EXCLUSIVE: An inside Look Into The Australian Open’s Inaugural Pride Day - UBITENNIS
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EXCLUSIVE: An inside Look Into The Australian Open’s Inaugural Pride Day

Why is there a Pride Day taking place and what is its significance? UbiTennis speaks with Dr Ryan Storr who has been involved in the pre-work for the initiative.

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Monday at Melbourne Park will see the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Aryna Sabalenka battle for a place in the quarter-finals but taking place during the same time will be a brand new initiative overseen by Tennis Australia.

AO Pride Day celebrates LGTBQ+ players and fans within the world of tennis. The Rod Laver Arena will be lit up in rainbow colors at night, activities will be taking place throughout the day and there will be a various forms of entertainment put on. Courtney Act, who is best known for finishing runner-up in season six of Rupaul’s Drag Race, will be one of the MC’s taking part. 

 

“For many years we’ve hosted special events for the LGBTI community, such as the international Glam Slam and our pre-AO Pride night, so bringing many of our initiatives together on AO Pride Day is the natural next step,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said in a statement.  “I’m delighted we can all come together as a community to celebrate together on this special day, which I have no doubt will become a highly anticipated part of the AO every year.”

One of those who have been part of launching the initiative is Dr Ryan Storr. A social scientist with an extensive history of researching LGBTI issues in sport. He is a research fellow at Swinburne University of Technology and is the co-founder of Proud 2 Play which seeks to facilitate young people from the LGBTI community into sport and exercise. Storr also has roots in tennis after previously working as a coach at Northumbria University and Loughborough University.

UbiTennis speaks with Storr ahead of Pride Day to find out why such an initiative is important and what he has discovered about LGBTI-related tennis issues through his own academic work. We also look into the debate surrounding the decision to have one of the Australia’s Open primary stadiums named after Margaret Court who has previously made various anti-LGBTI comments.

UBITENNIS: Ryan, You have been involved in some of the pre-work for the first Australian Open Pride day. What has that entailed?

DR STORR: It’s been an ongoing process for quite a while. But it basically meant working with Tennis Australia and their Diversity and Inclusion team. Thinking about planning, what the events are, what the aim is and things like that.

I think one of the things I think I have been particularly helpful with is using the research. I did a big piece of research around the impact of inclusion on LGBTI communities, what can be done and so on.

There have been planning groups, emails, working groups – so a lot of planning has gone into this. It is not a one-off project, it has been building for years and I think this one is going to be the biggest one since it is now sponsored and presented by Ralph Lauren. There has been a lot of community engagement, stakeholder engagement and speaking with the community about what we want with this event.

UBITENNIS: Why is it important to have days like these at the Australian Open and what is the overall objective?

DR STORR: The importance of Pride Day, in addition to the Glam Slam which is happening next weekend, is using Tennis Australia’s reach and brand to raise awareness and to invite people in. So when people might think why do we have Pride Day’s? In the context of tennis it is to try and attract new fans. From research and my own research LGBTI fans from across the globe don’t always feel welcome. Sometimes there is a hostile environment during live sporting events so some people might not think to attend or they think about their safety.

It’s basically marketing to the LGBTI community saying we want you to come to our event and we are inclusive. Unfortunately, if they are not told, some may feel it is not a place for them. Especially trans and gender diverse people who can have challenges in terms of accessing bathrooms etc.

UBITENNIS: In the press release Tennis Australia says the day ‘promises to be both an uplifting and educational day for AO fans on-site.’ What about players, will they be able to participate in some way if they wish?

DR STORR: I think there is educational information that’s being given to players. I know Felix Auger-Aliassime was at the first Nations Day which celebrates indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. So I think there are opportunities for people to get involved and find out more.

One of the things in particular which I have been involved in is stories and videos around what Pride means and showcasing people’s experiences.

https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1481877978472906752

UBITENNIS: You are an accomplished social scientist and co-founder of Proud2Play inc. Have you discovered any studies which highlight the impact of events such as these within a sports environment?

