Welcome to Monday's tennis information session. The Athletic Let me explain the story behind last week's court.
This week saw the first tournaments of 2025 culminate across Australia and New Zealand. Aryna Sabalenka continued her impressive record, with too many matches ending in retirement.
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How to beat Aryna Sabalenka in Australia?
At first glance, there is little to offer hope for the rest of the field. World No. 1 Sabalenka enters the Australian Open as a two-time defending champion, winning 27 of 28 hard-court Grand Slam matches and winning her first US Open title in September, along with two majors in Melbourne. obtained.
She also won 27 of her last 28 matches in Australia after clinching the title at the Brisbane International on Sunday, continuing her strong run in a tournament where 10 of the 16 seeded players were eliminated at the first opportunity.
It wasn't as simple as her record in Australia suggests. Sabalenka defeated Mila Andreeva in the semifinals, overcoming a shaky first set to qualify after a tougher match than the 6-3, 6-2 scoreline indicated. Polina Kudermetova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Sabalenka had a pretty tough performance, making 36 unforced errors, but got the job done.
At this stage, she knows she's up against almost everyone. If Sabalenka plays close to her best level, she looks nearly unbeatable on this surface, and the rest of the field is left with either their own perfect performance or Sabalenka's increasingly rare off days. I'm hoping for one.
even deeper
'I can be the best player in the world': Aryna Sabalenka has the best season of her life
Charlie Eckleshare
Why are there so many injury retirements just one week into the season?
The first week of the 2025 tennis season (parts of which took place in 2024) had a very 2021 feel as Riley Opelka and Naomi Osaka reached the finals in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. At the time, Osaka was the dominant female player in the world and Opelka was a top 20 player.
But in the end, 2025 started out feeling like 2024. Opelka has been plagued by hip and wrist injuries and a number of associated complications for the better part of the past two years, having to withdraw from the Brisbane final against Jiri Lehecka in the first set with a back injury, and in the final set against Jiri Lehecka. They lost 4-1 in one set.
Osaka, who fought through many hardships until 2024 and had her season ended early with a lower back injury, won the first set of the final against Clara Thorson before retiring with an abdominal injury.
Neither player wanted to come off their best week in a long time, but with the first Grand Slam of the season just six days away, stopping short of the finish line appears to be the only safe course of action. It looked like. In their post-match comments, both players said, “I'm sorry.”
Although both players seem to have been around forever, they are still relatively young. Osaka, 27, said last year that she was focused on playing for at least five to seven more years. In Auckland, she suggested it had more to do with her ranking than her longevity.
“If I'm not where I think I should be, where I feel like I can be, I want to spend time with my daughter,” she said at a press conference.
Opelka did not have the luxury of thinking long-term like that. The nearly 7-foot-tall frame has its disadvantages when it comes to injury prevention.
Riley Opelka beats Novak Djokovic to reach the final in Brisbane (William West/AFP via Getty Images)
“I'm going to spend the next few weeks training seriously and getting stronger physically,” Opelka said after losing in the first round at the US Open in August, early in his comeback.
“The goal is to have a really big offseason in December.”
There was another retirement match that attracted attention. Tomas Machak suddenly missed the United Cup semi-final match against Taylor Fritz. Machak, who led the set 5-2, had two match points on Fritz's serve and serve for the match, but the American broke to make it 4-5 in the set.
During the changeover, Machak exploded, throwing his racket and screaming at his coach. In the next match, Fritz's serving took the match into a third set and he lost 6-5, but he did it again. One point into the match, Machak headed to the net and was pointing and gesturing to the top of his leg for part of the second set, telling Fritz that he was suffering from cramps.
Machak then withdrew from the Adelaide International due to a knee injury, but hoped to be able to play at the Australian Open as well. He is still shrouded in mystery, having spent 2024 looking like one of the world's strongest players, but at times appearing mentally and physically inadequate.
Matt Futterman
Kei Nishikori's last performance?
When it comes to injuries, no one would begrudge Kei Nishikori the last bloom of his career considering his terrible luck thus far. Now 35, the former world number four knows his best days are behind him, but he remains committed to finding his next big moment.
While staying healthy for a while will feel like enough, Nishikori has suggested he may have a shot at winning his first title in six years. He reached the final of the 250-level Hong Kong Open last week, coming within one set of victory, but ran out of steam in the final against Alexander Muller. Muller won all five matches from a set down. Nishikori lost 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.
His comeback follows his 2014 US Open final opponent Marin Cilic's return from a serious injury of his own to win the Hangzhou Open in September, a month before Nishikori He said this. The Athletic In a Zoom interview, he said that 2025 is the year he wants to strive for better results.
