2021 Billie Jean King Cup nominations confirmed
WITH action just a few weeks away, the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup nominations have come in for the 12 teams battling it out for glory. Several big names will miss the event, led by world number one Ash Barty and world number two Aryna Sabalenka, but nations like Switzerland and Spain will be at full strength this year.
Over the next few weeks, Draft Central will be previewing each of the teams individually, as well as the groups in the lead-up to the November 1 tournament.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Picture credit: New York Times
Rafa rout – Nadal smashes teen in Madrid mauling
IT MIGHT have only been his third tournament of the year and is 21 years his opponent’s senior, but Rafael Nadal wasted no time storming past 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in the opening round of the 2024 Madrid Open. The greatest clay courter of all time has had a horrid run with injuries and been […]
Osaka eases into Madrid second round
JAPANESE Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka made it through to the second round of the 2024 Madrid Open overnight with a dominant 79-minute win over Belgian lucky loser, Greet Minnen. The former world number one is still returning to the WTA Tour, but gained her first clay court win in two years at the WTA […]
Wildcard Eala upsets former top 30 player in Madrid
SHE might be her nation’s only ranked player, but Phillipines’ Alexandra Eala showed she can punch above her weight with the world number 170 getting the job done against former top 30 player, Lesia Tsurenko, at the Madrid Open. The 18-year-old talent came back from a set down on Arantxa Sanchez Stadium to post a […]
2024 ATP Madrid Open preview
SPANISH star Carlos Alcaraz returns to his home country to defend his 2023 ATP Madrid Open title when the 1000 Masters tournament begins tomorrow. The second seed defeated German Jan-Lennard Struff in the final last season, while this tournament also marks the return of Rafael Nadal back to the event as some of the best […]
2024 WTA Madrid Open preview
CLAY court season is well underway and it is time for another combined 1000 event between the WTA and ATP Tours, with the world’s best players descending on Spain for the Madrid Open. The clay court event features 96 players in the women’s singles draw, with the 32 seeded players receiving a bye in the […]
Aussies among 2024 BJK Cup finalists
AUSTRALIA will contest the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals after the green and gold whitewashed Mexico in the Qualifiers to reach the 16-team event. The Aussies won 4-0 over their Central American opponents in a result that came as no surprise considering the relative ranking difference between the nations. Aside from Arina Rodionova getting […]
Tsitsipas’ triple treat in Monte Carlo
GREEK star Stefanos Tsitsipas has won his third Monte Carlo Masters, getting past fellow clay court talent Casper Ruud in the final. The decider on Court Rainier III lasted 97 minutes, with the 12th seed winning 6-1 6-4 over the eighth seeded Norwegian, adding the 2024 title to his back-to-back 2021-22 trophies. It is an […]
Monte Carlo madness: Top two ousted in semis
CLAY courts can tend to throw up some big results, and that was certainly the case in the semi-final stage of the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters. With the top two in the world, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner heading for a memorable final, many expected the pair to face-off in the decider. The only problem? […]
Djoker quells Demon to reach Monte Carlo semis
WORLD number one Novak Djokovic proved that bit too strong for Australian Alex de Minaur, getting home in a tight two-set match at the Monte Carlo Masters. While just a couple of breaks throughout the course of the match separated the players, Djokovic was able to move to within two victories of a third clean […]
