Eleven Past Champions Headline 2021 Western & Southern Open Singles Fields
CINCINNATI, Ohio (July 21, 2021) -Ashleigh Barty and Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 ranked players in the world who are fresh off Wimbledon titles, highlight the initial singles entry list for the 2021 Western & Southern Open.
The Top 20 players in both the ATP Tour and WTA Tour rankings have entered the event, which will be held Aug. 14-22. The field also includes 11 former tournament winners, including the defending champions Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka, both two-time Western & Southern Open winners.
Cincinnati will welcome five former champions in the WTA field, featuring Karolina Pliskova (2016), Garbiñe Muguruza (2017)and Madison Keys (2019) along with two-time champions Serena Williams and Azarenka. In addition to Djokovic, former ATP champions returning to Cincinnati in 2021 include Daniil Medvedev (2019), Rafael Nadal (2013), Grigor Dimitrov (2017), Marin Cilic (2016) and seven-time champion Roger Federer.
The women’s field is also highlighted by 13 total Major champions, with recent winners including 2020 Western & Southern Open finalist Naomi Osaka (2020 US Open, 2021 Australian Open), Barbora Krejcikova (2021 French Open), Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open) and Iga Swiatek (2020 French Open). Eight entrants have held WTA’s No. 1 ranking, with Azarenka, Barty, Osaka, Pliskova, Muguruza and Williams being joined by multi-time Cincinnati finalists Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber.
In addition to the wealth of experience among the women’s field, 10 participants are 23 or younger. Leading the WTA youth movement is 17-year-old Cori “Coco” Gauff, who will make her debut in Cincinnati following a quarterfinal finish in the 2021 French Open.
Djokovic’s Western & Southern Open title defense will come as he chases history this season. The winner of the year’s first three Majors, he is bidding to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a calendar Grand Slam. The trio of Major titles this season has drawn him level with Federer and Nadal atop the all-time list, with each having won 20 titles at Grand Slam tournaments. A trio of former US Open champions are also on the Cincinnati entry list: Dominic Thiem (2020), Stan Wawrinka (2016) and Cilic (2014).
The men’s field comprises the top 43 players in the ATP rankings and will have 11 players aged 23-or-younger competing. Leading the ATP youth charge is 19-year-old Jannik Sinner, who held a career-high ranking of 17 earlier in 2021 and reached the 2020 French Open Quarterfinals.
The top eight seeds in both draws will receive first round byes. Eight women and seven men will be added to the fields through a two-round qualifying tournament that will be held Aug. 14-15. Four men and as many as five women will be awarded wild card entries into the main draw singles fields.
Tournament action will take place Aug. 14-22, where first serve will take place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 14 for the qualifying tournament. The men’s and women’s singles finals will take place on Sunday, Aug. 22. The full schedule is available here.
OPINION: As Much as Anything, COVID-19 Threatens Fan Experiences at 2020 Tournaments Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
The BNP Paribas Open today announced measures to cope with the somewhat-sensationalized threat of the spread of the latest coronavirus infecting humans and destroying retirement accounts. Among them are guaranteed refunds, hand sanitizing stations, no one but players touching their own towels, gloved ball people, and this one: “Organized player and fan interaction will be limited at the tournament.”
For those of us who haven’t been frightened to death by round-the-clock coverage of this flu, this news will be a setback for fans planning to attend. In the midst of the current occupant of the White House running the country into the ground and other bad news on television every night, I know I’ve been plowing into sports as a refuge and I suspect there are millions more like me.
Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, is the host of the early rounds of the NCAA Division III basketball tournament. They made news yesterday by announcing that their games would be played without fans. If Baltimore was Beijing and if Indian Wells were instead Wuhan, I’d understand the drastic measures.
I suspect that the term “organized player and fan interaction” means more than a couple of autograph sessions. It is highly likely that the policy will curtail post-match, spontaneous “player and fan interaction” as well. Security guards love to boss around the teeming tennis masses as they ask for a selfie, and this will give the muscle another opportunity to exercise their snooty dominion over spectators and players. All of this portends for a poorer fan experience at the tournament, and the possibility that subsequent cities on the American mini-swing such as Miami and Charleston, will be forced to follow suit to prevent them being seen as insufficiently prepared.
If the measures taken at the Tennis Garden are in fact, in place to protect players, then why wouldn’t the sport already limit player/fan interactions? Illness to a player, even for a week, can potentially cost them hundreds of thousand of dollars in lost income. Influenza A is far more common than COVID-19, and if a fan sneezes on a player while requesting an autograph, the results could be equally problematic.
