Tennis Tips, Tricks And Gear

The Russian is the hottest player in the game right now, but clay has a way of slowing him down. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday April 10, 2023

Daniil Medvedev enters the clay-court season as the hottest player on the ATP Tour. The Russian has won 24 of his last 25 matches, and reached the final of the last five events he has played, winning four.

Now comes the ultimate challenge: keeping it rolling on the red clay.

One look at Medvedev’s career winning percentage on the red stuff tells us that it is not going to be an easy challenge. Medvedev has won matches at a 43.9 percent clip (18-23) over the course of his career, which compares mega unfavorably to his hard court winning percentage of 75.2 percent (245-81).

Speaking on Sunday ahead of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Medvedev opened up about the dilemma he faces. The 27-year-old has to change his game, and that’s not an ideal situation for a player who has been close to perfect with what he has on the hard courts.

What are we talking about…..🤣😝 pic.twitter.com/kcwXQ74FhI

— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) April 9, 2023

“I definitely have to change a little bit because my strokes are too flat and clay doesn’t let it go through the court enough and often opponents can use it,” he told reporters.

Medvedev seeks to find the balance that will let him still play in his comfort zone while being effective on clay. He has found it at times over the course of his career, as is evidenced by his trip to the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros in 2021. There was also 2019 when he earned wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic in succession to reach the semifinals at Monte-Carlo, the same year he reached the final at Barcelona.

Strangely, Medvedev is actually 3-3 lifetime against the Top 20 on clay, but just 9-16 when the lens pans out to look at his body of work against the Top 50 on the red dirt.

Perhaps this year will be different, now that Medvedev has changed his strings and gained a ton of confidence over the last two months.

Medvedev just needs to keep that confidence in his head, but it has proven elusive on the surface. Mentally he seems to expect the worst on the clay, never a recipe for racking up wins.

“You cannot change what you do nine months a year, drastically,” Medvedev said. “So I have to find a good balance where I still play my game with a little kick to it…like changing just maybe some shots in the right moment. And that’s how I can be good and that’s how I was able to be good in the good moments.”

That said, Medvedev has made peace with his plight. He says the sport is better off having a clay season, even if he is one of the players that perpetually struggles.

“I understand that it cannot be 12 months of hard courts,” he said. “And I think it’s good to have these different surfaces. That’s good for the sport. But me, I prefer hard courts, I’m not going to lie.”

The World No.1 is fresh and eager to hit the ground running in Monte-Carlo. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday April 10, 2023

Ahead of his first appearance on the clay in 2023, Novak Djokovic points out the positives of having missed Indian Wells and Miami this year. Sure, the World No.1 would have preferred to play, but given that he didn’t he was able to make the most of time, put in some extra work on the clay, and do another mini pre-season.

It all bodes well for the 22-time Grand Slam champion as he makes a play for a third Roland-Garros title in June.

Long time no see, bro!https://t.co/jR0O8s16fv

— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) April 9, 2023

"It's a fine balance,” he said, according to Simon Cambers of TennisMajors.com. “I guess that's another maybe positive note about not competing on a weekly basis that you can give your body time to recuperate, regain the energy and strength, and then have weeks of good training and kind of a mini mini pre-season preparation type of period where you can build that over all of the aspects or elements that you need in order to compete at the highest level consistently, particularly on the surface that is physically the most demanding surface."

Djokovic, seeded no.1 at Monte-Carlo, will face Russian qualifier Ivan Gakhova in second-round action on Tuesday.

A Scouting Report on “Amazing” Alcaraz

During his pre-tournament press conference, Djokovic was asked to talk about Carlos Alcaraz, and gave a glowing review of what he has witnessed from the 19-year-old World No.2.

“The way he has been playing recently, but also in the last year and a half, he has been one of the best players in the world on any surface,” Djokovic said. “And he has proven that he can win a Grand Slam – he won it on hardcourt where probably most of the people thought that he’s going to win the first slam on clay. So that tells you how complete of a player he is.”

