Latest news with #NaomiBroady
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'It'll be a chess match' - where Wimbledon final will be won
In her latest Wimbledon column, BBC Sport analyst Naomi Broady - a former top-60 player on the WTA Tour - analyses where Saturday's women's final between Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova will be won and lost. On one side, we have a five-time Grand Slam champion who has always had an uneasy relationship with the the other is a former teenage prodigy who is fulfilling her potential after taking a significant break from the sport to protect her mental Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova have fascinating stories to tell as they each prepare for their first Wimbledon is how I think Saturday's history-making match will be decided. Managing the occasion is key Both players are understandably going to be nervous coming into the match - it's the Wimbledon final! The outcome will likely come down to who manages the occasion was pretty nervous in her quarter-final win against Anastasia Pavyluchenkova, to the point where she kept dropping to the floor on her haunches in the last couple of games - even when it wasn't match was an illustration of the feeling of desperation she was facing as she edged closer to saw similar reactions a few times early on in the semi-final against Aryna Sabalenka too but she managed to settle more as the match went having won majors and having been the world number one for such a long time, has the edge in terms of experience - that absolutely counts for a Anisimova has nothing to lose. Of course she is desperate to win the Wimbledon final, but at the start of the fortnight she would never have thought she would actually be here in the championship can close her eyes in the final and have a swing - which fits best into what she does. This circumstances allows her to be more she can go out there and play freely, whereas I think Swiatek might feel extra has never won the singles title here, she's the higher ranked and many people will expect her to lift the trophy.I think being the underdog favours Anisimova and it fits in well with her aggressive game style. Settling down quickly Swiatek and Anisimova are only three months apart in age but they are yet to play each other at tour will still know each other very well, though. They played once in the juniors - back in 2016 - and they have of course seen each other play a ton, and probably hit together through the years won't be the same as going out there and knowing absolutely nothing about their you're in the same year group as someone, it's kind of like you're old school friends and you'll have known them since you were young - especially if you're one of the top juniors in your country, which Swiatek and Anisimova both won't be scrapping for information before they walk only they will be getting detailed analysis from their teams, they will already have a rough idea of what's coming at you have never played someone before, you will mix up a few different shots up in the warm-up to gauge how your opponent feels - but I don't think that will be the case for the final. For the eighth time in eight years, there will be a first-time Wimbledon women's does Wimbledon throw up so many different winners? I think mainly just because it's such a short grass-court swing and a quick turnaround from the French Open on the players who go deep in the Slams don't want to play in the week before a major but you don't always have a choice in the run-up to Wimbledon.A lot of players rock up to Wimbledon feeling quite unsettled, and those who have lost earlier at Roland Garros almost have a bit of an they are playing two or three tournaments coming into Wimbledon, they are feeling far more settled and have figured out the changes in bounces a little you first change surfaces, you are actively thinking about movement, court positions and taking the ball you're playing well, you're on autopilot and not actively thinking much at I think both Swiatek and Anisimova getting on the grass earlier this year has worked in their favour at Wimbledon. Anisimova's backhand versus Swiatek's forehand This will be a battle between Anisimova's big backhand and Swiatek's big forehand - it's going to be a real chess the first strike is key for is going to look to control the rally early on - and Swiatek doesn't like to play reactive has often struggled against the bigger, flatter hitters - just look at Jelena Ostapenko's win record over needs to be really brave. Even when she is feeling the nerves and just wants to find the court, that is what she has to do above anything is tall and can get over the ball and hit down on her strokes - that's what Aryna Sabalenka struggled to counteract in their backhand was especially they were in cross-court backhand exchanges, Sabalenka had to hit a lower risk shot to try to change direction down the line to get it out of Anisimova's strike Swiatek, it is going to be about who is able to find the right ball first to change direction down the line and get the cross-court rally on the wing they prefer. By her own lofty standards, Swiatek's season has been below par up to now and there had been some uncertainty in her she has settled down in the grass court season - on her least favourite surface - and has been finding her form at seen the best of her over the past fortnight. She might struggle at the start of a match but when she finds her rhythm and gets into her stride, there is no stopping her.I think she has moved a little further back behind the baseline, giving herself a fraction more time on the has allowed Swiatek to wind up the top-spin forehand which is fundamental to her clay-court success, and get the ball out of the strike zone of her previous is looking more tactically mature and using the angles - hammering opponents with the forehand cross to leave the ad court (each player's left-sided service court) wide open - to her it will be really interesting to see if that works as effectively against Anisimova's backhand. Naomi Broady was speaking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Wimbledon.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
All Britons out of Wimbledon singles - what did we learn?
