Welcome again to the Monday Tennis Briefing, the place The Athletic will clarify the tales behind the tales from the previous week on courtroom.
This week, the primary tournaments of 2025 reached their sharp ends all throughout Australia and New Zealand. Aryna Sabalenka continued a exceptional report and too many matches have been ended by retirements.
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The way to beat Aryna Sabalenka in Australia?
On the face of it, there’s little to offer the remainder of the sector hope. World No. 1 Sabalenka comes into the Australian Open because the two-time defending champion, on a run of 27 wins in 28 hard-court Grand Slam matches that took in her first U.S. Open title in September alongside the 2 Melbourne majors.
She has additionally gained 27 of her final 28 matches in Australia after successful the Brisbane Worldwide title on Sunday, staying sturdy in an occasion through which 10 of the 16 seeded gamers exited on the first alternative.
It wasn’t as simple as her report in Australia suggests. Sabalenka needed to battle previous Mirra Andreeva within the semis in a more durable match than the 6-3, 6-2 scoreline suggests, earlier than overcoming a wobbly first set to beat qualifier Polina Kudermetova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 within the remaining. Sabalenka hit 36 unforced errors in what was a fairly scratchy efficiency, however she obtained the job achieved.
At this stage, she is aware of that in opposition to just about each opponent, the match can be on her racket. If Sabalenka performs near her finest degree, she seems just about unbeatable on this floor, with the remainder of the sector hoping for both a lights-out efficiency of their very own, or one in all Sabalenka’s more and more rare off-days.
GO DEEPER
‘I might be the most effective participant on this planet’: Aryna Sabalenka crowns the season of her life
Charlie Eccleshare
Why so many damage retirements only a week into the season?
The primary week of the 2025 tennis season — a bit of which happened in 2024 — had a really 2021 really feel, as Reilly Opelka and Naomi Osaka plowed into the finals in Australia and New Zealand respectively. Again then, Osaka was the world’s dominant girl and Opelka was a top-20 participant.
However come the clinch, their begins to 2025 ended up feeling like their 2024s. Opelka, who has struggled with hip and wrist accidents and a bunch of associated issues for a lot of the previous two years, retired from his remaining in Brisbane in opposition to Jiri Lehecka with a again damage down 4-1 within the first set.
Osaka, who battled loads of niggles via 2024 and ended the season early with a again damage, gained the primary set of her remaining in opposition to Clara Tauson earlier than retiring with an belly damage.
It’s not the best way both participant wished to complete a few of their finest weeks in a very long time, however with the season’s first Grand Slam simply six days away, stopping in need of the end line seemed to be the one protected transfer. One phrase they each used throughout their post-match feedback: “Sorry”.
Each gamers have seemingly been round without end however are additionally nonetheless comparatively younger. Osaka, 27, stated final 12 months she was centered on attempting to play at the least one other 5 to seven years; in Auckland she recommended that her longevity can be extra tied to her rating than her physique.
“I’d somewhat spend time with my daughter if I’m not the place I believe I must be and the place I really feel like I might be,” she stated in a information convention.
Opelka has not had the luxurious of pondering long-term like that. An almost seven-feet tall body carries its personal disadvantages in relation to damage prevention.
Reilly Opelka beat Novak Djokovic on his run to the ultimate in Brisbane (William West / AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
“I’m going to essentially embrace these subsequent couple weeks to coach and get so much stronger bodily,” Opelka stated after his first-round loss on the U.S. Open in August, which was early days for his comeback.
“The purpose is to have the ability to pin a extremely massive offseason in December.”
There was one different high-profile retirement, with Tomas Machac abruptly pulling out of his match in opposition to Taylor Fritz within the semifinals of the United Cup. Machac, who was up a set and 5-2, had two match factors on Fritz’s serve and served for the match, however the American broke him to take the set to 4-5.
On the changeover, Machac imploded, throwing his racket and screaming at his coach. On the subsequent one, down 6-5 with Fritz serving to take the match to a 3rd set, he did it once more. One level into the sport, Machac walked to the web and informed Fritz he’d been affected by cramps, having been pointing and gesturing at his higher legs for elements of the second set.
Machac then pulled out of the Adelaide Worldwide with a knee damage, additionally hoping to be match for the Australian Open. Having spent 2024 occasions like a world-beater, at occasions mentally and bodily undercooked, he stays an enigma.
Matt Futterman
A final flourish for Kei Nishikori?
With reference to accidents, given the rotten luck he’s had, absolutely nobody would begrudge Kei Nishikori a final flourish in his profession. Now 35, the previous world No. 4 is aware of his finest days are behind him, however continues to offer every little thing seeking one other massive second.
Simply staying match for some time would in all probability really feel like sufficient, however Nishikori is suggesting he would possibly simply be able to a primary title in six years. He went all the best way to the ultimate within the 250-level Hong Kong Open final week, coming inside a set of victory solely to expire of steam within the remaining in opposition to Alexandre Muller, who gained all 5 of his matches from a set down. Nishikori succumbed 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.
