Federer Brought Joy to a Golden Era of Tennis

Roger Federer 

Within minutes after Roger Federer announced his retirement from tennis on Thursday – the Laver Cup next week in London will be his final ATP event – the tributes began to pour in on social media. There were many and they were all sincere and genuine. They came from players such as Rafael Nadal, Petra Kvitova, Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz as well as from Wimbledon, where he enjoyed many of his greatest moments as a professional tennis player.

Of all the gifts that tennis has given Federer, the greatest without a doubt, he wrote, has been the people he’s met along the way. “My friends, my competitors, and most of all the fans who give the sport its life.”

It is said that timing is everything and Federer, 41, has always shown impeccable timing throughout his storied and artistic career that began as a ball kid growing up in Basel, Switzerland. Federer’s announcement came just five weeks after Serena Williams announced her “evolution” away from from the sport. Who could have imagine that this day would arrive for Federer, too?

In a letter written to his fans from home in Switzerland and posted Thursday on his social media channels, Federer wrote: “As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.

“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.”

Federer has not competed since Wimbledon in July 2021. Since then, he’s undergone multiple surgeries to his left knee and tried to rehabilitate it in order to regain elite form and continue playing competitively. 

Federer expressed that it was a bittersweet decision because “I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”

While Federer thanked his wife, Mirka, and his four children; his parents and sister, plus his coaches, business partners and sponsors – as well as the hard-working teams and tournaments on the ATP Tour – he also made a point to thank his competitors on the court.

“I was lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget. We battled fairly, with passion and intensity, and I always tried my best to respect the history of the game. I feel extremely grateful. We pushed each other, and together we took tennis to new levels.”

Above all else, Federer gave praise to his “unbelievable” fans. “You will never know how much strength and belief you have given me. The inspiring feeling of walking into full stadiums and arenas has been one of the huge thrills in my life. Without you, those successes would have felt lonely, rather than filled with joy and energy.”

Federer’s career began at age 16 in July 1998 in Gstaad, Switzerland, with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Lucas Arnold Ker of Argentina and ended at age 39 – almost 40 – with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0 loss to Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in July 2021 at Wimbledon.

Indeed, the last 24 years have been an incredible adventure, thanks to Federer and Williams – global citizens of sport – especially during the Grand Slam fortnights. Federer has played in more than 40 countries and he’s laughed and cried, felt joy and pain – and at his best, his tennis has been incredibly alive and sublime. His eight Wimbledon titles represent some of his greatest moments among the 20 major titles and 103 tour-level crowns he’s won. He surpassed Pete Sampras with a then-leading 15 major titles, then was passed by two of his contemporaries, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. His battles against his Big Four mates – Nadal and Djokovic, and Andy Murray – were all memorable.

If you are interested in learning more about Federer, two books worth a very good read are: The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer by New York Times tennis correspondent Christopher Clarey, about Federer and this golden age in men’s tennis, published in 2021; and Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played, by Sports Illustrated tennis writer and Tennis Channel insider L. Jon Wertheim, about the epic Federer-Nadal 2008 Wimbledon final.

On a personal note, Federer has been one of just a very small number of athletes, whom I would drop whatever I doing to watch perform on TV – especially during the Grand Slams. There was always a sense of wonder in watching him play on Centre Court at Wimbledon as well as on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open. He was greatness personified – he showed class and respected the history of the game – and he dressed the part, too. It all added up.

It’s never easy when one of the greats of sports steps down. Federer may be retiring from the competitive arena, but he never retired from a match. Fortunately, Federer leaves the sport of tennis better than when he arrived – and it will be exciting to see if the next generation of men’s players that includes Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe are ready to step up and carry on the aesthetics and athleticism that Federer brought to the sport. Hopefully, there will be others who will combine elegance and grace, and a beautiful game, too.

In the meantime, here’s giving thanks to Federer, who definitely made tennis better on and off the court. As he exits the stage, he will be missed. Mind you, I think it will be exciting to see Roger continue to bring joy to the world in other ways. No doubt, he will be just as successful.

“So, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a young Swiss ball kid come true,” Federer concluded in his message.

“Finally, to the game of tennis, I love you and will never leave you.”

Photo: Courtesy of Roger Federer Instagram.

Serena: The Countdown Toward Retirement Has Begun

Serena Williams 

Serena Williams has never liked the word retirement, saying it doesn’t feel like a modern word to her.

However, a week ago, a day after Williams won her first WTA Tour singles match after turning 40, the 23-time Grand Slam champion – arguably the greatest women’s tennis player of all time – hinted in an interview with Vogue magazine that her storied career will soon come to an end.

An iconic champion and crossover star, Williams admitted she doesn’t like the word retirement, because “it doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution.”

Evolution as in evolving away from tennis toward other things that are important to Williams. Like her older sister Venus, who has created a large business footprint outside the baseline, a few years ago, Serena started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm “designed to do VC differently through standout strategies, bold initiatives, and a global network of investors, business leaders, and influencers.” Soon after, she started a family with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, when their daughter, Olympia, was born in September 2017.

“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family,” Williams told writer Rob Haskell for Vogue, in an interview published last Tuesday for its September issue. “Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity. Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia.

“I was one of those annoying women who adored being pregnant and was working until the day I had to report to the hospital – although things got super complicated on the other side. And I almost did do the impossible: A lot of people don’t realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. But I’m turning 41 this month [in September], and something’s got to give.”

While Williams was not specific in Vogue about the exact timing of her farewell, on Instagram, she gave a hint that it might end very soon. The start of the US Open is less than two weeks away, a major which she has won six times. So, it would be very fitting if Williams ended her career in New York. She won the US Open for the first time in 1999 at age 17 against then-No. 1 Martina Hingis.

“One thing I’m not going to do is sugarcoat this,” Williams wrote. “I know that a lot of people are excited about and looking forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way. Ashleigh Barty was number one in the world when she left the sport this March, and I believe she really felt ready to move on. Caroline Wozniacki, who is one of my best friends, felt a sense of relief when she retired in 2020.