Regarding 2024, he said:I still want to go slowly. I also hope to stay healthy and participate in many games. He added, “I want to be able to play well starting next year.''
Much of the tennis world hopes so, too.
even deeper
How Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori shocked with their tennis at the 2014 US Open
Charlie Eckleshare
Should I keep the title or not?
Something strange has happened this Australian tennis summer. The 2024 WTA defending champions decided they had little desire to defend their title.
Coco Gauff won in Oakland last year. She played in the United Cup this year. Elena Rybakina wins in Brisbane. She also decided to participate in the United Cup.
Emma Navarro won in Hobart when she was a player competing in the tournament the week before the Grand Slam. Everything was new to me and I needed ranking points wherever I could find them. Given that she is number 8 in the world rankings, she is no longer who she thought she was. She registered for Brisbane, but then became one of a number of seeds to make an early exit, falling to Australia's Kimberly Birrell.
The defeat reverted Navarro to playing in the week before the tournament, with Navarro heading to Adelaide for a point-and-above game. Things went better for Gauff. She played five matches in the United Cup and won all five, the last one against long-time nemesis Iga Swiatek of Poland. That's about the definition of game preparation.
even deeper
How does Coco Gauff solve a problem like Iga Swiatek's?
Matt Futterman
shot of the week
Coco Gauff makes tennis fans love this protractor.
Recommended reading:
🏆 This week's winner
🎾 United Cup:
🏆 united states of america no doubt. Poland Won 2-0 united cup In Sydney. This is the country's second United Cup title.
🎾 ATP:
🏆 Jiri Lehecka no doubt. Riley Opelka Won 4-1 (come from behind) brisbane international (250) Brisbane, Australia. This is his second ATP Tour title, both in Australia.
🏆 alexander muller no doubt. Kei Nishikori (WC) Won 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 hong kong open (250) Hong Kong, China. This is his first ATP Tour title.
🏆 Joan Fonseca no doubt. ethan quinn Won 6-4, 6-4 canberra international (Challenger 125) Located in Canberra, Australia. This is his second ATP Challenger title.
🎾 WTA:
🏆 Arina Sabalenka (1) no doubt. Polina Kudermetova (Q) Won 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 brisbane international (500) Brisbane, Australia. This is her 18th WTA Tour title.
🏆 Claura Thorson (5) no doubt. Naomi Osaka (7) Won 4-6 (come from behind) ASB Classic (250) Auckland, New Zealand. This is the Dane's third WTA Tour title.
🏆 Aoi Ito (7) no doubt. Wei Zhijia Won 6-4, 6-3 canberra international (WTA 125) Canberra, Australia. This is her first WTA 125 title.
📈📉 Rising/falling line
📈 Mila Andreeva After advancing to the Brisbane International semi-finals, he moved up one place to a career-high 15th place.
📈 Joan Fonseca After winning the Canberra International, he moved up 32 places from 145th to a career-high 113th.
📈 Polina Kudermetova After reaching the Brisbane International final, he moved up 50 places to a career-high 57th place.
📉 Andrei Rublev He dropped one place from 8th to 9th, losing an important seeding spot for the Australian Open.
📉 clara brel dropped four places from 99th to 103rd, falling outside the top 100.
📉 Adrian Mannarino He dropped seven places from 66th to 73rd, falling out of the top 70.
📅 very soon
🎾 ATP
📍Adelaide, Australia: adelaide international (250) Starring Tommy Paul, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Sebastian Korda, and Denis Shapovalov.
📍Auckland, New Zealand: ASB Classic (250) Starring Ben Shelton, Giovanni Mpesi Pellicar, Gael Monfils, and Jakub Mencik.
📍Melbourne, Australia: Australian Open Qualifying Starring Joan Fonseca, Alexander Brox, Lerner Tien, and Cruise Hewitt.
📺 UK: Sky Sports. US: Tennis Channel 💻
🎾 WTA
📍Adelaide, Australia: adelaide international (500) Starring Jessica Pegula, Donna Vekic, Ons Jabour, and Emma Navarro.
📍Hobart, Australia: hobart international (250) Starring Dayana Yastremska, Rebecca Slamkova, Maya Joynt, and Sofia Kenin.
📍Melbourne, Australia: Australian Open Qualifying Starring Alicia Parks, Aoi Ito, Polina Kudermetova, and Eva Rhys.
📺 UK: Sky Sports. We:
As the men's and women's tours continue, let us know what you noticed this week in the comments below.
(Top photo: Getty Images, Design: Eamonn Dalton)
