Doha: Suárez Navarro Interview
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her win in the final of the Qatar Total Open.
An interview with Carla Suárez Navarro after her win in the final of the Qatar Total Open.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Elina Svitolina booked her place in the quarterfinals of the BMW Malaysian Open with a topsy-turvy win over qualifier Risa Ozaki on Thursday evening.
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After breezing through her opening match, Svitolina, the No.2 seed, seemed on course for another routine victory when she took a one-sided opening set.
However, in the end she was made to sweat – by both Ozaki and the Malaysian capital’s humidity – before running away with the match, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.
Struggling with a preexisting back problem, Svitolina lost a series of tit for tat games to drop the second set to her unheralded opponent. A visit from the trainer helped alleviate her discomfort and refocus the mind as the Ukrainian nipped the potential upset in the bud.
“My back was a bit sore. I had an injury at the Australian Open so I need to take care of it and that’s why today I was worrying a bit about my back,” Svitolina said. “After the timeout I came out strong and was playing great and playing my game. So I’m really happy and it was good that I came back strong.
“I was a little bit injured, a little bit off my game. But she started playing well and that’s why I was a little bit struggling. All the games were advantage, deuce, advantage, deuce, so it was just a few points the difference. But this happens sometimes so I was just trying to be focused – and of course the conditions were not easy, too.”
Also advancing in Svitolina’s half of the draw was qualifier Zhu Lin, a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Zarina Diyas.
In the top half, there was success for a couple more unseeded players, Naomi Broady and Cagla Buyukakcay. Broady beat Yang Zhaoxuan, 6-4, 6-3, while Buyakakcay defeated top seed Roberta Vinci’s conqueror, Chang Kai-Chen, 7-5, 6-3.
MONTERREY, Mexico – No.2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova completed a Russian sweep of WTA titles this week, shocking top seed and World No.1 Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 to win her fourth Abierto GNP Seguros title.
I’m really overwhelmed and don’t think I realized that I just won my fourth Monterrey trophy,” she said in her post-victory press conference. “Some people just have four trophies in total, and I have four here! It’s very special and it’s a special place in my heart; it’s where I won my first title and since won three more.
“But a trophy is a trophy; I’m so happy to hold it.”
Gutsy way to save break point from @NastiaPav! ? #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/wlR0CwvYc1
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Following countrywoman Daria Kasatkina’s title run at the Volvo Car Open, Pavlyuchenkova got out to the early advantage in Sunday’s final, taking the only break of the first set on her third set point.
“Playing the final against the No.1 player in the world is already very special, because everyone wants to compete against the No.1. You don’t get so many chances to do it, so it was one opportunity for me today. Beating here feels amazing, but I’m just enjoying the moment right now.”
Kerber was looking for her first title of the season and aimed to turn the tables on the big-hitting Russian, winning a long third game to break serve and run away with the second set to level the match.
.@NastiaPav firing at the start of the second! #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/ZT9R0oJaVq
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
“Honestly, I didn’t have much energy left in the tank during the second set. First, it was really hot today, and tough conditions. Angelique was making me play every single point, so I felt as though I’d already given a lot in the first set. The first three games in the second were really long and I felt, ‘That’s it. I don’t have anything left.’
“But it’s a final; I said I’d try my best and give everything I had. So I had to find something somewhere, what little energy I did have, and put that into the match. I’m so happy I managed to do that.”
Absolutely genius from @NastiaPav! ? #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/CLLPwvkY9z
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Pavlyuchenkova is in the midst of a career best start to her year, making quarterfinal finishes at the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open since hiring new coach Simon Goffin.
With Goffin in her corner, she raced out to a 5-0 lead in the final set, ultimately serving out her ninth career title in just under two hours.
How did @NastiaPav reach this forehand?! ? #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/lv6SvWQZyr
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Despite – or perhaps because of – her ability to adapt to the conditions, the Monterrey press still ribbed the Russian over her description of the tough conditions, those in which she nonetheless hit 49 winners to 31 unforced errors – compared to 14 winners to just 10 unforced errors from Kerber.
“I like to complain! Let me complain,” she laughed. “I feel sorry for myself sometimes, like it’s so hot and so tough. Let me complain. But it’s not complaining that much because the conditions aren’t easy here in general. Coming from other tournaments, it feels different to play here.”
