Dominika Cibulkova's Practice Session At The Australian Open
Watch Dominika Cibulkova’s practice session at the Australian Open.
Watch Dominika Cibulkova’s practice session at the Australian Open.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova served out the upset over No.11 seed Elina Svitolina, while CoCo Vandeweghe recovered from a late break to defeat Eugenie Bouchard in Melbourne.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams breezed into the second week Down Under, defeating countrywoman Nicole Gibbs, 6-1, 6-3.
“I feel like I have been able to do pretty good,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I have been doing the things I have been doing in practice, and hopefully I can build up on this.
“That’s all I want to do.”
On RLA now #Serena fighting for a place in the 4R #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/HMb4sxOs5r
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2017
While Serena was celebrating her 19th anniversary of the first time she played on Rod Laver Arena (1998, against sister Venus), Gibbs was not only making her debut on Melbourne’s biggest court, but she was also in the midst of a career-best result Down Under – knocking out No.25 seed Timea Babos and Irina Falconi earlier this week.
The former World No.1 came into Saturday’s match well-tested with wins over a pair of former Top 10 players in Belinda Bencic and Lucie Safarova, and was in imperious form from start to finish.
“I was so pumped up going against my first two opponents, but I think that helped me out today. She started out really, really well, with a lot of energy.”
Hitting 17 winners and four aces during the 63 minute match, Serena came to net 13 times, winning 12 of those points. Though she was broken in her first attempt serving for the match, the experienced American booked her spot in the next round shortly thereafter, reaching the second week in her last nine appearances in Australia.
Looming in the next round is No.16 seed, Czech veteran Barbora Strycova.
“I have seen her play a lot. She’s always playing. Venus has played her a few times. I saw her play in Sydney. She’s super fit. She has a good game. She’s very aggressive, so that would be nice to play.
“I don’t have anything to prove in this tournament here. Just, you know, doing the best I can.
“Obviously I’m here for one reason. But at the end of the day, this is all bonus for me and I look forward to playing her. I’m ready for her.”
The 2016 Fed Cup heroine won a string of points in the second set of her match against No.21 seed Caroline Garcia, recovering from a 5-3 deficit to win, 6-2, 7-5.
“I won like 16 points from losing 3-5, 15-40,” Strycova said in her post-match press conference. “I didn’t even count and my coach told me so. I was kind of in a zone, so I was very happy about my performance.
“If it’s Serena, I’m looking forward to that match. That’s why you train. That’s why you work hard, to play these matches on these stages and against the best one.”
The 4R awaits @serenawilliams at the #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/1kOSJ3t2lF
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2017
After beating Garcia, Strycova played an interesting guessing game up in the Twitter Blue Room, guessing the identity of several tennis-themed stuffed animals:
.@BaraStrycova joins us in the Twitter Blue Room #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/oCew6EvCkP
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2017
MELBOURNE, Australia – No.7 seed Garbiñe Muguruza moved confidently into her first Australian Open quarterfinal with a straight-set win over Sorana Cirstea on Sunday.
Breaks at the start of both sets sent Muguruza on her way to a 6-2, 6-3 win and a meeting against CoCo Vandeweghe.
Muguruza fell at the last 16 in both 2014 and 2015, but never looked in danger of suffering another disappointment, making light of her ongoing leg injury to strike 18 winners in little over an hour on court.
The ups and downs of previous rounds were conspicuous by their absence as the Spaniard hit the front early and rode this momentum all the way to the finishing line.
“I am very happy. I went through the match very concentrated, looking to play positively,” Muguruza said. “Was an important match for me. A couple of times in the last three years, I’ve lost in this round. Was the first time I go through. I’m in the quarterfinals. So I’m very excited about that, and I’m still excited!”
Muguruza is arguably playing her best tennis since winning Roland Garros last spring. But with the World No.1’s conqueror up next, she insists a repeat result is still some way off: “I think it’s a very different surface. It’s already a long time since that tournament. I feel that’s very far away. Honestly, I would not compare the level.
“I’ve played CoCo a couple of times. It’s 1-1 head-to-head. She’s a tricky player. She has a lot of power, full shots, serve, everything. She can play very well.”