“Praise to those people, but I’m going to be honest. There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads. …”

Williams trails only Margaret Court’s 24 Grand Slam singles titles and has been stuck on 23 since winning the Australia Open in 2017, when she was pregnant with her daughter. She owns 73 career titles overall – including seven at the Australian Open, three at Roland Garros, seven at Wimbledon and six at the US Open – and has earned more than $94.5 million in prize money. Along with Court, Helen Wills and Chris Evert, Williams has won major singles titles in her teens, 20s and 30s. Ten of her Grand Slam crowns have come after she turned 30.

In addition to her singles success, Williams has also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with Venus, two mixed doubles crowns with Max Mirnyi, and four Olympic gold meals, including one in singles and three in doubles with Venus.

“There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction,” Williams wrote. “That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just [as] exciting Serena. I’m gonna relish these next few weeks.”

After Williams defeated Nuria Parrizas-Diaz of Spain, 6-3, 6-4, at the National Bank Open Presented By Rogers in Toronto, her first win since beating Danielle Collins in the third round of the 2021 French Open, she told reporters, “I guess there’s just a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know, I’m getting closer to the light. Lately that’s been it for me. I can’t wait to get to that light.”

A postscript …

• Williams lost her second-round match to Tokyo Olympic Games gold medalist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 6-2, 6-4. Afterward, she was feted on court by the tournament. 

“Yeah, it was a lot of emotions,” Williams said during an on-court interview after the match. “Obviously, I love playing here. I’ve always loved playing here. And, yeah, I wish I could have played better, but Belinda played so well today.”

• Tonight, Williams returns to face 19-year-old Emma Raducanu of Great Britain, the reigning US Open champion in the first round of the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio. It will be their first meeting.

“It’s going to be an exciting match,” Raducanu said in her pre-tournament press conference. “An amazing opportunity to play probably the best tennis player of all time. For our careers to have crossed over, I am really fortunate to get to play her, and whatever happens, I think it’s just going to be an incredible experience for me and something I think I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Cover photo: Courtesy of National Bank Open. Graphics: Vogue magazine, WTA Twitter, YouTube video.

A Champion’s Heart Guides Rafael Nadal to His Most Important Victory

Early Monday morning, Rafael Nadal scored the most important comeback victory of his storied career when he won the 2022 Australian Open men’s singles title on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. It happened before a partisan crowd that cheered madly for his every winner hit through the duration of his five-hour and 24-minute title match against Daniil Medvedev, which Nadal won 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

When it was finally over, Nadal didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so he did a little of both.

For Nadal, 35, a man on a mission during the Australian fortnight, he became the first to secure a men’s record 21st major singles title, breaking the tie he shared with his biggest rivals, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, who are now tied for second with 20. While Federer remained home in Switzerland rehabbing from knee surgery, Djokovic was sent home by the country’s immigration minister, who declared the unvaccinated Serbian to be a threat to public health and order. 

A day after Ashleigh Barty won the women’s singles title and became the first homegrown player to win an Australian Open singles title in 44 years, Nadal showed the Melbourne fans and a worldwide television audience who tuned in at all hours around the globe why he’s the fiercest competitor in the sport of tennis.

Against Medvedev, who denied Djokovic of a calendar-year Grand Slam by winning the US Open in straight sets last September, Nadal produced some of his best tennis – especially after spotting the 25-year-old Russian a two-sets-to-love advantage while committing some very un-Nadal-like unforced errors. 

By the time that Nadal garnered victory at 1:12 a.m, which made him the sport’s most decorated Grand Slam men’s singles champion, the match had gone through a variety of momentum swings and there were plenty of memorable rallies – some as long as 40 shots – and dazzling winners hit by both competitors that will be remembered for a long time. The two worthy finalists, Nadal and Medvedev, played a total of 371 points, with the Russian winning 189 and Nadal 182.

“I was repeating to myself during the whole match that I lost a lot of times here having chances,” Nadal recalled during his post-match press conference, which took place in the wee hours of Monday morning as it neared 3 a.m. After his 2009 Australian Open title victory over Federer, which lasted five sets and took four hours and 23 minutes to complete, there were a series of four straight difficult losses in Melbourne finals before Nadal ended the skid against Medvedev. “Sometimes I was a little bit unlucky. I just wanted to keep believing until the end, no? I just wanted to give myself a chance.”

After securing championship point, Nadal stood motionless for a moment – captured perfectly by the TV cameras – and beamed a big smile while soaking in the plaudits of the fans who stood and cheered for him. Judging from the expression on his face, there was a mixture of laugher and tears of joy permeating Nadal. After all, Nadal hadn’t experienced the feeling of winning a major since capturing the 2020 French Open.

After Nadal shook hands with Medvedev, he returned to the center of the court and, as is his custom after winning an important match, punched the air, flexed his arms and pumped his fists toward the heavens. It was as if to signify that all was well and Nadal’s mission was successfully completed. In addition to winning his 21st major title, he also became just the fourth man in the Open Era to capture every major twice.

“This has been one of the most emotional nights of my tennis career,” Nadal said during the trophy ceremony, in which he lifted the Norman Brookes Challenger Cup for the second time in his storied career. Considering all the adversity the Spaniard had been through in recent months in being sidelined with a chronic foot injury that wasn’t always responding to therapy, then contracting Covid-19 after returning home from a December exhibition Abu Dhabi, it prompted him to say later on during his post-match press conference: “If we put everything together, the scenario, the momentum, what it means, yeah, without a doubt probably have been the biggest come back of my tennis career.”

The Spaniard told the crowd: “One month and a half [ago], I would say that maybe there is a chance that this was going to be my last Australian Open, but now I have plenty of energy to keep going. I really can’t explain the feelings that I have right now, but I am going to keep trying my best to keep coming next year.”

Nadal admitted how taxing it had been stringing together seven straight wins over the past two weeks at Melbourne Park, which included a five-set quarterfinal victory against Canada’s Denis Shapovalov last Tuesday. Yet, after breaking the all-time record for Grand Slam men’s singles titles and becoming the third-oldest Australian Open men’s winner, Nadal seemed energized – even blessed – by his success.

