As the women's 2020 tennis season enters its closing stages, players are already making plans for next year and are expected to be back on the road in less than two months' time.
The majority of the world’s top-20 players have wrapped up their season – only one international-level tournament remains on the schedule, in Linz next month – and are in a race against time to recover and start preparing for 2021.
The pandemic wreaked havoc with the tennis calendar this year, forcing a five-month shutdown from March to August. The WTA tour restarted in early August and a condensed schedule of 11 tournaments, including two Grand Slams, was reworked in order to provide playing opportunities, albeit in tricky, controlled environments and with hectic travel plans and abrupt surface changes involved. A total of 21 tour-level women's events were cancelled since August and further uncertainty looms for the 2021 season.
While players are grateful they got a chance to finally get back on court to compete, most of them admit that life in a travelling tennis bubble has taken a serious toll on their mental health.
“I think a break is much-needed because even though we didn’t play many tournaments, the stress of trying not to test positive at each tournament, the travel … travelling is a nightmare now. You’re scared of catching [the virus] and it’s stressful. I just need some time off,” said Greek world No 22 Maria Sakkari after concluding her season with a semi-final defeat in Ostrava on Saturday.
Missing the fans
Tournaments had varying levels of restrictions and protocols in place to minimise the risk of the coronavirus but players were mostly confined to their hotel rooms when they were not competing. They were limited to having fewer members of their staff with them at events, had to play in front of empty stands and were tested every four to five days.
“The hardest part for me is that we’re playing without the crowd because I like the energy when people are watching us, all these emotions I’m going through, to feel the support from the people is really important for me,” said Belarus’ world No 11 Aryna Sabalenka, who swept the singles and doubles titles in Ostrava on Sunday.
The long hiatus affected players in different ways. Some came blasting out of the blocks while others struggled to get things going. Ex-world No 1 Karolina Pliskova belongs to the latter group.
“I didn’t know how I’m going to react after five months of not playing, just practicing. Even the brain just stops,” said the Czech, who started 2020 ranked No 2 and is now down to No 6. “I didn’t really find the rhythm of tournaments and of playing matches and of travelling. I think nothing really worked out.”
The schedule itself was reshuffled and the postponement of the French Open from May to September meant that players contested the US Open and Roland Garros within a six-week period, switching from hard courts to clay to hard courts again.
Special waivers were needed to allow players to travel from Europe to the United States and back to Europe again. Without the freedom of re-entering a specific region, many players have been on the road for over three months, and some might not even make it home for Christmas.
US Open semi-finalist Jennifer Brady has not been back to Florida since July. The American world No 24 played World Team Tennis then competed in Lexington (where she won the title), went to New York for the Western & Southern Open and the US Open tournaments before heading to Germany for a one-week clay preparation ahead of Roland Garros in Paris, followed by Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
“It’s kind of just been nonstop. After my loss in Roland Garros I was actually thinking, ‘Wow it feels like everything I just accomplished over the last month didn’t happen’. And that’s not something I wanted to feel,” said the 25-year-old.
Brady intends to stay in Regensburg, Germany to train with her coach Michael Geserer until they head to Australia mid-December for the start of the 2021 season.
“With Covid and stuff, technically if I were to go back to America, I couldn’t get back into Germany. Because I’ve been in the European Union for a while, we’re able to travel within Europe,” explained Brady. “And there’s also just the quick turnaround for the season. The season ends and in early December we’ll have to, as of now, go to Australia. So there’s not really a whole lot of time.”
Travel woes
The tennis year typically begins in Australia with a series of tournaments staged in various cities such as Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart before the Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne in the third week of January.
Due to the restrictions in place because of Covid-19, players have been instructed to fly to Australia by mid-December for a mandatory two-week quarantine period Down Under before they start playing tournaments there.
It remains unclear which lead-up events will be staged and whether the Australian government will open up the borders between states in order to allow players to compete in different tournaments prior to the opening Grand Slam of the season. Tennis Australia officials are also trying to reach an agreement with the government that would confine players to a training bubble upon arrival to the country, rather than go through a strict two-week quarantine in their hotel rooms.
