with Ken Fletcher; 1965 with Fred Stolle 1995, 1998 with Jacco Eltingh; 2002 with Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Paul Haarhuis After 1967:

1954, 1955 1959, 1960

Nicola Pietrangeli After 1967:

1951, 1952

3

1996, 1997 with Daniel Vacek; 2002 with Paul Haarhuis 1999; 2001 with Mahesh Bhupati; 2009 with Lukáš Dlouhý

Winner of most consecutive men’s doubles titles

Before 1925:

Max Decugis (French club members only event)

13

1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914

1925-1967:

Roy Emerson

6

1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 1978 with Hank Pfister; 1979 with Sandy Mayer

Gene Mayer After 1967:

Yevgeny Kafelnikov & Daniel Vacek

2

Jonas Björkman & Max Mirnyi Winner of most mixed doubles titles – Men

Winner of most titles (total: singles, doubles, mixed) – men

1996, 1997 2005, 2006

Before 1925:

Max Decugis (French club members only event)

7

1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1914 and 1920 with Suzanne Lenglen

1925-today:

Jean-Claude Barclay

4

1968, 1971, 1973 with Françoise Durr

Before 1925:

Max Decugis

29

1902-1920 (8 singles, 14 doubles, 7 mixed)

1925-today:

Roy Emerson

8

1960-1967 (2 singles, 6 doubles)

Women since 1897 Winner of most women’s singles titles

Winner of most consecutive women’s singles titles

Winner of most women’s doubles titles

Before 1968:

Suzanne Lenglen

6

1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926 Note: Also won World Hard Court Championship in 1914, 1921, 1922 & 1923

After 1967:

Chris Evert

7

1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986

Before 1968:

Jeanne Matthey Suzanne Lenglen

4

1909, 1910, 1911, 1912 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923

After 1967:

Monica Seles Justine Henin

3

1990, 1991, 1992 2005, 2006, 2007

6

1933, 1934 with Elizabeth Ryan; 1936, 1937, 1938 with Billie Yorke; 1939 with Jadwiga Jedrzejowska

Before 1968:

Simone Mathieu

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Records Winner of most consecutive women’s doubles titles

After 1967:

/ Martina Navratilova

7

1975 (with Chris Evert); 1982 with Anne Smith; 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 with Pam Shriver; 1986 with Andrea Temesvári

Before 1968:

Françoise Durr

5

1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971

After 1967:

Winner of most mixed doubles titles – women

Winner of most titles (total: singles, doubles, mixed) – women

Martina Navratilova Gigi Fernández

5

1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 with Pam Shriver; 1986 with Andrea Temesvári 1991 with Jana Novotná; 1992-95 with Natasha Zvereva 1914, 1920 with Max Decugis

Before 1968:

Suzanne Lenglen

7

After 1967:

Françoise Durr

3

1968, 1971, 1973 with JeanClaude Barclay

Before 1968:

Suzanne Lenglen

15

1919-1926 (6 singles, 2 doubles, 7 mixed)

After 1967:

/ Martina Navratilova

11

1974-88 (2 singles, 7 doubles, 2 mixed)

Men:

Michael Chang

17 years and 3 months

Women:

Monica Seles

16 years and 6 months

1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926 with Jacques Brugnon

Miscellaneous Youngest winner

Unseeded Winners

Men:

Women:

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Marcel Bernard

1946

Mats Wilander

1982

Gustavo Kuerten

1997

Gastón Gaudio

2004

Margaret Scriven

1933

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Rafael Nadal 80

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Wimbledon

Serena Williams TennisWorld

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In Their Own Words “Quarters is a decent result. Obviously people think quarters is shocking, but people would die to play in the quarter-final stages of Grand Slam play. It’s not something I’m used to doing, losing in quarterfinals, because it’s not something I’ve done in the last six years.”

Roger Federer after losing to Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals “So, obviously I’m not pleased with this result, but I have to move on. What else can I do? Unless I have a time machine, which I don’t.”

Venus Williams after her unexpected loss to Pironkova in the quarter-finals “I can catch a chicken. I can show you. Yeah, serious. I can catch a chicken.”

Yen-Hsun Lu on his many talents

“If I am, I want you to personally take me off and escort me off the court. There’s no way I need to be out here at 38.”

Serena Williams’ feelings on playing tennis for another ten years “Uhm, no, you know, at the moment I’m just really focused on not saying ‘uhm’. I read something on the Wimbledon website. The person that writes said that I start every sentence with ‘uhm.’ So right now I’m just trying not to do that.”

Laura Robson speaks about her speaking struggles “Yeah, of course she’s beatable. She’s a human being. She’s not a machine. I mean, it’s very difficult to beat her. You have to play your best. But, you know, if you do, you can do it.”

Vera Zvonareva on the eve of the Wimbledon final “I think every team should be allowed to review the video of an action three times in a match...Like in tennis.”

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Men’s Stats Gentlemen’s Singles Serve Speed Leaders Rank

Player

Country

Serve Speed MPH

Serve Speed km/h

1

T.Dent

USA

148

238

2

J.Isner

USA

143

230

3

A.Roddick

USA

142

228

4

R.Soderling

SWE

140

225

5

P.Petzschner

GER

139

223

6

T.Berdych

CZE

138

222

6

I.Bozoljac

SRB

138

222

6

G.Monfils

FRA

138

222

6

S.Querrey

USA

138

222

10

J.Tsonga

FRA

137

220

10

D.Brands

GER

137

220

10

F.Lopez

ESP

137

220

10

A.Murray

GBR

137

220

10

T.De Bakker

NED

137

220

15

L.Mayer

ARG

136

218

16

I.Dodig

CRO

135

217

16

A.Dolgopolov

UKR

135

217

16

K.Anderson

RSA

135

217

19

R.Kendrick

USA

134

215

19

R.Haase

NED

134

215

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Men’s Stats Gentlemen’s Singles Double Fault Leaders Rank

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Player

Country

Matches

1

N.Djokovic

SRB

6

38

2

R.Soderling

SWE

5

27

3

J.Chardy

FRA

3

23

3

T.Berdych

CZE

7

23

3

J.Tsonga

FRA

5

23

6

J.Benneteau

FRA

4

22

6

T.Dent

USA

2

22

6

F.Fognini

ITA

3

22

9

N.Mahut

FRA

1

21

10

P.Mathieu

FRA

4

20

10

J.Melzer

AUT

4

20

12

T.Kamke

GER

3

18

12

S.Querrey

USA

4

18

14

D.Ferrer

ESP

4

16

14

L.Kubot

POL

2

16

16

R.Nadal

ESP

7

15

16

B.Evans

USA

2

15

18

Y.Lu

TPE

5

14

18

D.Brands

GER

4

14

18

A.Dolgopolov

UKR

2

14

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Double Faults

Gentlemen’s Singles Ace Leaders Rank

Player

Country

Matches

Aces

1

J.Isner

USA

2

113

2

T.Berdych

CZE

7

111

3

A.Roddick

USA

4

104

4

N.Mahut

FRA

1

103

5

J.Tsonga

FRA

5

99

6

A.Murray

GBR

6

89

7

D.Brands

GER

4

83

8

T.De Bakker

NED

3

80

9

R.Soderling

SWE

5

79

10

Y.Lu

TPE

5

77

11

S.Querrey

USA

4

75

12

J.Benneteau

FRA

4

69

12

G.Monfils

FRA

3

69

12

R.Federer

SUI

5

69

15

J.Chardy

FRA

3

68

16

D.Ferrer

ESP

4

61

17

V.Hanescu

ROU

3

60

18

N.Djokovic

SRB

6

59

19

I.Bozoljac

SRB

2

58

20

F.Lopez

ESP

3

57 TennisWorld

87

Wimbledon Winner An interview with Rafael Nadal after his triumph at SW19

Pau Gasol wanted me to say hola to you. Congratulations. Can you compare this to what he did, back to back Lakers championships and your own as well, two straight here at Wimbledon for you?

“Thanks a lot. Everything is difficult, and very difficult compare, two different sports, no? But I am in contact with him all the time. For sure to have unbelievable sportsman like Pau inside the court, inside the court and outside the court is very, very good for our country.”

Is it even more special for you to come back and win it a second time?

“Every one is really special, no? Is difficult to say this one is more special. The other one was more dramatic, the way to win. So first title is always very, very special.

And for sure after not easy year for me.

Be back on my favorite tournament of the world here and play well another time, and not only play well, so finish with the trophy is amazing for me.

Just can say thank you very much all the organization, all the crowd, because when I am on the court what they make me feel is unbelievable.”

How does it feel to be so popular with the crowd here at Wimbledon?

“You know, probably is the best crowd of the world, no? More respect. They have a lot of respect for every player, I think.

If I speak about myself, was always amazing with me, the crowd, especially yesterday or two days ago when I played against Andy Murray, a British player.

For sure the crowd support him, but the same

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time was supporting me a lot, no? That’s unbelievable. Just can say thank you very much.”

Did you expect a different or tougher match from him?

“I cannot say the same because I don’t expect nothing before the match. I expect play my best in every point and try to fight every point like the last. I don’t think if I gonna have a very difficult match, I gonna lose, I gonna win. I don’t think about this.

I just think about try to go on court and try to fight every point and play point by point. Not thinking any more of the next point.”

You had a lot of support from home, your girlfriend, parents, people from your club. Is that important to you?

“I have all the family, my team here, so, sure, is nice to have the friends here. Is always nice have your people around you.”

How have you changed your game to become so comfortable on grass where you now have two Wimbledon championships?

