Seasonal; Team; Individual; Extreme; Gear;

The Pole says she wants to stress less and have more confidence. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday November 16, 2021

Iga Swiatek‘s 2021 season came to a close on Monday with a smile and a victory. The Pole defeated Paula Badosa for her first career Top-10 hard court win and will head into the off-season with some positive vibrations.

In truth, there are a lot of reasons for Swiatek to feel good. She reached the second week of all four majors in 2021, won two titles, including a blockbuster triump at Rome, and will finish the year in the Top-10 after a trip the WTA Finals, where she made her debut and went 1-2.

The 20-year-old is looking forward to some rest and relaxation after a long season, but she’s already thinking about how she can be better in 2022.

We asked the Pole where she sees herself at this time next year and she seemed pretty sure of one thing – she wants to be more self-assured.

“This time next year? Well, I would love to be as a player more, like, settled in everything, not going from being super confident to, “Hey, I'm new here, I don't really know what to do.’ Just trust myself a little bit more,” she said. “I would love myself to be more efficient and more chilled out, just remember that tennis is not everything, kind of have more distance to everything.”

Ending the year with a win!✨@iga_swiatek | #AKRONWTAFinals pic.twitter.com/8OhndyIbI6

— wta (@WTA) November 15, 2021

We also asked Swiatek what she felt were the biggest lessons learned in 2021.

She said she wants to change her “attitude.”

“There is so much I learned,” she said. “I mean, for sure I'm just going to talk about what I want to change maybe. I want me being on tour being, like, less energy-consuming so I can be more efficient, also have the power to be on the highest level for, I don't know, few years. I'm going to try to, like, change my attitude a little bit.”

Swiatek, who finishes 36-15 on the season, will turn 21 next May during Roland-Garros. She says she would like to add a bit of variety to her game next season, in order to be a more puzzling opponent for her peers.

“Variety on court would be important for me,” she said. “For sure we're going to work hard for me to, like, have more options on court, also being able to adjust more to the situation that I have on the match.
“I've lost few matches this year when I thought my opponent did something differently, then suddenly started winning. I want to also, like, be able to confuse my opponents.”

The Italian has withdrawn from the ATP Finals due to an abdominal injury. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday November 16, 2021

Matteo Berretini‘s run at the Nitto ATP Finals has come to an and. The Italian announced on Tuesday that his left abdominal injury had forced him to retire from the competition – he will be replaced by alternate Jannik Sinner, who will face Hubert Hurkacz on Tuesday evening in Turin.

Berrettini took to social media to announce the news.

"I thought, reflected, cried and finally decided … My finals end here, I am destroyed, I never thought I would have to give up the most important tennis event ever held in Italy in this way,” Berrettini wrote. “The truth is that as much as I wanted to play in front of you once again, I felt and therefore decided that my body is not ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Matteo Berrettini (@matberrettini)

The decision to pull out ends a fantastic season that saw Berrettini reach the Wimbledon final. The 25-year-old World No.7 became the first Italian men’s singles finalist in Wimbledon history and first Italian Grand Slam men’s singles finalist since Adriano Panatta at 1976 Roland Garros.

He finishes the season with a 41-12 record, with titles at Queen’s Club and Belgrade.

“To say that I am sad would not do justice to the state of mind that I am in, I feel robbed of something that I have conquered with years of effort and sweat. It was not an easy decision, but I am convinced that it is the best for me and for my career. Thank you for your continued support and for the thousands of messages you have sent me, you have moved me”

Berretini’s withdraw makes Daniil Medvedev‘s qualification for the semifinals official. The Russian won his seventh straight ATP Finals match on Tuesday, 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(6) over Alexander Zverev.

The first man through to the #NittoATPFinals last 4 🙌

After Berrettini's withdrawal, @DaniilMedwed qualifies for the semi-finals in Torino! pic.twitter.com/sgUTM5NoqR

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 16, 2021

The Spaniard's season has been a dream so far. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday November 9, 2021

Before the 2021 season began, Spain’s Paula Badosa found it impossible to imagine herself inside the WTA’s Top-30, let alone the Top-10. Well, dreams do come true.

The 23-year-old Spaniard, coming off the Indian Wells title, currently ranks No.10 in the world and she’ll take her place in a wide open draw at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara as one of the six debutantes competing in singles this year.