I can only hope that this will be the last time these policies are put in place at a professional sporting event in 2020. For those who have died from or contracted COVID-19 or any form of influenza, I feel great sorrow. This, though, seems to be going too far and will cause unnecessary anxiety on the most vulnerable of groups: children and the elderly. Let’s hope the only hysteria we are left with by the end of 2020 is directed on court on a rising star, like Coco Gauff, Bianca Andreescu or Leylah Fernandez.
The tournament’s full statement is below:
“Following the direction and guidance of Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, and Martin Massiello, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Eisenhower Health, the BNP Paribas Open is taking action to continue prioritizing the health and safety of the fans, athletes, and everyone involved with the tournament.
First and foremost, any patron who has purchased tickets directly from the tournament may request a refund for the 2020 tournament, or a credit for the 2021 tournament. Patrons can visit http://www.bnpparibasopen.com/coronavirus to request a refund or credit.
Additional actions include:
More than 250 hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the facility
Players will be required to manage their own towel on court and ball kids will not touch or move player towels.
A chair will be placed at the back of the court for them to place their towel on for usage during the match.
Ball kids will wear gloves
Restaurant and food supply workers will wear gloves
Volunteers taking tickets at entrances will wear gloves
N95 masks are being secured for first aid and health personnel to be prepared for any circumstances that would necessitate the use thereof
Organized player and fan interaction will be limited at the tournament
All common areas throughout the facility will be cleaned daily with an antiviral application
Coordinating with local hospital and CDC approved testing for all individuals with symptoms
Further actions are being considered and evaluated on a daily basis in order to continue to ensure the safety of everyone associated with the event.”
Simona Halep, Citi Open 2017 (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)
SIMONA HALEP TO MAKE VOLVO CAR OPEN DEBUT IN 2020
The two-time Grand Slam winner has been ranked within the WTA’s top 10 for six consecutive seasons
DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. – Reigning Wimbledon champion and Former World No. 1 Simona Halep will make her Volvo Car Open debut in 2020. The 27-year-old Romanian has been ranked within the WTA’s top 10 for the past six years.
The Volvo Car Open will take place April 4 – 12 on Daniel Island in Charleston, SC. Halep joins Belinda Bencic, Amanda Anisimova, Garbiñe Muguruza and defending champion Madison Keys in the growing player field.
“I am so looking forward to playing in Charleston for the first time in my career,” said Halep. “I have heard so many great things about it and am so pleased to have it on my calendar for 2020. I know the players always say they feel at home there, so I can’t wait to visit the city and make my debut on the green clay.”
Halep has won 19 WTA tournaments in her career, including winning the 2019 Wimbledon title and 2018 French Open title. In addition to capturing her second Grand Slam title in 2019, she was a finalist in Doha and Madrid, a semifinalist in Miami and a quarterfinalist in Dubai, Paris, Eastbourne and Toronto.
Simona Halep
“Simona competing in the Volvo Car Open for the first time means so much to us,” said Eleanor Adams, Volvo Car Open Tournament Manager. “We will be celebrating our 20th year in Charleston and to finally have Simona join our storied roster of players… the timing couldn’t be better! Twice voted a WTA Fan Favorite, Simona has an aggressive, precise style of play; she’s powerful and fast. I am certain our fans will embrace her. Simona has been worth the wait!
Halep was also the 2018 Australian Open finalist and 2017 French Open finalist.
The Volvo Car Open will celebrate its 20th year in Charleston in 2020. The tournament relocated to Charleston from Hilton Head Island, where it was held from 1973 – 2000.
The nine-day Volvo Car Open is the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America. The event attracts an average of 90,000 attendees and more than 100 of the top singles and doubles tennis players to Charleston every year.
Patrons have the option to choose from individual tickets, ticket packages and travel packages. Ticket prices range from $25 for an individual session to $540 for an all-inclusive weeklong package with complimentary access into a private hospitality suite. The Volvo Car Open also offers packages that include premium seats, ticket savings and membership into the tournament’s Ace Club.
For more information on the tournament and ticket options, visit volvocaropen.com or call 843.856.7900.
About the Volvo Car Open:
The Volvo Car Open is North America’s largest women’s-only tennis tournament. The event, formerly known as the Family Circle Cup, moved to Charleston, S.C., in 2001 from Hilton Head Island, S.C., and will celebrate its 48th tournament in 2020. The Volvo Car Open welcomes more than 90,000 spectators each year. The tournament features a singles draw of 56 players, a qualifying draw of 32 players and a doubles draw of 16 players. In conjunction with Tennis Channel and WTA Media, the Volvo Car Open is showcased from the first ball struck in main draw competition to the last ball played in finals, throughout the U.S. and 174 international partners. The tournament receives more than 100 hours of tennis coverage; live from Charleston, broadcast across the globe to millions of fans. The tournament is operated by Charleston Tennis, LLC. For more information on the Volvo Car Open, visit http://www.VolvoCarOpen.com, call (843) 856-7900, email info@volvocaropen.com, Facebook (Volvo Car Open), Twitter (@VolvoCarOpen) or Instagram (VolvoCarOpen).
