US Open Farewells: Andrea Petkovic, Sam Querrey End Careers After Losses - UBITENNIS
Connect with us

Grand Slam

US Open Farewells: Andrea Petkovic, Sam Querrey End Careers After Losses

The two former top 20 players speak out about their decision to walk away from the sport.

Published

on

Image via https://twitter.com/WTA_insider

This year’s US Open might be dominated by the news surrounding the likelihood that it will be Serena Williams’ last tournament but she is not the only player stepping away from the sport in New York. 

 

On Tuesday former world No.9, Andrea Petkovic, confirmed that her loss to Belinda Bencic was the final Grand Slam match of her career. The German has been a formidable name in women’s tennis ever since 2011 when she reached the quarter-finals of three Grand Slams within the same year. It was during that year that she cracked the top 10 to become the first player from her country to do so since Stefi Graf. She has won seven WTA titles and was also runner-up at six other Tour events. 

Petkovic’s career was ended by Switzerland’s Bencic who won their encounter 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, on Court seven. Despite losing, the fighting spirit of the 34-year-old was a silver lining for her. 

“I was glad that it ended like this, with Belinda, somebody I love and respect so much,” wtatour.com quoted Petkovic as telling reporters after the match. “Also that I could bring to the last match everything that I brought to my career, which was grit and tenacity and just respect for the game and for my opponents.”

The decision to walk away from the sport hasn’t been an easy one. Going through an array of emotions in recent days, Petkovic admits that it is her body not allowing her to continue even if she wants to. 

“I think for me I still love the game, still have a tremendous amount of passion for the game,” Petkovic said. “It’s more the body that is not allowing me to play tennis anymore in a way that I want to play it, train the way I want to train, just play a full season really.”

“The last four weeks I’ve just been playing with painkillers and anti-inflammatories. That was just the part that made me decide not to continue anymore, not the lack of passion or want for the game. So I think that was the saddest part in a way.” She added

The US Open was Petkovic’s 49th appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam. She has played on the WTA Tour for a total of 16 years. 

“Every American that I encountered and told them I’m retiring, their first reaction was, Congratulations. Every European I told this, they were, Oh, my God, what are you going to do now? I have to say the last few days I’ve embraced the American way of looking at it a little bit more.”

Petkovic hasn’t ruled out the possibility of playing an exhibition in her home country as a farewell to the sport.

Querrey calls it a day 

In the men’s draw, Sam Querrey concluded his last-ever match with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(8), 6-3, loss to Belarus’ Ilya Ivashka. Unlike Petkovic, retirement had been on the American’s mind for the past six months but it was six weeks ago when he made the decision. 

“I came to terms with it. And it felt great,” Querrey said. “The last six weeks have been very enjoyable, just kind of mentally.”

A former world No.11, Querrey is best known for reaching the semifinals of the 2017 Wimbledon championships, as well as the quarter-finals of the US Open that same year. He has produced more than 20 wins over top 10 players, including Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic when they were ranked No.1. On the ATP Tour has played in 20 finals, winning titles at ten of those. 

Querrey, who is 34 and has two children, ends his career with 60 appearances in Grand Slam tournaments. When asked what his plans for the future are, he didn’t give much away. 

“There’s something I’m working on,” Querrey said, promising news in the near future.

Grand Slam

SuperTennis Granted Rights To US Open Until 2027

SuperTennis will be the home for the US Open in Italy until 2027.

Published

on

(@GeorgeSpalluto - Twitter)

SuperTennis have been given exclusive rights to show the US Open in Italy until 2027 after a new agreement was reached.

 

The USTA and SportCast reached the agreement as announced in a press release.

SportCast are the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation Group company that manages the SuperTennis TV channel in Italy.

In the press released the USTA confirmed they reached a five year agreement with SportCast for SuperTennis to show the US Open until 2027.

The deal means that SuperTennis will show the best daily matches live and delayed alongside coverage on the SuperTenniX digital platform, which gives FITP members and subscribers access to stream all matches across the two week tournament.

It also means that the US Open joins Wimbledon, Davis Cup and a number of ATP and WTA events to be shown on SuperTennis.

Chief Commercial Officer at the USTA, Kristen Corio, had this to say on today’s announcement, “SuperTennis has proven to be a trusted home for the sport in Italy,” Corio said in the press release.

“With a number of Italian players at the forefront of this rising generation of talent, it’s an exciting time to begin this new partnership and we look forward to working together with SuperTennis to continue growing the audience for the US Open.”

Meanwhile the president of Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, Angelo Binaghi, was delighted with the latest news and talked about the impact it has on Italian tennis, “The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation continues its development policy through the promotion of great tennis in our country, and with the founding of the SuperTennis channel 15 years ago, it brought back the sport of tennis to our dedicated audience,” Binaghi said.

“Alongside providing extensive coverage of Wimbledon, we are now proud to make another tennis Grand Slam available to all Italian tennis fans. The US Open is a tournament that has recently provided some incredible stories, including the historic 2015 US Open final won by Flavia Pennetta over Roberta Vinci.

