Surprise Miami Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki was WTA seasin ending world number one twice. The Danish veteran vying for her first Miami Open title talked about her memories of being the world’s best tennis player…
“When you’re No 1 in the world you have a target in your back and you’re a favorite every time you play. And every time you come into the media after a lost match its basically a disappointment regardless of who the opponent is because everyone is lower ranked.”
“As one of the top players on the tour you have a target. I think it’s fun because you need to improve even more every week. You need to improve every year. Everyone is trying to find a way to beat you.”
“Everyone wants to be no 1. Its nice to feel like you’re the best player in the world. I think once you’re there you’re just so focused every week to try and win everything and you’re just trying to keep being there that you don’t think too much about it. I think it was more my team around me that would say: Hey, no 1, how are you doing today? I would be like: Oh yeah, I am actually. That’s a pretty cool feeling.”
“You realize how hard it was to get there and stay there. You look back and you’re like, That was pretty damn awesome.”
Wozniacki is the 12 seed in Miami and will meet the 10 seed Johanna Konta in the final on Saturday.
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Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 1:37 pm
Surprised how simple Woz sees it. Maybe like Hewitt once said in an interview, that’s why she’s in the Miami Open final and why I’m here at home!
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 1:39 pm
Unsolicited recommendation: Jon Wertheim podcast Beyond the Baseline from SI.com with Robbie Koenig. Why? Robbie Koenig is a FANTASTIC interview. Honest, talks about gaining, losing, re-gaining the edge in pro tennis. Fresh thinking and fair thinking about Kyrgios. About Federer, Djokovic. Great discussion on the men’s tour.
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 1:40 pm
Scoop: will Woz win a slam this year?
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 2:37 pm
Lol Andrew, that was an all time great press conference by Hewitt..zinger of all zingers on the poor journo.
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Andrew, hate to write off a hall of famer like Caro but just dont see it happening. Still not enough firepower. Can see Konta winning one though. She does everything a lil better than Caro.
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Love Robby Koenig as commentator and interview..the best.
Hartt · April 1, 2017 at 3:06 pm
Andrew, agree about the podcast with Koenig, thoroughly entertaining. Hope they have him on again.
Hartt · April 1, 2017 at 3:08 pm
I guess this is the proper place to post that Konta won over Wozniacki in SS. So is Johanna the future and Caro getting to be more the past?
catherine bell · April 1, 2017 at 3:09 pm
Konta won this – easy.
I’ll be waiting to see how long it takes some of her colleagues to figure her out.
catherine bell · April 1, 2017 at 3:13 pm
Hartt –
Looks like Johanna is going to be part of the future. It’s so unfair but I can’t find her a riveting player. Maybe she’ll grow on me.
I wonder what kind of ambush Romania is planning for her and the Brits in Constanta. She and Simona will resume their H2H.
Bryan · April 1, 2017 at 3:38 pm
Konta’s rise over the past year is one of the big stories in tennis yet she hardly gets any press or fans. She went from WTA #60 to a legit top 10 since the start of 2016. Maybe it’s because it seems she’s not a very colorful personality.
I met her at Stanford last year and disagree. She’s a little shy but was gracious and kind. I even saw her at the player’s hotel bar on Saturday night before her finals match vs Venus. Lots of pressure there and I presumed by going out that she was conceding she had no chance. Then she went out and played like a beast in 85 degree heat.
catherine bell · April 1, 2017 at 4:05 pm
What I saw of Wim Fissette’s advice to Konta seemed a lot more sensible than Cahill’s efforts with Halep, discussed fully on this site 🙂
I wonder why Fissette and Simona parted company ?
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Konta is very interesting. Wta rep told me three yrs ago she lost 1r qualies in Quebec City to Asia Muhammad. Now shes a threat for no 2. Wta rep told me shes quiet about her goals and around other players. Quiet determination. Has that “aura.” she is not intimidated by anyone. Unique interesting player. She does everything a lil better than Caro. More power more explosive better racquet speed and serve and moves better. Possible no 1 imo.
