Andy Murray hopes body can 'hold up' at Wimbledon after injuries
Andy Murray hopes his body can “hold up” at Wimbledon and the Olympics after injuries have plagued his tennis in recent years.
Andy Murray hopes his body can “hold up” at Wimbledon and the Olympics after injuries have plagued his tennis in recent years.
Roger Federer has enjoyed practising with Andy Murray at Wimbledon and hopes both can have a good run at the championships.
Four-time gold medallist Serena Williams confirms she will not be playing in this summer’s delayed Tokyo Olympics.
The abiding memory of Viktor Troicki is delivering for Serbia. Whether it was being held aloft on the shoulders of his compatriots, who rushed onto court at the Belgrade Arena in celebration of clinching the 2010 Davis Cup crown or, 10 years later, when he partnered Novak Djokovic in the deciding doubles match against Spain to capture the inaugural ATP Cup title.
The 35-year-old, who today officially announces his retirement from professional tennis, transformed into a world-beater in international team competitions, moving out of the shadows of his childhood friends Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic, during a golden age for Serbian tennis.
“It’s been a wonderful ride,” Troicki told ATPTour.com this week. “I am happy with what I achieved and I lived my dream with friends since childhood. I achieved things I never thought I could, but I want to enjoy some time at home now with my family.”
Troicki came mightily close to a place in the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings during the European clay swing in 2011 and won three ATP Tour singles titles, plus two doubles trophies. But nothing compared to his emotions after he struck a crosscourt backhand return winner to beat France’s Michael Llodra 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the deciding rubber of the 2010 Davis Cup final. Watched by 17,000 fans in Belgrade, it gave him “the greatest experience of my life”.
World No. 1 Djokovic paid tribute to Troicki, telling ATPTour.com this week, “Congratulations on your career. It’s a sad day for all of us who know you. We’ve been friends for a very long time, since [we were] eight years old [and] played so many matches against each other in Serbia. We travelled so much, played doubles [together], won [the] ATP Cup and Davis Cup and had some unforgettable memories on the Tour and the court.
“It’s been an incredible journey to witness your career as your friend, colleague and compatriot. Your commitment for the Serbian tennis team has been incredible, unprecedented and you’ve been a great inspiration for many generations of young tennis players in Serbia… You should be proud of everything you’ve achieved.”
Troicki, who dreamed of playing important matches as a child, worked for everything he achieved. When he partnered Djokovic to a deciding doubles match victory over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta and Feliciano Lopez in the 2020 ATP Cup final, Troicki became the first player to win each of the three men’s team competition titles (also two World Team Cup titles in 2009 and 2012 at the Rochusclub in Dusseldorf).
“I won two World Team Cups in Dusseldorf, the Davis Cup and the ATP Cup, so I’m really proud,” said Troicki. “Winning the Davis Cup in 2010, in front of a home crowd, in the deciding rubber was crazy. I will take it with me forever.”
In tribute to his good friend, Tipsarevic told ATPTour.com this week, “Congratulations on an unbelievable career. It was an honour for me to share all of the downs and the ups, especially the ups of your career. You’ve reached the top of our sport and I’m sure that in the continuation of your life, with the same attitude and the same spirit that you had on a tennis court, you will reach new heights.”
Former doubles World No. 1 Nenad Zimonjic told ATPTour.com, “He had a great career, reaching No. 12, being a part of the Davis Cup team and winning the deciding rubber against France for the title. He should be proud of his career and I wish him all the best in the future. We have a lot of great memories. He is 10 years younger than I am, and I try to help all of our players. Viktor was no exception. We also had the chance to win the Sofia title together in 2017.”
Troicki’s parents scraped together money to give their son the best possible chance of tennis success during a period of economic uncertainty in Serbia. He came across Djokovic and Tipsarevic at junior tournaments in Serbia, before moving to train in Boca Raton, Florida, for two years as a teenager.