“I don’t know. The main thing I think is if you want to play well, you gonna find a way. So if you really want to play well in one surface and you are a good player, I think in the end you gonna find a way.

And play for me on grass always was my dream, and play here for me was all my

How hungry are you regarding winning the US Open? How important is it for you to win the US Open, as well?

that. For sure, keep working to try to be in the US Open finally ready to try to win.

But for sure US Open gonna be one of my goals for rest of my career.

Sure, later my serve always was improving a little bit. Is important play more aggressive than the rest of the surfaces, no?

“Right now I’m very happy to win Wimbledon. Yeah (smiling). We gonna think about US Open in one month. Right now we just relax and enjoy for me this amazing season.

But right now is enjoy the beach, fishing, golf, friends, party, and Mallorca.”

But, sure, I tell you, the main thing is really want to improve in every surface. On grass is the main thing.”

Was very difficult for me to be back at my best. I did, so is very important and emotional moment for me. I want to enjoy

life a big goal for me. So I think I have very good thing to play here on grass is the movement. I move well on this court, and that’s very important part of the game.

You’re known for playing all the points with great intensity and focus.

It seems on the critical points, like today at the breakpoints, you really focused, you lift your game. Can you

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talk about what you do on the big points.

“Yeah, today I was a little bit more nervous than usual. I was a little bit lucky on few moments with the breakpoints. I had two good forehands, and later I have a rally with the slice backhand. So he finish missing the backhand to the net.

You talked before about the importance of the movement. Even if you don’t like to speak normally about injuries, you still run like a rabbit or a jaguar, it depends what kind of animal you think. How do you explain it? You talk about knees, this and that. Nobody is capable to run like you.

So I don’t know. I just try my best in every moment, every practice, every point.

Important thing is be there all the time. If you are there all the time, you are have more chances to save the breakpoints.”

“No, I don’t have any problem today. I didn’t have any problem today, and for the last four matches I didn’t have any problem. So that’s all. Without healthy is impossible to be where I am today.”

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Is there a special practice you do to be quicker than somebody else, to react?

“No. I think all my life I practiced with my high hundred percent of intensity in every ball in the practice.

So when I have only controls – normally I never have controls, normal controls. I play every control like a point.

That’s why I think today I am faster, no?

Probably now I’m not practicing with the same intensity like when I was a kid.

When I was a kid, I practiced, believe me,

like crazy.”

Did you expect this kind of return?

“No. For sure, no. I gonna say another time the same. I go day by day, and I wake up every morning with the illusion to practice and to improve, with the allusion to play well another time.

So last seven months or six months of 2009 season I wasn’t ready to play at this level. I was ready to fight, but not to play like I am doing now.

“Sure, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Contador.

For sure, we won the Europa Cup with the football, and right now we are in semifinals in the World Cup. So we are in probably the best moment of our history in sport.

That’s very difficult to do. We have to know how difficult is be there and enjoy these moments, because gonna be very difficult to repeat another generation like we have now.”

Will you go to the final, Cape Town?

The positive thing in that seven months is I didn’t lose in first round, second round, no? I wasn’t ready to win, but I was there all the time, semifinals, quarterfinals, one time one final in Shanghai. So without playing well, I had not bad results. So that’s very important for the confidence.

And when I finish the season 2009 and I went to Mallorca and I start to practice, well, you see the difference. If you play semifinals and quarterfinals, you see everything a little bit more easier, because without play well I was there.

So just keep working, be ready to work hard to be ready for 2010, and if I improve, I gonna have the chance another time to win.”

Today Lorenzo won in motorcycle.

Spain is in the semifinal of the World Cup. You won here. What is so special in Spanish athletes? If Spain reaches the final, will you go there to see it?

“Well, I don’t know. For the last two years we had amazing success on very important sports. So maybe is a little bit lucky, because is impossible to have one No. 1 like Pau Gasol, all the unbelievable players of the basketball in Spain.”

And Lorenzo?

“I have to do treatment right now on the knees. I have to have serious work, the same time to try to ready for the American season. So I don’t think so. I gonna see.

But for me would be a pleasure to be there. I am a crazy fan of football, and for sure a big supporter of our team. I am in contact with the players. You know, I just wish the team all the best.

But if the World Cup can be a little bit closer, gonna be easier for me to be there.”

You surprised some people with your summersault at the end. Is that something you thought through or did spontaneously?

“I didn’t thought nothing about that. That was my reaction that moment, no?”

Winning the French and Wimbledon back to back, it’s been said, is the hardest thing in tennis. You’ve now done it twice. How special do you think that is as an achievement?

“It didn’t happen since Borg, so now last three years it happen twice. So how crazy is the life.”

The way you played in the clay court season, to be able to transfer that to grass, how tough is that?

“Is difficult. For sure is difficult. But important thing is I repeat the same than before: have enough illusion to play after winning in Roland Garros, to play well on grass.

So after a few years for me, I know how important is the grass court season. And after winning in Roland Garros Sunday, I am practicing on Monday in Queen’s because I know how difficult is to change and to adapt the surface. Every day is goal to be ready to play here in Wimbledon.

So is difficult, yes. But if you have experience in the past and you have lot of matches on grass in the past, that’s gonna help you a lot.”

You mentioned you were a bit nervous. Was it different playing here? You played three finals against Roger. Was it different today playing as the favorite?

“I don’t know. If you are not nervous in the final of Wimbledon, you are not human, so...”

This year tennis fans remember this championship for your win, but also Isner and Mahut. What message do you have for them?

“I saw the match. Was unbelievable. Just can congratulate both players because what they did. They show amazing good spirit for the crowd, for the young people, because the attitude was very positive and fighting a lot every point, like for 10 hours or 11 hours, I don’t know.

So was just amazing. Both players need to acknowledge, the rest of the people, especially the tennis people.”

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Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal blows away 12th seed Tomas Berdych in straight sets to regain the Wimbledon crown and claim his eighth Grand Slam title. He triumphs in straight sets 6-3 7-5 6-4.

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Rafael Nadal

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Roger Federer

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Djokovic

Murray

Tommy Robredo thinks he spots the Queen watching his doubles match No no, Tommy - the Queen’s visit was yesterday!

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Murray is a capable volleyer!

Even the shadow has style!

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Rafael Nadal

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Ilija Bozoljac

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Roger Federer Contemplating Defeat

Rafael Nadal

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Women’s Stats Ladies’ Singles Serve Speed Leaders Rank

102

Player

Country

Serve Speed MPH

Serve Speed km/h

1

V.Williams

USA

128

205

2

S.Williams

USA

125

201

3

D.Cibulkova

SVK

118

189

3

K.Sprem

CRO

118

189

3

T.Pironkova

BUL

118

189

6

J.Groth

AUS

116

186

6

S.Stosur

AUS

116

186

6

M.Sharapova

RUS

116

186

9

A.Amanmuradova

UZB

115

185

9

K.Kanepi

EST

115

185

9

N.Petrova

RUS

115

185

12

M.Lucic

CRO

114

183

12

S.Perry

USA

114

183

12

J.Goerges

GER

114

183

15

P.Kvitova

CZE

113

181

15

G.Arn

HUN

113

181

15

M.South

GBR

113

181

15

P.Martic

CRO

113

181

15

A.Kleybanova

RUS

113

181

15

C.Wozniacki

DEN

113

181

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Ladies’ Singles Ace Leaders Rank

Player

Country

Matches

Aces

1

S.Williams

USA

7

89

2

V.Williams

USA

5

30

3

K.Kanepi

EST

5

29

4

V.Zvonareva

RUS

7

27

5

J.Groth

AUS

4

26

5

T.Pironkova

BUL

6

26

7

P.Kvitova

CZE

6

25

8

G.Arn

HUN

3

19

9

N.Petrova

RUS

3

18

10

M.Bartoli

FRA

4

17

10

J.Henin

BEL

4

17

12

A.Amanmuradova

UZB

1

16

12

A.Molik

AUS

2

16

14

Y.Wickmayer

BEL

3

15

14

K.Zakopalova

CZE

4

15

14

A.Parra Santonja

ESP

2

15

17

J.Jankovic

SRB

4

14

17

V.Lepchenko

USA

2

14

17

A.Pavlyuchenkova

RUS

3

14

20

S.Perry

USA

2

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Women’s Stats Ladies’ Singles Double Fault Leaders Rank

104

Player

Country

Matches

Double Faults

1

K.Kanepi

EST

5

29

2

P.Kvitova

CZE

6

25

3

V.Zvonareva

RUS

7

24

4

K.Zakopalova

CZE

4

20

5

J.Jankovic

SRB

4

17

5

M.Sharapova

RUS

4

17

5

A.Rezai

FRA

2

17

8

V.Williams

USA

5

15

8

A.Parra Santonja

ESP

2

15

8

S.Williams

USA

7

15

11

A.Rodionova

AUS

3

14

11

K.Clijsters

BEL

5

14

11

D.Cibulkova

SVK

3

14

11

S.Perry

USA

2

14

15

A.Pavlyuchenkova

RUS

3

13

16

A.Kleybanova

RUS

3

12

16

I.Olaru

ROU

2

12

18

A.Lapushchenkova

RUS

1

11

18

J.Groth

AUS

4

11

18

J.Henin

BEL

4

11

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Anna Chakvetadze during her defeat to Serena Williams.

Sara Errani and Arantxa Parra Santonja after the former’s victory.

