Caroline Wozniacki's Best Shots Of 2015
All week we’ve been looking back at hot shot compilations from the biggest names in the game, and today it’s the turn of former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Check it out!
All week we’ve been looking back at hot shot compilations from the biggest names in the game, and today it’s the turn of former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki. Check it out!
It’s been two years since 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli retired from professional tennis, but the charismatic Frenchwoman isn’t an uncommon sight at tournaments. Between commentating matches for French and English television, competing in Legends events at Grand Slams and the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SG Global and her work with her charity foundation, Bartoli hasn’t strayed too far away from the game.
Lately, she’s also dipping her toes into more creative ventures as she heads up her own fashion design company, Marion Bartoli Design, and this year debuted her first jewelry collection.
Designing jewelry was the logical choice for Bartoli’s life after tennis – it’s been her lifelong hobby and passion.
“I have always designed and created,” Bartoli said. “Actually, I started to make some little pearl bracelets for my mother before I even picked up a tennis racquet!”
Bartoli is now a full time student at Central Saint Martins, a prestigious school of art and design in London which counts acclaimed designers like John Galliano, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen and Sarah Burton among its most notable alumni. Bartoli put her genius-level IQ to work to prepare for the entrance exams – she studied for one year before taking the tests.
“I was so nervous, it felt I was playing a Wimbledon final again!” Bartoli said. “But I passed successfully, so I feel comfortable doing and supervising everything.”
Her first capsule collection, Marion Bartoli by MATY, has two lines comprised of 65 pieces, and she’s been involved with every aspect of the creative process.
“I designed each and every single piece myself,” Bartoli said. “I go through all the process from start to finish – from the original sketch, to the choice of material, to the color of the stone, to the final price I want to hit – absolutely everything.”
Her Messages line features bracelets with affirmations like “love,” “courage,” and “strength.” For Bartoli, who as a player looked for an extra boost of motivation from her lucky charms, they’re more than just pretty words.
“Jewelry has always been so linked to my feelings on the court,” Bartoli said. “I was always touching a lucky charm bracelet or ring or anything I felt that was giving me strength or courage or even this little extra luck sometimes!
“So what I am trying to do now is to transmit that to all women around the world. Sportspeople or not, we all need some support and I feel that what you wear is giving you that. Hopefully my jewelry will give that to those women.”
What’s next up for the tennis-champion-turned-designer? A collaboration with Italian sportswear brand Fila for a clothing line that’s set to launch for the 2016 Spring/Summer season. Aside from tennis pieces, the collection will feature activewear and lifestyle pieces.
“So far the comments and feedback about it have been extremely good,” Bartoli said. “I can’t wait to have it in stores worldwide and on the tennis court when spring arrives!”
Jamie Murray looking to build on career-best campaign with new partner, Bruno Soares
Jamie Murray is a man on a mission. Still basking in the glow of his country’s Davis Cup glory last weekend, the Briton is already looking ahead to what could be an even better 2016.
After making the decision to part ways with Australian John Peers at the end of the season, Murray is now focused on finding even more success with former World No. 3 Bruno Soares of Brazil.
“He’s a very experienced player and he’s been at the top of the doubles game for quite a while now,” Murray told The Tennis Podcast this week in London. “I play in the deuce court so I wanted to find someone that was playing in the ad court and Bruno is one of the best in the world on that side. He’s got one of the best returns in the world, and I haven’t really played with a steady returner yet in my career. I thought that those aspects would really match up well with my playing style.”
Having both fallen in their previous Grand Slam final appearances, their mutual goal is clear.
“I think for both of us, our goal, however long the partnership lasts, will be to try to win a Grand Slam doubles title,” Murray said. “Of course you go into every partnership with the best of intentions, and every partnership is different, but we’ll work hard for it.”
This past season was undoubtedly a breakthrough year for Murray, reaching two Grand Slam finals and making his debut at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, before crowning the campaign with Great Britain’s historic triumph in Ghent alongside young brother, Andy.
“It’s been my best year by an absolute mile,” said Murray. “I had a great year with John Peers. We got to the final of Wimbledon and the final of the US Open. I finished the year 7th in the world and we finished 4th in the [Emirates ATP Doubles] team rankings so we got to play at the [Barclays ATP World Tour] Finals for the first time, which was awesome. Then obviously the Davis Cup throughout the whole year has been an incredible experience, topped off in Ghent at the weekend.”
