Jason Kubler is fast gathering cult status after his Wimbledon heroics last year. He certainly didn’t lose any fans with his victory against Dan Evans a couple of days ago.
But his No.1 supporter happens to be his Australian teammate at the United Cup, 24-year-old Maddison Inglis, after the duo became the latest tennis stars to fall in love on tour.
Jason Kubler and Maddison Inglis (left) are dating. They posed together with Australian teammate Alex de Minaur (right) at the launch of the United Cup last week.Credit:Getty
Australian tennis is no stranger to power couples. Lleyton Hewitt famously dated Belgian star Kim Clijsters, who became affectionately known as “Aussie Kim”. Daria Gavrilova married Luke Saville and Nick Kyrgios once went out with Ajla Tomljanovic, with the pair supposed to be United Cup teammates before separate injuries.
Kubler and Inglis keep their relationship quite private, neither posting photos of the other on social media.
But there wasn’t a happier person inside Ken Rosewall Arena last Friday night than Inglis, who had a front-row seat for Kubler’s inspiring performance against Great Britain’s Evans.
Ajla Tomljanovic and Nick Kyrgios back in 2017.Credit:AP
Kubler is currently ranked No.107 in the world but would have been much higher if his fourth-round Wimbledon showing had counted. Ranking points weren’t awarded due to the All-England Club’s controversial ban on Russian and Belarusian players. Inglis is ranked No.177 but has been handed a wildcard to this month’s Australian Open.
Quiet NYE for United Cup stars
How does a cast of world superstars celebrate New Year’s Eve in Sydney? Very quietly, if you’re in the middle of an event.
United Cup officials ensured there was a small function for competing players at their plush hotel in the city, but there wasn’t much appetite for living it large – at least not for the Czech Republic and Germany stars, who were back on court at 10am on New Year’s Day at Sydney Olympic Park.
The United States, and world No.19 Frances Tiafoe, have been the life of the United Cup so far, and the Americans ventured a little further afield for a harbourside dinner to ring in 2023. It helps when you aren’t scheduled to play on New Year’s Day.
Russian issue still causing angst
The banning of Russian and Belarusian players from last year’s Wimbledon tournament is a topic which won’t go away before Daniil Medvedev returns for this year’s Australian Open.
Medvedev lost an epic final lasting a staggering five hours and 24 minutes against Rafael Nadal last year. Twelve months can be a long time.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is clearly still causing major angst for ATP officials, who released its media guide this week without any recognition of Medvedev’s home country.
While every other player has a suffix listed next to their player profile representing their nation, Russia’s Medvedev and Andrey Rublev do not.
Curiously, though, a section dedicated to former world No.1s and multiple grand slam winners credits Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin as Russian.
Czechs’ reality
The Czech Republic revived their United Cup hopes by completing an upset win over Germany on New Year’s Day, but they must be wondering if their men’s No.2 position is cursed.
Just two days after Tomas Machac was forced to retire against the United States’ Frances Tiafoe when up a break in the second set trying to level his match, his replacement, Dalibor Svrcina, looked like he was about to suffer the same fate.
The baby-faced Czech, listed as 20 in official profiles, clutched at a hamstring after ripping a forehand winner past Germany’s Oscar Otte late in the second set of their match on Sunday.
He needed brief medical treatment, and then hobbled back onto the court with Otte saving a break point and then winning the next two to close out the match 7-6 (1), 6-2.
“In Czech, we have so many [great] girls and finally with the boys we have two in the top 100, one of them is injured and now the third one as well,” said Czech captain Jiri Vanek, the coach and fiancée of two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova. “We have to somehow improve the boys in the Czech Republic.”
Said Kvitova: “It was kind of bizarre. He felt something and he still wanted to play. I was like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ That was why I was smiling. With adrenalin, he was still going and walking and I was like, ‘Sit’. He said, ‘No, I have to walk’.”
Watch the United Cup live and free on the 9Network – Channel 9 and 9Gem. Every match will be available live on 9Now.
