The Tennis Thread

The Tennis Thread

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Bonefish Blues

26,431 posts

222 months

Friday 28th May 2021
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Bright Halo said:
I’m quite happy to be told I’m wrong but Naomi Osaka not doing post match interviews just seems wrong to me.
She says it is to protect her mental health but surely facing questions about your match performance is part and parcel of being a highly paid professional athlete?
Are the interviews really that bad, the ones I have seen always seem quite relaxed and generally very well mannered?
My view also. Happens in every other sport - it's part of losing, and sportspeople need to deal with that, too, since it happens more often than winning.

MiniMan64

16,860 posts

189 months

Friday 28th May 2021
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Bonefish Blues said:
Bright Halo said:
I’m quite happy to be told I’m wrong but Naomi Osaka not doing post match interviews just seems wrong to me.
She says it is to protect her mental health but surely facing questions about your match performance is part and parcel of being a highly paid professional athlete?
Are the interviews really that bad, the ones I have seen always seem quite relaxed and generally very well mannered?
My view also. Happens in every other sport - it's part of losing, and sportspeople need to deal with that, too, since it happens more often than winning.
While I agree with the sentiment part of my brain says why should you have to? She's there to play tennis, it's just expected that everyone will want the press, want to be famous but many people don't.

Bonefish Blues

26,431 posts

222 months

Friday 28th May 2021
quotequote all
MiniMan64 said:
Bonefish Blues said:
Bright Halo said:
I’m quite happy to be told I’m wrong but Naomi Osaka not doing post match interviews just seems wrong to me.
She says it is to protect her mental health but surely facing questions about your match performance is part and parcel of being a highly paid professional athlete?
Are the interviews really that bad, the ones I have seen always seem quite relaxed and generally very well mannered?
My view also. Happens in every other sport - it's part of losing, and sportspeople need to deal with that, too, since it happens more often than winning.
While I agree with the sentiment part of my brain says why should you have to? She's there to play tennis, it's just expected that everyone will want the press, want to be famous but many people don't.
Because sponsors=money=prizes and they ain't amateurs. It's just how it functions. Appearing in a Press Conference to discuss your performance as a professional doesn't impinge on someone's privacy.

Where I do have sympathy is if questions intrude on personal life - then they should have the right (as I believe they do) to refuse to answer.

Leithen

10,799 posts

266 months

Friday 28th May 2021
quotequote all
Bright Halo said:
I’m quite happy to be told I’m wrong but Naomi Osaka not doing post match interviews just seems wrong to me.
She says it is to protect her mental health but surely facing questions about your match performance is part and parcel of being a highly paid professional athlete?
Are the interviews really that bad, the ones I have seen always seem quite relaxed and generally very well mannered?
I've never had to endure hours of repeated witless questions, but then again I've never been paid to.

The tournament organisers should simply refuse to pay any prize or appearance money to her. If her sponsors are happy for her to stay away from the press then that's their choice.

I enjoy women's tennis, but there is far too much variability in performance. I'd like to see five sets in Grand Slams as well.

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Friday 28th May 2021
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Will serena ever win a grand slam again

Bright Halo

2,950 posts

234 months

Friday 28th May 2021
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CoolHands said:
Will serena ever win a grand slam again
I’m not sure she will. She still has that great power but the consistency over the duration of a tournament seems to have gone.

I’m surprised Nadal is only seeded 3 for the French. Being the holder and with his record there I thought he would be 1 for definite.
However I personally do not think he will win this year. As good and as dominant as he is on clay I think Father Time will finally catch up with him.

McGee_22

6,654 posts

178 months

Friday 28th May 2021
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Bright Halo said:
CoolHands said:
Will serena ever win a grand slam again
I’m not sure she will. She still has that great power but the consistency over the duration of a tournament seems to have gone.

I’m surprised Nadal is only seeded 3 for the French. Being the holder and with his record there I thought he would be 1 for definite.
However I personally do not think he will win this year. As good and as dominant as he is on clay I think Father Time will finally catch up with him.
I hope neither of the two ever win a Grand Slam again - they're probably the least gracious losers of a generation; Serena in particular seems to think she has a right to win and question every call against her as well as not giving a damn about her opponents - some may say that is a winning mentality but I think she has thought of herself as untouchable queen of the court for far too long now.

In terms of how she plays, her mobility is the thing that's caught up with her - she has always been so muscular as to generate the power for her particular style but as she maintains and relies on that it has increasingly reduced her ability to cover the court.

Bonefish Blues

26,431 posts

222 months

Friday 28th May 2021
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I've warmed to Nadal tbh. Serena not so much. Well at all.

Bright Halo

2,950 posts

234 months

Friday 28th May 2021
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Bonefish Blues said:
I've warmed to Nadal tbh. Serena not so much. Well at all.
I was always a Federer fan but must admit I now really admire Nadal and his pure determination.
Aren’t we lucky to have been witness to such an era of superb tennis players.
Probably never see the like again.


Burwood

18,709 posts

245 months

Monday 31st May 2021
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Osaka’s career over? Hijacks mental health to swerve the media. I mean it’s over anyway, she can’t win. Slow end maybe

Digger

14,588 posts

190 months

Monday 31st May 2021
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Burwood said:
Osaka’s career over? Hijacks mental health to swerve the media. I mean it’s over anyway, she can’t win. Slow end maybe
Well that's the cynical view then . . .

Leithen

10,799 posts

266 months

Monday 31st May 2021
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Very sadly, success appears to have brought her very little happiness. Professional sport is an unforgiving goldfish bowl. Depression is probably far more common than it appears.

You don't win 4 Grand Slams without being both gifted and dedicated. But such achievements must be very hard if you are as shy as she appears to be. As much as she must love to play tennis, if everything else is so difficult, it must leave her with some very difficult choices.

Digger

14,588 posts

190 months

Monday 31st May 2021
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She is 23.

Also who is managing her?

Bright Halo

2,950 posts

234 months

Thursday 3rd June 2021
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Robin Williams once said
“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about, be kind"

I think it is very apt in Naomi Osaka’s case.
If she is suffering from depression and anxiety then she needs help and support. It is such a shame that one of her close team could not have approached the WTA and French Open organisers to explain the situation before she said she wouldn’t do the interviews as I am confident a solution would have been found.

I do not blame Naomi one bit as I have suffered from severe depression and you can say and do some very irrational things.

Baron Greenback

6,961 posts

149 months

Sunday 6th June 2021
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Roger Federer has withdrawn from the French Open to protect his body despite reaching the fourth round. Dont blame him so soon after knee op and I am sure his body s taking longer to recover now after all that tennis he has done!

McGee_22

6,654 posts

178 months

Sunday 6th June 2021
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And Serena out in straight sets,

paulguitar

23,104 posts

112 months

Friday 11th June 2021
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I think this Nadal/Djok match is going to be a cracker.

Anyone watching?



Baron Greenback

6,961 posts

149 months

Friday 11th June 2021
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Never known a player have such dominance on a surface as Nadal on clay. His power on backhand and forehand and angle he creates is mind blowing. Think seniors will dread when Federer retiires and think whe and Nadal joins them going to be worse if their bodies survives.

McGee_22

6,654 posts

178 months

Friday 11th June 2021
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paulguitar said:
I think this Nadal/Djok match is going to be a cracker.

Anyone watching?
Yep.

Bonefish Blues

26,431 posts

222 months

Friday 11th June 2021
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Me too