DR STORR: One thing that stood out to me when I did research is generally the people who take part in the Glam Slam, GLTA (Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance) tournaments and who they are marketing at is an older demographic. So for example the LGBTI clubs are probably for people aged 30 and above, but mainly around 40-50. In the time when they were younger a lot places it (homosexuality) was illegal, we had the HIV/AIDS crises and discrimination was very common.

I think it’s gone 360 and we really need to show that sport has changed in particular. That it is inviting and welcoming for people because it has a long history of discrimination.

There has been quite a bit of research, especially on pride Games about attitudinal change. One of the things to note is that one-off events don’t do that much. They raise awareness, but they are not going to solve homophobia and transphobia in sport. One thing to know about Tennis Australia and the Glam Slam is that there are also other events going on leading up to this (Australian Open Pride). But I think this event in particular highlights Pride and some of the challenges.

My research found that playing tennis in inclusive and safe environments significantly improved the lives of LGBTI people. That’s why these Pride Games and Pride Day’s show a significant increase in mental and social health, as well as overall wellbeing.

UBITENNIS: One thing I noticed when the Australian Open posted their Pride video on social media, it brought up the debate over the Margaret Court Arena and whether it should be renamed due to her history of anti-LGBTI remarks. I was just wondering what your opinion on the matter is being both Australian and a member of the LGBTI community?

DR STORR: The Margaret Court Arena is an interesting and complex topic still. I think Tennis Australia has suggested that they would potentially change the name but unfortunately Melbourne Park is owned and run by the Olympic Park Trust. So in order to do that (renamed a court) it needs to be the Olympic Park Trust.

Tennis Australia doesn’t have the naming rights. I think it potentially will change. The name of John Cain Arena has changed a number of times but I think having that name (showcased on an arena) doesn’t show that Tennis Australia is not inclusive.

Tennis Australia is doing so much work behind the scene and investing money. They have invested in research through the University I was working at. There are not many sports who are investing in this.

I think there is going to be a significant evidence-base (data) to show the positive impact of these events in terms of tickets sold, brand awareness etc.

There is an absolute commitment from Tennis Australia in terms of time, resources, energy and funding. This is all-year round and not just when the Australian Open is on.

UBITENNIS: So what does the future hold when it comes to promoting LGBTI issues in tennis considering there is no openly gay player on the men’s Tour?

DR STORR: I think in the coming years there will be a few more bits going on. I have a colleague, Lou, from Pride Sports UK who has been commissioned to initially do some research and insight around LGBTI inclusion.

Tennis is probably welcoming and inclusive in this respect. I wouldn’t say it is like a player couldn’t come out because it is an individual sport which makes a difference compared to team sports. But the proof will be in the pudding when somebody comes out. I think there is going to be a lot more work from the ATP and the other Grand Slams.

Tennis hasn’t really engaged in LGBTI inclusion. You got Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King but it is important to engage with LGBTI communities moving on into the future.

You can find out more about Storrs academic work related to LGBTI issues in sport HERE or follow him on twitter.

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US Open Daily Preview: Novak Djokovic Plays Daniil Medvedev for the Men’s Singles Championship

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Novak Djokovic on Friday, hanging up the phone on Ben Shelton (twitter.com/usopen)

On Sunday in New York, the men’s singles and women’s doubles championship matches will be played.

 

Two years ago in the final of this same tournament, Novak Djokovic was just one match away from the ever-elusive calendar-year Grand Slam.  But on that day, a nervous and drained Novak succumbed to Daniil Medvedev, who claimed his first and only Major title to date.  Now in 2023, Djokovic vies to avenge that painful loss in the same round of the same event, and win his record-extending 24th men’s singles title at a Major.

And in the women’s doubles championship match, it will be Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe (16) vs. Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva (12).  This is a second Major final for Dabrowski in women’s doubles, and she’s already a two-time Slam champ in mixed doubles.  Routliffe is a Major final debutante. 

Siegemund and Zvonareva won this tournament in 2020.  Siegemund also won mixed doubles at this event in 2016, while Zvonareva has three US Open titles in women’s doubles (2006, 2012, 2020), two in mixed doubles (2004, 2006), and of course was a runner-up here in singles back in 2010.


