The Root; Published By: Stephanie Holland
The Championships at Wimbledon are set to kick off on July 3 and there are several Black players looking to make a big run. After taking extended time away from the court, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is returning to the All England Lawn Tennis Club with a wild card entry. She opens her tournament against Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina, who recently returned from having a baby and has also received a wild card.
Coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe, who are both among the top ten ranked players in the world, are two of the competitors everyone is talking about. While speaking to the press ahead of the event, tennis legends Chris Evert and John McEnroe discussed what it will take for Gauff and Tiafoe to be successful on Wimbledon’s tricky grass courts.
For No. 10 seed Frances, who begins the tournament against Yibing Wu, McEnroe says it comes down to his volleying and net play. He also thinks Tiafoe’s athleticism “would help him on the grass.” Evert is impressed with Frances’ mental game, praising his commitment to thinking big.
“What I love about Tiafoe is what he was saying at the US Open. Beating Nadal, having these big wins, there is a much bigger picture for him. That was to be a role model to kids, to the Black community. He sees a bigger picture for himself. The fact that he was so upset, when I watched that match, he was so upset when he lost to [Carlos] Alcaraz, he was in tears,” Evert told The Root. “A lot of players, beating Nadal, continuing to win, getting to the semis, would have been satisfied with that. But it really affected him. That showed me that he just wants to keep going further and further, and he has bigger dreams and bigger ideas. That motivation is going to help him to win. I have a lot of respect for him. I have high hopes that he will one day win a slam.” Read more
