Latest news with #RolandGarros
ABC News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Alex de Minaur heads to Wimbledon relaxed, refreshed and with 'no excuses'
Alex de Minaur says the downcast figure he posed in Paris is a thing of the past, replaced by a rejuvenated optimist at Wimbledon who has put himself first. But Australia's main man is not about to make any predictions about another stirring run to match his surge to the quarters last year at Wimbledon, saying: "It's now up to my tennis to do the talking." Questions have swirled around de Minaur's form and confidence since his dejected second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by him losing his only tour grass-court match of the season at Queen's Club. Back at another grand slam after a revitalising break in London that featured golf, relaxation around Wimbledon with fiancee Katie Boulter and a lone exhibition win over fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, de Minaur sounded a bit more like his normal chipper self. He admitted his return to his favoured surface had been a bit tentative this year as he recalled the freakish hip injury, caused by "an unnecessary slide" at the end of his Wimbledon fourth-round win over Arthur Fils that eventually stopped him taking the court against Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. "But I've been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not be afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me," said 11th seed de Minaur, who will begin his campaign on Tuesday against Spain's world number 74 Roberto Carballes Baena. De Minaur took an enforced break after the disappointment of the French Open, something he believes has put him in a much better position for the season's third major. "I was able to take a step back, accept what has happened, and put myself first for the first time in a while, and I think that was quite crucial," he said. "And even though it didn't bring out the result I wanted in Queen's [being beaten by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka], I do now feel in a very good head space going into Wimbledon. "I feel refreshed. I feel full of energy. And now it's up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there's no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I feel like I'm ready to go." De Minaur's lapse at Roland Garros, when he was two sets up against Alexander Bublik and then felt he lost his way, was a rare recent grand slam calamity for the 26-year-old, who had reached at least the last 16 in his six previous majors. Reflecting that he could give himself a "pat on the back" for that consistency, he also admitted his constant demanding schedule eventually took a toll. "I think I speak for the vast majority of tennis players [by saying] that ideally what we would like to have is a shorter schedule that allows us to have a proper off-season," he said. "So I would shorten the schedule and give players more time off at the end of the year, and then you would see less injuries, over-use injuries and less mental fatigue, which will allow a better level as a whole for the tour, for the spectator, for the sport, and a better atmosphere for everyone." AAP
3 hours ago
- Sport
Novak Djokovic figures Wimbledon gives him his best chance at a record 25th Grand Slam title
LONDON -- It's become part of Novak Djokovic's routine now, particularly at Grand Slam tournaments: He shows up and gets asked — at the start of the event, during the event, after the event or sometimes all three — whether this will be his final appearance there. Happened again Saturday at Wimbledon, and his response was the same it tends to be, which essentially amounts to: Who can tell? 'Whether it could be my 'last dance,'' the 24-time major champion began, repeating the phrase used by the reporter who posed the question, 'I'm not sure — as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other Slam that I play next.' And then Djokovic continued, offering something of a mix of seemingly trying to quiet any talk about whether he truly is pondering retirement at age 38 while also being realistic about where things stand. 'My wish is to play for several more years. I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level,' he said. 'That's the goal. But you never know at this stage.' What Djokovic did concede is that the All England Club might offer the likeliest spot for him to gather one more Grand Slam singles title, which would allow him to raise his career haul to 25 — a number that no tennis player ever has reached. 'I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon,' said Djokovic, who faces Alexandre Muller in the first round Tuesday. 