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 4:36 pm
Good points Bryan. She crept up suddenly and out of anonymity. Very inspiring classy player. Tough loss for Caro who was very concise in her brief presser. So close again but no stogie.
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Nick Monroe is holding his own. Excellent volleys. Steady play. Sock broken twice in a row in second set. Down 6724 to Melo Kubot who are a tough team. So tough. Great final.
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 4:42 pm
Very impressed by all four doubles finals players. The biggest surprise is Nick holding up his end of the bargain. Sock second break he was up 40 love but dfed twice and then again on deciding pt.
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 5:04 pm
I don’t love Konta’s game. That said, an enormous victory on par with Vesnina’s in Indian Wells! Sheesh. The WTA tour is so volatile – this is probably what we’ll see not long from now on the ATP tour as the big four plus Wawrinka fade away. It’s like 2001-2003 again (not a bad era for the ATP, nor a great one, just a “for tennis fans only” period – tennis’ appeal blew up for the men’s tour from 2004 onwards, first with the Federer-Roddick rivalry then the Federer-Nadal rivalry, then the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic rivalry, etc).
Back to Konta. She’s got great footwork and a backhand that’s actually huge – hits it however she wants from anywhere. A great shot on a tour with great backhands. If most US mens players had that backhand they’d be top ten. Her desire stands out as well, similar in that regard to Azarenka, even to Venus Williams, who she has beat twice now in huge matches.
No offense, lovely person. Dont love her forehand, find her transition game a little unsightly. But in terms of going for her shots from the baseline, she does it as well or better than other players that hug the baseline. She also seems inspired by Andy Murray in terms of her anticipation. Very good at being where she needs to be, which shows a great knowledge of the game.
Another huge victory on the merri-go-round that is the WTA tour these days.
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 5:06 pm
Catherine, must be the cash$$$? Halep says no deal, Konta says I shall show you the money Fissette?!
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 7:52 pm
Why do wta players rise? Talented ones rise with good coaching, same as ATP tour. No surprise.
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 7:58 pm
Konta also hugs baseline, Woz way back behind it! Unless you are Rafa scrambling six feet behind baseline is ill advised. As fast as Woz is Konta just beat her up for that.
Scoop malinowski · April 1, 2017 at 8:37 pm
Halep should be proud and inspired by giving Konta her toughest test in Miami. Halep is heading in right direction. She just simply lost a shootout to the hottest player on the tour.
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 10:10 pm
Scoop, maybe so. Just the OCC from Halep, her reactions during them are just bewildering!
Andrew Miller · April 1, 2017 at 10:13 pm
With more time, becoming clear: guys on tour are pretty good buds (competitive, but respectful – if there’s an issue you pick it up fast at the handshake!). With the women though they are likely on OK terms but those handshakes are so frigid. Maybe it’s just seeing Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, when they win or lose a match they seem a lot more expressive.
It’s weird but: on the men’s tour maybe they see themselves as gladiators, and on the women’s tour it’s survival of the fittest and spoils go to the winners. I don’t know. I just get shocked by the frigidness.
catherine bell · April 2, 2017 at 3:27 am
Scoop –
You seem to have changed your mind about Simona – you had her on a plateau not so long ago. I know you liked her a lot when you did her Biofile but from what I saw v Konta she’s basically got the same problems on court and Cahill’s had over a year to fix them and hasn’t.
BTW K Mitchell has a piece in the Guardian today and he mentions some of the coaching strategies behind Johanna, and they sound exactly the right ones to help Simona – particularly regarding playing ‘in the moment’ – not being strangled by the scoreboard etc.
The Fed Cup in Constanta could tell us a bit more.
Andrew – you’re a bit hung up about women’s handshakes, or lack of them. I have a feeling women don’t give enormous importance to those aspects – some coolish net exchanges are between players who are friends, some are warmer.
