Latest news with #AlexDeMinaur
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Jack Draper out of French Open after Alexander Bublik masterclass at Roland Garros
ROLAND GARROS, PARIS — Jack Draper, the British No. 5 seed, is out of the French Open after being bewitched by a mind-bending performance from the mercurial Alexander Bublik. Draper was a big favourite going into the match against the unseeded Bublik, but he found himself increasingly frazzled on the way to a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 defeat. Bublik has been ranked as high as No. 17, but during the tournament has spoken openly about how he'll never be someone who matches the unstinting work ethic and dedication of the top players on the tour, including Draper. Currently ranked No. 62, he had never before reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal, but his mixture of easy power and outrageous shotmaking skills and variety can make him borderline unplayable on any given day. Advertisement Monday was one of those days. Draper said after beating Gael Monfils last week that his brain was 'fried' during their match. It seemed on fire at times against Bublik, who would bullet an ace one moment, then chuck in a feathered drop shot the next, all the while changing the spins and power he was putting on the ball to keep Draper guessing. After falling down a set and a break, it briefly looked as though Bublik might lose interest as has often been his wont. When two sets down to the No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur in the second round, Bublik said afterward that his mind wandered to the logistics of getting home to Monte Carlo, where the Kazakh lives. Instead it was Draper who looked like he'd lost concentration. The Brit is one of the biggest hitters on the tour, but Bublik stopped giving him pace to work with and Draper couldn't generate enough of his own. He started to lose confidence in his forehand and serve, and Bublik was relishing his role as the provocateur. After Draper double-faulted early in the third set, Bublik turned to his box and gave them a wink. It brought back memories of Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo doing the same thing to his team's substitutes' bench, after England's Wayne Rooney had been sent off in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinal. Bublik's message was clear: I've got this guy. He gave his box another meaningful look at the start of the fourth set, after sending an outrageous forehand passing shot flying past his stricken opponent. It helped Bublik break to love in a game that also included two return winners and a drop shot that Draper couldn't get near. That proved to be the decisive moment, as Bublik served his way through the rest of the set to reach a first major quarterfinal, fending off three break points in a typically madcap final game that included a drop shot that hit the net and dribbled over, two double faults and a feathered volley winner. Draper, who looked down and out when Bublik went up 15-0 in that game, turned it into a potential turning point with an absurd get, flicking a ball back over the net from behind his back. Had Bublik not served things out right then, he may never have done so. Advertisement Despite this disappointment, Draper can take a huge amount from a clay-court swing that has taken him up to No. 5 in the world and will likely see him ranked No. 4 next Monday when the world rankings update. For Bublik, a Roland Garros quarterfinal is not a bad effort for a player who said last week that: 'I'm the guy you can see me having a nice time down the street in Paris in the evening before the match. Not to go crazy, but I'm social. I can skip the practice if I don't feel, and I think it's pretty normal.'
