Tennis News

Following his plague of injuries throughout the season, Rafael Nadal hopes that his 2015 will far exceed the painful last few months.

While he does not doubt that he will regain top form in time for the forthcoming year, he doubts that he will be able to recreate the “magical” 2013 season. In that year, Nadal compiled a 75-7 record on the tour and won 10 titles, including two Grand Slams and five Masters 1000 titles.

“No, 2013 is magical and unforgettable. 2013 does not return,” he said in an interview with DPA . “I have two more years. I have to try again compete all I need to be at the top.

Nadal was diagnosed with appendicitis during the Shanghai Rolex Masters in September and did not end his 2014 season until a quarter-final loss to 17-year-old Borna Coric in Basel. He eventually withdrew from the Paris Bercy and the ATP World Tour Finals and underwent successful surgery to rectify the problem. He also had his knees checked and underwent stem cell therapy.

“This year I had back problems at first, then wrist, then appendicitis. Many things have happened that have allowed me not having the necessary pace to be competitive in every month of the year. The goal next year is that this does not happen.”

The world No. 3 is expected to return from the sidelines at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in December. He was scheduled to take part in the International Premier Tennis League but withdrew from the event to allow his body time to recover.

Following a nine-month absence from professional competition due to a wrist injury, Juan Martin del Potro announced that he would return to professional competition at the Brisbane International in January.

Del Potro, who is currently ranked No. 138 but will use a protected ranking of 7 in 2015, is continuing his training both on and off the court in Argentina.

“To have eight Grand Slam champions, five of the world’s top 11 men – as well as Juan Martin del Potro with an injury protected ranking of No.7 – and four of the top 10 women commit to Brisbane is a fantastic result, and certainly highlights the players’ regard for the tournament,” said tournament director Cameron Pearson.

The Argentine, who currently sits at No. 138 in the rankings, has not played a match since February. He managed to win the Apia international in Sydney at the start of the season, then struggled from then on and eventually opted for surgery after failed bids in Rotterdam and Dubai.

Del Potro has since recovered and begun his pre-season training. The former Grand Slam champion keeps his fans up-to-date with constant Facebook posts.

The tournament begins at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Sunday 4 January.

Former British No. 1 Laura Robson appears to be nearing her official comeback to the WTA tour, even though she is yet to commit to a single event in 2015.

The 2013 Most Improved Player was forced onto the sidelines in January with a left wrist injury and watched her hard work and ranking deteriorate whilst other competitors rose to prominence over the year.

Robson reached a career-high of No. 27 on the tour and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon Championships, as well as the third rounds of the Australian Open the French Open and the U.S. Open.

Since she parted ways with coach Miles Maclagan in the fall of 2013 and having Nick Saviano snatched full time by Bouchard, Robson has been working with coach Mauricio Hadad, and plans to continue working with him for the foreseeable future. He previously worked with Heather Watson and works for Nick Bolletteri in Florida.

There have been whispers that Robson will return to the tour in January, a full 12 months since her last appearance on the tour. While she has not confirmed when she will be fit to return, there is a chance she may use her protected ranking to get into the Australian Open. If not, she may accept a wildcard entry in the ASB Classic.

Following his impressive season on the tour and historic culmination of the Davis Cup, 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is not ready to put 2014 to bed. Apart from spearheading the new International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) next month in India, Federer has signed on to help launch a new tennis format in his upcoming exhibition match against Lleyton Hewitt.

The new fast format, which Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley caims will “revolutionize the game of tennis,” is an Australian-developed system and features a few variations from the traditional style of playing. In the new system, there are no lets, no advantage scoring, a tiebreak at 3-all, and the winner of the set is the first to reach four games.

Federer and Hewitt will test the new format in January in Sydney.

“I can’t wait to come to the beautiful city of Sydney for this very special match against my old friend and rival, Lleyton Hewitt,” Federer said in a statement on Tennis Australia’s website. “We’ve had some amazing battles over the years and I think we still bring out the best in each other every time we play.”

The last time the two competitors faced each other was in the final of the Brisbane International at the start of the season, where Hewitt beat his longtime rival in three sets.

“Playing Roger in this new format will be an exciting challenge for both of us and a lot of fun,” said Hewitt. “It’s a fantastic innovation for tennis, and one that I hope will take off.”

The exhibition is scheduled to take place on Jan. 12, 2015.

Andy Murray announced some major changes to his coaching staff, as he will no longer be working with long-time hitting partner Dani Vallverdu and fitness trainer Jez Green.

Both men played a pivotal part in Murray’s team; Vallverdu joined with Murray in 2010 and remained a part of the team while Muray worked with Ivan Lendl. Green spearheaded Murray’s transformation to one of the fittest and healthiest players on the tour with his infamous training methods.

