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The Tunisian is gunning for the stars at SW19. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday July 5, 2021

After her breathtaking comeback win over Iga Swiatek on Monday at Wimbledon, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur says she’s not settling for quarterfinals—she wants more.

Jabeur became the first Arab woman to ever reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in 2020 at the Australian Open, and a few weeks ago she was the first Arab woman to win a WTA title when she triumphed at Birmingham.

This week, when she reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 takedown of Iga Swiatek, she admitted she believes she can do more this time around.

“This time is different,” Jabeur said, comparing her two Grand Slam quarterfinals. “This time I been going to the second week almost every Grand Slam right now, being more consistent. So I think everybody was kind of expecting me to be in the second week.

“Like I said, my goal is to break this quarterfinal and be able to go to semi, and why not the final? I'm enjoying my time here in Wimbledon, enjoying the grass a lot. Next round is not going to be easy so I have to be ready for it.”

"Did she really do that?!"

Just one of the many world-class plays from @Ons_Jabeur 💫#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/7pNbFOhvOs

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2021

Jabeur has “All the Skills” on Grass

Swiatek pointed out that Jabeur does a lot of things well on the grass surface, including serve, return and touch. She’s the complete package.

“I mean, she just has all the skills to play on grass, and that's great,” she said. “She can close the net and she's pretty confident at it. I feel like first set it was just a great game and really like on the edge sometimes. So even though I won it, I knew that she's gonna play well in next sets and it's gonna be tough. Yeah, I think she just has a flow, as well. She's using all the skills that she has. Yeah, it's working out well for her.”

Jabeur was able to break Swiatek’s serve seven times on Monday—the Pole had been broken just four times during three rounds in week one.

“She has great returns, so if someone is serving really well, it's like taking your biggest weapon,” she said. “I felt today that even when I was serving pretty fast, she was like not blocking, she was giving me [returns] even faster. That was pretty frustrating.”

Jabeur: I Try to Have the Whole Package

Jabeur says she works hard on having a well-rounded game. The touch is there if it is needed, and so is the power.

“I try to have the whole package of having the dropshot, the slices, being aggressive at the same time,” she said. “You never know. You play against players, sometimes you have to change the rhythm to make them feel bad. Sometimes you have to be aggressive to also try to win the point.”

The Canadian had a major breakthrough on Monday at Wimbledon, but for himself and for Canada.By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday July 5, 2021

Felix Auger-Aliassime is grateful for a hard-earned trip to the Wimbledon quarter-finals, and a very special moment not just for himself, but also for Canada.

After the Canadian finished off Alexander Zverev in five sets, 6-4, 7-6, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, on Monday at Wimbledon he talked about how much the moment meant to him.

“I think my celebration was very honest and genuine,” he said. “It's a big milestone for me in my young career. You want to play well in the Grand Slams, especially here being my favorite tournament.”

Auger-Aliassime says the roller coaster ride with Zverev made it even more special.

“Also the way it happened, so many ups and downs,” he said. “Break in both first sets, coming back to win those, losing the next two, then again struggling to finish in the fifth. This match really had everything. I had to dig deep physically and mentally. Of course it makes it even sweeter.”

MOOD 💥👊🏽💥 #Wimbledon #QuarterFinals pic.twitter.com/EyDdHOX7Jm

— Félix AugerAliassime (@felixtennis) July 5, 2021

Auger-Aliassime’s efforts also pushed Canadian tennis to a massive milestone. For the first time in history two Canadian men—Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov—have reached the quarterfinals of the same Grand Slam.

“In the back of your mind you also have everybody back home,” Auger-Aliassime said. “The tons of message I receive after from people that have helped me to get where I am today. It means a lot. For me to give this back to them is also great. It feels really good. It's teamwork. The country's behind us. My city is behind me. It's really good to do that, to have this much support. Again, a great day for us Canadians and hopefully it keeps going.”

Good buddy Berrettini next

Next up Auger-Aliassime will square off with an old pal from Italy—Matteo Berrettini.

As it turns out the pair gets along rather well.

“Both our girlfriends are cousins, so it just happens that we spend a lot of time together,” Auger-Aliassime said. “He's one of my best friends on the tour. He's really a great guy, great person. I get along really well with him. Since we're in the bubble, we have dinners together sometimes. We watch the game together. Yeah, I'm happy to call him a good friend. I think it's good to get to play each other. We both have had a great tournament so far. We'll try to leave it all out there, and it's going to be good.”

