Andy Murray was pondering whether it might be the end. Stan Wawrinka was battered and bruised. Milos ‘the Missile’ Raonic was disarmed. Rafael Nadal did not make the start line.
On a warm day in Melbourne which tested even the young and spritely, some veterans with storied careers were sent packing from the Australian Open, perhaps for the last time.
It proved another reminder that fairytale farewells in sport are a rare thing and that if a legend you love is edging towards the end, make sure to watch them whenever possible.
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It is now five years since a bemused Murray was prematurely retired by the Australian Open organisers when they played a farewell montage as he sat stewing on the court.
After career-saving hip surgery, the Scot has defied the doubters to return to the top 50.
Last year he enjoyed a memorable week in Melbourne when defeating Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis in back-to-back epics before hitting the wall.
But there was no such flourish on Monday. A five-time finalist in Melbourne, Murray found 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry far too strong when beaten 6-4 6-2 6-2.
Asked if it might be his last visit to Melbourne as a player, the dispirited dual-Wimbledon champion conceded it was entirely possible after a particularly flat performance.
“Yeah, it’s a definite possibility that will be the last time I play here,” he said.
“Whilst you’re playing the match, you’re obviously trying to control your emotions, focus on the points and everything.
“When you’re one point away from the end, you’re like, ‘I can’t believe this is over so quickly, and like this’.
“In comparison to the matches that I played here last year, it’s the complete opposite feeling walking off the court.
“I wish I could have involved the crowd more. (I’m) just disappointed with the way I played and all of that stuff, so … yeah, it was a tough, tough way to finish.”
It is now ten years since Wawrinka won his maiden grand slam title in Melbourne and he stirred memories of his former brilliance for periods against Adrian Mannarino.
But after undergoing surgery during the off-season, Wawrinka not only hit the wall, it effectively knocked him out as well from midway through the fourth set.
The 38-year-old, who is the oldest man ranked in the top 100, managed to win just eight points in the final set when beaten 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-0 by a fellow veteran.
Raonic, too, served notice of why he was good enough to reach a ranking of No.3 and also a Wimbledon final when taking the first set off Alex de Minaur.
But it was evident that he was unlikely to be able to complete the match not long later due to a hip injury as the Canadian’s wretched run continued.
There is, of course, an exception to the rule. Anyone remember that old fella named Novak?
Raonic retires in upsetting ending | 01:04
…BUT HAVE A LOOK AT THE TALENT COMING ALONG
On Tuesday night, Carlos Alcaraz returns to Rod Laver Arena after missing last year’s Open. A chief challenger to Novak Djokovic’s reign as the King of Melbourne Park, the Spanish sensation is pitted against another revered veteran in Richard Gasquet.
It is now 21 years since the Frenchman with the beautiful backhand played his first Australian Open in 2003, with Gasquet too edging closer to the end of his career.
Alcaraz is not. At 20, the world No.2 and reigning Wimbledon champion is the face of the future. But he is not alone, with this Australian Open featuring several promising talents.
It is a rule always worth remembering when doomsayers suggest the end is nigh when a legend nears retirement age. There is always a new talent just around the corner.
After dazzling at Roland Garros and arriving at Wimbledon with a Netflix camera crew trailing her last year, Mirra Andreeva became the third 16-year-old to progress to the second round.
A year ago Andreeva was beaten by Australian hopeful Melisa Ercan in a junior tournament in the regional Victorian town of Traralgon.
On Monday she defeated American Bernarda Pera 7-5 6-2 with the maturity of a player who appeared anything but an Australian Open debutant.
On the opening day Alina Korneeva, Andreeva’s conqueror in last year’s Australian Open girls’ singles final, and Brenda Fruhvirtova won their first grand slam matches.
REMINDER OF UNIQUE PAIN AUS OPEN CAN PRODUCE
While it didn’t reach the stifling heights of years gone by, even a reasonably hot day at Melbourne Park proved too much for many participants.
The most notable impact came on Show Court 1, where French qualifier Terence Atmane was threatening a major boilover against former finalist Daniil Medvedev, taking the opening set 7-5 after being down a break.
But intense cramps got the better of the 22-year-old and at one point he had to give a game away entirely, accepting multiple penalties, just so he could reach the chair for a changeover in serious pain.
Early in the fourth set it all became too much, retiring hurt, with Medvedev – who speaks fluent French – telling Atmane “if you keep playing like that, all the best tournaments are yours”.
Also suffering was Zizou Bergs, a lucky loser who made it into the main draw after cramps forced him out of the final round of qualifying, who again suffered during his loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Plus there was Stan Wawrinka, whose body will only let him play so much more tennis after a stellar career, fell apart late in a five-setter against French No.20 seed Adrian Mannarino including a 6-0 last set.
Milos Raonic’s injury retirement against Alex de Minaur had nothing to do with the weather but he only added to the long list of day two casualties.
And all of this on a day that reached a high of 29.8 degrees at 4:30pm, according to the Bureau of Metereology – not exactly a record-breaker, though admittedly with surprisingly high humidity.
While the BOM was tipping a top of 30 degrees on Tuesday, there isn’t a lot of intense heat on the long-term radar – with Wednesday in fact given a 90 per cent chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon, plus a 40 per cent chance on Friday.
In fact, it all sounds pretty pleasant, which is exactly what Australian Open organisers want to hear when they’re trying to break the one million attendees barrier.
