Zhuhai: Kvitova Interview
An interview with Petra Kvitova after her win in the semifinals at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
An interview with Petra Kvitova after her win in the semifinals at the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Tennis legend and WTA Elite Trophy ambassador Steffi Graf arrived in Zhuhai and paid a visit to one of the city’s most impressive landmarks, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge!
Hey, it’s Nicole, remember me?
No?
Hmm, maybe you know me by Gibbsy then.
Oh, still nothing?
…
Well then, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I’m currently ranked around No.100 in the world in the WTA rankings. I’m a rare breed of professional tennis player who took time away from the tour to get an (ultimately half-baked) college education at Stanford University. After winning four NCAA titles – twice in singles, once in doubles, and once with the team – I left a year before graduating, in 2013, to play full-time. I reached the third round of the US Open in 2014 and have reached the second round of the Australian Open in 2015 and 2016. I have won four professional singles titles, and two professional doubles titles, all in the “minor leagues” of tennis.
When ur small so u make up for it with rly scary faces. ? pic.twitter.com/eVuO39XXKr
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) January 27, 2016
In summary, I’m good. But I’m not “Serena good” or even “Sloane good.” Not yet anyway.
On the off chance that my name did ring a bell for you, one of the following probably applies to you:
1. You are an insatiable tennis fan and have literally heard of every player to have ever played at a professional level;
2. You are one of the 10-20,000 followers I have carefully cultivated on social media – you likely added me after a narcissistic-looking selfie or a photo of me in some badass New Balance gear. You hoped following me would lead to an abundance of NB discount codes; it did not;
3. You have physically met me, maybe through tennis, maybe during a yoga class – in which I was noticeably the least flexible;
4. You came across my moderately emo – yet evidently palatable – Facebook post about my year at the end of 2015;
5. You thought you knew who I was but then it turned out you were thinking of the other Nicole girl: Nicole Vaidisova. Isn’t she making another comeback..?
Always wanted to know what I'd look like with fake blue eyes in fake snow ?❄
Snapchat @gibbsyyyy pic.twitter.com/Jx2tvKKXSP
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) January 31, 2016
The point that I’m trying to make here is this: being Top 100 is only sometimes what it’s cracked up to be. Every tennis player with dreams of playing on tour wants to be in the Top 100, wants to play in the main draw of grand slams. As someone who’s played in the previous six major tournaments, I’m here to tell you that there are truly fantastic moments – moments where you feel like all the work has already paid off and you’ve made it; the glitz, the glamour, everything exactly as you imagined it.
I’ve had the chance to hold a koala bear at Melbourne Park, eat strawberries and cream in the players’ lounge at Wimbledon, and drink champagne at a private party atop of the Eiffel Tour. I don’t have to worry about hailing taxis in New York because a private Mercedes is waiting for me each morning outside of my apartment. These are moments and facets of life on tour that have surpassed my expectations – things I never even knew to hope for or want.
And then there is the other side of “barely Top 100” that very few actually see. There are the qualifying round losses where I actually lose money on the flights, hotel rooms, and coaching fees. I’m left wondering, “How long can I stay afloat like this?” There are the weeks where I’m defending points that will make or break my entry into the next Slam, and thus the next big paycheck. There are the tournaments where I win a 7-6 in the third thriller in front of a crowd of 11 people and remind myself that I’m not in it for the attention; I’m in it for the love of the sport.
One W down ? pic.twitter.com/T0pR14ihqy
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) January 14, 2016
There’s, “Maybe I just can’t handle the pressure…” and “Will anyone remember me after I retire…?” In order to emerge from near anonymity and step into the spotlight, some hard work, dedication from my support team, and self-belief will be required.
So, you might not know who I am yet, but I’m determined for more of you to know me in the future. I want to know the feeling of lifting the trophy on the biggest stages in tennis. I want to know what it feels like for thousands to learn my name.
But most of all, I want to know that I can take myself to the very top of a game that I have committed nearly every waking moment to since the age of three.
In tennis, we love to say “on any given week,” and who knows, maybe this week in Monterrey, Mexico will be mine. But in the meantime, knowing that I love my life as someone who often draws a crowd the size of an 8am college lecture, I figure I don’t have too much to lose. 😉
Forgot how much I love playing in Mexico ??????. Can't wait to get going at @Abierto_MTY on Saturday! pic.twitter.com/9v2ij3zvVR
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) February 25, 2016
To keep up with Gibbsy, you can follow her on Twitter @Gibbsyyyy and Instagram. Nicole Gibbs will feature as a regular columnist for WTA Insider. Check back regularly as she files a variety of dispatches from the road to give fans a glimpse of her life on tour.
Petra Kvitova continued her stellar second half of 2016 with a two-set win over Chinese No.1 Zhang Shuai, putting her into the final of the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.
Agnieszka Radwanska had a third shot of the match in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Total Open.
Barbora Strycova, Samantha Stosur, Elina Svitolina, Elena Vesnina or Johanna Konta – who hit the shot of the tournament at the WTA Elite Trophy?
DOHA, Qatar – Carla Suárez Navarro captured the biggest title of her career at the Qatar Total Open, charging back from a set down against 18-year-old Jelena Ostapenko to triumph, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Watch live action from Doha & Acapulco this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!
“I started a little bit nervous and she started really good,” she said in her on-court interview. “It’s not easy to play like this, and I lost the first set but I believed, I fought, I run, and finally I won.”
Ostapenko had beaten the Spaniard in their only prior encounter at last year’s Wimbledon Championships, and started in similar form with a nearly flawless first set in her second WTA final, cracking eight forehand winners en route to winning the opening set.
