Nadal in french open

Seeing just how far behind the baseline Rafael Nadal crouched to await serves at the French Open, Mackenzie McDonald knew there was one tactic that made the most sense to try. It would be ridiculous, but you should underhand-serve him the whole time, McDonald said after employing that strategy once, unsuccessfully, against 12-time Roland Garros champion Nadal in their second-round match this week. I had the chance. I didnt have the (guts). It would take a different person than me, I think, to really do it over and over, said McDonald, a 25-year-old American who won NCAA singles and doubles titles for UCLA in 2016. More players are starting to do it, but its not the right thing to do. Thats up for debate, much like the so-called “unwritten rules” in other sports that are fodder for discussion every so often and happens to be a subject of conversation in Paris right now, where underarm serves seem to be somewhat en vogue, like drop shots, on the red clay that can deaden a ball. … [Read more...] about French Open: Ivan Lendl’s OK With Underarm Serves, We Should Be, Too

Several top women’s tennis players, including Serena Williams, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland and the reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu, have said they draw inspiration from Spanish stalwart Rafael Nadal, who, at 36, is coming into Wimbledon after winning this year’s first two Grand Slams. Never before has Nadal entered Wimbledon after winning the year’s first two majors. But with the 2022 Australian Open and French Open titles in the bag, a trophy in his 15th Wimbledon would put him on the brink of the Grand Slam-winning all four majors in the same year. That feat has never been achieved in men’s singles since Rod Laver in 1969 but Nadal, following an outstanding year so far, is being touted as the one to go the distance. “He’s (Nadal) done a lot in 2022. He’s been busy,” Serena, the winner of 23 majors in singles, said in her Wimbledon pre-tournament press conference on Saturday. “I’ve always been a Rafa fan… so obviously I’m always rooting for Rafa. He’s been really … [Read more...] about Rafael Nadal’s Longevity Inspires Serena Serena, Iga Swiatek, Emma Raducanu

Rafa Nadal returns to Wimbledon for the first time in three years but it will feel a little odd for the Spaniard who, for the first time at the All England Club, will not have sparring partner Roger Federer for company. Their epic rivalry includes three successive Wimbledon finals from 2006 — the first two won by Federer and the last by Nadal in unforgettable fashion in 2008. Federer played in the juniors at Wimbledon in 1998 and has been back every year since, winning a record eight titles and establishing himself as the king of the lawns. But the 40-year-old will be absent this year as the 36-year-old Nadal seeks to continue his quest for the calendar year Grand Slam, having won the Australian Open and French Open to take his haul of majors to a record 22. Federer’s absence because of a knee injury that has sidelined him for a year will leave Wimbledon a little empty. Nadal acknowledges that without the Swiss raising the bar, his own achievements might not have been … [Read more...] about Rafael Nadal Missing Old Sparring Partner Roger Federer on Wimbledon Return

Britain's Dan Evans believes Novak Djokovic's concerns about players having only one member of their support staff at the US Open does not apply to the majority of the field and compromises should be made when action resumes. The US Open organisers are assessing safety measures for the tournament scheduled to begin on Aug. 31 without spectators after the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the season in March. World number one Djokovic said hosting the tournament would be impossible due to " extreme" COVID-19 protocols , but Evans said there has to be some "give and take" from the players. "I don't think having one person of your team only allowed is such a big deal - the majority of the draw would only travel with one coach," Evans told BBC 5 Live. "Not everyone's travelling with physios and fitness trainers like Novak said, so I think his argument there is not really valid for the rest of the draw, apart from the real top guys." The U.S. Open will be the first Grand Slam … [Read more...] about Novak Djokovic’s Concerns on US Open ‘Not Really Valid’ for Rest of ‘Us’, Says Dan Evans

World number one Novak Djokovic described the strict hygiene restrictions under which the US Open is likely to be played as "extreme" and a cap on support teams as "really impossible" on Friday. As doubts grow over whether or not the Grand Slam event can go ahead as scheduled in New York, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Djokovic admitted the demands of organisers could create severe strain. "Just yesterday I had a telephone conversation with the leaders of world tennis, there were talks about the continuation of the season, mostly about the US Open due in late August, but it is not known whether it will be held," the 33-year-old Serb told Prva TV television and quoted by Blic online daily. "The rules that they told us that we would have to respect to be there, to play at all, they are extreme." Djokovic , champion at the US Open in 2011, 2015 and 2018, described planned limits on player entourages as "really impossible". "We would not have … [Read more...] about Novak Djokovic Worried by ‘Extreme, Impossible’ US Open Health Restrictions

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal said on Friday he intends to play at Wimbledon but his final decision rests on how his troublesome left foot feels after training in London next week. “My intention is to play at Wimbledon,” Nadal said at a press conference in Mallorca. “The treatment and the last week of training tells me there is a chance. I will travel to London on Monday, play an exhibition at Hurlingham and do a week of training to see if it’s possible.” Nadal said injections meant his left foot felt “asleep” during the French Open final on June 5 — he still beat Casper Ruud to claim a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title. Nadal travelled to Barcelona last week to begin “pulsed radiofrequency stimulation”, a treatment aimed at reducing nerve pain. Nadal’s spokesperson said the treatment would leave the nerves in his foot “temporarily numb”. The 36-year-old then had his first session on grass on Monday at the Mallorca Country Club in Santa Ponca and has steadily … [Read more...] about Rafael Nadal Says His ‘Intention is to Play at Wimbledon’

The season has not panned out as Novak Djokovic would have envisaged back in January but the former world number one will hope to find redemption at Wimbledon as he looks to defend his crown and close in on Rafael Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles. The 35-year-old Serb has won the last three editions of Wimbledon in 2018, 2019 and last year, with the 2020 tournament cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was also on track for a rare calendar-year Grand Slam in 2021 after winning the first three majors, before losing to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the U.S. Open final. Mallorca Championships: Medvedev Crashes Out; Tsitsipas Reaches Semifinal After Win Over Giron Any hopes of a repeat performance this season were quickly dashed with his high-profile detention and deportation ahead of the Australian Open in January due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He then missed a string of U.S. tournaments for the same reason and only got serious match practice once the … [Read more...] about Novak Djokovic Eyes Redemption at Wimbledon Amid Stormy Season

Serena Williams has been drawn to face French debutant Harmony Tan in the first round of Wimbledon as the American star returns to singles action after a year away. Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a seventh title — and fourth in a row — against South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo, ranked 75th in the world. The early focus at the All England Club will be on 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams, who has dropped to 1,204th in the world rankings and is unseeded for the tournament, which starts on Monday. The 40-year-old, who took part in the doubles in Eastbourne this week, has not played singles since she suffered an injury during her first-round match at Wimbledon 12 months ago. Williams’s preparations for the Grand Slam suffered a blow after her doubles partner Ons Jabeur withdrew from the Eastbourne tournament because of a knee injury on Thursday. The American won the last of her seven Wimbledon singles titles in 2016 but reached the final in 2018 … [Read more...] about Wimbledon: Serena Williams to Face Unseeded Harmony Tan in First Round