Tennis

Daniil Medvedev, the former world No. 1, has expressed his desire for his daughter, Alisa, to develop a preference for clay courts over hard courts. Medvedev, who has struggled on clay throughout his career, joked that he would be content if Alisa enjoyed the surface more than he does.Despite Alisa's popularity on social media, Medvedev is not rushing her into tennis. He believes it is crucial to allow her to explore her interests and develop her own passions. However, he acknowledges that she enjoys playing with a small racquet and kicking balls.Medvedev credits his wife, Daria, for spending most of her time with Alisa while he is away on tour. He admits that Alisa is more relaxed and easygoing with him, while she exhibits a stronger personality with her mother.Reflecting on his own childhood, Medvedev acknowledges that he may not have chosen tennis if he had been given the option at the age of 10. He emphasizes the importance of parental guidance and support in shaping his career path.Despite his past struggles on clay, Medvedev has shown improvement this season. He has reached the third round of Roland Garros for only the third time in eight appearances. He attributes this success to the increased competitiveness of the men's draw, which has made it more difficult for top players to dominate.Medvedev's next opponent will be either No. 31 seed Mariano Navone or Tomas Machac, who recently defeated Novak Djokovic. Medvedev remains cautious but is optimistic about his chances of advancing further in the tournament.

Irina-Camelia Begu Poised to Upset Linda Noskova at Roland GarrosThe rain-soaked Roland Garros tournament has finally resumed, and Day 5 promises an exciting clash between Irina-Camelia Begu and world No. 29 Linda Noskova. Despite Noskova's higher ranking, Begu's clay-court prowess and recent form make her a formidable opponent.Begu's season started late due to an injury, but she has since played a heavy clay-court schedule, reaching the fourth round in Rome. Her ability to construct points and her impressive hold and break percentages on clay give her an edge over Noskova, who has limited experience on the surface.Noskova, on the other hand, has had success on hard courts but has struggled on clay, winning only four of her 10 matches at the WTA level. Her shaky performance against Harriet Dart in the first round raises concerns about her ability to handle the challenges of clay.Furthermore, Begu has a history of performing well at Roland Garros, reaching the fourth round in 2021. Her experience and familiarity with the conditions could prove crucial against Noskova.While Noskova defeated Begu in Indian Wells last year, the clay-court surface presents a different dynamic. Begu's ranking of 127 does not reflect her true potential on clay, and she is likely to pose a significant threat to Noskova.

Ben Shelton, the rising American tennis star, has embraced the unique atmosphere of Roland Garros, where he recently triumphed over Frenchman Hugo Gaston in the first round. Despite the partisan crowd cheering for Gaston, Shelton relished the experience, describing it as "pretty special."Shelton's love for clay courts and European tennis culture is a departure from the traditional American aversion to the surface. He believes in adapting to the nuances of clay rather than resisting it. This mindset has led to solid results on clay, including a title in Houston and a 3-3 record on traditional red clay.Shelton's success on clay is not solely attributed to his physical attributes but also to his positive attitude. He thrives on the energy and atmosphere of clay-court events, even when the crowd is against him. This resilience stems from his experience playing in front of boisterous and hostile fans during his collegiate career at the University of Florida.Shelton's journey on clay is a testament to the changing attitudes of American players towards the surface. Inspired by the success of Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Sebi Korda, younger players like Shelton are embracing the challenges and rewards of clay-court tennis.

Denis Shapovalov, the former world No. 10, is poised to face Frances Tiafoe, the world No. 26, in a highly anticipated clash at Roland Garros on Wednesday, May 29. Despite his current ranking of 118th, Shapovalov is a formidable opponent, having recently recovered from an injury.Shapovalov's clay-court season has been inconsistent, but he has shown signs of improvement since arriving in Madrid, posting a 4-3 record. Tiafoe, on the other hand, has struggled on European clay, winning only one match before narrowly defeating Mattia Bellucci in his opener.The Bellucci match highlighted Tiafoe's difficulties against left-handed opponents, particularly those with powerful groundstrokes and serves. Shapovalov, a left-hander with exceptional power and serve, poses a significant threat to Tiafoe.Furthermore, Shapovalov holds a 4-2 head-to-head advantage over Tiafoe, including a winning record on clay. Tiafoe's success on clay has primarily been on green clay in Texas, which differs significantly from the conditions in Europe.Shapovalov's recent straight-set victory over Luca Van Assche has boosted his confidence, while Tiafoe may be fatigued after playing nearly four hours in his previous match.Overall, Shapovalov appears to have the edge in this matchup. His superior power, serve, and experience on clay make him the favorite to advance to the next round.

In the captivating opening day clash at Roland Garros, French clay-court specialist Corentin Moutet faces off against Chilean giant Nicolas Jarry. Despite his lower world ranking of 79th, Moutet has proven his prowess on clay, having defeated Jarry in their previous encounter in Chile.Moutet's fiery personality and impressive clay-court record make him a formidable opponent. The home crowd at Court Simonne-Mathieu will provide him with an electrifying atmosphere, further boosting his confidence. The slower court speeds in Paris will also favor Moutet's game, allowing him to neutralize Jarry's powerful serve.While Jarry possesses an exceptional serve, Moutet's return game has improved significantly. Jarry's break percentage remains low, indicating that Moutet can hold his serve effectively. Additionally, Moutet's ability to read Jarry's serve and block it back into play will be crucial in this match.Moutet's strategy will likely involve avoiding Jarry's forehand, which is his most potent weapon. However, Jarry's tendency to overhit forehands under pressure could prove detrimental. Moutet's smart play and ability to exploit Jarry's weaknesses make him a strong contender in this match.Overall, this encounter promises to be a close battle. Moutet's home advantage, clay-court expertise, and Jarry's potential for nerves could all play a role in determining the outcome.