“Wow! Fourth one, huh?” -@NastiaPav #AbiertoGNPSeguros pic.twitter.com/eOLHmtxjbj
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
Thanks to their strong results in Monterrey, both women are set to make big leaps on the Road to Singapore leaderboard, with Kerber inching just outside the Top 8 at No.10, while Pavlyuchenkova is two spots behind at No.12.
“I’ll probably enjoy this win for a few more days, but in tennis, you’ve got another one in a couple of weeks. I’ll have Fed Cup, playing for my country. But I really hope to bring this form with me throughout the year, improve, and be fitter for the next tournaments.”
Special message from @Abierto_GNP champ @NastiaPav to her fans ? pic.twitter.com/06S3IbOeMO
— WTA (@WTA) April 9, 2017
In the doubles final, top seeds Alicja Rosolska and Nao Hibino recovered from a break down in the second set to defeat Dalila Jakupovic and Nadiia Kichenok, 6-2, 7-6(4).
“Our opponents really stepped up in the second set, played more solid and put a lot of pressure on us. We couldn’t play our game style as freely,” Rosolska said after the match.
“We had to be more focused from the first ball, so we tried putting in more first serves and be more aggressive so we wouldn’t be under as much pressure.
“There was a very important game at 2-4 where we won the deciding point and helped us win the second set.”
The pair previously paired up to win an ITF challenger title, but as the Pole noted, “It’s our WTA first!”
All photos courtesy of Abierto GNP Seguros.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Eugenie Bouchard’s resurgent form continued at the BMW Malaysian Open, where she’s into the final without dropping a set so far after a win over Naomi Broady, 6-4, 6-3.
Watch live action from Monterrey & Kuala Lumpur this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
Earlier in the day, Elina Svitolina made her way to the final with a win over Zhu Lin, the No.2 seed dispatching the Chinese qualifier in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
More to come…
NEW YORK, NY, USA – US Open champion Angelique Kerber was back in front of the camera within hours of her second Grand Slam victory. The soon-to-be World No.1 posed for photographer Jen Pottheiser with the trophy in a series of black and white and color photos.
“I’m feeling much for confident now in my skin and how I am,” Kerber told WTA Insider in the latest Champions Corner. “I think it’s because of my experience I know what’s happened, I know how to deal with pressure, how to deal with the things I have to do off court. That’s what gives me the confidence to, you know, dressing up, speaking, working, being how I am.
“Of course it takes a little while to get where I am, and it was really tough but really good.”
Check out the photos below:
All photos courtesy of USTA/Jen Pottheiser.
MONTERREY, Mexico – Heather Watson roared back from a set down to dispatch Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, to win her third career title at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme in just under two hours.
“I don’t know where to start,” the Brit said in her post-match interview. “I’m extremely happy today. I was nervous coming into the match, and I’ve never beaten Kirsten before – she’s a great player who really makes you work for it.
From losing the opening set, Watson looked well in control as she leveled the match and earned a 3-0 lead in the decider, but Flipkens fought back to level and set the stage for a tense ending.
“I thought Kirsten was pretty flawless in the first set, and I was getting frustrated with myself. I just had to stay calm and try my best. I never looked past the next point.”
Watson served out the title and was at a loss for words after capping off a banner week for the Brits; with Johanna Konta also reaching the quarterfinals in Monterrey and Naomi Broady matching the effort in Kuala Lumpur, it was the largest contingents of British women in a WTA quarterfinal in one week since 1978 (Eastbourne).
“Mexico, thank you; te amo! I’m a big fan of Mexico; when I was six years old, we used to come to Mexico for Christmas for six years. I’m just so glad to be able to win a title here. I need to learn some more Spanish.”
Earlier in the day, top seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja won their second straight title and completed a Mexico sweep – having also earned the trophy at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel – with a tight win over Petra Martic and Maria Sanchez, 4-6, 7-5, 10-7.
Happy Mother's Day Heather's Mum! https://t.co/1NpU140Vk7
— WTA (@WTA) March 6, 2016
BOGOTA, Colombia – It’s the Claro Open Colsanitas – and here are some of the best photos from the first days of action there.
Kiki Bertens, Johanna Larsson, Sara Errani and Irina Falconi are just four of the players on court in Bogota.