First @USOpen Win in 6 Years for @Riske4Rewards; DiLorenzo, @JuliaGoerges Advance to Second Round Clash Steve Fogleman in Queens
Pittsburgh’s Alison Riske has seen a lot over the course of her eleven year pro career: marriage, a WTA title, Wimbledon quarterfinals, competition on six continents, Fed Cup glory. But wins at her home grand slam haven’t come easy. Today, for just the first time since 2013, Riske prevailed in a three set comeback win over Garbine Muguruza of Spain by a final of 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 in two hours and three minutes.
Muguruza looked comfortable in the first set and you sensed it would be another first round letdown for the American. Riske battled back with a sizzling net game, winning 83% of net points in the match. Muguruza hit only 24 winners in the match. Riske, who is through to the second round for the second time in her career, faces Latvian Jelena Ostapenko on Thursday.
American Francesca DiLorenzo won her second straight first round US Open match, this year upending Veronika Kudermetova, 7-6, 6-2. She gets Julia Goerges for her trouble: The German had a nasty three set battle against Natalia Vikhlyantseva which was decided by a final tiebreak.
Other winners included Belinda Bencic, Petra Kvitova and Andrea Petkovic in early women’s action on Tuesday.
Time was when a tennis fan could go to the qualies down at the National Tennis Center and feel like they were getting away with something. The crowds were lighter and the concession lines were shorter. The secret slowly sneaked out over the years and the USTA embraced the growing interest in what is now Fan Week. Though any old timer is wistful about some changes, Week Zero of the Open is going to feel more like the main draw party it’s become.
This year the USTA is opening up Ashe during Fan Week and featuring nightly concerts and legends matches. Couple that with more autograph opportunities and seeing big players practicing on big courts and you’ve got an event that dwarves many other tournaments main draw excitement. If the New Haven Open WTA premier tournament was still around, this would have surely killed it off, with free admission to Fan Week.
–Ed.
FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y., July 24, 2019 – The USTA today announced that US Open Fan Week, a week-long tennis and entertainment festival, will kick-off the 2019 US Open and run from Monday, August 19 through Sunday, August 25, on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Anchored by the US Open Qualifying Tournament, the week’s activities also include free evening concerts, open practices featuring the world’s top players, a new Kids’ Zone and a host of other family activities and special events created to give fans more access to the world-class US Open experience. All activities scheduled during the week are free and open to the public.
Francesca DiLorenzo, 2018 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)
The new Fan Week Center Stage located in the South Plaza will serve as home for many activities, including a nightly Heineken Happy Hour, free Chase Sound Check evening concerts, the US Open Draw Ceremony, Tennis Talks and Legends Interviews, and other entertainment events. The stage will be programmed daily from Tuesday through Friday. Other major US Open Fan Week events include the 24th annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, taking place on the grounds and inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, August 24, a US Open Pride Event to be held on Thursday, August 22, public access to US Open Media Day on Friday, August 23, and a new Net Generation Kids’ Zone presented by Emirates that will be located in Backyard Court 17.
A full list of events, which can be accessed at usopen.org/fanweek, include:
Tennis Activities:
US Open Qualifying Tournament: 128 men and 128 women compete to qualify for the final 16 positions in the main draws of the US Open. The qualifying tournament, which offers the fifth- largest purse for a tennis event in the U.S., takes place from Monday, August 19, through Friday, August 23.
Featured Practices: From Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, top ATP and WTA players will be showcased in featured practices in the Grandstand. Players will sign autographs for fans at the conclusion of each practice.
Legends Matches presented by Mercedes-Benz: A series of late-afternoon Legends matches with a targeted 4:30 pm start time will take place in Grandstand from Wednesday through Friday. Wednesday’s match will feature John McEnroe and Jim Courier, with Thursday’s pitting Andy Roddick against James Blake. Friday’s featured match will be a women’s doubles match featuring Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport and Aranxta Sanchez Vicario. Other former players and tennis celebrities will be added to the schedule closer to the start of Fan Week.
On-Going Activities:
Fan Week Center Stage: This stage will serve as the focal point for all Fan Week activities and the site of all major Fan Week Events. The hosted stage will include player interview and autograph opportunities, as well as ticket and merchandise giveaways, and will be the site of free pop-up entertainment and special guest appearances.
Access to Arthur Ashe Stadium: For the first time during Fan Week, fans will be able to register to gain access to Arthur Ashe Stadium which is typically closed to the public prior to the main draw of the US Open. The stadium will feature top player practices and other activities over the course of the week.
