Between Friday and Saturday, Wimbledon gave us the satisfaction of seeing three of our representatives, Paula Badosa, Roberto Bautista and Carlos Alcaraz, qualify for the second week of the British Grand Slam. This relief only comes after the first seven days in which the coexistence of so many contenders only adds to the vicissitudes of the competition. There are more than 300 players – 128 in the men’s draw, 128 in the women’s draw, plus the doubles players who do not compete individually – who must share the facilities of the All England, which despite being one of the largest clubs on the professional circuit has its magnificent facilities packed at all times.
Tennis players have to overcome certain problems when accessing the dining halls or when organising their daily training sessions. The difficulty of planning court reservations requires a considerable organisational effort, which is often affected by the constant rain in the United Kingdom. By the second week, however, almost two thirds of the players have already had to leave the club and those who have managed to survive are therefore much more relaxed. They can finally enjoy more space and greater peace in all their movements, have more peaceful access to the training courts and enjoy the elegant and well-kept changing rooms, which are fully covered in noble dark wood, which are finally no longer cluttered.
In his round of 32 match, Alcaraz once again demonstrated the champion’s qualities of which he is made by winning the fifth set in a difficult match against Frances Tiafoe. The Spanish player thus achieved a record that is difficult to equal. Of the last 13 five-set matches he has played, 12 have ended in victory for him. This fact, far from being a curious fact, shows us that in long matches he maintains the will and the capacity for suffering necessary to win this type of clashes that invariably occur against very high-level rivals.
After finding themselves two sets to one down, and overcoming the fourth in the tie-breakerCarlos managed to display his best version to break the tie in the fifth set with ease. He managed to play more aggressively than his rival and lead him to lose the unwavering faith that he had maintained during the previous four sets.
The other two Spanish survivors who have made it through to the final after periods of inactivity and suffering deserve special mention. Bautista, for whom I have great appreciation and admiration for his fierce fight and his utmost correctness on the track, has gone through a long period of physical problems that have not prevented him, however, from maintaining his enthusiasm and perseverance despite the difficulties that come from the loss of the championship. rankingAs he himself has said this week, he is still in love with this sport and, above all, strongly motivated to continue training and learning. I can only feel great joy at his access to this second phase.
As for Badosa, and reading her statements after her victory against Daria Kasatkina, the 12th in the world, one comes to understand a little more the slump she has suffered in recent times in her career. Sometimes we spectators are unaware of the reality that players go through and we are surprised when a tennis player of Paula’s quality, who was ranked second in the world in 2022, could fall back to 100th position a year later. Knowing now the ordeal she has been through, one gets an idea of the immense anguish she has had to endure. Those 10 months with severe back pain, watching the tournaments from home, with incessant uncertainty and with her morale permanently hit, must have been really difficult.
Victories like this week’s will give her a strong push to face the following months of competition and, surely, if injuries respect her, we will see her again not far from where she should be.
A few months ago, the Mallorcan poet José Carlos Llop mentioned in a dialogue with Arturo Pérez Reverte at the RAE, which I was lucky enough to attend, the famous phrase of Saint Augustine that goes like this: “It is bad to suffer; it is very good to have suffered.” With the conviction that this is so, one hopes that Bautista and Badosa, with a bit of luck, enjoy the goodness that comes after the darkest times.
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