Australian Open starting up soon but one player won't be there. Naomi Osaka announced she is pregnant and will miss the 2023 season.
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***2023 Tennis Thread***
- Thread starter BigJCy
- Start date
I can't bet against Rafa or Novak until somebody shows me something. Nick seems pretty motivated right now and he is always a threat to make a run. No Alcaraz opens it up for someone like Ruud, Meddy, Rublev and a slew of others.
I'm dreaming that Fritz or Tiafoe could make a run and would lose my **** if Korda could.
Women's side is Iga's to lose and opens up a lot after that.
I'm dreaming that Fritz or Tiafoe could make a run and would lose my **** if Korda could.
Women's side is Iga's to lose and opens up a lot after that.
I will never bet against Novak in Melbourne ever. His until otherwise proven.
Aussie Open! The gateway to Spring in the Northern hemisphere! Love it!
I am so intrigued by Medvedev to see if he can put last year behind him and move forward. I still don't think he has, and he may never, come back from that loss to Rafa in the Aussie final last year. He went from winning back to back slams, and maybe becoming the next "guy" to somehow blowing that match and fractured mentally for pretty much the rest of the year.
Casper Ruud will be intriguing to watch after the crazy good year he had. His run to the French final was one thing, but on a hard court at the US Open? That was shocking, So we shall have to wait and see. Love the Aussie Open though!
That was one of the most heartbreaking losses I've seen. Just below Wimbledon 2019 Final. It really did set Danil back all of 22. I picked him to win the top half but I could see 5 or 6 guys on that side. Do you have a finalist you like opposite of Novak?
Ugh I shudder when I think of Wimbledon ‘19. As a Federer guy it was easily the most painful loss he had.
As for who I would take in the other half, I would love to see Tiafoe get there, but I can’t find myself making that call.
I think Sinner (I hate his mental game, so I’m going against all I believe in tennis here) finally gets over the hump and is a bit of a wild card to make it to the final. Djokovic then beats him on straights.
Coco starts the tournament off with a routine victory I'm hoping this can be her maiden slam. Would the fanatics say that Sloane had an underwhelming career? I thought she'd be a 3-4 time slam winner but I feel her best days have passed by. Might of been unrealistic expectations
On Sloane, any time you can win a slam you have had a successful career. That’s the pinnacle and what these players play for. Yes money is a big deal of course, but strictly from an athletic achievement standpoint. She also reached another slam final.
However, she absolutely had the game to win another slam or two, so did she maximize her career? Probably not I would say.
It's crazy to me that the most recent American slam winner is Sofia Kenin. If you think Sloane has had an underwhelming career...
You're right the difference between 1 and 0 can be the entire perception of the career. I remember sloane beating a fit Serena 8 or 9 years ago at this very tournament and thinking that she was the next American great. I hope that Gauff can become that but with Tennis more than maybe any sport you just never know.
There’s a name for you that dropped out of sight after winning a slam. Kenin got hurt I know, but that slam at that young of an age and nothing since.
In talking about careers not going the way many think they should, there’s a good article on ESPN talking about the life as a professional tennis player. Tennis is one of the most brutal sports to try and make a living. Unless you are a consistent top-50 player or better, it’s just a grind for the love of the game. Getting into main draws is everything for like 90% of players.
es.pn
'Why am I here, playing for literally $6?': The stunning financial reality of pro tennis
For pro tennis players ranked outside of the top 100, making enough money to offset the enormous costs of travel, coaching and training is a constant battle -- and it's creating an ever-widening performance gap in the sport.
es.pn
Very interesting I think this aspect hurts getting a large talent pool invested in the sport. The Williams family is 1 in a million. Most the talent in America has to come from affluent families.In talking about careers not going the way many think they should, there’s a good article on ESPN talking about the life as a professional tennis player. Tennis is one of the most brutal sports to try and make a living. Unless you are a consistent top-50 player or better, it’s just a grind for the love of the game. Getting into main draws is everything for like 90% of players.
'Why am I here, playing for literally $6?': The stunning financial reality of pro tennis
For pro tennis players ranked outside of the top 100, making enough money to offset the enormous costs of travel, coaching and training is a constant battle -- and it's creating an ever-widening performance gap in the sport.
Separately has anyone had a chance to watch break point on Netflix?
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You are spot on, and it’s why guys like Djokovic and Kyrgios have championed spreading the prize money out. Those guys like Nadal, Djokovic and Federer don’t need it. They deserve it obviously, but if you want to grow the sport you have to find better ways to get these people playing challengers and low-level tournaments a little more pay. Most players dont carry a physio, which is massive. The coaching and team that these top few players have is unreal. You need money to get places in tennis.
Haven’t seen that documentary. Have to check it out. Thank you!