Playing in her 10th career final, Suárez Navarro drew on her wealth of experience and confidence earned from big wins like the one against No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinal, and stayed with the young Latvian as the teenager – already set to join fellow 18-year-olds Belinda Bencic and Daria Kasatkina in the Top 50 – began to leak errors off the backhand (30 from that side alone). In the end, Ostapenko hit 35 winners to only 9 from the No.8 seed, but 47 total unforced errors made the difference from the Spaniard, who only hit 25.
“It was a great week for me, and congrats to Carla for such a great match today,” Ostapenko said during the trophy ceremony. “I was just trying to play how I can and show my best; I hope you enjoyed watching me play.
“It’s great but it’s just the first step,” she said of adding to the largest sum of Top 50 teens since April 2009 (Caroline Wozniacki, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Sorana Cirstea). “My goal is to be even higher, so I hope I can make it.”
For Suárez Navarro, Doha is her second WTA title, one that brings her up to a career-high ranking of No.6, and No.2 on the Road To Singapore standings behind reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber.
“It’s amazing, a dream come true. I was in Top 10 last year but not No.6, so it’s a special number.
“This tournament was really tough. The best players in the world were here, and it’s so special. You have to play every day, and it’s not easy.
“But these wins give me a lot of confidence, the experience that I take from this. I’ve lost a lot of finals, so I’m really happy and excited about this tournament.”
Though she walked away with the runner-up trophy at the Qatar Total Open, Jelena Ostapenko’s run to the final of Doha nonetheless cut her ranking in half, moving up from No.88 to earned her a career-high ranking of No.41 – her Top 50 debut.
The Latvian joins fellow 18-year-olds Belinda Bencic (No.8) and Daria Kasatkina (No.46) to become the largest cohort of youngsters since April of 2009 (Caroline Wozniacki, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Sorana Cirstea).
“It’s great but it’s just the first step,” she said during the trophy ceremony – with all the impatience of youth. “But my goal is to be even higher, so I hope I can make it.”
Roaring through an effortless opening set, Ostapenko ultimately fell to Carla Suárez Navarro, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4; the 27-year-old Spaniard earned a second WTA title and rocketed up from No.11 to a career-high ranking of No.6, one away from her 2016 goal of being ranked among the Top 5 in the world.
“It’s amazing, a dream come true. I was in Top 10 last year but not No.6, so it’s a special number.”
Who else made big leaps in the last week?
Elena Vesnina (+29, No.118 to No.89): The 2016 Australian Open mixed doubles champion had struggled in singles for the last two years, but arguably played better than ever in back-to-back upsets over No.2 seed Simona Halep and former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki – a player she had only beaten once in seven previous encounters – to reach the quarterfinals in Qatar and return to the Top 100 for the first time since August 2015.
Zheng Saisai (+10, No.73 to No.63): Fellow Qatar Total Open quarterfinalist Zheng Saisai had a phenomenal day in Doha when she defeated top seed and reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, and later coming close to ending Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s then-40-match-winning streak in doubles. Zheng edges close to a Top 60 debut and returns to No.1 in China, taking the spot back from Melbourne quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai – a potentially crucial development looking ahead to Olympic qualifying.
Donna Vekic (+10, No.104 to No.94): The Croatian youngster also returned to the Top 100 following a solid week in Doha, qualifying for the main draw and pushing Suárez Navarro through two tight sets.
Eugenie Bouchard (+9, No.61 to No.52): Bouchard earned her first wins since the Australian Open; the 2014 Wimbledon finalist saved match points against qualifier Anastasija Sevastova in the opening round as she moves within striking distance of the Top 50.
Dominika Cibulkova (+9, No.66 to No.57): The 2014 Australian Open finalist made her first final in nearly two years at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, playing an epic match against Sloane Stephens that ended in a final set tie-break.
Cagla Buyukakcay (+34, No.162 to No.128): A wildcard in Doha, the 26-year-old took out defending champion Lucie Safarova in the second round, rocketing up the rankings as she aims to make a long-awaited Top 100 debut.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Dozens of children and fans in Kuala Lumpur got their first taste of tennis as the WTA Road To Singapore rolled through Malaysia, where they got to meet and practice against their regional hero Hsieh Su-Wei and hit with World No.10 Roberta Vinci.
“It was great to come out today to play with the children because I think it is important to encourage the next generation,” Hsieh shared after hosting the WTA Future Stars Clinic. “I started playing as a kid myself when I was five years old so I was glad to be able to share my experiences with them.”
Hsieh, Taiwan’s No.1 player, put on a clinic for young fans and also took the chance to share some tips with a group of local competitive players. She was joined on court by Belinda Chai, who represented Malaysia in the WTA Future Stars Tournament in 2014 at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The tournament brings together players from 17 Asia-Pacific markets to compete against each other at the WTA Finals.
The goal of WTA Future Stars is to promote tennis among children throughout the Asia-Pacific region and encourage them to take the next step in their interest in tennis, as well as to inspire players who are already playing competitively to continue to pursue their passion for tennis through an opportunity to hear from a professional.
Located in Kuala Lumpur, the BMW Malaysian Open is a stop on the Road to Singapore and the closest event geographically to Singapore, the home of the WTA Finals taking place October 23-30, 2016. As a part of the community outreach to promote tennis in the region, No.10-ranked Roberta Vinci and 2015 WTA Future Stars participant Zhu Lin took to the heart of the city to play tennis on a pop-up court at the KLCC Esplanade against the backdrop of the iconic Petronas Towers.
Fans and members of the public got the chance to pick up a racquet and try their hand at playing against the pros. Check out the photos below to see how they did:
