Nadal will only play French Open if he can ‘compete well’

Nadal will only play French Open if he can ‘compete well’
Spain’s Rafael Nadal answers to journalists during a press conference ahead of the 2024 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid on Apr. 24, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 24 April 2024
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Nadal will only play French Open if he can ‘compete well’

Nadal will only play French Open if he can ‘compete well’
  • The 14-time Roland Garros champion conceded that if the action in Paris were to kick off today, he would not be able to participate
  • “I will keep fighting and doing the things I believe I have to do so I can try to play in Paris,” Nadal said

MADRID: Rafael Nadal said on Wednesday he will only play at the upcoming French Open if he feels “capable enough to compete well.”
The 14-time Roland Garros champion conceded that if the action in Paris were to kick off today, he would not be able to participate but vowed to keep fighting for the chance to play at his most successful tournament one last time.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next three weeks. I will keep fighting and doing the things I believe I have to do so I can try to play in Paris, and if I can play, I play, if I can’t, I can’t,” the former world number one told reporters at the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
“I will not play in Paris if I am the way I am now. If Paris were today, I wouldn’t take to the court. That’s the reality. I will only play in Paris if I feel capable enough to compete well.”
Nadal returned to tennis in Brisbane in January after spending almost an entire year on the sidelines nursing a psoas injury. But his comeback was short-lived as he sustained a muscle problem in Australia and has competed in just five matches so far this season.
The Spaniard kicked off his clay campaign in Barcelona last week, where he lost in the second round and is set to face 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in his Madrid opener on Thursday.
“I don’t think I’m ready to play at my 100 percent but I’m prepared to go out and play tomorrow. It’s important for me to play one last time here in Madrid, for me it means a lot,” said the 37-year-old Nadal.
As he attempts to resume his ‘Last Dance’ in Madrid and say goodbye to one of his favorite tournaments on court, rather than on the sidelines, the 22-time major champion admits his farewell tour hasn’t been as enjoyable as he would have hoped.
“A few weeks ago, I didn’t know if I will be able to play again on the professional tour, so today I am playing,” he added.
“It’s not perfect, of course not perfect, but at least I am playing and I can enjoy again, especially in the few tournaments that are so emotional for me. I’m able to enjoy the fact that I can say probably good-bye on court.”
Nadal says he’s hitting the ball well when he is able to be on court but “it’s about more body limitations. I went through a lot of things last year and a half, two years.”
“So body feelings are not enough good to feel myself playing with freedom enough in terms of body issues. That’s not allowing me to compete the way that I would like to compete.”


Sabalenka thrashed in Dubai as Paolini’s title defense ends

Sabalenka thrashed in Dubai as Paolini’s title defense ends
Updated 6 min 16 sec ago
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Sabalenka thrashed in Dubai as Paolini’s title defense ends

Sabalenka thrashed in Dubai as Paolini’s title defense ends
  • Sabalenka suffered a second straight premature exit after losing in her opening match in Qatar a week ago
  • Tauson broke Sabalenka’s serve six times and the Dane will go on to play Czech youngster Linda Noskova