It has been a wild ride indeed for the Spaniard. Of the eight players competing in singles this week in Mexico, Badosa had the lowest ranking of the group at the end of 2020. She was No.70 in the world then, but a year later she has emerged as a true force on the WTA Tour, with 41 wins and two titles to her name to prove it.

“It means a lot,” she said when asked what being in the Top-10 means to her. “I will try not to get emotional, but I've been through a lot. I'm very proud of myself. I think I did a very good year. It always has been a dream to me to be in top 10, one of the best players in the world. Now it's coming true.”

Welcome to the Top 10 @paulabadosa! 🤩

The fifth Spanish woman to achieve this milestone. 👏 pic.twitter.com/YzHYdQAZZe

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 9, 2021

Badosa said when she was setting goals at the start of the season, Top-50 was what she saw as a realistic target.

“At the beginning of the year I remember having a conversation with my coach after Abu Dhabi, my first tournament,” she said. “He said, ‘You keep playing like this, for sure you're going to get the top 30.’

“I was like, That's impossible to finish the year top 30. Top 50, I can sign here. Imagine I finished the year top 10. What can I say? Yeah, I didn't even expect it. Even less expected to be here in the WTA Finals.”

Badosa, who has been drawn into Gropu Chichen Itza, is in with three other WTA Finals debutantes (Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Maria Sakkari). She says it’s a tough group, but after spending the last few days getting used to the playing conditions in Guadalajara she is ready for the challenge.

“They're all amazing players,” she said. “I know I'm opening with Aryna. She's No. 2 in the world, one of the favorites here. I know it's going to be a tough one. All of them, they're playing well. The others in the group, they can adapt quite well in altitude. It's going to be a tough group but I'm ready for it.”

Players talked about the enormous challenge of playing at altitude ahead of the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday November 9, 2021

Playing at an altitude of about 5,100 feet, or 1,550 meters, means that the tennis will be more tricky than usual this week at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. We asked the top players how they are finding the conditions, and what they are doing to make the adjustment.

“I have not experienced anything like this before, this altitude,” Garbiñe Muguruza said in her pre-tournament press confererence on Tuesday via Zoom. “I've definitely played well in Mexico in other conditions.”

The Spaniard, who will open her tournament against Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday, says that every day she spends practicing on site, things get a bit better for her.

“Just struggling to get used to conditions because I've never experienced anything like that, like what I said before,” she said. “But looking forward, every day getting a little bit better. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the best version of myself there.”

🇨🇿 @KaPliskova: 5th-straight @WTAFinals showing 🤝

🇬🇷 @mariasakkari: 1st Greek woman in Top 10 🏺 pic.twitter.com/2soUKKQxSt

— wta (@WTA) November 9, 2021

Maria Sakkari, who will make her debut as the first Greek to every play the WTA Finals, says it might be necessary to win ugly this week in Guadalajara.

“I think we all knew we have to come quite early here because of the conditions,” she said. “I mean, we knew that there is 1,500 meters altitude here. We knew we had to adjust.

“I personally know I might not play my best tennis but I have to accept it because sometimes it will feel weird. Sometimes you'll make mistakes that you wouldn't make in sea level tournament. It's just whoever accepts the most mistakes, whoever accepts playing ugly tennis this week – 'ugly', you know what I mean – will give herself a better chance on winning the tournament.”

Iga Swiatek on her preparation: “We were practicing in Phoenix, in the mountains, because Bethanie @matteksands invited us. She provided some good clubs.

“Good tennis clubs, I mean. Don't get me wrong, I am not partying that hard.”#AKRONWTAFinals pic.twitter.com/Zfuizcs3gy

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) November 9, 2021

Poland’s Iga Swiatek, also making her debut as the youngest player in the singles field at 20, says she spent time in Arizona after Indian Wells, practicing at altitude with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. She says the heavier, pressurized balls being used at the tournament are also tricky to play with.

“For me it's like everything, with the altitude and the balls,” she said. “I think the conditions are okay. But I would say if we would play here with normal balls, they would, like, fly like crazy, so I'm pretty happy that the tournament provided us with the different ones so we can actually play.”