They’ve been battling with changeable conditions, with the rain pouring down – but the crowds have been happy to sit tight and wait for some more top-class tennis.
Check out some of the best sneak peeks here!
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Closing the book on the US Open with a look back on the stories that dominated the fortnight.
1. Angelique Kerber takes control.
Let’s be honest: The World No.1 wasn’t always considered a pressure player, and that’s putting it mildly. In 2015, which was a fantastic season for Kerber, she was 15-12 in three-set matches. Most notably, she was on the losing end of the biggest ones. There was the 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 loss to Victoria Azarenka in the third round of the US Open, which many considered to be the best match of the year. A few weeks before that she lost, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to Simona Halep at the Rogers Cup. There were two tough three-set losses to Garbiñe Muguruza at the French Open and Wimbledon as well.
Kerber admits now that those losses were painful reminders when push came to shove, she was getting shoved. So she put her foot down and she decided to push back. Step in, be aggressive, don’t wait for your opponent to give you the match. Play to win. Back yourself. Take control. This season? She’s won 15 of the 20 three-set matches she’s played. After learning from the losses, she also learned from the wins, such as her three-set triumph against Serena Williams in Australia.
That transformation was on full display against Karolina Pliskova in the US Open final. Playing her solid counter-punching gamestyle, she cruised for a set and a half. Then the nerves came as Pliskova’s level elevated, and she played a nervy service game to get broken and lost the second. Still reeling, she fell behind an early break at 1-3 in the decider. Then she said, “Enough.”
Three games from losing out on a chance to consolidate her No.1 ranking with a second major title, Kerber started taking her swings. No single shot has defined her 2016 season like the impossible forehand down the line winner she nailed at 3-3, 30-all in that third set. She was six feet behind the baseline, running deep into her forehand corner outside the tramlines. 10 out of 10 times every instinct in your body would tell you to pull it back cross-court, keep yourself in the point, and force your opponent to hit another ball.
Angelique Kerber? She’s a little different.
“When I was going down the line I knew, Okay, now I have to risk a little bit, because this is the only chance I can get,” Kerber said afterwards. “When I won the point I knew, ‘Okay, I have the feeling. Now just to go for it and [not] making the mistakes I make like a lot of times before.’ I was not thinking too much that this is a final. I was just trying to take the challenge, third set, it’s 3-All, and just go for it.”
“Going for it,” is a common refrain from Kerber these days. Even on a chance that small, on a stage that big, she backed herself and went all in. As the ball floated onto the baseline, Kerber let out the biggest full-body double-fistpump roar I’ve ever seen from her. She knew it before anyone else in the stadium did.
The pressure was gone. The match was over. The title was hers.
2. Karolina Pliskova is a world beater.
Overshadowed for obvious reasons after a top notch final was the fact that Pliskova backed up her phenomenal run to the Western & Southern Open title with yet another two weeks of unflinching tennis. In the last four weeks she beat the three reigning major champions, Serena Williams, Kerber (in Cincinnati), and Garbiñe Muguruza, as well as Venus Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She also proved she was clutch.
With 23,000 fans roaring against her, she faced down match point against Venus and went on to win, and then ousted Serena in straight sets. She ran out of gas at the end of the third set in the final, but up until that aforementioned Kerber forehand, she had proven herself not only a worth contender but a worthy champion. Playing in the biggest match of her life, Pliskova brought her entire arsenal and played like a woman who had been there before.
But perhaps even more importantly, she played like a woman who will be there again.
3. Caroline Wozniacki isn’t done yet.
Ranked No.74 at the start of the tournament, the Dane was well below the radar. With injuries keeping her off the tour for stretches throughout the season, she had also become an afterthought. Had the tour moved on without the former No.1? Not so fast.
Wozniacki lost just one set to make her first Slam semifinal since her final run in New York in 2014, beating Taylor Townsend, Monica Niculescu, and then Kuznetsova and Madison Keys back-to-back before rolling past a hobbled Anastasija Sevastova. She’s now back in the Top 30 and has a lot to build on during the fall season in Asia, where she believes she’ll be fresher physically and mentally than most of the field. If she’s healthy we could see her back in the Top 20 before the end of the year. That would set her up for a charge in 2017.
