Tennis News

MIAMI, FL, USA – What did the top seeds have to say before the Miami Open? From Dominika Cibulkova and Garbiñe Muguruza’s memories of Miami breakthroughs to Simona Halep’s “weird passions,” WTA stars told all at the pre-tournament Media Day…

Dominika Cibulkova:

On coming back to Miami, which was the springboard to her career…
“From the first time I played here as a tournament, it was my favorite tournament. And it still is, because I have so many great memories here at this tournament.

“I can’t forget some of the matches I’ve played here. The first time I was 18 years old, and I played here a third round against Elena Dementieva. That was the first big match for me, and I lost in three sets. Actually this match was a turning point, when I realized I could really play with the best of the best. Since that I beat Agnieszka Radwanska here to reach Top 10 for the first time. So, I really have great memories.”

Surprisingly strong Slovakian support in South Florida…
“I like hockey, and I remember because there were a lot of Slovakian hockey players playing in [the Panthers]. I remember they used to come and cheer me on here in Miami. But I think now there are not any. But these are the little details that make your stay much better.”

Garbiñe Muguruza:

On receiving a Miami wildcard as a teenager…
“This is such a great tournament for me because this was like my breakthrough. I got a wildcard and I beat two Top 10s and went to fourth round, which was quite amazing. Plus I love the environment, I love the Latin American people, so I feel very at home here.

“I came here just for the wildcard in the tournament, I didn’t come to Miami at all before that. And I remember seeing all these tennis stars at that time, because I was playing other kinds of tournaments, and it was amazing for me. I will never forget it.”

Simona Halep:

On her newly-minted partnership with Mercedes in Romania…
“I have weird passions. I love watches and cars. Maybe that’s a little bit weird, but I love cars, and I’m really happy with this partnership.”

Putting her injury woes behind her…
“It’s not easy. Last year I also had problems with my nose and ears. This time was an injury and it was really tough to accept because I’d never been in this situation, where I had to take five weeks off completely. It wasn’t easy, but I had to accept that everyone struggles with injuries sometimes. I’m just trying to get back soon, but slowly.”

Angelique Kerber:

Accepting the ups and downs…
“I think you cannot play one year at the top level. You always have up and downs. I had it last year as well but I was not making a big deal of it. I’m still feeling good on court of course, and you just have to go out and play your best tennis. The others they would have nothing to lose against you, and this is a completely new situation for me.”

On feeling no pressure at World No.1…
“No, I think the pressure is not there anymore, I think it’s more like motivation for going out there and playing again my tennis. I know the situation already and it’s more going out, playing tough again and having my feeling back.

“Of course, nobody has nothing to lose against me. But, it’s actually a good challenge for me. It’s a completely new challenge, but I think that I’m ready for that.”

Svetlana Kuznetsova:

On learning to love – and study – the game…
“Up until 14 years old I didn’t really like tennis, but when I moved to Spain that’s when I really liked it. I didn’t Spanish TV because I didn’t understand much of it. I haven’t been living back in Moscow. So I haven’t been watching much of tennis in my life. But just now I really enjoy it.

“I love about United States, it’s that people and commentators are really positive. I love how they commentate and I always listen, because the great players are commentators and it’s amazing to hear it. It’s always something interesting even for people who know a lot about tennis. I’m always curious.

“Lindsay Davenport was commentating last week, and I was curious to listen to her view of tennis and the game. Because we came to play against each other but I never know how the people think and what they think about the game, and everybody has a different view about the game. The same when I listened to Kim Clijsters when she was commentating the Australian Open a couple of years ago. I said, ‘Kim, I like whatever you say.’ It’s very interesting for me, I always like to learn more about the game.”

Karolina Pliskova:

On backing up her Indian Wells results…
“I had this last year as well – I did semis last year and then I lost in first round here. So I just want to change this. I know I struggle after I do a good result in one tournament and then coming to a different tournament after.

“Obviously there is not much time as I would like to have to practice, but still I have three days. I’m starting on Thursday so I’m just trying to get ready. I think I’m in good shape this year, so hopefully I can change it in this tournament, to not lose in the first round.”