Djokovic continued to praise the Spaniard’s mentality and acumen, and then mentioned Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune as two talented players who might create a “new big three”.

“I think he has a great mentality, fighting spirit, always pushes hard, takes away the time from the opponent and I think he adjusts well to every opponent to be able to adapt his game tactically,” he said of Alcaraz. “Very, very complete player and just amazing. For our sport to have a champion like him, no doubt. And he’s so young.”

Djokovic also talked the blossoming rivalry with Alcaraz with respect, and gave a nod to 19-year-old Holger Rune as well.

“And it’s also refreshing to have another great rivalry that people get excited about, which [Alcaraz] him and Sinner,” he said. “We have seen some thrilling, exciting matches between the two of them, so I’m sure that those two guys, along with [Holger] Rune from the younger generations, are going to be the leaders. So maybe that’s the next big three.”

The Czech returns to the Top 10 for the first time since September of 2021.By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday April 3, 2023

Petra Kvitova produced her own brand of Miami heat this weekend, burning through the women’s singles draw to claim her biggest title on tour since the summer of ‘21.

Now the former World No.2 and two-time major champion is back inside the Top 10.

33-year-old Kvitova rises two spots in this week’s WTA rankings and claims a spot in the Top 10 for the first time since September of 2021.

The Czech claimed her 30th WTA title on Saturday, dispatching 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in a hard-fought battle. She is the oldest player – and only player over 30 – inside the WTA’s Top 10 at the moment.

There wasn’t much movement inside the Top 10 on Monday. Belinda Bencic departs, dropping two from No.9 to No.11, while Maria Sakkari rises from No.10 to No.9. The rest of the Top 10 remains the same.

Cirstea Pops 33

On the strength of her Miami semifinal, Sorana Cirstea, former World No.21, jumps 33 spots to No.41 – the Romanian is the biggest mover inside the WTA’s Top 100 this week. Cirstea, who reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, was ranked 83 at the beginning of March.

Other notable movers this week are Italy’s Martina Trevisan, who jumps four spots to make her Top 20 debut at No.20, and Anastasia Potapova, who rises one spot to a career-high of 25.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto (+4 to No.45) and Varvara Gracheva (+8 to No.45) also hit career highs on Monday. Marketa Vondrousova, former World No.14, rises 20 spots to No.83.

Sabalenka Leads the Race

Aryna Sabalenka still has a 314-point lead over Elena Rybakina in the Race standings, with Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek holding down No.3 and No.4 spots.

Top 20 in the WTA's Race: pic.twitter.com/d3y4EPkRJO

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) April 3, 2023

The 22-time major champion is back at the top of the ATP rankings. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday April 3, 2023

Novak’s back!

22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has returned to the top of the ATP ranking for the eighth time as of Monday, April 3. The 35-year-old leapfrogs Carlos Alcaraz to begin his record 381st week atop the table.

Djokovic, who will return to the court at Monte-Carlo next week, has a 380-point lead over second-ranked Alcaraz. He will defend just ten points at Monte-Carlo, where he lost his first match to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina last year.

The World No.1 will defend a total of 1880 points between now and the end of Roland-Garros.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, only defends 10 points at Monte-Carlo as well. The 19-year-old is defending 1870 points between now and the end of Roland-Garros.

Medvedev up to No.4

Daniil Medvedev jumps back into the Top 4 after claiming the title in Miami. The Russian leapfrogs Casper Ruud and is 620 points behind third-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Italy's Jannik Sinner is back at his career-high ranking of No.9. The Miami runner-up is just 25 points behind 8th-ranked Holger Rune.

The biggest riser inside the Top 100 is American Chris Eubanks. A quarterfinalist last week in Miami, Eubanks jumps 34 spots to No.85 – he is one of 14 Americans inside the Top 100 this week.

Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori is the biggest gainer inside the Top 50. He climbs 17 spots thanks to a Miami quarterfinal, and ends up at 37.

