Category: Tennis

Elena Rybakina keeps closing in on the Top 5. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday March 21, 2023

Elena Rybakina ticks off a new – and well-deserved – career-high ranking, while Aryna Sabalenka closes the gap on Iga Swiatek ever so slightly in this week's WTA rankings.

Rybakina, who would be ranked fifth if she was carrying the 2000 Wimbledon points she would have won in 2022 (had the tour allowed rankings points), is proving that she is an elite force on tour these days.

She rises from No.10 to No.7 thanks to her title at the BNP Paribas Open, where she became the first woman to ever win the title by defeating the No.1 and No.2-ranked players on tour.

CX: Lot of questions about what Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina would be ranked if Wimbledon hadn't been stripped of points in 2022

By my count she'd be No. 5 (instead of No. 7) behind Swiatek, Sabalenka, Jabeur & Pegula.#getty pic.twitter.com/601fcPWsFa

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) March 19, 2023

Sabalenka Inches Closer to Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka, currently the World No.2, closes the gap between herself and Iga Swiatek to 3,235 points. The Belarusian talent will have another chance to gain on Swiatek this week, as the Pole, who pulled out with a rib injury, will drop 1,000 points from winning last year’s title.

Sabalenka, who list in the round of 16 last year, is defending only 10 points.

Also rising in the Top 20 in this week’s rankings are a pair of Czechs, Petra Kvitova and Barbora Krejcikova. Kvitova and Krejcikova each jump three spots to No.12 and No.13, respectively, while Croatia's Donna Vekic climbs three spots to No.20, making her return to the Top 20 for the first time since January of 2020.

Elsewhere in the ranking, 17-year-old Czech Linda Fruhvirtova rises three spots to make her Top 50 debut at No.50. The teen has had a solid start to 2023, reaching the second week at the Australian Open, and winning six of 11 matches on tour thus far.

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk also reaches a career-high – at No.38 – as does Russia’s Varvara Gracheva, at No.54.

Gracheva jumped 12 spots thanks to a round of 16 run at Indian Wells.

The biggest jump inside the Top 100 was made by another Czech – Karolina Muchova – who powered up 21 spots to No.55 thanks to a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells. The former No.19 took eventual champion Elena Rybakina to three sets at Indian Wells.

The 22-time major champ has no regrets and is living in the present as he prepares for the clay-court season. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday March 21, 2023

Speaking to CNN in Dubai, Novak Djokovic says he has no regrets about his decision to remain unvaccinated and the fact that he has missed Indian Wells and Miami for the second consecutive year, which has contributed to his drop in the rankings.

With Djokovic on the sidelines this month, Carlos Alcaraz won the title at Indian Wells, and the 22-time Grand Slam champion says the rising Spaniard deserves to hold the top spot.

“I congratulate Alcaraz,” he said. “He absolutely deserves to come back to No. 1.”

Novak Djokovic says he has “no regrets” at not being able to play at Indian Wells and the Miami Open in the US due to his vaccination status.https://t.co/Z1GIOHwNL3

— CNN (@CNN) March 21, 2023

Djokovic, who will make his return on the European clay this spring as he mounts his charge for a third Roland-Garros title, says he wants to focus on the present.

“It’s a pity that I wasn’t able to play in Indian Wells and Miami,” he said. “I love those tournaments. I had plenty of success there. But at the same time, it is the conscious decision I made and I knew that there is always a possibility that I won’t go. And it is the current state or current situation that I hope will change for later this year for the US Open. That is the most important tournament for me on the American soil.”

No regrets for the soon to be 36-year-old.

“No, I have no regrets,” Djokovic said in an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson. “I’ve learned through life that regrets only hold you back and basically make you live in the past. And I don’t want to do that. I also don’t want to live too much in the future. I want to be as much as in the present moment, but of course think about future, create a better future.”

Charging into his maiden Masters semifinal in Indian Wells reinforces Frances Tiafoe's major dream.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Growing up in Maryland, Frances Tiafoe sometimes slept on the floor of the tennis club where his father was head of maintenance.

These days, Tiafoe is taking big strides toward tracking his major dream. 

More: Rune Calls Out Wawrinka

Facing the firing line is when Carlos Alcaraz's game is most alive.

Applying his variety, Tiafoe took down 2021 Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4, to charge into his first Masters 1000 semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open.

