Australian Tennis Magazine - October/November 2024
OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS
EBDEN & PEERS
US OPEN 2024
STEELY SINNER
UNSTOPPABLE
SABALENKA
26 STEELY SINNER
Jannik Sinner produced a dominant performance at the US Open to capture his second major title and reaffirm his status as the world’s best player.
FEATURES
18 STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
As Grand Slam nations Australia, the US and France experience impressive resurgences, Italy is cementing its place as the sport’s newest powerhouse nation.
31 AUSSIES REWRITE HISTORY
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson became the first all-Australian team in 28 years to win a US Open men’s doubles title.
32 RECORD-BREAKING AUSSIES
21 SABALENKA ROARS TO VICTORY
A strong contingent of Australian players accomplished extraordinary feats at US Open 2024, setting an array of collective and individual records in the process.
Imhoff
Aryna Sabalenka claimed her third major title, and second of the season, with a dominant run at the US Open.
Distributed by Ovato
Printed in Australia by Ive
The views expressed in Australian Tennis Magazine are not necessarily those held by Tennis Australia. While the utmost care is taken in compiling the information contained in this publication, Tennis Australia is not responsible for any loss or injury occurring as a result of any omissions in either the editorial or advertising appearing herein.
45 CITIZENS OF
Already a sport with strong global reach, tennis is populated by pros with connections to multiple countries and cultures.
50 LEGENDARY HIGHS
Spirits soared as Team Europe denied Team World a threepeat and lifted the Laver Cup for a fi fth time in Berlin.
62 DEEPER MEANING
After abandoning his career as a pro player for a period, Li Tu discovered greater perspective in his return to the sport. 66 CULTURE
More than 180 First Nations participants celebrated identity and community at the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival in Darwin.
34
OLYMPIC DREAMS FULFILLED
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games proved rich in incredible storylines, including Australia winning a first gold medal in 28 years.
14 A MASTERFUL ARRIVAL
Alexei Popyrin underlined his place in the game’s upper echelon as he set new career highs in the North American summer.
POWERFUL
connections
While tennis has long been admired as a uniquely individual endeavour, the many connections fostered through the sport are arguably even more profound.
From doubles duos to player-coach partnerships and the vast networks that help developing players maximise their abilities, teamwork exists at every level of the game.
And how that quality has shone for Australian players in a glorious few months on tour.
The Paris 2024 Olympics proved the perfect example, with the nine-member Australian tennis team –including childhood friends, as well as Davis and Billie Jean King Cup colleagues – inspired by the broader spirit among Australian athletes.
“Everyone’s always watching each other, always supporting each other,” noted a proud John Peers. “Someone comes back to the village with a medal, everyone’s there cheering as soon as they’re there.
“It’s a really tight-knit group and I know Australia’s had an unbelievable history in the Olympics and in sport as a whole. We’re a proud sporting nation.”
And it was fittingly in a team event that Peers and Matt Ebden – both good friends and Perth neighbours – added to the nation’s tally of 18 gold medals with victory in the men’s doubles final. “Some miracle work has happened and somehow we’ve now got a gold medal for our streets,” Ebden beamed.
The positives flowed into a stunning North American summer for increasingly accomplished Australian players.
Alexei Popyrin noted the positive influence of his team captain, Lleyton Hewitt, as he
claimed his biggest career title at the Montreal Masters.
“Lleyton was actually with me at the Olympics last week and he helped me so much in the Olympics and has helped me so much throughout my career,” noted Popyrin, who built on momentum with a career-best Grand Slam performance at the US Open, where he upset defending champion Novak Djokovic to reach the fourth round.
Popyrin was far from the only Aussie to hit new career heights in New York. Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson combined to claim their first Grand Slam doubles title together, becoming the first all-Australian duo to lift a US Open trophy in almost 30 years.
The Sydneysiders were earlier among a 20-strong Australian contingent – 12 men and eight women – to contest the US Open singles draws.
Inevitably, some were drawn against each other. “I just really had to pretend I had no idea who he was,” Purcell reasoned after defeating friend and countryman Aleksandar Vukic.
Alex de Minaur acknowledged that Thompson was “like a big brother” after eliminating his countryman to reach the quarterfinals. “I really appreciate everything he’s done for me," said De Minaur. “He’s a hell of a competitor, my Davis Cup teammate and I can’t wait to share the court many, many times with him.”
It highlighted the spirit of camaraderie driving a prosperous era for Australian tennis. And amid all the admirable qualities borne from individual competition, the biggest might be in the friendships formed.
Vivienne Christie editor@tennismag.com.au
“Everyone’s always watching each other, supporting each other … it’s a tight-knit group.”
JOHN PEERS
Adam Hills, Minister for Every Body Tennis is for every age, stage, identity and ability. So c’mon everybody, let’s have a hit! ”
SHOWERED IN GLORY: Alexei Popyrin holds the Montreal Masters trophy; (opposite) before beating Novak Djokovic at the US Open.
ALEXEI POPYRIN
A Masterful Arrival
A coming-of-age week in Montreal and a first triumph over Novak Djokovic in New York has Alexei Popyrin’s star on the rise. VIVIENNE
CHRISTIE reports
Alexei Popyrin was fully prepared when confetti rained down on him as rst-time ATP Masters 1000 champion in Montreal, where wins over a series of higherranked opponents elevated him to a stunning new level in the sport.
“They told me that was going to happen,” the smiling Australian said soon a er the on-court celebrations that accompanied his nal win over No.5 seed Andrey Rublev had concluded.
The 25-year-old was caught by surprise, however, when team members showered him with champagne as he walked off the court. “This is a good hoodie too!” he laughed.
Not that Popyrin minded the spirited antics from a team that helped guide him to the biggest breakthrough of his career on the hard courts of Canada in August. Nor would celebrations for repeat performances of that calibre come as a shock.
A er the most successful week of his career so far, the 62ndranked Popyrin had beaten three top-10 opponents – and a total ve in the world’s top 20 – to become Australia’s rst champion at that level since former No.1 Lleyton Hewitt won Indian Wells in 2003.
“I don’t think me beating one top-10 player is something new,” said Popyrin a winner over Tomas Machac (world No.39), Ben Shelton (No.14), Grigor Dimitrov (No.10), Hubert Hurkacz (No.6), Sebastian Korda (No.18) and Rublev (No.8) in Montreal.
“You know, I’ve been able to do it in the past a few times, but for me, the biggest thing that I keep saying a er that tournament is beating three of those top-10 players and ve top-20 players all in one week.
“That kind of consistency, it doesn’t come easy … and that was kind of the rst week where I was able to put a string of six matches against high-quality opponents and beat them ... that’s the thing that builds the most con dence.”
The newfound selfbelief showed as Popyrin constructed a career-best Grand Slam campaign at Flushing Meadows. Having dropped just 16 games in total in earlyround progressions over Soonwoo Kwon and Pedro Martinez, the Australian faced
Novak Djokovic in a third major meeting this season. Where he’d been able to push the superstar Serbian to four sets at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Popryin had the measure of the four-time and defending champion at the US Open, securing a 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 victory in just under three-anda-half hours.
“Third time lucky I guess,” beamed Popyrin, having nally progressed past the third round of a Slam for the rst time in 23 campaigns.
“Honestly, we had some battles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. I had my chances in those matches, but didn’t take them. This match was a little di erent. I was able to take my chances when I had them and played some good tennis.
“It’s unbelievable because I’ve been in the third round about 15 times in my career, but I haven’t been able to get past to the fourth round. To be able to do it against the greatest of all time to get into the fourth round is unbelievable. It’s a great feeling and the hard work has paid off.”
Registering 50 winners against the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Popyrin showcased the
ROARS SABALENKA TO VICTORY
Aryna Sabalenka claimed her third major title, and second of the season, with a dominant run at the US Open. By
DAN IMHOFF
Bfootage from the player warm-up area of Aryna Sabalenka’s pre-match signature
superstition gained traction with each passing round of her successful Australian Open title defence at Melbourne Park in January.
title
What started as a good-humoured lucky charm, in which she scribbled her name on fitness coach Jason Stacy’s bald scalp, quickly became a recurring ritual.
a recurring ritual.
seven
At Flushing Meadows seven months later, the hard-court queen – always one to fuel humour within her camp – was at it again, though this time all the world No.2 had to do was reach the US Open women’s final to uphold her end of the superstition bargain.
who was spotted in the player box match against Jessica Pegula with
The rest was up to Australian Stacy, who was spotted in the player box at Arthur Ashe Stadium for her title match against Jessica Pegula with a giant tattoo of a tiger on his head, a nod to the mascot Sabalenka had long ago inked on her forearm.