“I’ve known Novak since he was eight, meeting him in one of his first tournaments,” said Troicki. “We played each other in the second round, and I beat him nine games to love. Janko was two years older than me, and he accepted me like a brother. He always helped me to feel welcome, support me and gave me great advice.
“I was maybe not as gifted as some other players at my age, so I had to prove myself and to work even harder to make it and become a top player. I never gave up. It was great to travel, compete together and have such good friends.”
Out of the juniors that included a 2004 Wimbledon doubles final appearance with Robin Haase, Troicki came under the guidance of Jan de Witt. Troicki learned about self-discipline and how to work in a professional way from the German’s training base in Halle and formed a long-term partnership with fitness trainer Milos Jelisavcic.
“He had the ability to work day in and day out,” De Witt, Troicki’s coach from 2006 to 2012, told ATPTour.com. “He worked hard every day. He brought the physical strength and he had a good first serve. We made progress every year, No. 450 to 220, then at the end of the second year at No. 120, then 60, 30, 20 and close to the Top 10 in his best year. Initially, we worked a lot on his second serve, to win more points, and to win points on second serve return.
“He enjoyed the team environment in Halle, working with players like Marco Chiudinelli, Jarkko Nieminen and Ivan Dodig. He liked having people around him, taking the positives from it. All the Serbians are good team players. They are really proud to play for their country.
“When we started working to help him win the Davis Cup with his friends, and to be able to reach that dream in the deciding rubber, it was amazing. I learned from Viktor that as long as you work hard, there are no limitations. He did more in his career than I ever thought possible.”
3 ATP titles, reaching World No. 12 and winning trophies for his country ?
After a great career, @troicki_viktor is retiring from tennis – thanks for the memories, Viktor! pic.twitter.com/a5YuegRdO3
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 27, 2021
Troicki recorded 10 victories over Top 10 opponents, including Djokovic at the 2007 Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. Alongside coach Jack Reader, who stayed with him until the end of his career, Troicki also beat the likes of David Ferrer at the 2014 Shenzhen Open and Rafael Nadal at the 2016 Rolex Shanghai Masters.
But there were setbacks along the way. He missed out on converting a 5-3, 30/0 lead in the fifth set against Andy Murray in the 2011 Roland Garros fourth round that would have given Troicki a place in the Top 10. There was also a 12-month ban in 2013 for missing a blood test. When he returned to the sport, he worked harder than ever with Reader and rose 828 places within 12 months for a place in the Top 20.
Yet it was his victory in the deciding rubber in the 2010 Davis Cup final, just 24 hours after losing a two-sets-to-love lead with Zimonjic against Frenchmen Arnaud Clement and Llodra, that proved to be his most satisfying.
“We weren’t sure who was going to play the fifth rubber,” said Troicki, who prior to the tie had won just two live singles rubbers for Serbia. “I got the call and the pressure ramped up. I was in a hotel nearby when Novak was playing the fourth rubber [against Gael Monfils], waiting in my room. It was definitely the biggest pressure in my life, but I had all the team and all the country supporting me.
“When I got on the court, I literally forgot about everything. I was the most focused I’d ever been and played amazing. It felt like I couldn’t do anything wrong and it was an unreal performance, which I will remember forever.”
My friend, my comrade @troicki_viktor. You have been a very important part of my personal growth & tennis story. Hvala brate ❤️ It may be the end of a fantastic career, but you are no doubt to inspire new champions my friend. Thank you for everything Ćivša! Good luck! pic.twitter.com/9mspS0BIww
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) June 24, 2021
Troicki, who has suffered a number of injuries in recent years, is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Aleksandra, and their two daughters, Irina and Darija, in Belgrade. But he’ll still be involved in the sport, continuing in his role as Serbia’s Davis Cup captain.
“I’ll be at the Olympics in Tokyo with the Serbian team,” said Troicki. “We’re also in the process of expanding the Novak Tennis Center, where the two ATP 250 tournaments were held. The plan is to begin Novak’s academy this year, forming the team and getting everything together. I hope it’s going to be as much fun as it was playing.”
