Welcome again to the Monday Tennis Briefing, the place The Athletic will clarify the tales behind the tales from the previous week on courtroom.
This week, the primary Riyadh version of the WTA Tour Finals concluded in Saudi Arabia, with Coco Gauff defeating Zheng Qinwen within the ultimate.
All through the week, the gamers and WTA chief govt Portia Archer have emphasised that they felt welcome and sorted in a rustic that criminalizes same-sex relationships and has been criticized for its human rights document, significantly concerning girls. “We’ve got by no means had any points with freedom of expression,” Archer mentioned in a information convention forward of the event.
Charlie Eccleshare’s particular report from Riyadh seems on the thought of tennis — and sport at massive — having the facility to impact change, and the way conversant that concept is with the truth within the nation:
GO DEEPER
‘The identical individuals who permit girls to play tennis are additionally torturing the activists’
Elsewhere, Barbora Krejcikova criticized what she referred to as “unprofessional” commentary of the occasion, Danielle Collins and Daria Kasatkina skilled life as an alternate, a doubles partnership fell on the final and Daniil Medvedev spiralled in Turin.
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What led Krejcikova to name out a commentator?
After a tough run of kind via fall, world No. 10 Barbora Krejcikova bought a dose of the social media abuse that’s dispiritingly acquainted to any tennis participant who’s shedding matches. When somebody questioned out loud on X as to how she had gained Wimbledon, the Czech gave an easy reply: “I gained seven matches in a row.”
Krejcikova, who, with that title certified for the WTA Tour Finals — a particular provision for a Grand Slam champion who finishes outdoors the highest eight within the rankings ‘race’ however inside the highest 20 — utilized that logic to the occasion in Riyadh. After going 5-5 between Wimbledon and the beginning of the event, she took Iga Swiatek to a few units, eased previous Jessica Pegula, after which beat Coco Gauff to win her group.
Krejcikova ran out of steam within the semifinals in opposition to Zheng, then discovered herself having to answer some extra unfavorable commentary of a very completely different form.
“You may need heard in regards to the current feedback made on Tennis Channel through the WTA Finals protection that targeted on my look fairly than my efficiency. As an athlete who has devoted herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this sort of unprofessional commentary,” the 28-year-old wrote in a assertion on X.
“This isn’t the primary time one thing like that is taking place in sports activities world. I’ve usually chosen to not communicate up, however I consider it’s time to deal with the necessity for respect and professionalism in sports activities media. These moments distract from the true essence of sport and the dedication all athletes carry to the sector.
I like tennis deeply, and I need to see it represented in a approach that honors the dedication we make to compete at this degree.”
GO DEEPER
A smiling ghost of Centre Court docket: How Barbora Krejcikova’s title met her mentor’s legacy
Krejcikova was responding to journalist and commentator Jon Wertheim, who commented on Krejcikova’s brow throughout a broadcast on Tennis Channel Friday. Wertheim is a longstanding tennis journalist and is an everyday contributor to Andy Roddick’s podcast, Served, which additionally airs on Tennis Channel’s T2 broadcast.
— Lacking 🎾 Media (@MissingTennis) November 8, 2024
Wertheim apologized Sunday in a assertion on X, which he labelled “a tennis twitter apology.”
“Throughout a Tennis Channel studio present on Friday, I made some deeply regrettable feedback off-air. I acknowledge them. I apologise for them. I reached out instantly and apologised to the participant,” he mentioned.
“What occurred? I joined the present by Zoom. In rehearsal we have been proven a graphic of a participant who had simply competed. It confirmed her at an angle that exaggerated her brow.
“Just a few moments later, I used to be instructed to border up my Zoom. I seemed on the low digital camera angle and joked that it made my brow resemble the picture of the participant in query. Somebody within the management room chimed in and I bantered again. Although this was a non-public rehearsal, this trade inadvertently, and with out context, made it to dwell air.
“I notice: I’m not the sufferer right here. It was neither skilled nor charitable nor reflective of the particular person I attempt to be. I’m accountable. I personal this. I’m sorry.”
He later issued an extra joint apology with Roddick, shared on Served’s X account.
— Served with Andy Roddick (@Served_Podcast) November 10, 2024
Wertheim instructed The Athletic through e-mail that: “Between the assertion I posted and a few remarks I made with Andy Roddick I don’t have a lot so as to add about this deeply regrettable state of affairs for which I’m profoundly apologetic.”
In an announcement issued Sunday, Tennis Channel mentioned that Wertheim has been faraway from the air “indefinitely.”
James Hansen
What brought on Daniil Medvedev to lose management on the ATP Finals?
Daniil Medvedev is one in every of two males’s gamers born within the Nineteen Nineties to win a Grand Slam title. He’s world No. 4, a continuing issue within the latter levels of the largest occasions, and probably the most compelling audio system on the ATP Tour.