MELBOURNE, Australia – The second week continues at the Australian Open. On Day 8, can No.2 seed Serena Williams and No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova book two of the four remaining spots in the quarterfinals?
We preview all the day’s biggest matchups right here on wtatennis.com.
Monday, Fourth Round
[2] Serena Williams (USA #2) vs [16] Barbora Strycova (CZE #16)
Head-to-head: Serena leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Neither Serena nor Strycova have dropped a set en route to the second week.
Serena Williams saw her hopes of reclaiming World No.1 brighten when defending champion Angelique Kerber went out at the hands of CoCo Vandeweghe on Sunday. But before she can think of returning to the top of the WTA rankings, she’ll have to get past a fiery veteran in Barbora Strycova, who is in the fourth round of the Australian Open for a second straight year.
Strycova roared back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set, and will be looking to pull of the biggest upset of her career in her first encounter with the 22-time Grand Slam champion since 2012.
Serena has already dispatched former Top 10 players Belinda Bencic and Lucie Safarova along the way; can she continue to improve as Grand Slam No.23 draws closer?
[5] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #5) vs [22] Daria Gavrilova (AUS #26)
Head-to-head: Pliskova leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Pliskova is aiming for her second straight (and second career) Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Brisbane International champion Karolina Pliskova remains undefeated for the season, and takes on another young hopeful in Daria Gavrilova. The Aussie reached the fourth round Down Under for the second year in a row, winning a three-set thriller of her own against Timea Bacsinszky.
Pliskova showed few signs of vulnerability in her first two rounds, but found herself on the brink of defeat against Latvian youngster Jelena Ostapenko, who served for the match in the final set. Fresh off an early pick for best match of 2017, the No.5 seed is back in the second week of a major tournament and will look to widen her head-to-head advantage against Gavrilova, against whom she’s never dropped a set.
The 22-year-old has tended to save her best tennis for her adopted home soil; can she stun Pliskova and earn a career-best Grand Slam result?
Around the Grounds…
No.9 seed Johanna Konta renews her rivalry with No.30 seed Ekaterina Makarova, who pushed the Brit to an 8-6 final set at this very tournament one year ago. A battle of underdogs completes the fourth round line-up as qualifier Jennifer Brady takes on ageless wonder Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who earned her best-ever result at the Australian Open at 34 years old.
The doubles tounament also continues in Melbourne, with No.2 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova taking on Apia International Sydney champs Timea Babos and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, while top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic face No.13 seeds Katarina Srebotnik and Zheng Saisai in the third round.
No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova ended home hopes at this year’s Australian Open with a comfortable win over Daria Gavrilova.
MELBOURNE, Australia – The clock hasn’t struck midnight on Mirjana Lucic-Baroni yet; in fact, the night may have only just begun for the 34-year-old Croat, who stunned No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova at the Australian Open, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal in 18 years.
Lucic-Baroni was 17 years old when she blasted past the likes of Monica Seles and Nathalie Tauziat to push Stefanie Graf to three sets at the All England Club in 1999, but has had to overcome much since then, sidelined due to personal and financial issues for much of the ensuing decade.
She started from scratch and was back in the Top 100 by 2010, earning big wins over Simona Halep at two of three consecutive major tournaments in 2014 and 2015. Still, the upper echelons of the game that had once seemed assured eluded her until she arrived in Melbourne last week, blasting past No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska after winning her first Australian Open main draw match since 1998.
In Pliskova, she played a younger version of herself, whose big serve and groundstrokes helped her start the season by winning the Brisbane International and earn a career-high ranking of No.5 in the world.
None of that mattered on Wednesday, as Lucic-Baroni recovered from an early deficit to roar thorugh the opening set hitting 12 winners and dropping just four points behind her first serve.
Pliskova appeared on the brink of elimination as she fell behind a break to start the second set, but pulled off a comeback reminiscent of her match against Jelena Ostapaneko in the third round to level the match and take necessary momentum into the decider.