4. The gap continues to close between Serena and the field.
The ranking may change, but Serena is still, for now, the standard-bearer in the locker room. When she plays her best, as she did at Wimbledon, she remains unbeatable. But New York confirmed what has been the sense all season, that Serena’s B-level game, which would win her bushels of matches in the past, is more vulnerable than it used to be.
Simona Halep put forth her best single performance of the season to take Serena to three sets, facing down 12 break points in the second set. Less than 24 hours later, Serena was back on court to face Pliskova in the semifinals and she lacked the sharpness that was on display in the first week. Serena dismissed any concerns of fatigue but acknowledged that she had been dealing with a knee injury since the second round. That was enough margin for Pliskova to pull off the upset.
5. Experience matters.
I was struck by a very interesting take on the concept of experience from 18-year-old Naomi Osaka. The teen had just blown a 5-1 lead in the third set to lose to Madison Keys in the third round, a loss that saw her nerves laid bare as the New York crowd grew louder and louder with every Keys comeback. Osaka was asked whether her lack of experience – this is her first full year on tour – lost her the match.
“Getting experience is good, but I feel like if you’re a really good player it wouldn’t really matter if the place is new or if you’re traveling or whatever. Like, experience is good and whatever, right? But like not having experience, if you’re good enough, it shouldn’t really matter. Okay?”
Osaka has a point. If you’re good enough, you’re good enough. Watching the final unfold between Kerber and Pliskova, I thought back to Osaka’s point. Here’s Pliskova, who had never been past the third round of a Slam, playing like a veteran in her first Slam final, just 48 hours after doing the same to beat Serena. Maybe experience really is overrated.
Then Pliskova unraveled, very quickly, after losing the 3-1 lead, while Kerber soared, playing of course in her third major final of the year. Put me back in the experience camp.
6. You do you, Anastsija Sevastova.
The Latvian was a revelation in New York, not just because of her upset wins – she beat No.3 Garbiñe Muguruza and No.13 Johanna Konta – but also because of her game.
The 26-year-old has beautiful stroke production and a keen mind for the chessboard on the tennis court. She also wears her emotions on her sleeve, for better and worse. She feels like a throwback player in a way and her sarcastic, plain-spoken, honest presence in the interview room was both refreshing and entertaining.
Now up to No.32 in the rankings, I can’t wait to see how her game continues to match up.
7. Madison Keys takes two steps forward, one step back.
Too often in the past we would see Keys get behind in the scoreline and disappear. That has been less of a problem in her fantastic 2016 season.
Keys was “The Cardiac Kid” in the first week of the tournament, coming back from being two points away from the loss to beat Alison Riske in the first round – that match was the latest finish of a women’s match ever at the US Open – and then coming back from 1-5 down in the third to beat Osaka in the third round. The 21-year-old American showed grit and fire in willing herself to those wins, which has been a big improvement for her on the whole in 2016.
Then came her Round of 16 showdown with Wozniacki, which ended in error-strewn 6-3, 6-4 loss. Keys said the nerves were her undoing in that match and she panicked early and often when Wozniacki got a lead.
“The first week, even the first round, it’s much easier to say, I’m focusing on this round and not worrying about the next round,” Keys said. “Once you’re in the second week it seems a little bit closer, and I feel like sometimes I definitely get ahead of myself and I start thinking how much I want it.
“Sometimes I can get away from focusing on just point by point. Then that’s kind of when the nerves set in.”
Keys has been working with a sports psychologist and the improvements have been evident. She’s one of just four women to make the fourth round or better at every major this season (Serena, Kerber, and Radwanska have also done it). But the manner in which she lost to Wozniacki will sting.
8. Simona Halep is back to her best.
Ah, the cruelty of draws. Halep is in the form of her life right now on court but she fails to match her semifinal result from 2015, losing in the quarterfinals to Serena in three sets. For a player who has been prone to losses to lower-ranked players, note that since the French Open she has lost just three times, with all the losses coming to either Kerber (Wimbledon, Cincinnati) or Serena (US Open).
The improvements in her game, both in her movement and eye to be more aggressive was apparent in New York. Her mental game was also strong. She was able to pull herself out of her penchant for an emotional tailspin, and get back on track quickly. These are all very positive signs, and despite leaving New York in the quartefinals, Halep should be very pleased with the progress she’s made over the summer.