It’s only days since the Murray brothers united to secure victory in the crucial doubles rubber for Great Britain in the Davis Cup final against Belgium, and it’s clear that emotions are still running high.
“It was intense,” said Murray. “I did feel nervous, but it wasn’t actually too bad. I was really looking forward to playing because for me, growing up as a kid, that is what you wanted to do – play in big stadiums in front of a lot of people. I wouldn’t say I played my best ever tennis match, but we focused as hard as we could, tried to just play one point at a time and thankfully we got over the finish line.”
This week, Murray joined up with another legend of the game, seven-time Grand Slam Champion and fellow Davis Cup winner, Mats Wilander, in an exhibition doubles match at the Champions Tennis at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
“It is nice to play with those guys, they are all legends of the game,” said Murray. “It’s been cool to play at the Royal Albert Hall with it being such an iconic venue. You never normally associate it with sports, so it is something different and very cool.”
Next up for Murray is an off-season training in Dubai, where Andy will also be gearing up for the 2016 season.
“Andy will be in Dubai at the same time, but I probably won’t train with him. I’m going with my coach Alan McDonald and Colin Fleming is coming out as well. We’ll probably focus on more doubles specific stuff, and I’ll leave Andy to do the hard work. I can’t honestly claim to train as hard as Andy does. I think from a doubles point of view, it’s a lot more about short, sharp explosive stuff, and not so much about endurance, because you don’t really need it in doubles now with the scoring system on the ATP World Tour.”
New partner Soares is spending the off-season with his family in Brazil, but the pair are planning to make their debut as a team in Doha at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
“I know that a lot of hard work has to go into making a partnership work. I hope that we’re both ready to do that and obviously I hope that we can hit the ground running.”
British number one Johanna Konta says cuts to her Lawn Tennis Association funding put her career at risk.
She spoke out after Andy Murray said talking to the LTA about the future of British tennis was a waste of his time.
Konta has risen more than 100 places to 48th in the world rankings since the LTA reduced her funding last December.
“If anyone’s livelihood, career or dreams are jeopardised, I don’t think that is ever a healthy position to be in,” she told BBC Sport.
Men’s world number two Murray made his criticisms of the LTA after he inspired Great Britain to win the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years with victory over Belgium last weekend.
Konta reached the last 16 of this year’s US Open, but does not believe she was driven to that success by the cut in her funding.
She said: “The success that followed after that is because of the people I had around me.
“My coaches made a decision to stick by me and to continue our work and they sheltered me from a lot of the issues that were going on.
“I think if I hadn’t had my support system, then nothing would have happened – none of the results would have come.”
However, Sydney-born Konta said she was grateful for the support the LTA has offered since she became a British citizen in 2012, adding that she was encouraged by the appointment of interim performance director Peter Keen, who formerly worked for British Cycling and UK Sport.
“It’s no secret that I’ve had my own challenges and my own ups and downs with them, but it’s also not a secret that I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for their support throughout the years,” she said.
“I’m very excited about Peter Keen coming on board. I think he is very, very good at what he does. He talks a lot of performance-minded sense.”
Konta has been working with Esteban Carril and Jose-Manuel Garcia since August 2014, and is thankful for the faith they showed when it appeared it might no longer be financially viable to keep coaching her.
The 24-year-old switched her training base to Gijon in northern Spain earlier this year, but has been preparing for the new season at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton this week.
When Murray spoke out, he bemoaned the lack of players using the courts at the centre, which was opened at a cost of £40m in 2007.
“Recently I’ve seen a lot of young kids around,” Konta said.
“But there are times when I think it is too quiet for such a magnificent facility, and it would be nice to see these courts filled with more players.”
2. Stan Wawrinka d. Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, Roland Garros final
Novak Djokovic was on a date with destiny. Only seven players – three in the Open Era – had completed the career Grand Slam by winning all four majors, and the World No. 1 was one match win from cementing his place in the club when he squared off against Stan Wawrinka in the Roland Garros final.