'Just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level.' Djokovic has won seven championships at the grass-court major and come oh-so-close to making his total eight — the number Roger Federer won, and one behind Martina Navratilova's record nine women's trophies — but lost in the 2023 and 2024 finals to Carlos Alcaraz. All told, Djokovic has appeared in the title match each of the past six times the tournament was held (it was canceled in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic), winning it in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. His most recent Wimbledon loss came all the way back in 2017, when he was defeated in the quarterfinals by 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych. As for the persistent questions about Djokovic's future, it's the same type of topic that was presented to Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams as those greats of the game neared their farewells. Now it's just Djokovic's turn. But just because he hasn't won a Grand Slam trophy in more than 1 1/2 years — he collected three in 2023, capped by the U.S. Open that September — don't think that Djokovic isn't capable of grabbing another. As he reminded anyone listening Saturday, he made it to the semifinals at the Australian Open this January before stopping after one set because of a hamstring injury, and got to the final four at the French Open this month before losing to No. 1 Jannik Sinner. After that one, Djokovic took time as he left the court to kiss his hand and lean down to touch the clay, then said it could have been his last match at Roland-Garros. There also was the not-so-small achievement of claiming a gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics less than a year ago by beating Alcaraz, no less. 'These tournaments give me the biggest drive, still,' Djokovic said. 'I like the way I feel right now, physically. Tennis-wise, I've been playing good on the practice sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament. I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can.' And maybe even return in 2026.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
'No excuses, I'm ready': Demon's pre-Wimby declaration
Alex de Minaur reckons the downcast figure of Paris has been replaced by the rejuvenated optimist of Wimbledon who's put himself first and is feeling full of beans. But Australia's main man isn't about to make any predictions about another stirring run to match his surge to the quarters last year at Wimbledon, shrugging: "It's now up to my tennis to do the talking." Question marks have swirled around de Minaur's form and confidence after his dejected second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by him losing his only tour grass-court match of the season at Queen's Club. But back at another grand slam after a revitalising break in London that's featured golf, relaxation around Wimbledon with fiancee Katie Boulter and a lone exhibition win over fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, he sounded a bit more like his normal chipper self at his annual state-of-the-Demon address at Wimbledon on Saturday (Sunday AEST). He did admit his return to his favoured surface had been a bit tentative this year as he recalled the freakish hip injury, caused by "an unnecessary slide" at the end of his Wimbledon fourth-round win over Arthur Fils that eventually stopped him taking the court against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. "But I've been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not be afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me," said 11th seed de Minaur, who'll open his defence on Tuesday against Spain's world No.74 Roberto Carballes Baena. Talking about his enforced break after Paris when it was hard to remember him seeming so down, he reflected: "I was able to to take a step back, accept what has happened and and put myself first for the first time in a while, and I think that was quite crucial. "And even though it didn't bring out the result I wanted in Queen's (where he was beaten by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka), I do now feel in a very good head-space going into Wimbledon. "I feel refreshed. I feel full of energy. And now it's up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there's no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I feel like I'm ready to go." De Minaur's lapse at Roland Garros, when he was two sets up against Alexander Bublik and then felt he lost his way against the marvellous, manic Kazakh, was a rare recent grand slam calamity for the 26-year-old, who had reached at least the last-16 in his six previous majors. Reflecting that he could give himself a "pat on the back" for that consistency, he also admitted his constant demanding schedule had eventually "taken its toll." And asked how so many tour players could avoid that same physical and mental toll, he said: "I think I speak for the vast majority of tennis players, that ideally what we would like to have is a shorter schedule that allows us to have a proper off-season. "So I would shorten the schedule and give players more time off at the end of the year, and then you would see less injuries, over-use injuries and less mental fatigue, which will allow a better level as a whole for the tour, for the spectator, for the sport, and a better atmosphere for everyone." Alex de Minaur reckons the downcast figure of Paris has been replaced by the rejuvenated optimist of Wimbledon who's put himself first and is feeling full of beans. But Australia's main man isn't about to make any predictions about another stirring run to match his surge to the quarters last year at Wimbledon, shrugging: "It's now up to my tennis to do the talking." Question marks have swirled around de Minaur's form and confidence after his dejected second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by him losing his only tour grass-court match