“I was not ready physically for these kinds of battles, honestly,” Nadal said. “I am super, super tired in all ways. I even can’t celebrate. But it was the day to give everything, no? I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the fight. I enjoyed the emotions. At the end to have this trophy with me means everything.”

A version of this blog first appeared in Tennis-TourTalk.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Tennis Australia.

Behind the writing of Christopher Clarey’s ‘The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer’

 

The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer is the story of Roger Federer’s life and the longevity of his brilliant career, told on both an intimate and grand scale by New York Times tennis correspondent extraordinaire Christopher Clarey – and it’s done in a way that no one else could possible tell it.

The process of writing the book ‘The Master’ that Clarey undertook is not unlike his job of being tennis correspondent for the New York Times. After all, Clarey leveraged his 30 years of covering global sports for the New York Times and International Herald Tribune, where he was chief sports correspondent and a longtime columnist. Clarey, who covered his first Grand Slam tournament in 1990 at Wimbledon, is one of the world’s leading authorities on tennis – an award-winning journalist who isn’t afraid to communicate honestly and critically. He’s traveled in and reported from more than 70 countries and six continents.

Clarey has covered Roger Federer since the beginning of his pro days, and witnessed the Swiss superstar’s first Grand Slam main draw match – on Court Suzanne-Lenglen at the French Open in 1999 – long before he became a tennis icon.

Throughout the book’s 421 pages (published last month in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands by Twelve/Hachette Book Group, and subsequently elsewhere in the weeks following), Clarey follows Federer’s long, rich and rewarding career across the globe, from South Africa and South America to the Middle East and in Federer’s native Switzerland. He’s witnessed all of Federer’s 20 major titles at all four Grand Slam venues and been there for his biggest victories and most crushing defeats.

“I have followed Federer on six continents; interviewed him more than twenty times over twenty years for the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. Our meetings have taken place everywhere from a private plane to a backcourt at Wimbledon to Times Square to Alpine restaurants in Switzerland to a suite at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris with a ridiculously good view of the Place de la Concorde while his future wife, Mirka Vavrinec, tried on designer clothes.

“One habit that separates Federer from most other elite athletes I have encountered is that he will ask you first and not in a perfunctory manner: inquiring about your own journey to this particular place, your own perceptions of the tournament, the country, the people,” Clarey writes in ‘The Master.’

“‘The reason Roger is so interesting is because he’s so interested,’ Paul Annacone, his former coach, once told me.”

Clarey relied upon more than 20 exclusive interviews he’s enjoyed with the former World No. 1 Federer over the years to tell the story of one of the greatest tennis players and defining athletes of our time with keen insights from many who are closest to him. In ‘The Master,’Clarey conducted interviews specifically for the book with the like of Federer’s support team: his wife, Mirka; his childhood coach, the late Peter Carter; and his longtime fitness trainer and confidant Pierre Paganini, all who have been fundamental to Federer’s success.

Federer: From temperamental teen to elegant shot maker

We see and learn how Federer has changed over the years – from a temperamental teenager with the bleach-blond ponytailed hair who had difficulty losing to being put on a lofty pedestal thanks to his self-posted manner, elegant shotmaking and competitive instincts.

Over the decades, Federer has shared his gift of polished athleticism and made it look easy – gliding about Wimbledon’s Centre Court like a dapper and handsome Fred Astaire on a dance floor – even when it always wasn’t. After Federer learned to manage his temper and expectations – and became a Zen master on the tennis court – he became composed and took his game to a totally different level. His career took off and he began to win major titles. Now, there’s always the friendly smile and gentle demeanor that transcends Federer’s ability to easily communicate with fans and media in multiple languages of English, Swiss-German and French. After all, as Federer told Clarey, “I consider myself really like a regular guy with a fascinating life as a tennis player.”

Clarey writes of Federer: “‘We are sort of returning guests at most of the cities and tournaments, and we’ve also created a lot of friends around the world,’ he said. ‘It’s that home-away-from-home feeling. I’m able to reproduce that quite easily now, especially now with the kids. I want to keep reproducing that for them so they always feel comfortable everywhere we go.’”

The author continues: “Federer’s curiosity – be it polite or from the heart – sets the tone for a conversation rather than a strutted interview. It is disarming, although that does not seem to be his intent. What it creates, most of all, is an air of normalcy amid the extraordinary, and that is something Federer projects very intentionally. Federer can handle being on a pedestal (he has had hots of practice), but he often emphasizes that he is happier seeing eye-to-eye Hi smother, Lynette, might well have passed this on. When someone hears her surname or a shopkeeper sees it on her credit card and asks if she is related to ‘that’ Federer, she answers in the affirmative but then quickly shifts the focus by inquiring if they have children of their own.”

Federer: Mastering both himself and the game of tennis

As Clarey points out, Federer not only was able to master himself but also the American of tennis. It extended to Federer’s business career as well, where despite coming from a small but wealthy country, he built himself into the most financially successful tennis player the sport has ever seen. While Federer’s career earnings on the tennis court have exceeded $130 million, his off-court earnings have pushed his combined earnings power well over $1 billion, thanks to his many endorsements such as Rolex, Uniqlo, Credit Susie, Lindt, Mercedes Benz, Barilla and On. He has also accumulated more than $50 million for his foundation. His charity takes care of more than one million children in Africa. 

“Federer is widely perceived as a natural,” Clarey writes, “and yet he is a meticulous planner who has learned to embrace routine and self-discipline, plotting out his schedule well in advance and in considerable detail.

“‘I usually have an idea of the next one and a half years, and a very good idea about the next nine months,’ [Federer] said in Argentina. ‘I can tell you what I’ll be doing on Monday before Rotterdam’s or what I’m doing Saturday before Indian Wells. I mean, not hour by hour, but I pretty much talk it through day by day.’”

In ‘The Master,’ we also see how Federer’s longtime rivalries with his contemporaries, Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick, have changed him, too.

As Clarey writes: “Though it is rare to see Federer sweat, there has been tremendous toil and ample self-doubt behind the scenes. He has played in pain for more than most of us realize. There has also been no shortage of bruising setbacks in the spotlight. One could easily argue that the two greatest matches in which he has played were the 2008 Wimbledon final against Rafael Nadal and the 2019 Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic. Both ended in bitter defeats in tight fifth sets that extended past regulation. 