He’s additionally in a foul spot. His proper shoulder has been bothering him all 12 months, afflicting his serve, which ordinarily lets him explode via his service video games to place stress on his opponents. He’s having to play Jannik Sinner so usually that their showing in the identical aspect of a event draw has turn out to be a meme, and he isn’t profitable in the intervening time. He thinks the balls used on the tour are neutralizing his strengths and serving to these of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the gamers who can speed up via slower balls sufficient to complete factors with most aplomb.
On the ATP Tour Finals in Turin, he had had sufficient, each on-court and off. “I’ve this day-after-day, day in, day trip, since two, three years. Each observe is a wrestle. Each match is a wrestle. I used to be holding for very long time. Now I really feel zero pleasure of being on the courtroom,” he mentioned in a information convention after shedding in straight units to Taylor Fritz on November 10.
Daniil Medvedev has had a testing 12 months (Antonio Calanni / Related Press)
That lack of enjoyment devolved into the absurd, with Medvedev throwing his racket into the air, feigning that he couldn’t dangle on to it, and making ready to return serve along with his racket deal with after Fritz shanked a fortunate lob onto the baseline to interrupt within the second set. Medvedev, who is understood for his means to up the frequency of lengthy rallies in return video games and steal the marginal benefit it presents the returner in opposition to the server, mentioned his struggle had left him.
“I’m drained to struggle in opposition to one thing that doesn’t rely on myself,” he mentioned, referring to the balls.
“Each match I come, I do know that mainly I’ve to hit no matter. It doesn’t matter. Ways matter much less,” he mentioned.
Medvedev will face Alex de Minaur after which Sinner as he bids to qualify for the semifinals. He isn’t all that bothered if that is the top of his season.
James Hansen
What’s it prefer to be an alternate?
It was a story of two alternates on the WTA Finals final week — one who bought to play and one who didn’t.
In one in every of tennis’ strangest roles, it’s reserved for the end-of-year finals on the boys’s and girls’s excursions. The 2 gamers ranked just under the cut-off to qualify for the WTA and ATP Tour Finals are chosen as substitutes in case one of many gamers who has certified has to tug out. Withdrawals are extra frequent at these occasions: they’re the final main tournaments of the season other than the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. They’re additionally performed to a round-robin format, so there may be the chance for useless rubbers that gamers are extra prepared to tug out of if not feeling one hundred pc.
On the WTA Finals the 2 alternates have been Daria Kasatkina of Russia and America’s Danielle Collins. Kasatkina because the world No. 9 was the primary alternate and was duly referred to as off the bench when Pegula pulled out with a knee harm on Wednesday after shedding her first two matches. Kasatkina’s reward was a match in opposition to world No. 2 Iga Swiatek with solely a day’s discover. She misplaced 6-1, 6-0 in 51 minutes.
Afterwards, a shellshocked Kasatkina spoke of the problem of the alternate function.
“It’s tougher than it appears. You must be right here for every week, after which all of the sudden you need to go and play No 2 on the earth who already performed two matches.
“It’s not simple to go and play from zero, being relaxed the entire week, not being on this mentality as while you play a event after which going to play Iga,” she mentioned in a information convention.
Daria Kasatkina gained only one recreation in her look on the WTA Tour Finals (Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP through Getty Photos)
Collins most likely bought the higher deal as a non-playing alternate. She was a late call-up after Emma Navarro — who would have been the primary alternate — withdrew with sickness. Collins noticed the week as an opportunity to get into form for the Billie Jean King Cup finals, which begins on Wednesday.
Collins, who has not performed a match in additional than two months, mentioned she hoped her function as an alternate could be a great bridge to enjoying competitively once more on the BJK Cup. “It’s been very nice,” she instructed The Athletic in an interview in Riyadh. “It’s a terrific alternative to get again into event mode and and and get a whole lot of nice observe, too, with all these gamers.”
On the day she spoke to The Athletic, Collins performed a observe set with Kasatkina and mentioned that she was primarily in her event routine — simply with out enjoying the matches.
Maybe the strangest alternate function is reserved for the overwhelmed semifinalists. Krejcikova and Aryna Sabalenka have been required to stay round to make sure the ultimate would go forward if one in every of Zheng Qinwen or Gauff withdrew. Leaving early carried a fantastic of half their prize cash from the event.
This week it’s Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas within the alternate roles, on the ATP Finals in Turin. Ready and questioning in the event that they’ll get the possibility to step in for somebody. Even when they don’t, they’ll decide up a $155,000 (£120,317) cheque for his or her efforts — $140,000 (£108,661) was the alternate price in Riyadh.
Charlie Eccleshare
So shut however thus far for Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova?
Final week, as Sabalenka turned year-end world No. 1 in singles for the primary time, Katerina Siniakova achieved the identical feat in doubles — for the fourth time.
Siniakova gained two Grand Slam titles in 2024: the French Open with Gauff and Wimbledon with Taylor Townsend, who partnered her on the Tour Finals in Riyadh. She additionally gained Olympic gold in blended doubles for the Czech Republic with Tomas Machac.