US Open Fan Access Pass: Similar to past years, fans can register for US Open Fan Access Pass for and have a chance to win tickets and prizes. Fans who sign up for Fan Access Pass can make the most of their Fan Week experience and gain access to reserved seating in Grandstand for featured practices and Legends matches as well as access to Arthur Ashe Stadium. Those who register for Fan Access Pass are also entered into drawings for the chance to win US Open tickets and other prizes.
US Open Experience: Fans will be able to take in the total US Open Experience which includes a vast array of food offerings, unique merchandise and shopping opportunities and a wide range of activations hosted by US Open sponsor in booths located across the site.
Family Activities:
Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day powered by Net Generation: The 24th annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day will take place on Saturday, August 24 throughout the grounds of the National Tennis Center, with a concert and television program taking place in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Again this year, access to the grounds and all grounds activities are free. For the first time, courtesy of the USTA Foundation, general admission promenade seats in Ashe Stadium for the concert are free. Reserved Courtside and Loge tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.com.
Net Generation Kids’ Zone presented by Emirates: At the Net Generation Kids’ Zone presented by Emirates, located at Backyard Court 17, fans of all ages can play in a range of fun sports activities, including tennis target practice, soccer dribbling, a basketball shootout, golf putting challenge, an agility course and a hockey shooting accuracy area. The Kids’ Zone introduces fans to the USTA’s American Development Model: a multi-sport approach to building tomorrow’s future athletes and tennis greats.
Holiday Inn Kids Eat Free: Kids eat free at Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts – and will be able to do the same during Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day and US Open Fan Week, as well. In partnership with Honest Juice, the Holiday Inn brand will provide free meal vouchers to kids 12 and under (limit two per family).
Festival Elements: The USTA will bring some of the most popular elements from Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day powered by Net Generation to the Fan Week Grounds, including face painting, roving performers and pop-up performances.
Evening Events:
Heineken Happy Hour: Taking place on the Fan Week Center Stage, the Heineken Happy Hour will be held Tuesday through Friday from 6pm to 8pm. Each night, the Happy Hour will feature top DJs, including DJ Niks, DJs Coco and Breezy, and DJ MAAD. Drink specials will be available from 6pm to 7pm all four nights.
Chase Sound Check: For three evenings, from Wednesday, August 21, through Friday, August 23, US Open sponsor Chase, will bring an exciting line-up of live music to the Fan Week Center Stage through the Chase Sound Check platform. The concerts will follow Happy Hour and begin at 8 pm. Check usopen.org/fanweek for the full schedule.
Special Events:
US Open Draw Ceremony: The US Open Draw Ceremony, which determines the match-ups and order of play for the main draw of the US Open, will take place on Thursday at noon, at the Fan Week Center Stage. The ceremony will feature top ESPN talent and analysts discussing all of the tournament’s potential highlights, and potential pitfalls. The ceremony concludes with a special appearance by US Open defending singles champions Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka.
US Open Pride Event: On Thursday, August 22, the US Open will host a special Pride event in Louis Armstrong Stadium from 6:30-7:30 pm, entitled “LOVE ALL – An Open Conversation.” The event will feature former athletes and other notables who will comment on the role of sports, and especially tennis, in, and on the LGBTQ+ community.
US Open Media Day: Scheduled for Friday, August 23 at 11 am, in Louis Armstrong Stadium, fans will have free access to US Open Media Day at which the international tennis media interview top male and female players. Players participating in the 2018 US Open Media Day included Roger Federer, Sloane Stephens, Rafael Nadal, Simona Halep, Andy Murray, and Caroline Wozniacki. In addition, other tennis players and Hall of Famers are scheduled to be part of the interview rotation that fans are welcome to observe.
WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN QUALIFYING FIELDS ANNOUNCED
Qualifying Event Part of First Watch Opening Weekend
Alison Riske (Photo: @Tennis_Shots)
CINCINNATI (July 23, 2019) – Players who have won a total of 11 tour titles this season are among the entrants into the qualifying tournament for the 2019 Western & Southern Open. The qualifying event will take place over First Watch Opening Weekend, August 10-11, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
A total of 15 players – seven women and eight men – will advance out of the two-round qualifying tournament into the 56-player main draw fields for the Western & Southern Open.
The winners of seven ATP titles – Nicolas Jarry (Bastad), Juan Ignacio Londero (Cordoba), Feliciano Lopez (Queen’s), Reilly Opelka (New York), Tennys Sandgren (Auckland), Lorenzo Sonego (Antalya) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Montpellier) – will be joined by four WTA champions – Polona Hercog (Lugano), Alison Riske (‘s-Hertogenbosch), Elena Rybakina (Bucharest) and Yafan Wang (Acapulco) – in the qualifying fields.