She currently sits at No.3 in the Road to Singapore.
9. Chemistry is everything for Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
True friends both on and off the court, Safarova and Mattek-Sands capped off an emotional few weeks to win their third Slam title and move within one Wimbledon title of capturing the Career Grand Slam as a team. The two rallied from a set down to beat top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in Sunday’s final.
“We complement each other so well,” Safarova said. “Our games just fit. We have done so well in all the tournaments, and now this year has been tough year for us because I have been out for half a year with my sickness and missed Australia. Then Bethanie broke her finger just before French Open. But we both stuck together and believed that once we are again strong, healthy, and feeling that we can do this, and we did, so it’s amazing.”
10. Team France rebounds.
Mladenovic and Garcia may not have walked away with the title, but the top seeds at the US Open should be very happy with their tournament given the disappointment of the summer. The team was a heavy medal favorite at the Olympics and lost early. Heading into the US Open they were on a three-match losing streak. But they pulled it together to score two good wins over Sania Mirza/Barbora Strycova and Martina Hingis/CoCo Vandeweghe to make their second Slam final of the year.
Emptying out the notebook:
– Best performance: Ana Konjuh vs. Agnieszka Radwanska, Round of 16. The 18-year-old could not have played a more perfect match to beat Radwanska, 6-4, 6-4. The No.4 did not play poorly. Konjuh just had all the answers and her ability to work the angles and feather drop shots kept Radwanska off balance all night. No performance had me constantly in a slack-jawed state.
– Best match: Karolina Pliskova vs. Venus Williams, Round of 16. The final between Kerber and Pliskova should probably take the cake, given what was on the line and the fact that it was of a higher quality from first point to last. The quarterfinal between Halep and Serena was also absurdly good. But Pliskova vs. Williams is my pick simply because of the dramatic nature of the match. Pliskova saved match point, Venus saved three match points, and it all came down to a third-set tie-break, which Pliskova broke open with an absurd backhand stab pick-up volley. Pliskova went on to win, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3).
– Biggest upset: Karolina Pliskova vs. Serena Williams, semifinals. Pliskova had every reason to blink against Serena. She barely wavered and Serena eventually buckled in the tie-break, double-faulting twice including on match point. Pliskova won 6-2, 7-6(5).
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
Seven-time Slam champion. 117 weeks at World No.1. 43 WTA singles titles. 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist. 2001 Fed Cup champion.
Hall of Famer? Never in doubt.
Justine Henin will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame this summer, in a class that includes two-time major champion Marat Safin. Despite her impeccable resume, the 33-year Belgian admitted the announcement still came as a surprise.
“It’s an honor to be part of the game, of the history of the game,” Henin told reporters via phone on Tuesday. “When you play, you don’t really realize that you’re going to be part of the game forever. Now with this honor, probably more I realize that a little bit more.”
Standing at just five feet, five inches, Henin rose to the top of the game during a time when pure power tennis appeared to take hold. Her game, built on variety, guile, and quickness set her apart. Her great rivalries with the likes of Serena Williams, Amélie Mauresmo, and compatriot Kim Clijsters helped define her generation of greats.
Finding a way to hit hit above her weight-class, Henin’s laser-like focus and grittiness earned her a spot at the table, while her elegant game – punctuated by one of the finest one-handed backhands the sport has ever seen – drew in many fans.
Henin hopes her one-handed flair doesn’t disappear from today’s game. She insists it’s still a viable shot even as the game has gotten faster.
“I wouldn’t say it’s too hard now in the women’s game because I think Amélie and I, we proved that even we were playing with Venus and Serena and many other pretty strong players, we proved it’s not because of that. The game is going faster and faster, that’s for sure.
“It’s just that when you are a young kid, it’s easier to play with two hands because you have more power. You start like this. Then it’s very hard to change or maybe there’s no reason to change.
“I started with a one-handed backhand. Maybe because I was a big fan of Steffi Graf and Stefan Edberg, maybe it’s for that. I worked on this technically, physically, and finally it could be powerful.”