Venus Williams

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Pironkova TennisWorld

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Maria Sharapova 108

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Serena Williams

Pliskova

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Flavia Pennetta & Gisela Dulko during their 2nd round doubles match with Elena Baltacha & Olga Savchuk. Flavia & Gisela won 6-7, 6-3, 6-0

Maria Sharapova 110

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Russian Vera Zvonareva on her way to victory in her 3rd round match vs. last year’s US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer.

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Ladies doubles #10 seeds Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Kirilenko

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Errani

Marion Bartoli at full stretch.

Serena Williams serving during her win over Anna Chakvetadze.

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Records Countries whose representatives have won the 123 Gentlemen’s Singles Championships: United States (33), British Isles (32), Australia (21), France (7), Sweden (7), Switzerland (6), Germany (4), New Zealand (4),Great Britain (3), Czechoslovakia (1), Egypt (1), Netherlands (1), Spain (1), Croatia (1) Countries whose representatives have won the 116 Ladies’ Singles Championships: United States (53), British Isles (29), Germany (8), Great Britain (7), France (7), Australia (5), Brazil (3), Czech Republic (1), Spain (2), Switzerland (1), Russia (1) Winners of most Gentlemen’s Singles’ Championships 7 7

P. Sampras (USA) W.C. Renshaw (BRI)

1993-1995, 1997-2000 1881-1886, 1889

Winners of most Gentlemen’s Doubles Championships 9 8 8

T.A. Woodbridge (AUS) H.L. Doherty (BRI) R.F. Doherty (BRI)

1993-1997, 2000, 2002-2004 1897-1901, 1903-1905 1897-1901, 1903-1905

Winners of most Ladies’ Singles Championships 9 8

Miss M. Navratilova (USA) Miss H.N. Wills/Mrs. F.S Moody (USA)

1978, 1979, 1982-1987, 1990 1927-1930, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1938

Winners of most Ladies’ Doubles Championships 12

Miss E.M. Ryan (USA)

1914, 1919-1923, 1925-1927, 1930, 1933, 1934

Winners of most Mixed Doubles Championships - Gentlemen 4 4 4

O.K. Davidson (AUS) K.N. Fletcher (AUS) E.V. Seixas (USA)

1967, 1971, 1973, 1974 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968 1953-1956

Winner of most Mixed Doubles Championships - Ladies 7

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Miss E.M. Ryan (USA)

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1919, 1921, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1932

Winner of most Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships - Gentlemen 13

H.L. Doherty (BRI)

5 singles, 8 doubles 18971906

Winner of most Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships - Ladies 20

Miss B.J. Moffit/Mrs. L.W. King (USA)

20

Miss M. Navratilova (TCH/USA)

19

Miss E.M. Ryan (USA)

6 singles, 10 doubles, 4 mixed 1961-1979 9 singles, 7 doubles, 4 mixed 1976-2003 12 doubles, 7 mixed 1914-1934

Winners of Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships in One Year - Gentlemen 1937 1938 1939 1952

J.D. Budge (USA) J.D. Budge (USA) R.L. Riggs (USA) F.A. Sedgman (AUS)

Winners of Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships in One Year - Ladies 1920 1922 1925 1939 1948 1950 1951 1967 1973

Miss S.R.F. Lenglen (FRA) Miss S.R.F. Lenglen (FRA) Miss S.R.F. Lenglen (FRA) Miss A. Marble (USA) Miss A.L. Brough (USA) Miss A.L. Brough (USA) Miss D.J. Hart (USA) Mrs. L.W. King (USA) Mrs. L.W. King (USA)

Youngest Champions Gentlemen’s Singles Gentlemen’s Doubles Ladies’ Singles Ladies’ Doubles Mixed Doubles

B.F. Becker (GER) R.D. Ralston (USA) Miss C. Dod (BRI) Miss M. Hingis (SUI) R.G. Laver (AUS) Miss S.J. Williams (USA)

17 years, 227 days (1985) 17 years, 341 days (1960) 15 years, 285 days (1887) 15 years, 282 days (1996) 20 years, 328 days (1959) 16 years, 282 days (1998) TennisWorld

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Records Oldest Champions Gentlemen’s Singles Gentlemen’s Doubles Ladies’ Singles Ladies’ Doubles Mixed Doubles

A.W. Gore (BRI) G.P. Mulloy (USA) Mrs A Sterry (BRI) Miss E.M. Ryan (USA) S.E. Stewart (USA) Miss M. Navratilova (TCH/ USA)

41 years, 182 days (1909) 43 years, 226 days (1957) 37 years, 282 days (1908) 42 years, 152 days (1934) 42 years, 28 days (1988) 46 years, 261 days (2003)

S.B.B. Wood (USA) S.B.B. Wood (USA) Miss J.M. Capriati (USA) Miss J.M. Capriati (USA)

15 years, 231 days (1927) 15 years, 234 days (1927) 14 years, 90 days (1990) 14 years, 92 days (1990)

M.J.G Ritchie (GBR) J.R. Borotra (FRA) Mrs. A.E. O’Neill (GBR) Mrs. C.O. Tuckey (GBR) J.R. Borotra (FRA) Mrs. A.E. O’Neil (GBR)

55 years, 247 days (1926) 65 years, 317 days (1964) 54 years, 304 days (1922) 54 years, 352 days (1932) 64 years, 320 days (1963) 55 years, 304 days (1923)

B.R. Borg (SWE) Miss J.M. Capriati (USA)

17 years, 19 days (1973) 14 years, 89 days (1990)

R.A. Gonzales (USA) Mrs. L.W. King (USA)

41 years, 45 days (1969) 39 years, 210 days (1983)

F.H. Ampon (PHI) 1948-1953 Miss C.G. Hoahing (GBR) 1937-1938, 1964-1961

4 feet, 11 inches

The Youngest Competitors Gentlemen’s Singles Gentlemen’s Doubles Ladies’ Singles Ladies’ Doubles The Oldest Competitors Gentlemen’s Singles Gentlemen’s Doubles Ladies’ Singles Ladies’ Doubles Mixed Doubles

The Youngest Seeds Gentlemen’s Singles Ladies’ Singles The Oldest Seeds Gentlemen’s Singles Ladies’ Singles Shortest Players Gentlemen Ladies

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4 feet, 9½ inches

Tallest Players Gentlemen Ladies

I. Karlovic (CRO) 2003 Miss L.A. Davenport (USA) 1993-2001, 2003, 2004 Miss E. Bovina (RUS) 20012004

6 feet, 10 inches 6 feet 2½ inches

Most Matches Played at The Championships: Ladies 326 Gentlemen 223

Miss M Navratilova (TCH/USA) 1973-1996, 2000-2006

(Singles W 120, L 14; Doubles W 100, L 21; Mixed W 56 L 15)

J.R. Borotra (FRA) 1922-1939, 1948-1964

(Singles W 55, L 10; Doubles W 59, L 31; Doubles W 40, L 28)

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118

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Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia with trophies after final match

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120

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In Their Own Words Men “No. But every day is a new day. Let’s see which Gael it will give me on Wednesday” Monfils when asked if he felt he was in good form for the US Open “To be honest, once you decide to play, I think you throw all the excuses and everything else out the window” Andy Roddick on playing with an injury “You have to get to a certain level in the sport before people really care about you. And you have to be around long enough for people to remember you.”

Andy Roddick on sports icons “I have this problem from birth—some blood problems. Sometimes, I don’t feel so well, especially when I change time zones a lot. That’s why I don’t like to fly. I just have to deal with it and sometimes it affects my game. I couldn’t have the usual treatment before the US Open because I played in Umag and then had just five days before I came to the US.” Aleksandr Dolgopolov after his early exit “Last year’s was probably a little bit more important just because it was a semi-final and I think it was 0-30 to go 0-40, two points away from the match. Maybe in terms of difficulty this one was harder than last year because I had to run a longer distance and was further back. When I turned round I couldn’t believe that it had landed in the corner.”

Roger Federer compares his two “tweener” shots “I have been working on my serve all my life. Not just this summer, all my life.”

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Rafa Nadal when asked if he had worked hard on his serve during the summer “Is more difficult for me here, especially, because the ball. I think is more easy to play for the players who have flat shots. But I won the Olympics in Beijing in 2005 with this ball, so I can do it.”

Rafa Nadal on his difficulties with fast hard courts “I buy clothes from Technifibre and my mother sews the flags on them.”

Marcos Baghdatis on his eye-catching outfits “I had to have a knee op because I was too heavy…That’s why I decided to lose weight.”

Mardy Fish speaks about his new diet and fitness regime “I saw some photos taken two years ago. I looked at them and asked: why didn’t somebody tell me that I looked like that?”

Fish on his old self “I wasn’t upset with the call, I just expect my umpires to know their left foot from the right foot.

I asked the referee: was it my right foot? And she said, yes, right foot. Not once in my career has my right foot gone in front of my left foot, never.”

Andy Roddick speaks about his outburst after being called for a foot fault “I told him: you were too good. Then I just said: the last time you beat me in a Grand Slam second round [Wimbledon 2008] you lost the next match, so don’t do that. It was fun.”

Andy Roddick’s advice to Tipsarevic after his defeat. Roddick’s version.

“He said ‘Well done, man. You played great. But if you lose early, I’m going to kill you. I’m going to freaking kill you’.”

Andy Roddick’s advice to Tipsarevic after his defeat. Tipsarevic’s version.

“Well, I tried to be really tough with him. I wanted to show him that I am the man, the leader.”

