Martina Navratilova was once again a hugely informative pundit throughout Wimbledon, and as someone who lifted the title nine times in SW19, she was well-placed to deliver her verdict on the competition.
A legend of the sport and now one of tennis’ leading voices, her latest claim is actually one of fear rather than adulation, having just witnessed Carlos Alcaraz shine as he beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets just a day after Navratilova had praised the women’s finalists too.
After all, whilst for the fans this summer of sport makes for great viewing, with the Olympics commencing in just a few weeks, for the players it marks a very real threat.
Martina Navratilova makes worrying US Open prediction
Speaking after the Wimbledon final, Navratilova sought to look ahead to the upcoming tennis fixtures which have clogged the calendar up.
After all, the schedules of these remarkable athletes are already rammed enough as it is without the upcoming Olympic games, held in Paris..
The 67-year-old, who has spent the last two weeks as a pundit for the BBC, actually outlined her fears for the players, going from grass back to clay and then to hard courts when the US Open rolls around.
She claimed: ‘It’s easier to go back on clay which you just played on a few weeks ago, than to go on the hard courts. That’s when the body starts giving in, because the hard courts are much harder on the body. Surface wise I don’t think the players will have an issue. It’s just the emotional and physical toll of playing another massive event in the middle of the summer.
‘It’s basically two weeks after Wimbledon is over the Olympics start and the top players have played here, it’s such a short turnaround. And it’s emotionally and physically exhausting. And then you go on the hard courts.
‘I think there will be tongues hanging out at the US Open. I think they will be okay at the Olympics but how much energy do you have? I think it cost Novak Djokovic the grand slam, three years ago and now they are doing it again. It’s going to be tough.’
The tennis calendar is jam-packed with the Olympics this year
As Navratilova fears, the Olympics is just the latest event that will jam up the calendar, but the more pressing matter is the change of surface.
After all, it has been proven that the shift between surfaces can cause serious damage, with the USTA even writing: ‘Changing surfaces too quickly can also lead to overuse injuries.’
They enlisted the knowledge of Dr. Morgan Busko, a sports medicine physician, who then noted: ‘When someone who always plays on hard courts suddenly starts playing on grass or clay, the little bit of extra give in the surface might put more stress on their tendons.
‘A new surface changes the way the tendons respond to the impact and creates a little extra work for them. So that can definitely lead to an issue.’
So, to have finished the clay-court season and transitioned to grass, and now set to return to clay for the Olympics before the hard-court returns, should worry players.
This could be a really revealing summer for tennis, as if they see a huge spike in injuries there will be questions asked.
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