BNP Paribas Open

Andy Murray’s amazing year that people are starting to notice

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By Leighton Ginn

The bar has been set extremely high this year by Novak Djokovic, but Andy Murray’s season has reached cosmic highs that might be overshadowed.

Murray won his third major title when he captured the Wimbledon title for the second time in four years, and first this year.

This season, Murray has reached the finals of all three majors, losing to Djokovic in the Australian and French finals.

Any other year, Murray will be talked about as a possible player of the year winner.

But the fact is, Djokovic has played at a phenomenal level this year. Djokovic has been so good that it makes the No. 1 ranking and player of the year honors highly unlikely, even if Murray wins the US Open.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be awed by Murray’s year. His victory at the All England Club is something this country probably needed after all the Brexit news and uncertainty.

After winning Wimbledon in 2013, Murray had back surgery, and for a while, it looked unlikely he could reach the heights Djokovic has. It took him over a year to return to top-10 levels and until this year to reach elite status of the Djokovic and Roger Federers.

And don’t try to water down Murray’s title. Just because he didn’t have to face Djokovic or Federer, his finals opponent, Milos Raonic, has the classic power game that traditionally succeeds on the grass courts.

Murray dominated him.

It’s good to see Murray playing at this level, because he’s had bad luck with injuries. About 10 years ago, Murray appeared to be ready to make a breakout, but then he started to suffer ankle injuries while Djokovic started to ascend to the top levels.

And before Murray’s 2013 back surgery, he was right there with Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to create tennis’ fearsome foursome.

With Federer and Nadal hampered by injuries this year, tennis needs Murray to win majors to keep up this unprecedented level.

The next question for Murray is when he will be knighted. Two Wimbledon titles, as well as a US Open and Olympic gold medal, after no Brit had won a major since Fred Perry in 1936 and it’s inevitable we’ll be calling him Sir Andy.

Wouldn’t it be funny if it happened soon, so his opponents will have to call him Sir Andy at Wimbledon?

 

 

 

If Novak Djokovic wins Wimbledon, there’s no good reason for him to play the Olympics

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By Leighton Ginn

There’s no question that Novak Djokovic is a very patriotic person and cherishes representing his beloved Serbia whenever he can.

So the Olympics will be a huge goal for him.

But if I was advising him, I’d tell him to ditch Rio, especially if he wins Wimbledon.

More history on hand for Novak Djokovic as he heads into Wimbledon

The obvious reason is Djokovic will be one victory away from achieving the calendar-year Grand Slam, which has only been accomplished by two male players. He would be the first since Rod Laver in 1969.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.

There’s no question that Djokovic’s heart is to compete in Rio and represent his country. In Djokovic’s previous two Olympics, he’s won a bronze in Beijing and didn’t medal in England, having lost to Juan Martin del Potro in the bronze medal match.

I’m sure he’s driven to win the gold, and he will be the overwhelming favorite. If Djokovic doesn’t play this year, he’ll be 33 by the time the next Olympics roll around, so the consequence could very well be never winning a gold medal.

It’s time to talk about Novak Djokovic as one of the greatest ever in tennis

At the French Open, Djokovic said it would be “unthinkable” to cancel the Olympics. But Djokovic was answering the question about the Zika virus, which is a good reason to avoid Rio.

This was before Djokovic won the French, to put him halfway to the Grand Slam. If Djokovic wins Wimbledon, then he should pull out of Rio immediately. I’m sure when he made his “unthinkable” comments, he wasn’t taking into consideration he would have a shot at the Grand Slam.

Naturally, Djokovic is a competitor. As well as he’s playing, he could do something only Steffi Graf has done, which is complete the Golden Slam if he could win the gold medal.

Keep this in mind with Graf. The Olympics came after the US Open, so there were no scheduling conflicts. And the Olympics was more an afterthought anyways.

Djokovic would have two weeks following the end of the Olympics and the start of the US Open.

It’s doable.

