Australian Tennis Magazine - July 2011 by Tennis Australia

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JULY 2011 VOL 36 No. 7

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Worth the Wait

FEATURES

Turning Points Maintaining a place in the game’s upper echelons can be a perilous past-time but fortunes can turn in the most unexpected places.

Li Na became the poster girl for persistence and an inspiration for millions as China’s first Grand Slam champion.

Courting Camaraderie Even as they face off for the game’s biggest prizes, today’s top players are also forming lifelong friendships.

Paris … Rafa’s Place Roland Garros is Rafael Nadal’s place and he showed it with a sixth French Open title.

Stepping out of the Shadows Viktor Troicki is proving to be another Serbian player of star quality.

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

JULY 2011 REGULARS 7

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FROM THE EDITOR

y also the arrival of future stars, the hile Grand Slams can mark nch Fre 1 201 the h was the case at underline tennis history. Suc ia. a palpable sense of nostalg Open, which unfolded with nd Slam final erer, who hadn’t met in a Gra Rafael Nadal and Roger Fed ng climax after the revived their rivalry in a fitti since Australian Open 2009, semi-finals. While surging Novak Djokovic in the Federer of old stopped the d Federer set a ualling sixth title, a rejuvenate Nadal claimed a record-eq bledon return. stunning scene for his Wim year-old becoming rise to new heights, the 29And then there was Li Na’s l opponent, 2010 m a Grand Slam. Like her fina the first Chinese player to clai persevere to reach ne, the spirited Li has had to champion Francesca Schiavo her true potential. in Australian tennis, ience is similarly rewarded We can only hope such pat injured Lleyton Hewitt d some harsh realities. The as Roland Garros highlighte card recipient al, so the spotlight fell on wild was a last-minute withdraw Bernard Tomic. consider that future t round exit allowed time to The teenager’s prompt firs les players. Hewitt’s with no Australian male sing majors could well be played ed by an increasingly admirable but is compromis competitive drive remains . capable yet unpredictable battle-weary body; Tomic is Stosur’s earlier better news, even with Sam Australian women provide to Gisela Dulko, pite falling in the third round than expected Paris exit. Des e’s upper echelons king, her presence in the gam Stosur retains her top 10 ran men. of three other Australian wo bolstered by the presence lacqua’s Del ey grow following Cas That number seems likely to sky – a stunning s title with America Scott Lip breakthrough mixed double with injury. result given her long battle meantime, enjoy ian tennis next month. In the We’ll have more on Austral emerge and old dge that new champions can Wimbledon with the knowle xpected settings. ones return in the most une

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VIVIENNE CHRISTIE, Editor

EDITOR CONSULTING EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER ADVERTISING MANAGER ADMINISTRATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER MY COACH CONTENT PHOTOGRAPHS COVER PHOTO

Vivienne Christie Alan Trengove Daniela Toleski Andrea Williamson Jackie Cunningham Ben Carenco Karen Clydesdale, Mark Edney Getty Images, John Anthony (All photographs by Getty Images unless specified) Getty Images

Australian Tennis Magazine is published monthly by TENNIS AUSTRALIA LTD, Private Bag 6060, Richmond, Vic 3121. Ph: (03) 9914 4200 Email: editor@tennismag.com.au Distributed by Network Distribution Company Printed in Australia by Webstar 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.

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2011

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

Courting Camaraderie Even as they face off for the game’s biggest prizes, today’s top players are also forging lifelong friendships. Kristina Moore reports.

he heights may be giddy at the upper echelons of the professional tours, but it can also be a stark and solitary place. Or at least that’s true according to Maria Sharapova. “It’s tough to have really good friends on tour,” said the Russian as she progressed to her biggest clay court victory in Rome. “I fi nd it difficult to be having dinner with someone one night and then having to play them two days later because it is, at the end of the day, an individual sport and we are all very competitive. It’s typical in sport to try to beat each other. “As far as really close friends goes, I have my family who come with me on the road. I don’t hang around in the locker room – it’s my least favorite place in the world. I do my job at the site, I play matches, do what I have to do and live my world away from the site and don’t talk tennis all day. It’s not in my best interests.” Granted, there’s been the odd documented occasion of on-court competitive spirit escalating into off-court spats. But it only takes a quick review of the respect and camaraderie that exists on today’s tours to learn there are considerably more examples of players

has provided a dimension to his playing life that’s actually enhanced it. “I have a lot of friends on the tour,” Nadal recently explained. “A lot of Spanish players in the top 100 and Argentineans too and that makes it less difficult to be outside of home (for) a long time.” His most famous friendships, though, are with some of his biggest rivals. While spectators have marvelled at the evident respect in the high-stakes encounters between Nadal and Roger Federer, it was the YouTube footage of the pair collapsing into giggles as they fi lmed a promotion for a charity event that highlighted the depth of their friendship. Nadal is quick to point out that developing such strong relationships is not only to each player’s personal gain, but also to the game in general. “We love competition but we understand outside competition (there) is the relationship outside the court,” he explained earlier this year. “It doesn’t affect our performance on court. That’s the most important thing. “At the end we have a good connection together, and that’s why we are always open to do exhibitions or events for our foundation or anything together I think,