Daniil Medvedev (3) vs. Novak Djokovic (2) – 4:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium

Djokovic is 44-5 on the year, and has now reached all four Major finals in 2023, where he’s 2-1 thus far.  He’s won five of his six matches this fortnight in straight sets, and came back from two sets down in the third round against his fellow countryman, Laslo Djere.  Novak already has four titles this year (Adelaide, Australian Open, Roland Garros, Cincinnati), with his only loss in a final coming against Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon.  In his career, Djokovic is 95-40 in ATP finals, and 23-12 in Major finals.

However, Novak has a sorted history at this particular Major.  He is only 3-6 in US Open finals, which is a startling stat for a man easily considered the best male hard court player of all time.  By contrast, he’s a perfect 10-0 in Australian Open finals. 

And in the last three years, this tournament has been particularly frustrating for Djokovic.  In 2020, he was disqualified in the fourth round for hitting a linesperson in the neck with a tennis ball.  In 2021, he suffered the aforementioned loss to Medvedev while playing for the Grand Slam.  And in 2022, he was unable to enter the United States due to his vaccination status.

Medvedev is 55-11 in 2023, with five titles (Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami, Rome).  Four of those titles, all on hard courts, came between February and March of this year.  Daniil’s results had tapered off in recent months, and he uncharacteristically went just 3-2 on North American hard courts heading into this tournament.  But as he often does at hard court Majors, Medvedev built his confidence as the tournament progressed, dropping only three sets through six matches.

Ahead of his semifinal against Alcaraz, Medvedev stated he would have to play “11 out of 10” to defeat Carlitos.  And Daniil did just that, performing at an extremely high level in that match.  He won 82% of his first serve points, and saved eight of the nine break points he faced, showing how well he played the critical points in the match.

Medvedev is 20-13 in ATP finals, and just 1-3 in Major finals.  That includes two soul-crushing five-set losses to Rafael Nadal, and a one-sided straight-set loss to Djokovic, which occurred at the 2021 Australian Open.  Medvedev is yet to play anyone not named Nadal or Djokovic in a Major final.

Novak and Daniil have played 14 times across the last seven seasons, with Djokovic leading their head-to-head 9-5 overall, and 8-4 on hard courts.  At Majors, Novak leads 2-1.  After losing to Medvedev is the final of this event two years ago, Djokovic went on a revenge tour against him, winning their next four encounters.  But Daniil claimed their most recent meeting, six months ago in the semifinals of Dubai.

These are definitively the two best ATP hard court players of the past five years.  Since August of 2018, they have combined to win 34 titles on this surface, with 17 each.  But at this level, there is no comparison.  During that same span, Djokovic has won five hard court Majors, even with missing a few because of vaccine protocols, while Medvedev has procured just one.

On the last day of the 2023 US Open, Novak is the favorite to pick up yet another hard court Major.  And that’s not despite his history in New York, it’s because of it.  After what Djokovic has gone through in recent years at this event, including his 2021 loss to Medvedev, he’ll be exceedingly motivated to reassert his authority on Arthur Ashe Stadium.  And unlike 2021, Novak comes into this match fully fresh, after a straight-set victory over Ben Shelton on Friday. Plus, he’s on an 11-match winning streak, and has won 24 of his last 25 matches, dating back to the start of Roland Garros.  Simply put, Djokovic is currently at the height of his abilities.

And when’s he’s in this kind of form, an extraordinary level is required of his opponents.  No other player can consistently match Novak’s well-rounded skillset, and his superiority reveals itself even more so in the best-of-five format.  Daniil already had to reach an astounding level to advance beyond Alcaraz in the semifinals.  Maintaining that level for a second match in a row, and under the pressure that comes with a Major final, will be an extremely challenging task.  Djokovic will regain the World No.1 ranking on Monday regardless of Sunday’s outcome, but I expect him to do so as a 24-time Major champion.


Sunday’s full Order of Play is here.

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US Open Daily Preview: Aryna Sabalenka Plays Coco Gauff for the Women’s Singles Championship

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Coco Gauff after winning her semifinal on Thursday night (twitter.com/usopen)

The championship match in women’s singles, as well as in mixed doubles, will be played on Saturday.