“It’s permanent,” Sabalenka
“It’s permanent,” Sabalenka joked about Stacy’s new look after she denied Pegula 7-5 7-5 for her
third Grand Slam title and second
this season.
comes up with some cool stuff
“No, but honestly, I forgot about that, but I think in Washington there is one girl, she's my fan, she's supporting me, and she always comes up with some cool stuff related to my name.
lower, would be cooler, right?”
“She brought these temporary tattoos, and Jason promised me that if I make it to the nals he's going to make it, he's going to put it on his forehead. I wish it would be a little bit lower, would be cooler, right?”
that has helped the 26-year-old transform into the most consistent
Open double in the same year.
Stacy has been an integral part of the Sabalenka team, which also includes coach Anton Dubrov and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski, that has helped the 26-year-old transform into the most consistent Grand Slam performer and the rst woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to claim the Australian and US Open double in the same year.
Combining strength
Jannik Sinner produced an incredible performance at the US Open to capture his second major title and reaffirm his status as the world’s best player. LEIGH
ROGERS reports
STEELY SINNER
This year’s Grand Slam season ended just as it had begun for Jannik Sinner, beating all challengers before him to hold aloft the trophy.
Yet the 23-year-old’s triumph at US Open 2024 was, without doubt, achieved under much greater scrutiny and pressure than his Australian Open breakthrough.
“I believe that you can’t really compare them, because it’s different circumstances,”
Sinner was quick to point out.
“In Melbourne [it] was a kind of relief, you know, because in my mind I was working for it and you never know if you can win one Grand Slam or not … This was different because I had more pressure this time than in Australia, [so] I'm happy how I handled this.”
Sinner lived up to his top-seed billing to become the first Italian in history to win a US Open men’s singles crown.
“[It’s an] amazing feeling,” Sinner beamed after securing the title with a commanding 6-3 6-4 7-5 victory against American Taylor Fritz in the final. “I’m just excited to have this trophy with me.”
He dedicated the victory to his sick aunt, who he described as “a very important person in my life”.
“She struggles with health at the moment. You can’t really do anything, so it’s a tough moment
not only for me, [but] for our family,” Sinner explained. “I tried to bring something positive home and tried to give her a little bit of strength. I don’t know how much it can help, but I just try my best.”
This challenging situation has helped Sinner gain a biggerpicture perspective, which arguably has taken his tennis and mental resolve to even greater heights.
“[In] sport, things can happen unfortunately, but the real life is something different,” Sinner noted. “We travel a lot, so it’s difficult to spend time with the people who you really love … It is a really difficult moment but, you know, [you] just also have to accept that not everything is perfect”.
EMBRACING IMPERFECTION
The ability to accept difficult times, both on and off the court, then calmly navigate through them proved pivotal to Sinner’s US Open victory.
Arriving in New York as the newly crowned Cincinnati champion and competing at the US Open as the No.1 seed for the first time, there was no escaping the spotlight for the softly spoken star.
This was dramatically amplified when news broke in the lead-up to the tournament that he had failed two drug tests in March.
He has been cleared
of any wrongdoing by an independent tribunal, following an investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. However, the fact he was able to continue competing throughout this process and the investigation was kept quiet proved controversial and sparked divisive debates.
“Of course it’s not ideal before a Grand Slam. But, you know, in my mind I know that I haven’t done anything wrong,” Sinner said.
Yet he acknowledged maintaining his composure and focus throughout the tournament proved “difficult”.
“It was not easy, that’s for sure,” he said. “I tried to stay focused, which I guess I’ve done a great job mentally staying there every point I play. I felt like that I have grown, you know, match by match and that my confidence level went higher and higher.”
HISTORIC WIN
Sinner did not drop another set for the tournament, scoring convincing victories against Jack Draper and first-time finalist Fritz to clinch the crown.