But you also have to consider that Djokovic will have the physical mileage of reaching the finals in just about every tournament he plays. Then you throw in the mental toll from the pressure he will face at each tournament.

The US Open is the toughest Grand Slam on the calendar and it comes at the end of a season, and the whole season is a grind already.

I’d have Djokovic look at the Golden State Warriors. They went after the regular-season record and set it at 73-9. A great accomplishment and a feather in their caps.

But they didn’t achieve their ultimate goal of winning the NBA title.

Kind of makes that 73-9 record an afterthought. And assistant coach Luke Walton admitted that going after the record took a toll on the players as they ran out of gas. And many of the pundits were speculating about it anyways.

Only time will tell if Garbine Muguruza will be the next great thing or next flameout

Now let’s get back to the Zika issue.

This is a major health risk. Djokovic has a chance to become the greatest ever.

You heard me, the greatest ever.

Zika is no joke and many athletes are struggling about going.

These are athletes who have spent their whole life training for the Olympics, which is the defining moment of various sports.

For tennis, it’s really just another tournament.

So Nole, just say no to the Olympics if you win Wimbledon.

 

 

 

 

More history on hand for Novak Djokovic as he heads into Wimbledon

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By Leighton Ginn

As Novak Djokovic returns to the All England Lawn Tennis club, the world’s No. 1 men’s tennis player will have another historic opportunity.

By winning the French Open, Djokovic became the first player to win four consecutive majors since Rod Laver completed the Grand Slam in 1969.

If Djokovic wins a third-consecutive Wimbledon title, he will have won five consecutive major titles. That’s something that has never been done by a man in the open era.

The only man to win five consecutive major titles was Don Budge from 1937-38 when he won six consecutive titles, including becoming the first man to complete the Grand Slam.

If Novak Djokovic wins Wimbledon, there’s no good reason for him to play the Olympics

However, Wimbledon won’t be easy.

You can never count out Roger Federer, who has won seven titles at Wimbledon, tying him with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw for most titles.

And Andy Murray will be tough to beat. When it comes to tennis, Murray is the United Kingdom’s favorite son and would have a huge home-court advantage.

Murray’s only two major titles have come against Djokovic, and both were historic. Murray’s 2012 US Open title was the first by a British man since Fred Perry in 1936. Murray then won the Wimbledon title in 2013, the first win by a male Brit in the country’s greatest tournament since Perry in ’36.

Murray comes into Wimbledon reunited with Ivan Lendl, the man who led him to the US Open and Wimbledon titles.

It’s time to talk about Novak Djokovic as one of the greatest ever in tennis

While Djokovic is the greatest returner in the game, all the big servers have a puncher’s chance on the grass of Wimbledon.

And Djokovic will also have to deal with the mounting pressure that comes with his historic achievement of winning four consecutive majors.

Only time will tell if Garbine Muguruza will be the next great thing or next flameout

How someone deals with mounting pressure can be hard to gauge. Serena Williams will likely go down as the grestest women’s player of all time, yet despite her dominating play this year, she’s struggled in the final of the Australian and French opens.

And she’s admitted it’s been nerves.

Could that happen with Djokovic? Hasn’t bothered him yet.

And if Djokovic has shown us anything, it’s that he’s up for any challenge.

 

Only time will tell if Garbine Muguruza will be the next great thing or next flameout

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By Leighton Ginn

If your name is not Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova or Victoria Azarenka, odds are you are not a player built to last.

There’s a long list of one-Slam wonders who do nothing to follow-up on their success. And there are others who are flash in the pans who can’t muster up any more than 15 minutes of fame.

That brings us to the case of Garbine Muguruza, the powerful Spanish star who captured the French Open title by beating Williams in the finals. She avenged a loss to Williams in the Wimbledon finals in 2015.

It sounds like the makings of a possible rivalry for Williams, who at times looks light years ahead of the rest of the players on the WTA Tour, even though she hasn’t won either of the first two majors.

Muguruza is only 22 and has shown to be incredibly streaky. She’s lost her opening matches in four tournaments this year, Mallorca in her first match since winning the French. It was her home country and on grass, where she was in the Wimbledon final a year ago.