Tsonga
In addition, players in the qualifying fields have combined to reach another 14 tour-level finals in 2019. The women’s field also features a duo coming off deep runs at Wimbledon in semifinalist Barbora Strycova and quarterfinalist Riske.
“The qualifying tournament often provides some of the most compelling action because there is a lot on the line for these players who are battling to reach the main draw,” said Western & Southern Tournament Director Andre Silva. “We think these two days are a great opportunity for our fans to not only see these matches across eight courts but also provide a chance to get up-close-and-personal to main draw competitors who are practicing across the other nine courts.”
Tickets for First Watch Opening Weekend start at $14. Tickets for these and all other sessions of the tournament are on sale now at wsopen.com.
Below are the initial player entry lists for the qualifying fields for the 2019 tournament:
WTA Rank • Name (Nationality) Age
32 Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) 33
35 Shuai Zhang (China) 30
37 Alison Riske (USA) 29
43 Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia) 26
44 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 28
45 Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) 25
48 Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) 24
49 Viktoria Kuzmova (Slovakia) 21
50 Kristina Mladenovic (France) 26
52 Yafan Wang (China) 25
53 Alize Cornet (France) 29
54 Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 28
55 Veronika Kudermetova (Russia) 22
57 Margarita Gasparyan (Russia) 24
58 Mihaela Buzarnescu (Romania) 31
59 Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) 24
60 Magda Linette (Poland) 27
61 Iga Swiatek (Poland) 18
64 Anastasia Potapova (Russia) 18
65 Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) 20
67 Kateryna Kozlova (Ukraine) 25
68 Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 34
69 Viktorija Golubic (Switzerland) 26
70 Rebecca Peterson (Sweden) 23
71 Tatjana Maria (Germany) 31
73 Lauren Davis (USA) 25
74 Bernarda Pera (USA) 24
76 Jennifer Brady (USA) 24
ATP Rank • Name (Nationality) Age
38 Nicolas Jarry (Chile) 23
43 Jordan Thompson (Australia) 25
44 Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) 22
45 Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) 31
46 Ugo Humbert (France) 21
49 Joao Sousa (Portugal) 30
50 Marton Fucsovics (Hungary) 27
52 Lorenzo Sonego (Italy) 24
54 Cameron Norrie (Great Britain) 23
55 Dan Evans (Great Britain) 29
56 Juan Ignacio Londero (Argentina) 25
57 Reilly Opelka (USA) 21
59 Pablo Carreno Busta (Spain) 28
60 Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 37
61 John Millman (Australia) 30
62 Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 30
66 Miomir Kecmanovic (Serbia) 19
67 Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 28
68 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 34
69 Casper Ruud (Norway) 20
70 Tennys Sandgren (USA) 28
71 Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan) 22
72 Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 35
73 Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) 23
Four players will be added to each of these fields through wild card entries.
In 2018, the Western & Southern Open attracted more than 194,000 spectators. The reigning singles champions are ATP No. 1 Novak Djokovic and WTA No. 5 Kiki Bertens. In addition to the tennis, the W&S Open features more than 50 musical acts, 20 food vendors, six signature bar areas and a retail plaza for patrons to enjoy between matches.
The Western & Southern Open is an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA Premier 5 tournament and is a member of the US Open Series. Started in 1899, the tournament annually supports a number of charities in the Cincinnati area.
American Phenom @CocoGauff: Coming to the Capital @CitiOpen
Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old American tennis sensation who captured worldwide attention with her star-making run at Wimbledon, is poised to make her first post-Wimbledon tennis appearance in the U.S. at the Citi Open which will take place at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, D.C., from July 27-August 4.
Gauff still awaits a potential spot in the qualifying tournament of the Citi Open set to begin play on Saturday, July 27 with the hopes of winning two matches to advance to the main draw which runs from July 29-August 4. Gauff, who has signed up for qualifying, must use her pre-Wimbledon ranking of No. 313 for entry into the qualifying draw which will be finalized at 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday, July 26.
If she does not earn a place for the qualifying tournament, she plans to practice onsite and participate in a fan meet and greet event on Saturday, July 27, and, on Sunday, July 28, and will play a practice match on Stadium Court on Sunday, July 28, for all fans in attendance.
Under either scenario, Gauff will be the host of the Citi Open Kids’ Day powered by Net Generation on Sunday, July 28 and will hold a press event on Thursday, July 25 or Friday, July 26.
