Today, Su-Wei Hsieh announced on Instagram that she is cleaning her trophies. To which Daniela Hantuchova commented, “Can you please come do mine as well?”
Su-Wei replied: “Will need to send a big bus of cleaning team to you.”
To which Hantuchova responded: “ahahahahaa no noooo my list is very little compared to your’s.”
For those counting, Hantuchova won all four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, nine doubles titles total and seven in singles including Indian Wells. She was no. 7 in the world. The Slovakian beauty also played in three doubles finals, one at French Open and two in Australia.
Hsieh has won four Grand Slam doubles titles, three at Wimbledon and one at French Open. The two time world no. 1 in doubles has won 30 doubles titles overall and three more trophies in singles.
Might need a couple of trophy cleaning crews for each as Hantuchova has won 16 pro titles, Hsieh has 33.
It appears Mackenzie McDonald and his long time girlfriend Channelle Zie Nguyen have called it quits.
Emma Raducanu has another major sponsor. The 2021 US Open Champion is now a “Global Ambassador” for Evian Water.
Stefan Kozlov is training hard this off-season and also helping work at his dad Andrei’s academy in Pembroke Pines. This month he will start training on court with Kevin Anderson.
Qiang Wang is training in Malibu with coach Pat Cash at the Uumo Sport tennis house.
California’s Rudy Quon won the Eddie Herr boys 16s title. He lost in the final of the Herr 12’s three years ago.
Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon is training at the Florida Atlantic University courts in Pompano Beach, FL.
Final Magazine, the new upscale quarterly tennis publication based in Oslo, Norway, had made it’s debut with Patrick Mouratoglou as the cover feature interview. My Emma Raducanu feature “The Girl Who Became A Queen In Three Months” is in the issue which is available at www.finalmagazine.net Patrick himself likes the issue so much he ordered a thousand copies to be distributed at his Nice Academy.
Reilly Opelka made an appearance and speech to the competitors at the Little Mo Junior Tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Opelka said: “Little Mo brought back some great memories from my junior days and it’s crazy to think that somewhere down the road I will have the chance to compete against some of these youngsters.” Opelka also attended Art Basel in Miami (with Venus Williams and Taylor Fritz) and the Sports Illustrated Awards show.
Ryan Harrison is training hard at IMG Academy with fitness coach Johnny Parkes.
Longtime IMG and NBTA coach Chip Brooks has passed away. Brooks was involved in coaching many renowned players at the Bradenton, FL based sports super facility, including Tommy Haas, Marcelo Rios, Danielle Collins. I met Chip a few times at Eddie Herr and still remember some of this anecdotes and very kind, engaging demeanor. He had a wonderful way of describing superstar athletes because he understood their nature. Of Marcelo Rios he said of the notorious rebel and former world no. 1, “When somebody is that extraordinarily talented and gifted at playing tennis, you just can’t expect them to be a normal person.” RIP Chip, it was an honor to meet and know you, though it was only briefly.
Yours truly has just published my eleventh tennis book Facing Bjorn Borg. I was able to do over fifty interviews with the likes of McEnroe, Gene Mayer, Chris Lewis, Harold Solomon, John Lloyd, and many others who played or trained with Borg. I learned many new things from doing this book and gained a better understanding of why he retired from the sport at age 26. Facing Bjorn Borg book is available at amazon for $9.99 and $5.99 Kindle version.
Bjorn Borg · Daniela Hantuchova · Roland Garros · Ryan Harrison · Su-wei Hsieh · Wimbledon
Scoop Malinowski · December 16, 2021 at 9:39 am
Kiki Mladenovic has dumped long time doubles partner Timea Babos and each will seek out new partners. Babos called the move “unprocessable.”
Alja Tomljanovic is working with Kevin Anderson coach Diego Moyano in her off season training.
Soonwoo Kwon is busy training hard in South Florida with a group of Korean players.
Brandon Nakashima is training in Naples.
Lleyton Hewitt son Cruz won his first round match at Orange Bowl 14s 64 63, next plays 9 seed. Lindsay Davenport son Jagger is also in the 14s draw.
Keep an eye on 13 year old Czech Victoria Bervid, the daughter of former pro Sander Groen. She’s drawing rave reviews from junior tennis insiders. She lost in the 18s last week to highly touted Canadian Kayla Cross, now playing 14s.
Scoop Malinowski · December 17, 2021 at 12:58 pm
Cruz Hewitt lost 6161 2R at Orange Bowl 14s to Carel Ngounoue the younger brother of big time American junior prospect Clervie Ngounoue who trains at Mourotoglou… Genie Bouchard has returned to hitting yesterday… Nicole Melichar and Gauchari will be a new wta doubles team… Youhzny and Shapovalov have split, Shapo hired Jamie Delgado as his new coach, not exactly an upgrade on the surface but time will tell.
Scoop Malinowski · December 23, 2021 at 6:07 pm
Mertens dropped Hsieh as doubles partner after over a year together. Hsieh will not play AO singles or doubles. She is first alt for singles but will not travel to AO. Mertens new partner will be Kudermetova.
Kiki Mladenovic has decided to reunite with old partner Caroline Garcia.
Djokovic will likely get a medican exemption into the AO.
Andy Murray has asked for and received an AO main draw wildcard.