2021-2022 General Tennis News

THE DOG is retiring!




“I never realized that it would be career ending."

Hampered by a right wrist injury, former world No. 13 @TheDolgo has decided to hang up his racquet for good.

And he received a nice message from Roger...

Márcia wrote:^^^
To wcr, about Paire.

Never liked Paire and unlikely to change my poor opinion of him now.

Anyone else remember when Dolgopolov was travelling in the South of France with his coach, Jack Reader?  Reader is quite an interesting character and never one to waste money.  So he and Dolgopolov needed to get out of town and the only discounted flights they could find were for gay couples.  So Reader drags Alex to the airport and convinces the ticket clerk that Alex as his boyfriend.  Alex wanted to die of embarrassment and the ticket clerk helped them. 

I kid you not!

It is not politically correct these days to say that Dolgo was embarrassed that he could be considered gay. At least I think that is the prevailing attitude in some circles in North America.   
 Dear Dolgo, greetings to you and your father, whom I remember seeing. You did well, your play was colorful, and you were an altogether good players and a natural and likable person at that!
 No doubles play?
 Be happy and well, and I hope that we shall hear about you and see you come around to some tennis events!     

Roland Garros, so why is Osaka not following up the matches with an interview? It is mystifying. I gather it is not some political protest, or is it?
 If it's personal, in that she does not like being questioned on her playingon the clay, then she has to get over it. She should not take advantage of her position, because rightfully, the tournaments will be upset with her.
 Has she progressed from being very shy to feeling empowerd and demanding special treatment for herself? 
 Not a good attitude, nor an acceptable one.

HOTM, she will pay US$ 15.000 as fine for not attending the press conference.

More bad news: now Osaka decided to withdraw. Her message was that maybe she hadn't spoken clearly with her previous statement, and that she had been depressed since she won at the US open against Williams. 
 She is quite confused over things, I believe. For a very shy person to decide to be outspoken about a cause, then it becomes overwhelming for her, or is it just the tennis court? 
 The Williams' outburst when Osaka won, clearly bothered her. 
 I think she will have to decide whether she wants to be public about a cause, or if she can support a cause without having to speak about it and make appearances about it.

It seems the problem is much more serious, HOTM. She left a letter of excuses saying she is suffering from panic syndrom, very difficult to deal with questions, other people, challenges. Thiem it appears is also suffering from panic. This is very serious, needs real treatment.

Marcia, yes, she needs treatment. That is unfortunate, but if she gets some help with dealing with upsetting situations then she will have no problem with continuing her tennis career, Otherwise it will be a recurring problem for her that could interfere with her playin.
 I suppose I just find it a little odd that it all started a year ago, during that scene at the USO and that it hadn't gone away. But then she herself had participated in supporting a cause, a worthy cause, at that. Maybe that led her to some change of mind at the time so that she felt that questions from the media were not suitable because they upset her, or because they questioned her. So then she became uncertain about her actions, i.e, being more outspoken.
 I am trying to understand her situation. Actually I don't really know how long she has been playing professionally, as the information could also help to shed light on her predicament.
 My hope is that she can find some assitance so that she will be on firmer ground on how she reacts to the media. Some people mentioned a change, or a discussion about the media interview....and I can't see the media having to accommodate her. Their questions can be uncomfortable at times, or insensitive, but they can't be expected to pussyfoot around: there are big things at stake in the sport of tennis, as it is true of other sports. 
 The important thing is that she finds an equilibrium that suits her, and in this respect I hope the whole world won't bend to her totally, because that is the tenor of the times. Assistance, yes, but not all things can be or should be changed. This is an adult world, and this is a professional and big-money sport, after all.
   I really wish her well. I hope she won't stay away for long and that she will have some grass experience. It would be a loss to her and to the sport of tennis if somehow she did nto find a way to fulfill her full potential.
 (I am mindful of the fact that she may be more vulnerable emotionally due to her experience growing up as a mixed race child.)

Are recent events allowed here, as RG 2012 happenings? I wrote a couple of posts on the unfortunate situation with Naomi Osaka and since then read some things about her background, as well as her sister Mari's tweets. 
 I hope she seeks someone, the way Iga Swiatek did, though it appears that Swiatek's reasons were different. It does appear to me that there are many personal reasons, insecurities, or people in the personal life of Osaka that contribute to her feelings. It is not so much the world of tennis.
 Media can be fairly blunt at times, but that goes with the territory. All players have to learn how to deal with it. I just hope that there won't be a general laxity in the rules because there would be no end to demands by some players to have things go their way. (I am thinking of some top male players.)
 I hope this issue fades away somewhat. Those who need to deal with the media perhaps can do some practice sessions with other tennis players. 
 Cromar, feel free to delete this post if it is not right at this time. I find it a little dismaying that personal issues are confused with and conflated. At times support is needed, but so is getting a person to arrive at a realistic expectation of a career in the world of sports.

Probably you have seen the video ads by Bianca Andreescu? There are a few, about three, showing her routines, playing with some young girls, etc. She quite attractive, featured in tights and tops, and the videos quite well done, advertising Sleep Country in Canada a mattress and "sleep sellter" and another one for Gatorade, a sports drink.
 So she has been busy with that. Interesting how they have been busy getting such endorsements.

So Rafa is out of Wimbledon and the Olympics. His statement is somewhat similar to the one Roger made after dropping out of the French. Let's see if the people who criticized Roger complain about Rafa. People like Willander, Rusedski and the like.

I doubt that we shall see a similar attitude toward Nadal. 
Roger is so high in esteem that some always delight in taking jabs at him, just to try to lower the recognition that he rightfully enjoys--and it's something that he doesn't take for granted or that he uses in any way.

NADAL PULLS OUT OF WIMBLEDON AND THE OLYMPICS

I want to send a special message to my fans around the world, to those in the United Kingdom and Japan in particular.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 17, 2021

The Olympic Games always meant a lot and they were always a priority as a Sports person, I found the spirit that every sports person in the world wants to live. I personally had the chance to live 3 of them and had the honor to be the flag bearer for my country.“

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 17, 2021

Cheadlebeagle wrote:So Rafa is out of Wimbledon and the Olympics. His statement is somewhat similar to the one Roger made after dropping out of the French. Let's see if the people who criticized Roger complain about Rafa. People like Willander, Rusedski and the like.

Brian wrote: "Rafa is doing a Roger!"    Slight difference though: Roger was in the tournament.

In the WTA Naomi Osaka's agent stated that she won't participate in the Wimbledon tournament, but she will go for the Olympic tennis.