“Coco’s story is a perfect fit with the history and mission of our tournament and, as potentially the next great American star, she also embodies our future and our reimagination of this storied tennis event” said Mark Ein, Chairman of MDE Tennis who took over management rights for the Citi Open earlier this year. “Coco’s fairytale run at Wimbledon captured the hearts of fans worldwide and Washington D.C. cannot wait to host her first post-Wimbledon tennis appearance back in the United States at the Citi Open. We hope she gets into the qualifying but if not, we will provide our community and her fans a great opportunity to meet her and watch her play and practice as she prepares for the US Open.”
Interview with Bethanie Mattek-Sands from Eastbourne 2019 Eric Han for Tennis Atlantic
I had the pleasure of talking to former world no.1 in doubles, five time Grand Slam doubles champion, and Olympic mixed doubles gold medalist, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, after her semifinals doubles victory with her partner Kirsten Flipkens. The video and the transcript of the interview is below.
Q: First tournament back since the Australian Open, and now you’re in final. Congratulations. How do you feel?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: It feels really good. I mean, for me I’ve been enjoying each match. Having a surgery, going through the rehab. I think you learn to appreciate the moment a little bit. And I’ve been having a blast with Flipkens, it was a last minute partnership. And she’s a good a friend off the court. I mean, she won last week on grass, so I felt I picked up a partner that was on good momentum. The things she comes up with that net is super impressive, so I really enjoyed playing with Kirsten out there.
Q: What did you think of the match? When you were down 5-8 in the super tiebreak, what did you say to Kirsten or what did Kirsten say to you to keep motivating each other?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: In all honesty, I’m going to be honest. On the 10 point tiebreakers, I lose track of score a lot. I’m relying on someone to tell me to I need to switch sides. It’s one thing to play the tiebreak to seven, but to play it to ten, I feel like it keeps going. So I’m like next point, alright next point, you’re serving, I’m serving, we’re returning, here’s the play.
So, I feel like, even though I wasn’t quite aware of the score, we had a good game plan. Flippers (Flipkens) is a positive person anyway, so I feel like we both have good energy out there and that’s kind of the key whether you’re up or down and its what win matches and we were able to close it out.
Q: You’ve played both singles and doubles in your career what would you say are the differences? What do you have to adjust when you have to play singles and doubles?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: You definitely adjust your targets. I just think they are two different game plans. I mean, you do have some players that play singles and very good doubles players. Then you have some singles players, that don’t play a lot of doubles. I think there’s a big aspect of communication, a big aspect of a different strategy, and I don’t even like to kind of compare them. I feel when I’m getting ready for a doubles match, it’s a different strategy when I’m getting ready for singles. It’s still a little bit different, I think it’s fun to have your partner out there, someone to talk to. Singles, you’re out there by yourself and it’s a different game. And for right now, I’m playing doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, double here. So I get to have someone to talk to, have my partner. So I’m just really enjoying it,
Q: Ash Barty, who you’ve played against in singles and doubles a few times. She won her maiden Grand Slam in Paris last month. Were you surprised that her first singles Grand Slam was on clay, rather than on Wimbledon as people thought that’s her preferred surface?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: No, I don’t think so. I feel like she has actually won Rome doubles last year. And I think she won it again it this year. She’s an all court player, and I think right now if you have an all-court game, you can play on any surface. You can transition from clay, to hard, to grass. She mixes in that slice really well and comes to the net. And I feel like you can come to the net on all surfaces. And that’s going to be a good game plan. I don’t see her changing it up for grass. She’s an exciting player to watch, and I’ll be rooting for her.
Q: Speaking about Ash, she took time away from tennis to play cricket because she felt too much pressure, tension. Considering how long a tennis season is, nearly 11 months, do you think it is more beneficial for players to take mental health breaks?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: You know what, I gotta give her a lot of credit for doing that. Because she came out of juniors, and she was a highly touted junior. I played her actually, one of her first tournaments, in Hobart I think a long time ago. And she was a great junior player. And for her to say, its too much pressure, I’m not enjoying it. Because Ash is one of these players, she really enjoys going out there, she plays smooth, she plays her game, she talks about playing her brand of tennis. And I really give her a lot of credit for taking that break. And I don’t think its the worst thing. For me, my breaks have come from injuries. I’ve been out for some months at times and it wasn’t necessarily my choice. I think it’s not only good for the body, but also for the mind, tennis is a game and it is a long season, so I think it’s important to kind of to take your breaks when you can and enjoy it. I pick and choose the tournaments I want to play, but I give myself weeks off and days off. After a long swing of tournaments, I’ll take a couple of days to enjoy somewhere around the world. Otherwise, it’s just playing, trains, automobiles, courts, practice, and it’s just kind of this vicious cycle till November. So I think that’s helped me a lot, but again, I’ve taken some time off for my injuries and enjoyed my life off the court, so I think balance is important- really really important.