This is becoming a familiar trend.

Much like Muguruza, Kerber upset Williams in the Australian Open final to start the year. After that victory, Kerber would lose five opening round matches.

Going into Wimbledon, Muguruza is No. 2 and Kerber is No. 4.

And there were other players who were getting hot, but didn’t win a major, such as Caroline Wozniacki and Genie Bouchard.

There are a few two-time Slam winners like Samantha Stosur and Petra Kvitova.

What gives?

There’s a few theories.

  1. The women’s field lacks elite players. Serena is in a class by herself. Azarenka has lacked the consistency in her comeback. Kvitova can’t match her Wimbledon success.
  2. Too much too soon. Once a player wins a major, the demands come quick. Kerber didn’t say no too much and found herself stretched thin and now is trying to regain her form. Muguruza, who many want to be the next It Girl, probably is facing the same kind of suffocating demand.
  3. Girls can’t adjust to having a target on their backs. One you have a Grand Slam title to your credit, no one will ever sleep on you, so the gimme’s become fewer.

So why should we care? Well, Serena Williams is closer to the end of her career. She’s still dominant, but how much longer can she go?

When Williams retires, who will carry the baton?

Unless she wins her appeal, Sharapova won’t be back for a while.

Azarenka has shown signs of getting back on top, but hasn’t done it yet.

Who else can carry the tour?

Hopefully at Wimbledon, someone will emerge to start the next era.

And for right now, Muguruza is the latest, greatest hope.

 

 

 

 

 

ITF would rather look tough than fair in punishing Maria Sharapova

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By Leighton Ginn

The ITF, the same organization that dropped a case believing a kiss caused a positive drug test result, has decided to ban Maria Sharapova for two years for continuing to use meldonium after it was added to the banned list this year.

Meldonium was a drug Sharapova had been taking for years, but it was only added to the banned list at the start of this year.

Failing to check on the banned substance list, Sharapova continued to take the drug, which she said was to address a health issue with her heart.

Two years seems like a long time for a clerical issue.

According to a BBC report, Sharapova claimed the ITF was seeking a four-year ban.

Here’s the problem. I don’t think the ITF  has any consistency on how it determines and enforces issues with performance enhancing.

Richard Gasquet had tested positive for cocaine in 2009, but that was immediately dropped because they believed the French star’s story that he got the drug into his system from missing a girl in a Miami nightclub.

I guess in the eyes of the ITF, that’s more believable.

The ITF did agree that Sharapova didn’t take the drug for performance enhancing and it was more an issue of neglect. That’s two years?

To me, it seems like the ITF gave Sharapova a harsh sentence to give this false impression that it’s tough on drugs.

Sharapova did deserve some kind of punishment. Her neglect is unprofessional. But two years for using the drug illegally for a few weeks? And was it really performance enhancing?

By the timetable Sharapova had provided, she took the drug after she won her first major title, beating Serena Williams in the finals of Wimbledon.

Since taking the drug, Sharapova had never beaten Williams.

A year would have been on the harsh end, but that’s fairly reasonable to get the message across. ITF decided to double down and go over the top.

Better to look tough than fair.

And the ITF should look into other issues of performance enhancing that are legal, but should be questioned.

Rafael Nadal has been very open with the fact he’s been using stem cells to deal with a back issue that has hampered his career. It’s perfectly legal.

But I had a friend who had suffered a stroke years ago. He was trying to get stem cell treatments to improve his condition. Because stem cells are banned in the US, he had to go to Russia.

I’m not claiming that Nadal is doing anything shady or illegal. But his status as an elite player and because of the amounts of money he’s earned, he’s allowed to get treatment that I doubt players outside of the top-10 are afforded. It’s treatment that could change the direction of a player’s career.

I saw a lot of stories, but never heard if the ITF looked into it.

Then there is the case of Simona Halep, who had breast reduction surgery at 17. Like Nadal, she was open about the procedure and said it has helped her reach as high as No. 2 in the world.

