Serena Williams vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich Wimbledon 2021 Preview
The time is ticking for Serena Williams to secure her 24th grand slam, a feat that would match the record set by Margaret Court.…
The time is ticking for Serena Williams to secure her 24th grand slam, a feat that would match the record set by Margaret Court.…
With defending champion Simona Halep’s withdrawal meaning she cannot open Centre Court on Tuesday, the honour…
Shock early losses for top seeds at Wimbledon certainly feel less common in the men’s side these days but it seems…
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on 24 March 2021
Frances Tiafoe is one of the most popular players on Tour. You will rarely find the American without a smile on his face, and he is always having fun with his colleagues.
ATPTour.com caught up with Tiafoe, who is playing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round at Wimbledon, to learn more about his life on the ATP Tour.
What are two essential non-tennis items you always pack for trips?
My HDMI cord, I’ve got to be able to play my tunes, watch my Netflix on TV and then usually a speaker, play some tunes and kind of relax.
I’m listening to a lot of Afrobeats music, a lot of Afro tunes, obviously some rap… and I like documentaries. I watched Tony Parker, the new documentary, and then some movies. I watched the movie Just Mercy with Michael B. Jordan, so [I do] things like that.
What item did you forget to bring one time that caused you distress?
Oh man, I forget everything. I’ve left racquets at home, somehow left shoes. I’ve packed my whole bag without my clothes, I’m the worst. Passport, too. When you go on tour, say I’m in Washington, D.C. and I’m flying out to Florida, obviously I don’t need a passport. Then I’m trying to leave from Florida and my passport’s in D.C., so I’ve got to take a flight a day later. Someone has to fly down and get me the passport, because if they ship it, it’ll take too long. I’m the worst at that, man.
Do you enjoy travelling the world or consider it just something that needs to be done to be a pro tennis player? If you do enjoy it, what do you enjoy about travelling?
It’s a combination. I enjoy it, but you do get used to because this is what we do. There’s no gimmick. I’m kind of used to it. It’s tougher now in the bubbles, fully isolated all the time. But pre-Covid, I couldn’t really complain.
I miss being home, but I try to bring the home atmosphere to the road. At the Slams and stuff, I try to go to nice dinners, roam around the city, go to my favourite spots and hang out and do my thing.
Can you talk about a time you decided to play a specific tournament in part because you wanted to travel to that city?
In Argentina [earlier this year]. Obviously, it’s a bubble right now. [But during normal times], some weeks I try to see the city. The first time I went to the Estoril ATP 250, I wanted to see what people were talking about. I like going to certain places. Before I retire, I want to say I did all the swings and see what it’s like.
What is your favourite tournament city to visit and why?
Melbourne. I love everything Melbourne represents. The people are great, the food’s great. Everything, the vibes, they love their tennis over there. There’s a tonne of fun things to do. I liked the vibes in Argentina. I love playing New York. I love playing obviously home in D.C., the ATP 500. Crowds I like a lot.
What is your craziest travel story?
When I was younger, I went to Mexico and my bags didn’t come through. I was younger, I was playing in the quarter-finals of the Under 16s. I had everything in my tennis bag — passport, shoes, racquets, the whole nine — and we’re getting up to leave and my guy, Jordi Arconada, he’s like, “We’ve been waiting for you.” I said, “I don’t know where my bag is.” We’ve got a whole night, so I was like for sure it’ll come up in the morning and never did.
I walked on to play my quarter-final using some Canadian guy’s racquets. I played the first four games in running shoes, because the shop didn’t open until half an hour into the match. That was probably the craziest thing that happened to me.
Are there any routines or activities you do to create a sense of ‘home on the road’ to feel more comfortable?
It’s vibes, man. I try to do everything i can. I love music, watching Netflix, do a tonne of Facetime. Just chilling. I’m not big on bringing too much stuff, because I end up losing it.