Mirjana #LucicBaroni is through to the SF #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ywsCOXuXpz
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2017
Lucic-Baroni proved undaunted, however, and despite a medical timeout after the seventh game, she emerged stronger than ever to win 12 of the final 13 points of the match to book her second major semifinal after an hour and 47 minutes on the court.
By match’s end, the veteran hit a spellbinding nine aces and 45 winners to 35 unforced errors, finishing with a positive differential for the third time in five matches – a testament to just how cleanly the big-hitter has been playing in Melbourne.
Standing between Lucic-Baroni and a maiden Grand Slam final is either No.9 seed Johanna Konta or 22-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
“This has truly made my life…it has made it okay.” #LucicBaroni #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/SeE9ePoqOo
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2017
More to come…
MELBOURNE, Australia – For the first time in eight years, there will be two Williamses in a major final. One was expected. The other wasn’t even sure she’d be able to get past the first round.
The first time Serena Williams and Venus Williams faced off on tour was here, in Melbourne in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. That was 19 years ago. Venus won that day, 7-6(4), 6-1, but that match would kickstart a 27-match rivalry that would define both of their careers. On Saturday they will face off for the first time since the 2015 US Open quarterfinals, and it’s a match that few ever thought they’d see again in a major final.
“This probably is the moment of our careers so far,” Serena said, after her 50 minute win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the semifinals. “For me, I can definitely say for me. I never lost hope of us being able to play each other in a final.”
Serena has now made seven finals in her last 10 majors, and she’s a win away from breaking Stefanie Graf’s record of 22 major titles and returning to No.1. The World No.2 has not dropped a set all tournament and has navigated a difficult draw with ease. Gone are the signs of stress and anxiety that seemed to plague her at the Slams the last year.
“I think just going through that made me this way now, to be honest,” Serena said of her new relaxed attitude. “I think sometimes when you’re stressed out, you have to go through those moments. Everything creates a better you.”
“This opponent is your sister and she's super awesome so it's wonderful.” -#Venus on #Serena#AORadio #AusOpenhttps://t.co/czVY4Irm1c
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
So while Serena’s presence in Saturday’s final was to be expected – she is, after all, a six-time champion at Melbourne Park – big sister Venus has been the surprise. Earlier in the tournament, the seven-time major champion admitted that she was anxious before the start of the Australian Open given injury concerns. In her first tournament of the season at the ASB Classic, she was forced to withdraw after the first round due to right arm pain.
“I mean, honestly, all the signs didn’t look that way in Auckland,” Venus said of her successful run. “Of course, I dreamed of it because I definitely worked hard in the off-season. It was not a great start, I’ll just say that.
“But still I know I can play. You just have to try to figure it out if you can get it to line up all at the same time. That’s why you get out and you try. As long as you continue to try, you have an opportunity. That’s why I’m here.”
To make her first Australian Open final in 14 years, Venus had to dig deep to fend off the overwhelming firepower from CoCo Vandeweghe. In blasting winner after winner in the first set, the younger American was able to bully Venus around the court with her heavy hitting. Venus couldn’t stand toe-to-toe, power for power. And so she adjusted. She dug in. And used her brain and her speed to unwind Vandeweghe, who was playing in the biggest match of her young career.
“I would love more than anything to see her across the net from me on Saturday.” #Venus on possibly facing #Serena in the final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/LBgBcTPqBq
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“It felt very weird because I never do that,” Venus said, referring to her defense. “Also, at the same time, I’m versatile. I can adjust. I can do what I need to do to win a match. I feel comfortable when I’m uncomfortable at the same time. Even if I’m in a position where I don’t want to be at, it’s not going to throw me off.
“I want to dictate, but the way she was playing, it was almost impossible to do so. So it was just about trying to control the point in whichever way that was. If that meant that defensively I controlled the point, or I was able to get a little offense, whatever it was. I mean, just be the one winning the point at the end somehow.”
.@Venuseswilliams is through to the women's final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3Jdo8Zlag9
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
Indeed, after trying to outblast Vandeweghe in the first set, Venus began to go for less on her shots, using width and depth to get Vandeweghe uncomfortable. She cleaned up her errors. And most importantly, she had her best serving day of the tournament. Venus smartly handcuffed Vandeweghe with well-timed body-serves, and after seeing her second serve attacked in the first set, she decided to step it up.