 

Aryna Sabalenka will become the new World No.1 on Monday, and on Saturday she plays for her second hard court Major title of 2023.  But standing in her way is the WTA’s hottest player of the summer, Coco Gauff, who is playing for her first Major title at the age of 19.  Who will win this blockbuster final: the best player of the year, or the best player of the summer?

And in the mixed doubles championship match, it will be Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek (1) vs. Anna Danilina and Harri Hellovaara.  This is a first Major final in this discipline for all four players, though Pegula, Krajicek, and Danilina have all been in men’s or women’s doubles finals at Slams, with Krajicek winning this year’s Roland Garros alongside Ivan Dodig. 


Coco Gauff (6) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2) – 4:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium

Sabalenka picked up her 50th victory of the season in her semifinal comeback against Madison Keys.  Aryna got blitzed in the first set by a score of 6-0, and Madison even served for the match in the second set.  But Keys blinked in that moment, and Sabalenka took full advantage, finding her game and claiming the last two sets in tiebreaks.

Aryna conquered plenty of demons in that semifinal, as she was 1-5 in Major semis, with all five losses coming in three sets.  She’s been the WTA’s most consistent performer this season at big events, and the last time she won a Slam semifinal, she went on to defeat Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.  The first set against Keys is the only set she’s dropped this fortnight, as Aryna dominated her first five rounds in New York.

Gauff overcame a much more challenging path to this championship match, losing a set in three of her first four matches.  Yet Coco has tightened up her game as the tournament has progressed, losing just two games to Roland Garros champ Jelena Ostapenko in the quarters, and taking two tight sets against Roland Garros runner-up Karolina Muchova in the semis.

Just like Sabalenka, this is her second Major final in singles, but Gauff did not play well in hers.  Last year in Paris, she managed just four games against Iga Swiatek.  But 15 months later, the 19-year-old American is a different player.  She 17-1 the past six weeks on hard courts, with titles in both Washington and Cincinnati.  Adding Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert to her coaching team this summer has paid immediate dividends.

Coco leads their head-to-head 3-2, and they are tied 2-2 on hard courts.  Their first three matches on this surface all went three sets, though most recently at Indian Wells this past March, Aryna comfortably prevailed 6-4, 6-0.

Sabalenka will look to dictate play from the baseline and with her serve, and take advantage of Gauff’s weaker wing, her forehand.  Coco also has a good serve, and will look to utilize her speed advantage, and that dangerous backhand of hers.  Yet the biggest difference between the two may be their temperament.  While it’s something Aryna has vastly improved, she can still become extremely cranky on court when things aren’t going her way, as she did in her semifinal against Keys.  Coco is much better at staying positive on court amidst adversity.

This feels like Coco’s moment.  Four years after she broke onto the scene as an impressive 15-year-old, and just two months after the wake-up call that was her first round loss at Wimbledon, it’s all come together for Gauff, who has developed into a top tier player.  And in recent years, we’ve seen how vociferously influential the crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium can be in big US Open matches.  At her home Slam, Coco Gauff is the favorite to win her first Major title.


Saturday’s full Order of Play is here.

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US Open Daily Preview: The Men’s Semifinals

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Carlos Alcaraz after winning his quarterfinal on Wednesday night (twitter.com/usopen)

The men’s singles semifinals are set for Friday, as is the men’s doubles championship match.

 

The men’s semifinals feature three US Open champions, and a 20-year-old American making his Major semifinal debut.  The last two winners of this event will face off, as 2022 champ Carlos Alcaraz plays 2021 champ Daniil Medvedev.  And three-time champion Novak Djokovic takes on assertive newcomer Ben Shelton.

And in the men’s doubles championship match, it’s Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden (6) vs. Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury (3).  This is a second Major final in men’s doubles for 43-year-old Bopanna, who was a runner-up at this same event 13 years ago.  Ebden teamed with Max Purcell to win the gentlemen’s doubles title last year at Wimbledon.  Ram and Salisbury are two-time defending champions, and if they win, they would become the first men’s doubles team to three-peat at this tournament in 109 years.


Ben Shelton vs. Novak Djokovic (2) – Not Before 3:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium

“I know that they want to get a scalp, they want to win… but it ain’t happening, still.”