And how about some of that classic Henin backhand and her message to her fans she'll see in Newport this summer! pic.twitter.com/NJgVd5XIt8
— Tennis Hall of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) March 9, 2016
Reflecting on her career, Henin focused on her drive to prove the doubters wrong. After her mother took her to the French Open when she was 10, Henin vowed that one day she would play on Court Philippe Chatrier. She would go on to win the junior title there in 1997 and Roland Garros would be her place of dominance for years to come, winning the title in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
“Coming from a small country, not being so tall, not being so strong, like for a lot of people life hasn’t been so easy to me when I was young.
“Not a lot of people really believed I could reach my goal because my dream was to become the best player in the world. It became my goal. A lot of people thought I was a little bit crazy. But strongly, deeply I never really doubted about the fact that I could make it.
“I always say to the young people, ‘Don’t stop to dream, believe in your dreams, do everything you can to reach your dreams.’ It’s very important. To me ‘dreaming’ is a word that is very important.”
When she heads to the Newport, Rhode Island in July for the induction ceremony, Henin will walk on some of the finest grass courts in America. It’s a small piece of irony given her unfulfilled quest to win Wimbledon and complete the Career Grand Slam. She may just be the best player to never complete the feat. Twice a Wimbledon finalist, she came within a set of completing the feat in 2006 when she lost to Mauresmo.
“I’m the kind of person who is looking after perfection all the time, which doesn’t exist for sure. But I see it as a good thing that there’s something not complete in my career, so I can accept that. I gave everything I had in my career.”
Her signature cap sleeves and bright white cap will surely find their way into the display cases in Newport. It was a jockish look befitting a woman who regularly took the court out-gunned, yet she never shied from the battle.
“I was wearing my cap all the time,” Henin said with a laugh. “I needed it to maybe protect myself a little bit from a lot of things, to get focused, I don’t know. But I won all my Grand Slams with it. That would be for sure the first item I would send to the museum, something that I think people will remember from me.”
After a sudden retirement announcement just weeks before the French Open in 2008, Henin returned to the game in 2010 before ending her career a year later due to an elbow injury. Since her retirement she has focused on her academy in Belgium and gave birth to her two-year old daughter, Lalie.
This year she’s slowly dipped her foot back into tour life after signing on as a coaching consultant to Elina Svitolina. Henin was one half of one of the most famous and successful player-coach relationships in tennis, having been coached by Carlos Rodriguez for the entirety of her career. Theirs was a unique and intense partnership and one that left a lasting impression on Henin. So is she trying to bring the same dynamic to Team Svitolina?
“It was very different. I’m not really in the position of the coach here. It’s just like trying to give my advices and share especially also mentally and emotionally the experience of at least a couple of important matches.”
Whatever she’s said has worked so far. Since announcing the partnership, Svitolina made the semifinals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, won her first title of the season just last week at the BMW Malaysian Open, and is up to a career-high at No.14.
“It’s completely different in the way that she is Top 20 already and I have to respect what she does already and just try to share my experience and my conviction of what she can do more or give more to her game, just try to get better.”
Many look to Henin’s era of players as the last great era, a span of five years that saw intense rivalries surface over and over again on the game’s biggest stages. Mauresmo is already in the Hall of Fame. Clijsters will surely be a first ballot inductee. Serena and Venus are living legends as they continue to play on tour. Henin confessed it was difficult for her to identify what set this group apart.
“Inspiration, I think, is something that is very important,” she said. “I was really inspired. I think it’s the same for all the girls that I played against and with in my generation. We were looking at our idols with a lot of respect. We were trying to take a lot from them and get the inspiration. I still hope that the young players now can still do it and get inspired because it is very, very important.
“Probably also from the next generation, what’s going to be hard is the society is changing a lot. We have a lot of distractions. I don’t know if we all can be as focused as we were in the past because things are going so fast, communication is changing a lot. A lot of things are changing and we have to adapt ourselves.
“Still at the end we need people to be inspired by. I hope that the new generations still get the inspiration from other players. I think it’s something very important.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced today that it will issue its decision in the arbitration procedure between Maria Sharapova and the International Tennis Federation during the first week of October, 2016.
For the full release from the CAS, click here.
Sharapova has been off the court since March, when she made her initial announcement. The Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) handed down its first ruling in early June, followed by the former No.1’s decision to appeal, the ruling on which had been postponed in July.