“In the first set I served more conservatively,” Venus said. “In the second, I just decided I was going to go for more. It was just really a mentality at that point. I know she’s looking for a second serve. It’s important to try not to give your opponent what they want.
“As the match went longer, the bigger I went on the second. Thankfully I was comfortable doing that and executing it and just going in. It worked.”
In the end, the match was far more tense than the 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 scoreline might indicate. Vandeweghe earned 13 break points but was only able to convert once.
Venus’ reaction on match point will go down as one of the most memorable, joyous, and redempting displays for the ages. One can only imagine what was flashing in her mind as the reality set in, that she was, for the first time since she was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, back into a major final.
.@Venuseswilliams is through to the women's final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3Jdo8Zlag9
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“I think why people love sport so much, is because you see everything in a line,” Venus said. “In that moment there is no do-over, there’s no retake, there is no voice-over. It’s triumph and disaster witnessed in real-time. This is why people live and die for sport, because you can’t fake it. You can’t. It’s either you do it or you don’t.
“People relate to the champion. They also relate to the person also who didn’t win because we all have those moments in our life.”
Venus’s ebullient celebration could serve as a Rohrschach test for any tennis fan. Do you see the 36-year-old champion, a woman who burst on the scene as a teenager over 20 years ago, showing her tenacity and quality to make a Slam final almost 20 years after making her first at the 1997 US Open?
Or do you see the player who fell out of the Top 100 after being diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder in 2011, who had every right to walk away from the game to pursue her other worldly pursuits, but battled back up to the top of the game by, seemingly, sheer force of will?
“For us both to be in the final is the biggest dream come true for us.” #Serena on playing #Venus in the final #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/C8aSHSsxE0
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“I was always stressed out and worried if she would be okay and be able to play,” Serena said. “I would see her practice, she’d practice so well, do so well. I always felt like when she lost, I was almost surprised, kind of like, How did you lose, because you’re doing so well.
“At the same time I was like, Wow, it’s amazing that you’re even out here. I just really feel fortunate to have been there for the highs and the lows and everything.”
Serena is the favorite heading into the final. As Venus said, her younger sister doesn’t have many weaknesses to her game. While the match-up may look awkward from the outside — No.23 and the No.1 ranking on the line and you have to go through…your own sister? — Serena and Venus shrug it off. They’ve gone through this dance too many times to be distracted by the emotional resonance of their matches, whatever the stakes may be.
SERENA.
VENUS.
THE DREAM.#ausopen pic.twitter.com/zWfxtgxvzn
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2017
“After everything that Venus has been through with her illness and stuff, I just can’t help but feel like it’s a win-win situation for me,” Serena said. “I was there for the whole time. We lived together. I know what she went through. It’s the one time that I really genuinely feel like no matter what happens, I can’t lose, she can’t lose. It’s going to be a great situation.”
For Venus, it’s just about the tennis. “When I’m playing on the court with her, I think I’m playing, like, the best competitor in the game,” Venus said. “I don’t think I’m chump change either. I can compete against any odds. No matter what, I get out there and I compete.
“So it’s like two players who really, really can compete, then also they can play tennis. Then, okay, won’t be an easy match. It’s like I know that it won’t be easy. You have to control yourself, then you also have to hopefully put your opponent in a box. This opponent is your sister, and she’s super awesome.
“It’s wonderful.”
WIMBLEDON, Great Britain – Over the weekend, World No.1 Serena Williams, French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza, Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, and British No.1 Johanna Konta spoke to the media on the eve of Wimbledon and the vibe of each press conference captured their emotions as the third major is set to begin on Monday.
Serena looked like a woman who wanted nothing more than to stop talking and start playing. Muguruza still looked fresh and bubbly in the afterglow of her win in Paris. Kerber and Konta had a no-nonsense air about them and Kvitova seemed as curious as the inquisitive brigade of reporters as to how she’ll perform at her favorite Slam.
Here are the highlights from a busy weekend in the press room.