In her latest Wimbledon column BBC Sport analyst Naomi Broady - a former top-60 player on the WTA Tour - analyses the performances of the leading British singles players and what they can learn. It is no secret that British players often feel a lot of pressure at Wimbledon. As I well know from my appearances here, you can feel a desperation to perform well because it is the part of the year when a lot of the non-tennis-watching British public watch our wonderful big tennis fans watch the whole year round, but those who don't form strong opinions from what they see at want to show how good you can all of the 23 Britons are out of the Wimbledon singles, let's examine how five of the leading names fared. Jack Draper - early exit but has game for grass How far he went: Suffered a second-round exit, losing to 2017 finalist Marin we learned: Draper still needs a little more time to develop on the into Wimbledon, all the talk was about whether the British men's number one was a contender - he is not an unfair statement to make. It would have been disrespectful if he was not put in that bracket seeing as he is ranked fourth in the world with a big left-handed serve and a big game, plus he was junior runner-up in could not have had a worse draw, though. It was tricky from the start and to play someone with the serve of Cilic on this surface is incredibly bad he can take going forward: The season overall has not gone how Draper would have expected - but in a good Indian Wells on a hard court, then reaching the Madrid Open final on clay, showed the level we have long known he game can naturally fit on grass, but it is tough to expect what we have seen on other surfaces to happen immediately on how short the season is, many people feel quite unsettled at wanted to bring that return position back closer to the baseline. He was aggressive at Queens; we saw him coming forward more. That will benefit his game in the future. Emma Raducanu - showed she can return to top 10 How far she went: Pushed world number one Aryna Sabalenka before losing their third-round we learned: For Raducanu, it was an incredible tournament. Coming into the tournament, she had regained the British women's number one ranking and produced some of her best tennis, beating 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova and playing even better when she went toe-to-toe with Sabalenka in a narrow Vondrousova is one of the few players to win a grass-court tournament this season, Raducanu pushing Sabalenka was the most impressive.I almost felt the winner of Raducanu-Sabalenka could be the winner of the title because the quality of the tennis was some of the best we have seen in the women's she can take going forward: The knowledge she has the game to trouble the said in her Centre Court interview that she thought Raducanu would be back in the top 10 soon - I don't think that was simply a platitude to get the crowd on her in the locker room knows how good Raducanu's game is. They can feel the strength of her shots.I agree with Sabalenka - she will be back in the top 10 soon. Katie Boulter - slipped on banana skin How far she went: Knocked out in the second round with a shock loss to Argentine qualifier Solana we learned: Boulter came through a tough first-round draw against ninth seed Paula Badosa, but faced a banana skin next in against somebody who has nothing to lose and has won so many matches through qualifying - they are floating through the air, feeling light and hitting the ball well - is really you had a ranking by surface, Boulter would be one of the best players in the world on thrives on this surface and nobody is more gutted than her at she can take going forward: Boulter can still reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first movement has vastly improved and so has her mentality - she is digging in and I don't think she has imposter syndrome as her ranking has moved best results will come on the quick, hard courts, so maybe it is a US Open - where the balls sit up and she can get on top of it, and her serve will still be effective - or on the much of it comes to luck of the draw - if you are seeded and can avoid the big names and someone feeling good. Sonay Kartal - became a crowd favourite How far she went: Reached the fourth round for the first time before losing to Anastasia we learned: While Kartal says clay is her favourite surface, I am not surprised to see her do well on the women's game you often see the players who like the clay do well on the grass because both surfaces react well to spin, albeit opposite types of players who enjoy heavy top-spin on their forehands - like Kartal - often also enjoy hitting their slice can look at Jasmine Paolini and Ons Jabeur, who have both reached Wimbledon finals in recent