‘Nobody Talks a Lot About Federer..’- Aged Australian Tennis Legend Delivers a
Brutally Honest Take on the Current Wave of Next Gen Stars Like Carlos Alcaraz
and Holger Rune
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 5, 2021 Switzerland’s
Roger Federer during his third round match against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer
REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
One may leave playing tennis but tennis doesn’t leave you. Former World No 2 Lesley Bowrey and her husband Bill Bowrey left playing professional tennis a long time back. But the couple revealed how tuned in they are to the latest happenings in the game. They opened up on a host of issues, including the tactical side of the game and the current crop of talent in men’s tennis.
The couple expressed their views on the evolution of the game. And also elaborated on how the younger players are evolving, and how they would fill the void left by the likes of Roger Federer.
Taking the attention away from Federer
Bill Bowrey, an Australian Championship winner, showered praises on men’s tennis while talking to ausopen.com. He also was in agreement with his wife about the promise of the next generation of talent. The former tennis player mentioned how he religiously follows major tournaments like The Australian Open, The Italian Open, etc.
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via Reuters
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) reacts after winning a point against Casper Ruud (NOR) (not pictured) in the men’s singles final in the Miami Open | Credit: Reuters
Giving credit to the new crop of talented players on the ATP circuit, he said that they managed to take the shine away from Federer. He expressed the same in these words, ” In fact, nobody talks a lot about Federer anymore… Now they’re talking about Alcaraz and Rune.“
We all know that Federer is unforgettable but it is time for newer talent to take on the mantle of carrying the rich legacy of tennis on their shoulders.
Lesley Bowrey on new talent and old tactics
Lesley Bowrey commented on how she likes the tactical side of the game. She described that she sees glimpses of “tactical brilliance” in current World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
Bowrey said, “I like to see players using their heads.” She further added “I think you see it in the men; they’re all starting to volley a little bit, play a lot of drop shots. Alcaraz, wow.”
She further said that the focus on tactics is experiencing a revival in the game as it was done during her time. The 80-year-old tennis star also heaped praises on Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, and Novak Djokovic.
According to the four times French Open finalist, Djokovic is a top player but, “struggling a bit”.
Meanwhile, she said that the clash of the new generation of young talent would make the French Open interesting. “I think the French Open is going to be very open.”
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Sinner, Holger, and Rune have already started their French Open march. They had convincing first-match victories in the ongoing tournament.
Junaid Ashraf is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports. After completing a couple
of masters degrees in social sciences, he published three books in poetry,
fiction and non fiction. Junaid worked as a lecturer and a creative writing
expert for an MNC before breaking into the exciting world of sports journalism.
