Tennis is back with what will perhaps be one of the most chaotic weeks in recent history which is matched only by the early rounds of a Grand Slam or Wimbledon’s traditional ‘Manic Monday.’
Six tournaments will take place in Melbourne over the coming week with three of those being WTA 500 events. Leading up to those events, Sunday saw a series of top women’s player speak to the media about their form, future goals and pretty much everything else. Literally thousands of words were written by those working at ASAP Sports, who are the official transcriber of Tennis Australia.
With so much to take in, here is a breakdown of the key things UbiTennis learned from the stars of the WTA Tour.
Sabalenka on living in the moment
As one of the most inform players currently on the WTA Tour the expectations for high for Aryna Sabalenka heading into the Australian Open. The Belarusian has won her three most recent WTA Tournaments and is currently on a 15-match winning streak.
However, the 22-year-old is yet to make a big impact in the Grand Slams with her best performance being a run to the fourth round of the 2018 US Open.
“I already forget what happened in the past, to be honest. I’m going to focus on my game, prepare myself for the Grand Slam,” she said.
“We (my team) are still having focus on the Grand Slam. I am going to do some things on the court that can help me in the Grand Slams.This is where my mind is. I would say I’m ready to go.”
Sabalenka is playing in the Gippsland Trophy this week with her first round opponent being the at times tricky Kaia Kanepi. Although winning the tournament isn’t her top priority.
“I would say this tournament for me is preparation for the Australian Open. Of course I want to win one more tournament. If I can, I will do everything to win this one.”
Svitolina on Grand Slam dream
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina says it is a ‘tough question’ when asked what she needs to do in order to win a Grand Slam title. The world No.5 has reached the semi-finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open during 2019, as well as the quarter-finals of the French Open last year.
“I think the most important thing is to be consistent, to get another chance to play the quarterfinals, semifinals. It’s all the time these kinds of matches that you have to go through to win the title, those tough moments. Every match really matters, and there are tough opponents who are there to give you a hard time,” she said.
“It’s very tough to pick one thing that I have to improve. I’ve been in the semifinals (of a Grand Slam). I wish I could play better that time, but it didn’t happen. Hopefully I get a chance another time and will try to play better.”
Svitolina is the only top-five player yet to win a Grand Slam title. She is the third seed in Gippsland this week and will play Andrea Petkovic in the first round.
Osaka – Tennis is like a video game
As one of only a few active players to have won three or more Grand Slam titles, Naomi Osaka say she is intrigued by the depth of women’s tennis. The WTA Tour has been subjected to criticism from some over the consistency of women’s players. Six out of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments have been won by different players.
“I feel tennis is very interesting because it’s like a video game where you can select a character and everyone’s different. We all have our different strengths and weaknesses. I think that’s what’s really unique about it,” she commented.
“For me, I find it really fun to watch everyone else play because I personally watch them. I’m like, Oh, I would have gone for this shot, but they do something different. For me, it’s something that I learned from.”
There is one player in particular who has stood out for Osaka and this time it isn’t her idol Serena Williams. The Japanese star has hailed the rise of Iga Swiatek who stunned the Tour with her run to the French Open title last year at the age of 19.
“I was really inspired by Iga. I thought it was really amazing how she was able to be super focused in all her matches. I was watching the finals. I thought it was really nice to watch because I ate dinner with her last year here. She was talking about how she might go to college. I was telling her, like, she’s really good, and I think she’s going to do really well. So maybe don’t try to divert your energy to college just yet. I’m glad she was able to win a Grand Slam so fast. Hopefully she’ll, like, continue to grow, which I know she will.”
Osaka also had some thoughts about Williams too of course.
The former world No.1 has also confirmed that she will not be travelling to the Middle East after the Australian Open. Instead her next tournament after Melbourne will be Miami.
Swiatek’s ‘long-term’ goal
Polish No.1 Iga Swiatek says she hopes to maintain consistency in her game but admits that it could take years before she reaches that goal due to her age. All eyes will be on Swiatek this week in Melbourne where she plays her first WTA event since winning the French Open.
“It’s not that I want to be consistent right now because I know it takes sometimes years to achieve that. But obviously I know that the first tournament of the season can always be different and weird and more stressful,” she commented.
“I don’t think I reached my highest level and I can be a consistent player the whole year because I’m still only 19,” she added.
As for the upcoming Australian Open, Swiatek insists that her French Open triumph will have no impact on the pressure she will face.
“I wouldn’t say it takes off pressure and I wouldn’t say I have more pressure. It’s kind of like the same. It’s constant. It only depends on how I approach these things. I try to keep my expectations low and keep doing what I did because it works.”
Swiatek is the sixth seed in Gippsland.
Konta a future leader?
Britain’s top player Johanna Konta was caught slightly off-guard during her press conference when asked if she would consider working in the sport after her playing career. The question came about after Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley reportedly said the former Wimbledon semi-finalist ‘will go far after her tennis career has ended.’
“I’m not sure, has Craig Tiley offered me a job post tennis? Is that what he specifically said? It’s on the record, Craig. It’s on the record,” konta joked.
“Whatever I will be doing, it’s still a way away. I haven’t really thought too much into it. I am very enjoying my time on the council, which has definitely opened my eyes into how the WTA runs. Therefore, we’ve had a lot of contact with a lot of individual tournaments, some of the slams. It’s nice to see the inner workings of our sport and the different arms that our sport has.”
Konta is once again working alongside Dimitri Zavialoff. The two had parted ways last summer due to a ‘change in personal circumstances’ for the French coach. They reunited in November.
“In a way it never really felt like we stopped working. Obviously we always maintained a very good relationship even after the initial break back at the beginning of last year.”
Barty ready to get the party started
Almost 11 months have passed since Ash Barty last played a match on the WTA Tour. The world No.1 showed glimmers of her current form in an exhibition match in Adelaide last Friday where she lost to Simona Halep in a final set tiebreak. Barty’s lengthy absence was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions.
“I think it’s excitement more than anything. I feel excited. I feel excited as I’ve ever been, as eager as I’ve ever been to get out here and play. Drawing on the memories from last Australian summer, they’re great memories,” Barty commented on her upcoming return.
“It was a hugely successful summer. So I think we just draw from those memories. We stick to our processes and enjoy it. This is a time of year that I love. I’m so grateful that we have the opportunity to do it all again.”
Describing herself as ‘well-prepared’ for the upcoming tournaments, Barty believes her position at the top of the rankings is justified.
“I feel like I’ve done all the work. I feel like I’m well-prepared. I certainly don’t feel like I’m more of a favourite than anyone else (at the Australian Open). We (my team) had a fantastic 2019. I feel like we deserved to be world No.1.”