Former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, who won the Western & Southern Open and has reached finals at the US Open and Ostrava since the tour restarted, believes mental preparation will be key ahead of next season.
The Belarusian admits the swift surface changes over the past few weeks, as well as the constant travel and the back-to-back Grand Slams required a “long psychological focus” from her and she ended her season by fighting through a migraine on the eve of her Ostrava final against Sabalenka.
“I think it’s the importance of keeping your mind fresh. I think the physicality of the situation is not different from before but mentally there is a lot stronger toll on players,” said Azarenka.
“So I think that’s something to, not necessarily watch out for, but just accept. I think we all need to learn and accept what is happening.
“I think what I’ve taken out [of this situation] is that in such a difficult time we’re able to still do our job and I think that shouldn’t be unnoticed.”
A call for more responsibility
Azarenka has called on her peers to play their part in helping keep the tour as safe as possible, and hopes everyone adheres to whichever protocols will be in place at tournaments next season.
“I hope that we will bring more responsibility from players and everybody else into the next year to be able to minimise the risk and maximise the potential to play more tournaments and ability to host more tournaments,” said the 31-year-old.
“I think it’s everybody’s job to be responsible for that, myself included, so we can kind of take, even if the situation doesn’t change, but we can maybe be a bit in better control of our environment because negligence from other people I think a lot of times causes more chaos and more risk for others. So I hope that one thing that players, tournament staff and everybody involved in our job take that to the next year to be more responsible, more vigilant with what they do.”
Sticking to the rules over the past few weeks has been challenging for some, but most of the women’s players have adapted well and have grown accustomed to the so-called “new normal”. But 2021 will pose a different challenge since we are potentially looking at a full season of tennis bubbles and tight restrictions.
“We got used to this environment. But for sure for long-term, it would be tough to do a year-long environment like this, or the players will have to pick their tournaments, where they go, because mentally it’s tough,” said Artemon Apostu-Efremov, the co-coach of two-time major champion Simona Halep.
Revised ranking system wasn’t great for everyone
One player relieved to be taking a break is Arab No 1 Ons Jabeur, who ends her 2020 season at a career-high 31 in the world after reaching the quarter-finals or better in five tournaments this year. The Tunisian had a specific target at the start of the season, aiming to break the top 20 for the first time. But due to the revised ranking system put in place because of Covid-19 that limits fluctuations in the rankings and prevents players from dropping points they accumulated last year, Jabeur wasn't able to reach her goal, despite her consistent results.
She can find some solace in the fact that she would be No 14 in the world right now had the original ranking system been in place.
“I think if there was no Covid and there wasn’t the new ranking system I would have been in the top 20 already. It’s going to continue to be my goal. I’m pretty happy with how the season went. Not easy with the Covid but I’m going to try to be ready for next year,” said Jabeur .
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Racecard
6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m
8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m
10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Brown/Black belt finals
3pm: 49kg female: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) v Thamires Aquino (BRA)
3.07pm: 56kg male: Hiago George (BRA) v Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA)
3.14pm: 55kg female: Amal Amjahid (BEL) v Bianca Basilio (BRA)
3.21pm: 62kg male: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) v Joao Miyao (BRA)
3.28pm: 62kg female: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR)
3.35pm: 69kg male: Isaac Doederlein (BRA) v Paulo Miyao (BRA)
3.42pm: 70kg female: Thamara Silva (BRA) v Alessandra Moss (AUS)
3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
3.56pm: 85kg male: Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE) v Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA)
4.03pm: 90kg female: Claire-France Thevenon (FRA) v Gabreili Passanha (BRA)
4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Mobile phone packages comparison
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
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Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Team Angel Wolf Beach Blast takes place every Wednesday between 4:30pm and 5:30pm
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
MATCH INFO
Rajasthan Royals 158-8 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 143/7 (20 ovs)
Rajasthan Royals won by 15 runs
More about Middle East geopolitics
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88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
