Tennis Acumen

Vasek Pospisil: Off Court

Vasek Pospisil is a Canadian tennis player, ranked as high as number 25 in the world in singles, number 3 in doubles. In 2014, playing with American Jack Sock for the first time, Pospisil won the Wimbledon championship. The pair also reached the finals of Cincinnati that year and won the Indian Wells title in 2015. In singles, Pospisil reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2014.  This interview was an exclusive with Tennis Acumen, in Knoxville, Tennessee, November 2019.

Karl: Moving on, Vasek, in your personal interests. Are you more into food or fashion or music…? What attracts your attention when you really have a moment that belongs to you?

Vasek:   I was doing a lot of music over the last four or five years. I started playing the guitar in 2014. Actually, for three or four years I didn't go a day without playing. Then, when I learned how to write songs, I started writing songs on my spare time on the tour. I have written 90 songs so far, so that has been a big part of my life. Any time I had free time, I picked up the guitar. I traveled with one every week of the year, so I really got into music big time. And that's a family thing, just like tennis.

My brothers have a band and my dad had a band as well when he was younger, in Eastern Europe. So, I think it's in my genes.  But, if anything, I did that as a kind of escape, a way to disconnect from tennis and the tour and the stresses of life in general. It’s one of the few things I can do to disconnect from everything. Lately, I haven't actually spent too much time on my music. I really want to get back to that as I have a bit more free time.

Now, I'm into some businesses and looking out for my career after tennis a little bit. But that's only been the last six months or so, with my injury. Prior to that, I was playing guitar  almost every day. So, I think that's something I'll get back to shortly. It’s in the blood, and you have to follow your heart, you know.

Photo of the Day: Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic enjoyed a wildly successful run beginning in the spring of 2007, when she reached the Roland Garros final and the Wimbledon semifinals.  She then reached the 2008 Australian Open final and then won Roland Garros a few months later and became the #1 player in the world.

Ivanovic narrowly missed an incredible Triple Crown at Roland Garros in 2007, when she defeated #3 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals and #2 Maria Sharapova in the semifinals before falling to #1 Justine Henin in the final.

 

Ana Ivanovic spending time with Tennis Acumen's veteran journalist, Pete Ziebron.

(c) 2016  Peter Ziebron Images

Growing up in Belgrade, Ana had to schedule her practice sessions in between bombing runs on the city, during the Kosovo crisis of 1999. In winter, she practiced in an abandoned Olympic-sized swimming pool,  drained of water and converted into indoor courts.

 

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Photo of the Day: Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki concluded 2010 & 2011 as the #1 player in the world on the WTA tour.  The Dane won the 2018 Australian Open and was a finalist at the US Open in 2009 & 2014. Caroline's career prize money exceeds $32 million dollars. One of our favorite quotes from Caroline: "I never give up. Doesn't matter what the score is." She has reportedly retired after 2020's Australian Open.

 

     Caroline Wozniacki addresses media

     Peter Ziebron Images

 

 

Photo of the Day: Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova reached #1 or #2 in the world in nine different years in her career.  In addition, she is the most recent woman to win the career Grand Slam when she won Roland Garros in 2012 - she would add a second Roland Garros title in 2014. Maria's career prize money exceeds $38 million dollars. 

The best match I ever saw her play live was a 2014 quarterfinal on Grandstand court in Cincinnati where she defeated Simona Halep 4-6 6-3 6-3. Each player converted 8 out of 10 break chances. Sharapova won the first seven times they played each other, Halep won the last two times. 

 

Maria Sharapova at a WTA Round Table

Peter Ziebron Images

Photo of the Day: Milos Raonic

Despite being a threat to the majority of the ATP field, Milos Raonic has just eight career titles.  In 2016, Andy Murray had a terrific year and went 6-0 against Raonic, including a straight set win the in the Wimbledon final.  Here are two matches that were significantly closer from 2016.  

Australian Open Semifinal:  Murray wins 4-6 7-5 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2

ATP Finals Semifinal: Murray wins 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(9)

Milos Raonic at the Western & Southern Open

Peter Ziebron Images

Photo of the Day: Gael Monfils

Gael Monfils had won twelve consecutive matches this February as well as title in back to back weeks in Montpellier and Rotterdam.  Monfils won 25 consecutive sets before losing in the quarterfinals in Dubai to Novak Djokovic by a 6-2 6-7(8) 1-6 scoreline.  At the moment, Monfils is world #9.

Gael Monfils in action on Court 3 in Cincinnati

Peter Ziebron Images

#gaelmonfils

Photo of the Day: Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Potapova, a former Junior #1, dropped just one set in winning the 2016 Junior Wimbledon Championship. Potapova won 77 games and lost just 31, losing only one set.

The 19 year-old Russian appeared in two WTA finals in 2018 - in Moscow and Tashkent.

In February 2017, in just her second pro tournament following the Wimbledon Junior victory, Potapova played the $25K Surprise {AZ} ITF event.  She won all three qualifying matches as well as one main draw match in Surprise, losing to former world #35 Sesil Karatantcheva in the second round.

Anastasia Potapova in her first round qualifying match in Surprise in 2017.

Peter Ziebron Images

#anastasiapotapova

 

Photo of the Day: Ernests Gulbis

In 2014, Ernests Gulbis arrived at Roland Garros with a 27-10 mark on the year.  He won the tournament in Nice the week prior and reached the semifinals at Roland Garros, defeating Roger Federer in the round of sixteen.  After losing to Novak Djokovic in the semis, Gulbis shared the following:

How far do you think you can get?
ERNESTS GULBIS:  All the way to No. 1.

Following his run at Roland Garros, Gulbis reached a career high of world number ten.

 Ernests Gulbis in action on the Grandstand Court at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. 

 Peter Ziebron Images

Aleks Kovacevic: Favorite Cities, Favorite Food

Knoxville, Monday the 4th of November, 2019.  We are here at Knoxville’s Challenger tournament with Aleksander Kovacevic, the 21-year-old American, who has already won his first-round match. Aleks sat down with Tennis Acumen's Karl Corbett for an exclusive interview.

Karl: If you had not taken up tennis as a pro, what would you be doing, Aleks?

Aleks: Probably soccer. When I was 13, I had to decide between soccer and tennis. I was more interested in tennis, so I am OK with my decision . It was a good one. Otherwise, think I'll be playing soccer now. I'm a competitive guy.

Karl: Interesting. You had mentioned travel, so I'd like to hear this: What are your favorite cities? Favorite foods, favorite scenery?

Aleks: Definitely, my favorite food was what I experienced when I went to Barcelona, training there. That was amazing. Great city. A lot of little markets fresh, fresh food. I eat organic a lot. They do a lot of things right there. So, I really enjoyed Barcelona. I grew up in New York City, more different foods than anywhere, but I was young, so I didn't really appreciate it, at the time . I only have been back to New York twice, once for the US Open and then New Year's this year. That's all the time I've been back since I was 15. I think in terms of my favorite city, though, I do love New York.

 

Karl: Excellent. Well, I think that gives me a complete picture. We'll just put it out there, so when people discover you, they'll know who you really are. I thank you very much.

Aleks: It’s been fun. appreciate it.