Naomi Osaka, the former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion, is embracing motherhood while navigating the challenges of the European clay circuit. Her 10-month-old daughter, Shai, has taken her first steps, bringing immense joy to Osaka.Despite the distance from her child, Osaka remains connected through daily calls. She acknowledges the difficulty of being away from Shai, but finds solace in her daughter's well-being.Osaka's clay-court journey began in Rouen, France, and has seen her make significant progress on the slow, red surface. She has never won a match on clay against a top-20 player until her recent victories at the Italian Open."I have made a significant amount of progress, and I feel like people can kind of see that throughout the tournaments that I have played," Osaka said. "I feel like I have dedicated a lot of time to learning about clay."Osaka's major titles came on hard courts, and she has yet to advance past the third round at the French Open or Wimbledon. However, she is more at ease on clay now."Honestly, at this point, I feel pretty comfortable on clay, to the point where I don't know if I'll be a little confused my first day back on hard," she joked.Osaka's opening match at Roland Garros is against Lucia Bronzetti, with the potential for a second-round clash against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek."Clay is fun. You get to slide around. You get to see how strong you are, in and out of corners," Osaka said. "For me, there is a lot of really valuable lessons that I'm learning from clay-court tennis."

Casper Ruud, the former world No. 2, overcame a slow start to defeat Sebastian Ofner 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 at the Gonet Geneva Open on Wednesday. The victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with No. 5 seed Sebastian Baez.Ruud, who has been a contender for his first major title at this year's Roland Garros, had lost his last two matches after a strong start to the clay-court swing. However, he showed his resilience against Ofner, who had won his first set against a Top 10 player in 22 attempts.The Norwegian settled down after losing the first set and took control of the match, breaking Ofner three times in the second and third sets to secure the victory in just under two hours.Ruud's victory is a boost to his confidence ahead of Roland Garros, where he is considered a contender for the title. He will face Baez in the quarterfinals, a player he has a 2-0 head-to-head advantage against.Ofner, despite his defeat, showed his fighting spirit and ability to compete against top players. He will look to build on this performance in the upcoming tournaments.The Gonet Geneva Open is a key warm-up event for Roland Garros, and Ruud's victory is a reminder of his status as a contender for the French Open title.

Ben Shelton's Roland Garros preparations suffered a setback as he bowed out of the Gonet Geneva Open in the second round, succumbing to a 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2 defeat against Flavio Cobolli.Shelton, seeded fourth, had hoped to build on his impressive clay-court form this season, which included a title in Houston and third-round appearances in Madrid and Rome. However, Cobolli, ranked 22nd, proved too strong, rallying from a set and a break down to secure his third ATP quarterfinal of the year.The American started brightly, breaking Cobolli's serve in the opening set and serving it out comfortably. He carried that momentum into the second set, breaking again and taking a 4-2 lead. But Cobolli refused to be deterred, breaking back in the eighth game and forcing a tiebreaker.In a stunning reversal, Cobolli dominated the tiebreaker, winning it 7-1 and leveling the match. The Italian continued to grow in confidence in the third set, breaking Shelton's serve twice and consolidating his lead with strong serving.Shelton, who had been serving and volleying effectively throughout the match, retreated to the baseline as the match reached its critical phase. Cobolli took full advantage, breaking Shelton's serve again and serving out the match with an ace.Cobolli's victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko, who advanced via walkover. Shelton, meanwhile, will have to regroup and refocus his preparations for Roland Garros, which begins on May 28.

Iga Świątek, the world's top-ranked tennis player, has extended her winning streak on clay to 12 matches after securing her third Rome title with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 victory over Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's final.Świątek, who has now won 28 consecutive sets on clay, will enter the French Open as the overwhelming favorite to defend her title. She is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to win both the Madrid and Rome titles on clay in the same season.Despite her impressive form, Świątek remains cautious about her chances at Roland Garros. "Obviously I am confident. I feel like I'm playing great tennis, but that doesn't change the fact that I just want to stay humble," she said. "Grand Slams are different. There's a different pressure on the court and off the court."Świątek's victory over Sabalenka was a clinical display of tennis. She broke Sabalenka's serve twice in the first set and once in the second set to secure the win in just 79 minutes.Sabalenka, who has won the last two Australian Open titles, admitted that she did not play well in the first set. "I wasn't feeling my game well," she said. "In the second set, I tried to stay a little bit more aggressive, but I didn't use my opportunities."Świątek's victory in Rome is a testament to her dominance on clay. She has now won four of the last five clay-court tournaments she has played in, including the French Open in 2020 and 2022.With her victory in Rome, Świątek has extended her lead at the top of the WTA rankings. She is now 2,000 points ahead of second-ranked Sabalenka.