The No. 14-seeded Tiafoe ended Norrie's eight-match winning streak and aims to play semifinal streak buster as well.

Daniil Medvedev defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in today's second quarterfinal and rides an 18-match winning streak into his semifinal vs. Tiafoe.

Asserting his speed to attack, Tiafoe won 12 of 15 trips to net and knows he'll need to exploit the frontcourt if he's to upset 2021 US Open champion Medvedev. 

"I'm using my speed a lot more to be aggressive, not just to react to balls and out the corners and stuff," Tiafoe said. "I'm doing that much better now. Using my speed to be aggressive, coming forward much more, sticking volleys, and just being athletic out there.

"It's tough for guys. I'm really coming at you."

Five months after Tiafoe toppled Rafael Nadal en route to his maiden major semifinal at the US Open, he's into his first Masters 1000 final four.

Tiafoe says he's driven by one major goal: "Win a Grand Slam."

"Be No. 1 in the world, great, but if I can walk away from the game, I won a slam, I will sleep totally well at night," Tiafoe said. "No one's gonna tell me shit. I'm gonna be, Oh, I'm a Grand Slam champion. I will be pumped, preferably US Open. Yeah, that's to go. And I'm in semis at Indian Wells, so why not try to win Indian Wells first? Yeah, I mean, I think that's the one thing I want to actually, to win a Grand Slam."

Initially, the burden of being another American Grand Slam hope knocked Tiafoe off track. He concedes day-to-day discipline eluded him in his younger years.

"I'm a guy came from very humble beginnings," said Tiafoe, whose parents emigrated to the United States from Sierra Leone. "I came on the scene, I was 18 years old, 19 years old, in top 100. Guys thinking I'm gonna be the guy to do it, X, Y, and Z, American hope, blah, blah, blah.

"It was tough. I don't think I was really ready for it. You know, I was, you know, a young guy having money, I was enjoying my life, you know, outside activities and stuff like that. Now I just honed it in."

Seeing the Slam progress of young players he grew up facing in juniors and wanting to experience green days of his own inspired Tiafoe, who tapped into his love of the game and for improving.

"I think the main thing was, you know, these guys ahead of me, seeing guys I grew up with, playing juniors with, Andrey, Zverev, Tsitsipas, am I just gonna let these guys take all the money out here for years to come?" Tiafoe said. "Because, I mean, I played these guys and beat them on the odd occasion, but I just wasn't doing these kind of things and winning consistent matches. I was like, All right, I mean, something's gotta give here."

Hiring coach Wayne Ferreira, has helped Tiafoe turn his career around.

When Ferreira started working with Tiafoe he saw a little bit of his younger self in the man from Maryland.

"I think I helped him because I played and I went through the issues of being relatively talented and being lazy, and then finding the right team, people behind me pushing me to do the right thing day to day with the food, practicing and with the fitness and gym work," Ferreira said during the US Open last summer. "That's something he had to really change. He had to really improve the food. Food intake was terrible at the beginning. The effort on the practices and on the court wasn't good enough.

"It's taken time for us to get gradually to where we are today. He still has a few things to improve and do better, but it's been a bit of a struggle."

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by BNP Paribas Open (@bnpparibasopen)

Rising back to No. 14 in the live rankings, Tiafoe isn't sleeping on his talent anymore.

"I love this game too much to not figure it out. Yeah, hiring Wayne, you know, he's getting a tight team around me," Tiafoe said. "Just holding myself accountable and just having that curiosity of how good I can be at this game.

"You know, I got a, you know, gift from the man above and I just want to see what I can do with this game. I owe it a lot."

Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty

'I saw a taste of the level where No.1 is at physically' says Raducanu after falling to Swiatek
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday March 15, 2023

Emma Raducanu came to the California desert with very low expectations, not quite feeling 100 percent and certainly not at peak fitness.

Three impressive wins later she found herself across the net from a litmus test the likes of which the WTA has not seen for several years.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek bullied Raducanu around the court 6-3, 6-1, in slow, heavy conditions on Tuesday night at the BNP Paribas Open. But the Brit leaves the tournament feeling that there are brighter days ahead.