The 2020 Roland Garros champion doesn't just play Wimbledon, she studies it.
By Richard Pagliaro | June 28, 2021

Iga Swiatek is not only one of tennis' most talented young players, she's a studious tennis fan as well.

The 2020 Roland Garros champion plays for her first Wimbledon main-draw win when she faces tricky Hsieh Su-Wei in what could be an entertaining Monday opener.

More: Wimbledon Day 1 Schedule

Three years ago, Swiatek won the Wimbledon girls' title. Since then, her lawn exposure is limited.

Swiatek's grass-court preparation consisted of just two matches—she beat Heather Watson and lost to Daria Kasatkina at Eastbourne—so she's bolstering her grass game by planning to watch plenty of matches in person. Swiatek says she plans to visit YouTube to study her hero, Rafael Nadal, and his past performances on grass as well as Simona Halep's inspired run to the 2019 Wimbledon championship.

"For sure in next weeks I'm going to be watching a lot of matches, not only Rafa but especially girls because doing what Rafa is doing is sometimes impossible for women," Swiatek said. "I'm going to watch Simona for sure and her run when she won.

"Yeah, I'll try to find some experience from that.I'm actually not the best person to analyze matches and see everything when I'm just watching on the computer screen or in the TV. It would be much easier to watch live. I think it's going to give me a lot so I'm going to start that."

The seventh-seeded Swiatek beat Hsieh in their lone meeting at the 2020 Roland Garros. Swiatek partnered Bethanie Mattek-Sands to a French Open round-of-16 doubles win over Hsieh and Elise Mertens earlier this month. Hsieh has a history of knocking off French Open champions at Wimbledon: she toppled world No. 1 Halep at the 2018 Championships and beat Jelena Ostapenko in 2019.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Iga Świątek (@iga.swiatek)

"She's just unpredictable so you have toalways be ready. There are some players that can play solid and just hold the ball sometimes," Swiatek said of Hsieh. "But she's the one that is going to come up with some crazy idea, which is great. That's why it's so fun to watch her. But it's hard to be on the other side of the net.Obviously I played against her on clay last year. Here Ithink it's going to be different.

"I mean, for sure being really, really low on my legs is going to help. I remember when I played with her on Roland Garros I did that already. Here probably I'm going to be, like, even more low. It's going to be a hard match.I just think that if my game's going to be there and if I'm going to be in a good rhythm, if I'm going to approach the ball and not be late to many of the shots, I think I can do it. We'll see, yeah. It's going to be tricky."

Photo credit: Getty

Johanna Konta has been withdrawn from Wimbledon as part of the tournament's Covid Protocols.Johanna Konta has been withdrawn from Wimbledon.

The 2017 semi-finalist and British No.1 has been deemed a “close contact” to a positive Covid-19 test and has been replaced in the draw by Lucky Loser Wang Yafan.

“The Referee’s Office has advised that Johanna Konta has been withdrawn from the Ladies' Singles Draw, having been classified as a close contact of a positive test for COVID-19,” the tournament said in an email.

Johanna Konta has been withdrawn from The Championships – in line with government legislation she is required to self-isolate for 10 days having been classified as a close contact of a positive test for COVID-19.

Yafan Wang will take her position in the draw as a lucky loser.

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2021

“In line with government legislation, Konta is required to spend 10 days in self-isolation.”

The Swiss will be out indefinitely as he starts to rehab. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday June 22, 2021

Stan Wawrinka is set to miss more time after undergoing a second left foot surgery. The Swiss star, a three-time Grand Slam champion, announced the news on his social media channels on Monday.

Same place , different day , not where I wanted to be but still a smile on my face 🧸🙏🏻👨🏻⚕️💉🩹🤷🏻‍♂️🙃🤍 #iwillbeback #recovery #seeyousoon pic.twitter.com/PIyIFQa93t

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) June 21, 2021

Wawrinka, a former World No.3, has not competed since Doha in March. On March 25th he announce that he had undergone a first surgery on the foot.

Currently ranked 30, Wawrinka owns a 3-3 record thus far in 2021.