Karolina Pliskova, who has reached the semifinals at the WTA Finals three times, says that playing at altitude is also tough on the lungs.

“Of course you feel a bit heavier breathing,” she said. “That's something what you can get used to and what actually we are used to because we've been running a lot.”

The 29-year-old, who is the oldest singles competitor at Guadalajara this year, says that the courts are slow and the balls are bouncing high. Like Sakkari, Pliskova is ready to accept the fact that perfect tennis may be out of the question at this year’s WTA Finals.

“A combination, of course, of the balls, the conditions and the court because I think the courts are quite, like, slower,” she said. “The balls are bouncing quite high. That's been something what I was struggling a bit this week.” Of course, like, I had enough days. It's not perfect at all, but let's see. Doesn't have to be perfect unless I win, so let's see how the matches will go.

Eclat Media Group has exclusive live television and digital rights to the US Open in 15 territories across Asia.
The US Open will have a new platform in Asia.

The USTA today announced that Eclat Media Group has earned exclusive live television and digital rights to the US Open  in 15 territories across Asia in a five-year deal that begins with the 2022 US Open. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

More: Nadal Aims for Abu Dhabi Return

Eclat recently expanded its SPOTV platform across Asia and adds the US Open to a live programming slate that also includes The Championships, Wimbledon. The territories included in the deal are Mongolia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Macau.

"We were inspired by the bold vision and are excited to partner with Eclat and SPOTV as they grow their regional presence and live sports portfolio,” said Lew Sherr, Chief Revenue Officer, USTA. “This partnership will allow us to elevate the presentation of live US Open content to our substantial and growing fan base throughout Asia.”

The 2022 US Open is set for August 29-September 11th.

Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood/USTA/US Open Facebook

Whoop signs multi-year pact as the official fitness wearable of the WTA.
The WTA and Whoop are bringing fitness technology to court to benefit both players and fans.

The WTA Tour has signed a multi-year partnership pact with Whoop to serve as the official fitness Wearable of the WTA. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

More: Djokovic Still Undecided on Playing Australian Open

It's a potentially groundbreaking partnership with Whoop and WTA joining forces to use biometric data directly from players wearing Whoop on court to highlight player performances in WTA TV telecasts and on social media. Whoop has integrated real-time player data into broadcasts for the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, NASCAR, and CrossFit and will now take its technology to tennis.

Whoop is a personalized 24/7 digital fitness and health coach, worn like a wristwatch, that helps people "unlock their inner potential and make meaningful lifestyle changes via actionable feedback on sleep, recovery, and strain," the brand says.

“Our partnership with Whoop represents a pivotal moment in women’s professional tennis,” said Micky Lawler, WTA President. “We are proud and grateful as we welcome the Whoop team, and we look forward to evolving our athlete health and wellness together.

"Whoop’s cutting-edge technology serves as a new research and learning tool for WTA players. Whoop will play an instrumental role in the future of women’s tennis and will endow our current and next generation of athletes with a wealth of innovative performance analytics.”

Whoop and the WTA’s Performance Health team aim to closely collaborate on research specific to what the two organizations’ data collectively reveal regarding physiological responses, readiness, and sport performance.

By examining the impact of various distinctive challenges experienced by WTA athletes, such as global travel and frequent, high-intensity training on menstruation, the many anticipated new findings will uniquely enrich our understanding of women’s health.

Several WTA players, including 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, are already using Whoop as a tool to make informed competition, training, and lifestyle decisions that will optimize their performance on and off the court.

“I’ve worn Whoop throughout the 2021 season, and it’s given me more knowledge than I’ve ever had in my career about what’s happening with my body,” Stephens said. “The WTA’s partnership with Whoop goes beyond just tennis and has the potential to change the way players approach personal health.

"We’ve never had access to technology like WHOOP during matches – it’s definitely a game changer.”

Photo credit: Whoop

The Romanian hopes to pick up confidence to take into the 2022 season. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday October 27, 2021

It has been a rough season for Simona Halep in 2021. She was forced to miss Roland-Garros and Wimbledon – the two Slams she has previously triumphed at – due to a calf injury, then also missed the Olympics – and the international competition she has stated a strong desire to compete in – due to the same injury.

