Tennis
FIFTEEN YEARS ON, HOW MAIDEN MONTE CARLO WIN SPARKED RAFAEL NADAL BREAKTHROUGH
Rafael Nadal celebrates the 15th anniversary of his first Monte Carlo Masters title on Sunday (April 19), a victory which sparked a breakthrough season, a maiden Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros and set the Spaniard on the road to becoming one of the sport’s greatest players.
Nadal was just 18 when he beat Guillermo Coria in the 2005 Monte Carlo final.
Two years earlier, he had offered tennis a glimpse of the future when, at 16, he stunned French Open champion Albert Costa on the famous red clay on the shores of the Mediterranean.
His 2005 triumph was one of 11 titles Nadal captured that year – eight of them on clay at Costa do Sauipe, Acapulco, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, the French Open, Bastad and Stuttgart.
He also proved he was no slow-court bully, ending the year with hard court victories in Canada, Beijing and Madrid.
That success was also reflected in the rankings.
At the end of 2004, he was at 51; fast forward 12 months and he was the world No. 2.
Among his 85-trophy career haul, 11 have come in Monte Carlo including a record eight in a row from 2005-2012 and three more between 2016-2018.
In 76 matches at the event, he has lost just five times.
Despite his maiden victory in Monte Carlo, however, Nadal was not sounding confident about his chances at Roland Garros later that season.
“No, no, no. I am not favourite, no. It’s my first Roland Garros,” the teenager told reporters in faltering English, a language he was gradually mastering thanks to lessons of “20 minutes, 30 minutes” every day.
“I am playing good now, but I don’t know at the French Open if I’m going to play good or I’m going to play bad.”
He need not have worried.
Just weeks later in Paris, Nadal beat Roger Federer in the semi-finals and the now forgotten Mariano Puerta in the final, coming from a set down.
Eleven more Roland Garros crowns have followed for a Grand Slam haul of 19, just one behind Federer’s record 20.
Had it not been for a career-long struggle with wrist and knee problems – which kept him out of nine majors – that figure would likely have been even more impressive.
The ongoing coronavirus crisis has robbed Nadal, who turns 34 on June 3, of the opportunity to clinch a 12th Monte Carlo title.
However, the pause has given rivals time to reflect on Nadal’s 15 years at the top, with 209 weeks in the world No. 1 spot.
He has not dropped out of the top 10 since Monte Carlo in 2005.
“It’s obvious he has a champion’s mentality, what he’s managed to produce over the years on all surfaces, the way he was bouncing back from numerous injuries,” said top ranked Novak Djokovic.
The Serb holds a narrow 29-26 career edge over the Spaniard.
But Nadal is 24-16 against Federer and 17-7 over Andy Murray, the other member of the ‘Big Four’.
“The resilience, the intensity he brings – when you see him jumping around before you walk onto court, it already intimidates you. A mental giant and a physical giant,” added the 32-year-old Djokovic.
Murray agreed.
“I would say that, consistently, Rafa has been mentally the strongest,” said the Briton, who turns 33 on May 15.
“Even when he was 18, 19, which is so rare for the guys coming through. That’s normally the part that takes the longest.”
-AFP
Tennis
Osaka parts way with her coach
Naomi Osaka has parted ways with coach Wim Fissette after four years together across two stints, the 26-year-old announced late on Friday.
The former world number one won two of her four Grand Slam titles under the guidance of the Belgian, but is currently 75th in the rankings having returned to the tour nine months ago after a lengthy maternity break.
“Four years, two slams and a whole lot of memories,” Osaka wrote in an Instagram post.
“Thanks Wim for being a great coach and an even greater person. Wishing you all the best.”
Of the 16 tournaments Osaka has played this season, she has made the quarter-finals in only two – Doha and ‘s-Hertogenbosch – and the Japanese player has also failed to go past the second round in each of the four Grand Slams
-Reuters
Tennis
Five US women in top 15 in the world for first time in two decades
Five players from the United States are ranked in the Women’s Tennis Association’s top 15 for the first time in two decades, the USTA said on Monday.
World number two Coco Gauff led the American charge followed by sixth-ranked Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins, who climbed two spots to ninth on the list amid a remarkable farewell season.
Madison Keys was ranked 14th while Emma Navarro hopped two spots to a career-high 15th after reaching her first major quarter-final at Wimbledon.
The last time five American women featured in the top 15 was May 24, 2004, when Lindsay Davenport was fourth in the world
-Reuters
Tennis
Venus Williams among sporting figures to get own Barbie doll
Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and Australian soccer player Mary Fowler are among nine athletes to get a Barbie doll in their likeness as toy maker Mattel seeks to shine a light on women sports role models ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Mattel unveiled the dolls on Wednesday, each with their bespoke accessories. Fowler’s wears gloves and holds a football while Williams’ doll, dressed in an all white tennis dress and visor as well as wearing earrings, comes with a miniature racket.
The former world number one said she hoped to motivate young girls into sports with the doll.
“I literally can’t imagine my life without sports and without the game,” Williams said in a video, in which she held the doll.
“I want other young girls to have that invaluable experience of playing a sport and what it teaches you and what you learn and what you take from it, not just that moment (but) for the rest of your life… I think it’s so important for girls to be in sports.”
Other sports figures to have a doll in their likeness include French boxer Estelle Mossely, Polish sprinter Ewa Swoboda, Spanish doctor and paratriathlon athlete Susana Rodriguez, Italian former swimmer Federica Pellegrini, Canadian soccer player Christine Sinclair as well as Mexican and Brazilian gymnasts, Alexa Moreno and Rebeca Andrade.
The dolls, unveiled as Barbie turns 65 this year, “(recognise) the impact of sport in fostering self-confidence and ambition among the next generation”, Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and Mattel’s Global Head of Dolls, said.
“By shining a light on these inspirational athletes and their stories, we hope to champion the belief that every young girl deserves the opportunity to pursue her passions and turn her dreams into reality,” she said in a statement.
-Reuters
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