Gael Monfils jokes after his three-set victory over friend and countryman Richard Gasquet “Of course you can hear the crowd. To be honest, there are times when you wish they were even noisier, on your side, to intimidate you opponent…”

Mardy Fish on home court advantage

“I like it. I see it as a challenge, an opportunity to play in a different way. I hated it so much through the years and now I have changed my mind.”

Roger Federer on the joys of playing in the wind “I don’t need revenge to fuel my motivation. It really doesn’t, because I love playing in the stadium in front of people like this. I love tennis, and that’s enough motivation for me to really get it.”

Federer on what drives him to excel “I know that all the fans want to see Federer and Nadal play in the final. They are the great favourites and the public wants them in the final. I will make sure it does not happen.”

Novak Djokovic on the eve of his semi-final against Federer

Djokovic speaks about Monfils’ attempted tweener shot “Yes I am ready to be the bad guy. I love being the bad guy in this situation.”

Mikhail Youzhny on his plans to rob the public of a Federer-Nadal final “Ok, it wasn’t the final, so I am not as disappointed as if I had lost in the final. This is the only positive thing I can find in all this.”

Roger Federer after his defeat in the semifinal “I closed my eyes and hit as hard as I could. If it goes in it goes in, if it goes out it’s still a defeat in the US Open against Roger Federer.”

Djokovic on the two match points he saved in the semi-final against Federer “You can’t go through 10-15 years of your career thinking you’ll always be at the very top. I think I did incredible work staying so long in the Top 2 in the world. I never would have guessed in ‘04 when I got to number one for the first time that it was going to carry me for so long.”

Roger Federer on growing old “I think that for the first time in my career I have played a great match in this tournament. I have played my best match at the US Open at the most important moment. I am very, very happy.”

An elated Nadal after the final

“I think to talk about if I am better or worse than Roger is stupid, because the titles say he’s much better than me, so that’s the truth at that moment. I “I thought: please don’t make it! I have been experi- think will be the truth all my life.”

Nadal on his place in tennis history encing that too many times.”

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Men’s Stats Men’s Singles Ace Leaders

124

Rank

Player

Country

Matches

Aces

1

R.Federer

SUI

6

86

2

J.Isner

USA

3

76

3

S.Querrey

USA

4

67

4

S.Wawrinka

SUI

5

65

5

G.Monfils

FRA

5

62

6

M.Fish

USA

4

56

7

F.Verdasco

ESP

5

55

8

F.Lopez

ESP

4

53

9

S.Stakhovsky

UKR

3

48

10

R.Soderling

SWE

5

46

10

N.Almagro

ESP

3

46

12

R.Nadal

ESP

7

45

13

J.Tipsarevic

SRB

3

43

14

P.Mathieu

FRA

3

38

15

G.Rufin

FRA

2

36

16

B.Paire

FRA

2

35

17

K.Anderson

RSA

3

34

17

A.Haider-Maurer

AUT

1

34

19

C.Ball

AUS

2

33

19

T.de Bakker

NED

3

33

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Men’s Singles Serve Speed Leaders Rank

Player

Country

Serve Speed MPH

Serve Speed km/h

1

T.Dent

USA

147

236

2

J.Isner

USA

144

231

3

R.Soderling

SWE

142

228

3

A.Roddick

USA

142

228

5

F.Verdasco

ESP

141

226

6

S.Querrey

USA

140

225

6

F.Lopez

ESP

140

225

8

R.Harrison

USA

138

222

8

S.Wawrinka

SUI

138

222

10

K.Anderson

RSA

137

220

10

D.Brown

JAM

137

220

10

V.Troicki

SRB

137

220

13

M.Fish

USA

136

218

13

I.Ljubicic

CRO

136

218

13

R.Kendrick

USA

136

218

13

T.Berdych

CZE

136

218

13

A.Murray

GBR

136

218

18

G.Monfils

FRA

135

217

18

P.Petzschner

GER

135

217

18

I.Dodig

CRO

135

217

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Man’s Stats Men’s Singles Double Fault Leaders

126

Rank

Player

Country

Matches

Double Faults

1

F.Verdasco

ESP

5

36

2

M.Youzhny

RUS

6

33

3

R.Berankis

LTU

2

30

4

N.Djokovic

SRB

7

28

5

R.Soderling

SWE

5

26

6

G.Monfils

FRA

5

23

6

S.Querrey

USA

4

23

8

J.Melzer

AUT

4

22

8

F.Lopez

ESP

4

22

10

A.Montanes

ESP

4

21

10

G.Rufin

FRA

2

21

10

D.Nalbandian

ARG

3

21

10

S.Wawrinka

SUI

5

21

14

M.Fish

USA

4

20

15

B.Paire

FRA

2

18

15

A.Clement

FRA

3

18

15

M.Przysiezny

POL

1

18

18

P.Mathieu

FRA

3

17

18

R.Gasquet

FRA

4

17

20

K.Nishikori

JPN

3

16

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Federer

Nadal 128

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Monfils

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during final match 130

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Federer

National flags at the opening ceremony of US Open

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Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia returns a ball during match against Gael Monfils of France 132

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US Open Fireworks

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during match against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia TennisWorld

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Rafael Nadal

Philipp Petzschner of Germany falls on the court during match against Novak Djokovic

Gael Monfils of France returns ball during match against Robert Kendrick of USA 134

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Roger Federer

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The Grand Slam Man An interview with Rafael Nadal after his US Open win

Congratulations. It’s a remarkable achievement what you did out there tonight and in such an impressive fashion with such great play. Now you have the career Grand Slam.

Talk about what tonight means to you and this trophy means to you.

“Yeah, well, just thank you very much, first thing. Yeah, it was amazing feeling.

I think win against Novak is always very, very difficult, and the results say that lots of times, I lost against him. So I think for the first time in my career I played a very, very good match in this tournament.

That’s my feeling, no? I played my best match in the US Open at the most important moment, so I am very, very happy for that, for sure.”

In the career Grand Slam, though...

“Yeah, I know, for you, very important, that. (Laughter.) You know, I still 24. I have, I know, for me, it’s a dream have the career Grand Slam, but this is more dream have the US Open. Is some moments unbelievable feeling because I worked a lot all my life, in all difficult moments to be here, but I never imagined have the four Grand Slams.”

Can you talk a little bit how you’ve improved your hardcourt game? Because obviously you started on clay and then you made a big adjustment for grass. What have you done to become a champion on hardcourts?

“I did, in 2009, I won in Australia, too.”

But you’re better now.

“Maybe, or maybe not. I don’t know.

(Laughter.) Is part of the moment and part of the situation, no? And part of the confi136

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dence. So always when you are playing well and when you are in the right moment with big confidence, seems like you improved a lot. But, you know, there are moments when you are not playing that good, when you lose your confidence, you lose matches, and seems like you are not playing that good and you forgot to play tennis. It’s not like this, and it is not like this I improved a lot since 2009. I think I improved my tennis a little bit but is not a radical change, no? Sure, to win in here in the US Open I think is the more difficult tournament for me to play, more difficult conditions to adapt, to adjust my game on this court, for the balls, for the court, for everything, no?

In Australia, anyway, if it’s hot, the ball, the bounce are higher. And in Wimbledon, is true I have to adjust a lot my game to play in Wimbledon, but in my opinion, play in Wimbledon for me always wasn’t that bad, because one of the most important things on Wimbledon is the movements, and I think my movements are good to play well in that surface. The surface help me, because my serve was not that good, that I have today, and with less serve I can do it the same, the same to the opponent as what I have today at this tournament especially and with this serve and with the US Open.

For that reason I think the hardcourt always was the most difficult surface to play good for me, especially with the serve because I have to play almost every point, and probably the serve make the big difference in this tournament.”

I think you’re strong mentally keep point for completing Grand Slam.

How you keep your mental so strong,

consistent?

“I don’t know. I think my the practice is done a lot of years ago, so is not the moment now that I have. I am strong now because I think practice everything you can practice everything. I think the mentality, I practice it a lot, my mentality, a lot when I was a kid, so right now for me it is a little bit easier, I think.”

What do you think you have to accomplish to convince yourself that you’re ahead of Roger, maybe the greatest ever?

“Remain a lot of titles, so that’s no doubt about that, no? I think I am more than happy that with my titles, for sure I think is talk about if I am better or worse than Roger is stupid, because the titles say he’s much better than me, so that’s the true at that moment. I think will be the true all my life. But, sure, for me, always, always Roger was an example, especially because he improved his tennis I think during all his career, and that’s a good thing that you can copy, no? So I try to copy this, and I know Roger and me are different, much different styles. Being better than Roger I don’t think so is the right moment to talk about that, because I am I don’t think that.”

What do you think the future of your rivalry is with him? How long do you think it will last?

“I don’t know. Well, now Novak is, too, but he has to defend a lot of points now in the end of the season now, Novak, too. He gonna have his chance to be win the year No. 2, Novak, too. But Roger is there, too, to finish No. 2. You know, we start every year, and a lot of new players

and good players are there like well, not new, Novak and Andy are not new, Andy Murray, but always come new players, very good players. But for the last six years, Roger and me was we were No. 1 and No. 2, no? So that’s probably a great rivalry since that six years. We will see what happens in the future. I am not a genius.”

Can you talk a little bit about today’s rain delay, what you did during that time and what you told yourself about the match?

“Yeah, well, the delay, it wasn’t in the right moment for me, but just go back to the locker room, have a shower, and have all the tapes another time. That’s what I did.”

on the baseline, forehand and backhand, and difficult for me. But I started the match feeling the ball great, and for me what I said to myself is I did another time, so I can do it another time.