“The level of access that SuperTennis can provide to its viewers will only contribute to the further promotion of tennis and the increased support of our national tennis players.”

This year’s US Open will take place from the 28th of August until the 10th of September with Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz looking to defend their titles.

Continue Reading

ATP

Undeterred Novak Djokovic Hopeful Of US Open Return In 2023

Published

on

NOVAK DJOKOVIC OF SERBIA - PHOTO: MATEO VILLALBA / MMO

Novak Djokovic says he ‘really wants’ to play at this year’s US Open when it is likely he will be allowed to enter the country. 

 

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is currently unable to enter American territory due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19. All foreign arrivals are required to be vaccinated before travelling to the country under an emergency law implemented to curb the spread of the virus. Although this law is expected to come to an end in May. 

Djokovic had attempted to apply for a special exception which would have allowed him to play Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami but was refused by authorities. Even though he had the backing of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) who pledged their support on social media. Furthermore, American players who are unvaccinated are allowed to play in these events. 

Speaking to CNN about his recent absence, a defiant Djokovic has insisted that he has no regrets about not being able to play. The Serbian has said in the past that he didn’t want to have the vaccine as he has concerns about the impact it might have on his body. 

“I have no regrets,” Djokovic states. “I’ve learned through life that regrets only hold you back and basically make you live in the past. And I don’t want to do that. I also don’t want to live too much in the future. I want to be as much as in the present moment, but of course think about future, create a better future.”

On Monday Djokovic lost his No.1 ranking to Carlos Alcaraz who won the Indian Wells title. He has held the top spot for a total of 380 weeks so far in his career which is more than any other player – male or female – in the history of the sport.

“I congratulate Alcaraz. He absolutely deserves to come back to No.1,” Djokovic commented. 
“It’s a pity that I wasn’t able to play in Indian Wells [and] Miami. I love those tournaments. I had plenty of success there. But at the same time, it is the conscious decision I made and I knew that there is always a possibility that I won’t go.”

Djokovic’s last match on American soil was back in September 2021 when he lost in the final of the US Open to Daniil Medvedev. He is a three-time champion at the Grand Slam and has also contested the final on six other occasions between 2007-2021.

The 35-year-old remains optimistic that he will return to New York later this year as long as the government emergency legislation is lifted. 

“I really want to be playing there, want to be there,” Djokovic said. “I actually had in 2021 when I lost in the finals against (Daniil) Medvedev, probably one of the best moments I ever had with the New York crowd. And I’ve been fortunate to win that tournament three times, play many finals. And even though I lost that match, I received a lot of love and appreciation from people and I want to go back and I want to reconnect with the crowd there. So that’s something I’m looking forward to and hopefully it will happen.”

So far this year Djokovic has won two Tour titles in Adelaide and at the Australian Open. Out of 16 matches played, his only loss was to Medvedev at the Dubai Tennis Championships. 

Continue Reading

Grand Slam

Wimbledon Likely To Scrap Ban On Russian Players, Says Two-Time Champion Murray

Published

on

Andy Murray (GBR) - Credit: AELTC/Edward Whitaker

Andy Murray has told BBC Sport that he understands the ban implemented on Russian and Belarussian players competing at Wimbledon will be lifted this year. 

 

The All England Club, as well as by British LTA, has been under pressure to conduct a u-turn on their policy following the backlash they received last year from both the ATP and WTA. In 2022 Britain became the only country on the Tour to ban players from their events as a result of the war in Ukraine which has claimed thousands of lives. Organisers said their decision to do so was based on advice from their government who voiced concern that Russia could use UK-based events as propaganda. 

However, the governing bodies of men’s and women’s tennis condemned the move with both of them issuing fines to the LTA. It has been reported by The Telegraph newspaper that the WTA is willing to halve their $1M fine if athletes from the two nations are allowed to play this year. It has also been reported that officials are contemplating the possibility of requiring these players to sign some sort of contract to say they will not be making political gestures before being allowed to play. However, this has not been publicly confirmed. 

Whilst there is yet to be any official statement, Murray appears confident that the ban will be lifted based on what he has heard. Murray, who donated more than £500,000 of his prize money from last season to charities supporting Ukrainian children affected by the war, has previously voiced his opposition to the 2022 ban. 

“It’s a really difficult one and I do feel for the players who weren’t able to play last year – but I also understand the situation and why it’s really hard for Wimbledon to make a call on it as well,” Murray told BBC Sport.
“My understanding is that they are going to be allowed to play and I’m not going to be going nuts if that is the case.
“But if Wimbledon went down another route I would be understanding of that.”

Besides their financial penalty, Wimbledon lost their right to award ranking points last year for the first time in history. There have also been concerns that should the ban not be reversed, the rights for some events held in the UK such as Eastbourne could be removed and sold elsewhere.

Under current rules, players from Russia and Belarus are allowed to play on the Tour but only under a neutral status. They are currently suspended from all team competitions such as the Davis Cup. 

Murray spoke about Wimbledon to reporters in Indian Wells ahead of his first round clash with Tomas Etcheverry of Argentina. So far this season he has won six out of nine matches played with his best run being to the final of the Qatar Open last month. 

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending