Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Of Monte Carlo and mental fortitude
IN THE wake of the hard-court “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami, the ATP Tour now switches to clay and all focus will be on the elite Monte Carlo Masters, which historically is an all-men’s event.
According to organisers past and present, the infrastructure of the Monte Carlo Country Club, where the action unfurls, is too small to accommodate the WTA simultaneously; small minded perhaps.
Needless to say, all of current Top 10 men are in the Draw, including Grigor Dimitrov, who after his magnificent run to the Miami Finals finds himself – and his one handed backhand – back in the Top 10 for the first time since 2018.
Former No 1, Rafa Nadal, an 11 times champion, has yet again pulled out of the line-up at the eleventh hour.
However, before we become embroiled in Cote D’Azure drama, there is much to be gleaned from the WTA trophy presentation in Miami last Sunday, in terms of mental fortitude dictating results, more so than physical prowess: Champion, Danielle Collins, took to the podium and delivered an all encompassing, calculated wave of gratitude – or should I say lecture on gratitude – extending to physiotherapists and security guards, the longest thank you tick list in the history of WTA victory speeches, dispatched like machine gun fire to match her ball-striking.
This was a lady so primed with self-belief, she had told herself she was going to win and prepared accordingly. Whereas her fellow finalist and loser on this occasion, Elana Rybakina stepped sheepishly up to the microphone and meekly announced that she was surprised to be in the Final.
Surprised because at the start of the tournament she and her team “did not think she was physically strong enough, post a bout of illness, to make it beyond week one”.
As it transpired, she was physically up to the task, but definitely not mentally so. Therein lay the difference – in their own words. Collins, in her minds eye, saw herself winning in Technicolor vision; Rybakina did not.
Meanwhile the man, most associated with a Teflon mindset, GOAT Novak Djokovic has made his own resonating announcement, regarding his new coach, who will be replacing Goran Ivanisevic.
I suggested it should be someone with excellent volleying skills – perhaps former No 1s Stefan Edberg or Boris Bekker, given Djokovic’s historic reluctance to advance to net and the fact he’s going to now be faced with a slew of hardcore young volleyers, not least of all, Danish No 1, Holger Rune, whom, interestingly, the Serb has chosen to practise with in Monte Carlo.
As it turns out, Djokovic trumped Singles volleyers and chose, instead, a former Doubles No 1 – obviously oozing volleying skills – and a compatriot, Nenad Zimonjic.
As Ivanisevic put it: “Novak knows everything already about tennis, but Zimonjic knows Djokovic very well and it will be refreshing for Djokovic to hear maybe the same thing, but from someone else ...” And no doubt to add to the GOAT’s volleying repertoire.
Greek No 1, Stefanos Tsitsipas, who en apar with the World No 1, has won Monte Carlo twice, will also be under the microscope at this Masters 1000.
Tsitsipas has tumbled out of the Top 10 of late as his form has plummeted, together with that of his WTA girlfriend, Paula Badosa.
He insists, he “is trying to find a solution”. The only solution I can think of is that the Greek, like Djokovic, desperately needs a new coach, to replace Daddy Apostolos (and Badosa) and to instil some much-needed selfbelief and mental fortitude, as unromantic as that may sound. He who dares, wins ...