There is no cause for alarm after the world No1 pulled out of a pre-Wimbledon exhibition tournament but he, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are all feeling physical pressureOn the face of it, Andy Murray’s withdrawal from an exhibition at the Hurlingham Club in London on Tuesday, citing a sore hip, is no cause for great alarm and of a piece with his season, indeed his career.He will, he says, play on Friday. However, taken cumulatively, the defending champion and world No1 will be at least mildly disturbed his body is aching in more places than he might have anticipated. Since his heroic charge over the closing stages of last season to rip away Novak Djokovic’s top ranking...
Rafael Nadal secured his 10th French Open title and looked back to his best – could he even hunt down Federer’s 18 grand slam titles?He made the relentless pursuit of La Decima look routine in the end, but it should not be forgotten how hard Rafael Nadal has fought to restore his dominance in Paris. It felt like the end of an era when Novak Djokovic toppled the king of clay in an embarrassingly one-sided quarter‑final in 2015. But spending some time away from the tour after being struck down by a wrist injury at the end of last year rejuvenated his mind and body. Backing up that crushing forehand with a devastatingly improved backhand, Nadal played some of his...
After five hours longer on court, ‘Diesel’ Wawrinka may be running on empty in the French Open men’s final as Nadal seeks historic 10th titleRoland Garros is where the Open era of professional tennis began in the fabled summer of 1968, when students took to the streets of Paris and Ken Rosewall picked up 15,000 francs, roughly £2,000, for beating his friend and rival Rod Laver in the final of the French Open. Related: Rafael Nadal returns to special French Open seeking record 10th title Related: Stanislas Wawrinka shocks Rafael Nadal to win Australian Open title Continue reading...
Tennis players whether past or present need to realise that while everybody is entitled to an opinion these arguments are not about morality but toleranceIt is encouraging and correct that tennis players are prepared to comment on issues from homosexuality to sexual harassment, and occasionally politics. Sport does not have to exist in a vacuum. It is not that their opinions matter more than those of anyone else’s, but it is good to know they are not Daleks.Maybe other sports will follow the example of Andy Murray and others who have spoken out at the French Open, for instance, about Margaret Court’s antediluvian outrage over gay marriage. Related: Margaret Court says reaction to her same-sex marriage opposition is bullying Related:...
A worrying air of caution has returned to Andy Murray’s game but the world No1 often been at his best when fighting against the odds and it is not too late to get things in order for the French OpenIt is easy, and dangerous, to underestimate the depth of Andy Murray’s dilemma after another unexpected setback in his meandering season: bundled out of the second round of the Italian Open he was defending for the first time. He is, after all, still No1 in the world.But check the descent. This time last year Murray, who had not long become a father for the first time, was driving Novak Djokovic to distraction on Campo Centrale, ignoring a steady Sunday afternoon drizzle...