– Photos courtesy of Getty Images

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Dozens of children and fans in Kuala Lumpur got their first taste of tennis as the WTA Road To Singapore rolled through Malaysia, where they got to meet and practice against their regional hero Hsieh Su-Wei and hit with World No.10 Roberta Vinci.

“It was great to come out today to play with the children because I think it is important to encourage the next generation,” Hsieh shared after hosting the WTA Future Stars Clinic. “I started playing as a kid myself when I was five years old so I was glad to be able to share my experiences with them.”

Hsieh, Taiwan’s No.1 player, put on a clinic for young fans and also took the chance to share some tips with a group of local competitive players. She was joined on court by Belinda Chai, who represented Malaysia in the WTA Future Stars Tournament in 2014 at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The tournament brings together players from 17 Asia-Pacific markets to compete against each other at the WTA Finals.

The goal of WTA Future Stars is to promote tennis among children throughout the Asia-Pacific region and encourage them to take the next step in their interest in tennis, as well as to inspire players who are already playing competitively to continue to pursue their passion for tennis through an opportunity to hear from a professional.

Located in Kuala Lumpur, the BMW Malaysian Open is a stop on the Road to Singapore and the closest event geographically to Singapore, the home of the WTA Finals taking place October 23-30, 2016. As a part of the community outreach to promote tennis in the region, No.10-ranked Roberta Vinci and 2015 WTA Future Stars participant Zhu Lin took to the heart of the city to play tennis on a pop-up court at the KLCC Esplanade against the backdrop of the iconic Petronas Towers.

Fans and members of the public got the chance to pick up a racquet and try their hand at playing against the pros. Check out the photos below to see how they did:

MIAMI, FL, USA – The Miami Open doubles tournament kicked into high gear on Saturday as two of the Top 4 seeds took the court to begin their respective campaigns. Before the storm clouds rolled in for the third straight day, No.2 seeds Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina and No.4 seeds Andrea Hlavackova & Peng Shuai both advanced into the second round, each in straight sets.

The two teams last met in the finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which the Russians won in a tense match tie-break, and could potentially meet in the semifinals of Miami.

Hlavackova and Peng have nonetheless enjoyed a strong start to 2017, reaching the finals of the Australian Open and briefly leading the pack at the top of the Road to Singapore leaderboard.

“The doubles game is improving a lot,” Hlavackova told WTA Insider. “A lot of singles players are playing doubles, and most of the top teams are made up of singles players, so it’s very tough competition. We are very happy to start the season so well; I think it’s pretty special to start the team so well as a new team. We just want to keep going.”

Up against a young team in Naomi Osaka and Monica Puig, the duo edged through a close opening set to roll through, 7-6(6), 6-1, and book a second round clash with Shuko Aoyama and Yang Zhaoxuan.

“They started very strong in the first set. They served really fast and played a very fast baseline game. It was very important to not panic and keep playing and find out time and moment. We got the tie-break and started from there, even better.”

Osaka and Puig each produced exciting results in singles last year, but have yet to hit the same heights on the doubles court.

“They’re young; when they get to our age, they’ll have experience!” joked Peng.

“I think they’re a great team. They play strong and fast. In the first set, we were almost lucky to get the tie-break, but in the second set, we got a break quickly, so the feeling was different.”

Earlier in the day, Makarova and Vesnina each shrugged off tough singles losses on Friday to power through their first doubles match in Miami, ousting Oksana Kalashnikova and Asia Muhammad, 6-0, 6-2.

“We both had crazy singles matches yesterday,” Vesnina said. “I texted her after the match, because I knew she was crying and she was tired. I told her, ‘Katya, don’t even put yourself down. We have a tough sport, but it’s not the end of the world. Cry for another five, ten minutes, and just pack your stuff, go back to the hotel, get sleep, and tomorrow we’ll kick some asses on the court!’

“We needed to regroup and forget our tough losses because it’s tough. You can have a black line in your life, white line in your life, and there can be moments where there are more black lines than white, but you still need to find the positivity though the negative. Sometimes, what doesn’t kill you makes you strong.”

The dynamic duo are set to celebrate their fifth anniversary of doubles at the Mutua Madrid Open, but may leave Crandon Park with an unexpected present; should they win the tournament, they will rise to Co-World No.1 – as long as Bethanie Mattek-Sands falls before the semifinals and Kristina Mladenovic fails to reach the final.