News.com.au
18 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
Cruz Hewitt ‘valiant' in opening round French Open defeat
Cruz Hewitt has given a glimpse of his old man's famous fighting spirit in his first round match at the French Open. The son of Lleyton Hewitt had stormed through qualifying to secure a spot in the junior boys' tournament at Roland Garros. Watch every game of The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Cruz took on Italian Pierluigi Basile overnight on Sunday in a hard fought match, ultimately going down 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-3. A very tight first set was claimed by Basile, who is two years older than Hewitt and higher in the world junior rankings. But the 16-year-old Aussie fought back to win the second set on Court No. 4, with Cruz revving up the crowd with a gritty performance reminiscent of his dad. Basile had too much firepower and went on to win the third set, claiming the marathon match in two hours and 10 minutes as Cruz fell short of the second round. The teenager made the second round of the Australian Open juniors in January, where he lost in the first round in qualifiers for the men's tournament. Tennis Australia said Hewitt, the world No. 41 junior, was 'valiant' in his first round loss, recording 10 aces in the defeat. There has been mixed success for Australia's contingent at the French Open, with Alex de Minaur losing in five sets in the second round to Alexander Bublik. Alexei Popyrin progressed to the fourth round before suffering a 6-3 6-3 6-3 defeat to American Tommy Paul. In the women's draw, newly adopted Australia Daria Kasatkina takes on Russian teen sensation Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round on Monday night (AEST). Another Aussie, Ty Host takes on the USA's Benjamin Willwerth in their boys' singles first round. In the girls' singles first round, Australia's Emerson Jones is the top seed and will take on American qualifier Capucine Jauffet. Jones, who has been mentioned as Ash Barty's successor, is aiming to reach her third junior grand slam final after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. Australian boys' No. 2 Ty Host opens his account against reigning Australian Open boys' finalist Benjamin Willwerth. Host hopes to become the first Australian boys' singles champion in France since Popyrin in 2017.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Players voice burnout fears over tennis schedule
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app For several years, the top tennis players have said the physical demands on them are becoming increasingly world number nine Alex de Minaur is the latest to voice concerns about the calendar, saying an earlier-than-expected French Open exit was a result of "feeling burned out".The 26-year-old held a two-set lead in his second-round match against Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik but faded physically from then Jack Draper raised fears at the end of last year about the "mental" schedule for the top players, while five-time women's major champion Iga Swiatek feels the current demands are "pretty exhausting".Casper Ruud criticised the rankings "rat race" after his Roland Garros exit, while De Minaur said: "Players' careers are going to get shorter because they're going to burn out mentally."There is just too much tennis."The ATP Tour says it "does not take these concerns lightly" and the WTA Tour has previously said the health and wellbeing of players is "always our priority".So what is the solution to stop the leading stars feeling the strain? How much are the leading stars playing? The season for the top players stretches across 11 year, men's world number one Jannik Sinner played 79 matches across 17 tournaments, while top-ranked women's player Aryna Sabalenka contested 70 matches across 17 played 25 tournaments - the second most in the ATP year-end top 10 last season - with De Minaur third on 23."What's not normal is that for the last three or four years I've had two days off, gone straight into pre-season and straight into the new season again," De Minaur said on Thursday."Once you start, you don't finish until late November. It's just never ending. That's the sheer fact of it." Pre-season starts in December, with the ATP and WTA Tours resuming at the end of the first major is the Australian Open in mid-January, with the French Open starting in late May and Wimbledon in early US Open rounds off the Grand Slams in early season ends with the ATP and WTA Tour finals, followed by Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Finals - where players represent their nations in team events now nicknamed the 'World Cup of Tennis'.The ATP Tour said it "understands" why its leading players are worried about the length and demands of the season."We're focused on strengthening the sport by building a more premium product - one that creates more prize money, and more opportunities for players," a statement to BBC Sport read."A key part of that vision is calendar reform. "Creating a longer off-season for the players is a key objective, and we're actively exploring ways to make that a reality." Is playing through the pain leading to 'rat race'? Tennis players get used to playing through pain and discomfort during a long season. Japan's Naomi Osaka says she won two of her four Grand Slams while injured, adding: "I can rarely count the number of times I have felt perfect on the court."But I do know I'm the type of person that if I'm injured, I can almost play better. "Not physically better but mentally, I'll know I have to give all my energy into every point time and time again."Of course, injuries can be too severe - and the pain too much - to play is where Ruud and De Minaur believe players are being unfairly punished by the current structure."You feel like you lose a lot if you don't show up and play - both economically, points-wise, rankings-wise and opportunity-wise," said Ruud."I know these weeks and months are really important for the remainder of the year and for my career. "Of course, if my leg is broken, I won't play. But it's tough."The ATP said there are "protections in place" for injured players, pointing to its Baseline programme, external which seeks to spread wealth further down the tour."Players ultimately have the freedom to choose where they compete, and for many years we've had financial incentives in place to encourage participation at the top events - because that's what fans want to see," it added."'We continue to work to strike the right balance between performance, recovery, and opportunity, for all players.' Does the rankings structure need changing? Nineteen events count towards ATP rankings every year, while the eight best players of the season also receive points at the season-ending ATP includes:Four Grand SlamsEight mandatory Masters eventsSeven 'best other' tournaments - including events at ATP 500, ATP 250 and Challenger levelDe Minaur, who missed three Masters events in Cincinnati, Montreal and Shanghai last year because of injury, believes this unfairly punishes players."I had to deal with that. I'm still dealing with that now," he said."My ranking now consists of three zeros because I was injured and I couldn't play - which is ridiculous if you ask me."The WTA rankings are based on 18 tournaments, but the leading players are expected to play at least 20: Four Grand SlamsTen 1000 events Six 500 eventsThe WTA said the structure, which was introduced last year, has not increased workload."Over the last 10 years, data showed that players competed in an average of 20 events each year, inclusive of the Grand Slams," it said."The new structure does not require players to commit to playing more than this average."