Serena Williams addressed the press on Sunday at her Champions’ press conference. Here’s how she’s been preparing for her title defense:
“I got here I think on Monday. So I’ve had a lot of time on the grass. In the States, usually I just hit on the hard court. But the grass has slowed down a lot. I mean, it’s a huge difference still, but it’s not like it was 10 years ago. I did the same preparation, and it seems to work for me.
Angelique Kerber says she can serve pain free now, which wasn’t the case at Roland Garros:
“I mean, the time after Paris, few days going home, having a lot of treatments for my shoulder and everything, that was good for me like mentally, physically, everything, to get this time, getting a little bit down. Right now I’m feeling good, so the shoulder is already much better. Yeah, no pain when I’m serving.”
Garbiñe Muguruza on whether she feels different at Wimbledon now that she is a Slam champion:
“I don’t feel different because I’m so convinced that not because winning French Open I’m going to come here and this is miracle and I’m going to win every match. I’ve been in the situation where you win a lot of matches, and then suddenly, you know, you lose. You’re like, Oh, I thought I was going to win. I don’t take anything for granted.
I’m going for the first match, like everyone else, from zero. And, yeah, not thinking about that.”
Serena on whether she feels any pressure at Wimbledon:
“Well, this year I don’t feel as much tension as I usually do. Well, there’s some years I haven’t felt any tension either. I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t feel any pressure or stress.”
Wimbledon is a special place for Petra Kvitova. She explains:
If you ask any other tennis player what they want to win it’s always Wimbledon. So it was the same with me when I was a kid. I didn’t really expect to win it twice already which is like the dream really came true. It’s really special. Wimbledon for me is a real historic place and you just feel it from the moment you just went to the area. It’s great feelings.
Johanna Konta was grilled about the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd as the No.1 Brit. She wasn’t biting:
Q. You say you don’t know what to expect from the fans, but you see what happens with Jamie and Andy. It’s going to step up an extra level. Do you have to prepare for that?
JOHANNA KONTA: Actually, I really don’t because I’ve never been in Andy’s or Tim’s shoes. I don’t know how they experience what they experience. For me, this will be a new thing. I’m looking forward to it. Equally, you know, I’m here to play my tennis, just really enjoy what I do.
Q. Does a big reaction push you forward or is it something you have to manage?
JOHANNA KONTA: I guess the less I think about it, the less of a thought process I need to go into it. I’m here to play, not to have a reaction or manage other people’s expectations. I’m here for me, so…
Kerber on her reaction after a disappointing first round exit from the French Open:
“Of course after few days, I was disappointed still. But, to be honest, I was not watching Paris from this moment. I was going home, I was taking my time off, because it was a lot in the last few months. I was trying to take these days just for myself, spending the time at home, then trying to be ready also mentally and physically with my shoulder to going on court, yeah, going there and giving again everything.
So I just saw a little bit the final, but that was it. I know from Paris, I just know that it was raining the whole week. This is what I know.”
Kvitova on who the favorite is to win the title:
It’s Serena. [laughs] Well definitely it is. Of course she is the biggest favorite and she has the best game to win it here.
Get ready for the spotlight, Garbiñe:
Q. I’m sure you’re used to sharing attention from the Spanish media when Rafa is at a tournament. Now that Rafa is not here, are you getting the sense that all the Spanish media is focused on you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I thought about that the other day when I saw that Rafa, you know, was not playing [Look of wide-eyed shock]. No, I’m just joking.
For sure, people are more looking at what I’m doing, will be more watching me. But I think that’s fine. It’s a good sign. I like it. I’ll try to do my best.
But I was so happy, finally this year, I’m like, I did better than Nadal in French Open. I’m like, This is so weird (laughing).
Kerber on her preparation:
Q. On a scale of 1 to 10, how prepared are you physically and mentally coming into Wimbledon?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: 1 to 10? Let’s say 11 (smiling). No, I’m really prepared. I did everything I could.
Serena on her favorite memory of watching Venus play at Wimbledon:
“Probably playing Lindsay Davenport in the final here. I think it was really an incredible match. I think she was down a match point or two. It was an insane match. It was three sets. It was a really, really good match.
