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In early February, Félix Auger-Aliassime was noticed with Spanish (tennis) royalty whereas coaching in jap Majorca.
No shock there, since he was in Manacor—Rafael Nadal’s hometown and the positioning of the tennis academy the celebrity based in 2016—and for the reason that two share an advisor in Rafa’s uncle Toni Nadal.
And there’s yet another connection: Joan Nadal Vives, Toni’s son and Rafa’s cousin, with whom Félix was joyful to hit.
In case you have been questioning, 18-year-old Joan is simply beginning out in tennis. Because the begin of the season, he’s competed in just a few M15 and M25 tournaments in Majorca.
The stopover wasn’t Félix’s first jaunt to the island nevertheless it actually acquired extra media consideration, from the Academy and the ATP, than his earlier visits.
Each his coaches have been in tow, since Frédéric Fontang, who travels with Félix, was there additionally.
One can solely guess that they have been getting again to the grind after Félix’s exit from the AO, which was undoubtedly too early for his or her liking. Auger-Aliassime skipped the primary week again to begin contemporary in Rotterdam, the place he locked in his very first title final 12 months.
On prime of its 45 courts, the Rafa Nadal Academy is replete with sights, together with the Rafa Nadal Museum devoted, in fact, to the King of Clay. Félix, who’s netted 4 ATP titles, had the prospect to soak up all 92 winner’s trophies raised by the veteran on a tour led by the person himself.
The subsequent few weeks are essential for the Canadian no.1, since he’s beneath stress to defend the factors he racked up in February 2022 after his back-to-back finals in Rotterdam and Marseille.
Tennis’ Avengers
Right here’s an thought that basically packs a punch.
The Tennis Channel discovered inspiration within the Marvel Cinematic Universe to reimagine a prime 10 of tennis Avengers, superhero garb and all. It began when Matteo Berrettini posted a photograph of himself on Insta holding Thor’s battle hammer with the caption “Heavy session on the forehand at this time.”
Then, owing to their achievements or their affinity and even resemblance with a selected character, nine other players, five men and four women, were appointed to the superhuman team by the tennis community.
I admit I smiled once I noticed Stefanos Tsitsipas as Loki. I gained’t go as far as to say he’s as malicious in his strategizing as Thor’s villainous brother, however I can’t assist however see a sure bodily likeness.
And once I noticed Marton Fucsovics as Hulk, I burst out laughing! Possibly the rationale the hulking Hungarian likes to indicate off his chiseled physique is to impress, similar to Bruce Banner’s alter ego.
Frances Tiafoe, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, Ben Shelton and Jessica Pegula spherical out the highest 9. Final however not least is not any.10 Coco Gauff as Black Panther from one of many franchise’s latest sequence set within the futuristic nation of Wakanda.
Who else in tennis would make an ideal addition to the Avengers? Write to me and let me know.
A brand new period?
It’s nearly as if he got here out of nowhere.
Wu Yibing of China shocked the tennis world when he conquered the ATP 250 Dallas Open after ousting No.27 Denis Shapovalov, No.63 Adrian Mannarino, No.8 Taylor Fritz (eighth) and No.39 John Isner in that order.
Within the three-hour last, he withstood Isner’s torrent of 44 aces to win 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-6(12).
The final (and solely) participant from China to search out his solution to an ATP last is Pan Bing again in 1995.
Wu’s rise has been meteoric. Lower than a 12 months in the past, on March 20, 2022, he was World No.1,869. In June and July, he managed to safe three Challenger titles that moved him as much as No.177: a mind-blowing 1,692 spots in two months.
His week in Dallas propelled him into the Prime 100 at No.58. Do the mathematics and also you’ll see that’s 1,800 spots in lower than a 12 months. He’s now the very best ranked males’s tennis participant in his nation’s historical past.
Earlier than October 2022, no Chinese language citizen had ever made it to the ATP Prime 100. The primary to make it’s the present No. 92 Zhang Zhizhen.
Whereas Zhang and Wu have but to go head-to-head, they’ve been identified to work collectively. Final July, they acquired so far as the quarters within the doubles draw of the Orlando Challenger. Within the photograph under, they’re celebrating their respective entries into the boys’s singles draw of the 2022 US Open.
Wu’s wonderful ascension is a exceptional feat. Nonetheless, he isn’t an entire unknown. In 2017, only a few weeks shy of his 18th birthday, he collected the singles and doubles titles on the US Open Junior Championships.
Accidents stored him out of the sport from 2019 to 2022, and which will assist to elucidate his late emergence.
A Chinese language man within the Prime 100 is sort of an anachronism, however that isn’t the case within the ladies’s sport. Certainly, there are presently 5 Chinese language ladies within the WTA Prime 100. And for the previous twenty years, there have persistently been three to 6 Chinese language ladies within the Prime 100 on the shut of the season.
It was Li Na who paved the best way for Chinese language gamers. She’s the one Chinese language participant to succeed in a career-high rating of World No.2 and the one one to have introduced dwelling a Grand Slam. Two, truly: 2011 RG and 2014 AO.
Why is there such a disparity between Chinese language ladies’s and males’s tennis? As you would possibly anticipate, there’s a scarcity of curiosity in tennis amongst younger boys.
In China, boys are loopy about basketball. At the very least in accordance with a piece published a few weeks ago in the New Yorker on the current No.25 Zheng Qinwen, who sits simply three locations behind her countrywoman No.22 Zhang Shuai.
The article offers an replace on the state of affairs and sheds gentle on the modifications caused by the pandemic and the Peng Shuai saga that stored WTA tournaments out of China for 2 years. A must-read.
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Electronic mail: privard@tenniscanada.com
Twitter: @paul6rivard
Observe all our Canadians in motion here.
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