of the season at Queen's Club. But back at another grand slam after a revitalising break in London that's featured golf, relaxation around Wimbledon with fiancee Katie Boulter and a lone exhibition win over fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, he sounded a bit more like his normal chipper self at his annual state-of-the-Demon address at Wimbledon on Saturday (Sunday AEST). He did admit his return to his favoured surface had been a bit tentative this year as he recalled the freakish hip injury, caused by "an unnecessary slide" at the end of his Wimbledon fourth-round win over Arthur Fils that eventually stopped him taking the court against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. "But I've been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not be afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me," said 11th seed de Minaur, who'll open his defence on Tuesday against Spain's world No.74 Roberto Carballes Baena. Talking about his enforced break after Paris when it was hard to remember him seeming so down, he reflected: "I was able to to take a step back, accept what has happened and and put myself first for the first time in a while, and I think that was quite crucial. "And even though it didn't bring out the result I wanted in Queen's (where he was beaten by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka), I do now feel in a very good head-space going into Wimbledon. "I feel refreshed. I feel full of energy. And now it's up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there's no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I feel like I'm ready to go." De Minaur's lapse at Roland Garros, when he was two sets up against Alexander Bublik and then felt he lost his way against the marvellous, manic Kazakh, was a rare recent grand slam calamity for the 26-year-old, who had reached at least the last-16 in his six previous majors. Reflecting that he could give himself a "pat on the back" for that consistency, he also admitted his constant demanding schedule had eventually "taken its toll." And asked how so many tour players could avoid that same physical and mental toll, he said: "I think I speak for the vast majority of tennis players, that ideally what we would like to have is a shorter schedule that allows us to have a proper off-season. "So I would shorten the schedule and give players more time off at the end of the year, and then you would see less injuries, over-use injuries and less mental fatigue, which will allow a better level as a whole for the tour, for the spectator, for the sport, and a better atmosphere for everyone." Alex de Minaur reckons the downcast figure of Paris has been replaced by the rejuvenated optimist of Wimbledon who's put himself first and is feeling full of beans. But Australia's main man isn't about to make any predictions about another stirring run to match his surge to the quarters last year at Wimbledon, shrugging: "It's now up to my tennis to do the talking." Question marks have swirled around de Minaur's form and confidence after his dejected second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by him losing his only tour grass-court match of the season at Queen's Club. But back at another grand slam after a revitalising break in London that's featured golf, relaxation around Wimbledon with fiancee Katie Boulter and a lone exhibition win over fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, he sounded a bit more like his normal chipper self at his annual state-of-the-Demon address at Wimbledon on Saturday (Sunday AEST). He did admit his return to his favoured surface had been a bit tentative this year as he recalled the freakish hip injury, caused by "an unnecessary slide" at the end of his Wimbledon fourth-round win over Arthur Fils that eventually stopped him taking the court against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. "But I've been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not be afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me," said 11th seed de Minaur, who'll open his defence on Tuesday against Spain's world No.74 Roberto Carballes Baena. Talking about his enforced break after Paris when it was hard to remember him seeming so down, he reflected: "I was able to to take a step back, accept what has happened and and put myself first for the first time in a while, and I think that was quite crucial. "And even though it didn't bring out the result I wanted in Queen's (where he was beaten by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka), I do now feel in a very good head-space going into Wimbledon. "I feel refreshed. I feel full of energy. And now it's up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there's no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I feel like I'm ready to go." De Minaur's lapse at Roland Garros, when he was two sets up against Alexander Bublik and then felt he lost his way against the marvellous, manic Kazakh, was a rare recent grand slam calamity for the 26-year-old, who had reached at least the last-16 in his six previous majors. Reflecting that he could give himself a "pat on the back" for that consistency, he also admitted his constant demanding schedule had eventually "taken its toll." And asked how so many tour players could avoid that same physical