years, as good examples of players who like variety and lean into their spin more on the she can take going forward: There is still room for improvement. When you look at the recent women who have reached the top 10, you think 'why couldn't Kartal do that?'She is such a sponge. That is why she is moving quickly through the rankings. She is able to be sharp to the pace of the ball and the change of intensity as she starts to play women ranked at the year she has a great opportunity to capitalise on people not knowing the ins and outs of her game she can stay one step ahead when the girls start to find out those weaknesses, and how to counteract that, then she can go much higher. Cameron Norrie - regaining confidence can have trampoline effect How far he went: Made the quarter-finals but came unstuck against defending champion Carlos we learned: Norrie has struggled with his form but I love how he stayed with his team when he was going through a rough many people would point fingers, looking for an easy fix, instead of taking that consistent team shows his mindset and has been a big part of his level has skyrocketed back to where it was and, although Alcaraz was a cut above, Norrie will be proud of proving he can still go deep at the he can take going forward: Even more belief from his runs at the French Open and will always have confidence in his physicality - it is his bread and butter. Now the confidence is coming back into his shots, he can jump back up really game suits hard court more than grass - we saw that when he won Indian Wells in 2021 - and this run could have a trampoline effect for him.
Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Exact Wimbledon dress code rules for players - and why women had to go braless
The All England Lawn Tennis Club hosts one of the world's most prestigious tournaments and sometimes the players that compete in it have fallen foul of its strict guidelines Wimbledon is in full swing, with the top tier tournament known for its strawberries and cream, the Royal Box and tennis whites. The contest's dress code regulations date back to the 1880s, with the strictly white outfits intended to minimise the visibility of sweat marks. Controversy occurred in 2014, when female players were reportedly instructed to discard bras that violated the strict dress code. Wimbledon 's rules stated that any visible undergarments must be entirely white, with just a single trim of colour no broader than one centimetre allowed. Several female players that year were said to have been asked to remove bras that didn't meet the strict guidelines. During her second-round match against Caroline Wozniacki, Great Britain's Naomi Broady was reportedly without a bra - although it wasn't clear whether she had been asked to remove it. In 2017, Venus Williams seemed to swap her bright-pink bra when her match was interrupted by rain, refusing to discuss what happened afterwards. Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon men's champion, wasn't impressed. "Some of the girls have been told to go back and change their bras and tops because they had slight colour on them," he said. "I believe some of the girls didn't have suitable sports bras and had to go without them. It has absolutely gone ridiculous." The veteran champ revealed it wasn't just women who could fall foul of the dress code - men also had to ensure their underwear was white. "One of the players was called into the referees' office because he had blue underwear that showed through when he got sweaty," said Pat. "So he was told not to wear dark underwear." As well as a backlash from players and commentators, a protest group was formed called Address The Dress Code, voicing worries about female players who are menstruating. And in 2022, Wimbledon relaxed its rules to allow women to wear dark-coloured undershorts. Solid, mid or dark-coloured undershorts were allowed as long as they weren't longer than the skirts or shorts worn over them. Sally Bolton, the All England Lawn Tennis Club's chief executive, said the move was intended to alleviate "a potential source of anxiety". "We are committed to supporting the players and listening to their feedback as to how they can perform at their best," she added. "It is our hope that this rule adjustment will help players focus purely on their performance." This year, the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu sparked controversy when she "rocked up in a pink outfit" for a practice training session at Wimbledon, the Daily Mail reports. The All England Club rules state players must wear "suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white" while on the courts. Other stars falling foul of the dress code include Aussie bad boy Nick Kyrgios, who arrived on court in a pair of red Nike Jordan shoes and matching cap in 2022 before changing into white attire. And Wimbledon legend Roger Federer was once told off for wearing orange-soled shoes.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Why Raducanu needs to take risk against former Wimbledon champion