How do you try to overcome jetlag and acclimate to the local time zone?
I’m horrible at jetlag. It took me about a week, eight days to get right after Melbourne. I just stop caring about it. It’s 10 a.m. and it’s nighttime over there [in Melbourne] and I’m like, “I’m just going to go to sleep.” I can’t hustle all day. Especially now with Covid, you can’t hang out outside all day. The first day I got back I slept like 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Didn’t sleep a lick all night, not one hour through the night. It was bad.
Got any tips to get comfortable on a flight? And how do you pass the time?
Recline the chair back, cock the head to the left and that’s it. I’m done. The longer flights I try to go business so I can lay all the way back, but the shorter flights I usually get an exit row, reclining and cocking to the left. Get a good play list playing.
Are you someone who gets to the airport with lots of time to spare or do you cut it fine?
I cut it close because I can’t sit in airports. My guy, Jordi, freaks out about everything. We had a flight about 9:20 p.m. He wanted to be there at about 9:20 a.m. I was like, “Cool, okay.” Usually, I like to keep it close. I get to the airport and just get in there. You start living on the edge, man. It’s kind of unnecessary. But I actually liked it. We went to the airport at a decent time, had a good dinner.
World-number four Aryna Sabalenka eases past Monica Niculescu and into round two of the women’s singles draw at Wimbledon.
The first-round matches at Wimbledon have been delayed due to rain on Monday. Play was scheduled to commence at 11:00 a.m local time on Court Two and the outside Courts, with a clash between #NextGenATP star Jannik Sinner and Marton Fucsovics opening proceedings on Court 18. However, play will now not start until 1:00 p.m. local time.
Eighth-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut will face John Millman first on Court 12, with fifth seed Andrey Rublev, who reached the final at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle earlier this month, playing Federico Delbonis second on Court Two.
On a busy first day of The Championships, 10th seed Denis Shapovalov will be in action against Philipp Kohlschreiber if the rain stops, while 22nd seed Daniel Evans takes on Feliciano Lopez. Frenchman Gael Monfils, seeded 13, faces Christopher O’Connell, following Bautista Agut on Court 12.
American Sebastian Korda, who won his first ATP Tour title at the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma in May, plays Viking International Eastbourne champion and 15th seed Alex de Minaur on Court 14. Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros (l. to Zverev), and opens against Denis Kudla on Court Seven when the covers come off.
The action will start on time on Centre Court and Court One due to both having roofs. Top seed Novak Djokovic will face Jack Draper from 1:30 p.m local time on Centre Court. Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas plays Frances Tiafoe on Court One, with that following a WTA match which will start at 1:00 p.m local time.
British teenager Jack Draper says he hopes to show Novak Djokovic what he’s got when they open up Centre Court on day one of Wimbledon.
True or false? Novak Djokovic has a higher winning percentage on grass courts than Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Tony Roche, and Bjorn Borg.
Djokovic is gunning for his third straight Grand Slam victory in 2021 at Wimbledon after securing the first two majors of the year in Melbourne and Paris. So how good is the Super Serbian on grass? The answer to the question above is true as he boasts a first-rate winning percentage of 84.1 (95-18) on grass to trail only Roger Federer (87%) among active players. Djokovic has won Wimbledon five times, and if he rules the roost at SW19 again this year, it will be his third consecutive victory at The Championships after triumphing in 2018 and 2019.
Winning Percentage By Surface
What is fascinating is that Djokovic’s winning percentage on grass and hard courts is almost identical. Djokovic has won 84.3 per cent of his matches on hard and 84.1 per cent on grass.