“This is the wokest tournament ever!” | 00:37
BARTY FOUNDATION AUCTION PROVES A BONANZA
How much would you pay to spend an hour on court partnering Ash Barty and Pat Rafter in a doubles, before chewing the fat with the Australian icons over lunch?
It was an offer that had some heavy hitters in Melbourne reaching for their phones and checking their stock options at a fundraising auction for the AB Foundation on Monday night.
After appearing alongside Andre Agassi at the annual Australian Open trophy ceremony on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, Barty put her star power to use for a good cause on Monday.
The 2022 Australian Open champion called on mates including Olympic legend Cathy Freeman, tennis stars Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Rafter and Dylan Alcott and eight-time world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore for assistance in launching her foundation.
The legends charmed a crowd featuring guests from around the world at a fundraising dinner at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club with tales from their storied careers.
The offer to play with Rafter and Barty was among a stunning array of opportunities on offer for the AB Foundation, which aims to support children in the sporting and education fields.
And how much did it raise?
Let’s just say those at the launch combined for bids worth about as much as a player reaching the third round of the Australian Open qualifying rounds earned this year.
Official confirmation of the funds raised is expected on Tuesday, but Barty was clearly delighted by the night.
“I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting for this day to come, to finally launch my foundation with my team,” Barty said earlier in the day at Kooyong.
“Our purpose is to provide opportunity to young boys and girls through sport and education, (which are) two of my biggest passion pieces. Now, being able to bring it all together is really exciting.”
As former rival Naomi Osaka resumed with a loss to Caroline Garcia at Melbourne Park on Monday after becoming a mother last year, Barty again put the line through a comeback.
Instead, she is dedicated to investing her time in a broader range of interests.
“Our goal is to help as many young Australians as possible to make sure that the quality is there, that the money is being used in the right way. I don’t want to put a goal or an expectation or a ceiling on where we go,” she said.
“We’re all very new to this. My team, my family, the team in The AB Foundation, so it’s all exciting for us. It’s all new. And I think we have the energy, we have the desire to do as well as we can, and that’s all we can ask.”
Bizarre rule strikes in 5 set thriller | 00:45
BOLSTERED SECURITY PRESENCE FLAGS CONCERNS
Scheduling snafus and rising beer prices are part and parcel of every Australian Open and it took less than 12 hours for complaints to arise about both in 2024.
But more serious are the flashpoints that regularly arise between both players and fans as a result of tennis being a truly global game.
It was only 12 months ago that the Djokovic family was forced to distance themselves from a controversy that arose when Srdjan Djokovic was photographed alongside pro-war protesters at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic’s father ultimately decided not to attend the final in which his son claimed a 10th Australian Open final as a result of the saga.
But Australian Open officials are treading a minefield as they try to minimise the potential for disruption and controversy. To date, there have been no dramas from that point of view.
A larger than usual police and security presence is visible around the grounds and Palestinian, Jewish, Russian and Belarusian fans have been banned by event organisers.
Victoria Police said safety measures were in place around the grounds.
“Victoria Police is expecting the Australian Open this year to be a safe and respectful event for everyone,’’ it said in a statement.
“As usual, there will be a highly visible police presence in Melbourne Park and surrounding areas to ensure people can enjoy the event safely.’’
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley told the Herald Sun troublemakers were not welcome at Melbourne Park.
“If anyone comes on site with the specific intent to disrupt the enjoyment and the safety of our fans then they are not welcome and they will be removed,’’ he said.
“Protests et cetera, we leave in the hands of our security partners, particularly the Victorian police and they are well versed, experienced and really good at managing that.’’
That does not mean conflicts including the Russian invasion of Ukraine are far from the mind of players, with good reason.
After her opening round upset of reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Dayana Yastremska struggled to hold her composure as she touched on the impact the conflict has had on her.
The qualifier revealed that while she was playing in the Brisbane International at the start of the season, her grandmother’s home was hit during an air assault.
“To talk about what is going on in the Ukraine, a couple of seconds are not enough,” she said.
“I’m proud of Ukraine. Proud of the people. Proud of the warriors.
“When I was in Brisbane, before my match, a rocket arrived on my grandmother’s house. It was hard to play.
“We need to remember and give as much support as possible to Ukraine. I’m proud to be Ukrainian.”
Racket SMASHED – Cramp forces retirement | 00:54
REMINDER OF WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO SOME
Scheduling snafus and rising beer prizes are part and parcel of every Australian Open and it took less than 12 hours for complaints to arise about both in 2024.
But far more serious are the flashpoints that regularly arise between both players and fans as a result of tennis being a truly global game.
It is only 12 months ago that the Djokovic family was forced to distance themselves from a controversy that arose when Srdjan Djokovic was photographed alongside pro-war protesters at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic’s father ultimately decided not to attend the final in which his son claimed a 10th Australian Open title.
But Australian Open officials are mindful of trying to minimise the potential for disruption and controversy and, to date, there have been no dramas on that front.
That does not mean conflicts including the Russian invasion of Ukraine are far from the mind of players, with good reason.
After her opening round upset of reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Dayana Yastremska struggled to hold her composure as she touched on the impact the conflict has had on her.
The qualifier revealed that while she was playing in the Brisbane International at the start of the season, her grandmother’s home was hit during an air assault.
“To talk about what is going on in the Ukraine, a couple of seconds are not enough,” she said.
“I’m proud of Ukraine. Proud of the people. Proud of the warriors.
“When I was in Brisbane, before my match, a rocket arrived on my grandmother’s house. It was hard to play.
“We need to remember and give as much support as possible to Ukraine. I’m proud to be Ukrainian.”