“He has been a big winner, racking up more than a hundred tour titles and twenty-three consecutive Grand Slam semifinals, but also a big loser.

“That has no doubted contributed to his Everyman appeal, helping to humanize him. To his credit, Federer has absorbed the blows, both public and private, and rebounded with the accent on positive energy and the long run.”

Clarey knew the time was right to write ‘The Master’

After achieving so much – being the first to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, 103 titles overall and a record 237 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world – Federer, who just turned 40 last month, finds himself in an unusual if not poignant situation after more than two decades filled with hard work, according to Clarey. In early August, Federer announced he would be having a fourth surgery on his right knee that would not only for him to miss the US Open, but it would also shut down his 2021 season and keep him sidelined indefinitely. 

After maintaining his physical health for so long and being able to play well into his thirties, which had been a blessing, we learn that Federer is human after all. Inevitably, as Federer has shown in the years since winning his 20th major title at the 2018 Australian Open, the game is very grueling. “Your body is going to break down at some point,” Clarey said in a recent interview for the NPR radio program Hear & Now. 

Clarey knew the time was right to write a book about Federer after his heartbreaking, five-set 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3) loss to Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon Championships final and the way the season ended for him. “I sensed that the main body of work was done,” Clarey told me during a recent telephone conversation. 

When I asked him what, if anything, we should expect from Federer going forward, Clarey suggested that the Swiss maestro’s best days may be behind him. “I didn’t see him winning another Slam,” he said. “The pandemic has put a further delay on everything. I felt like this was the right time to work on a project like this.”

So, Clarey took leave and stepped aside from the pro tennis beat the New York Times the first half of 2021 to complete the writing of the book.

As Clarey explained to Hear & Now: “I feel like the book has a elegiac tone to it in places and valedictory tone to it as well.”

A footnote to ‘The Master’

Advance praise for ‘The Master’ has been plentiful. Among the plaudits, Hall of Famer and former World No. 1 player and 12-time Grand Slam singles champion Billie Jean King wrote:

 “Roger Federer is the most beautiful and balletic player I’ve ever seen. In this entertaining and deeply researched book, Christopher Clarey, the top tennis writer of today, tells the story of how Federer became one of our greatest champions and how much harder it was than he made it look.”

Also, another Hall of Fame great, Chris Evert, the former World No. 1 and 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, wrote:

 “An iconic master in his own field, Christopher Clarey is the perfect writer to wrap up the gift that is Roger Federer’s career. You’re not going to get a better look into his life, personality and character. Christopher got close but not too close to Roger to compromise his perspective on this great champion. He shows sides and layers of Roger through conversations and stories that we have never been privy to before. I have deep respect for Christopher’s fair and thoughtful journalism.”

Cover photos and photo of Christopher Clarey courtesy of Twelve/Hachette Book Group.

Indian Wells: An unprecedented shakeup to tennis

Indian Wells Tennis Garden 

It’s been less than 48 hours since the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., one of the most prestigious events on the professional tennis calendar, was canceled. There has been plenty of anxiety over the spreading coronavirus in the United States and worldwide, which has cost tennis the first of what could be many more tournaments.

Make no mistake, the cancellation of Indian Wells, an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Premier Mandatory tournament – dubbed the “fifth Grand Slam” – with $17 million in prize money that’s owned by billionaire American business magnate Larry Ellison, was big news in the sports world on Monday. It was all over social media and discussed on television and radio and in newspapers across the United States. In fact, the BNP Paribas Open sent notification Sunday night that the tournament would not be held as scheduled by using social media channel Twitter, linking its tweet to a statement on its website.

The 2020 BNP Paribas Open will not be held.https://t.co/BVKQmmcbth pic.twitter.com/CHOd0PgJeV

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 9, 2020

On Monday afternoon, ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi issued a statement on the 2020 BNP Paribas Open not being held:

Official Statement on Coronavirus & 2020 @BNPPARIBASOPEN 👇 #ATPTour pic.twitter.com/hKzJFfuJbL

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 9, 2020

Understandably, many fans tennis fans are disappointed by the cancellation of Indian Wells – some are calling it an overreaction instead of a decision made with the right intentions – and some players expressed frustration with how the decision was communicated to them. Even the media are chiming in, too. ESPN tennis commentator Chris Fowler tweeted: “Major events being called off day by day. Feels unprecedented in our lifetimes. What’s next?”

A day after the Indian Wells cancellation was announced, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Coachella Valley where the tournament is held had increased from one to six. With the Miami Open scheduled to begin in two weeks followed by tournaments in Charleston and Houston soon after – not to mention the upcoming European spring clay season in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome – every event could be in danger of cancellation or be played in empty stadiums without spectators allowed to attend. Also, up in the air is the matter of ranking points for players and distribution of prize money.

Can’t even imaging how MANY people lost LOTS of money with @BNPPARIBASOPEN cancellation... #ThinkingOutLoud

— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) March 9, 2020

Kristi Ahn of the United States, ranked 96th in the world, had received a wild card entry to play in the women’s singles draw at Indian Wells. A member of the WTA’s player council, Ahn told The New York Times on Monday, “I think they (the Indian Wells tournament officials) did everything they could, but all of a sudden the situation changed overnight, which is unfortunate. We can’t be mad at them for what, I think, is ultimately the right decision.”

On Monday, following the cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open, tournament organizers in Indian Wells made a rapid effort to accommodate players who had already arrived in the scenic palm desert site by guaranteeing players in the main draw singles and doubles events and in the qualifying singles draw complimentary  lodging as well as access to practice courts – even medical and laundry service – through March 16. As New York Times tennis correspondent Christopher Clarey tweeted: “Will feel like the run-up to a tournament, only this time there’s no tournament.”

Suddenly trying to process that @BNPPARIBASOPEN is cancelled by concern over #CoronavirusOutbreak that now includes Coachella Valley..
Public safety has to be first, of course. Major events being called off by the day. Feels unprecented in all of our lifetimes. What’s next?

— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) March 9, 2020

Ted Robinson, a longtime Tennis Channel broadcaster, who was scheduled to provide play-by-play commentary on many of the main stadium matches from Indian Wells (for a mostly U.S. audience), called the developments an “unprecedented shakeup to tennis.” In an email interview Monday evening with Tennis TourTalk (for whom I am a contributing editor), he said that “ranking points, unexpected hole in the schedules of players, lost opportunities for those defending points and looking to come back, taking advantage of a wild card like Jack Sock ... the answers to these unknowns will be fascinating.”

The Miami Open, which is the next tour-level stop for both the ATP and WTA tours, is moving ahead as scheduled. On Monday, tournament organizers issued a statement:

Statement from the Miami Open. pic.twitter.com/kj6aDOmMwV

— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 9, 2020

Meanwhile, Robinson said the cancellation of Indian Wells places unintended consequences on other tournaments. “Does this place ‘pressure’ on Miami, Charleston and Houston, all scheduled to host tennis events in the next month? Not to speak of Rome, as many already have pointed out, where Italy has just cancelled all sporting events for the month of March. 

“Many minds have likely addressed the possibility of finding a ‘window’ within 2020 to stage IW, but like many, I can’t see a feasible time, especially in an Olympic year.”

Stay tuned.

Credits: A version of this blog post first appeared in Tennis-TourTalk.com. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

On tennis: Novak Djokovic turns a perfect night Down Under into winning his seventeenth major title

On a perfect night for tennis in Melbourne, with clear skies and an open roof in Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic won his seventeenth Grand Slam singles title with a five-set victory over Dominic Thiem in the Australian Open men’s singles final Sunday. Once again, Djokovic proved himself unconquerable. He remains hungry and driven.

Djokovic’s 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph that lasted four hours rewarded him with his eighth Norman Brookes Challenge Cup trophy and returned the Serbian to No. 1 in the world rankings.

“I’ve had (the) privilege to win this big tournament for eight times,” said Djokovic, 32, during his post-match press conference that didn’t start until the early hours of Monday morning. “To start off the season with a Grand Slam win significantly boosts your confidence and your expectations are quite high for the rest of the season. But whatever happens, this season is already successful.”

Djokovic arrived in Melbourne a fortnight ago after he won all of his singles matches and contributed significantly to Serbia’s triumph in the inaugural ATP Cup team title in Sydney. In the year’s first Grand Slam, which took place amid difficult circumstances from the blazing bush fires that blanketed much of southeastern Australia, the second-seeded Djokovic began a run of good form by dropping just one set before the final. En route, he beat No. 14 seed Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round, No. 32 seed Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals and No. 3 seed Roger Federer in a much-anticipated semifinal – all in straight sets – before the 26-year old Thiem, whom New York Times tennis columnist Christopher Clarey characterized as one “with thunder in his ground strokes and highlights in his dark hair,” pushed him to five sets in the title match. 

Although Thiem had won four of five previous matches against Djokovic – and built a two-sets-to-one lead Sunday thanks to stringing together six straight games at one point – he hadn’t beaten him on an outdoor hard court. This time, although No. 4 seed Thiem had some chances – especially when Djokovic began to struggle with both his consistency as well as his level of energy – the Austrian just couldn’t reach the finish line in time.

Thiem was broken in the third game of the decisive set and never quite recovered. His last chance to pull even came as Djokovic served at 4-3, 15-30. Then, the Serbian won the next three points to hold serve and the end drew nearer.

On this memorable night and in this particular final, Djokovic was at times defiant. To wit, twice he was cited for time violations. But always, Djokovic was tenacious – especially in long rallies – as he gutted out his victory over Thiem by serving nine aces and hitting 46 winners. 

With his latest major title, Djokovic moved to within three of Federer, the all-time leader with 20 Grand Slam titles, and he’s now two behind Rafael Nadal’s 19. Once again, the old guard fended off the new blood. However, one thing’s certain: Thiem proved he’s more than just a clay-court specialist. He can play heroically on hard courts. After all, Thiem beat No. 29 seed Taylor Fritz, No. 10 seed Gaël Monfils, top seed Nadal and No. 7 seed Alexander Zverev in his four matches leading up to Sunday’s final against Djokovic. Thiem also spent six hours more than Djokovic on court throughout the tournament.

“Huge congrats to Novak, an unreal achievement,” said Thiem, gracious in his remarks during the trophy ceremony. “You have helped to raise the level, and I’m proud and happy I can compete in this time and period of tennis.”

When it was Djokovic’s turn to address the crowd, he remarked: “This is definitely my favorite court, my favorite stadium in the world, and I’m blessed to hold this trophy once again.”

Then, looking toward Thiem as he spoke in a complimentary tone of voice, Djokovic said: “I would like to congratulate Dominic on an amazing tournament. It wasn’t meant to be tonight. But you were very close to winning. 

“You definitely have a lot more time in your career and I’m sure you’ll get more than one Grand Slam trophy in your career.”

Thiem, who was attempting to become the first new major winner since Marin Cilic won the 2014 US Open, fell short in a Grand Slam final for the third time in his young professional career. His Australian Open set back followed two previous defeats against Nadal in the finals of the 2018 and 2019 French Open.

“I think there’s not much to change,” Thiem said during his final Melbourne press conference. “In the last two sets, I definitely gave everything I had. Novak is part of three guys who are by far the best players who ever played tennis. If you play a Grand Slam final against him, it’s always going to be a match where small details are deciding.

“ ... It’s unique in sports history that the three best players by far are playing in the same ere a,” Thiem acknowledged. “That’s what makes it very, very difficult for players to break through.”

Indeed, Djokovic, along with Federer, 38, and Nadal, 33 – The Big Three of men’s tennis – have combined to win the past 13 majors. One has to go back to Stan Wawrinka’s 2016 US Open victory to find a Grand Slam winner other than Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. Wawrinka and Andy Murray, with three Grand Slams apiece, are the next best active players behind the Big Three. For sure, Djokovic isn’t quite ready to rest on his laurels. Not now, anyway. 

“Grand Slams are one of the main reasons why I am still competing and still playing full season, trying to obviously get the historic No. 1. That’s the other big goal,” Djokovic said. “I put myself in this position that is really good at the moment. I’m super happy with the way I started the season. It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the year.”

