A fortnight after joining some Australian greats as a Masters champion, Alexei Popyrin realised his best hopes of success at the US Open, beginning on Monday night (AEST), involved taking a step away from the bright lights of the tour. The 25-year-old, who is seeded at a grand slam for the first time courtesy of...
Tag: Courtney Walsh
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Aussie qualifier’s emotional response on a record-breaking day as Demon draws US Open test
TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains discussions of suicide and mental illness In the moments after qualifying for the US Open on Friday, Destanee Aiava burst into tears before hugging those who had supported her quest to return to the biggest stages in tennis. There were moments where the 24-year-old, who was among the six Australians...
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Kyrgios reached his peak … then fell off the cliff. A looming return will show if he can get back up
Novak Djokovic gave a nod of acknowledgment to the supreme talent of his hitting partner as another backhand return whizzed past him on the training courts at Wimbledon six weeks ago. The seven-time Wimbledon champion was in good spirits as he worked on his serve-and-volley a day after Australian Alex de Minaur had given him...
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‘Amazing feeling’: 21-year Aussie drought on brink as unlikely star earns $1.6m shot at history
In a breakthrough week, Olympian Alexei Popyrin will bid to become the first Australian man in 21 years to win a Masters Series tournament when he faces Andrey Rublev in the final of the Canadian Open. The former Roland Garros boys champion continued his strong form in Montreal by clinching two wins on Sunday to...
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‘One hell of a legacy’: The seismic shifts behind Paris game-changer as Aussie women dominate
When it comes to Australia’s stunning success in Paris, 32 is the magic number that affirms a major change in the way our champion women are coached. At an Olympics where Australia finished fourth overall, produced our best Games away from home shores in track and field, almost knocked off the USA in the pool...
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‘Open the floodgates’: How ‘good as gold’ feat defined Aussies’ Olympics explosion
In the strides after Jess Hull crossed the finish line in the race of her life in Paris on Saturday, the Australian put her hands to her face in disbelief as she burst into a smile, ecstatic to have won a silver medal at the Olympics. With a capacity crowd at Stade de France roaring...
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‘I lost control’: Greek star breaks ties with dad after epic spray; Demon’s top-10 spot at risk
The hip injury that cruelled Alex de Minaur’s Wimbledon campaign at an inopportune time and derailed his Olympics ambitions has now imperilled his hold on a top 10 ranking leading into the US Open later this month. The Australian star, who reached back-to-back quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, has not played a singles match...
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‘Forged in fire’: The heartbreaks behind Aussie diver’s historic Olympic moment
Maddison Keeney’s palms were sweaty, knees weak and arms were heavy as she awaited a final dive in the Olympics. Eminem portrayed the Australian’s pickle in Paris perfectly. An Olympic medal was on the line. History too. Talk about pressure. Her legs have buckled in the past. She has fallen from the board. Click-seeking hate...
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From ‘starstruck’ to trailblazer: The world record rivalry behind Aussie track star’s final Olympics push
The first Australian woman to break four minutes for the 1500m, Linden Hall has been a beacon of support for her fellow members of the nation’s athletics team over the past week in Paris. As a leader of the Australian Flame, the 33-year-old has become a dab hand at offering assistance during major meets. Having...
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Inside Aussie medal hope’s secret health battle… and why she could soon swap the sand for Sherrin
Ahead of her arrival at the runway at the Stade de Paris on Tuesday, Australian long jumper Brooke Buschkuehl has eschewed the finest foods France has to offer with good reason. At an Olympics where critiques about the cuisine have been so frequent it is possible a gastronomic gold medal is on offer for the...
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‘Never done before’: MVP revealed as Aussie swim team rated: Paris Olympics Report Card
Australia’s superstar female Dolphins soared and veteran Cameron “Big Boy” McEvoy roared as the nation’s swimmers produced one of their best ever Olympics when falling just one gold medal shy of toppling the USA in the pool for the first time in 68 years. After an Olympics in which the nation’s superfish produced superlative performances...
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‘Nothing will be bigger’: Inside the gruelling road that sparked Aussie giant-slaying ‘miracle’
As a measure of the respect with which the nation’s newest gold medallists Matt Ebden and John Peers are held in Australian tennis, the reaction to their stunning Olympic triumph at Roland Garros on Saturday speaks volumes of their character. Similarly to their careers as a whole, Ebden and Peers overcame adversity and showed great...