I don’t knock Halep for undergoing the procedure, because she also described it as a quality of life issue. But it’s pretty clear it helped her on the court.

If the ITF really is concerned with the credibility of the sport, it really has a lot to look at. Instead, as with this Sharapova case, it looked like they arbitrarily look at a case and enters a ruling that might help its image.

That is not helping tennis.

 

 

It’s time to talk about Novak Djokovic as one of the greatest ever in tennis

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By Leighton Ginn

After winning the French Open, it’s time to put Novak Djokovic into the conversation of the greatest players ever in tennis whether you want to or not.

His resume at this point in his career is just stellar.

  • Third man to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles in one year, joining Rod Laver, who did it twice in 1962 and ’69, and Don Budge in ’38
  • One of eight men to have the career Grand Slam, which was also accomplished by Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Roy Emerson and Fred Perry.
  • Djokovic’s 12 major titles ties him with Roy Emerson. He only trails Federer (17), Nadal (14) and Pete Sampras (14).

There are some other intangibles to consider with Djokovic.

Only Djokovic and Laver won their Grand Slams in the open era, which began in 1968.

Am I the only one surprised at the lack of hype over Novak Djokovic’s possible Nole Slam?

Djokovic came of age during the Golden Age of tennis with Federer and Nadal, the two winningest players in tennis when it comes to major titles. And they’re still playing … well, when healthy.

It’s funny how underplayed Djokovic is. He isn’t embraced as Federer and Nadal. It seems like Djokovic’s four straight majors snuck up on people, where there was a lot of hoopla with Serena Williams with the same accomplishment last year.

But his results are hard to overlook.

Many of his major titles have come by having to beat Federer, Nadal and Andy Murray — all certain Hall of Famers.

It has become a much deeper debate on who is the greatest of all time.

But if Djokovic continues to play at this high level, he could put an end to the debate.

French Open men’s preview: History will be made, but by who?

Achieving the Nole Slam gives Djokovic an argument point over Federer and Nadal since they never won four in a row. And neither has all-time greats like Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, etc.

If Djokovic completes the classic Grand Slam, it would be an epic achievement. He would only be No. 2 in terms of total major wins, but a Grand Slam in the Open era would give him a huge edge.

Right now, Djokovic has won five of the past six major titles. If Djokovic wins the next two, he would tie Don Budge for most consecutive Grand Slam titles with six. Remember, Budge’s came in the amateur era of 1937-38.

Djokovic would have to be the favorite to win Wimbledon and the US Open as of now. And there’s also the Olympics, which could give him a Golden Slam.

That’s not to say Djokovic doesn’t have some tough oppositions. Andy Murray has been challenging Djokovic in several finals and is one of the best on clay. Stan Wawrinka can be dangerous at the US Open, and Federer and Nadal will always be dangerous even if they are both coming off injuries.

But accept it. Djokovic is an all-time great who has a chance to become the greatest in a short amount of time.

 

 

 

As injuries mount, this could be a tenuous time for men’s tennis

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By Leighton Ginn

As the injuries mount on the men’s tennis tour, maybe it’s time to declare this Golden Age in tennis to be over.

With Rafael Nadal pulling out of the French Open today with a tendon injury to his left wrist, it raises serious questions about the future of his career.

Nadal has not regained his form before injuring his right wrist in 2014. Now we’re talking about Nadal’s left wrist, which will affect his forehand, considered one of the best in the game.

The injuries are mounting, and who’s to say if Nadal could come along physically. But mentally, Nadal had struggles with his confidence. Again, that was with his right wrist, not his left.

Roger Federer has been out since March with an injury. That leaves Novak Djokovic alone at the top.

French Open men’s preview

The Big Three of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have been on a historic and unprecedented run. They have combined for 42 major titles (Federer 17, Nadal 14, Djokovic 11). In the last 49 majors, the Big Three have won 41 titles.

For the French Open, that just makes Djokovic the huge favorite to win his first at Roland Garros and become the first male to complete the Grand Slam since Rod Laver since 1969.

