This video explores the challenges and pressure of being a champion as Sofia Kenin fails to defend her Australian Open title.

It’s post-match on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. And Novak Djokovic is conducting the on-court interview after dispatching Dane Holger Rune, emphatically, in straight sets. And Novak is taking no prisoners, as he openly accuses sections of the crowd of disrespecting him. It’s irrelevant as to whether or not the crowd or shouting ‘Ruuune’ or booing. Either way it’s got Novak fired up and for the Dane it’s bad news. Novak is one of the bets of all time of being able to go to a deep place when he feels the presence of adversity. In the way that Michael Jordan would […]

So Andy Murray bows out of the Australian Open at the hands of Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry. There was something poignant about Andy’s demeanour as the first-round match drifted away from him. Head bowed. A feeling of inevitability. Nothing really coming off. It never used to be like this. Andy Murray had an elite level ability to turn matches around. Especially against lesser opponents. Go to the chair one-set down. Think. Solve Problems. Strategise. Win Match. When you have graced the game at the highest level for so long, it’s not easy to have to deal with feelings of ordinariness. […]

So Novak Djokovic is defaulted out of the US Open. Angry at not being able to convert first set points against Pablo Carreno Busta.

Sore from falling on his shoulder. Frustrated at losing his serve. Culminating in hitting a ball towards the back of the court, which hit a line-judge in the throat.

And so Novak Djokovic adds an eighth Australian Open title, to his collection of Grand Slam titles. At times yesterday, during his five-setter with Dominic Thiem he looked on the rack. Exhausted. Heading for defeat. But you underestimate Djokovic at your peril. He has a deep well of inner resources to draw on, that sustain him through on court difficulties. Resources forged during his childhood. That prepare him for adversity. It’s not just an outright refusal to lose. It’s more than that. It’s the ability to change the game dynamics through an inner will. A reversal of polarities, akin to […]

And so Naomi Osaka adds another Grand Slam title to her collection. A hard-fought best of three sets win over Petra Kvitova, showed that last autumn’s win at Flushing Meadows was no fluke. or one-off. What seems so impressive about Naomi is her sense of clarity. In the post match press conference, she explains a little about her inner process. “You know how some people get worked up about things? That’s a very human thing to do. Sometimes I feel like I don’t want to waste my energy doing stuff like that. “In the third set of my match today, I […]

It’s the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, and Alexander Zverev is under the cosh. One set down to Milos Raonic. the number four seed is faring no better in the second set. When suddenly all his frustrations get the better of him. Four-one down and with his second serve failing him, the German goes into meltdown, and destroys his racquet in an impressive display of systematic destruction! Sometime a racquet smashing interlude can release a lot of pent up frustration and help a player regroup and refocus. Or it can tip them to a point of no […]

And so the final curtain is set to be drawn on Andy Murray’s tennis career. He may have one or two final games left in the tank. But he will be carrying on in glorious spirit, rather than in able body. Murray joins the likes of Freddie Flintoff and Jonny Wilkinson, in paying a big physical price for carrying the nations hopes on his shoulders. For years all the summer talk was of will we ever have a Wimbledon champion again? It’s been the 1930’s since Fred Perry ruled supreme. Roger Taylor. Jeremy Bates. Tim Henman and others couldn’t overcome […]

It’s the aftermath of Naomi Osaka’s Brisbane Open loss to Leisa Tsurenko. A poor performance from the US Open Champion, has led to some frank admissions in the press conference. “I feel like I had the worst attitude today,” she said. “I feel like I didn’t really know how to cope with not playing well. I don’t know … I was sulking a little bit? There were moments when I tried not to do that, but then the ball wouldn’t go in and I would go back to being childish. These aren’t the sort of public utterances you would normally […]