Coco Gauff is more than wise enough to know that there's no shame in crying.
And there is absolutely no shame in that defeat. Iga Swiatek is simply a level above everybody right now.
Gauff did good & she'll be back. Oh, will she be back.
"After that I said, 'Fuck, one more time a break up in the fifth & I'm going to lose again, like in 2012, like in 2017.'"
Yes, folks, that is Rafael Nadal swearing live on Eurosport 😂 It's been that kind of day.
Nadal:
‘It’s not about being the best of the history, or the records, it’s about ‘I like what I do
‘We achieved our dreams, Roger, Novak, me. The competition to be the best is not my motivation. It is to live moments, to play in front of crowds. And the passion for the sport.’
❤️
After ten days and five matches which have completely transformed his career, his ranking and his standing in the sport, Christopher Eubanks leaves No. 1 Court to a standing ovation.
Wimbledon fell in love with you, Chris, & it won't forget.
"I don't care what she's doing on her serve, on my serve she has to be ready."
Arthur Ashe Stadium fully behind Coco Gauff now (as if they weren't already).
#USOpen
"Tough to talk after 5 hours 30 & losing. But I want to congratulate Rafa because what he did today, I was amazed.
"During the match I just tried to play tennis but after the match I asked him, like, 'Are you tired?' Because it was insane."
Andy Murray wins the most ridiculous match of his 18 year career.
7-5 in the 5th set over Thanasi Kokkinakis, at 4.05am, after 5 hours and 45 minutes.
Murray has spent more than 10 hours on court in his 2 matches.
Just incredible.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry's unfiltered facial reaction to thinking Lee McKenzie was telling him he had to play Stan Wawrinka tomorrow.
"Tomorrow I have to play again?"
Kyrgios complaining about a specific spectator.
"She's drunk out of her mind in the first row, talking to me in the middle of the game... The one with the dress, the one who looks like she's had about 700 drinks, bro!"
That's no way to talk about the Duchess of Cambridge, Nick.
Medvedev before leaving the court:
"You understand, right? If you don't [give him a coaching warning], you are - how can I say it - a small cat."
A.
Small.
Cat.
"I feel really sad, but it's tennis - there is only one winner. I'm trying to inspire many generations from my country, I hope they're listening....
"I just want to wish Eid Mubarak to Muslims all around the world."
Eid Mubarak, Ons ❤️
Zverev comes back out on crutches to shake the umpire's hand, hug Nadal and salute the crowd.
Everybody a bit shaken by this turn of events.
Nadal is through to the final.
Andy Roddick presents the trophy to Novak Djokovic.
First he takes your legs, then he takes your soul, then he makes you come out of retirement after ten years to hand him a trophy.
This is a super classy runner-up speech from Collins. Too many highlights to mention, but she closes with:
"Now it's time to celebrate a big night for Ash."
Absolute. Class.
Denis Shapovalov leaves Centre Court in tears.
God, he would have beaten a lot - A LOT - of players with the way he played today. And the way he battled in the third 👏👏👏
The way Alcaraz out hit Djokovic. The drop shots. The mental resilience. The drop shots. The way he won after losing the first set. The drop shots. The way he had a match point, lost it, and then just held serve in the blink of an eye. The drop shots. The final set tiebreak.
A peak of 11.2 million watched Carlos Alcaraz win Wimbledon on BBC TV yesterday.
Those are massive figures. 9.6 million watched Djokovic beat Federer in 2019.
7.5 million saw Djokovic beat Kyrgios last year.
It's Coco Gauff's win. But this is a pretty astonishing record for Brad Gilbert, per
@DavidLawTennis
:
March 1994 - began working with Andre Agassi. Won US Open
June 2003 - began working with Andy Roddick. Won US Open
July 2023 - began working with Coco Gauff. Won US Open.
‘I want a let’s go and a come on for every fucking point you win. I don’t want to see any negative shit’.
Roger Federer to Alexander Zverev.
#LaverCup
Robbie Koenig has to apologise for Federer. 😂
Rafael Nadal d. Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
For the first time since 2007, he comes back from 0-2 sets down in a Grand Slam
For the first time since 2009, he wins the Australian Open
For the first time ... 21
Serena Williams is in tears as she serves at 3-3.
She falls again, and retires.
She is in floods of tears as she waves to the crowd.
This absolutely cannot be how her
#Wimbledon
career ends. It can't. She HAS to come back.
She has to.
Rafael Nadal d. conventional wisdom, oddsmakers, schedulers, time, tides, toes ...
... oh, and Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4).