“It feels good. Gives me confidence,” Raducanu said of the big wins she earned over higher-ranked players – 62nd-ranked Danka Kovinic in the first round, 21st-ranked Magda Linette in the second and 13th-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia in the third. “I think especially because of where I was before this tournament, I didn't think I would even play, to be honest. But to have played and then won three rounds and beaten two amazing opponents, yeah, I'm very proud of myself."

Emma Raducanu & Iga Swiatek at the net after their IW R4 match. pic.twitter.com/UueE0kDhkW

— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) March 15, 2023

Raducanu could only manage four games against juggernaut Swiatek, but she played well in the beginning of each set and at least came away with the knowledge of how good she would need to be, physically, tactically and execution-wise, to reach that level.

“Now it's just about consistent work to physically get to where I want to be,” she said. “Yeah, I saw a taste of the level where No. 1 is at physically and how she is at the corners, repetitive, relentless. Yeah, I just couldn't take that.”

Raducanu admitted that a rough run of injuries has not allowed her to train the way she needs to. The 20-year-old is looking to remedy that immediately, and spoke of her desire to make her fitness a calling card.

“When I'm telling you I haven't trained, like I haven't trained,” she said with a smile. “Physically I feel like that's going to be one of my biggest assets. My team has spoken about it. I think that I'm going to be, like, one of the best athletes on the tour, and that's going to be a big part of my game.

“I would say there is a very long way to go, but I'm definitely starting the right work now.”

The Greek is setting the bar very low at Indian Wells. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday March 8, 2023

Stefanos Tsitsipas is in Californa to play at Indian Wells. Just don’t expect him to make a deep run.

The third-ranked Greek, fresh off his second major final at this year’s Australian Open, told reporters on Wednesday that he’s basically in rehab mode.

“I am still in recovery,” he said. “I won't be pretending or trying to say that I'm the favorite in this tournament or that I have chances of doing well in the next two tournaments because that will be wrong. So I don't see myself as one of the favorites for the next two tournaments.

“I haven't said this a lot of times in my career, but I don’t think I will be capable of going deep, but so far the main priority is getting my body ready and fixed for the clay court swing.

“I am pretty sure it won't be my best performance over the next couple of weeks. The 24-year-old seems to have made the trip to satisfy requirements set up to discourage players from missing Masters 1000 events. “Sometimes, you know you're given difficult tasks and decisions that you need to take and it's difficult to always act the right way,” he said. “There's a factor of you know, I cannot miss a Masters 1000 Even if I really want to, you know the tour is demanding and these tournaments matter a lot. There are certain rules in place for participation and being part of the these events and I made a deal with myself that I will not be skipping the next two events, that I will commit – I just have to do what I have to do and play to the minimum if that's something that is required.

Tsitsipas says he suffered the injury after making some technical changes to his game in the offseason. Those changes, he says, helped him reach his first hard court Grand Slam final in Melbourne, but ended up leaving him at less than 100 percent.

The Greek has not played since Rotterdam, where he lost in the round of 16 to Jannik Sinner.

“It has been a tricky injury,” he said. “There have been a few changes that I did during the preseason, which certainly helped me keep up with the consistency and play better at the Australian Open swing. And I did enjoy myself very much out on the court. Having seen that sort of transformation within my game. And also technically, you may notice in videos now compared to before that my technique might have changed a little bit and that was part of the whole preseason thing that I was referring to earlier.

“And that had a small impact on my shoulder.” It’s hard to imagine what kind of tennis the Greek is going to play when he faces Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the second round, but tennis fans may not want to bet the house on this match.

“It’s a very unfortunate injury at this time of the year because I had a very good, strong start to the year and I consider a Grand Slam final a good result to start the year,” he said, adding:

“It is important to keep faith in the daily procedure to get back healthy. My shoulder, you know, has had a lot of impact in the last couple of years with the constant playing and week to week competition. I just need to take my time and have the right medical team by my side to help me recover to the fullest and not have complications like this again in the future.”

The show has already begun filming the 2023 tennis season. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday March 8, 2023

Get ready for “Break Point” season two on Netflix. The streaming network has announced official plans for a second season.

The series, which takes tennis fans behind the scenes of the ATP and WTA Tours, will see the second half of season 1 hit Netflix in June.

“Full Swing”, Netflix documentary following the PGA Tour, has also been renewed.

