LONDON, Great Britain – Anne Keothavong has seen it all as a pro, and now calls the shots from the sidelines as a BT Sport commentator. WTA Insider goes in depth with the former British No.1 live on the grounds of the All England Club in a no-holds-barred chat on the latest episode of the WTA Insider Podcast.
Check out some of the highlights:
On the “unique” challenge of being a British tennis player:
The media are brutal, my goodness! For all the British players, obviously, you want to do well here at Wimbledon more than any other place in the world. You want to show people what you can do, how well you can play, because here is where British players receive the most exposure. Everyone’s aware of that. It’s tough. Obviously there’s a mixture of excitement and nerves.
For me, personally, playing on grass – which was never my favorite surface to play on – was always a tough experience in some ways. When Wimbledon was over, I was relieved more than anything. I thought, ‘Oh well, that’s all over for another twelve months. Okay, lots of nice things were said about me, and lots of horrible things. Probably more horrible things were written about me!’ But you learn to let it go.
On taking on a commentator role at BT Sport:
I guess it was all kinda planned out. I knew, looking ahead, I was kind of planning my future. I knew tennis wasn’t going to be forever.My ranking had dropped as I struggled with injuries.
My last year or two on the tour, I was trying to gain experience wherever possible whether that was here at Wimbledon or at other tournaments. Or just offering to chip in and help whenever anyone needed it, whether it was commentary or in the studio or just hanging out behind the scenes.
I’m very fortunate that when I retired there was something for me to move into immediately. I didn’t receive any specific training – I don’t think anyone really receives any training. They throw you in! I feel like I’ve still got lots to learn, but they haven’t fired me yet so I guess I’m going okay.
It’s nice to feel like you’re still part of the tour without directly being involved. I can take a bit more of a backseat and enjoy it more.
Players who impress her the most:
This year I’ve been really impressed by Daria Kasatkina. She’s fun to watch. She plays with variety and it’s always easier to commentate on someone who plays with variety as well. I really think she has a bright future ahead of her.
And obviously the British players. I try not to be too biased in my commentary, but I want to see the British players do well!
On the rise of Johanna Konta:
It’s incredible. I’ve spoken to Jo herself and her parents and her coach, and I’d be the first to admit to you that I did not see that coming. I would have never thought we’d have Johanna Konta as a Top 20 player.
To do what she’s done over the past 12 months has been incredible. Thinking back to Eastbourne last year when she was ranked No.140-something to this year being a semifinalist and now seeded at Wimbledon, it’s just been fantastic to see and to follow. I always shake my head in disbelief when I see her score another big win. Last night was tough [against Eugenie Bouchard] but she’s headed in the right direction. She’s got a great game.
I used to practice with her all the time in the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton – it’s a completely different person. There’s certain areas of her game that used to crack under pressure, even in practice, but now they hold up so well in terms of the belief she has in her game.
In some ways, I wish I had her coach and her strength when I played.
On on-court coaching timeouts:
Daren Cahill and Nick Saviano are two of my favorites to listen to when they come on for on-court coaching. I feel like I’m listening to [Darren’s] coaching and I’m learning something and think, ‘Oh ok, that’s interesting!’
It’s always weird to see Nigel Sears come on for Ana [Ivanovic], because I think – and I hope he and she don’t mind me saying – she frets a lot. And just knowing Nige, I find it quite amusing some of the things he says to try to keep her calm.
I don’t understand what Dominika Cibulkova says with her coach [Matej Liptak], but they always seem to have a good relationship.
What I really dislike about it is when a coach comes on and reels off a number of things for a player to do without asking the player for her opinion. Just says all these things at a hundred miles an hour. It should be a two-way conversation. I understand some players don’t want to say anything and would just like to listen to their coach, but I do think there’s a certain way of delivering a message which I think would be more productive for the player and looks better on TV.
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