Hey guys, just wanted to update you . After having some problems in my left foot for a while, I have decided to do a small procedure 💉🔬🔪🦶 on it. Everything went well 🙏🏼. I will be out for a few weeks but can’t wait to start practicing again soon 🏃🏻💪🏻 🎾🧡 pic.twitter.com/5PZre7kluA

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) March 25, 2021

It’s not the first time the legendary Swiss has gone under the knife. In 2017 he called his season early and did two surgeries on his left knee.

“The first surgery was arthroscopy to have a look at the problem and the second one was to reconstruct the cartilage,” Wawrinka said, according to ATPWorldTour.com. “It was very difficult and tough, a big surgery. I needed crutches for eight weeks and lost a lot of muscles because of that.”

The Canadian doesn't want to take the risk of travellng to the Olympics. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday June 21, 2021

Denis Shapovalov joins a growing list of tennis stars that have opted out of this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. The Canadian star made the announcement on social media on Monday.

He joins Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud and Roberto Bautista Agut as ATP players who have elected not to travel to Tokyo.

“After careful consideration I wanted to let you know that I will not be participating in the Olympics this year,” he wrote on Twitter. “Representing Canada means the world to me, but due to the current situation my team and I have decided this is the best decision for everyone’s safety.”

Hey everyone, after careful consideration I wanted to let you know that I will not be participating in the Olympics this year. Representing Canada means the world to me, but due to the current situation my team and I have decided this is the best decision for everyone’s safety. pic.twitter.com/aQD5n2kFS7

— Denis Shapovalov (@denis_shapo) June 21, 2021

The World No.12 recently skipped Roland Garros due to a shoulder injury. Last week he reached his first semi-final on grass, where he was eventually defeated by Cameron Norrie.

The Swiss still shares the all-time Grand Slam title lead, but likely not for longBy Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday May 19, 2021

Roger Federer will bid for his 21st major title in two weeks at Wimbledon. But this week in Halle, where Federer is a 10-time champion, the Swiss says he doesn’t like that all the focus is on Grand Slam titles these days.

“It seems like it’s only Grand Slam titles that matter these days. And I don’t like that,” he said. “Most of the time, we play ATP tournaments. At the time, I just wanted to beat Pete Sampras’ record. I’ve always said that anything that comes after 15 Grand Slam titles is a bonus. As long as all three of us play, anything is possible. My goals at Wimbledon are clearly quite high.”

No matter which way we slice it, Novak Djokovic is going to take his fair share of arguments, no matter which measuring stick we use. He broke the record for weeks at No.1 earlier this year, and he is also atop the all-time Masters 1000 titles list, tied with Rafael Nadal at 36.

"I'm excited to be back on the green grass" 🌱@rogerfederer #NoventiOpen pic.twitter.com/ZZ4e8t6LSr

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 14, 2021

If Djokovic finishes 2021 at No.1 he will break the record for most year-end No.1 finishes—he is currently tied with Pete Sampras at 6.

Even Federer had to admit he was impressed with Djokovic’s amazing performance last week at Roland Garros.

“The way Novak Djokovic came back against Stefanos Tsitsipas was amazing,” he said. “Even in the semi-final against Rafael Nadal, there were incredible rallies.”

The World No.1 has won the first two Slams of 2021. Can he run the table? By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday May 19, 2021

Novak Djokovic, the unstoppable force that found his way past Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros before claiming his 19th major title on Sunday, is still in the running for the calendar Slam.

On Sunday, his longtime coach Marian Vajda says that the world-beating Serb is in good enough shape to go after it.

“As much as Novak is healthy, and he's healthy right now, he's in great shape, I think he has ability to win the Grand Slam for this year. I'm pretty sure,” Vajda said.

Asked to elaborate, Vajda added that Djokovic’s goal is to win every major major event he plays. Never mind that it’s a crowded year and Wimbledon is just two weeks away, with the Olympics not long after that, wedged between the Championships and the U.S. Open.

Merci beaucoup ❤️🏆🇫🇷 #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/9sec67ivN0

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) June 13, 2021

“Obviously his goal and our goal is to win the Olympics and then win the Grand Slam,” Vajda said. “That would be the absolutely top of this year. But it's still far away from us. We have to still focus on the next one. But overall he's set up for this year. His priority is really set up like Wimbledon, Olympics, and US Open. I think that says all. His schedule is according that we practice and prepare for those tournaments.

Djokovic, who is now just one major title behind both Federer and Nadal, says he’ll keep working to catch them. He never thought it was out of the question, he said.