“Before you told me, I didn’t even know! We’ll take it match by match. Katya and I always do that; we’ll just focus on our doubles. We lost our singles, so we’ll try our best to do good in doubles because this is a big tournament.

“Miami is very prestigious and it’s a huge event; we’ve been in the final twice. This year we’ll try to go all the way.”

Up next for the Olympic Gold medalists and reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champions is the unseeded and dangeous pairing of Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

NEW YORK, NY, USA – No one knows Angelique Kerber’s game as well as Torben Beltz. The 39-year-old has coached the now two-time major champion and new World No.1 since she was 16-years-old, and though they’ve had their breaks apart, the decision to resume their partnership in the Spring of 2015 has paid nothing but dividends.

After reuniting before the BNP Paribas Open last march, Kerber went on to win four Premier titles in Charleston, Stuttgart, Birmingham, and Stanford. By the end of the year, no one had won more matches than Kerber. But after a disappointing season at the Slams and a pressure-soaked loss to Lucie Safarova at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global to end the year, the two set their sights on the majors.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

WTA Insider caught up with Beltz the day after Kerber’s New York triumph, to discuss how Team Kerber got to this point, the keys to their success, and what they’re looking to build on going forward.

Listen to the full interview on the WTA Insider Podcast:

On trying to keep a relaxed atmosphere around Kerber:

I think it’s very important to keep her relaxed, especially here. When she was playing against Caroline Wozniacki, it was clear she was already No.1, but I thought it wasn’t good to make a big deal out of this because she had to play Caroline in the next five minutes. We really tried to keep it relaxed then, which was not so easy to be No.1 and be relaxed!

But we kept it easy, and I told her, ‘You have to focus on the match, because against Caroline, it’s going to be a very tough match.’ You could see there were a lot of long rallies and she had to play her best tennis. But she was focused again, and I think it’s working out very good.

On whether Kerber’s 2016 was a surprise:

We all knew that she was going to be a very good player. I knew that before. But I have to say after this year, it’s for sure surprising to be in three Grand Slam finals. We cannot take that for granted. I knew she could play very good tennis; I knew her when she was young and outstanding in Germany. We all knew she could play very good, but it’s incredible and amazing for me. It’s a good story.

On Kerber’s work ethic:

Success doesn’t come from nothing; you have to work every day. As a player, you have to sacrifice and a lot, and I think she’s earned what she’s getting now. It’s a day-to-day process, as well, like in the off-season, we worked on the serve. We tried to work hard every day, trying to figure out new things, something special so it’s not too boring after eight weeks. But we did a good job, and we’re happy.

On how he came to be Kerber’s coach:

Our first meeting was when she was 12 or 13 in Germany. She was winning U18 Nationals at 15. She was outstanding, but in the beginning, she was such a talented girl, who knew where the ball was coming. She wasn’t working that hard at the time, when she was young. But it really changed, and that’s why she’s playing so well at the top level.

The first time we met, the family and coaches were looking for somebody who would help her take the first steps onto the pro tour. She was ranked around No.300 and finished with school, so they needed someone who was young and liked to travel, and could play decent tennis! So I came in to help her play some 25Ks, some junior tournaments. We started when she was around 16, 17, for one or two years. Then she had a shoulder operation, and we stopped. We came back around 2011, after being on and off for quite a time. It’s fun to work with her; she’s pretty good.

On the challenges of coaching Kerber:

“It’s a big challenge, and never gets boring. We’re always looking at new things, every day. There are always improvements to make, where for me as a coach, the job is never finished. She’s No.1, won Grand Slams, but it’s not finished; there are still things to work on. For me, it’s perfect to see that, and we’re happy to go to the next step. Right now, she’s won a Grand Slam and I can say it’s easy, but when she’s frustrated in practice or losing, it’s not always easy. But we have a good way to talk about things; we solve problems together. Our communication is good.”

On losing a “hairy” bet with Kerber:

I saw two players at a golf tournament, where they had a bet not to shave, and I told Angie that if she won the US Open, I wouldn’t shave my mustache for the five or six weeks of the Asian Swing. So, it’s not going to look that great, but let’s see. It’s worth it for the Slam. We’ll see what happens.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.