The Serb had routed nine-time champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals and fended off a late charge from third seed Andy Murray in the semis. With Roger Federer also eliminated, the stars appeared to be aligned. Djokovic was on the doorstep of history, but an inspired Wawrinka stood tall. The Swiss captured a second Grand Slam championship, denying Djokovic on the terre battue.
Wawrinka was rewarded for playing lights-out tennis for much of the three-hour, 12-minute contest. He struck 59 winners, almost twice as many as Djokovic, and never let his head drop as the Serb relentlessly fended off break points. After rallying from 0/40 down in the eighth game of the fourth set – having already been a break down – Wawrinka fired a backhand winner to break Djokovic and served out the contest, saving a break point before finishing with another lethal backhand.
“I’m still surprised the way I played, because I think I played amazing today,” said Wawrinka. “I was really nervous, but I didn’t really choke. I was always going for my shots, always going for the right play. I was trying to have longer rallies, trying to play more deep, trying to play more aggressive from baseline, and little by little, I started to be the player inside the court.”
The Lausanne native added to the Australian Open crown he won in January 2014 (d. Nadal), making him just the sixth active player to win multiple major titles. The 30-year-old Wawrinka, who won the boys’ singles title in Paris in 2003 (d. Baker), became the first former junior champion to lift the men’s singles trophy since Mats Wilander in 1988. It was the third time that Djokovic, who was moved to tears during the trophy ceremony, had finished runner-up in Paris, having fallen to Nadal in the 2012 and 2014 finals.
“You go through emotions,” Djokovic added. “Of course I was more nervous than any other match. It’s the final of Roland Garros. We both were aware of the importance of this match, and that’s why you tend to have these particular situations. But at least I’m proud of the fight that I put into this match. I tried my best. It wasn’t to be.”
1. Fabio Fognini d. Rafael Nadal 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, US Open third round
In one of the more drama-filled rivalries of the 2015 season, sparks flew whenever Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini squared off this year. The Italian dethroned the Spaniard in Rio de Janeiro and upset Nadal on his home soil in Barcelona months later, before the former World No. 1 exacted revenge in the Hamburg final. Their sudden rivalry would reach a thrilling climax in September, on the hard courts of the US Open.
With Tiger Woods in attendance, under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Fognini produced a stunning comeback win from two sets down that sent shockwaves throughout Flushing Meadows. He fired 70 winners to reach the Round of 16 in the early hours of the middle Saturday in New York, with the match finishing around 1:30am. Fognini’s dazzling shot-making ended Nadal’s streak of winning at least one Grand Slam title a year for 10 straight years.
Nadal had been a perfect 151-0 at Grand Slam level after winning the first two sets, while Fognini’s record of winning from two sets down at the majors was 4-19. He had never beaten a Top 10 player on hard courts in 17 previous attempts.
After dropping the first two sets, Fognini turned in one of the most breathtaking shot-making displays of the year. He clubbed forehand and backhand winners from all parts of the court with exquisite timing. He also attacked the net regularly, winning 39 of 52 approaches. In a rollercoaster final set, the players held their opening serves but then exchanged seven consecutive breaks before Fognini served out the match from 5-4.
“With Rafa you have to try something different,” said Fognini. “It’s not easy. It is a really special win. If you want to play against him and if you want to do something different, you have to take risks. That’s the only thing. Probably I made a lot of unforced errors, but it doesn’t matter. You have to do that with a great player who runs a lot on the baseline.”
“He played great,” Nadal said. “It was not a match that I lost, even if I had opportunities. It’s a match that he won. So I accept that.”
More: Best Grand Slam & Davis Cup Matches Of 2015 Nos. 5-3
World No.1 Serena Williams made her 2015 debut in the International Premier Tennis League, but wasn’t able to turn the tide towards the Philippine Mavericks, who dropped a 26-24 decision to the OUE Singapore Slammers.
The Slammers won their first match of the season, led by Karolina Pliskova, who defeated Williams 6-4 in women’s singles, and Belinda Bencic, who partnered French Open men’s doubles champion Marcelo Melo to defeat Jarmila Gajdosova and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in mixed doubles by the same score.
Kristina Mladenovic and Ana Ivanovic kept up their 1-2 punch for the OBI UAE Royals, helping their team to a second straight victory, this time a 30-15 shutout of the Legendari Japan Warriors, which featured former No.1 Maria Sharapova.