As Wimbledon returns for the first time since 2019, BBC Sport takes a look back at the last women’s singles championship.
© Ray Giubilo
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For the next fortnight, all eyes will be on the stars of the ATP Tour as they battle for glory at Wimbledon. But as hungry as they will be to lift the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy, there is another group of competitors that are just as motivated to make a splash at the grass-court Grand Slam. They are the players competing throughout the year on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Securing entry into a Grand Slam is no simple task. It requires year-round focus, hard work and consistency to arrive at this moment. For players grinding on the Challenger circuit, this is the reward. Having the opportunity to test their talents against the best players in the world, and with coveted FedEx ATP Rankings points and prize money at stake, is what drives these players from January to November.
The 2021 Championships are no exception. A platform to showcase their skills and eventually take the next step on the ATP Tour, it presents a huge opportunity on a global stage. A strong performance on the lawns of the All England Club can prove to be career-altering for many Challenger stars, as they target the Top 100 and beyond. So, which players are poised to wreak havoc on the draw? We look at five to watch in SW19…
Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera (CHI)
Don’t call him a clay-court specialist. Barrios is already proving to be quite a formidable opponent at this year’s Championships. Despite entering Wimbledon with just nine matches played away from clay in 2020-21 combined, the Chilean made the most of his professional grass-court debut during qualifying.
Barrios would drop just one set in securing his first Grand Slam main draw berth, posting a perfect 5-0 record in tie-breaks along the way. After defeating Mitchell Krueger and Enzo Couacaud, he punched his ticket with an impressive four-set victory over top seed Kamil Majchrzak. A strong grass-court performer, Majchrzak was coming off a run to the final at the ATP Challenger stop in Nottingham a week ago.
As Barrios makes his Grand Slam debut at the All England Club, he will take plenty of confidence from a breakthrough 2021 campaign on the ATP Challenger Tour. The 23-year-old has posted a 15-8 record thus far, including a pair of final appearances on home soil in Santiago and one week ago in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In fact, it was his journey from Almaty to London, flying 12 hours across Europe to transition from clay to grass, that has been the most impressive part of his run through qualifying. With a clay-court final in Kazakhstan on Saturday and a Wimbledon qualifying campaign that was postponed to Tuesday due to rain, he only had 45 minutes to prepare on the grass.
Barrios will kick off his Grand Slam career against 2018 runner-up Kevin Anderson on Monday, with a potential second-round clash with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic looming large.
Benjamin Bonzi (FRA)
Three years later, Bonzi is back in London, earning a second chance at the All England Club. It was in 2018 that the Frenchman qualified for his first Championships, before falling to Lukas Lacko from a set up in the opening round. Now, a more experienced and seasoned Bonzi steps onto the hallowed lawns at SW19 for a shot at redemption.
The 2021 ATP Challenger wins leader, Bonzi is in the midst of a breakout year. The World No. 118, who turned 25 earlier this month, is peaking at the right time. Knocking on the door of a Top 100 debut in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the Nimes native owns a tour-leading 28 match wins this year on the Challenger circuit, including titles on the hard courts of Potchefstroom, South Africa, and clay of Ostrava, Czech Republic. Having previously never lifted a Challenger trophy, Bonzi’s double has made him one of the more feared players this year.
One of four Frenchmen to successfully navigate through qualifying, Bonzi ousted Juan Pablo Ficovich and Daniel Altmaier in straight sets before rallying to defeat Frederico Ferreira Silva on Thursday. Having also reached the semi-finals at the ATP Challenger stop in Nottingham the week prior, Bonzi will be looking to carry the grass-court momentum into Wimbledon.
The 25-year-old will face fellow qualifier Marco Trungelliti on Tuesday. Marin Cilic, finalist in 2017, is a potential second-round opponent.