You can usually tell if there is a definite froideur.
I got that between Venus W and Kerber – could be wrong but I thought Venus’ quote after the match was a swipe at Angie being No 1 and not deserving it. Which is unfair.
catherine bell · April 2, 2017 at 3:38 am
Oh and I’ve seen Cahill’s OCC visit now hailed on another site as a successful bit of ‘tough love’ – well, it wasn’t that successful, it’s the wrong strategy for Simona and Cahill’s English grammar isn’t in the first class either.
Scoop malinowski · April 2, 2017 at 8:10 am
Kerber earned no 1 and deserves it. How dare Venus try to discredit Kerber. I had thought Simona was a bored spiritless player but Ive changed that perception this week. Cahill is a very good coach but it could be time for change.
catherine bell · April 2, 2017 at 8:45 am
I don’t think I ever saw Simona as truly bored and spiritless, although that could be her aspect sometimes, particularly when she was maybe starting to brood a bit on her mistakes and become frustrated over her performance. She says she’s working on her tendency to get wrapped up in negative thoughts etc but I don’t know if that means she’s working with someone else or just on her own. Otherwise, can’t see her changing coach in mid-season.
The worst part of that OCC in retrospect was the sense of humiliation you got, a child being told off – Simona’s 25 years old, she’s a grown woman – and it’s now up on Youtube I suppose (I haven’t looked) to be gawped at for all eternity.
Angie’s in Monterray this week, or at least is entered, so she’s taking the route of the more matches played the better. I think she’s right and hope she wins a tournament soon.
Andrew Miller · April 2, 2017 at 9:43 am
Saw some best of occ wta clips, wow! They were awful. I know they were edited and selected for their awfulness, but still…if that’s wta in match coaching maybe it’s better to return to the old hand signals between points from the stands!!!
Scoop malinowski · April 2, 2017 at 10:15 am
Andrew; Link? My fave is Muguruza telling poor Sumyk “Tell me something I dont know.” Ouch!!
catherine bell · April 2, 2017 at 11:48 am
Andrew – if Simon has his way we’ll have OCC plus hand signals from the stands, and why just between points ?, plus shouted instructions and close ups of weeping players (sponsored by Kleenex) plus a brass band whenever there’s a winning point and in the end why not just ask the crowd and thumbs down Roman fashion to end the match
when we’re all bored.
Brill 🙂
Andrew Miller · April 2, 2017 at 4:01 pm
Scoop, maybe it’s same clip. It was funny and sad, because here’s Muguruza being waited on hand and foot and this poor guy pleading with her to consider a few options. He was speaking in English and she was responding in Spanish and he said so you’re speaking in Spanish for your fans at home? It was incredible…and incredibly bad 🙁
I can scare up a link, but it also has all sorts of clips from press conferences such as Sharapova saying she wouldn’t announce her retirement in a hotel with an ugly carpet, and some other player saying how she could care less about the match she was playing in her occ.
Here I am thinking hey tennis is hard, it’s mano a mano, fight to the death, coaches know what they are doing. And you get to the occ clips, selected of course to demonstrate that occ is a fool’s errand and coaches are absolute tools, and say huh? THIS is pro tennis? You’ve got to be kidding me…the players need to get with it and the coaching advice sucks!
Andrew Miller · April 2, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Catherine, I hope Lauriol gets on the bandwagon and we go all 1950s on the sport. Or something like that. I mean, you might as well. If you’re going to have glossy brochures you might as well have lipstick run the tour 😉
What a joke!!!
Nabisco I think once ran something. It was Virginia slims…i cant keep up. Why not GE or something.