Q: Do you have any examples in your own career that you should’ve felt I could’ve taken a mental health break? Because it was too much for me, the media attention or whatever. Do you have any examples?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: For me, like I said, I took some time off around my injuries. And you know, it’s easy to say I was forced to take some time off. But I think I decided to rather than feel pressured to come back quick, I really enjoyed my time at home. I enjoyed my time with friends, and I think that’s the biggest shift of my career. If you would’ve talked to me when I was younger, I would’ve said I maybe burned out myself a little and didn’t enjoy tennis. And thinking back, it makes me a little sad, because tennis is a fun game, and even though there is pressure, and that’s why you have a team around you. And that’s why you have a normal life outside of tennis. And when I see that players that kind of have some good balance, they are generally the ones that play longer, they play the season, they can deal with losing early, and then those wins because week to week, you could be at a high, and next week you lose first round four days later! So I think it’s important to have a good balance and I feel like I’ve been able to do that, within my schedule.
Q: Yesterday, it was announced the Fed Cup would change its format to the Davis Cup. I spoke with Simona Halep yesterday about it in the press conference, she said she would possibly boycott it. Because she won’t be able to feel the atmosphere at home. What do you think?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: You know what? It’s a topic we’ve talked about a lot over the last few years. We needed to find a way that the Fed Cup could fit in our schedule as well. The final was played in November, then we had two other weeks. It was tough to add more weeks onto the player’s schedules. So we’re gonna continue the talks right now. I’m actually on the player’s council, so we’re gonna talk to the ITF, the Fed Cup, and kind of come up with a win-win scenario and see what we can do about it. I think it’s very important for everyone to represent their country. I will say that, we come to tournaments like Eastbourne, it says Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and it says USA. We’re all really proud of our countries, whether we’re playing Fed Cup or Olympics or just week to week in the tournaments. But I think, it’s important to get behind some of these countries and get them excited about tennis, and their players, and that’s really my goal with Fed Cup. It’s how we can create that excitement with all these different countries and getting behind these local girls!
Q: Since we are on the topic of playing for your own country. Next year is the Olympics. Do you have any goals or have any given any thought to it?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: Of course! Rio was my first Olympics, and I got a gold with Jack Sock in mixed doubles. So one of the big goals right now is to make the 2020 team. There’s a lot of time between now and then, a lot of tournaments. So it’s definitely in the horizon, but I would love to be in Tokyo. It was such a great experience in Rio, that I want to do it again.
Q: On the men’s side there is the Laver Cup. It has become a huge success, mainly due to the players showing a lot of passion for the event. Would you like to see the women’s being incorporated? Or perhaps creating a women’s only event similar to the Laver Cup. Would this be something you are interested in to take part?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: Definitely! I would definitely take part. I think it’s one of the fun things to watch the Laver Cup for is how excited the players are getting out of it They have a short scoring short format, and makes the games and points exciting. They really did a great job on social media, everyone’s posting about it. They did a great job on fan engagement and interaction, and I think that’s what fans want, they want to get close and get in the action with the players, and they want to see the emotions, and I think it was a great competition. The women’s will definitely have something, whether that’s with the men with Laver cup or our own thing. We’ll definitely do something like that in the future
Q: Who would your dreams mixed doubles and doubles partner be from Team World?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: I mean, Team World is stacked! I won with Jack (Sock), he’s unreal in doubles. When he gets those forehands, he punishes the ball, so I’m gonna throw Jack out there again. Women’s doubles from Team World… I’m going to have to go with…. so, Australia, I’m going to ask Ash Barty.
Q: Last question, Olympic singles gold medal, or a Grand Slam singles runners up?
Bethanie Mattek-Sands: Or a runners up?! You gotta go with the win. I think they’re both important. I mean, Olympics comes every four years so its a little bit more unique. But I want it all! Who doesn’t want it all? I want all the trophies!
British no.1 Johanna Konta came through two tough sets today 6-4 7-6, against Greece’s Maria Sakkari to advance to the next round at the Eastbourne International.
After the match, Konta said: “Maria played well, to be honest. Yeah, no, I’m pleased I was able to stay calm and also just a good perspective. I don’t think anything major happened. It was important to see it that way and see the good things that I was doing. Yeah, I mean, it could have easily gone to a third set, so I definitely wasn’t taking anything for granted out there. Yeah, just pleased to have just, yeah, kept a good perspective and just competed well.”
“I’m very pleased to come through that. I think there was so little in it and in both sets. Our points actually felt that she was playing better than me, so I was just really pleased that I was able to stay with her and create a few opportunities and take a few of them. So, yeah, pleased I have come through.”
She will face Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the third round, who she played back in 2015 in Sydney qualifying- a match that the Brit won comfortably in straight sets 6-2 6-2.
