Raducanu and Murray hog the headlines but late-blooming Norrie is the home hope in the best form as Wimbledon loomsWhat we talk about when we talk about current British tennis: Emma Raducanu’s rapid rise, and Andy Murray’s nascent comeback. It’s unsurprising that the teenage Raducanu’s truly extraordinary feat of triumphing in the US Open from the qualifying stages – without dropping a set – dominates the conversation. Nor that Murray’s exertions back on the ATP Tour after his hip surgery focus the attention of fans hungry to extend the joys of watching the “big four”. But in the meantime, there’s a sporting success story sneaking under the radar of the public: Cameron Norrie.It is debatable whether many Wimbledon viewers will...
US Open champion already has a worrying history of fitness problems, so getting things right off the court is keyEven in defeat Emma Raducanu digested her second-round loss at the French Open last month with striking positivity. Five months into a season of constant stopping and starting with various injuries, along with doubts she would even make it to Paris, a part of Raducanu seemed relieved to have finished a tournament in one piece: “It is definitely positive that I’m coming out of this match feeling pretty good physically,” she said.It did not last long. Just over a week later, in her first match back on home soil on Tuesday, Raducanu was out of the Rothesay Open Nottingham with a...
The youngest American grand slam finalist since Serena Williams is one win away from a breakthrough major championship that’s been years in the makingOn Thursday afternoon, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff defeated Italy’s Martina Trevisan in straight sets in the French Open semi-finals. In doing so, she racked up several superlatives, becoming, most notably, the youngest grand slam finalist in almost 20 years and the youngest American to reach a major final since her idol, Serena Williams, collected the first of her 23 grand slam titles at the 1999 US Open.Gauff advanced to Saturday’s final against Poland’s Iga Świątek, the in-form world No 1 and winner of 34 straight matches, with even bigger history in the offing. But the development is hardly...
Fifty-seven channels and nothing on? The splintering of French Open coverage in the United States has left many fans lostOn Tuesday night in Paris, in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic contested yet another epic contest in their immortal rivalry. It was a thrilling affair full of ferocious offensive firepower and jaw-dropping defensive escapes with Nadal emerging as the victor in four grueling sets, making the Spaniard a heavy favorite to claim his 14th French Open title.This current generation of tennis fans is perhaps the most spoiled, entitled lot of followers of any sport ever, having been gifted the remarkable array of matches between Nadal, Djokovic and, of course, Roger Federer. For nearly 20 years whenever...
The post-Ash Barty era would have started on a bleak note had it not been for the injury-prone baseliner’s maiden win in ParisWith the light fading in Paris on Sunday night, a one-time prodigy of Australian tennis enjoyed arguably the finest moment of a career that has been sadly restricted by injury. Well over a decade after matching the junior deeds of 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, Jason Kubler finally broke through for his first ever win at Roland Garros.After making it through qualifying in his fourth visit to Paris as a senior, Kubler was able to hold his nerve at critical times when defeating American Denis Kudla 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). He closed out the triumph...