and mental toll, he said: "I think I speak for the vast majority of tennis players, that ideally what we would like to have is a shorter schedule that allows us to have a proper off-season. "So I would shorten the schedule and give players more time off at the end of the year, and then you would see less injuries, over-use injuries and less mental fatigue, which will allow a better level as a whole for the tour, for the spectator, for the sport, and a better atmosphere for everyone." Alex de Minaur reckons the downcast figure of Paris has been replaced by the rejuvenated optimist of Wimbledon who's put himself first and is feeling full of beans. But Australia's main man isn't about to make any predictions about another stirring run to match his surge to the quarters last year at Wimbledon, shrugging: "It's now up to my tennis to do the talking." Question marks have swirled around de Minaur's form and confidence after his dejected second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by him losing his only tour grass-court match of the season at Queen's Club. But back at another grand slam after a revitalising break in London that's featured golf, relaxation around Wimbledon with fiancee Katie Boulter and a lone exhibition win over fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, he sounded a bit more like his normal chipper self at his annual state-of-the-Demon address at Wimbledon on Saturday (Sunday AEST). He did admit his return to his favoured surface had been a bit tentative this year as he recalled the freakish hip injury, caused by "an unnecessary slide" at the end of his Wimbledon fourth-round win over Arthur Fils that eventually stopped him taking the court against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. "But I've been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not be afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me," said 11th seed de Minaur, who'll open his defence on Tuesday against Spain's world No.74 Roberto Carballes Baena. Talking about his enforced break after Paris when it was hard to remember him seeming so down, he reflected: "I was able to to take a step back, accept what has happened and and put myself first for the first time in a while, and I think that was quite crucial. "And even though it didn't bring out the result I wanted in Queen's (where he was beaten by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka), I do now feel in a very good head-space going into Wimbledon. "I feel refreshed. I feel full of energy. And now it's up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there's no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I feel like I'm ready to go." De Minaur's lapse at Roland Garros, when he was two sets up against Alexander Bublik and then felt he lost his way against the marvellous, manic Kazakh, was a rare recent grand slam calamity for the 26-year-old, who had reached at least the last-16 in his six previous majors. Reflecting that he could give himself a "pat on the back" for that consistency, he also admitted his constant demanding schedule had eventually "taken its toll." And asked how so many tour players could avoid that same physical and mental toll, he said: "I think I speak for the vast majority of tennis players, that ideally what we would like to have is a shorter schedule that allows us to have a proper off-season. "So I would shorten the schedule and give players more time off at the end of the year, and then you would see less injuries, over-use injuries and less mental fatigue, which will allow a better level as a whole for the tour, for the spectator, for the sport, and a better atmosphere for everyone."
eNCA
4 hours ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Coaching upheaval won't dent Sinner's Wimbledon title charge
World number one Jannik Sinner insists his surprise decision to part with two of his coaching staff on the eve of Wimbledon will not affect his bid to win the tournament for the first time. Sinner has opted to move on from Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, his trainer and physiotherapist respectively, as he looks for a new direction following his painful French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. The pair had been employed by Sinner since September 2024, helping him retain the Australian Open crown in January and reach the Roland Garros showpiece in June. Asked if the decision might jeopardise his Wimbledon challenge over the next fortnight, Sinner was adamant it would be beneficial, with coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill still on his staff. "I parted ways not long ago, but it's not affecting me. I feel ready to compete. I feel free. I feel me and my team, we are ready to do the best we can," Sinner told reporters at the All England Club on Saturday. "We've reached incredible results in the past with them, so obviously huge thanks to them. We made some great job, but I decided to do something different. "As I said, we made some great work. For me the final in Roland Garros was an amazing achievement. That's it." Sinner explained the split was amical. "Look, in this sport things can happen," he said. "Nothing crazy happened... sometimes a player feels something different, and that's my case. "I'm here to show that I can play some good tennis