Original commentary written for Tennis-TourTalk.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Australian Open website.

On Tennis: ‘A Very Special Night’ for Ashleigh Barty Capped a Very Special Season

Ashleigh Barty made a bit of Tennis history Sunday evening at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen in southeastern China. The top-seeded Barty beat defending champion Elina Svitolina, 6-4, 6-3, before an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd inside Shenzhen Bay Tennis Centre and seen by a worldwide TV audience in the millions. At the end, she lifted the Billie Jean King Trophy and finished the year-end World No. 1.

For her achievement, Barty won more money – $4.42 million – than any male or female professional ever has in a single tennis tournament. And, the affable, 23-year old Aussie did so with a breathtaking performance that lasted a business-like one hour and 27 minutes to cap a most spectacular season.

“Bizarre, if I’m being complete honest. It feels like it’s been a year that just hasn’t stopped. It’s been a year of incredible ups and downs,” said Barty, who finished the WTA Finals 2-1 in her group (defeating Belinda Bencic and Petra Kvitova while losing only to Kiki Bertens) before toppling No. 2 seed Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals en route to reaching Sunday’s final. “ I think more ups than downs. To cap it off with a very, very special night tonight in Shenzhen is really cool.”

With her triumph, Barty becomes the first Australian since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1974 and 1976 to capture the WTA Finals title and only the fifth player to win the tournament in her debut. The Queenslander has single-handily put Australian women’s tennis back on the map.

Against Svitolina, whom she came into the final with an 0-5 win-loss record in career head-to-heads, Barty took advantage of most – if not all – of her opportunities. She won close to 50 percent of her return points, broke Svitolina four times in eight tries – including three in the 10th game, finally hitting a forehand return winner on her third opportunity to win the opening set. The second set was characterized by five service breaks in the first eight games, which gave Barty a chance to serve for the match at 5-3. She closed it out at love.

On a night in which Svitolina managed to place only 55 percent of her first serves in play, the Ukrainian managed just two service aces after hitting a career-high 16 against Bencic a day earlier in the semifinals. “I missed just little bit of my chances and that’s what made the difference,” Svitolina said during her press conference.

As both players awaited the start of the awards ceremony, it was very evident from their facial expressions who had won and who came up short. Barty sat quietly and patiently, grinning from ear to ear, while Svitolina bore a look of total disappointment and fidgeted with her smartphone.

“For me, each time I stop on court I want to win. There is no other way. I want to win, doesn’t matter what tournament it is,” Svitolina recently told the WTA Insider. “Since I’ve been on the WTA Tour, I’ve won a title every year. I got a little bit spoiled, maybe.”

Although she will finish the year ranked No. 6 in the world, Svitolina did not win any WTA titles despite reaching the semifinals of both Wimbledon and the US Open as well as at Doha, Dubai and Indian Wells.

When Barty was asked during her final Shenzhen press conference to describe her breakthrough win against Svitolina, she said: “Tonight it felt like it was a lot more clear, a lot more concise from my end. I took my opportunities when I got them. (The forehand) was a side that I wanted to try to get into tonight. I think it was important for me to move forward, then to try to bring Elina in a few times as well, which worked really well.”

Barty was equally effective against Svitolina on the slow court, whether drawing her in toward the net with her deceptive drop shots and backhand slice – or from deeper back ripping forehand winners from the baseline.

Hall of Famer Lindsay Davenport, who won the 1999 WTA Finals title and commented on the final for Tennis Channel in the U.S., said: “Barty stayed so composed throughout the entire match. There were parts of the match where her game, her forehand, left her – her biggest shot.

“You never saw any reaction from Barty. She just kept her head down and kept going to work – especially down the stretch. She was the more solid player and it was Svitolina who cracked.”

Barty reflected positively on her success, saying: “To come through a week like this, you have to beat the best of the best. It takes me back to some memories in Miami where I felt I did that for the first time, beating back-to-back Top 10 players, having that really consistent week. I’ve grown and developed so much since that fortnight in Miami. To be able to bounce back after the disappointment after my match with Kiki was really important.”

Looking back, Barty finished the season with the most wins on tour (56), the most Top 10 wins (12) and tied with Pliskova for the most titles won on tour (4). She won titles on every surface. Of the nine biggest titles in women’s tennis, Barty won three of them – Roland Garros (Grand Slam), the Miami Open (Premier Mandatory) and the WTA Finals. She became the first Australian woman ranked No. 1 since Goolagong Cawley in 1976.

Also, Barty became the first player in the 44-year history of the WTA rankings to become year-end World No. 1 after finishing the previous season outside the Top 10. She rose from a 2018 year-end ranking of No. 15 to finish 2019 at No. 1 by playing in just 15 tournaments. Not bad for someone who was ranked No. 315 at the end of 2016 after taking a gap year to leave tennis for professional cricket.

“To be able to call myself the year-end world No. 1 singles player is one of the proudest moments of my career,” said Barty, as quoted by the WTA Tour website. She gave props to her coach, Craig Tyzzer, who has guided her since her return to tennis and leads her support team that includes her mental coach, Ben Crowe. “This achievement is truly a team effort, and I would not be receiving this honor  or had the best season of my life without the people around me who have supported me on this incredible journey.”

With little time to celebrate, it’s back to Australia for Barty, where she will anchor Team Australia in the Fed Cup finals against France this weekend in Perth.

“There’s one more very important week to cap off what would be the most perfect year,” said Barty. “This Fed Cup final is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

“Playing for your country, for myself to play in front of my friends and family, representing Australia, wearing the green and gold. There’s absolutely nothing better.”

Credits: A version of this story originally appeared in Tennis-TourTalk.com. Photo: Courtesy of Ashleigh Barty Twitter page. Videos: Courtesy of YouTube and WTA Tour.

On sports: Federer win the latest battle of the generations

When Roger Federer beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in bookend-like fashion, 6-4, 6-4, to win his eighth Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship crown on Saturday night, it marked his 100th career title.