His resurgence follows his 2014 U.S. Open remaining opponent Marin Cilic getting back from devastating damage issues of his personal to win the Hangzhou Open in September, and a month earlier Nishikori informed The Athletic in a Zoom interview that 2025 was the 12 months he wished to push for higher outcomes.
Of 2024, he stated, “I nonetheless need to go sluggish. And hopefully I can keep wholesome and play many matches.” He then added, “I hope I can begin taking part in good from subsequent 12 months.”
A lot of the tennis world hopes so too.
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How Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori shocked tennis on the 2014 U.S. Open
Charlie Eccleshare
To defend or to not defend a title?
A wierd factor occurred throughout this Australian summer season of tennis: the defending WTA champions of 2024 determined they didn’t a lot really feel like defending their titles.
Coco Gauff gained Auckland final 12 months; she performed United Cup this 12 months. Elena Rybakina gained Brisbane; she, too determined to play the United Cup.
Emma Navarro gained Hobart, again when she was a participant who performed tournaments the week earlier than a Grand Slam as a result of every little thing was new and he or she wanted rankings factors wherever she might discover them. That’s not who she thought she was anymore, on condition that she is the world No. 8. She signed up for Brisbane, however then turned one in all a slew of seeds to exit early, falling to Kimberly Birrell of Australia.
That loss turned Navarro again right into a participant who performs the week earlier than a Slam, with the American heading to Adelaide for matches moreso than factors. Issues labored out higher for Gauff: she performed 5 United Cup matches and gained all 5, the final in opposition to Iga Swiatek of Poland, her longtime nemesis. That’s concerning the definition of match-ready.
GO DEEPER
How does Coco Gauff clear up an issue like Iga Swiatek?
Matt Futterman
Shot of the week
Coco Gauff has tennis followers digging out their protractors with this one.
Really useful studying:
🏆 The winners of the week
🎾 United Cup:
🏆 USA def. Poland 2-0 to win the United Cup in Sydney. It’s the nation’s second United Cup title.
🎾 ATP:
🏆 Jiri Lehecka def. Reilly Opelka 4-1 (ret.) to win the Brisbane Worldwide (250) in Brisbane, Australia. It’s his second ATP Tour title, each coming in Australia.
🏆 Alexandre Muller def. Kei Nishikori (WC) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 to win the Hong Kong Open (250) in Hong Kong, China. It’s his first ATP Tour title.
🏆 Joao Fonseca def. Ethan Quinn 6-4, 6-4 to win the Canberra Worldwide (Challenger 125) in Canberra, Australia. It’s his second ATP Challenger title.
🎾 WTA:
🏆 Aryna Sabalenka (1) def. Polina Kudermetova (Q) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the Brisbane Worldwide (500) in Brisbane, Australia. It’s her 18th WTA Tour title.
🏆 Claura Tauson (5) def. Naomi Osaka (7) 4-6 (ret.) to win the ASB Basic (250) in Auckland, New Zealand. It’s the Dane’s third WTA Tour title.
🏆 Aoi Ito (7) def. Wei Sijia 6-4, 6-3 to win the Canberra Worldwide (WTA 125) in Canberra, Australia. It’s her first WTA 125 title.
📈📉 On the rise / Down the road
📈 Mirra Andreeva strikes up one place to a brand new profession excessive of No. 15 after her run to the Brisbane Worldwide semifinals.
📈 Joao Fonseca ascends 32 spots from No. 145 to a brand new profession excessive of No. 113 after successful the Canberra Worldwide.
📈 Polina Kudermetova strikes up 50 locations to a brand new profession excessive of No. 57 after her run to the Brisbane Worldwide remaining.
📉 Andrey Rublev falls one place from No. 8 to No. 9, shedding a key seeding slot for the Australian Open.
📉 Clara Burel drops 4 locations from No. 99 to No. 103 to go away the highest 100.
📉 Adrian Mannarino tumbles seven spots from No. 66 to No. 73 to drop out of the highest 70.
📅 Arising
🎾 ATP
📍Adelaide, Australia: Adelaide Worldwide (250) that includes Tommy Paul, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Sebastian Korda, Denis Shapovalov.
📍Auckland, New Zealand: ASB Basic (250) that includes Ben Shelton, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Gael Monfils, Jakub Mensik.
📍Melbourne, Australia: Australian Open Qualifying that includes Joao Fonseca, Alexander Blockx, Learner Tien, Cruz Hewitt.
📺 UK: Sky Sports activities; U.S.: Tennis Channel 💻
🎾 WTA
📍Adelaide, Australia: Adelaide Worldwide (500) that includes Jessica Pegula, Donna Vekic, Ons Jabeur, Emma Navarro.
📍Hobart, Australia: Hobart Worldwide (250) that includes Dayana Yastremska, Rebecca Sramkova, Maya Joint, Sofia Kenin.
📍Melbourne, Australia: Australian Open Qualifying that includes Alycia Parks, Aoi Ito, Polina Kudermetova, Eva Lys.
📺 UK: Sky Sports activities; U.S.:
Inform us what you observed this week within the feedback under as the boys’s and girls’s excursions proceed.
(Prime photograph: Getty Photographs; design: Eamonn Dalton)