Sad News: Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu and more have been banned from the Olympic tournament Due to…
After the ongoing grass-season, tennis will be projected onto the Paris Olympics, whose tennis tournament will be played on the Roland Garros Stadium. Many tennis players have done everything they can to participate: just think of Rafael Nadal, who will skip the Wimbledon Championships to focus on an Olympic medal. Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will also certainly be in Paris in search of an Olympic gold medal.
But, despite who will be there, many have decided (or have been forced for one reason or another) not to participate.
Nick Kyrgios, for example, should return directly for the swing on the North American hard-courts. Belinda Bencic, after becoming a mother, will return only in the next few months, while Petra Kvitova is pregnant. Andrey Rublev has decided to skip Paris Olympics without revealing the reason for the decision. Venus Williams is also out.
Emma Raducanu and Ons Jabeur, for example, have decided to avoid the switch on clay-courts, as the Paris Olympics is between the grass and hard-court seasons.
“I have to listen to my body and follow the advice of my medical team. Unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics. I have always loved representing my country in any competition,” said Jabeur.
“I just don’t think there’s any need to put any more stress on my body or take risks, especially with my history. I’m very determined and do things my way and on my own time, whenever I want. So not in my own way. diva, I’m just prioritizing my body and my health because I know if I’m fit, I know if I’m giving 100%, I know that great things are happening and coming,” analyzed Raducanu.
Aryna Sabalenka is also out, for a similar reason: “I prefer to rest a bit to make sure I am ready physically and health-wise for the hard court and I will prepare well before going to the hard court season and better for my body. Especially with all the difficulties I’ve faced in the last few months, I feel like I have to take care of my health. It’s too much to schedule and I made the decision to take I take care of my health.”
And health is the same reason why Paula Badosa decided to skip the tournament.
The young Ben Shelton also decided to skip the Paris Olympics, albeit for other reasons: “I’ll be in Europe for two months before Wimbledon and then, you know, I want to prepare and really prepare for the US Open. So having to go back to Europe to play on the clay, a different surface, you know, messes up some tournaments leading up to the US Open that I would play if I hadn’t played the Olympics I would say now I’m leaning towards not going this year if I had to make it. I think it’s difficult in the tennis this schedule.”
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Carlos Alcaraz: ‘My movements were not as good as last year’
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Francisco Cerundolo on grass
There are thirteen consecutive victories that accumulates Carlos Alcaraz on grass, a player who last year conquered the ATP 500 of Queen’s and Wimbledon consecutively for an impressive tour on grass, a player who had very little experience on this difficult surface.
The current number two of the world debuted on the green surface of the London tournament this Tuesday by beating the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo in two sets for the first round. The native of Murcia analyzed his return to this surface, in which he will play his 20th game in his career and in which he has accumulated 17 victories so far.
Good debut for Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Francisco Cerundolo, but he will have to be very careful to Jack Draper in the next round.
“I have more matches on grass and now, thanks to the great success I had last year at Queen’s and Wimbledon, I know a little bit how to play and I understand a little bit the game on grass.
I’m more mature when I play on this surface. In the first training I did here, my movements were not as good as last year, but it is a slow process, so I have to be very focused on every training and every game,” said Carlos Alcaraz.
For the tennis player directed by Juan Carlos Ferrero already at the time of turning a page after his historic victory at Roland Garros, is aware that soon he has to return to the chair to enjoy the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, but first you must defend 2,500 points on this grass tour.
“We have to focus on the tournament we are playing. Roland Garros was a fantastic moment for me, a dream come true when lifting the trophy. But now my mind has to be here, in grass, to be ready.
As soon as I can, I’ll play a good tennis and get ready for Wimbledon. Right now I’m focused on the grass and then I’ll think about the clay to do my best at the Olympics,” said world number two.