British player Dan Evans also came through today by beating Moldova’s Radu Albot 7-6 6-2. In the press conference, he said: “Today I felt a bit flat at the start but got into it. You know, I hung around a
lot last week, played dubs. So I was a bit lethargic at the start, but I thought I got going and I’m pretty happy with the end of that match. Yeah, it was a good match. It’s a great week for me.”
When asked about his thoughts about being back again competing in Eastbourne, Evans commented, “Yes, I mean, it’s nice to being back here, having another good match on grass before Wimbledon. That’s why I’m here. I like to play here on (the) grass, so I try to enjoy every match and every moment right now.”
Defending Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber had a tricky match-up as she played former top world 10 player, Samantha Stosur, but nevertheless prevailed in straight sets 6-4 6-4.
In her press conference, she discussed the differences between winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia and winning Wimbledon last year. “I think after I won Australia, a lot of things change. I mean, especially in Germany. It was so huge that someone after Steffi won the first Grand Slam, and, yeah, without expectation, I played in Australia and everything.”
“And of course then to winning Wimbledon as my third Grand Slam was even more special, because it was not just that I had the lucky draw or I just won my first one. It was my third one. And Wimbledon was always the tournament that I really would like to win one day.”
Other notable mentions are sixth seed Simona Halep taking out Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei 6-2 6-0 and Caroline Wozniacki beating Andrea Petkovic 6-4 6-4.
2017 WTA Western & Southern Open Preview and Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
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The tour heads south of the Canadian border to Cincinnati for the second Premier event in two weeks. Here is a rundown of the draw for the Western and Southern open.
Top quarter:
Karolina Pliskova returns to Cincinnati to not only defend her title, but also her number one ranking. The Czech receives an opening round BYE before playing a qualifier in the second round. Kristina Mladenovic is the first seeded player in her section, but the Frenchwoman has struggled with injury lately and could face an early exit to either Daria Gavrilova or Katerina Siniakova.
Caroline Wozniacki heads into Cincy in fine form after her Rogers cup run last week, but going deep in back to back tournaments can be tough. Elena Vesnina or Caroline Garcia will welcome the Dane to Ohio in a difficult second round either way. Venus Williams is also in this section and will no doubt be the home favourite for the tournament.
Second Quarter:
Embed from Getty Images
Garbine Muguruza has found a little more consistency since winning Wimbledon, but she has yet to go all the way in a tournament in North America. The Spaniard could face America’s Lauren Davis first in the second round in a section full of home crowd favourites. Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe will meet in round one with the winner likely facing Daria Kasatkina. This is most definitely a stacked section.
Svetlana Kuznetsova had a disappointing Toronto campaign and will look to bounce back in Cincinnati in the upcoming week. The Russian could face Yulia Putintseva in round two then Jelena Ostapenko in the third round. Maria Sharapova was originally drawn to face the Latvian In round one, but the former world number one withdrew from the tournament.
Elina Svitolina’s fine year continued in Toronto and the Ukrainian heads into Cincinnati as one of the title favourites. She will have a tough second round opponent in the form of Lesia Tsurenko or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before potentially meeting Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round. The Pole has a difficult opener against Julia Goerges who has resurged this season though and could face an early exit.
Angelique Kerber’s poor season ahs left her outside of the top 10 in the race to Singapore, and with her US Open title defence incoming, she needs to find form and fast. The German faces either Ekaterina Makarova or Barbora Strycova in the second round, both present different but equally difficult challenges. Petra Kvitova’s comeback continues in Cincy where she will face the young and rising Anette Kontaveit In round one. The winner will face either Sloane Stephens or Lucie Safarova in the second round, a rematch of their Toronto quarter final.
Bottom Quarter:
Simona Halep, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)
Simona Halep is battling for the world number one ranking this week and is coming in off an overall positive week in Toronto that ended in disappointment. The Romanian has a good draw however with a qualifier in round two then Anastasija Sevastova in round three. The Latvian herself opens against Shuai Peng before meeting the winner of Timea Babos vs Roberta Vinci.
Johanna Konta lost at the first hurdle in Toronto so will be hoping for a more positive week south of the Canadian border. The Brit faces either big hitting Oceane Dodin or Kiki Bertens first in the second round before being projected to face Dominika Cibulkova in round three. The Slovakian has a tough draw however with young players such as Ana Konjuh and Cici Bellis in her section.
It is interesting to see where this tournament goes as there are so many possibilities, so it may come as a surprise that I have predicted the top seed to defeat the second seed in the final. The faster courts here suit Pliskova and I expect the two finalists from last week to have some mental and physical fatigue here, so their performances will not be as strong.
Tennis Atlantic 