“I never thought it was a mission impossible to reach the Grand Slams of these guys,” he said. “I mean, I'm not there, but it's one less. But they are still playing. Obviously they're playing great, especially Rafa with his level.

“We all have still opportunities at Wimbledon, all the other slams. You have four slams a year, so we're all competing for this amazing achievement and amazing trophies. I'll keep on going. I'll keep on chasing. At the same time I'll keep on paving my own path, which is my own authentic path. We all three of us have our own journeys, and that's it.”

Bowing to Rafael Nadal for the second year in a row at Roland Garros gave Diego Schwartzman an interesting idea.
If you can't beat him, avoid him.

Diego Schwartzman snapped Rafael Nadal's streak of 36 straight sets at Roland Garros before the king of clay answered with a commanding nine-game run to close a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory racing into his record-extending 14th Roland Garros semifinal.

More: Nadal Subdues Schwartzman

It's the second year in a row 13-time French Open champion Nadal has stopped Schwartzman in Paris following his semifinal sweep last October. That came after Nadal's four-set 2018 quarterfinal victory over the Buenos Aires-born baseliner.

Given Nadal's 105-2 career record in Paris, Schwartzman has a simple solution for navigating the 35-year-old Spaniard in the future: hope to play world No. 1 Novak Djokovic rather than Nadal.

"I did great tournaments here in Paris, but always losing against Rafa the last few years," Schwartzman said. "In semifinal, two times quarters.

"I want to play maybe Nole next time, but no Rafa. Is difficult. I did great matches. Always close the last few matches. But at the end he's winning, so nothing."

Last fall, Schwartzman surprised Nadal scoring a 6-2, 7-5 victory in the Rome quarterfinals.

Though the 5'7" Argentinean tested the king of clay today, Schwartzman said once Rafa becomes Rafa, he commands Court Philippe Chatrier.

"He feel like he's doing everything to put you two, three meters behind the line. The court is really big and you start to play difficult games and difficult matches against him," Schwartzman said. "The last three times we played here in Chatrier, two times we went to the fourth, and last year I was very close to go to the fourth, as well.

"You know, at the end is very difficult. I had the chances today maybe in the third. I was close. I was playing a little bit better than him. At the end he's Rafa and he's always finding the way."

Photo credit: Roland Garros Facebook

The Slovenian is on the rise, and leading the way for her country of just over two million people. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday May 19, 2021

Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek has been enjoying a Cinderella run at Roland Garros. At 85 in the world, she’s parlayed a trio of three-set wins to a run of a lifetime. The 23-year-old, who has a strong interest in psychology, has suddenly become a mental coach for two million Slovenians, says her coach Marjan Cuk.

She wants to be a psychotherapist, mental coach,” her coach told reporters on Wednesday.

Cuk said that he and the rest of Zidansek’s team approached her and told her that she can be a big inspiration for her country this week in Paris.

“Look, you are studying this [subject], but now you can be a mental coach for whole Slovenia,” Cuk said. “If you go to the court and you show the strength and you show the people that I'm here to fight, they will follow you. So you are a mental coach for two million people in Slovenia.

“That was our way, no? She was looking and said, Wow, this is the thing. Yes, now I understand a bigger picture, not just small one.”

Quote of the day courtesy of Marjan Cuk, coach to Tamara Zidansek.

On the team’s positive, fun vibes:

"We enjoy every moment of life. Why not? We are not turtles that we live 220 years. Let's enjoy it, c’mon.” #RG21 pic.twitter.com/AC7fLy5wbv

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 9, 2021

Zidansek took out No.6 seed Bianca Andreescu in her first match and has been off to the races from there.

She will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals, and could become the lowest-ranked finalist in Roland-Garros history if she wins.

“Winning the first round was a big breakthrough for me,” she said. “I got a lot of confidence from that.” Zidansek is a remarkable story in Paris. In her first eight Grand Slam main draw appearances she had never been past round two.

Her exceptional forehand has driven her success. She cracked 34 forehand winners in her quarter-final win over Badosa, and has struck 109 forehand winners overall.

Her coach agrees that the forehand is big, but he warned that Zidansek is not a one-trick pony.

“Everyone is talking about her forehand,” he said. “I agree, this is really big weapon. But my opinion as a coach is that she have five pistols always, so she can play forehand, we improved a lot backhand, she can do a dropshot, sometime she go to the net. Variety of the serve is also quite much better than it was.”