DUBAI: World number one Aryna Sabalenka slumped to a 6-3, 6-2 loss against Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the last 16 of the Dubai Championships on Wednesday, as Jasmine Paolini’s title defense came to a painful end.
Sabalenka, who beat the 38th-ranked Tauson on her way to last month’s Australian Open final, suffered a second straight premature exit after losing in her opening match in Qatar a week ago.
Tauson broke Sabalenka’s serve six times and the Dane will go on to play Czech youngster Linda Noskova, who knocked out fifth seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals.
The 22-year-old Tauson beat Noskova in the first round of the Australian Open. She also won the title in Auckland at the start of January and made the semifinals in Linz earlier this month.
Noskova will have her shot at revenge on Thursday after beating Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (10/8).
Defending champion Paolini suffered an ankle injury and was dumped out by Sofia Kenin as the fourth seed from Italy lost 6-4, 6-0 in just over an hour.
Kenin, the world number 27, raced to a 5-2 lead in the opening set before closing the door on a Paolini fightback.
Any hopes Paolini had of forcing the match to a deciding set were undone when she took a bad fall early in the second set.
Rolling over her right ankle mid-rally she played on, but was obviously suffering, and in tears.
This was Kenin’s first win over a top-five player since her victorious title run at the 2020 Australian Open.
Kenin’s reward for defeating last year’s Wimbledon and French Open finalist was a quarter-final date with Elena Rybakina after the Kazakh sixth seed overcame a tight battle with Paula Badosa 4-6, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/2).
Paolini’s loss came after a tricky start to her title defense on Tuesday.
She had reached match point before rain forced the players off the court. Over four hours later, the world No.4 returned to win the final point, beating German qualifier Eva Lys 6-2, 7-5.
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen suffered a similar fate to Paolini, the Chinese seventh seed beaten in three sets by Kenin’s fellow American, Peyton Stearns.
The 23-year-old Stearns, ranked 46 in the world, fought back from a set down against last year’s Australian Open finalist to win the second round tie held over after Tuesday’s rain 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
After a brief break Stearns returned to face 12th seed Mirra Andreeva in the last 16 where her Dubai run ended, losing 6-1, 6-1 to the young Russian.
Waiting for Andreeva in the quarter-finals is second seed Iga Swiatek.
The Pole, beaten in the Australian Open semifinals last month, won the last eight games to beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 6-0.
American eighth seed Emma Navarro, made it into the last 16 after defeating this month’s Abu Dhabi Open winner Belinda Bencic 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 6-3.
Earlier Wednesday tennis officials said Emma Raducanu was targeted by “a man who exhibited fixated behavior” after the former US Open champion was reduced to tears on court.
The 22-year-old Briton was down 2-0 in the first set against Karolina Muchova on Tuesday when she approached the umpire, then briefly took refuge behind the umpire’s chair.
Muchova went over to see what was wrong before Raducanu reappeared, wiping away tears with her towel.
The WTA said it would ban the man, who had been sitting in the first few rows of the crowd in Raducanu’s match, after what it called “the security incident in Dubai.”


De Minaur, Medvedev and Rublev advance to Qatar Open quarterfinals

De Minaur, Medvedev and Rublev advance to Qatar Open quarterfinals
Updated 51 min 51 sec ago
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De Minaur, Medvedev and Rublev advance to Qatar Open quarterfinals

De Minaur, Medvedev and Rublev advance to Qatar Open quarterfinals
  • Top-seeded player Carlos Alcaraz can join them among the last eight later if he beats Italy’s Luca Nardi

DOHA: Four of the top-seeded players of the Qatar Open advanced on Wednesday to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, and Jack Draper won their matches in straight sets.
Top-seeded player Carlos Alcaraz can join them among the last eight later if he beats Italy’s Luca Nardi.
Second-seeded De Minaur beat Botic van de Zandschulp by a double 6-4. Rublev, the No. 5 seed, will be Australian’s rival in the next stage. He topped Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-4.
Medvedev overcame Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-1. His next challenger will be Félix Auger-Aliassime, who advanced without having to play Hamad Mededovic.
Draper eliminated Christopher O’Connell 6-2, 6-1. His rival will be either Matteo Berrettini, who knocked out Novak Djokovic, or Tallon Griekspoor.


Who would WTA players choose to coach them from their closest rivals?

Who would WTA players choose to coach them from their closest rivals?
Updated 19 February 2025
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Who would WTA players choose to coach them from their closest rivals?

Who would WTA players choose to coach them from their closest rivals?
  • Swiatek, Jabeur, Gauff, Pegula and more reveal their ideal trainer

DUBAI: Last December, Novak Djokovic shocked the sports world by announcing he had hired his long-time rival and recently retired Andy Murray to be his coach.

The pair played each other 36 times on the professional tour, faced off in seven Grand Slam finals, and represented half of the fabled “Big Four” that dominated tennis headlines for over a decade.

Djokovic said one of the main reasons he chose Murray was because he needed someone in his corner who had gone through the same experiences.

The partnership made its debut in Australia last month and following, his Qatar Open exit in Doha on Tuesday, Djokovic told the ATP Tour’s in-house media channel that Murray will continue to coach him indefinitely.

“It is indefinite in terms of how long we are going to work together, but we agreed most likely in the States and some clay court tournaments. We will see how it goes after that,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

In light of this partnership, Arab News asked players on the Women’s Tennis Association tour at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and ongoing Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships which of their rivals they would choose as a coach.

Some players chose those possessing a high tennis IQ, others opted for players they struggle to beat, and some said they valued a person’s positivity and energy over tactical nous.

World No.2 Iga Swiatek mentioned retired German player Andrea Petkovic, now a popular commentator, close rival and current No.1 Aryna Sabalenka as another pick.