Novak Djokovic: Winning Percentage By Surface
| Surface | Winning % | W/L Record |
Career Standings By Surface |
| Hard | 84.3% | 613-114 | 1st |
| Grass | 84.1% | 95-18 | 2nd |
| Clay | 80.5% | 243-59 | 2nd |
Djokovic’s game style on grass is built around a stubborn refusal to let opponents make him uncomfortable and force him into errors. When you compare his 2019 tournament metrics head-to-head with Federer — whom he defeated in a thrilling five-set final after saving two championship points — you uncover that Djokovic hit fewer winners and committed more unforced errors for the tournament compared to his Swiss rival. The secret sauce was not letting opponents boss him around the court and force him into mistakes.
At Wimbledon in 2019, Djokovic hit 87 fewer winners throughout the tournament than Federer and committed 10 more unforced errors. But the Serb committed 71 fewer forced errors, putting the magnifying glass on how difficult it is for his opponents to get the upper hand in the rally against the Serbian.
If Djokovic triumphs at Wimbledon over the next fortnight, his hard-court pedigree will make him a red-hot favourite to complete the calendar-year Grand Slam in New York in September. Djokovic is first in career break points converted on hard courts, breaking 45 per cent (2630/5849) of the time. He is also the career leader in second-serve return points won at 55.7 per cent (12,156/21,827).
With Djokovic already winning in Melbourne and Paris, all eyes will be on his efforts to triumph in London and New York. His grass-court pedigree is exemplary. His hard-court prowess is even better. It’s game on for calendar-year Grand Slam glory.
Great Britain’s Jack Draper was at Aorangi Park getting ready to practise on Friday when he found out whom he will play in the first round of Wimbledon: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
“What an opportunity for me, to play against the best player in the world right now,” Draper said. “I am definitely going to relish the opportunity and I am really looking forward to it.”
Draper’s earliest memory of Wimbledon came in 2013, when he was 11. The Briton watched Andy Murray triumph at The Championships for the first time.
“I was in Glasgow, and I got a flight and managed to watch him on Centre Court that day,” Draper said. “What he has done for British tennis and all the kids, he has really inspired me, to give me the confidence that I could do this one day.”
Now, the 19-year-old has a chance to face five-time champion Djokovic, who is looking to make a good start to his pursuit of a record-tying 20th Grand Slam title.
The World No. 253 said he planned to speak to countrymen Daniel Evans and Andy Murray for advice. As far as handling the pressure of the moment — competing on Centre Court in his first main draw at The Championships — Draper is not concerned.
“When it comes to that stuff, I am pretty good at that,” Draper said. “I like the occasion. I like trying to do my best to play my best tennis in front of a lot of people. That is why I play, to compete against the best players at the best tournaments.”
Draper has practised plenty with Evans and Murray, so he is not new to feeling the ball off the racquet of one of the world’s best players. But practising with top players and playing a match against them are different tests.
Photo Credit: Paul Harding/Getty Images for LTA
The teen gained plenty of confidence earlier this month at the Cinch Championships, where he beat both 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in straight sets before losing to British lefty Cameron Norrie.
“I think it was something I needed to show to myself that I could go and win those types of matches against the world’s best, and I think I proved to myself and other people that I have a lot of capability,” Draper said. “I can use that confidence and belief to step on court with the world’s best and really compete hard against them.”
The All England Club is not unfamiliar territory for the lefty, who made the boys’ singles final here in 2018. However, it took until his success at The Queen’s Club to claim his first tour-level wins.
“I think in that time I have had a few injuries, but I think the main thing is how much I am improving, and I think last week I showed how much I have improved,” Draper said. “I will look to take those things forward with me and in the near future I think I can really push on up the rankings.”
Draper admitted that he feels some nerves, but that the sense of excitement is much bigger. It will take a massive effort for the home favourite to stun Djokovic, who has won the season’s first two Grand Slams. But the 19-year-old is keen to give it his best shot.
“The excitement to be on court with the best player in the world, it is a massive opportunity for me, and I look to take advantage of it,” Draper said. “To be on Wimbledon Centre Court, opening The Championships with him is something that is amazing.”
British number one Johanna Konta is out of Wimbledon because one of her team has tested positive for Covid.
