Tennis 2023: All the latest news ahead of Australian Open
The official starting point for the global tennis circuit has been backed in despite ructions from some players for an October scheduling with the Australian Open. Have your say.
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January has been firmly backed as the timeslot for the Australian Open.
But tennis authorities have been encouraged to reconsider the length of the season.
Top Australian player Alex de Minaur says summer is the time for the year’s opening grand slam, despite ructions from some players that an October scheduling for the event would suit both their playing calendar and kerb the influence of stifling Melbourne weather and other issues facing a January slot.
“For me, I love starting my year here,” he said on Monday.
“There’s nothing better than the Aussie summer. It’s nice and hot, us Aussies at least we thrive in the heat.
“We’re ready to kick off our year with playing at home. It’s amazing and we love it.”
De Minaur, who is ranked 24th and will feature at the Kooyong Classic on Tuesday as he counts down to his sixth Australian Open main draw berth, said the length of the season was an issue that players had to manage.
“It’s no secret the year is a very long year,” he said.
“You play tournaments throughout the whole year, you finish quite late. If there was a bit more time for an off season I’m sure a lot of players would like that, but we’re kind of used to it.
“Myself, I’ve done it for a couple of years where … there are times along the year where you can choose to take a little bit of time off and that’s probably the smartest thing to do. I’ll be looking at that.”
Tournament director Craig Tiley said “this is the season” for tennis and the Australian Open “is January”, but said tennis authorities needed to consider the length of the calendar, which runs until December.
“(The season) starts in January, it starts here in Australia,” he maintained.
“I think the sport does need to get together and look at the length of (the season).
“It finishes with Davis Cup late on the men’s side and not as late on the women’s side.
“I do think it’s a long season. We’ve been talking about that for a long time.
“But Australia is the summer, Australia is January, and this event is from the players’ perspective one of their favourite places to play. They’re coming here earlier … they know what they need to do.
“I’m very proud of the fact that this year is our best field.”
Dominant Team USA claims $22 mill United Cup title
- Julian Linden
The United States have romped to victory to claim the inaugural $22 million United Cup mixed team tennis tournament.
The Americans clinched the crown at Sydney’s Olympic tennis centre on Sunday when they won the first three matches in the best-of-five final against Italy.
Jessica Pegula, the world’s No. 3 ranked woman, gave the Americans the perfect start when she beat her Italian opponent Martina Trevisan 6-4 6-.
The US then went 2-0 up when Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti withdrew from his clash with Frances Tiafoe.
Troubled by a sore right shoulder, the Italian fought bravely but signalled that he could not continue after conceding the first set 6-2.
Tiafoe praised Musetti’s courage, saying: “He came out playing really well, he had a chance to go for a break early with some great returns but he may be paid for them.
“I thought I was playing at a really high level. Obviously I could see he was tugging his shoulder a lot and stayed locked in. I don‘t want to win this way, especially for my team and myself. I hope Lorenzo feels better.”
Taylor Fritz then sealed the crown for the Americans when he triumphed in a high-quality contest against 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini 7-6 7-6.
“It‘s great. It’s amazing for the team to win this event,” Fritz said.
“We came in with really high hopes, or at least I did for the event so I was really happy to be in that position to clinch the match and just the emotions when you win and everyone comes running at you, it‘s amazing. Frances basically headbutted me.
“hen we combine the guys and the girls from the US, we‘re so deep throughout the rankings and so it just makes the team so much stronger and gives us such an advantage in the team competition as opposed to maybe when we’re just playing with the guys.”
Aus Open title contender whose dad owns an NFL team
Like most professional tennis players, Jessica Pegula swears she plays the game for love not money.
In her case, that’s undoubtedly true – even though she’s raking it in.
Currently No. 3 in the world, the highest-ranked American in world tennis has already banked almost $10 million in prize money during her blossoming career.
But that’s just loose change to her because she’s also a daughter of American billionaire Terry Pegula.
He made his fortune in gas development and is so rich he once outbid Donald Trump to buy the Buffalo Bills NFL team.
So Pegula isn’t telling any fibs when she says she’s playing tennis for the love of the game and right now, the 28-year-old has fallen head over heels with the sport.
Already a star on the rise, she’s been one of the standout performers for the United States team at the $22 million United Cup in Sydney.
After dropping her opening singles match of the mixed team tournament to two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, she hasn‘t lost a set since, and her list of victims includes Polish world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
On Sunday, she trounced Italy’s best player Martina Trevisan 6-4 6-2 to give the Americans the early advantage in the final.
The US went 2-0 up in the best-of-five decider whe Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti retired after losing the opening set to Frances Tiafoe 6-2.
“Yeah, definitely very relieved. First match of the day, first match of the final,” Pegula said.
“Martina is playing great, she‘s a fighter, she’s competing. I feel like she’s thriving off the atmosphere with the fans, with the team and it’s really hard to beat someone like that.
“So every time I felt like I was getting up, I was just playing a couple of loose games. But also credit to her, she was also coming up with some really good shots in clutch moments and she didn‘t give up and was able to work her way back in the first and second.
“I‘m glad I was able to play well enough to get the win.”
Pegula has bigger goals in mind after emerging as a genuine contender for the Australian Open, starting January 16.
With Ash Barty and Serena Williams both retired, Naomi Osaka announcing her withdrawal, and question marks about the fitness of other leading players, Pegula is looming as a serious challenger.
A late bloomer, Pegula is getting better with age, but her steely determination has become her greatest strength.
While a lot of her younger rivals have had early success, Pegula has had to work hard for everything she has achieved and it’s only now the rewards are coming.
She made her first grand slam quarterfinal in 2021 but last year, she made the last eight in three of the four majors, including the Australian Open.
Now she’s 2023 in even better form, building off a team first approach at the United Cup that disguises her lofty, private ambitions.
“Everyone says I‘m really cool (but) I’m still pretty emotional, at least in my sense of I get frustrated,” she said.
“But I‘ve gotten a lot better at bouncing back from that and as far as expectation, we’re all a team, that’s the whole point of this event is we’re a team event.
“We want each other to win but no-one‘s really putting any pressure on me besides myself. I want to win for the team. I want to win because I’m the number one American on the team. I want to fire them up so I like to embrace that. I don’t shy away from that at all.”
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