2021 Challenger Match Wins Leaders
| Player | Wins |
| Benjamin Bonzi | 28 |
| Kacper Zuk | 22 |
| Jenson Brooksby | 21 |
| Sebastian Baez | 21 |
Liam Broady (GBR)
With the results he’s putting up on the ATP Challenger Tour, Broady’s wild card is well deserved. At the age of 27, the Brit enters his fourth appearance at his home Grand Slam in the best form of his career.
A stalwart on the Challenger circuit since his first full season in 2017, Broady is making the most of his opportunities this year. A pair of hard-court finals in Potchefstroom, South Africa and Biella, Italy saw him rise to a career-high of No. 137 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in April. Moreover, it’s his consistency that’s driving his push towards the Top 100, boasting a 15-5 record (75.0 win percentage), which is among the tour leaders.
Broady’s form has already translated to the ATP Tour, having claimed his first tour-level victory in three years at the clay-court event in Cagliari. That was followed by one of the best wins of his career, stunning Nottingham champion Frances Tiafoe at this week’s ATP 250 event in Eastbourne.
The Stockport native, who also earned his way through qualifying at Roland Garros last month, will look to carry the momentum into SW19. A first-round meeting with Italy’s Marco Cecchinato awaits. To be held on Monday on No. 3 Court, it will be their first encounter. Ninth-seed Diego Schwartzman looms as a potential second-round opponent.
Tallon Griekspoor (NED)
Grand Slam qualifying is a test of emotions, nerves and determination. It can be a rollercoaster ride for even the more experienced players on tour. Just ask Tallon Griekspoor.
The Dutchman is as battle-tested as they come entering Wimbledon. A two-time ATP Challenger champion in 2021, Griekspoor secured his passage to the All England Club after surviving a qualifying gauntlet. On Tuesday, the 24-year-old needed nearly three hours to edge Thomas Fabbiano 7-6(8), 6-7(6), 7-5. That was followed by an efficient 44-minute 6-0, 6-1 win over reigning junior champion Shintaro Mochizuki on Wednesday. And in Thursday’s final round, he was forced into another marathon, overcoming a two-set deficit to rally past 18-year-old Arthur Fery 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-2.
Griekspoor’s success in qualifying should come as no surprise, considering his strong run of form on the Challenger circuit in 2021. He has posted a 10-2 record since the start of May, lifting trophies on the clay of Prague and Bratislava.
The Haarlem native will be tested from the first ball at SW19, opening against fourth-seed Alexander Zverev on Tuesday. In search of his third Top 20 win, Griekspoor is no stranger to the big stage, having claimed victories over Stan Wawrinka and Karen Khachanov at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Zhizhen Zhang (CHN)
Monday’s last match on Court 11 is one to watch. For the first time in the Open Era, a Chinese man will play in the singles main draw at the Wimbledon Championships. Zhang is set to make his Grand Slam debut against fellow qualifier Antoine Hoang, in what will be a historic moment for Asian tennis.
A two-time ATP Challenger champion, in Jinan and Shenzhen in 2019, Zhang is mounting a charge up the FedEx ATP Rankings in his quest to surpass his career-high of No. 136. He reached his first semi-final since the COVID-19 shutdown at last month’s tournament in Biella, Italy, and has performed well in his professional grass-court debut. Last week, he defeated third seed Andreas Seppi in Nottingham for his first Top 100 win on the surface.
The man known as ‘ZZZ’ was a dominant force in Wimbledon qualifying, dropping just one combined set in his three matches. It all culminated in a 6-0, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(6) win over Francisco Cerundolo to book his spot in the main draw.
On Monday, the Shanghai native will face Hoang for second time. Their first encounter came three years ago, in ATP Challenger qualifying in Francavilla al Mare, Italy. Hoang won in three sets. The winner will face either 15th-seed Alex de Minaur or #NextGenATP star Sebastian Korda in the second round.