In the first of her new Wimbledon columns, BBC Sport analyst Naomi Broady - a former top-60 player on the WTA Tour - discuss how British number one Emma Raducanu will look to beat 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova. Being Emma Raducanu, particularly at Wimbledon, is never it certainly will not be easy when she plays 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova in a tough second-round match on her triumph two years ago, Vondrousova had barely played on grass but is now one of the best WTA players on this are what I think will be the keys in deciding an intriguing contest on Centre Court. Raducanu needs to use her forehand aggressively Since bringing Mark Petchey into her team, Raducanu has done some technical work with him on the forehand and serve.I think the technical expertise is what he brings to the table. Emma is a clever girl and she likes to know 'why?' when she is told to do something and wants to understand the reasons behind who used to coach Andy Murray when he was coming through, is very technical and is able to provide these makes it easy for Emma to buy into his ideas and they share the same vision about her tennis - which is crucial. She has made a few small tweaks on the forehand, and done the same with the serve, and it is a mindset shift of being more a match like she had against Mimi Xu in the first round - someone younger, someone from the same country, on the big occasion of Wimbledon – the forehand is really put to the fact it stood up in that tricky situation, and she could be brave behind it, was if you're going to be more aggressive you're going to be hitting closer to the sidelines and playing with smaller hitting the ball much harder and with that you take more risk. So when you take more risk you have to be prepared to accept you may miss more on about keeping the balance - you need the success of the shot to outweigh the misses. It's risk-reward. Why that will help her take control from the baseline Rather than just being consistent, keeping the ball back in play and risking the opponent being able to attack you, it is about Emma taking control of the is naturally an aggressive baseliner and stands further in on the does that so well and it is important for her to keep the court position which she has gained throughout the Vondrousova, she will need to get the first strike in the likes to control the point by being awkward with her leftiness - using the spin, opening up the court and, of course, putting the ball in from the opposite angle to which it usually tennis in particular is about first-strike tennis, even more so when you're playing someone who likes to dictate early in the rally like Vondrousova. The threat posed by Vondrousova When an unseeded Vondrousova won the title two years ago, she was described as one of the unlikeliest Wimbledon champions was because she had previously won only four grass-court matches in her career and was ranked 42nd in the world after missing the previous six months with a wrist the past year Marketa has struggled with a shoulder injury, playing only 17 matches this season and dropping to 73rd and dropping outside the top 150 as a she reminded us all of her ability by winning the grass-court Berlin title last week - beating Australian Open champion Madison Keys, 2023 Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur and world number one Aryna Sabalenka on the way. That's an incredible list. But what she does naturally fits so well on to this the Czech Republic, they spend a lot of time in the winter on indoor hard courts. Getting used to that ball coming through low and fast means her game is very easily translated on grass. Using the lefty serve and forehand, she really hits on the outside of the ball so she cuts through the sidelines before the ball reaches the baseline and hits with a lot more angle than a lot of the other players happy to come forward, plays a lot of doubles, and is very comfortable coming up to the is again something you would develop on an indoor hard court and transitions well on to the the serve it is all about the angles and opening up the court, but she can also disguise and flatten it out as and when she needs to and keep her opponent guessing.I think she's one of the best grass-court on the women's tour - so Raducanu will have to be at the top of her game if she is going to find a way past the former Wimbledon champion. Naomi Broady was speaking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Wimbledon