“I just remember her being very happy, but very confident. I was more happy that she won. When someone you love wins, you are just so happy for them. Yeah, it was just a great experience, a wonderful experience.”
Konta is as level-headed a player as you’ll find on the tour, never allowing herself to get too high or too low. She was asked whether her Eastbourne run to the semifinals gave her more confidence at Wimbledon:
It would be hypocritical of me to say, Oh, yes, I feel more confident, because going into Australia, I’d actually lost two first rounds. I think it’s more about not so much the wins, but how you feel in the matches that you’ve played.
“I feel like I’ve had some really good matches against some really good players. Whether I’ve won some, lost some, also having time on the grass, I feel very lucky to have had that.”
Kvitova on the effect of Serena losing the last two Slam finals:
I don’t think that it’s, like, the biggest problem on the tour [laughs]. I just think that she will find the way she’s gonna win another final someday. It’s just how it is. I think that if someone is playing Serena in a final they feel like they don’t really have something to lose. Serena is always the favorite and I think it’s a little bit more relaxed from the opponent.
Muguruza was wearing a Spain jersey as she did her pre-tournament press:
“I mean, in Spain, if you don’t follow football, you’re dead. You don’t have conversation.”
Konta on whether her reaction to Hungary advancing to the quarterfinals of the European Championships.
“Mom probably couldn’t give two hoots. But dad was very excited. I’m happy that my dad’s excited. I think that’s the best way to describe football at home (smiling).”
Kvitova on whether she feels the bullseye on her back at Wimbledon:
I think it’s tough because of course for me I should be kind of confident on the grass which I am to play on the grass I know how well I can play on it. But I think the other girls want to play a little better and they want to beat me especially here because they know what happened here. But you can look at it from both sides. But I think the opponents are playing less with pressure.
Kerber on her confidence level on grass:
“I like to play on grass. I mean, it’s always nice to have a few tournaments on grass of the year. It’s always something different. On grass, the rallies are not so long as on clay and also on hard.
I like to have the short rallies, or, like, also to going for it. What is really important on grass is the serve and the return. That’s the two shots, they are really important. This is what I like. I don’t dislike grass, so it’s always good on grass for me.”
Kvitova on her best performances at Wimbledon:
I have probably two. When I beat Venus in 2014 in the third round which I felt that she was better player on the court in the first two sets and I was able somehow to win it. And then definitely in the final against Bouchard.
Kerber on what it’s like to sit next to her on the couch while watching football:
“I’m jumping, screaming. Sometimes I’m quiet as well. So it’s everything. A lot of emotions in these 90 minutes.”
Muguruza on playing mixed doubles with Rafael Nadal at the Rio Olympics:
“I never played mixed. I think he told me he never played mixed. I think last minute, in case we play, I don’t know, it’s going to be like, Well, Rafa, what do you do? I don’t know. You? I think it’s going to be very like that.”
Serena and Venus are playing doubles at Wimbledon and they’re already practicing for a medal bid at the Rio Olympics.
“We’re doing a little preparation. We’re practicing a little bit in doubles. Whenever I hit a return out in singles, I’m like, It counts for doubles, so it works out (smiling).”
Konta was asked for her thoughts on the “Brexit” vote that will see Britain leave the European Union:
“Obviously I’m aware of what happened during the referendum. But, yeah, in terms of my own opinions, I think they’re very much best discussed at the dinner table.”
Serena on the effect of the Brexit vote on prize money this year:
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not a citizen of here, but I think at this point the Euro, the pound and the dollar went down after that decision. It affected the economy I think in a whole. However, I think it’s too soon right now to see how long that effect will last, or if it won’t last long. It’s a very volatile economy right now. We’ll see what happens. I’m watching really closely, though.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
After reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open, American CoCo Vandeweghe stopped by SportsNation to tell all about her breakout run in Melbourne.
Chatting with a round table that includes ESPN tennis analyst LZ Granderson, Vandeweghe discussed how she deals with mid-match frustrations – typically with a crack of a racquet – and how her on-court coordination doesn’t always translate off the court.
Plus, who inspired the 25-year-old to do the dab after defeating World No.1 Angelique Kerber Down Under?
Check out the full video right here on wtatennis.com!