“These shows quickly appealed to core fans of golf and tennis, and also recruited brand new fans from all around the world,” Brandon Riegg, Vice President, Unscripted and Documentary Series, Netflix, said in a press release. “Like so much of our growing sports slate, the compelling characters, competitive stakes, and vibrant storytelling reveal sides of the game you've never seen before, and we're excited to follow the unpredictable turns of the year ahead.”

Filming has already started to capture the highs – and lows – of the 2023 tennis season.

Full Swing Break Point
🤝
Netflix Sports docs
coming back for Season 2 pic.twitter.com/pykVQzoFWK

— Netflix (@netflix) March 7, 2023

On January 13th the first episodes of “Break Point” were released to mixed reviews. Episodes featuring Nick Kyrgios, Matteo Berrettini and Ajla Tomljanovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Paula Badosa and Taylor Fritz brought viewers face-to-face with the emotional heartache and mental anguish that comes hand-in-hand with the aspirational glory of playing on the tour.

Unsurprisingly, many tennis die-hards felt the show could have done a better job at offering content that was revelatory. Others felt the show perfectly hit the mark, tracking the highs and lows of a sport that is compelling because of its personalities as much as its athletes.

No matter the verdict, the show can have an impact when it comes to introducing new fans to the sport. Any way you slice it, a second season is good news for tennis – and tennis fans.

Here’s hoping for a third, and fourth, and fifth…

Daniil Medvedev stretched his winning streak to 12, and finished with a flourish. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 2, 2023

Daniil Medvedev found himself in a tense tussle with Croatia's Borna Coric on Thursday in Dubai. Down a break in the second set, trailing 2-0 but leading 40-30 in the third game, the Russian took it next level.

He went into GOD MODE.

21 points IN-A-ROW 🥶

From a break down, @DaniilMedwed went God Mode at #DDFTennis… pic.twitter.com/7222p6heQV

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 2, 2023

Medvedev would reel off the final 21 points of his 6-3, 6-2 victory over Coric to earn his 12th consecutive victory. The Rotterdam and Doha champion is into the semifinals in Dubai, where he will face World No.1 Novak Djokovic.

“I’m playing good right now, but when you play Novak, Novak is always the favorite,” Medvedev said after the match. “He’s huge, he’s playing great, moving great, you could never say that he’s 35 years old but I always had some good fights with him and I’m hoping for my best shape tomorrow because that’s the only way to beat him.”

Medvedev is 12-0 in the last 17 days, compiling the second-longest winning streak of his career.

He won 20 in a row from November 2020 through February 2021.

The rivals have had some epic battles in the past. Could Friday be their next? By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 2, 2023

The two hottest players on the ATP Tour are set to clash on Friday in Dubai. Novak Djokovic – he of the 20-match winning streak, and 15-0 to start the season – will face Daniil Medvedev, owner of 12 consecutive wins, for the 14th time.

Djokovic, who defeated Medvedev earlier this season (6-3, 6-4) in the semifinals at Adelaide in a match that saw him injury his hamstring, knows he’ll be in for a tough challenge.

“Daniil is one of the best players in the world for the last five years,” Djokovic said. “Grand Slam winner. Former No. 1 in the world. Not much to talk about. His quality is as tough as it gets when you are supposed to face someone on the hard court particularly.”

🍿 to the ready…

Unstoppable force meets immovable object, @DjokerNole & @DaniilMedwed face off once again in Dubai.

Who reaches the final?#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/U1JH2u9yZt

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 2, 2023

Djokovic owns a 9-4 lifetime record against Medvedev, and he has won the last four meetings after losing to Medvedev in the 2021 US Open final.

“I know what to expect. I've been watching him play,” he said. “He's on the roll, winning tournaments, one or more tournaments before Dubai, I'm not sure. But he's had a great run – I haven't had a bad run myself, so I think we're both in great form and hopefully can have a good match.”

"I always had some good fights with him!" 🤝@DaniilMedwed on his semi-final opponent 👀#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/R5sHZ7A1rd

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 2, 2023

More to follow…

Barbora Krejcikova, who fought into the Dubai semifinals, is one of several Fila stars who will debut the new Tie Breaker collection.
Tennis tie breakers will come clothed in splendid style in Indian Wells.