With this effort, he became only the third man in the Open era, and first in 47 years, to win his first two Grand Slam singles titles in the same season.
Sinner also joined exclusive company as the fourth, and youngest, man in history to win both hard-court Grand Slam titles in a season. Mats Wilander, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the only others to achieve this feat.
SECOND MAJOR:
Jannik Sinner hoists the US Open 2024 trophy, bookending his major season with another stellar run.
Sinner also had to navigate past tricky opponents on-court, with his biggest test coming in the quarterfinals against world No.5 Daniil Medvedev.
It was their third Grand Slam meeting this season and after splitting their previous matches, Sinner was “very happy” to score a four-set victory.
“Happy how I handled the situation. It’s very tough against him,” Sinner acknowledged. “I think it was a great match from both sides.”
“It’s been incredible, no?” said Sinner after improving his 2024 hard-court record to 35 wins from 37 matches.
“So many big wins for me this season.
Starting off in Australia and playing so well there, which then gave me confidence. But the work never stops. I know that I still can improve.”
That’s a scary proposition for Sinner’s opponents, considering he now holds a lead of more than 4000 points over his nearest rival atop the ATP Tour rankings.
AMERICAN DREAMS
The 26-year-old Fritz enjoyed a record-making run of his own in New York, becoming the firstAmerican man to advance to a US Open final since Andy Roddick in 2006.
RECORD-BREAKING AUSSIES
A strong contingent of Australian players accomplished extraordinary feats at US Open 2024, setting an array of collective and individual records in the process.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
IMPRESSIVE DEPTH
38 PLAYERS
A total of 38 Australian players competed across all events at US Open 2024.
45 YEARS
Twelve Australians contested the men’s singles competition, the most to feature in a US Open draw since 1979.
35 YEARS
Eight Australians contested the women’s singles competition, the most to feature in a US Open draw since 1989.
48 YEARS
31 YEARS
Eight Australians scored first-round victories in the men’s singles competition, the most since 1976.
27 YEARS
Four Australians (Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell) progressed to the third round in the men’s singles competition, the most to reach this stage since 1997.
A fourth-round showdown between Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson was the first all-Australian meeting at this stage of a US Open men’s singles draw since 1993 and just the second time it had happened in the Open era.
26 YEARS
The last time two Australians met in a Grand Slam fourth-round men’s singles match had been Wimbledon 1998.
36 YEARS
FIVE SLAMS
Thompson) advanced to
Three Australians (Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson) advanced to the men’s singles fourth round. This was the most to reach this stage at the US Open since 1988.
For the fi fth consecutive Grand Slam, two Australians (Max Purcell and Aleksandar Vukic) met in the opening round of the men’s singles competition.
AUSSIE MEN: Chris O’Connell, Alexei Popyrin, Tristan Schoolkate and Jordan Thompson made career-best US Open runs
FEARLESS LEADER:
Alex de Minaur advance to his second US Open quarterfinal.
LEADING THE WAY
19 YEARS
As the No.10 seed, Alex de Minaur was the highest-seeded Australian in a US Open men’s singles draw since 2005.
19 YEARS
Alex de Minaur became the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004-05 to contest three consecutive Grand Slam singles quarterfinals.
20 YEARS
Alex de Minaur became the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to progress to the fourth round at all four Grand Slams in a season.
DOUBLES DOMINATION
21 YEARS
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson became the first Australians to win a US Open men’s doubles title since Todd Woodbridge’s 2003 victory with Swede Jonas Bjorkman.
28 YEARS
An all-Australian team won the US Open men’s doubles title for the first time since the Woodies (Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde) triumphed in 1996.
THREE TEAMS
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson eliminated three seeded teams in their title-winning run in the men’s doubles competition, including co-ranked world No.1s Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
FOUR PLAYERS
Four Australians reached the quarterfinal stage – Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson (men’s doubles), Matt Ebden (mixed doubles) and Ellen Perez (women’s doubles and mixed doubles).
MAJOR MILESTONE:
Kimberly Birrell
qualified at a Grand Slam for the first time.
MAJOR UPSETS
18 YEARS
Alexei Popyrin became the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt (US Open 2006) to defeat Novak Djokovic at a Grand Slam.
