Already a tradition, the man with the mallet – harsh sun, pollution and high humidity, with the consequent and devastating effect on the bodies – has gone out for a walk in New York, where a claustrophobic atmosphere is breathed that also cruelly traps the facilities of the US Open. The cement of the courts absorbs and spits out the heat, and the professionals wander around with their T-shirts like jerseys —completely stuck to their torsos by sweat— and red as hell. “I put cream on before playing, but nothing at all…”, commented the Valencian Pedro Martínez before being eliminated. “There is no respite here, it is very beastly,” added Roberto Carballés, also already ko. “What a mess!” commented Carlos Alcaraz at the end of an hour and a half session, while his brother Alvaro, sparringtook a breath and gulped down a bottle of isotonic drink.
The harsh impact of the weather is actually nothing new in tennis, a sport that tests both the body and mind constantly and relentlessly, and is mentally abrasive because beyond the efforts or the immediate adaptation to time changes, the routine translates into pure mechanical repetition: 95% of the year hitting the ball, over and over again, here and there, day after day, the same dynamic. The elite players are more than fortunate, but at the same time they are very easy prey to boredom and erosion. Breakfast, lunch and dinner chewing on tennis, so that both sides look for ways to escape. Each to their own. Alcaraz, for example, decided a few days ago to play golf with the Norwegian Casper Ruud. The Nordic player is superior, apparently.
“He is at another level, he plays incredibly…”, says the Murcian, resigned, clinging to the benefits of a hobby that gives his mind oxygen and takes him away for a while from the systematic ABC that his profession consists of. “We usually talk about what helps us, because it is very good for disconnecting and turning off our minds, and that in turn helps when you are competing in tournaments, it clears our minds. We cannot think 24 hours a day, seven days a week about tennis; we must have, so to speak, a life in which we do other things and think about different things, because in the end that is good for us,” adds the number three, who as soon as he can, picks up his clubs and practices a few holes with several members of his team; among them his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, apparently also skilled.
Golf is not the only evasive activity that the player from El Palmar resorts to, who in the transition between Roland Garros and Wimbledon – this year he won in both venues – decided to catch his breath in Ibiza instead of continuing to accumulate training, in a formula that worked for him. “Each one of us is different, but sometimes I need to forget that I am a tennis player to reach my best level,” he reasoned then. During tournaments, he also usually uses the free hours that his schedule gives him to make some energizing escape; in New York, such as Central Park, where he could previously walk without any problem and now he must do so camouflaged incognito, hidden under a cap.
Badosa’s real estate
To escape the stressful reality of Manhattan, the totemic Novak Djokovic (6-4, 6-4 and 2-0 against Laslo Djere) has for years chosen to take refuge in a house in New Jersey and distract himself by taking walks with his family, while the world number two, Aryna Sabalenka, finds refuge and emotional balance by enjoying a simple coffee. “At the beginning of my career I put too much pressure on myself and I couldn’t stop thinking about my results. When you reach the highest level you have to concentrate a lot on tennis and think about how to improve, but you also have to have fun, get away from everything and enjoy life. It’s key to find small things that bring you joy, like having breakfast in a good place, having a good coffee, having a good dinner, spending time with friends and enjoying time with the family. That’s the key to managing defeats, but also success,” says the Belarusian.
Her friend Paula Badosa says that she is not particularly good at other sports, so she prefers to immerse herself in issues far removed from competition. She explains at the request of this newspaper: “I disconnect with some personal projects that I have. I am designing earrings and I also love the real estateso when I can I manage those matters; right now I’m building a house, so I get distracted a lot by all that. I love interior design and today, even though it may seem a little crazy, I tried to disconnect a little before the game. [contra Taylor Towndsend en la segunda ronda] “I’m looking at things like that. It helps me a lot, because otherwise it’s all tennis, tennis and more tennis. I get some fresh air like that,” the Catalan answers.
Meanwhile, tennis players continue to deal with the scourge of heat. Especially those who compete on outdoor courts, where there is no escape or protection. After four hours of intense fighting, Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka fainted and had to retire in the first round on Monday, and Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry could not hold back his vomiting in the second round on Wednesday due to the combination of intensity and sun. This does not worry Badosa at all, who says: “There is a lot of humidity, but I don’t mind. I like it. There are other players who find it harder, so when I see that it is going to be very hot, I am happy and say: OK, let’s fight there for three hours, and we will see. I hydrate myself a lot. I love this suffering. I am Spanish, so I have been inspired by Rafa [Nadal] And if I have to be there for several hours, I do it.”
BOUZAS CONTINUES TO MAKE HIMSELF NOTICE
AC | New York
Jessica Bouzas made her mark at the last edition of Wimbledon, where she reached the third stage of the tournament, and she does so again at the US Open, the stage for the tennis player’s progress once again. The Galician, 21 years old, beat the English Katie Boulter by a double 7-5 (in 1h 45m) on Thursday and landed at the third stage, where she will meet a tall opponent: also Jessica, the American Pegula; sixth in the world and superior to Sophia Kenin (7-6(4) and 6-3).
After overcoming her debut, Bouzas explained to the special envoys that her fruitful previous experience in London had helped her “in many ways”, especially when it came to managing difficult situations and high-profile duels. She then eliminated the defending champion, the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, ranked sixth in the world at the time, and in New York she dispatched the veteran Petra Martic (33 years old and 98th) and also Boulter.
The double victory practically guarantees her a place in the top 60 on the circuit. She joined Badosa in the third round, which will not include Sara Sorribes. The Valencian lost to the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia by 6-1 and 6-2, in 1h 13m. This Friday, Badosa will face the Romanian Elena Grabriela Ruse (122nd) in the first round of the Louis Armstrong court, at 17.00 Spanish time (Movistar+).
On the other hand, Jannik Sinner advanced without complications by beating the local Alex Michelsen: 6-4, 6-0 and 6-2. The number one is in the spotlight after last week’s announcement that he tested positive for a banned substance (clostebol) twice in Indian Wells. He will face Christopher O’Connell, and he says: “All this is going to allow me to grow as a person and has allowed me to realise how important life is beyond tennis, because our routine is hitting a ball and going to the gym.”
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