But things are on the up for the Romanian in October. She was married last month to Toni Iuric, and she finally finds herself in good spirits while playing the Transylvania Open on home soil in Cluj-napoca, Romania.

"I'm improving day by day, and I feel more confident during the tournaments, during the matches," Halep said after her 6-1, 6-2 victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Wednesday. "I think I started to feel again my best game, of course it's never easy after a long period that I didn't play matches, but now I'm focused only on what I feel today, and I feel good.

"It's already passed with injuries so I'm trying to take the positives with every match."

Step by step ✊@TransylvaniaOpn pic.twitter.com/P8gDEbE3Og

— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) October 27, 2021

Goals for the Rest of 2021 – Get the Confidence Again

Halep’s remarkable streak of 373 consecutive weeks in the Top-10 (8th longest in WTA history) came to an end in August, and the Romanian knows she needs to rebuild her confidence in order to build another streak. Moving forward without longtime coach Darren Cahill at the helm will be challenging, which explains why Halep, currently ranked 18, is playing a heavy schedule down the stretch even though she has not qualified for the WTA Finals.

She was asked about it in her post-match press conference today, by Tennis.com’s David Kane.

"Just to get the feeling back of the official matches, I didn't play much this year and I really would like to get that feeling back and to get the confidence, so this is the only one goal,” she said.

Classic 💯@Simona_Halep | #TransylvaniaOpen pic.twitter.com/jH76gLfBjH

— wta (@WTA) October 27, 2021

“I’m Still Motivated” – No Plans to Slow Down for Halep

Some speculated that Halep may dial down her intensity or maybe even step away from the tour to start a family after she married Iuric in September. But Halep assured the media today that she is motivated to return to the top of the game.

"Many people were talking about that but I never said that I will go down after the wedding party, I'm still motivated, I still love tennis, my husband is next to me all the time and I'm happy, I'm just happy to stay on court, to play and to have matches,” she said.

The Scot knows his time is coming, even if things haven't clicked as fast as he'd like.By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday October 27, 2021

Things haven’t gone exactly to plan for Andy Murray in 2021, but the three-time Grand Slam champion is more committed than ever to continuing to push his way back to the business end of tournaments. After his 6-3, 6-4 loss to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday at the Erste Bank Open, Murray told reporters that he believes it is just a matter of time before he starts cracking on deep into tournaments.

"It will happen,” Murray said. “I'm not going to keep losing in the second or third round of tournaments, I will get better, and I will improve and I will break through in one week, or two weeks, or a few months, it will happen."

Murray snapped an 11-match losing streak against Top-25 opponents on Monday when he defeated Hubert Hurkacz, but on Wednesday he stumbled against the 18-year-old Spanish wunderkind as he failed to reach a semifinal at a tour-level event for the 16th straight time.

“I obviously would just like it to be happening quicker than what it is,” Murray said.

You inspire us all @andy_murray 🙌#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/0fNyL0mUEO

— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) October 27, 2021

In his post-match press conference Murray was asked if he had given any thought to what the endpoint of his career might be, but he said that at the moment he isn’t giving it much thought. Clearly the 34-year-old is too wrapped up in finding his way back to his best tennis.

"I don't know exactly what the endpoint is for me," he said. "It's not something that I'm really thinking about right now, to be honest. I won two days ago against a guy who is in the Top-10 in the world and made the semis of Wimbledon this year and won a Masters series this year.”

Murray says his recent run of results has given him the belief that he is closer to becoming relevant on the ATP Tour than he was a few months ago. He points to performances against players who are currently in top form, such as Hurkacz and Alcaraz.

“Alcaraz had a great run at the US Open. I had a good win against him and I've had some good matches against some top players who have had great runs at these events,” he said. “I'm not really sure why I should think why I should think that I couldn't do that again. I look at those matches and think 'If Hurkacz can make semis at Wimbledon then why is that not possible for me?' And I know I can do better. I know I can play better than I am playing just now, and I will. So when that starts to happen. My movement is getting better, and all those sorts of things, just hopefully the body holds up long enough for me to get that chance, but right now it's been going pretty well."