What did you tell yourself about the match at that point?

So just be there, fight every point and try to play with high intensity all the time, so I know if I play with high intensely, put a lot of balls inside and play long. Finally, I think he can be more tired than me, so if the match is long, I think I gonna have a little bit of advantage, and that’s what I thought before the match.

“Nothing special, no? I think -- I thought before the match gonna be very difficult for me to win this match today, because the style of Novak is very difficult for me, because he play aggressive, he play very inside the court with very complete shots

But if he starts to play like he did in Paris, is true indoor is different, my level is completely different now than what I did in the Masters 1000 in Paris last year, but when he’s playing at his best, he’s very difficult to stop.”

I’m sorry we broke a tradition.

Normally when the winner of the Grand Slam comes in the media room, everybody claps. We didn’t do it tonight. (Applause.) Second thing, you’re ahead of Roger being 24 years old of three Slams. I’d like to know, now that you lost only five times the serve in all tournament, only one set, what is your goal now? Because you won already everything, Davis Cup, Olympic Games, all the four Slams.

Is the major goal to reach Roger or something else? “ Is very, very -- is too far. 16 for me is too far for me to think about that, no?”

So what else?

“My goal is all the time and all my life was the same, is keep improving and feel myself better player next year than what I felt this year. Being better player doesn’t mean you gonna win more than you did, because win or lose sometimes is part of the moment and part of the confidence.

But my goal remains for me that the Masters Cup is the big, yeah, probably the last big tournament that I didn’t win.

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That’s true is the most difficult title for me to win, because we play it in indoor, and when indoor, indoor very quick surface, so gonna be always very difficult if we don’t change that. But at the same time is a challenge for me to keep improving to have the chance to play well there and to have the chance to win.

So that’s what I gonna try this year. For me right now the next goal is try to finish the season much better than what I did in other years. The last part of the season always was difficult for me. Well, today it started to be less difficult, that’s true.

But, yeah, I want to finish the season if it’s possible with a good feeling.”

I spoke to Mats Wilander, and he said that you are the most improved player this year. You’ve won 21 matches and only dropped 2 sets. He says you’re one hell of a special athlete. What could you do to improve since you’ve done so much with all these titles? How do you think you can improve?

“For me the most important thing is try to keep serving like I did during this tournament. I think that’s if I can do it, this most

of the times gonna be a big change for me and my tennis career, because if I have that free points that I had during all this tournament gonna be different for me. I can play more aggressive.

I can play with more calm when I am returning. So can change a lot. So that’s, for me, the first very important part to keep improving. After that, I can improve everything: volley, keep improving the volley, keep improving the position on court, being more inside the court. I improved a lot since last year, but never is enough. I am not a perfect player, so everybody can improve.”

Did you expect such good play from Novak in the second set?

“I expect everything from Novak because he’s the No. 2 of the world, and his level is very, very high. I’m sure he gonna win this tournament very soon, no? Because his level is unbelievable, and I think he has the right game to win here and to win in almost every place, no, or in every place. So I wish him the best of luck, because he’s a great athlete, but at the same time is a great, great person. When he lose, is not easy to do it what he do all the time when he lose matches. That’s very positive for the sport and great example for everybody.”

You’ve achieved so much over these brief years starting maybe with the clay court streak and then winning in so many different circumstances.

In the big picture, we sort of debate what are your greatest strengths.

What do you think your greatest strengths are as a champion? Is it strokes or focus, willingness to make changes, attitude? What do you think are your two or three greatest strengths?

“What’s my best thing? I think the mentality, attitude on court I think always was good for me. I am positive on court, and I fight all the time. But not the only thing. Positive attitude is not only fight on

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court. I think I was able to listen all the time to the coach and to have adjustments and to be ready to change things to be better and to improve. So probably that’s was the best thing for me. If we talk about the game, for sure for me I think the best thing that I have is my intensity on court, no? When I am playing well, the intensity always is high.

The rhythm is high. Sometimes yes but not always I have easy winners or with one shot winner, but I can have winners after three, four shots having a great rhythm all the time, no? So the focus on court I think was -- that’s similar, no, the rhythm and focus. I can, I think, play at the same rhythm and the same level long time. So that’s what I think my best thing is.”

He did a great job fighting off breakpoints. Did this make you nervous, or what did you think when he actually converted with so many great shots?

“Yeah, on the statistics of the ATP I was No. 1 on breakpoints converted, so I think after this tournament I don’t want to be No. 1 on breakpoints converted. Sure, because the second set I had big chance to go for the second break and decide the set before. I had to serve for the set with 5 4, and that’s always dangerous. That’s when I didn’t convert any chance of the to do the second break. For sure was a little bit nervous for me, because especially on the 5 4 I have 15 30. So that was a very important moment, and at that moment I did something that I never did: three serves, one ace and two service winners. So that’s the big experience for me, and believe me, that’s good.”

Can you describe how much things have changed for you in the past 12, 15 months, whether you’re surprised at how fast things have changed?

“Well, the life change sometimes, no?

Ten months ago seems like I never gonna be another time the same. Now seems I gonna be one of the greatest, so I don’t

think that’s not that bad in that moment and not that good in this moment. So always is in the middle, I think, no? Last year I had a difficult year. Well, I had a great year because when you win a Grand Slam and three Masters 1000 you have a great year, but is true the second half of the year was very difficult for me, have some personal problems, home, and after, I have a lot of injuries, here the abdominal, before, the knees. So, yeah, wasn’t an easy year.

But is, at the same time, for sure, is not good have these moments but live these moments but at the same time, yes, because after that, when you come back, you are ready to (through translation) value how difficult is win titles and how difficult is be there all the time, no?

When I came back and I started to win in Monte Carlo, you know, the emotion is completely different. So when you are winning and winning for a moments, you forgot how difficult this is do, is do it, no, is win tournaments no? So I didn’t win a tournament for 11 months. I played for six months very bad. So after that, I think I was ready to come back in January of this year.

I started the season playing really well, but the titles didn’t came since I started in Monte Carlo, so was four months of playing well but hard moments, too. I was ready to win but without a victory.

So I think I was I had great mentality at that moment.”

This is not a criticism, but what took you so long to get in here after you left the court? Were you celebrating with your family? Taking a shower?

What were you doing that took you so long to get in here?

“What?”

To come over here. What took you so long? It’s not a criticism. But what were you doing?

“Before?”

Yeah.

“I had the control antidoping, and saying hello, all the US Open staff and say thanks, everybody, for the organization, for the facilities that they give me, they give to me. After that, I was with the authorities, they came, thank you very much. Infanta, she came. Cristina, sorry.

Cristina came. And the president of the Spanish Federation and the family. Just be out there for the family for a few minutes, and afterwards I was in the locker room organization, and having (through translation) planning? No. Organizing all the clothes. I have show in the locker.”

I know you don’t like to compare, all right? You don’t like to compare this and that and that, but you had so many celebrations, so many great moments in your career, and I saw you last this summer celebrating like if you were crazy when Spain won the World Cup in soccer. I’d like to know which is the emotion that really, you know, that causes you more joy in your life as being the most, the biggest that you never forget more than others?

“Every feeling is different and at the same time is good, no? Every victory is special, if we speak about my victories.

Some ones are more than other ones.

This one is very special for me, because is the last one remain. So when Spain won the World Cup was amazing. I was crying like like today, maybe, no? But is different feelings, but at the same time every feeling is unbelievable. But is very difficult to compare. Football is unbelievable.

You know how big is football in Spain, or maybe you don’t know, but we deserved that title. (Laughter.) We deserved that title a few years ago. Maybe you forgot.

You forgot about the World Cup of ‘94 here? (Laughter.) (Motioning with elbow .)

But we don’t forgot. It was very emotional moment for us, for World Cup.” TennisWorld

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In Their Own Words “I played juniors when I was 13, 14. So then all of a sudden you’re playing against Venus, Serena, you know, big girls. And even Lindsay Davenport, those kinds of players. And they’re in a different league, they hit much harder. I was often injured because as girls we didn’t know how to handle all that power.”

Kim Clijsters’ talks about the transition from the junior circuit to the WTA Tour

“Playing the first round on a main court has surprised me only in part. I like to do it, because adrenaline is coming up and I enjoy much more than play in faraway court. Maybe because I am 30 years old and now I want to enjoy with people, I know that they like me and it makes me happy.”

Francesca Schiavone on dealing with her fame after Roland Garros

“When you arrive at the top of the mountain and you can’t go up any more, you have to come down and then come back up. I think I’m doing this after Paris. When it is time to climb again, I will, it’s what I work for.”

Schiavone tries to make sense of her poor results following the French Open “I started thinking about it when I was 4-0 up. I told myself ‘wow I haven’t lost a point yet’. And then I lost the first point of that game. Perhaps it would have been better to not think about it.”

Melanie Oudin reflects on her near “golden set” “I feel free now. I have fixed a few things in my game and in my body. It’s as if it was all coming together. My game is coming back and I am happy.”

Ana Ivanovic on her renewed passion for 142

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tennis “I’m not playing in the doubles. I only play with Serena Williams.”

Venus Williams after being asked who her doubles partner would be “At Wimbledon when we didn’t win, I realized how much I loved winning the doubles. I think for a while we both took it a little bit for granted that, ‘Oh, we could win the doubles.’ It’s not easy winning it. Committing to playing the singles and doubles and playing all those matches. I want to keep adding those titles, Serena has 22.”