That’s what Djokovic said two months ago on Centre Court after his quarterfinal victory at Wimbledon, regarding the younger generation of players trying to take his spot atop the sport.  Novak thrives on fighting them off, and has made a career out of beating the belief out of them.  But will the powerful and confident Shelton benefit from never having played Djokovic, and never having lost to him?

On Tuesday night, Ben displayed just how strong his self-belief is, and just how uncompromising he’s willing be in the critical moments of big matches.  After splitting the first two sets with fellow American Frances Tiafoe, Shelton grabbed the lead in the third-set tiebreak, before double faulting his lead away, going for two overly-aggressive second serves.  Yet when facing set point, he still pummeled a forehand return right into the corner of the court at 105 mph.  Ben claimed that tiebreak, seemingly breaking Frances’s spirit, and easily took the fourth set and the match.  That’s the kind of power and mentality can threaten Djokovic, and Shelton’s lack of scare tissue from previous losses to the all-time great is an advantage he has over many other of Novak’s recent victims in the latter stages of Majors. 

Novak is the only male player to reach every Slam semifinal this season, and he’s 3-0 thus far, with victories over Tommy Paul, Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner.  He’s is 35-11 lifetime in Major semis, and astoundingly has claimed 21 of his last 22, and his last 11 in a row dating back to the 2019 French Open. 

Within the past decade, Djokovic has only lost two Major semifinals, and those two losses came under extreme weather conditions: an incredibly hot and humid day nine years ago in New York when he lost to Kei Nishikori, and an extremely windy day four years ago in Paris when he lost to Dominic Thiem.  And with the recent heat in New York forecasted to subside on Friday, Novak is a considerable favorite to achieve his 36th Major final, extending his Open Era record in men’s singles.  It wlll be incredibly difficult for Shelton to maintain a high-enough level to oust Djokovic and his exhausting all-court abilities.


Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Daniil Medvedev (3) – Not Before 7:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium

This should be an incredibly compelling contest between the two winningest ATP players of 2023.  Alcaraz is 58-6, with six titles, including his second Major at Wimbledon.  Medvedev is 54-11, with five titles. 

For Daniil, this is a second Major semifinal of the year, and his seventh overall.  He is 4-2 in this round, though is his last Slam semi two months ago at Wimbledon, he lost to Alcaraz in straight sets.  All of Medvedev’s previous wins at this stage of a Slam have occurred on hard courts.

Alcaraz has now advanced to the semifinals in his last four Major appearances, and he is 2-1 in this round.  He’s dropped only one set so far this fortnight, to Dan Evans in the third round.  Medvedev has dropped two sets, both to Australians (O’Connell, de Minaur).

Carlitos leads their head-to-head 2-1, and has taken their last two encounters.  That includes the aforementioned Wimbledon semifinal from this past July, as well as the final of Indian Wells six months ago, though it’s worth noting Daniil was completely drained for that contest after winning 19 consecutive matches in the span of five weeks.  Medvedev’s victory came two years ago at Wimbledon, but that was before Alcaraz rose to the top of the sport.

Medvedev definitely peaked between February and May of this season, and hasn’t won a title or reached a final since.  He arrived in New York with little form, going just 3-2 on North American hard courts.  However, he has steadily increased his level at this tournament has progressed, and has spoken openly regarding how pleased he is with the way the US Open courts are playing this year.  And he’ll be relieved to find cooler temperatures for this semifinal than his sweltering quarterfinal on Wednesday.

It’s important to remember this is the first time Carlitos has defended a Major title in his young career.  And no man has defended this title in 15 years, when Roger Federer won his fifth in a row back in 2008.  Plus, Alcaraz has been sporting tape on his upper left leg this week, so he is nursing an injury to at least some degree.

After the epic Wimbledon final in July, and the equally-epic Cincinnati final in August, the tennis world has been hyper-focused on the potential of a Djokovic/Alcaraz rubber match in New York.  But I don’t see that happening.  As dynamic as Carlitos’ game is, Daniil defends on this surface better than anyone not named Djokovic, and can draw more errors out of Alcaraz than any player the Spaniard has faced to this stage.  And in a match that will likely extend to four or five grueling sets, the extent of Carlitos’ injury will be revealed.


Friday’s full Order of Play is here.

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