Siniakova and Townsend have been seeded eighth out of eight pairs in Riyadh regardless of being extensively thought-about as favorites alongside Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, the Canadian and Kiwi duo who Siniakova and Townsend defeated within the Wimbledon ultimate in July.
Each pairs stormed to the Riyadh ultimate undefeated, with Siniakova and Townsend beating Australian Open champions Hsieh Su-Wei and Elise Mertens and U.S. Open champions Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok within the group stage. After 4 resplendent performances, Dabrowski and Routliffe proved a bridge too far, profitable in straight units 7-5, 6-3 and lifting Dabrowski to No 3 on the earth, behind Routliffe in No 2. Townsend moved up from No 9 to No 5.
Regardless of this defeat, Siniakova, who has been outspoken in regards to the lack of recognition for elite doubles gamers in comparison with their singles counterparts, stands alone on the prime.
Erin Routliffe (entrance proper) and Gabriela Dabrowski have fun victory over Katerina Siniakova (prime proper) and Taylor Townsend in Riyadh (Clive Brunskill / Getty Photos)
James Hansen
An extended await Denis Shapovalov?
After a five-year wait, Denis Shapovalov lastly has his palms on an ATP title once more — coming right through qualifying to assert the Belgrade Open on Sunday.
It was the Canadian’s first title since his maiden victory on the Stockholm Open in 2019, and particularly important given he was out between July 2023 and January 2024 due to a knee harm. This title lifts him 22 locations to No 56 within the rankings, an necessary step in the direction of the spot within the prime 30 that he had earlier than that knee harm final summer time, and one that may make him seeded on the Slams (and definitely not need to qualify for 250-level occasions).
Denis Shapovalov remains to be simply 25 regardless of being a mainstay on the ATP Tour (Darko Vojinovic / Related Press)
Such a classy participant with a flashing single-handed backhand, it’s excellent news for followers of selection to have Shapovalov as an element once more, and this title was made much more particular by the person handing over the trophy: the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Shapovalov mentioned how honored he was by Djokovic’s presence after his 6-4, 6-4 win over one other Serbian, Hamad Medjedovic.
“It was tremendous bizarre, as a result of he’s usually taking trophies from us, not giving us trophies,” he mentioned.
Subsequent up for Shapovalov is the Davis Cup finals with Canada, which start in Malaga every week on Tuesday. Abruptly it looks like he may have a major function to play.
Charlie Eccleshare
Shot(s) of the week
When doubles is nice, it’s very, excellent.
Beneficial studying:
🏆 The winners of the week
🎾 ATP:
🏆 Denis Shapovalov (Q) def. Hamad Medjedovic (WC) 6-4, 6-4 to win the Belgrade Open (250) in Belgrade, Serbia. It’s the Canadian’s second ATP Tour title.
🏆 Benjamin Bonzi (Q) def. Cameron Norrie 7-6(6), 6-4 to win the Moselle Open (250) in Metz, France. It’s the Frenchman’s first ATP Tour title.
🎾 WTA:
🏆 Coco Gauff (3) def. Zheng Qinwen (7) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) to win the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s the American’s ninth WTA Tour singles title.
🏆 Gabriela Dabrowski / Erin Routliffe (2) def. Taylor Townsend / Katerina Siniakova (8) 7-5, 6-3 to win the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh. It’s the duo’s second WTA Tour title.
📈📉 On the rise / Down the road
📈 Zheng Qinwen strikes up two locations from No. 7 to No. 5 — a brand new profession excessive — after her run to the WTA Tour Finals ultimate in Riyadh.
📈 Denis Shapovalov ascends 22 spots from No. 78 to No. 56 after profitable the title in Belgrade.
📈 Barbora Krejcikova reenters the highest 10 after rising three spots from No. 13 to No. 10 following her run to the semifinals in Riyadh.
📉 Adrian Mannarino falls 14 locations from No. 54 to No. 68 after dropping his factors from profitable the 2023 Sofia Open in Bulgaria.
📉 In an illustration of how bunched gamers are additional down the rankings, Ann Li drops six locations for the lack of simply 16 factors, from No. 93 to No. 99.
📉 Novak Djokovic falls one spot from No. 5 to No. 6 after dropping his 1,300 factors from final 12 months’s ATP Tour Finals.
📅 Arising
🎾 ATP
📍November 10 – 17 in Turin, Italy: ATP Tour Finals that includes Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev.
📺 UK: Sky Sports activities; U.S.: Tennis Channel 💻
🎾 WTA
📍November 13 – 20 in Malaga, Spain: Billie Jean King Cup that includes Iga Swiatek, Danielle Collins, Emma Raducanu, Karolina Muchova.
📺 UK: BBC (for Nice Britain ties); U.S.:
Inform us what you observed this week within the feedback beneath as the boys’s and girls’s excursions proceed.
(High picture: Getty Photos; design: Eamonn Dalton)