Federer gave a stunning performance that lit up the Emirates. He needed just 69 minutes to beat one of the rising stars of tennis, Tsitsipas, who is almost half as old as the 37-year-old tennis icon. Federer proved once and for all that age is just a number.

In the latest battle of the generations between Federer and Tsitsipas – their third this year and first since Tsitsipas ousted Federer in the round of 16 at the Australian Open in January – the evening belonged to Federer, much to the delight of so many in this Arabian Desert city.

Before the match, Federer was quoted as saying, “I’m just going to try to focus and play good tennis.”

Federer did more than just play good tennis. He came out focused from the start and broke Tsitsipas in the opening game. OK, game on! Playing brilliantly at times, and with a chess master’s mentality lining up his moves, Federer kept Tsitsipas thinking on his feet. He opened up the court and continually applied pressure, moving the young Greek star back and forth across the hard-court surface. Although Tsitsipas attacked Federer’s backhand often, the Swiss maestro proved up to the task and even capped one particular 23-shot rally with a lovely, back-handed half volley winner that brought the capacity crowd to its feet. Later, Federer saved the only two break points he faced after going up 40-0 while serving for the first set. Finally, on his fourth set-point opportunity, Federer secured the elusive point to move to within one set of making tennis history.

Next, the two finalists stayed on serve through the opening eight games of the second set, before Federer was able to put together a string of four straight brilliant points on his return that broke the 20-year-old Tsitsipas. The service break pushed Federer ahead for good and put himself in the position of serving for the match. Title No. 100 suddenly loomed big. As it happened, Federer wasted no time in wrapping up the historic evening by winning at love – game, set, match, championship – which closed the book on his eighth Dubai title.

Immediately after his milestone victory, Federer spoke about winning his 100th career title meant to him. He also hinted at how long he’ll be around chasing trophies. “I’m delighted, I’m so happy. It’s an absolute dream come true right now,” he said. Federer gave credit to Tsitsipas after he defeated the Greek hero, saying, “I don’t know if he was born when I won my first title. I think barely. ... Tennis is in good hands, regardless if I’m there or not.” Afterward, it was announced by tournament organizers that Federer will return to defend his Dubai title in 2020.

The free-spirited Tsitsipas, who won the Open 13 Provence in Marseille just a week earlier, took his defeat in stride. He knows there will be better days ahead for him. Tsitsipas managed to crack a smile while he was interviewed by longtime British tennis commentator David Mercer during the trophy ceremony. He spoke positively about watching Federer as a child growing up in Greece. Tsitsipas congratulated him on his career achievements. “I’ve been idolizing him since the age of six ... and now sharing the court, it’s even better,” he said. 

When it was Federer’s turn to wax poetically during the ceremony for his 100th, Federer told Mercer, “It’s been a long, wonderful journey. I have loved every minute. It’s been tough, but the sacrifice has been very, very worthwhile, and we’ll see how much more I’ve got left in the tank.

“I’m so happy I’m still playing. It all started as a junior world champion. It’s been great. I wouldn’t do it any differently.”

The history-making victory moved the 20-time Grand Slam championship to within nine titles of tying Jimmy Connors, the men’s all-time leader. While it took Federer 152 finals to reach No. 100, Connors reached his 100th in only 141 finals. 

Soon, Federer received many plaudits from current and former players and the media, via Twitter. Connors chimed in with his congratulations. “Welcome to the ‘Triple Digit’ tournament victory club @rogerfederer – I’ve been a bit lonely – glad to have the company!!!”

No doubt, Federer is a future Hall of Famer and his C.V. is an impressive one. Yet, despite his advanced age – for a tennis player – Federer continues to add milestones to it.

For instance, Federer has lifted a trophy in at least one tournament in 18 of the past 19 years. Since 2001, when he won the first of his 100 titles, the only year that Federer has come up empty was during his injury-plagued 2016 season. Also, with his 100th singles title, Federer moved twenty ahead of Rafael Nadal, who has won 80. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has 73 singles titles. Meanwhile, the remaining 97 players in the current Top 100 have garnered a combined total of 333. Let’s not forget, one-fifth (20 percent) of Federer’s singles titles have come at Grand Slams. He’s won eight Wimbledon crowns, six Australian Open, five U.S. Open and one French Open. Also, he’s won 27 ATP Masters 1000 titles, 22 ATP 500 series titles, 25 ATP 250 series titles and six ATP Tour Finals titles. 

During his press conference following his Dubai triumph, Federer was asked if he’s ready to go after 10 more titles to break Connors’ 109. He replied, “We live in a world where every record has to be shattered. Not for me, I’m just happy I’m still healthy. If I reach milestones along the way, it’s wonderful, but I’m really not here to shatter all the records.”

Putting it all in perspective. That’s Roger Federer.

Andy Murray: “I tried my best.”

By all indications, tennis player Andy Murray put up a better fight against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut than anyone – the thousands of fans who crowded inside Melbourne Arena or the global TV audience that watched during all hours of the day and night – would have thought he could on this warm Australian summer Monday evening. It was opening night at the 2019 Australian Open.

Win or lose, it would be an emotional exit for the Scotsman. That’s because last Friday, Murray came into the interview room at Melbourne Park, teary-eyed and choked up with emotion, and revealed that he could no longer play with the pain in his hip he’s been experiencing while trying to play tennis. The former No. 1 had fallen to No. 230 in the world rankings because of his inactivity due to injury.

“Not feeling good. Been struggling for a long time,” said Murray, his shoulders slumped and the brim of his cap pulled down low. “I’m not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months.”

Even still, as New York Times tennis correspondent Ben Rothenberg tweeted moments after Murray went down to a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-2 first-round defeat, “his clock struck midnight before we thought it should be over.”

The No. 22 seed Bautista Agut won and will advance on in the Australian Open. But, as Rothenberg noted, Murray will be remembered for his “incredible effort; Andy has everything to be proud of.”

Following the fourth set tie-break, which Murray won 7-4, BBC5 Live’s David Law tweeted, “Whatever happens from here, over the last 10 minutes Andy Murray has turned this into an Andy Murray match.

“Fighting tooth and nail, making people care, making them live their lives through him, the ups and downs, the agony and ecstasy. Forget the titles, that’s Murray’s legacy.”

