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29m ago

Tumaini has returned to the tennis for the women's semis. Thanks for every question. Follow Muchova v Gauff live now.

Key events

54m agoWhat is the Czech secret to nurturing talent?
1h agoAre hard court players 'beaten' before they've begun?
1h agoIs Gauff headed for her first Wimbledon title?
1h agoCan Osaka win a major event again?
1h agoAre fans being priced out?
2h agoShould Petra Kvitova's last match in 2025 have been on Centre Court?
2h agoLittle love for Djokovic?
2h agoOn the ball - why do players take three or four?
2h agoThree or five set matches?
2h agoIs Britain really an underachiever in tennis?
2h agoDoes Fery have what it takes?
2h agoWould rescheduling the grand slams reduce injuries?
2h agoIs success at top level tennis only for the wealthy?
3h agoIs Sinner ready for his semi-final against Djokovic?
6h agoWelcome to the Conversation

What is the Czech secret to nurturing talent?

treviscoe asks: Czechia is a country of about ten million and they have a magnificent record in the women's game, with Karolina Muchova at the moment in the last four. Can we learn anything from the Czechs in the way we bring young players on, especially female players? Or (as I suspect) do they just want it more than we do?

Tumaini: The most common question for Czech female tennis players over the past few decades is why they are so successful. No Czech player has ever really been able to explain the phenomenon.
They do, however, have strong tennis participation at grassroots level and they have a strong club system that helps to nurture the talent they have. The likes of Karolina Muchova, Barbora Krejcikova, Marketa Vondrousova, Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova are all very different players and they mostly have such well-rounded games.

Are hard court players 'beaten' before they've begun?

RPDolan asks: Do you think there are high profile tennis players at Wimbledon who still see the 'grass' season as just a nuisance to be bypassed, before the hard court season returns, and therefore are often 'beaten' before they even start a game on grass?

Tumaini: I do not think there are many of those players left. Grass used to be so drastically different to other surfaces so many players, particularly clay court specialists, just did not bother. Now that everyone knows that players can be successful on grass from the baseline, and many different styles can succeed on the surface, I think most players give it a shot. There are certainly some players whose games do not suit the surface and they do not perform well, but that is also true of clay.
Looking at the top 20 of both tours, I think Casper Ruud is the only player who does not really care about grass. Thankfully, he finds joy on grass by playing golf.

Is Gauff headed for her first Wimbledon title?

OBooth asks: I have got a couple of questions about the ladies' semi-finals. Firstly, which of the semi-finalists do you think has the best shot at becoming a first-time Wimbledon champion? And secondly, if Coco Gauff wins her first Wimbledon title, and presumably tops the rankings as a result, do you think this might give her the impetus to really establish herself as the number one player in the world for the foreseeable future?

Tumaini: I really think this is a great women's semi-final lineup. Karolina Muchova just won on grass in Bad Homburg, Linda Noskova just won on grass in Berlin, Kostyuk has won a ridiculous 22 of her last 23 matches and Coco Gauff is a two-time grand slam champion. We will see in a few hours, but part of me thinks things might be coming together for Muchova. It has always been obvious that she is such a great player with such a complete, varied and talented game. Injuries have always been her biggest problem but she is finally enjoying an extended stretch of good health. Gauff presents an incredibly difficult match up for Muchova, and she leads the head to head 6-1, but Muchova would always choose to face her on grass rather than anywhere else.
As I said, though, the final four is composed of three of the most in-form players on the tour and a two-time grand slam champion. Anyone can win.
As for Gauff reaching No 1 if she were to win Wimbledon, I am not sure. I thought winning the French Open last year would provide that push for her, but she instead spent the following months dealing with the biggest serving crisis of her career. Gauff has these glaring vulnerabilities with her serve and forehand. When they are under control, as they have been in this tournament, she wins big titles. She has so many great assets in her game, including her athleticism, backhand, intelligence and variety, and she is by far the best competitor on the WTA. In order to reach No 1, Gauff's serve and forehand improvements have to be permanent.

Can Osaka win a major event again?

BeorgeGerry asks: I have loved seeing Naomi Osaka going deep into major tournaments again beyond her best surface on hard courts. I feel like she has got less applause for coming back to this level after having her daughter than others. Given how open the women's game can be, could you see her winning another major again?

Tumaini: I think Naomi Osaka played some of her best tennis over the past five years on any surface at Wimbledon this week. I thought her serving, the cleanliness of her ball striking off both wings and her movement were all so impressive, particularly against Sabalenka. She arrived at Wimbledon straight from her run to the Bad Homburg final and I think playing so many matches just caught up with her physically. Muchova, who beat her in the Bad Homburg final and at Wimbledon, also played the same number of matches, but Osaka just has not won so many matches for such a long time.
Osaka's game can still be quite one-dimensional and limited when things are not clicking, but I think she should absolutely leave Wimbledon with the belief that she can win another major title. Particularly as the tour will be on hard courts until April.

Are fans being priced out?

RFK1 asks: Is Wimbledon still for tennis fans or is it now for those that can afford debenture/hospitality tickets, 'celebrities' and 'influencers'?

Tumaini:
I still think a grounds pass is the best value sporting ticket in the world. For 33 pounds in the first week, you can watch some of the best tennis players in the world for up to 10 hours. Wimbledon also has not hiked its ticket prices as dramatically as other slams. At the US Open, for example, grounds passes have become remarkably expensive, partially due to the ticket resale market there. Fans can also bring their own food and drink (even alcohol) in.
Actually accessing those tickets is another question altogether. The queue, which I used a lot growing up, is so oversubscribed these days and forces people to arrive at ridiculous times in order to attain a ticket. If its popularity continues to grow, I think the All England Club will have to have some serious questions about its viability in the future. It is obviously also not great in terms of accessibility.
The pervasiveness of influencers and the focus on celebrities are always jarring, but I think Wimbledon has actually done a decent job of keeping its ticket prices and processes consistent for a long time. Things are far worse at the other grand slam tournaments, particularly the US Open.

Should Petra Kvitova's last match in 2025 have been on Centre Court?

Fbartol asks: Odd question but one which has bothered me for the last year - how was the decision to put two time champion Petra Kvitova's final tour match on Court One as opposed to Centre Court viewed in the tennis world? It has continued to rankle me - felt it was quite disrespectful.

Tumaini: Petra was an incredible champion and, if I am being honest, one of the players I most enjoyed watching, particularly at Wimbledon. However, I did not think the No. 1 Court assignment against Emma Navarro was disrespectful. It is still a massive stadium court and one of the most iconic stadiums in the sport.
She did not say anything about it (not that she would complain) or receive any questions about it in her press conference so I do not think it was an issue. I think she was just happy to play on a big court at Wimbledon one last time.

Little love for Djokovic?

LlivracNhoJ asks: Why do the pundits, commentators and journalists not acknowledge that Djokovic is overwhelmingly disliked by tennis fans?

Tumaini:
Is Djokovic overwhelmingly disliked by tennis fans? I am not sure about that. Djokovic is a polarising, controversial figure and there are definitely many people who dislike him and have rooted against him over the years. He has had to deal with many hostile crowds, particularly when Roger Federer was across the net, and people have often leaned towards his underdog opponents in the past. However, he has also always had a large, extremely vocal fanbase and I also think he has become more and more popular in the latter part of his career.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is a very pleasant person and a popular personality within the sport, but the crowd was clearly supporting Djokovic in their epic five-setter on Tuesday night. I think people now understand that he will not be here for much longer and his achievements at such an advanced age are quite incredible. I think he has become a far more sympathetic figure in the final stretch of his career and people also appreciate his achievements more. I would be surprised if the Wimbledon crowd is not cheering for him against Sinner on Friday.

On the ball - why do players take three or four?

HeathRobinson asks: I would appreciate some insight on what appears to be the latest 'fad' which is taking three or four balls before choosing two to serve

Tumaini: As I am sure you know, new balls are introduced every nine games in each match (the first swap is after seven games due to the warm up). The balls degrade significantly during a match and that wear drastically changes how the balls fly through the air. In general, players often look for newer balls on their first serve as it helps them to attack and remain on the front foot after their serves. Some players will also opt for a more worn ball for their second serve so that it is slightly more difficult for their opponent.
However, everyone has different preferences. A more defensive player might only want to use the more worn balls, while a more offensive player might only want to use the fresher, more aerodynamic balls.
I actually asked Mirra Andreeva about this topic earlier this year. Some players, it turns out, do not really have a reason: 'I am looking for a better-looking ball because when I was just going into the tour, I saw pro players looking at the ball. They were like, 'No, I do not like this ball and I want another one'. I never knew why they did that. When I got to the tour, I thought I am going to do the same. At first I was randomly picking balls. Now I look for the one that looks prettier, that looks more new.'

Three or five set matches?

LoopLoop asks: What about both men and women playing best of three set matches in the first week of a grand slam and best of five in the second? In my opinion, best-of-three-set matches struggle to attain legendary status and it would also negate comments about the women playing less for the same prize money. Additionally, it would add unpredictability to the men's draw as seeds could get sabred more easily in a best of three set match.

Tumaini: I have to say, I would love to see best of five sets matches in the women's events one day. I am just curious to see what it looks like and how much things would change. It is obvious that some players, particularly somebody as physically impressive as Coco Gauff, would thrive in the format. Somebody like Elena Rybakina? Perhaps not. The final of the WTA Finals was actually best of five sets between 1984 and 1998, and the most memorable encounter was a five set thriller won by a 16-year-old Monica Seles against Gabriella Sabatini in 1990.
I do not think there are enough hours in a day for both men's and women's grand slam singles events to start with best of five sets from round one, so I guess I am in favour of both events starting with best of five sets from the second week onwards, even just as a trial one day. Why not?