Barbora Krejcikova criticizes ‘unprofessional’ commentary, Daniil Medvedev spirals in Turin

Welcome again to the Monday Tennis Briefing, the place The Athletic will clarify the tales behind the tales from the previous week on court docket.

This week, the primary Riyadh version of the WTA Tour Finals concluded in Saudi Arabia, with Coco Gauff defeating Zheng Qinwen within the last.

All through the week, the gamers and WTA chief government Portia Archer have emphasised that they felt welcome and sorted in a rustic that criminalizes same-sex relationships and has been criticized for its human rights document, significantly concerning ladies. “We now have by no means had any points with freedom of expression,” Archer stated in a information convention forward of the event.

Charlie Eccleshare’s particular report from Riyadh seems to be on the concept of tennis — and sport at giant — having the ability to impact change, and the way conversant that concept is with the fact within the nation:

GO DEEPER

‘The identical individuals who enable ladies to play tennis are additionally torturing the activists’

Elsewhere, Barbora Krejcikova criticized what she referred to as “unprofessional” commentary of the occasion, Danielle Collins and Daria Kasatkina skilled life as an alternate, a doubles partnership fell on the final and Daniil Medvedev spiralled in Turin.

Should you’d wish to comply with our incredible tennis protection, click on right here.

What led Krejcikova to name out a commentator?

After a tough run of type by means of fall, world No. 10 Barbora Krejcikova acquired a dose of the social media abuse that’s dispiritingly acquainted to any tennis participant who’s dropping matches. When somebody questioned out loud on X as to how she had received Wimbledon, the Czech gave an easy reply: “I received seven matches in a row.”

Krejcikova, who, with that title certified for the WTA Tour Finals — a particular provision for a Grand Slam champion who finishes exterior the highest eight within the rankings ‘race’ however inside the highest 20 — utilized that logic to the occasion in Riyadh. After going 5-5 between Wimbledon and the beginning of the event, she took Iga Swiatek to a few units, eased previous Jessica Pegula, after which beat Coco Gauff to win her group.

Krejcikova ran out of steam within the semifinals in opposition to Zheng, then discovered herself having to answer some extra unfavorable commentary of a totally completely different sort.

“You may need heard in regards to the current feedback made on Tennis Channel in the course of the WTA Finals protection that targeted on my look reasonably than my efficiency. As an athlete who has devoted herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see any such unprofessional commentary,” the 28-year-old wrote in a press release on X.

“This isn’t the primary time one thing like that is occurring in sports activities world. I’ve typically chosen to not communicate up, however I consider it’s time to deal with the necessity for respect and professionalism in sports activities media. These moments distract from the true essence of sport and the dedication all athletes deliver to the sphere.

I like tennis deeply, and I wish to see it represented in a method that honors the dedication we make to compete at this degree.”

GO DEEPER

A smiling ghost of Centre Courtroom: How Barbora Krejcikova’s title met her mentor’s legacy

Krejcikova was responding to journalist and commentator Jon Wertheim, who commented on Krejcikova’s brow throughout a broadcast on Tennis Channel Friday. Wertheim is a longstanding tennis journalist and is a daily contributor to Andy Roddick’s podcast, Served, which additionally airs on Tennis Channel’s T2 broadcast.

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— Lacking 🎾 Media (@MissingTennis) November 8, 2024

Wertheim apologized Sunday in a press release on X, which he labelled “a tennis twitter apology.”

“Throughout a Tennis Channel studio present on Friday, I made some deeply regrettable feedback off-air. I acknowledge them. I apologise for them. I reached out instantly and apologised to the participant,” he stated.

“What occurred? I joined the present by Zoom. In rehearsal we had been proven a graphic of a participant who had simply competed. It confirmed her at an angle that exaggerated her brow.

“A number of moments later, I used to be instructed to border up my Zoom. I seemed on the low digital camera angle and joked that it made my brow resemble the photograph of the participant in query. Somebody within the management room chimed in and I bantered again. Although this was a personal rehearsal, this change inadvertently, and with out context, made it to dwell air.

“I understand: I’m not the sufferer right here. It was neither skilled nor charitable nor reflective of the individual I try to be. I’m accountable. I personal this. I’m sorry.”

He later issued an additional joint apology with Roddick, shared on Served’s X account.

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— Served with Andy Roddick (@Served_Podcast) November 10, 2024

Wertheim instructed The Athletic by way of e mail that: “Between the assertion I posted and a few remarks I made with Andy Roddick I don’t have a lot so as to add about this deeply regrettable scenario for which I’m profoundly apologetic.”

In a press release issued Sunday, Tennis Channel stated that Wertheim has been faraway from the air “indefinitely.”

James Hansen

What triggered Daniil Medvedev to lose management on the ATP Finals?