It’s not like he’ll have an easy road with Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray still in the field.

Murray beat Djokovic to claim the Rome title just before the French Open, and Wawrinka beat Djokovic in last year’s French Open final. Wawrinka and Murray have combined to win four Grand Slam titles.

The Sandwich Spot has great food named after tennis players

Without Nadal and Federer for a while, the men’s tour will need this to maintain the momentum it has had.

Realistically, the tour will need Djokovic to carry the tour even more. It’s becoming more and more unlikely either Nadal or Federer will win a major. Nadal, who turns 30 next week, hasn’t won a major title since 2014, before his wrist problems. Federer has been to three major finals since 2014, his last title came in 2012.

Will drug allegations dog Rafael Nadal at the French Open?

Federer turns 35 in August, and it’s hard to say how he will respond when he comes back.

For Djokovic to carry the tour, he won’t have the kind of rivalries he had with Federer and Nadal.

Both Wawrinka and Murray have been good challengers, but the series record is one-sided as Djokovic has a 42-14 record against the two.

More than ever, the ATP will need these young, promising players to grow up fast.

Am I the only one surprised at the lack of hype over Novak Djokovic’s possible Nole Slam?

 

French Open men’s preview: History will be made, but by who?

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By Leighton Ginn

Will Novak Djokovic become the first player since Rod Laver to win four consecutive majors for a Grand Slam?

Or will Rafael Nadal become the first player to win 10 singles title at a major. Well, he’s the only one to win nine, but 10 is an impressive number.

Or will someone else unseat the two favorites to score one of the most unlikely titles of the year like Stan Wawrinka did last year.

This could be one of the most important French Opens in a long time.

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Nadal has dominated the red clay like no other, only losing to Djokovic last year in the quarterfinals and Robin Soderling in 2009. But if Nadal does get to the final, he is 9-0.

However, this year, Djokovic and Nadal are pitted for a semifinal showdown, if they can get through the draw.

That might work out OK for Djokovic because when Nadal gets to the finals, he’s 9-0.

For Djokovic, the French Open is his missing link. A win this year, and his first title would come in the most spectacular way.

Djokovic would become the first player to complete a Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969. That is an impressive accomplishment considering Roger Federer, Nadal, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg are among the names who couldn’t do it.

Getting to the final hasn’t been a problem for Djokovic as he was in the last two finals, and three times in the last four years.

Getting over the hump has become a big mental block for Djokovic, despite all the success he’s had. Losing to Stan Wawrinka was the biggest upset on the men’s side all year. Will it have a residual effect on Djokovic, knowing that if he didn’t let the French Open title slip, he would be sitting on top of the world?

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If you go by quality of play and success, Djokovic is the clear favorite. Nadal is playing well enough where he can capitalize on his Roland Garros magic.

After that, the French Open is open.

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Andy Murray won Rome and reached the finals of Madrid, splitting the finals against Djokovic. He and Djokovic have the most momentum going into Roland Garros. And the draw works in his favor with Nadal and Djokovic on the other side.

 

Defending champion Wawrinka is 18-7 , but has fallen off dramatically after winning two tournaments before March.

If people are looking for a dark horse, there’s David Goffin, who has made the most noise among the young players the ATP is trying to promote.

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The French Open should be a fun and interesting show.

 

 

French Open women’s preview: Can Azarenka regain her momentum

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By Leighton Ginn

More than every, women’s tennis needs a rivalry to hang its hat on, and maybe the Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka can resume on the highest level.

Unfortunately, it will come a little too early. If Williams and Azarenka play to form, they would meet in the quarterfinals.

But it’s a matchup that needs to happen.

Williams will go down as the best ever, with a career that spanned many generations. She might not be playing at her best, but Williams has still maintained a very high level despite not being pushed much.

Azarenka is one of the few fearless women on the tour who can not only beat Williams, but maintain a high level consistently.