TWO PLAYERS
Two Australians (Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson) defeated top-10 opponents in the men’s singles competition.
FOUR PLAYERS
Four Australians (Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Chris O’Connell and Thanasi Kokkinakis) eliminated seeded opponents in the men’s singles competition.
SECOND WIN
Thanasi Kokkinakis scored his second career top-20 win at a Grand Slam, and first since Australian Open 2015, with his first-round upset of world No.11 Stefanos Tsitsipas.
FIRST WIN
Jordan Thompson recorded his first top-10 singles win at Grand Slam level, beating world No.7 Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.
QUALIFYING SUCCESS
SIX PLAYERS
Six Australians (Arina Rodionova, Maya Joint, Kimberly Birrell, Destanee Aiava, Priscilla Hon and Li Tu) won three qualifying rounds to earn coveted main-draw spots.
FIVE PLAYERS
Five Australians (Li Tu, Maya Joint, Kimberly Birrell, Destanee Aiava and Priscilla Hon) completed successful qualifying campaigns for the first time in their Grand Slam careers.
FIVE WOMEN
For the first time in tournament history, fi ve Australian women (Arina Rodionova, Maya Joint, Kimberly Birrell, Destanee Aiava and Priscilla Hon) qualified at the US Open. The previous record was two.
11 YEARS
The last time Australian players qualified in both the US Open men’s and women’s singles events was 2013.
RISING STARS
TWO PLAYERS
The 18-year-old Maya Joint and 23-year-old Tristan Schoolkate made memorable Grand Slam main-draw singles debuts, beating higher-ranked opponents to score their first wins at this level.
FOUR PLAYERS
Emerson Jones became only the fourth Australian to progress to the third round in a US Open girls’ singles draw in the past 20 years.
TWO JUNIORS
ONE CHAMPION
Benjamin Wenzel (pictured below) became the first Australian junior wheelchair player to capture a Grand Slam title. The 17-year-old from Cairns triumphed in the boys’ doubles event with Ivar van Rijt of the Netherlands.
Two Australians –15-year-old Jin Woodman and 18-year-old Isla Gillespie made their Grand Slam debut in the junior wheelchair events.
GIANT SLAYER: Thanasi Kokkinakis scored his biggest Grand Slam win.
OLYMPIC DREAMS fulfilled
The Paris 2024 Games proved rich in incredible storylines, including Australia winning a first gold medal in 28 years. LEIGH ROGERS reports
Novak
Djokovic etched his name further into history as the world’s best players returned to Roland Garros for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The indomitable Serbian claimed a long-coveted gold medal, triumphing against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in a highquality men’s singles nal.
This completed a career Golden Slam and saw Djokovic join the esteemed company of Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal as the only men in history to achieve this feat in singles.
“I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, my everything on the line to win Olympic gold at age 37. I nally did it,” an emotional Djokovic declared.
Elevated into the topseed position following the withdrawal of world No.1 Jannik Sinner with illness, Djokovic swept through the draw without conceding a set. This included a second-round victory against Nadal, a record 60th meeting in their longstanding rivalry.
Yet it was Djokovic’s 7-6(3) 7-6(2) triumph against Alcaraz in the gold medal match which proved the most impressive. Weeks earlier, Alcaraz had dismissed Djokovic with ease
in the Wimbledon final.
“When I take everything in consideration, this probably is the biggest sporting success I’ve ever had in my career,” Djokovic said of his achievement.
“This kind of supersedes everything that I imagined, hoped, that I could experience and that I could feel.”
QINWEN CROWNED
Zheng Qinwen created her own history, becoming the first Chinese player to win an Olympic gold medal in singles.
“I just made history,” the excited 21-year-old declared after beating Donna Vekic 6-2 6-3 in the final of an event she hailed the pinnacle of the sport. “You can see the strength, the hunger in my eyes was different than other tournaments that I play.”
The sixth-seeded Zheng had earlier saved a match point to defeat American Emma Navarro in a tense third-round battle.
Vekic, who upset world No.2 Coco Gau in her march into the nal, described winning an Olympic medal as her “lifelong dream”.