Sharapova played both mixed doubles and women’s singles, suffering a 6-0 loss in the former to Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor – despite pairing former men’s doubles No.1 Leander Paes – and couldn’t get the best of Ivanovic, who won their match-up, 6-4.
Check out some of the best tweets from Day 2 of #IPTL2:
Looking good ladies @serenawilliams @Ajlatom @iptl @manilamavericks #manila pic.twitter.com/nuPZoMcPht
— Jarmila Gajdosova (@tennis_jarkag) December 3, 2015
Day 2 here we are @iptl ☺️☺️☺️☺️! @serenawilliams @AnaIvanovic @JohnLaffnie pic.twitter.com/wueXAEXGK8
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) December 3, 2015
Double Russian Trouble pic.twitter.com/62s8xjAuaU
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) December 3, 2015
For some behind the scenes action from the IPTL follow shemjacobs on snapchat!! #AnaClaus pic.twitter.com/hqgpmf1kpT
— Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic) December 3, 2015
.@KikiMladenovic and Maria Sharapova #IPTL2 #GoRoyals @iptl pic.twitter.com/MWLHvW6d7K
— Muhammad Khalid (@MeveTorres) December 3, 2015
Yes, they are! @DreddyTennis @NickKyrgios @BelindaBencic @KaPliskova @Charlymoya @marcelomelo83 #Tenfie #IPTL2 pic.twitter.com/JfFtIuMLOD
— IPTL (@iptl) December 3, 2015
The Royals are on a roll! @OfficialGoran @AnaIvanovic @tomasberdych @KikiMladenovic #Tenfie #IPTL2 #BreakTheCode pic.twitter.com/BCzheDrXoC
— IPTL (@iptl) December 3, 2015
Be sure to follow IPTL on Twitter to keep up with all the action around #IPTL2!
Karolina Pliskova can confidently lay claim to being the busiest women in tennis.
Less than two weeks after crowning a season in which she played more matches (79) than any other player by teaming up with Barbora Strycova to earn the decisive point in the Czech Republic’s Fed Cup victory over Russia, Pliskova was jetting off to India to compete in the International Premier Tennis League.
This marks the start of the 23-year-old’s preparation for the new season, a season in which many will expect her to start challenging for the game’s biggest prizes.
Already a regular in the winners’ circle on tour – she has four WTA titles to her name – Pliskova has found success elusive at the Grand Slams, where she has never been beyond the third round.
“It has been a little pressure from me,” she said ahead of the US Open where she succumbed to qualifier Anna Tatishvili in the opening round. “It was a new thing. I was playing really well at the tournaments before the Grand Slams. Maybe I came a little tired.
“I am seeded now and that is different. I am getting used to it and hopefully next year I will be different.”
Pliskova is very much the prototype for the modern tennis player – a booming serve backed up by equally punchy groundstrokes. This game and her willowy frame have seen parallels drawn with compatriot Petra Kvitova and seven-time major winner Venus Williams.
In her final WTA outing of the year, Pliskova was beaten by the latter in a high-quality Zhuhai final. And despite being pipped in two tight sets, holding her own in such esteemed company bodes well for the future.
“I’m really happy with the way how I played and happy with the match, but just I wish I could just change the end,” Pliskova said after the final. “I think, and even my coach thinks this, that this was the best week from the whole year like with the way how I played.
“Very happy about this week. Obviously it’s going to help me to start the new season next year.”
Yes, they are! @DreddyTennis @NickKyrgios @BelindaBencic @KaPliskova @Charlymoya @marcelomelo83 #Tenfie #IPTL2 pic.twitter.com/JfFtIuMLOD — IPTL (@iptl) December 3, 2015
– Tennis dominates the Yahoo search list: Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Ana Ivanovic land in Yahoo’s Top 10 most searched active athletes in 2015.
– Billie Jean King’s ode to heroes: BJK pens an essay for Tennis.com.
– Sania the Trailblazer: From Women’s Tennis Blog, a summary of Sania Mirza’s trailblazing career, which continues stronger than ever in 2016.
– Daria Gavrilova heads to Perth: Gavrilova will partner with Nick Kyrgios at Hopman Cup.
– Debating the schedule: Jim Caple for ESPN.com on the ongoing debate about the lengthy tennis schedule, which requires cooperation and smart scheduling decisions from players.