Stars will debut Fila'sTie Breaker collection as they take the court in Indian Wells for the 2023 BNP Paribas Open. The collection features a mix of bright pinks and cool blues that will pop the sunshine of the Coachella Valley desert.

More: Novak on Sunshine Double and World No. 1 Record

Eye-catching colors and sleek new designs will also be worn by Fila players in Miami as part of the “Sunshine Double” immediately following Indian Wells.

Women’s Tie Breaker Collection

Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Pliskova, Shelby Rogers and more will debut the women’s line which offers six different tops (Strappy Cami Tank, Cross Back Tank, Printed Racerback Tank, Racerback Tank, Full Coverage Tank, Short Sleeve Tee), three skort options, and a dress.

World No. 30 Krejcikova will sport the Tie Breaker Cross Back Tank in two unique colorways, highlighting the collection’s featured colors of Pink Glo and a White/Black swirl. Her wardrobe will be complemented by two of the collection’s featured skorts: the Double Bounce Skort and the High Waisted Skort.

Krejcikova is pictured above modeling the Cross Back Tank in the traditional white colorway paired with the Pink Glo Double Bounce Skort.

Men's Tie Breaker Collection

The men's collection consists of eight unique short sleeve tops, two long sleeve options, and a pair of shorts available in three different colorways.

World No. 38 Diego Schwartzman’s Sunshine Double attire will feature two short sleeve Color Block Crew shirts – one in a White/Hawaiian Ocean/Fila Navy colorway and one in a Swirl/White colorway exclusive for Schwartzman.

Those shirts will pair respectively with two matching colorways of the Tie Breaker Men’s Stretch Woven Short.

World No. 36 John Isner will take the court donning similar cool blue attire as he sports two distinct polo shirts from the collection. Isner will pair the collection’s Short Sleeve Classic Polo made with recycled mesh interlock and designed in the Blue Ibiza/Hawaiian Ocean/White colorway with a Tie Breaker Stretch Woven Short in a Fila Navy base colorway.

Isner will also wear the collection’s traditional Short Sleeve Polo in white with blue trimming throughout. Isner can be seen pictured below in his Short Sleeve Polo along with a pair of Hawaiian Ocean Stretch Woven Shorts

.

The Tie Breaker Collection also features two unique crew tops: the Short Sleeve Color Block Crew and traditional Short Sleeve Crew. The Short Sleeve Color Block Crew is a blend of White and Hawaiian Ocean with trimmings of Fila Navy, while the Short Sleeve Crew features the collection’s unique swirl colorway in a classic black and white pattern.

This pattern is seen in the photo of Reilly Opelka above.

Photo credits: Fila

Carlos Alcaraz grew up looking up to Rafa Nadal, but cites another iconic champion as stylistic inspiration.
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, February 23, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz never faced Roger Federer, but the US Open champion is "enchanted" by the Swiss superstar—and cites him as stylistic inspiration.

The 19-year-old Spaniard often names Rafa Nadal as his tennis hero, but in a new interview with Vogue Magazine, Alcaraz says Federer's sheer artistry mesmerized him and shaped his aesthetic. 

More: Novak on Sunshine Double and World No. 1 Record

“Rafa is someone I’ve always watched,” Alcaraz told Vogue Magazine. “I admire him a lot. But Federer, the class he had, the way he got people to see tennis: That was beautiful.

"Watching Federer is like looking at a work of art. It’s elegance, he did everything magnificently. I became enchanted by him.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (@carlitosalcarazz)

Prior to his Laver Cup farewell match in London last September, Federer said he was impressed by the Spaniard's US Open run and believes the future of the sport is "bright" with Alcaraz among young stars at the top of tennis.

"Of course, it's disappointing I was never able to play against him," Federer said of Alcaraz. "Of course I watched him closely what he did at the US Open and throughout the year.

"It's been fantastic, and I always said there will be always new superstars in the game, and he's one of them. The game is bright."

Coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams, told Tennis Majors Alcaraz's all-court aggression, smooth movement and clever creativity recall Federer.

"He combines the qualities of the three greatest players of all time,” Mouratoglou told Tennis Majors of Alcaraz's game. “I think the one his game is closest to is Federer. Like him, he’s super aggressive and super creative, always trying to do something with the ball.

"The speed with which he is able to go from the back to the inside of the court, that’s pure Roger.”

Photo credit: Getty