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Kasatkina says packed tour schedule takes toll on players
The Russian-born 17th seed beat Paula Badosa in straight sets. (AP pic) PARIS : Daria Kasatkina saw signs of burnout in recent weeks amid a packed tour schedule, and her French Open run into the fourth round has helped her get back on track, she said on Saturday. The Russian-born 17th seed, who now represents Australia, beat Paula Badosa in straight sets to reach the last 16 in Paris at the French Open. It was her best result in months after losing in early rounds in each of her last seven tournaments this year. 'I would say I felt little signs of burnout or something like that,' Kasatkina told a press conference. 'The last couple of weeks were a bit rough for me. I couldn't find myself on court. I felt a little bit flat, like with emotions and stuff. 'I'm really happy that I got back on track here in Roland Garros. Playing much better, feeling much better on court. I think that's the most important, especially now.' The world number 17 said the busy tour schedule left little time for recovery throughout the year, echoing the views of fellow Australian Alex De Minaur. The top Australian player this week called for a shorter season and said he felt drained after his second round five-set loss earlier in the week. The season kicked off with the United Cup mixed team tournament in December, 33 days after the Davis Cup Finals ended in Spain, and the gruelling nature of the circuit has repeatedly come under a harsh spotlight in recent years. 'I agree with Alex, because our schedule is pretty rough. I mean, we have a completely packed schedule. There's no spot for anything,' Kasatkina said. 'I think everyone can relate that sometimes you don't want to wake up to go to your job. It's normal. We are all humans. This can happen,' she added. 'It can happen that the person who is travelling all around the world all the time giving their best, living the life of tennis player, sometimes can feel this feeling that he's tired. That sometimes you are just not super excited to go on court.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- Health
- Reuters
Kasatkina dodges burnout, says packed tour schedule takes toll on players
PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Daria Kasatkina saw signs of burnout in recent weeks amid a packed tour schedule, and her French Open run into the fourth round has helped her get back on track, she said on Saturday. The Russian-born 17th seed, who now represents Australia, beat Paula Badosa in straight sets to reach the last 16 in Paris at the French Open. It was her best result in months after losing in early rounds in each of her last seven tournaments this year. "I would say I felt little signs of burnout or something like that," Kasatkina told a press conference. "The last couple of weeks were a bit rough for me. I couldn't find myself on court. I felt a little bit flat, like with emotions and stuff. "I'm really happy that I got back on track here in Roland Garros. Playing much better, feeling much better on court. I think that's the most important, especially now." The world number 17 said the busy tour schedule left little time for recovery throughout the year, echoing the views of fellow Australian Alex De Minaur. The top Australian player this week called for a shorter season and said he felt drained after his second round five-set loss earlier in the week. The season kicked off with the United Cup mixed team tournament in December, 33 days after the Davis Cup Finals ended in Spain, and the gruelling nature of the circuit has repeatedly come under a harsh spotlight in recent years. "I agree with Alex, because our schedule is pretty rough. I mean we have a completely packed schedule. There's no spot for anything," Kasatkina said. "I think everyone can relate that sometimes you don't want to wake up to go to your job. It's normal. We are all humans. This can happen," she added. "It can happen that the person who is travelling all around the world all the time giving their best, living the life of tennis player, sometimes can feel this feeling that he's tired. That sometimes you are just not super excited to go on court."