“On the court of course we want to win and we have the rivalry, but once we’re off the court – CAROLINE WOZNIACKI we’re good friends again.” putting their professional rivalries aside to establish firm friendships within the game. If she thinks that life as a tennis star needs to be a lonely one, Sharapova could well be, well … alone. Rafael Nadal provides the perfect example, his tendency for developing fi rm friendships with the men challenging for his Grand Slam titles barely impacting on his stunning career. If anything, mateship

Roger, for sure he’s a good person but at the same time he’s a good friend of mine … our relationship is getting closer and closer all the time.” That conviviality extends to other players too, Nadal also forming an offcourt friendship with Novak Djokovic as their on-court rivalry intensifies. In the past year, the world’s top two men have been photographed in various off-court

settings, teamed up for doubles, played charity exhibitions and even travelled together to tournaments. In some cases, those affable professional relationships are extensions of friendships players developed as juniors. As they prepared to face off in the biggest match of their professional career, Djokovic and Andy Murray, for example, spoke fondly of the bond that began as teenagers. “We both went quite different routes. I played him the fi rst time I think when I was 13 ... You know, it’s not like you speak that often to the foreign players and stuff. There’s normally a pretty big sort of language barrier,” Murray explained. Still, with just a one-month difference in age and a similar rate of on-court progress, the then-teenagers were both striving to reach the same goals and Djokovic laughingly recalled how they found a way to communicate. “I (learned English) in school, so already I knew some basic things. Back then we were speaking kind of more with signs, you know, hands and legs and stuff,” the Serbian joked. An individual standout … Maria Sharapova saves her socialising for family and friends.

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | July 2011

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s relationship transcends their title counts.

“He was using more of a Scottish accent, so he was really hard to understand.” A decade or so later, there’s a fond sense of synchronicity when they meet on the game’s biggest stages. “You know, we practice a lot together. We get on well together,” said Murray in Melbourne. “We’re good friends, so in terms of a rivalry I think this will be the start – well I hope it’s the start of us playing each other in big matches.” Similar camaraderie exists on the women’s tour. Caroline Wozniacki has holidayed with 13th-ranked tour-mate Agnieszka Radwanska and her younger sister Urszula, and now happily plays out her BFF status with Victoria Azarenka and other players through social networking sites. “It’s nice to have some good friendships on the tour,” the world No. 1 commented

Nadal and Roger Federer enjoy one of the game’s greatest rivalries … and closest friendships.

Mates before majors … Djokovic and Andy Murray formed a bond as teenagers.

earlier this year. “On the court of course we want to win and we have the rivalry, but once we’re off the court we’re good friends again … we eat dinner, we go to the movies, we go shopping.” You could argue that such relationships aren’t exactly conducive to the killer instinct that’s so important to elite players – if not for the many examples of alliances that actually boost on-court performances. In many cases, it arises from the success-

it gave us an advantage over some other teams that we get along,” the prolific doubles champion explained. Viktor Troicki, the hero of that Davis Cup victory with his decisive fifth-rubber victory over Frenchman Michael Llodra, adds that support from his countrymen translates to success at other events too. “We are great friends,” he said. “We always keep in touch, cheer for one another and try to support one another.

“We always keep in touch, cheer for one another – VIKTOR TROICKI and try to support one another.” builds-success scenario of players striving to achieve the same success as their countrymen and women. Friendships – and both team and individual playing performances – are often strengthened through national representation in world team events. Nenad Zimonjic believes team unity was a significant factor in Serbia’s historic Davis Cup victory last year. “Even when there were tough times or good times,

That is a great thing to have the support of your compatriots, your friends on tour.” It’s a sentiment with which Djokovic would undoubtedly concur, having recounted that Serbia’s Davis Cup success provided the spring board to his stunning successes this season. And while Sharapova pointedly avoids dinner dates with her colleagues, Djokovic and others are already anticipating future get-together, knowing those occasions will provide a setting to truly appreciate their professional relationships merging into personal ones. “Sometimes I go out to dinner with Andy and Rafa, but the reality is such that we really cannot be real friends as we struggle for a place in history,” the Serbian conceded. “But one day, when [we] all say goodbye to tennis, it is certain that I would love to sit down with them, their families, so that the beer recounts through what we’ve gone through.” n

Best friends forever … Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka.

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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