Daniil Medvedev is certainly one of two males’s gamers born within the Nineties to win a Grand Slam title. He’s world No. 4, a relentless issue within the latter phases of the largest occasions, and probably the most compelling audio system on the ATP Tour.

He’s additionally in a nasty spot. His proper shoulder has been bothering him all yr, afflicting his serve, which ordinarily lets him explode by means of his service video games to place stress on his opponents. He’s having to play Jannik Sinner so typically that their showing in the identical facet of a event draw has turn out to be a meme, and he isn’t profitable for the time being. He thinks the balls used on the tour are neutralizing his strengths and serving to these of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the gamers who can speed up by means of slower balls sufficient to complete factors with most aplomb.

On the ATP Tour Finals in Turin, he had had sufficient, each on-court and off. “I’ve this day by day, day in, time out, since two, three years. Each observe is a wrestle. Each match is a wrestle. I used to be holding for very long time. Now I really feel zero pleasure of being on the court docket,” he stated in a information convention after dropping in straight units to Taylor Fritz on November 10.

Daniil Medvedev has had a testing 12 months (Antonio Calanni / Related Press)

That lack of delight devolved into the absurd, with Medvedev throwing his racket into the air, feigning that he couldn’t grasp on to it, and getting ready to return serve together with his racket deal with after Fritz shanked a fortunate lob onto the baseline to interrupt within the second set. Medvedev, who is understood for his capability to up the frequency of lengthy rallies in return video games and steal the marginal benefit it gives the returner in opposition to the server, stated his battle had left him.

“I’m drained to battle in opposition to one thing that doesn’t rely on myself,” he stated, referring to the balls.

“Each match I come, I do know that mainly I’ve to hit no matter. It doesn’t matter. Ways matter much less,” he stated.

Medvedev will face Alex de Minaur after which Sinner as he bids to qualify for the semifinals. He isn’t all that bothered if that is the tip of his season.

James Hansen

What’s it wish to be an alternate?

It was a story of two alternates on the WTA Finals final week — one who acquired to play and one who didn’t.

In certainly one of tennis’ strangest roles, it’s reserved for the end-of-year finals on the lads’s and girls’s excursions. The 2 gamers ranked slightly below the cut-off to qualify for the WTA and ATP Tour Finals are chosen as substitutes in case one of many gamers who has certified has to tug out. Withdrawals are extra widespread at these occasions: they’re the final main tournaments of the season other than the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. They’re additionally performed to a round-robin format, so there’s the likelihood for lifeless rubbers that gamers are extra keen to tug out of if not feeling one hundred pc.

On the WTA Finals the 2 alternates had been Daria Kasatkina of Russia and America’s Danielle Collins. Kasatkina because the world No. 9 was the primary alternate and was duly referred to as off the bench when Pegula pulled out with a knee harm on Wednesday after dropping her first two matches. Kasatkina’s reward was a match in opposition to world No. 2 Iga Swiatek with solely a day’s discover. She misplaced 6-1, 6-0 in 51 minutes.

Afterwards, a shellshocked Kasatkina spoke of the problem of the alternate function.

“It’s tougher than it appears. It’s important to be right here for per week, after which abruptly it’s important to go and play No 2 on this planet who already performed two matches.

“It’s not simple to go and play from zero, being relaxed the entire week, not being on this mentality as while you play a event after which going to play Iga,” she stated in a information convention.

Daria Kasatkina received only one sport in her look on the WTA Tour Finals (Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP by way of Getty Photographs)

Collins most likely acquired the higher deal as a non-playing alternate. She was a late call-up after Emma Navarro — who would have been the primary alternate — withdrew with sickness. Collins noticed the week as an opportunity to get into form for the Billie Jean King Cup finals, which begins on Wednesday.

Collins, who has not performed a match in additional than two months, stated she hoped her function as an alternate could be a superb bridge to enjoying competitively once more on the BJK Cup. “It’s been very nice,” she instructed The Athletic in an interview in Riyadh. “It’s an important alternative to get again into event mode and and and get a whole lot of nice observe, too, with all these gamers.”

On the day she spoke to The Athletic, Collins performed a observe set with Kasatkina and stated that she was primarily in her event routine — simply with out enjoying the matches.

Maybe the strangest alternate function is reserved for the crushed semifinalists. Krejcikova and Aryna Sabalenka had been required to stay round to make sure the ultimate would go forward if certainly one of Zheng Qinwen or Gauff withdrew. Leaving early carried a superb of half their prize cash from the event.

This week it’s Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas within the alternate roles, on the ATP Finals in Turin. Ready and questioning in the event that they’ll get the prospect to step in for somebody. Even when they don’t, they’ll choose up a $155,000 (£120,317) cheque for his or her efforts — $140,000 (£108,661) was the alternate price in Riyadh.