"Of course, I’m a little disappointed because I wanted gold, but I’m still so happy and so proud,” the 28-year-old said a er becoming the rst Croatian female tennis player in history to stand on the Olympic dais.
SWIATEK SHOCKED
Iga Swiatek entered the Olympics as the overwhelming gold medal favourite in the women’s singles competition.
However, the world No.1’s astonishing 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros ended in a shock semi nal loss to Zheng.
“It means a lot for me because I lost against her six times,” Zheng said a er her 6-3 7-5 victory. “Now I beat her in the Olympic Games, one of the most important tournaments for me,”
A disappointed Swiatek, whose father had represented Poland at the 1988 Olympics in rowing, bounced back to meet another surprise packet, Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, in the bronze medal play-o .
Yet Swiatek admitted to feeling “mixed emotions” a er claiming Poland’s rst Olympic medal in the sport.
“[The semi nal] one of the toughest losses I probably ever had in my career,” the bronze medallist said. “It was like somebody really broke my heart.”
ITALIAN HIGHS
Italy enhanced its growing reputation as the sport’s newest powerhouse, with Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini combining to win the nation’s rst tennis gold medal. Their victory in the women’s doubles event also completed a career Golden Slam for Errani.
“It’s a dream come true,” said the 37-yearold, who earned a rst medal in her h Olympic
appearance. “The Olympics was always so special for me.”
Countryman Lorenzo Musetti featured on the Olympic dais as well, securing a bronze medal in men’s singles. The 22-year-old defeated defending champion and world No.4, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, in the quarter nals.
“I’ve been eating plain pasta and chicken for three months basically, so I think eating a pizza is the least I can do,” said an elated Musetti said when asked how he planned to celebrate.
LEGENDS RETIRE
Former world No.1s Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber chose the Olympics as the perfect setting to end their storied careers.
Although a back injury prevented Murray from competing in singles one last time, the 37-year-old enjoyed success alongside Dan Evans in the men’s doubles event.
The British duo sensationally saved multiple match points ( ve in the rst round and two in the
second round) to advance to the quarter nals.
“It was obviously sad leaving the court for the last time,” Murray told Olympics.com. “But happy, too. You know, ultimately, I’m glad I got to nish my career on my own terms ... on the court in front of a brilliant crowd.”
An inspired Kerber charged into the women’s singles quarter nals, where it took eventual champion Zheng to stop her in a three-set thriller.
The 36-year-old German, who had defeated Naomi Osaka and Leylah Fernandez in earlier rounds, described her farewell as “really special”.
GOLDEN AUSSIES
Australian duo Matt Ebden and John Peers staged a remarkable comeback to claim a gold medal in the men’s doubles competition, recovering from a 6-7(6) 2-4 deficit against Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in the final.
“It was not looking good. We were losing for sure, but we kept believing, kept fighting, kept hanging strong,” Ebden said after completing a thrilling 6-7(6) 7-6(1) [10-8] victory. “Somehow, we’re gold medallists. It’s more than a dream.”
It led to emotional scenes at Court Philippe-Chatrier, as Ebden and Peers’ young children joined them on court to celebrate.
Ebden and Peers, who are both 36 and live in the same Perth suburb, join the illustrious Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who won gold in men’s doubles at Atlanta 1996, as Australia’s only Olympic champions in tennis.
DONNA VEKIC, ZHENG QINWEN AND IGA SWIATEK
SARA ERRANI AND JASMINE PAOLINI
JOHN PEERS AND MATT EBDEN
YOURGAME GAME
Boost your on-court performance
56
A TEAM EFFORT
Discover why collaboration is key for athletes to thrive on and off the court.
58 STARS' MAJOR MASTERCLASS
The world’s best players served up many valuable lessons at this year’s US Open.
60 BE THE PRO
With her mental resilience and classy style, Ajla Tomljanovic is a perfect role model.
62
TRAIN WITH ALEXEI POPYRIN
The in-form Australian Alexei Popyrin shares an insight into his practice routines.
ON THE RISE: Frances Tiafoe tallied 14 wins across the North American hard-court swing, including six against top-20 opponents. This helped the 26-year-old American advance to a first ATP Masters 1000 final at Cincinnati and reach a second career US Open semifinal.