Venus Williams on her hunger for glory

“I was warming up in the gym when I fell while running a sprint and I hit my head. I was checked before I went on court, and they were courtside during the match. I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and trouble seeing before I fell.”

Victoria Azarenka after her on-court collapse in the second round

“I don’t really have favourites. You know, when you lose, the tournament is pretty much over. You go back to improve yourself. You’re not really worried about the rest of it.”

Maria Sharapova after being eliminated

“Well, before in Denmark everyone knew who I was. But now even walking in a big city like New York I see that people recognise me. They are nice people. Many more people know who I am now.”

Caroline Wozniacki on dealing with fame

“It’s short, I think it’s cute. It will definitely get me more male fans.”

Caroline Wozniacki about her very, very

short dress.

Svetlana Kuznetsova laments her poor performance against Dominika Cibulkova

“I realised that in order to beat the best players in the world you cannot make mistakes, you must always make the right choice”.

A disappointed Francesca Schiavone after her defeat in the quarter-finals against Venus Williams

“I was 140 a few months ago. So I had to be Top 70 for this year. But now I’m higher, so...No further goal for ranking this year.”

“After the match, I was like ‘How did I win this?’

I didn’t feel like I was playing well, Sam is a good player…talking to my coach I was saying: ‘How did I win?’”

“I don’t even know if I am going to train. Maybe I’ll just have massages and physiotherapy.”

A stupefied Kim Clijsters after her victory over Sam Stosur

“I think she plays well, but I am at a higher level and I have to win these matches. Today I played against myself, not against her.”

A contented Kaia Kanepi speaks about reaching the Top 30

Sam Stosur after her win over Elena Dementieva. The two went on court at 23:00 and ended their match at 01:30, fuelling the debate on night matches at the US Open

“At the end of my career I will maybe look back and remember some good times. But at the moment I continue to look ahead.”

Vera Zvonareva and her philosophy for handling defeat

“I feel I’ll definitely be back next year. This is what I do. I think that I’ve played some great tennis even with very little preparation.”

Venus rejects any suggestions of retirement “Actually, I don’t feel too tired. I wouldn’t mind playing another match.”

The indefatigable Caroline Wozniacki after her loss in the semi-final

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Women’s Stats Women’s Singles Ace Leaders

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Rank

Player

Country

Matches

Aces

1

V.Williams

USA

6

35

2

S.Stosur

AUS

5

21

3

S.Kuznetsova

RUS

4

18

3

R.Marino

CAN

2

18

5

M.Lucic

CRO

2

15

6

K.Clijsters

BEL

7

14

6

V.Zvonareva

RUS

7

14

8

M.Sharapova

RUS

4

13

9

A.Ivanovic

SRB

4

12

9

M.Martinez Sanchez

ESP

2

12

9

D.Hantuchova

SVK

3

12

12

P.Kvitova

CZE

3

11

12

Y.Wickmayer

BEL

4

11

14

C.Wozniacki

DEN

6

10

14

F.Schiavone

ITA

5

10

14

A.Petkovic

GER

4

10

14

N.Petrova

RUS

1

10

18

M.Kirilenko

RUS

3

9

18

S.Voegele

SUI

1

9

20

S.Peng

CHN

3

8

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Women’s Singles Serve Speed Leaders Rank

Player

Country

Serve Speed MPH

Serve Speed km/h

1

V.Williams

USA

127

204

2

S.Lisicki

GER

124

199

3

J.Groth

AUS

120

193

4

M.Rybarikova

SVK

119

191

4

M.Lucic

CRO

119

191

4

R.Marino

CAN

119

191

4

S.Stosur

AUS

119

191

8

M.Sharapova

RUS

118

189

9

N.Petrova

RUS

117

188

10

C.Wozniacki

DEN

116

186

10

K.Kanepi

EST

116

186

12

S.Kuznetsova

RUS

115

185

12

A.Ivanovic

SRB

115

185

12

P.Parmentier

FRA

115

185

12

G.Arn

HUN

115

185

16

F.Schiavone

ITA

114

183

16

K.Clijsters

BEL

114

183

16

C.Vandeweghe

USA

114

183

19

P.Kvitova

CZE

113

181

20

S.Peng

CHN

112

180

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Women’s Stats Women’s Singles Double Fault Leaders Rank

Player

Country

Matches

Double Faults

1

V.Williams

USA

6

30

1

K.Clijsters

BEL

7

30

3

K.Kanepi

EST

5

26

4

V.Zvonareva

RUS

7

25

5

D.Cibulkova

SVK

5

24

6

S.Kuznetsova

RUS

4

22

7

M.Sharapova

RUS

4

20

8

M.Lucic

CRO

2

19

8

Y.Wickmayer

BEL

4

19

RUS

4

18

10

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10

E.Dementieva

RUS

4

18

12

J.Jankovic

SRB

3

16

12

S.Stosur

AUS

5

16

14

A.Ivanovic

SRB

4

14

14

F.Schiavone

ITA

5

14

14

A.Rezai

FRA

2

14

14

J.Groth

AUS

1

14

14

P.Parmentier

FRA

2

14

19

T.Paszek

AUT

2

13

19

K.Chang

TPE

2

13

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Ana Ivanovic of Serbia returns the ball during match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium

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Kim Clijsters and daughter Jada 148

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Caroline Wozniacki of Danmark returns the ball during match against Dominika Chibulkova of Slovakia

Ceremony after women’s doubles final

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Jie Zheng in action at her quarter final win over Maria Kirilenko.

Venus Williams 150

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Kim Clijsters and her trophy

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Finalist Vera Zvonareva

Maria Sharapova

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

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Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia reacts during match against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

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Kim Clijsters

Ceremony after doubles final. (Left to right) Vania King, Yaroslava Shvedova, Liezel Huberand Nadia Petrova

Shahar Peer of Israel.

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Zvonareva’s racket.

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Always Count On Kim An interview with Kim Clijsters after her US Open win

Last year when you came in, we called it the Kimdarella story, big surprise. This year expectations were much higher as the second seed. Did you feel those? What were those expectations?

tion. People were still curious to see how I was playing, and obviously now, you know, people knew that obviously with my history here that I was maybe one of the contenders.

“Obviously when I started my U.S. summer, the US Open was my main goal. It was a new situation for me as well, going back to the Grand Slam where I was actually defending my title for the first time. Not having been able to do that in 2006 was frustrating at the time.

To me, like I said to you every press conference, every tournament, you know, I have to go match by match. Upsets can happen in the beginning of the tournament, and, you know, I wasn’t playing my best tennis when I wanted to in the beginning. But I was able to lift my game in the last two matches when I needed it to.

So, you know, it was probably a lot more busy this year around than it was last year in a different way. Last year it was, you know, it was a different kind of atten-

That’s obviously what probably I’m most pleased with over these last 14 days, is that I was able to do that.”

What do you think what does it mean for your daughter, your win?

“Obviously she’s still young. She’s two and a half. I don’t think to her it matters too much whether I win or lose still (Laughter).

I mean, it’s nice to have her a part of it, but like I said, I don’t think it matters at all.”

Did you explain to her what was happening, what was going on?

“Um, no. I mean, I like the innocence, you know, of her still. You know, they express their emotions in such a natural, pure way that, you know, I don’t have to I mean, she sees a trophy and she knows that a trophy is a part of winning.

So she kind of connects the dots like that, but nothing I’m not going to go tell her, Mommy won the US Open.”

You don’t tell her, Mommy is the best?

“No, no, no. I mean, she doesn’t need to like...”

Vera was having such a strong run at this tournament, playing so well, playing so well coming in. I know the last couple times she faced you she beat you.

“Yeah.”

I won’t say a lot of people are surprised you beat her tonight, but in such a dominating fashion, did that surprise you a little bit?

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“I mean, I kind of knew getting into the match, you know, which things were that I didn’t do well in those two matches that I lost. Obviously the one at Wimbledon was, to me, like I said, one of the most disappointing losses that I’ve dealt with so far in my career.

In a way I was excited to play her in the final here just to try and get that revenge, but I also learned a lot of things, and just not myself. You know, my coach by watching me lose against her, we picked up a few little things that kind of helped me out there today as well, which was kind of mixing up my game a little more.

overwhelms you.

She’s been on the tour a long time and she’s had has played some big matches and has beaten a lot of really good players. But a Grand Slam finals, it’s still something that, you know, is there’s a different vibe, a different occasion, and it just becomes so much more important.

I told her, too, it took me five or six times before I won my first one, and I know exactly how she feels. That was probably one of the most frustrating things in my Grand Slam losses in the final was that I

three Grand Slam finals and played well compare that to the times you were playing Justine. Were you not embracing the occasion?

“Yeah, but when you’re younger – and I remember even the one against Capriati – it just becomes – the impact of the emotions is so big. I mean, some players are, you know, are able to just block it off and just focus, but I wasn’t.

To be honest, when I think back now on my first Grand Slam final – there’s not a lot of things I remember, just because it

She’s the type of player who is consistent and likes the pace and likes to take over the pace from the opponents. I think today I was able to just mix it up well and just, you know, stay calm during the rally, as well. Just put enough pressure and variety in there to throw up some higher balls here and there.

I think that just got her, you know, thinking even more, just besides the fact that she was probably thinking about, you know, the occasion, and, you know, where she was playing and being in another final, which is always something that does have an effect on the way you feel, obviously.

She’s been playing some incredible tennis in these last two Grand Slams so far.

It must be frustrating for her not to be able to play her best level when it was probably most needed.”

She did say in here that she needs to learn to pace herself better. Perhaps there was some way that she could have, you know, I guess conserved some energy because, she said she did not feel that she had her game.