“We sat down at the end of the season and decided that a change would be best for all of us,” Murray said in a statement. “My off season training and Australian Open preparations have already begun and I am very excited for the new year. I thank Jez and Dani for all their hard work over the years and wish them the best for the future.’

Several weeks ago, it was reported that Murray’s coaching staff, mainly Vallverdu and Green were both unhappy about Mauresmo’s sudden appointment and the lack of input they provided in the decision. The news that they have both left the team can be seen as a reaffirmation of Murray’s commitment to his new coach.

Murray will begin his 2015 season at the Hopman Cup, where he will team up with Heather Watson to represent Great Britain. He will then head to Auckland before preparation for the Australian Open.

Two-time champion Stan Wawrinka has confirmed his participation in the Chennai Open in India for the sixth consecutive season.

While the entire entry list is yet to be released, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, Roberto Bautista Agut, Guilermo Garcia Lopez and Marcel Granollers, Yen Hsun Lu and Somdev Devvarman will join Wawrinka in the draw.

Tournament director Tom Annear said, “The 20th edition has top lineup of stars in a very strong player field that underlines the tournament?s status as a marquee ATP tennis event in South Asia.”

Wawrinka, the defending champion from last season where he defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the final, has played this event for five consecutive years – winning the event twice. He also finished runner-up in 2010 when he lost to Marin Cilic in the final.

The Swiss No. 2 took part in a remarkable breakthrough season on the tour, as he won his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, and his first Masters 1000 title in Madrid with a victory over fellow countryman Roger Federer. He ended his season with a semi-final appearance at the ATP World Tour Finals and then played a crucial role in helping Switzerland win the Davis Cup title.

The Chennai Open takes place between Jan. 5-11, 2015.

Several of the WTA’s top stars as scheduled to begin their 2015 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, including top seed Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Sara Errani.

Along with the top stars, the entire lineup was announced on Tuesday afternoon, and will include five Top 30 players and two former world No. 1s. Two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova will also be featured in the draw.

“To have a top 10 player in Caroline, a legend in Venus and a further three others in top 30 is a pretty incredible effort considering the competition,” tournament director Karl Budge said.

The full list of seeded players is available below:

1. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark – 8)
2. Sara Errani (Italy – 14)
3. Venus Williams (USA – 18)
4. Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova (Czeck Republic – 25)
5. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia – 27)
6. Sloane Stephens (USA – 36)
7. Coco Vandeweghe (USA – 39)
8. Mona Barthel (German – 42)

The ASB Classic takes place between Jan 5-10, 2015.

World No. 58 Sergiy Stakhovsky, who defeated Roger Federer at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, has hired Fabrice Santoro as his new coach for the foreseeable future.

Stakhovsky made the announcement via twitter.

So tennis world please welcome my new coach..the on and only,incredible magician, fantastic person and extraordinary player @fabsantoro72 !!

— Sergiy Stakhovsky (@Stako_tennis) November 25, 2014

Stakhovsky compiled a 20-20 record on the tour this season – a year highlighted by his semi-final appearance in Sydney and his second round victory over Ernests Gulbis at the Wimbledon Championships. He also climbed back 37 ranking spots over the year.

The decision to hire Santoro is a surprising one since the retired Frenchman is not an experienced coach. However, it is in keeping with the recent trend of hiring so-called celebrity coaches (ie. Federer-Edberg, Nishikori-Chang, Djokovic-Becker and Cilic-Ivanisevic.)

Santoro won six singles titles over his career but never achieved Grand Slam success except in doubles action, where he won three Major championships (2 doubles, 1 mixed doubles).

Two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is officially engaged to long-time partner Kim Sears.

The 27-year-old seemingly asked his love of eight years with an expensive diamond ring while on holiday. They met in 2005 at the US Open and Sears remained a regular companion on the tour – even witnessing his rise to stardom, which culminated with Murray’s historic Wimbledon title in 2013.

A source told The Mirror: “Andy spent ages thinking about the ring, he chose the design himself and picked it up last week. He then proposed on Wednesday. “Kim said ‘yes’ immediately. They are completely besotted with each other and have been there for each other through thick and thin.

“They are just going to enjoy themselves before they start planning their big day.”

Following a particularly difficult first half of the year with little to show for it, world No. 8 Andy Murray appeared to have gotten over his injuries late in the season, after he took part in a cramped six week run on the tour that included title wins in Shenzhen, Valencia and Vienna in order to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Final.

Murray will return to court this week at the debut event of the International Premier Tennis League for the Manila Mavericks. He is scheduled to begin his 2015 season at the Hobart International before moving on to prepare for the Australian Open.