Siempre un placer compartir pista con @andy_murray, muy contento del nivel de hoy.
Gran ambiente en @ErsteBankOpen #vamosss🚀🔥
Always a pleasure to play with @andymurray, very happy with today's level.
Great atmosphere in @erstebankopen Vamosss🚀🔥 pic.twitter.com/URg0ebfKPK

— Carlos Alcaraz (@alcarazcarlos03) October 27, 2021

The Need to Be More Ruthless

The buzzword that seemed to be on the tip of Murray’s tongue more than any other during Wednesday's press conference was “ruthless.” The Scot is aware of the fact that he has struggled to convert opportunities, be they be set points or critical break points, in many matches over the last few months. And he knows that if he starts hammering down on those opportunities, his chances at success will be that much higher.

“I need to convert more of my opportunities,” he said. “The first round (Hurkacz, at Vienna), that one almost got away from me, even though I had chances and was probably the better player for the first two sets. Tonight I was up a break in the second set, was not ruthless enough, in terms of going for the second break, and in the first set, I had a bunch of chances in that first set as well, granted (Alcaraz) played great, but I need to be more ruthless, that's what I did when I was at my best, I'm just not quite there with that and it has cost me a few times.

“If I continue along that path and build up a little bit more consistency and be that little bit more clinical and a bit more ruthless then yes, I will start winning more and have some deep runs.”

When you see 34-year-old Andy Murray, who has already won everything, fighting like crazy with a metal hip against an 18-year-old teenage prodigy, you see that the guy is completely passionate about tennis. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/D3fkvMsPmM

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) October 27, 2021

On Tap: Paris is a Maybe, Stockholm is a Yes and Davis Cup is Likely a No

Murray says that he isn’t sure if he’ll receive a wild card into next week’s Paris Masters, but he would like one.

"I'm definitely playing in Stockholm, I think Paris was looking positive, but not 100 percent sure yet, so we'll wait to see on that,” he said.

Unfortunately for those who would love to see Murray back in action at Davis Cup in late November, it does not seem to be in the cards.

“Davis Cup is not something I'm planning on, for all the reasons I gave the other day. Like I said it's possible that I could change my mind as it gets closer, but I want a proper off-season and [I want to] get to spend some time at home with my family, because although my tennis has been improving there is still stuff that I need to work on – it's great to do on the match court but sometimes you just need a little bit of time off the match court to get a good three, four week block of working on a few things in your game to really improve it, without the pressure of having to do it in matches.

"With Davis Cup, that wouldn't really happen, so yeah, I'm not planning on it."

The Croatian stayed healthy all season and is looking forward to a big 2022. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday October 21, 2021

Croatia’s Ana Konjuh has called it a long and successful season. The former World No.20, who has undergone four right elbow surgeries in her career, with the last (ulnar ligament reconstruction) occurring in 2019, has risen dramatically up the WTA rankings in 2021.

Konjuh climbed from a 538 year-end ranking in 2020 all the way to her current perch at 67 in the world this week. The Croatian, 23, reached a tour-level final at Belgrade and a semifinal at San Jose. She went 42-23 across all levels.

“It’s been a challenging year and a long road back but finally in the top 100 again so safe to say comeback was successful. Now time to recover, rest and get ready for the next season,” she wrote on Twitter. “Excited for what’s to come.

Well that’s a wrap for season 2021.
It’s been a challenging year and a long road back but finally in the top 100 again so safe to say comeback was successful. Now time to recover, rest and get ready for the next season.
Excited for what’s to come🙏🏼
Thank you for your support 🥰 pic.twitter.com/lD4QBkiUXj

— Ana Konjuh (@anakonjuh) October 21, 2021

The Indian Wells champs are going to Turin. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday October 20, 2021

After claiming their first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells on Saturday, Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek can celebrate by knowing that they’ll be making a return trip to the Nitto ATP Finals in November.

The tandem officially qualified this week thanks to the fact that Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert qualified via points. That means that Polasek and Dodig gain entry per the Grand Slam winner rule.

Turin is going to be something else 😅
🇭🇷 Ivan Dodig and 🇸🇰 Filip Polasek are the fifth doubles team to qualify for the #NittoATPFinals!

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2021

This year’s Australian Open champions are the fifth team to qualify for Turin, joining Mahut and Herbert, as well as Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury and Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Dodig will make his seventh appearance at the ATP Finals, while Polasek will make his second.