“No. But, again, I was in a different situation a few years ago when I played my first Grand Slam finals. I was a little bit younger. I think when you’re younger, it

wasn’t able to give you know, show my best tennis out there.

That’s how she was feeling afterwards, as well, is what she told me.”

If you can just talk a little bit more about that. So when you’re on court now and you’ve gone into your last

was just so emotional – but not able to at that, you know, stage of my life, not able to place those emotions.

Now I’m able to do that a lot faster. I also feel, Okay, I still get nervous and get that heavy arm, but I’m able to control it better and just, you know, not let it affect me in a way that my body is going down or,

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you know, where I’m not able to play the same type of tennis that I want to play.”

You are the first player to defend the title since Venus did almost 10 years ago, so why do you think it is very tough for players to defend this tournament? Why do you think you are very successful in this tournament?

“Um, I mean, you know, Grand Slams are always tough. You have to stay focused throughout those whole seven matches, two weeks. It’s not just the tennis.

There’s so much more involved around it.

I’m very excited that I was able to defend my title, which is – it’s always an honor to go back to a place, especially a Grand Slam, where you’ve done well and you’ve won. You obviously want to bring your best tennis again.

Obviously tennis wise I knew that if I would bring my best, that I’m able to – you know, I’m capable of beating a lot of the top players. But, you know, I was just kind of aiming for that.

But to be honest, you know, I don’t think it’s been that long since Venus – yeah, maybe in 2000/2001 or so where she won back to back. But, you know, it’s tough. I mean, you know, it’s also the last Grand Slam of the year.

The heat was a factor in the beginning of the tournament. There’s a lot of little details that make a difference. But, yeah, I’m happy that I was capable of repeating history.”

Besides the maturity now, et cetera, is there something about the atmosphere here or the surface here or something particular about this Grand Slam that seems to bring out the best in you?

“Yeah, for sure. The surface has always been one of my favorite surfaces to play on. I also like the blue courts, which, you know, make it a lot easier for me to see 158

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on.

But I’ve always – not just here in New York, but I’ve always had a very good run on the American hard courts, even when I was younger, you know, the whole US Open Series, Stanford, San Diego, LA, those kind of tournaments.

I’ve always had a pretty good record going there. I have a natural instinct of just adapting really well to, you know, the hard courts, which doesn’t come that easily for me when I go on different surfaces.”

Now that you have your daughter but you’re also playing at such a high level, do you have an idea in your mind of how you want to balance going forward tennis and family or how much longer you want to continue to play?

“I mean, I’ve said, you know, obviously I would like to keep it going until the Olympics. But then again, I mean, you never know what can happen. You know, injuries – I always – my main goal is to try and just stay injury free.

If I can do that and if I can practice hard and work hard, you know, obviously, I mean, the Grand Slams will always be my focus. So now that I’m playing well, obviously I’m not going to just give it up. I just want to keep it up.

As long as it’s worth balancing and if I’m able to balance it with the family – Jada is not obligated to go to school yet, so, you know, obviously it becomes a totally different story once, you know, it becomes mandatory.”

Did you ever, during the match, sense that Vera was not playing her best tennis, was it hard to focus?

How did you maintain your aggressive play seeing that she just wasn’t playing her best?

“Um, I mean, you try not to let those kind

of things go into your head. You try not to think about those things. I felt that I was hitting the ball well, and I kind of had a good game plan. I wanted to focus on that and not worry too much – focus on thinking she wasn’t playing well and then kind of just myself just taking it a little more easily.

I was really just trying to stay focused.

The last two matches that I lost to her, I both won the first sets by playing really well. I just wanted to step it up in that second set.

Obviously that game at 3 1 in the second set where it was a longer game and was a very important game for me to win, because, yeah, I just didn’t give her that, you know, small chance to get back into the match.

That was obviously a big game, I think, just for me to just really finish it off there in that second set.”

You’re a very caring person. How hard is that to do?

“On court, it’s not hard. (Laughter.)”

Have you had time to think about your plans for the rest of the season in terms of your schedule?

“Um, no. To be honest, I haven’t yet.

Obviously I think for now Beijing is I think the only tournament that’s left. At the moment, I’m just excited to pack up my bags and go back to Belgium and spend some time with my family there.”

You mentioned the other surfaces.

What are your expectations of yourself for the other majors, and to what degree do those motivate you?

“I mean, they all motivate you in a different way, obviously. You know, tactic wise you always have to adjust a little bit to each and every single one of them.

But I think the one where I’ve felt I can

do better than I have is obviously at the Australian Open. Similar surface. They’ve gone away from I think the Rebound Ace in the last couple years. So I’ve always enjoyed playing there. That’s obviously a Grand Slam I want to do well. I want to do well in all of them, of course.

But, um, again, you have the two European Grand Slams, which, you know, obviously Wimbledon is the one where, you know, I’m close to because I have the

connection with my dad there because he enjoyed it there. I always want to do well there, as well.

year.”

The French Open, yeah, feels like playing in Belgium because we have so many Belgian people supporting us. We have the history of a lot of past Belgians who have won there. They all have a different impact on the way you feel and a positive impact, and I think that’s something I want to use when I go back there next

“I would like to. I will try everything that I can to be in the best shape possible to try and achieve what I’ve achieved here”

Do you expect to win one of those?

Such a wonderful delightful part of the Open last year was Jada on court just totally amazed. Everyone was really taken by the entire experience. It’s hard enough to parent under any circumstances, let alone in the public eye. My question is: Does she have any sense now that mom’s different, that she’s part of a different...

“No. I mean, to be honest, my dad was kind of in a similar situation, because he played soccer mostly in Belgium. But it was only I think until I got older, you know, when I was about eight or ten years old. You’re just so used to – this is our lifestyle, and you just become so used to it.

To her, I mean, yeah, there’s no difference. I mean, this is what her life is about. I mean, it will be, you know, a little different once she starts going to school. But I mean, no, I’m glad that way.

Because there were moments when I was younger that I didn’t like to have a famous parent.

So, you know, obviously I’ll try to protect her from that as much as possible.”

Does your place in tennis history matter to you? Do you care if you go down as an all time great?

“I mean, it’s not that I think about that, but maybe when I’m older and retired, I’m sure it will be nice.

But it’s not that that’s something that I’m trying to achieve once I’m out on court.

No, I don’t think about that.”

You were talking the other day, and

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you made a comment about Ana Ivanovic had come up, and you said when you were not playing that you kept in touch with her. I spoke to her afterwards, and she said you were so great, that you texted her and gave her advice. And hearing you tonight with Vera, it seems to me very clear that you take great interest in a lot of the young players. I mean, do you feel in a way like you want to mentor them? How do you kind of work that out then you have to go up and compete against them?

“Um, yeah, Ana especially I’ve been very close to over the last few years, and she’s been one of the players who, you know, has shown interest just outside of tennis. I think that’s something I also like about her. She’s a really sweet girl.

You know, I mean, it’s been, you know, frustrating, you know, the way that she’s been playing. She’s been playing better these last few months.

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In a way, I mean, if I can give her some advice, you know, because she’s spoken to me, I’m more than happy to help. I remember when I was younger, playing my first Grand Slam and playing Steffi Graf, just her, you know, giving you some advice, it just means so much coming from, you know, somebody that you look up to so much.

situations.

I mean, I try to help anybody, but obviously when I play against them I just try to be better on the day. As soon as we step off court, you know, I’ll still try and support them and help them if they need it.”

You know, they will probably learn more from that than just the positive things.”

So you feel a desire to kind of help work with the younger players in general, or is it maybe something...

“Yeah. No, I do liken that way obviously, because I think with the experiences, obviously that’s something that you can’t teach somebody, or a coach can’t teach you that unless you’ve been in those

So I think it’s nice to once in a while hear from another player that they’ve been through struggles, the same that the player might be going through. It doesn’t just have to be the positive things, that you can also share some negative things that have happened in your career.

It seemed like against Stosur you struggled. It was a mental battle and you pulled through. Same thing with Venus. You didn’t quite find your level, but at the end you win the mental battle. Today you go out there and you’re thinking, I’m really due to play well now. It’s all going to come together for me.

“I mean, for me the difference, um, you know, Stosur, Venus, and then today was that gradually every match I felt better. I

think that was something that just to me just a personal improvement that I was just really trying to aim for throughout these, you know, whole two weeks, and finally last night, as well.

I just felt even in long matches I felt I was hitting the ball well, I was seeing the ball better, I started serving better.

That was just so comforting knowing that I was playing my best or better when I had to.

Obviously, you know, against Venus the tiebreaker, I didn’t have to really, you know, play much or, you know, bring out my best because she was making more unforced errors. I was able to raise my level even in the third set.

And then today kind of just went on from that third set since last night. I was just able to just stay very focused, consistent, kind of use the weather conditions a little bit to take that as an advantage.

But, yeah, no, obviously, like I said before, I mean, it’s – to me, probably what I’m most happy with is that I was able to raise my level at the most important times in the tournament.”

Stosur, can you talk about what she does well and where you see improvement for her?

“I think Samantha, where I see the big difference is obviously, you know, we all know she has a great serve and a great forehand, but physically I think she’s always been a fit player. She’s I think movement wise she’s become a lot better. I think movement wise she definitely had a little bit of a I mean, if you have to pick one of her weakest parts of her game, I think movement wise was something where she could definitely still improve a lot, and she has done.