The last few years, Azarenka has been hampered by injuries and her return has been slow. At the BNP Paribas Open, Azarenka showed she was back when she beat Williams in the finals. She followed that up with a title in Miami, claiming the two biggest tournaments in the spring.

But then came the clay, and Azarenka was hampered by back problems in Madrid and Rome, but she’s since declared herself pain-free.

Even if she is healthy, the French Open is tough for Azarenka, who has a 21-9 record in the main draw at Roland Garros and her best showing was the semifinals in 2013.

Going 2-2 on outdoor clay just doesn’t seem like enough matches for Azarenka.

But there’s been some positives that could work in her favor. Last year, Azarenka pushed Williams to three sets in the third round. Missing this year is Maria Sharapova, who reached three consecutive French Open finals before falling in the fourth round last year.

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And it’s a small consolation, but Williams has failed to win a title in her last two majors. This year, she’s showed signs of failing to finish tournaments, falling in the Australian Open final as well as the BNP Paribas Open.

But Williams did win Rome and should carry that momentum into Roland Garros. But the question does remain with Williams and her nerves, which have bothered her of late.

If Williams does get past Azarenka, she will have other tough challenges, including Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in a possible semifinal matchup.

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However, Kerber has lost her opening matches four times since the Australian Open, although she did claim an indoor clay title in Stuttgart.

Two of those opening-match losses came in the key warmup tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

Last year’s French Open finalist, Lucie Safarova, has struggled this year, losing in the first round of her first five tournaments this year before taking the title in Prague, an outdoor clay tournament.

But outside of Prague, Safarova is 2-7 on the year, having lost in the second round of her last two tournaments entering Roland Garros.

 

 

 

 

Will drug allegations dog Rafael Nadal at the French Open?

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By Leighton Ginn

Every time Rafael Nadal steps onto the red clay of the French Open, he’s always the man to beat.

Having a target on his back hasn’t been a big deal. Nadal has an astonishing 70-2 record at Roland Garros with nine titles.

Nadal might not be the favorite this year, not with the way Novak Djokovic is playing, and with Andy Murray starting to find his groove on the dirt.

But Nadal will likely have a difficult obstacle this year, which are drug allegations.

Back in March, after Maria Sharapova revealed she tested positive for meldonium, the former French minister of health and sports, Roselyne Bachelot, accused Nadal of failing a drug test, but covered up his suspension with a bogus injury.

Through the early parts of the BNP Paribas Open, Nadal had to deal with questions about the accusations. It got to the point that on March 13, Nadal said he had enough following his second-round victory over Gilles Muller.

” There is a couple of times I heard comments like this, and this gonna be the last one, because I gonna sue her,” Nadal said. “I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. No more. I know how tough I worked to be here. To hear those comments from a person that should be serious, because (she) was minister of a big country and a great country like France.

“So I gonna sue her, and I gonna sue everyone who gonna comment something similar in the future, because I am tired of that.”

It should be noted that Nadal has not failed a drug test in his careers. Bachelot had not offered any evidence to support her claim.

In April, Nadal filed the lawsuit against Bachelot.

This will be Nadal’s time back in France since the comments. While Nadal threatens to sue anyone who makes similar allegations without evidence, it probably won’t apply to reporters who will ask questions.

And Nadal probably did open the door for questions with the lawsuit.

We’ll see how the French media handles the situation, and how the rest of the tennis media approaches the story.

They cycle of the story may have passed and maybe reporters will pursue other angles. But that seems unlike.

Sharapova will have her hearing to see how long of a suspension she will serve, and it will likely feed into the Nadal story.

If Nadal is dogged by questions throughout his time at Roland Garros, will it be a distraction? Could he lose focus?

Or could the adversity spur Nadal to his 10th title.

Roland Garros will be a tough proposition for Nadal anyways. Although he’s showing signs of getting close to his dominant form, he’s not there. Djokovic is playing the best of anyone, and he just got beat in Italy by Murray. And David Goffin is rising quickly up the rankings and will be a dangerous force.

A lot of adversity awaits Nadal.