While Murray’s effort, which produced what “The Tennis Podcast” called “a rousing comeback in a match of unrivaled poignancy and significance” wasn’t quite enough for him to win, it provided everyone with hours of compelling drama. Although it was after 11 p.m. when the match ended, because of the 16-hour time difference between Melbourne and the U.S. east coast, for me I saw the exciting conclusion while digesting my morning breakfast.

Interviewed on the Melbourne Arena court shortly after his glorious defeat by his former coach-turned-broadcaster Mark Petchey, Murray searched long and deep for the right words to say that expressed his emotions. Although he was exhausted from his effort, he wasn’t sad or bitter. Instead, he composed his thoughts very carefully. Finally, he spoke, saying, “It was incredible. Thank you so, so much to everyone who’s come out tonight. ... I’ve loved playing here over the years. If this was my last match, amazing way to end. I gave literally everything I had.”

For now, Murray appears to be keeping his options open and hopes to play the final tournament of his career this summer at Wimbledon. However, that could all change in a matter of days if not hours.

During Murray’s post-match press conference that followed his four-hour nine-minute loss, he was asked by French tennis journalist Carole Bouchard what his tennis legacy should be. Murray’s answer, so brief but eloquent, was summed up in just four simple words: “I tried my best.”

Vrijeme je za slavlje, Hrvatska!

It’s time to celebrate, Croatia! 🎾

Croatia are the Davis Cup champions for the first time in 13 years – and just the second time in this proud nation’s history. The country’s president, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, is the team’s biggest fan.

On Sunday, playing on a red clay court set up inside Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille in northern France, before a mostly partisan French crowd of 24,144 loud fans, Marin Cilic played steady and ruthless tennis for two hours and 19 minutes – owning his French opponent, Lucas Pouille, who was France’s last hope and inserted into the French line-up as a replacement for Jeremy Chardy. Perhaps, it was fitting that Cilic should be the one to clinch the crucial point in the best-of-five rubber tie for Croatia that earned it a well-deserved 3-1 victory over France in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final. (By ITF rules, the final rubber was not played since Croatia clinched the title after the fourth rubber.)

Cilic, a former U.S. Open champion, who was leading by two sets against Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro in the 2016 Final before his game collapsed, with Croatia leading by a 2-1 margin at home in Zagreb, lofted an inch-perfect winner that landed just inside the baseline on championship point. Soon, he was mobbed by his captain, Zeljko Krajan, and his teammates, one whom draped him in a Croatian flag, as the celebration began in the middle of the court.

Marin Cilic

“I’m happy I played so well this weekend,” said Cilic during an impromptu on-court interview shortly after his victory. Looking back, he and Borna Coric gave flawless performances during their singles rubbers than enabled Croatia to celebrate winning the 2018 Davis Cup title. Between them, they won nine out of nine sets on the red clay and neither player’s service was broken. Not once. This time, there were no meltdowns by Cilic. He took control of his destiny.

“It’s not every day that you become a world champion, an excited Cilic said after he beat Pouille, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-3, in the tie-clinching fourth rubber. “For us, it’s a dream come true. We are so passionate, you can see the fans are enjoying themselves. I feel that in Croatia, it’s going to be incredible, too.”

Later, in assessing his Sunday performance, which was his 29th career Davis Cup singles win and 39th overall (which includes doubles), Cilic said, “I thought Lucas started well in the first set and just a single point made the difference. After that, I played better and served better. I’m extremely proud of my performance.”

Krajan called this year’s championship squad “one of the best teams we ever had; it’s like a dream team.”

En route to lifting the Davis Cup trophy, Croatia began the 2018 season with a 3-1 first-round victory over Canada, and followed it with a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals. Then, the Croatians went the distance against the United States as Coric proved the difference by winning a five-set, fifth rubber that beat the Americans 3-2 in the semifinals. It advanced Croatia to face defending champion France in the finals.

After seven years, said Krajan, “it’s an honor for me to be here. My singles players not only didn’t lose a set, they didn’t lose serve in three matches, which is an unbelievable achievement. It shows you the quality that we produced.”

Meanwhile, France’s team captain, Yannick Noah, who closed the book on his third and final term at the helm of the French, was complimentary of Croatia despite being on the losing side in his last Davis Cup Final. Just a year ago, it was Noah and France who were lifting the Davis Cup trophy. This time, however, he said, “We lost to a better team. We did everything we could to be at this level with the Croatian team.”

Borna Coric

The difference makers during this year’s Davis Cup Final were Croatia’s Top 20 duo of Cilic and Coric. Each remained calm and cool – and, just as importantly, in control of their French opponents. Cilic mastered both Pouille and, earlier, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, while Coric set the tone for the entire weekend with an impressive straight-set win over an ineffective Chardy. Perhaps, winning it all provided Croatia some solace after losing the FIFA World Cup final to France last summer.

“The three matches Borna and I played shows how well we played and the level we produced,” the 30-year-old Cilic said. He kept his focus all the way to end when he finished off Pouille in straight sets, which ended any chance of a fairytale ending for France, trying to come back from a 2-1 deficit. “We were both in great form at the right time.”

Before he left Stade Pierre Mauroy for the last time, Noah congratulated Krajan and each Croatian player personally. It was a nice touch of sportsmanship. While it must have hurt deep down that he didn’t go out a winner in his last Davis Cup Final as France’s team captain, Noah remained upbeat and maintained a smile on his face. “We just went to their locker room to congratulate them,” he said. “I think they’re beautiful winners and they deserve it.”

Next year, the Davis Cup will enter a new era and be contested like a football World Cup during a one-week, 18-team tournament in Madrid, Spain, in November. The International Tennis Federation, the governing body of the Davis Cup, believes the new and overhauled format, with best-of-three-sets matches, will be more attractive to elite players – read: Djokovic, Nadal and Federer – who more often than not decline to represent their countries, citing a crowded schedule. For now, though, Croatia is the last team to win a Davis Cup Final in its historic home-and-away format.

Vrijeme je za slavlje, Hrvatska!

Photos: Courtesy of Google Images.