Rounding nicely into form for the semifinals, wouldn't you say?
Elena Rybakina signs the camera:
"Started on Court 13, now we're here."
(Not really, She drew a smiley face, because she is a bigger/more gracious person than I am.)
Aryna Sabalenka's father passed away suddenly in November 2019 at the age of 43.
She lost her biggest supporter, weathered a global pandemic, had to publicly wrestle with her demons & deal with everybody, pretty much, losing faith in her game & mentality.
Resilience.
Venus Williams was asked about the scheduling of her match today.
She said: 'I wasn't disappointed [about being on Court 3] but I appreciate you being disappointed for me.'
What a legend.
RAFAEL NADAL.
One win away from an historic 21st grand slam title in only his second tournament back from a chronic foot injury.
Warrior. Legend. Champion.
#AusOpen
Medvedev:
"I honestly didn't know which reception I would get & it was just unbelievable, guys. I need to be honest, I'm not loved everywhere for who I am - sometimes I get crazy on the court, sometimes I get crazy with the crowd - it was an amazing feeling to be back here."
Andy Murray:
‘I’ve not played this many tournaments in a while and my body feels good. I’m gaining confidence and seeing the points develop and how I want to play them again. The results are coming and my tennis is getting better.’
Us: 🥰
Iga Swiatek has won…
- her last 28 matches
- her last 8 finals and all 16 sets in those finals
- her last 5 tournaments (Doha-IW-Miami-Stuttgart-Rome)
- 42 of her last 43 sets
It’s absolutely mind-blowing 🤯🤯
Jim Courier: "How would you rate your level?"
Naomi Osaka: "Honestly, I'm trying not to do that. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I feel like if I compare myself to the past, I'll never be satisfied. I'm trying to take it one day at a time."
A big cheer from the crowd.
"I don't want to talk about the match, I want to talk about Jo.
"... I don't want to ruin your moment but it's also tough for everyone & sad for all the players ... You have been an inspiration to me & so many other young players around the world."
Andy Murray 7-6, 6-3 Stefanos Tsitsipas
So that’s what a grass court specialist looks like.
Fabulous win for Murray, who looked fit, strong and utterly at home on the surface.
Continues to be a mystery to Tsitsipas.
Extraordinary, heartfelt press conference from Daniil Medvedev tonight, which started with a long speech, talking about his journey from when he first started playing tennis, and how tonight ‘the kid stopped dreaming’.
The crowd reaction really hurt him.
More on tonight’s pod.
Iga Swiatek d. Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-0 to reach the last 16 in Rome.
Less than 2 hours earlier, same court:
Rafael Nadal d. John Isner 6-3, 6-1 to reach the last 16 in Rome.
Swiatek earned €23,170
Nadal earned €72,865
This is the situation throughout. And it stinks.
This is shocking, frightening story.
It reports that: ‘A Chinese tennis player (Peng Shuai) has vanished a week after accusing the country's former vice premier of sexual abuse.’
Roger Federer making the effort to be back in his seat for the start of Andy Murray v Ryan Peniston. Which many in the fancy seats do not. You love to see it.
Zverev is a two-time Madrid champion and had never lost on the main court there.
Alcaraz just beat him 6-3, 6-1 in 62 minutes. It was never close.
Of all the amazing things Alcaraz has already done in 2022, this run to the title in Madrid probably tops the lot.
Carlos Alcaraz d. Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Carlos Alcaraz is the Wimbledon champion. Carlos Alcaraz is the world no. 1, still, again, more than ever.
HE WENT FOR IT ... head, heart and de-scrambled eggs.
The camera operators have managed to find Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller, Stefan Edberg, Michael Douglas, the king of Spain and the crown prince of Norway ...
... but not Iga Swiatek.
Step it up, people.
Unbelievably, after that incredible match, Azarenka got booed as she left the court - presumably because of the lack of handshake, although the two players acknowledged each other.
Don't be Paris, Wimbledon. Please.
"It's no secret that I am most definitely not a better tennis player than Andy Murray. I might have been just a little bit better than him today.
It was an incredible honour to play him on this court in front of this crowd. The stage I'm at now, I need to relish these moments."
Carlos Alcaraz is…
- the youngest ATP Miami winner in history
- the third youngest ATP Masters 1000 winner since 1990 (after Chang & Nadal)
- the first Spanish man to win Miami
- the new World No.11
- 18-2 this year
- coming for all of the titles
- just unbelievably good
My computer crashed on match point.
Which is appropriate, because for just about the first time in my long & storied career, I absolutely don't know what to say.