Charlie Eccleshare

So shut however up to now for Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova?

Final week, as Sabalenka turned year-end world No. 1 in singles for the primary time, Katerina Siniakova achieved the identical feat in doubles — for the fourth time.

Siniakova received two Grand Slam titles in 2024: the French Open with Gauff and Wimbledon with Taylor Townsend, who partnered her on the Tour Finals in Riyadh. She additionally received Olympic gold in combined doubles for the Czech Republic with Tomas Machac.

Siniakova and Townsend had been seeded eighth out of eight pairs in Riyadh regardless of being extensively thought-about as favorites alongside Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, the Canadian and Kiwi duo who Siniakova and Townsend defeated within the Wimbledon last in July.

Each pairs stormed to the Riyadh last undefeated, with Siniakova and Townsend beating Australian Open champions Hsieh Su-Wei and Elise Mertens and U.S. Open champions Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok within the group stage. After 4 resplendent performances, Dabrowski and Routliffe proved a bridge too far, profitable in straight units 7-5, 6-3 and lifting Dabrowski to No 3 on this planet, behind Routliffe in No 2. Townsend moved up from No 9 to No 5.

Regardless of this defeat, Siniakova, who has been outspoken in regards to the lack of recognition for elite doubles gamers in comparison with their singles counterparts, stands alone on the high.

Erin Routliffe (entrance proper) and Gabriela Dabrowski have fun victory over Katerina Siniakova (high proper) and Taylor Townsend in Riyadh (Clive Brunskill / Getty Photographs)

James Hansen

An extended look ahead to Denis Shapovalov?

After a five-year wait, Denis Shapovalov lastly has his arms on an ATP title once more — coming all through qualifying to assert the Belgrade Open on Sunday.

It was the Canadian’s first title since his maiden victory on the Stockholm Open in 2019, and particularly important given he was out between July 2023 and January 2024 due to a knee harm. This title lifts him 22 locations to No 56 within the rankings, an vital step in direction of the spot within the high 30 that he had earlier than that knee harm final summer season, and one that may make him seeded on the Slams (and positively not should qualify for 250-level occasions).

Denis Shapovalov remains to be simply 25 regardless of being a mainstay on the ATP Tour (Darko Vojinovic / Related Press)

Such a trendy participant with a flashing single-handed backhand, it’s excellent news for followers of selection to have Shapovalov as an element once more, and this title was made much more particular by the person handing over the trophy: the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

Shapovalov stated how honored he was by Djokovic’s presence after his 6-4, 6-4 win over one other Serbian, Hamad Medjedovic.

“It was tremendous bizarre, as a result of he’s usually taking trophies from us, not giving us trophies,” he stated.

Subsequent up for Shapovalov is the Davis Cup finals with Canada, which start in Malaga per week on Tuesday. Abruptly it seems like he may have a big function to play.

Charlie Eccleshare

Shot(s) of the week

When doubles is sweet, it’s very, superb.

Really useful studying:

🏆 The winners of the week

🎾 ATP:

🏆 Denis Shapovalov (Q) def. Hamad Medjedovic (WC) 6-4, 6-4 to win the Belgrade Open (250) in Belgrade, Serbia. It’s the Canadian’s second ATP Tour title.
🏆 Benjamin Bonzi (Q) def. Cameron Norrie 7-6(6), 6-4 to win the Moselle Open (250) in Metz, France. It’s the Frenchman’s first ATP Tour title.

🎾 WTA:

🏆 Coco Gauff (3) def. Zheng Qinwen (7) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) to win the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s the American’s ninth WTA Tour singles title.
🏆 Gabriela Dabrowski / Erin Routliffe (2) def. Taylor Townsend / Katerina Siniakova (8) 7-5, 6-3 to win the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh. It’s the duo’s second WTA Tour title.

📈📉 On the rise / Down the road

📈 Zheng Qinwen strikes up two locations from No. 7 to No. 5 — a brand new profession excessive — after her run to the WTA Tour Finals last in Riyadh.
📈 Denis Shapovalov ascends 22 spots from No. 78 to No. 56 after profitable the title in Belgrade.
📈 Barbora Krejcikova reenters the highest 10 after rising three spots from No. 13 to No. 10 following her run to the semifinals in Riyadh.

📉 Adrian Mannarino falls 14 locations from No. 54 to No. 68 after dropping his factors from profitable the 2023 Sofia Open in Bulgaria.
📉 In an illustration of how bunched gamers are additional down the rankings, Ann Li drops six locations for the lack of simply 16 factors, from No. 93 to No. 99.
📉 Novak Djokovic falls one spot from No. 5 to No. 6 after dropping his 1,300 factors from final yr’s ATP Tour Finals.