Andrew Miller · April 2, 2017 at 4:12 pm
Catherine yes I am caught up in the handshakes and formalities and things like the video tribute to Flavia Pennetta for her retirement in Rome where videotaped messages from players say, basically, Flavia good luck, glad I don’t have to play you anymore…
Sweet messages for sure! It’s like no, really, this really is bloodsport where players are joking that they’re glad to see you leave the tour and happy for you…but also happy for themselves 🙂
That said a few player tributes were very decent and pleasant, and basically expressions of admiration. As in you are a great person and competitor and I’m proud of you, thanks for being a friend, etc.
Like anything: Some players are closer than others. But the highest ranked players seemed to have that line in common…congratulations to you and what a relief for me!!!
Yeah I don’t get the curt, flat handshakes and game face expressions. On the one hand sure, I get it. They just fought. Why would they be friends right after the match? On the other hand, they play week in, week out. You think something has to give and there has to be some kind of acknowledgment or camraderie.
Nope. There is and there isn’t.
catherine bell · April 2, 2017 at 7:14 pm
Andrew –
Avon ran the women’s circuit once 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2017 at 7:26 pm
See Andrew these OCC clips are worth having OCC just for them 🙂 They do provide comedy and it is very interesting to see and hear the relation of the player with the coach – it also shows a different aspect of the players personality which the matches just do not show as most of the WTA players are very contained – For these reasons OCC is good 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Corel also was the lead sponsor for the WTA in the 90s – can’t think of any others lead sponsors –
Andrew Miller · April 2, 2017 at 7:41 pm
Oh man Scoop it’s like a soap opera! I’ve never seen such groveling in my life. These coaches, all superb pros, just begging, BEGGING for their superstar charges to hit to their opponent’s backhand, or something. I mean it’s as if they are enjoying the punishing of these guys they pay. As in grab my racquet bag you washed up former pro! I got to number one you can kiss my grits!!!
You could call it a clear example of power on the wta tour: Grown men pleading with their famous players, who use the occasion to verbally harass them before playing either better or worse. But if you’re the coach, do you really like this or is it well this is my job so I guess ill look stupid so my player can get some frustration out and maybe they will listen to me at tomorrow’s morning practice and we can talk about some new combos or maybe even my dignity.
Nah I’m her punching bag. Oh well. I hope I get paid.
catherine bell · April 3, 2017 at 2:30 am
Scoop-
It’s not about ‘personality’ – it’s about who wins the match.
Sorry – you’ll never get me to see OCC as anything other than irrelevant, and sometimes demeaning, distraction.
If it was something really valuable, believe me, men would do it 🙂
Scoop malinowski · April 3, 2017 at 7:50 am
Andrew; the verbal abuse coaches take from Wta players is a dark side of tennis. Have noticed it since 90s when TV cam showed Gigi Fernandez in crowd watching a march at US Open grandstand of her partner Zvereva and they kept showing Gigi who was clearly chastising her poor coach seated next to her. Clear what she was doing by both their facial expressions. Never forget that then noticed it more and more over years.
Andrew Miller · April 3, 2017 at 8:19 am
Scoop, no idea to me, just that id guess it goes both ways, of tough players going after their coaches, and coaches returning this non favor and being less than pleasant to their players. Perhaps this is heat of the battle stuff, but totally absurd!!!
I haven’t seen it so much on the practice court. By game time anything a coach says is secondary to a player getting water or calming down
Scoop Malinowski · April 3, 2017 at 8:29 am
Andrew; Not saying it’s very common but it does happen and OCC magnifies it – Hey the player is the boss and can do what she wants to do – the coach can walk any time – it’s a stressful life for a struggling striving player and with stress and struggle they have to vent –
Andrew Miller · April 3, 2017 at 9:01 am
Job description: Punching bag as needed, water boy, racquet bag carrier,must be former top 40 ATP pro with major league coaching chops. Salary: We’ll see. Duration: Can be fired at a moments notice. Pluses: Get a break from announcing. International travel. Extend your playing days. Nostalgia from a different point of view. Appreciation for the garbage you put your own coach through. Title: Coach on tv, punching bag in reality.