– Congratulations to Racquel Kops-Jones: The American doubles star got married earlier this year and will go by Racquel Atawo going forward.
– Hot Shot!: Karolina Pliskova with a “hot shot” during an IPTL exhibition match on Tuesday. Down goes Marcelo Melo!
Pliskova matadora. #iptl2 pic.twitter.com/A3MkYhjGMs
— Aliny Calejon (@alcalejon) December 2, 2015
– Kei Nishikori serves up Ana Ivanovic: This is a good trust exercise:
Chef @keinishikori pass me some sushi please! #WhenInJapan ?? @iptl pic.twitter.com/6o68M6iVsb
— Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic) December 2, 2015
The WTA season may be over, but the game’s biggest stars are still headlining stadiums around the world, none bigger than a pair of former No.1s in Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic, who returned to the International Premier Tennis League for a second straight year.
Playing women’s singles and mixed doubles, Sharapova won both of her sets for the Legendari Japan Warriors team, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Micromax Indian Aces led by top ranked doubles player Sania Mirza and 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur, who ultimately won the series, 25-24.
Ivanovic had better fortunes playing for the OBI UAE Royals – with an assist from Kristina Mladenovic. The Serb won a 6-3 women’s singles set against Belinda Bencic, who was playing for the OUE Singapore Slammers, before Mladenovic stepped in for a mixed doubles win with Daniel Nestor over good friend Karolina Pliskova, who partnered Marcelo Melo. The Royals dropped just one set to the Slammers, and took the match, 26-20.
Check out some of the best tweets from Day 1 of the 2015 IPTL season below:
First night of @iptl with one of my biggest fans #Sugarpova. That was fun Kobe! pic.twitter.com/4N6N57tfXl
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) December 2, 2015
Readyyy @iptl @SG_Slammers @BelindaBencic pic.twitter.com/LOv8vWyPRk
— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) December 1, 2015
@KaPliskova @iptl @SG_Slammers @BelindaBencic I'm ready too?!!Let's goooo Royaaaaals ??? @UAERoyals #IPTL2015 pic.twitter.com/ka5qVFpykh
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) December 1, 2015
Win #1 of #IPTL2 goes to the @UAERoyals! What a great way to celebrate UAE National Day! #Tenfie #BreakTheCode pic.twitter.com/kqPeV2tF69
— IPTL (@iptl) December 2, 2015
How cute girls!!!❤️? @KikiMladenovic @AnaIvanovic #UAERoyals @iptl pic.twitter.com/rPHWZduHhO
— AnaIvanovic_FanClub (@AnaIvanovic_Fan) December 2, 2015
Be sure to follow IPTL on Twitter to keep up with all the action around #IPTL2!
Henman makes winning start at Royal Albert Hall
Former British No. 1 Tim Henman overcame James Blake 4-6, 6-2, 12-10 to kick off the Champions Tennis 2015 in exhilarating style at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday.
The meeting between the two former World No. Fours was only their second ever, with the first coming more than 13 years ago in Toronto, a match won by the Briton in straight sets. The long-awaited re-match did not disappoint, as the clash of styles produced by baseliner Blake and serve volleyer Henman resulted in some breathtaking rallies.
Blake drew first blood, clinching the opening set with a single break of the Henman serve. But the 41-year-old Henman struck back decisively, delivering some delectable volley winners to seal the second set and force a deciding Champions Tie Break, in which the Brit saved three match points before surging back to steal victory.
The thrilling conclusion to the match can be seen here.
Henman now sits atop Group A, while defending Champion Fernando Gonzalez has placed himself in poll position in Group B after defeating Belgian Xavier Malisse 7-6, 6-4 earlier in the day.
Another highlight of Wednesday’s play at the Royal Albert Hall was the appearance of British Davis Cup hero Jamie Murray. The Scotsman was welcomed onto court for his opening doubles match crowd by a standing ovation from the Champions Tennis crowd, who were then delighted to see him reunited with his miniature replica Davis Cup winner’s trophy, which had originally been presented to him in Ghent on Sunday.
Murray then took to the court partnering fellow Davis Cup Champions Mats Wilander in a doubles exhibition match against Henri Leconte and Magnus Larsson.