Jannik Sinner shares glimpses of private life: I’m still the same”
The Italian tennis player, with his usual humility, explained what is different now that he has become the leader of men’s tennis
In his first match as the new number 1 in the ATP ranking, Jannik SInner played against the Dutch tennis player Tallon Griekspoor and won a rather complicated match, reversing after losing the first set in the tiebreak, qualifying for the 2nd round of the Halle Open. During the post-match interview, the Italian answered many questions, both regarding the match and his adaptation to grass, and also about his private life. From the relationship with the tennis player Anna Kalinskaya to the relationship with the family, passing through the sensations of being the new ATP No.1.
Back where it all started ✨
Jannik Sinner returned to his hometown to celebrate his latest achievement of becoming World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Watch the full documentary here 🎥: https://t.co/jbGxbpYkEP#S1NNER | #PIF | #ATPRankings | #partner pic.twitter.com/UuiEEqxMow
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 18, 2024
“Me, my family and my friends are still the same. They are just results; obviously we are all happy for this and I am lucky to share all this with them. Otherwise, however, I am still the same person as I was 1 or 2 years ago. I love spending time with my friends doing something different, playing cards or riding go-karts. I feel very good when I’m with them. I wake up with a goal, then I want to improve as a person and as a tennis player. In my mind I always want to work hard, it’s part of my work ethic and I think I have a positive mindset,” he told.
UNBELIEVABLE!
Jannik Sinner with one of the points of the year.
And in such a big moment as well. pic.twitter.com/qnAJgMjF01
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 18, 2024
Griekspoor was a tough opponent, he demonstrated it several times in the last matches, but he gave Jannik the opportunity to become familiar with grass-courts, in order to prepare for the next matches. Now in the second round there will be the Hungarian Maroszan; Jannik has a chance to earn a level Quarterfinal against probably Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Italian tennis player had to work harder than expected against an always treacherous Tallon, overcoming a set deficit and finishing with a score of 6-7(8) 6-3 6-2, after 2 hours and 19 minutes of great tennis.
“In the tie-break I was ahead 5-1, but I still lost it. This can happen, especially on this surface where everything can slide very quickly. I think I was good from a mental point of view. I struggled in the second set , when I found myself down 0-40 on serve, it would have been even more complicated to try to find the right confidence again on the grass. I hope I can show some good tennis in the next round too. At the break at 4-2 in the second set, I ran a bit from right to left, then I tried to somehow catch the ball and make him play at least one more shot. He was under pressure with the break point and somehow I managed it. Then I gained confidence,” told Sinner after the match.
The 22-year-old Italian was able to resist in moments of difficulty, canceling three dangerous break points in the second set and showing off the play of a true champion, taking advantage of the Dutch tennis player’s decline to bite the match.
With this success, Jannik avoided joining an unenviable ATP No.1 club defeated in the first match after taking the ATP ranking throne.
Jannik Sinner returned to his hometown to celebrate becoming the first Italian world #1.
A completely normal, humble 22 year old returns to where it all began as the best tennis player in the world.
Wholesome. 🇮🇹🥹
pic.twitter.com/AM1C6N9jVA
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 18, 2024
Among the four ATP No.1s to share this negative record, the most recent is Carlos Alcaraz. The three-time Slam champion, in 2022, took the lead in the men’s rankings for the first time, but was defeated in the Davis Cup by Felix Auger Aliassime a few weeks later. A record shared with his coach. In fact, in 2005, Juan Carlos Ferrero, fresh ATP No.1, was defeated by Andreas Seppi. The Davis Cup was also fatal for the Spaniard. Before the two Spaniards, we must go back to February 12, 1996, when the Austrian Thomas Muster surrendered in the first round of the Dubai tournament to Sandon Stolle. The fourth and final protagonist of this club is a true legend. On March 2, 1980, John McEnroe took first place in the men’s rankings. Five days later, in a competition that seems almost cursed for number 1s – the Davis Cup – the American was beaten by the Argentine José Luis Clerc. Another 17 days passed, and McEnroe left the top of the rankings, overtaken by Bjorn Borg.
Jannik Sinner steps out on court to play his first-ever match as the World No. 1
Fully deserving of that ranking.
The season of the fox 🇮🇹🦊pic.twitter.com/R2iLmOERcB
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 18, 2024
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