France’s Luca Van Assche also jumps 17 spots to make his Top 100 debut at No.91. The 18-year-old has never won an ATP level match, but claimed the Sanremo Challenger title last week, defeating Juan Pablo Varillas in the final. Van Assche also won the Pau Challenger title in February, defeating Arthur Rinderknech and Ugo Humbert in his semifinal and final rounds.

Medvedev Leads Race to Turin Standings

As we head to the clay, here are the Race to Turin standings, with Daniil Medvedev leading the pack by 600 points.

Top 20 in the ATP's race to Turin 👇 pic.twitter.com/dT3GkUuloQ

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) April 3, 2023

26-year-old Eubanks explains what the milestone means to him in Miami.
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday March 28, 2023

Chris Eubanks is officially in late bloom mode. The Atlanta native, a former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, is having one of the best weeks of his career at the Miami Open.

The 26-year-old, ranked 117 entering the week, has engineered victories over Denis Kudla, Borna Coric (his first career Top 20 win) and Gregoire Barrere to reach the round of 16 at Miami for the first time.

That’s not all…

The two-time NCAA All-American entered the week with just two Masters 1000 main draw victories to his name, but he’s more than doubled that number and also ensured himself of a Top-100 ranking in next week’s ATP rankings for the first time.

The American savored the magical moment on court, hugging his team after the 6-3, 7-6(7) victory over Barrere, and afterwards he conducted an emotional press conference in the mixed zone with reporters at the Miami Open.

All the emotions for @Chris_Eubanks96 after his big @MiamiOpen win!

What a journey for Big Banks 🥹🙌

📹: @DKTNNS pic.twitter.com/cAhMnBO1PR

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 28, 2023

Eubanks said he had to find a way to stop thinking about reaching the Top 100, and he had the perfect solution. Delete the app!

“I was thinking about the Top 100 and everything, and I had some losses that I shouldn’t have,” he said. “This week I said ‘Alright I’m going to delete the rankings app,’ and focus on playing every single match,” he said, on the verge of tears. “It feels good.”

Eubanks, who spends his off hours as a Tennis Channel analyst, was clearly on cloud nine. His voice was cracking and he found it hard to speak as he explained what the moment meant to him.

“I’m one of those people who watch people get all emotional and stuff and I’m like ‘Yeah, it’s so dramatic,’ but thinking back, it’s just weird – everything is coming together…. Growing up I was never the best junior, I was never the was the best in my state, never was the best in my section, never was the best in the nation, I just kept practicing and working and said ‘Hey, whatever happens, happens.’”

Eubanks, who will turn 27 in May, has needed time to find his self-belief on the court.

“I got a scholarship [to college] – great. I said I wanted to go pro, but didn’t know if I really meant it,” he said. “Honestly I didn’t really know if I had the game to compete with top-level guys. I didn’t know if I had the consistency to win enough matches to get there.”

The American had to weather a lot of stress on Monday, as his second-set tiebreak was interrupted by rain with Barrere leading 5-2.

“And to do it the way I did it in that match, with a rain delay – I was up a set and a break serving probably the best I’ve ever served as a professional… got to a breaker, 4-2 I started seeing the rain coming, tried to rush a point, ended up slipping, losing a point and now it’s 5-2. Come back out of that miss a second-serve return, down 6-2 and somehow to win that match – it’s crazy.”

But the American got some wisdom from a compatriot who was in a similar situation. Frances Tiafoe was one of the first players Eubanks ran into during the rain delay. The 12th-seeded American was in a pickle himself, trailing by a set and a break to Lorenzo Sonego, but he still had time to send some positive vibes in the direction of his friend.

Minutes after a dramatic #MiamiOpen win, @chris_eubanks96 could barely process what he had just accomplished.