I think, you know, when I play against her I always just try to, obviously if you have a chance, open up the court into the forehand and just really try and put pressure on that backhand. Because that’s a shot that, if you can put pressure on her, she can’t really use that slice too much.

Yeah, if you can just make her, you know, get a lot of balls back. Obviously that’s something that, again, experience helps.

You know, obviously she’s made the Grand Slam final at the French Open, but experience wise, I think I have a little bit more of an advantage than she has.

That was definitely something I was falling back on when I was playing against her, as well.”

A little off topic. You know something about streaks. What do you think of Esther Vergeer’s streak?

“I think it’s amazing. We were actually talking in the gym a few days ago and just talking back about when we played in Tarbes, which was under 12 or under 14 tournament and she was there, you know, competing.

We started talking, and we kind of met for the first time there, I think.

It’s just amazing to see the run she’s had. Talking about me, I mean, I’m nothing compared to the run that she’s had, which is very impressive, just how professional she takes it.”

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Records Playing in Most Singles Finals

Most Singles Finals, Successive

Men:

Men:

10 - Bill Tilden, 1918-25, ‘27, ‘29 9 - Bill Larned 8 - Bill Johnston, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras 7 - Richard Sears, Jimmy Connors 6 - Andre Agassi 5 - Roger Federer, Maurice McLoughlin, John McEnroe

8 - Bill Tilden, 1918-25; Ivan Lendl, 1982-89 7 - Richard Sears, 1881-87 5 - Roger Federer, 2004-08; Jimmy Connors, 197478; Maurice McLoughlin, 1911-15; Robert Wrenn, 1893-97 4 - Bill Johnston, 1922-25; Bill Larned, 1900-03; Henry Slocum, 1887-90 3 - John McEnroe, 1979-81; Pete Sampras, 20002002

Women:

10 - Molla B. Mallory, 1915-18, ‘20-24, ‘26 9 - Helen Wills Moody, Chris Evert 8 - Elisabeth Moore, Helen H. Jacobs, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf 6 - Pauline Betz, A. Louise Brough, Doris Hart, Margaret Smith Court

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Women:

6 - Chris Evert, 1975-80; Pauline Betz, 1941-46 5 - Elisabeth Moore, 1901-05; Molla B. Mallory, 1920-24; Helen H. Jacobs, 1932-36; Martina Navratilova, 1983-87 4 - Juliette Atkinson, 1895-98; Molla Bjurstedt,

1915-18; Margaret Osborne, 1947-50; Doris Hart, 1952-55; Evonne Goolagong, 1973-76; Steffi Graf, 1993-1996

Women:

Most Singles Finals Never Losing

Men:

3 - Helen H. Jacobs (to Alice Marble), 1936, ‘39-40

Most Years in Semifinals, Successive 12 - Jimmy Connors, 1974-85

Men:

7 - Richard Sears, 1881-87 Women:

Women:

16 - Chris Evert, 1971-86

4 - Alice Marble, 1936, ‘38-40

Most Tournaments Played, Career

Most Singles Finals Without a Victory

Men:

Men:

4 - Bjorn Borg, 1976, ‘78, ‘80-81 Women:

4 - Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 1973-76

Most Losses in Singles Finals

28 - Vic Seixas, 1940-42, ‘44, ‘46-69 26 - Sidney B. Wood Jr., 1927-28, ‘30-49, ‘51-54, ‘56 23 - Nathaniel W. Niles, 1904-26; Watson Washburn, 1910-17, ‘20-24, ‘26-30, ‘33-37; Francis X. Shields, 1926-35, ‘38-41, ‘45, ‘47-54; Wallace F. Johnson, 1904-16, ‘19- 28 22 - Jimmy Connors, 1970-89, ‘91-92 21 - Andre Agassi, 1986-2006

Men:

6 - Bill Johnston, 1916, ‘20, ‘22-25 5 - Ivan Lendl 4 - Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi 3 - Bill Tilden, Maurice McLoughlin, Beals Wright, Fred Hovey, Pete Sampras Women:

5 - A. Louise Brough, 1942-43, ‘48, ‘54, ‘57 4 - Elisabeth Moore, Helen H. Jacobs, Doris Hart, Evonne Goolagong Cawley (successive), Martina Navratilova 3 - Chris Evert, Steffi Graf

Most Finals Losses to Same Opponent Men:

5 - Bill Johnston (to Bill Tilden), 1920, ‘22-25

Women:

21 - Martina Navratilova, 1973-93 20 - Virginia Wade, 1964-70, ‘72-84; Marjorie Gladman (Van Ryn) Buck, 1927-37, ‘42- 43, ‘45, ‘47-52, ‘55 19 - Louise Brough Clapp, 1939-50, ‘52-57, ‘59; Nancy Richey Gunter, 1958-60, ‘62-67, ‘69-78; Chris Evert, 1971-89

Most Tournaments Played, Successive Men:

24 - Vic Seixas 1946-69 23 - Nathaniel Niles 1904-26 21 - Andre Agassi 1986-2006 20 - Jimmy Connors 1970-89 19 - Eugene Scott 1957-75 17 - Bill Talbert 1938-54; Dick Stockton 1968-84 TennisWorld

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Records Women:

21 - Martina Navratilova, 1973-93 19 - Chris Evert, 1971-89 18 - Pam Teeguarden, 1967-84 17 - Kay Winthrop McKean, 1931-47

Most Matches Played, Career Men:

115 - Jimmy Connors, 1970-89, ‘91-92 102 - Vic Seixas, 1940-69 98 - Andre Agassi, 1986 - 2006 89 - R. Norris Williams, 1912-35 86 - Ivan Lendl, 1979-94 78 - Bill Tilden, 1916-30 Women:

113 - Chris Evert, 1971-89 106 - Martina Navratilova, 1973-93 82 - Steffi Graf, 1984-96, ‘98 73 - Helen H. Jacobs, 1927-41; A. Louise Brough, 1941-57; Doris Hart, 1940-55 72 - Molla B. Mallory, 1915-29; Billie Jean King, 1960-79, ‘82

Highest Percentage of Matches Won, Career

.962 - Helen Wills Moody, 1922-33 (50-2) .903 - Molla B. Mallory, 1915-29 (65-7) .895 - Margaret Smith Court, 1961-75 (51-6) .894 - Chris Evert, 1971-89 (101-12) .890 - Steffi Graf, 1984-96, ‘98 (73-9) .875 - Venus Williams, 1997-2006 (42-6) .870 - Maria Bueno, 1958-60, ‘62-66, ‘68, ‘76-77 (47-7) .860 - Martina Hingis 1995-2001, (37-6) .845 - Monica Seles 1989-92, ‘95-2001 (49-9) .840 - Martina Navratilova, 1973-93 (89-17) .800 - Lindsay Davenport 1991-2006 (60-15)

Most Matches Won, Career Men:

98 - Jimmy Connors, 1970-89, ‘91-92 79 - Andre Agassi 1986-2006 75 - Vic Seixas, 1940-69 73 - Ivan Lendl, 1979-94; Bill Tilden, 1916-30 71 - Pete Sampras, 1988-2002 69 - R. Norris Williams, 1912-35 65 - John McEnroe, 1977-92 58 - Bill Johnston, 1914-27 56 - Ken Rosewall, 1952-56, ‘68-77 53 - Arthur Ashe, 1959-78 51 - Roy Emerson, 1959-72 Women:

Men:

(Min. 50 matches played) .910 - Bill Tilden, 1916-30 (71-7) .887 - Pete Sampras 1988-2002 (71-9) .853 - Bill Johnston, 1914-27 (58-10) .852 - Jimmy Connors, 1970-89, ‘91-92 (98-17) .849 - Ivan Lendl, 1979-94 (73-13) .844 - John McEnroe, 1977-92 (65-12) Women:

(Min. 40 matches played)

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101 - Chris Evert, 1971-89 89 - Martina Navratilova, 1973-93 73 - Steffi Graf, 1984-96, ‘98 65 - Molla B. Mallory, 1915-29 63 - Helen H. Jacobs, 1927-41 60 - Lindsay Davenport 1991-200606 58 - Billie Jean King, 1960-79, ‘82 57 - A. Louise Brough, 1941-57 56 - Doris Hart, 1940-55; Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 1987-2001 55 - Margaret O. duPont, 1936-50, ‘53-58

51 - Margaret Smith Court, 1961-75; Gabriela Sabatini, 1984-96 50 - Helen Wills Moody, 1922-33

19 - Steffi Graf, 1988-90

Most Matches Won, Successive

Men:

Men:

28 - Frank Sedgman, 1951-52 27 - Tony Trabert, 1953-54

42 - Bill Tilden, 1920-26 34 – Roger Federer, 2004-08 27 - Ivan Lendl, 1985-88 26 - John McEnroe, 1979-82 20 - Maurice McLoughlin, 1912-14 18 - Richard Sears, 1881-87; Fred Perry 1933-35 *active; does not include one walkover

Most Sets Won, Successive

Women:

54 - Helen Wills Moody, 1927-33 46 - Chris Evert Lloyd, 1975-79

Greatest Number of Years Between First and Last Singles Titles

Women:

Men:

46 - Helen Wills Moody, 1927-33 31 - Chris Evert Lloyd, 1975-79 28 - Helen H. Jacobs, 1932-36 20 - Margaret O. duPont, 1948-50, ‘53; Martina Navratilova, 1983-85; Venus Williams, 2000-2002

14 - Ken Rosewall (first title - 1956, last - 1970) Women:

11 - Molla B. Mallory (first title - 1915, last - 1926)

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