“Petkovic is not playing anymore but I heard she has a really great eye and I always liked her, so I think we would get along. I don’t know, maybe Aryna. She’s older than me and maybe she’s going to finish earlier (than me) and that would be funny,” said Swiatek.

Meanwhile, former world No.4 Caroline Garcia said: “Ash Barty will not be bad.”

Tunisian three-time major finalist Ons Jabeur was a popular choice, with both Paula Badosa and Emma Raducanu naming her as the rival they’d choose to coach them.

“By far I would pick Ons Jabeur. I think we would connect very well. She knows very good about tennis, but especially emotionally,” said Badosa, the world No.10 and recent Australian Open semifinalist.

“I say that because also we played doubles. And sometimes when you’re playing doubles you have to coach each other. There are some moments that one is playing better than the other, so we do it already, and we feel very comfortable both of us, so I would pick her by far.”

And 2021 US Open champion Raducanu said: “I would want Ons Jabeur to coach me because I think she has an amazing energy. I think she’s a really caring person, really generous person. Funny but has a great eye for the game and is obviously pretty tactical as well with the way she plays and has a lot at her disposal. So maybe one day, Ons.”

Swiss Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic chose Liudmila Samsonova, who has a 5-1 head-to-head record against her.

“I want to know what she would do, so I can beat her, because I cannot beat her. I feel like she’s my biggest rival,” said Bencic with a laugh.

World No.3 Coco Gauff noted how reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova was always courtside watching matches and felt she would be a great resource: “She seems like she’s someone that knows the game and very smart and she’s always at the matches, watching them live. So I feel like she would be a pretty decent coach.”

Jabeur reciprocated Badosa’s sentiments and chose the Spaniard as her hypothetical rival-turned-coach: “Now I’m really biased, because I know Paula said me. I feel like, honestly, Paula has a lot of knowledge. Because you can speak with players and know if they’re doing this, doing that, and that really, really helps you. So maybe I would choose Paula.”

World No.5 Jessica Pegula wrestled with the question for quite some time before settling on her choices. She said: “Ooh, that’s a good question. A close rival to coach me … I feel like it’s different because Novak, he’s already accomplished everything there is to accomplish, so I think he just wanted somebody that he could relate to and, like, mix things up. Obviously, he’s searching for something to keep pushing him.”

Following Bencic’s logic of choosing a rival that frequently beats her, Pegula said: “That's actually funny because I haven’t beaten Belinda, so maybe I should pick her. We have the same issue, so we’ll just pick whoever keeps beating us. Yeah, maybe that’ll work. Barty would be a good one. But she retired, so I didn’t think she counted.

“I think IQ-wise, she would be incredible. So maybe her. And then maybe Belinda because I’m 0-4 against her.”

When told other players were asked the same question, Pegula said: “Did I come up? Did someone pick me?”


Medvedev edges Khachanov in windy Qatar Open

Medvedev edges Khachanov in windy Qatar Open
Updated 18 February 2025
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Medvedev edges Khachanov in windy Qatar Open

Medvedev edges Khachanov in windy Qatar Open
  • Medvedev, who won the tournament in 2023, scored his first victory over a top-30 player in 2025
  • In match of long rallies, Medvedev did not carve out a break point until the 12th game of the second set

DOHA: World No.6 Daniil Medvedev eliminated compatriot and defending champion Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the ATP Qatar Open on Tuesday.
Medvedev, who won the tournament in 2023, scored his first victory over a top-30 player in 2025.
Medvedev, the former world No.1, has not won a tournament since the Rome Masters in spring 2023. He was knocked out in the second round of this year’s Australian Open by teenage American Learner Tien.
In match of long rallies, Medvedev did not carve out a break point until the 12th game of the second set, by which time he was a set down. He took his chance and then went on attack in the third set to win in two hours 30 minutes.


A third Russian former champion, Andrey Rublev, the fifth seed, beat Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4.
Alex de Minaur celebrated his birthday by beating Russian Roman Safiullin 6-1, 7-5, even though the Australian did not enjoy the weather.
“They’re tough days, these ones,” said De Minaur. “It’s cold, it’s windy, you probably don’t want to get out of bed. But once you step on court, you have to do everything you can to win. Whether it’s ugly or pretty tennis, you just put the ball in the court, and that’s what I did today.”
“Out went any sort of tactics you had for the match and it was all about surviving more than anything.”
In the evening matches, Novak Djokovic was making his comeback against Matteo Berrettini after his Australian-Open semifinal injury.
Earlier in the day, Djokovic said that Andy Murray would continue as his coach “indefinitely.”
“I expressed my desire to continue the collaboration with him so I am really glad he did accept,” said Djokovic.


Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai

Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai
Updated 18 February 2025
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Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai

Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai
  • ‘I didn’t want to just retire,’ says Arab No. 1 Jabeur, who was appearing at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for first time since 2022, as emirate celebrates 25-year anniversary of its WTA event

DUBAI: Ons Jabeur let a lead slip and grimaced in pain as she crashed out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday night, falling in the first round to American Peyton Stearns 6-7(6), 4-6 in front of a vocal Centre Court crowd.

The Tunisian, a former world No. 2 who became the first Arab to reach a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon three years ago, had been forced to miss the past two editions of the Dubai tournament through injury.

Yet she was determined to be a part of this year’s lineup, which marks the landmark 25th anniversary of the women’s event in the emirate.

Enjoying strong support inside the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium with a series of Tunisian flags dotted among the crowd, the three-time Grand Slam finalist raced into the lead, breaking Stearns in the American’s first service game.

Yet she was unable to capitalize and allowed her opponent — ranked 14 places below her at No. 46 — back into the tie after serving a double fault on a break point in the fourth game.

Jabeur even managed to break again and found herself serving for the first set, but failed to close it out, and throwing her racquet on the ground in anger.

During a tight tie-break, another double fault saw Jabeur hand Stearns the momentum at 5-6 and the American went on to convert her first set point to claim the opener.

“Peyton is a really good player,” Jabeur said. “We practice a lot together, more last year and the year before, but yeah, she’s a tough opponent.

“She has a lot to improve for sure, but I see her in a much better ranking than this. I wish her all the best for the future. She handled moments very well during the match and hope she can make it very far.”

Jabeur is a resident of Dubai and was one of the most popular players in a field stacked with 36 of the top 40 women this week.

Understandably then, despite calling a medical timeout to assess her left thigh, she was keen to battle on, saving three break points in the opening exchanges of the second set.

It was not enough though and despite showing the fight for which she has become renowned, her service was broken in the third game and Stearns held on to complete a straight sets win.

“It was pretty tough today,” admitted Jabeur, who arrived in Dubai after quarterfinal runs in both Abu Dhabi and Doha in the past fortnight.

“I wasn’t 100 percent, obviously. I didn’t think I had enough time to recover from both tournaments, but I was there, trying my best. I didn’t want to just retire. I wanted to try more and see how it went.”

On her thigh issue, she added: “It’s nothing really serious. I just wasn’t feeling 100 percent physically. I feel I’ve been tired; I haven’t been sleeping as well as I was hoping to be sleeping.

“It was difficult to really recover from Abu Dhabi, Doha, and now to come here. I felt it was like a long tour for me. I was hoping to really play good here, but unfortunately it wasn’t the case.”

For her part, Stearns — making only her second appearance in the emirate — stood up to the challenge when it mattered most to claim an 11th career win against a top-50 player.

She faces another tough test on Tuesday against No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen of China.

“I’m super happy with myself that I stayed in the match,” said Stearns. “I fought hard, dug deep, and all that good stuff. Ons is a great player and also a great person. It’s never fun playing those kind of people, but I knew I would need to play well against her.”

Earlier in the day, No. 13 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia was eliminated by Anastasia Potapova 3-6, 0-6 before No. 10 seed Daria Kasatkina also lost 1-6, 6-4 to Romanian wildcard Sorana Cirstea.

Jelena Ostapenko — the winner here in 2022 — also slipped out in the first round, with Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima claiming a memorable 6-3, 6-3 win.

Tuesday will have the eight top seeds get their Dubai 2025 campaigns underway, with all four of the world’s leading players in action on Centre Court.

Reigning Dubai champion Jasmine Paolini meets German qualifier Eva Lys in the day’s first match, before world No. 2 Iga Swiatek faces Victoria Azarenka, and No. 3 seed Coco Gauff takes on fellow American McCartney Kessler.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will be in the last match of the day, when she meets 2022 finalist Veronika Kudermetova.

The 25th edition of the annual WTA 1000 event is running until Feb. 22, before the 33rd staging of Dubai’s ATP Tour 500 tournament from Feb. 24 to March 1.