Smiling through watery eyes, Eubanks credited @FTiafoe's pep talk during a rain delay for inspiring his 5 set point saves. 🥺

From @LIVAUDAIS:https://t.co/f0ahteMJBm

— TENNIS (@Tennis) March 28, 2023

An Assist to Tiafoe

“The first person I saw when I went into the locker room was Frances,” Eubanks said, according to Steph Livaudis of Tennis.com. “I said something like, ‘Yeah hopefully I find my range in case this goes three.’ And Frances was like, ‘Man, forget that! You can go out there and win seven points in a row!’ Those were his exact words to me… I was like, you know what? That’s a good idea.”

Tiafoe went on to lose his match to Sonego, but his contribution to Eubanks’ win should not go unnoticed. This type of camaraderie is a big reason why the American men are thriving on tour at the moment.

As for Eubanks, he’ll enter Wednesday’s quarterfinal with France’s Adrian Mannarino as the underdog, but he has already proven this week in Miami that he’s got an excellent game, and newfound confidence to match.

The Canadian says she is praying that it's nothing serious… By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday March 28, 2023

Bianca Andreescu left the court in a wheelchair on Monday night in Miami, forced to retire after suffering an injury to her lower left leg that was clearly agonizing.

On Tuesday, the Canadian has provided a hopeful update on her status, mentioning her foot rather than her ankle in a post on social media.

“Woke up with a brace on my foot… anyone know what happened?” Andreescu wrote. “On a serious note tho… that was the worst pain I’ve ever felt… praying for nothing serious. Still waiting on official results. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kind words, doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Woke up with a brace on my foot… anyone know what happened? 😂😩

On a serious note tho… that was the worst pain I’ve ever felt… praying for nothing serious. Still waiting on official results. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kind words, doesn’t go unnoticed 🙏🏼

— Bianca (@Bandreescu_) March 28, 2023

The 2019 US Open champ was experiencing a bit of a resurgence, having played extremely well in defeat against Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells, and earning victories over Emma Raducanu, Maria Sakkari and Sofia Kenin at Miami before falling via retirement to Ekaterina Alexandrova.

We’ll just have to wait for the next update to find out when we’ll get to see the 22-year-old World No.31 continue her rise…

Elena Rybakina keeps closing in on the Top 5. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday March 21, 2023

Elena Rybakina ticks off a new – and well-deserved – career-high ranking, while Aryna Sabalenka closes the gap on Iga Swiatek ever so slightly in this week's WTA rankings.

Rybakina, who would be ranked fifth if she was carrying the 2000 Wimbledon points she would have won in 2022 (had the tour allowed rankings points), is proving that she is an elite force on tour these days.

She rises from No.10 to No.7 thanks to her title at the BNP Paribas Open, where she became the first woman to ever win the title by defeating the No.1 and No.2-ranked players on tour.

CX: Lot of questions about what Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina would be ranked if Wimbledon hadn't been stripped of points in 2022

By my count she'd be No. 5 (instead of No. 7) behind Swiatek, Sabalenka, Jabeur & Pegula.#getty pic.twitter.com/601fcPWsFa

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) March 19, 2023

Sabalenka Inches Closer to Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka, currently the World No.2, closes the gap between herself and Iga Swiatek to 3,235 points. The Belarusian talent will have another chance to gain on Swiatek this week, as the Pole, who pulled out with a rib injury, will drop 1,000 points from winning last year’s title.

Sabalenka, who list in the round of 16 last year, is defending only 10 points.

Also rising in the Top 20 in this week’s rankings are a pair of Czechs, Petra Kvitova and Barbora Krejcikova. Kvitova and Krejcikova each jump three spots to No.12 and No.13, respectively, while Croatia's Donna Vekic climbs three spots to No.20, making her return to the Top 20 for the first time since January of 2020.

Elsewhere in the ranking, 17-year-old Czech Linda Fruhvirtova rises three spots to make her Top 50 debut at No.50. The teen has had a solid start to 2023, reaching the second week at the Australian Open, and winning six of 11 matches on tour thus far.

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk also reaches a career-high – at No.38 – as does Russia’s Varvara Gracheva, at No.54.

Gracheva jumped 12 spots thanks to a round of 16 run at Indian Wells.

The biggest jump inside the Top 100 was made by another Czech – Karolina Muchova – who powered up 21 spots to No.55 thanks to a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells. The former No.19 took eventual champion Elena Rybakina to three sets at Indian Wells.

The 22-time major champ has no regrets and is living in the present as he prepares for the clay-court season. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday March 21, 2023

Speaking to CNN in Dubai, Novak Djokovic says he has no regrets about his decision to remain unvaccinated and the fact that he has missed Indian Wells and Miami for the second consecutive year, which has contributed to his drop in the rankings.

With Djokovic on the sidelines this month, Carlos Alcaraz won the title at Indian Wells, and the 22-time Grand Slam champion says the rising Spaniard deserves to hold the top spot.

“I congratulate Alcaraz,” he said. “He absolutely deserves to come back to No. 1.”

Novak Djokovic says he has “no regrets” at not being able to play at Indian Wells and the Miami Open in the US due to his vaccination status.https://t.co/Z1GIOHwNL3

— CNN (@CNN) March 21, 2023

Djokovic, who will make his return on the European clay this spring as he mounts his charge for a third Roland-Garros title, says he wants to focus on the present.

“It’s a pity that I wasn’t able to play in Indian Wells and Miami,” he said. “I love those tournaments. I had plenty of success there. But at the same time, it is the conscious decision I made and I knew that there is always a possibility that I won’t go. And it is the current state or current situation that I hope will change for later this year for the US Open. That is the most important tournament for me on the American soil.”

No regrets for the soon to be 36-year-old.

“No, I have no regrets,” Djokovic said in an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson. “I’ve learned through life that regrets only hold you back and basically make you live in the past. And I don’t want to do that. I also don’t want to live too much in the future. I want to be as much as in the present moment, but of course think about future, create a better future.”

Charging into his maiden Masters semifinal in Indian Wells reinforces Frances Tiafoe's major dream.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Growing up in Maryland, Frances Tiafoe sometimes slept on the floor of the tennis club where his father was head of maintenance.

These days, Tiafoe is taking big strides toward tracking his major dream. 

More: Rune Calls Out Wawrinka

Facing the firing line is when Carlos Alcaraz's game is most alive.

Applying his variety, Tiafoe took down 2021 Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4, to charge into his first Masters 1000 semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open.

The No. 14-seeded Tiafoe ended Norrie's eight-match winning streak and aims to play semifinal streak buster as well.

Daniil Medvedev defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in today's second quarterfinal and rides an 18-match winning streak into his semifinal vs. Tiafoe.

Asserting his speed to attack, Tiafoe won 12 of 15 trips to net and knows he'll need to exploit the frontcourt if he's to upset 2021 US Open champion Medvedev. 

"I'm using my speed a lot more to be aggressive, not just to react to balls and out the corners and stuff," Tiafoe said. "I'm doing that much better now. Using my speed to be aggressive, coming forward much more, sticking volleys, and just being athletic out there.

"It's tough for guys. I'm really coming at you."

Five months after Tiafoe toppled Rafael Nadal en route to his maiden major semifinal at the US Open, he's into his first Masters 1000 final four.

Tiafoe says he's driven by one major goal: "Win a Grand Slam."

"Be No. 1 in the world, great, but if I can walk away from the game, I won a slam, I will sleep totally well at night," Tiafoe said. "No one's gonna tell me shit. I'm gonna be, Oh, I'm a Grand Slam champion. I will be pumped, preferably US Open. Yeah, that's to go. And I'm in semis at Indian Wells, so why not try to win Indian Wells first? Yeah, I mean, I think that's the one thing I want to actually, to win a Grand Slam."

Initially, the burden of being another American Grand Slam hope knocked Tiafoe off track. He concedes day-to-day discipline eluded him in his younger years.

"I'm a guy came from very humble beginnings," said Tiafoe, whose parents emigrated to the United States from Sierra Leone. "I came on the scene, I was 18 years old, 19 years old, in top 100. Guys thinking I'm gonna be the guy to do it, X, Y, and Z, American hope, blah, blah, blah.

"It was tough. I don't think I was really ready for it. You know, I was, you know, a young guy having money, I was enjoying my life, you know, outside activities and stuff like that. Now I just honed it in."

Seeing the Slam progress of young players he grew up facing in juniors and wanting to experience green days of his own inspired Tiafoe, who tapped into his love of the game and for improving.

"I think the main thing was, you know, these guys ahead of me, seeing guys I grew up with, playing juniors with, Andrey, Zverev, Tsitsipas, am I just gonna let these guys take all the money out here for years to come?" Tiafoe said. "Because, I mean, I played these guys and beat them on the odd occasion, but I just wasn't doing these kind of things and winning consistent matches. I was like, All right, I mean, something's gotta give here."

Hiring coach Wayne Ferreira, has helped Tiafoe turn his career around.

When Ferreira started working with Tiafoe he saw a little bit of his younger self in the man from Maryland.

"I think I helped him because I played and I went through the issues of being relatively talented and being lazy, and then finding the right team, people behind me pushing me to do the right thing day to day with the food, practicing and with the fitness and gym work," Ferreira said during the US Open last summer. "That's something he had to really change. He had to really improve the food. Food intake was terrible at the beginning. The effort on the practices and on the court wasn't good enough.

"It's taken time for us to get gradually to where we are today. He still has a few things to improve and do better, but it's been a bit of a struggle."

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by BNP Paribas Open (@bnpparibasopen)

Rising back to No. 14 in the live rankings, Tiafoe isn't sleeping on his talent anymore.

"I love this game too much to not figure it out. Yeah, hiring Wayne, you know, he's getting a tight team around me," Tiafoe said. "Just holding myself accountable and just having that curiosity of how good I can be at this game.

"You know, I got a, you know, gift from the man above and I just want to see what I can do with this game. I owe it a lot."

Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty

'I saw a taste of the level where No.1 is at physically' says Raducanu after falling to Swiatek
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday March 15, 2023

Emma Raducanu came to the California desert with very low expectations, not quite feeling 100 percent and certainly not at peak fitness.

Three impressive wins later she found herself across the net from a litmus test the likes of which the WTA has not seen for several years.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek bullied Raducanu around the court 6-3, 6-1, in slow, heavy conditions on Tuesday night at the BNP Paribas Open. But the Brit leaves the tournament feeling that there are brighter days ahead.

“It feels good. Gives me confidence,” Raducanu said of the big wins she earned over higher-ranked players – 62nd-ranked Danka Kovinic in the first round, 21st-ranked Magda Linette in the second and 13th-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia in the third. “I think especially because of where I was before this tournament, I didn't think I would even play, to be honest. But to have played and then won three rounds and beaten two amazing opponents, yeah, I'm very proud of myself."

Emma Raducanu & Iga Swiatek at the net after their IW R4 match. pic.twitter.com/UueE0kDhkW

— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) March 15, 2023

Raducanu could only manage four games against juggernaut Swiatek, but she played well in the beginning of each set and at least came away with the knowledge of how good she would need to be, physically, tactically and execution-wise, to reach that level.

“Now it's just about consistent work to physically get to where I want to be,” she said. “Yeah, I saw a taste of the level where No. 1 is at physically and how she is at the corners, repetitive, relentless. Yeah, I just couldn't take that.”

Raducanu admitted that a rough run of injuries has not allowed her to train the way she needs to. The 20-year-old is looking to remedy that immediately, and spoke of her desire to make her fitness a calling card.

“When I'm telling you I haven't trained, like I haven't trained,” she said with a smile. “Physically I feel like that's going to be one of my biggest assets. My team has spoken about it. I think that I'm going to be, like, one of the best athletes on the tour, and that's going to be a big part of my game.

“I would say there is a very long way to go, but I'm definitely starting the right work now.”