WHO is right and who is wrong?
Katie Boulter or Dan Evans? Those who believe British tennis is in a good place or those who think it is not?
Brit Boulter has pushed back at criticism of the state of the game in the UK, saying “we’re in a very good place”.
Really Katie? Really? When the facts are there that there is no British woman in the world top 100.
And not one British woman made the French Open draw. Not one. This has not happened since 2009.
Boulter is currently ranked at 125. Heather Watson is at 193 and injury-plagued, coach-less again Emma Raducanu is one hundred and something, after that amazing US Open win.
Evans last week questioned what was happening with the game in Britain, criticising the Lawn Tennis Association’s distribution – or lack of it – of millions of pounds of funds it has received from the success of Wimbledon.
”I personally think we’re in a very good place,” Boulter said. Really?
Boulter was speaking after winning a match at a low grade event at Surbiton, a suburb of London.
If Surbiton is ranking as a good place, then British tennis has a long, long way to go on the world stage.
But the story then took another twist as Evans, who was also playing at Surbiton, suggested Boulter may not be in a position to criticise the Lawn Tennis Association because she had received big grants from them.
OK, so you don’t bite the hand that feeds you, but, as Evans said, “the rankings don’t lie”.
Many countries have long been jealous of the money Wimbledon makes and hands out – yet those same countries all have better rankings.
British women’s tennis is at a low and there seems little chance of that changing for some tine to go.
If it wasn’t for one Andrew Murray, men’s tennis would be in the same position.
Photo: Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
DID anyone spot Serena Williams in Paris last week, showing daughter the Eiffel Tower?
The 23-time Grand Slam champion took to her social media channel to share footage of her visit.
“Paris, France. One of my favorite places to visit. Also, one of my favorite stops on tour at the French Open,” she said,
Williams said she enjoyed singing Katy Perry’s Roar during their carousel ride and dancing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
GREEK star Stefanos Tsitsipas was one player not too happy with the night game scheduling last week.
“The schedule has been a little bit difficult the last few days. I had some late-night sessions … not super late, but late enough for me to have my sleep schedule ruined, in a way,” he was quoted.
“Sleep is a very vital important thing, and recovery is “the” most important thing when competing and playing Slams.”
Yes, TV has a major say in scheduling of games, but Tsitsipas has a point when games run so late – sometimes into the early hours of the following day.
New York in September will no doubt again see some ridiculously late finishes.
FAREWELL to clay, hello grass. And hello again to Nick Kyrgios.
Kyrgios is preparing to make his first competitive appearance of the season at an ATP 250 grass-court tournament in Stuttgart this week.
The Aussie, who last competed on tour in October and has been recovering from knee surgery, is the No.8 seed in the men’s singles draw.
He faces China’s Wu Yibing in the opening round.