also on grass." Sinner has won three of the last six Grand Slams, but is still recovering from losing an epic French Open clash with Alcaraz. The 23-year-old blew a two-set lead and wasted three match-points as Alcaraz staged a comeback for the ages to win in the final set tie-break. Sinner has failed to reach the Wimbledon final in his four visits, with a last four appearance in 2023 ranking as his best effort. - Passion for fashion - The Italian's Wimbledon preparations were also dented by a shock last-16 defeat against Alexander Bublik in the grass-court event at Halle. But top seeded Sinner, who will start his Wimbledon campaign against compatriot Luca Nardi, remains in confident mood. "Feels good again after one year coming back here. I'm very happy. I have some good feelings," he said. "We are practising very well. I feel ready to compete again." Sinner's pursuit of a maiden Wimbledon crown could hinge on a potential heavyweight semi-final clash with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. But rather than fret about that possible blockbuster tie, Sinner was in relaxed mood as he delved into his off-court hobbies. Sinner recently released a duet with renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli. Titled Polvere e Gloria, which means Dust and Glory, the song features Sinner reciting speeches about winning and losing. "That was the first time that I got to know him in person. It was very nice. Obviously he's an incredible artist. Just being part of this for me was amazing," Sinner said. "Just something completely different. I would have never thought that I would be in these kind of things in the future." Sinner has also indulged his passion for fashion by working with iconic brand Gucci. "Gucci is Italian. To work with them, it's very nice," he said. "I learn new things every time when I go on fashion shows. I like to ask why they use certain colours, and you see how they think about fashion. "I'm not the guy who is going to show up with something to show off!" By Steven Griffiths
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
'No excuses, I'm ready': Demon's pre-Wimby declaration
Alex de Minaur reckons the downcast figure of Paris has been replaced by the rejuvenated optimist of Wimbledon who's put himself first and is feeling full of beans. But Australia's main man isn't about to make any predictions about another stirring run to match his surge to the quarters last year at Wimbledon, shrugging: "It's now up to my tennis to do the talking." Question marks have swirled around de Minaur's form and confidence after his dejected second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by him losing his only tour grass-court match of the season at Queen's Club. But back at another grand slam after a revitalising break in London that's featured golf, relaxation around Wimbledon with fiancee Katie Boulter and a lone exhibition win over fellow Aussie Alexei Popyrin, he sounded a bit more like his normal chipper self at his annual state-of-the-Demon address at Wimbledon on Saturday (Sunday AEST). He did admit his return to his favoured surface had been a bit tentative this year as he recalled the freakish hip injury, caused by "an unnecessary slide" at the end of his Wimbledon fourth-round win over Arthur Fils that eventually stopped him taking the court against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. "But I've been able to really start to feel comfortable again and start to move the way I was last year, and not be afraid to kind of go out there and slide, which is a very good sign for me," said 11th seed de Minaur, who'll open his defence on Tuesday against Spain's world No.74 Roberto Carballes Baena. Talking about his enforced break after Paris when it was hard to remember him seeming so down, he reflected: "I was able to to take a step back, accept what has happened and and put myself first for the first time in a while, and I think that was quite crucial. "And even though it didn't bring out the result I wanted in Queen's (where he was beaten by eventual finalist Jiri Lehecka), I do now feel in a very good head-space going into Wimbledon. "I feel refreshed. I feel full of energy. And now it's up to my tennis to do the talking, right? But there's no excuses, whether physically or mentally. I feel like I'm ready to go." De Minaur's lapse at Roland Garros, when he was two sets up against Alexander Bublik and then felt he lost his way against the marvellous, manic Kazakh, was a rare recent grand slam calamity for the 26-year-old, who had reached at least the last-16 in his six previous majors. Reflecting that he could give himself a "pat on the back" for that consistency, he also admitted his constant demanding schedule had eventually "taken its toll." And asked how so many tour players could avoid that same physical and mental toll, he said: "I think I speak for the vast majority of tennis players, that ideally what we would like to have is a shorter schedule that allows us to have a proper off-season. "So I would shorten the schedule and give players more time off at the end of the year, and then you would see less injuries, over-use injuries and less mental fatigue, which will allow a better level as a whole for the tour, for the spectator, for the sport, and a better atmosphere for everyone."
