Tennis News Today: Roger Federer is not the GOAT according to Serena Williams' ex-coach; Rafael Nadal displeased by current hard-hitting game
Rafael Nadal did not hold back in expressing his dissatisfaction with the current trend of hard-hitting tennis. The Spaniard made his feelings public after returning to the ATP Tour at the 2024 Brisbane International following a year-long injury layoff.
Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou claimed that while Roger Federer is one of the best tennis players of all time, he is not the GOAT (Greatest of all time).
Madison Keys has pulled out of the 2024 Australian Open, which begins on January 14, while Dominic Thiem has made it to the main draw of the Melbourne Major.
On that note, here's a quick rundown of the day's biggest headlines:
1) Roger Federer is not the GOAT, says Patrick Mouratoglou
Roger Federer dominated tennis for more than two decades before retiring in 2022. He is a part of the 'Big 3,' along with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The trio share a whopping 66 Grand Slam titles among them, with the Swiss winning 20, the Spaniard taking home 22 and the Serb having 24 under his belt.
However, according to French coach Patrick Mouratoglou, while Federer's "elegance" on the court is unparalleled, he is not the GOAT in terms of achievements.
"No doubt that Roger’s elegance and inspired tennis is unmatched as much as there is no discussion about who is the Goat. In that matter, sports achievements is the only metric," Mouratoglou wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
2) Rafael Nadal expresses displeasure over current trend of hard-hitting tennis
Rafael Nadal began his 2024 season in Australia, the same country where he suffered a hip injury last year and was forced to miss the rest of the season. The Spaniard competed in the Brisbane International, reaching the quarterfinals where he lost in three sets to home favorite Jordan Thompson.
Before his exit from the ATP 250 tournament, the 22-time Grand Slam champion spoke with Spanish publication El Pais about how he dislikes modern tennis, where players focus on hitting the ball as hard as they can instead of producing a variety of shots.
"There has been an evolution to a tennis of hitting harder, of hitting practically without thinking," Nadal said. "It is a tennis that does not require any preparation of the point to find the winning shot. Most players play very similar. Everyone hits the ball very hard. From the first ball."
"I don't like it. I see sport as another way of thinking, of analyzing, of looking for solutions. In tennis, the solution is always to play very well, to have a very precise level of shot, and to be right. There is little tactics," he added.
3) Madison Keys withdraws from Australian Open 2024 due to shoulder injury
Madison Keys' 2024 campaign suffered a blow when she announced she would be unable to compete in the year's first Grand Slam — the Australian Open. With this, she joined Karolina Muchova on the list of star players who have withdrawn from the upcoming Major.
The American took to Instagram yesterday to make the news public, stating that she is suffering from a shoulder injury and her medical team has advised her to avoid any tennis activity for the time being.
"Unfortunately I’ve been struggling with a shoulder injury and have been advised by my medical staff to withdraw from the @australianopen this year. This obviously isn’t the best news to start the tennis season, but I also know I’m making the right choice for my body to take the proper time and let it heal," Keys wrote.
The 28-year-old added:
"I absolutely love Melbourne and the fans there SO much and can’t wait to see you next year. Thank you everyone for your support as always, it means a lot."
4) Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian shows off his iconic Michael Jordan rookie card
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian is fond of collecting sports cards and enjoys showing those off. The latest addition to the Reddit co-founder's collection is the iconic 1986/1987 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card.
Ohanian shared a glimpse of the card on Instagram, which has received 10s from PSA Authentication and Grading Services and has a price range of $130, 000 to $150, 000.
"Contemporary art. I finally add the iconic MJ '86 Fleer to my grail collection," he wrote in the caption.
5) Dominic Thiem replaces Reilly Opelka in Australian Open 2024 main draw
Dominic Thiem booked a spot in the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open after Reilly Opelka withdrew from the tournament. The Austrian will now play in the first round of the Melbourne Slam directly without having to go through the qualifiers.
Thiem kicked off the new season at the Brisbane International, defeating James Mccabe and Giulio Zeppieri in the qualifying rounds before facing 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the first round. Both players gave their all, with the Spaniard eventually winning by a score of 7-5, 6-1.