Related items

• Liam Broady delighted to prove doubters wrong as he achieves top-100 goal

  One of the first thoughts that came into Liam Broady’s mind when he achieved a decade-long goal by securing a place in the top 100 was for the people who gave up on him.

  By reaching the final of last week’s second-tier Challenger tournament in St Tropez, Broady guaranteed he would rise to 93 in the rankings when they are updated on Wednesday.

  It is 12 years since the Stockport player, who is now 29, reached the boys’ final at Wimbledon and he told the PA news agency of his emotions, saying: “Mainly relief.

  “The thing that’s been the goal that’s kept me going for 10 years has been ‘I will be top 100 one day’.

  “It’s funny, with this stuff you never feel as good as you think, once you do it you’re like, ‘Oh is that it’? Now I’m already thinking about how can we finish the year strong, how can I go to Australia and maximise at the start of next year. But it is a big weight off my shoulders.

  “I don’t know why but you always see a player who’s been in the top 100 differently. Even if someone’s made 99 and someone’s been 101, there’s a different sort of aura about that and I’ve been conscious of that for years.

  “There have been plenty of British players that have been fantastic but never managed to cross that final hurdle. I didn’t want the same thing for myself, I wanted to be within that holy grail.”

  It has been a rollercoaster of a career for Broady, who hit such a mental low a few years ago that he came close to quitting the sport.

  He has had a turbulent relationship both with the Lawn Tennis Association and his father, who severed ties with the federation when Broady was a junior after his sister and fellow player Naomi had her funding cut.

  Broady went against his father’s wishes by turning to the LTA before refusing funding again in order to try to repair the relationship, but the final blow came courtesy of the federation.

  “I remember past regimes at the LTA – and I don’t hold the current situation responsible for this – but when I did get my funding cut I think I was 23 years old,” he said.

  “And at the time they had this algorithm, they’d worked out statistically how many players make top 100 past a certain age and how long they stay there for and they had a stat that basically it wasn’t worth a player making it past the age of 23 or whatever it was.

  “I remember Jo Konta at the time had had her funding cut and then the next year she made top 100 and as we all know, had a fantastic career.

  “That was something that stuck with me for many years and that was one of the first things I thought of and I hope that people that have gone through stuff that I’ve gone through and have lost belief and had people tell them, ‘It’s too late, you’re not going to make it’ – if you’re willing to put in the work and the sacrifice, there’s no telling when you’re going to make it.

  “Even if you make it for a week or for a year, it’s worth it in the end, I can attest to that.”

  Broady freely admits he has not always helped himself with a lack of professionalism in his younger days but he has been on a steadily upward curve over the last four years.

  This season he has performed consistently at Challenger level, while he achieved a career-best victory over then world number four Casper Ruud to reach the third round at Wimbledon.

  By his side for most of the last 10 years has been coach Dave Sammel, who Broady credits for helping him navigate choppy waters on and off court.

  “I’ve been through a lot of stuff,” he said. “But Dave was there from the start and he always believed.

  “I think he’d be the first to say he’s had times where the belief has wobbled but he’s a great crisis management coach and that’s what I’ve kind of needed. He’s been probably the steadiest influence in my life over the last 10 years.

  “I had a lot of stuff going on with my family, I had a lot of stuff going on all over the place, I’m a very chaotic person by nature. And Dave has been an emotional rock for me on and off the court and combined with that, he’s a great tennis coach.”

  With top 100 ticked off, Broady is spending a few days back home for the first time since May and his priority over the remaining weeks of the year is to ensure he makes it into the main draw of a grand slam on ranking for the first time at the Australian Open.

  So how high could Broady go?

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m interested to see. Ask me in a year’s time. Once you’re in the top 100, I think it all comes down to runs you can go on.

  “If you play well at the right tournaments then you can go as high as anyone. I’ve got no experience of knowing what that feels like so I’m just excited.”

• Lopez unsure if Spain's Nadal-led golden generation will be repeated

  Feliciano Lopez has doubts whether Spain's golden generation led by Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will ever be replicated.

  With Nadal's glittering career nearing its end, the torch for Spanish tennis has been passed on to Alcaraz, who at just 20 has already won Wimbledon and the US Open.

  The pair have now combined for over half of Spain's grand slam titles, and while Lopez feels his nation will have more success in the future, the former world number 12 has concerns whether it will match the levels that Nadal produced. 

  "I believe that we are not going to experience the generation of Spanish tennis players that we lived through again," Lopez told Stats Perform. "People have to be clear about that.

  "But that does not mean that there will not be other great tennis players that will represent the country very well in the coming years.

  "I don't know Spanish tennis in the minor categories, beyond some names that have been told to me, but I know that there are kids of 16 or 17 who play well.

  "In the end, I think Spanish tennis has been in a place that is very difficult to get back to, but I'm sure that apart from Carlitos, there will be other young players who will bring us joy during the next four, five or six years."

  Alcaraz has reached at least the semi-finals in the last four grand slam tournaments he has played, winning two of them, and Lopez has faith that he can carry the torch for Spanish tennis once Nadal calls it a day.

  "Spanish tennis is in the hands of Carlitos and when Rafa announces his retirement, the entire country will want him to win," Lopez added. 

  "He has already won two grand slams and has been number one. It is a blessing to have a player like Carlos at a time when Rafa has a year left to retire."

  Nadal's decorated career has coincided with a great era of Spanish sport, with the nation's male and female football teams both winning World Cup titles while they have also enjoyed success in the likes of basketball and motorsport.

  Lopez takes pride in his country's sporting achievements, explaining: "A country like Spain that is not a world power, and sport does not have the aid that neighbouring countries invest, in the last 20 years, has not stopped winning titles in all disciplines: Tennis, football, and basketball."

• Jamaica prioritizes cricket development over hosting 2024 ICC T20 World Cup matches

  Jamaica's government has announced its reasons behind the decision not to bid for hosting rights in the upcoming 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, opting instead to invest JMD$100 million into the development of cricket in the country. The decision comes after a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and consultations with stakeholders, according to a statement by Jamaica's Sports Minister, Olivia Grange.

  The 2024 ICC T20 World Cup is set to be hosted by the United States and seven Caribbean countries, including St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana, with the final slated to take place at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados. This prestigious cricketing event set to bowl off on June 4 and conclude on June 30, has generated significant interest and excitement among cricket enthusiasts across the region and the globe.

  In a statement, Minister Grange explained the rationale behind the decision: "We had been considering the cost and source of funding of nearly half a billion dollars to host a few games in Jamaica. In our cost/benefit analysis with stakeholders, we also considered the economic, social, and development impact, including the potential tourism-related impact and attendant industry benefits using year-over-year economic modeling, reconciled against current tourism performance."

  The decision to forego hosting rights was not taken lightly, as the prospect of hosting international cricket matches at renowned venues like Sabina Park in Kingston held immense allure. However, Minister Grange emphasized the need for responsible governance and sustainable development in the sporting arena. She stated, "I could not just follow my heart. As a responsible Minister, I am obliged to look beyond immediate gratification to sustainable sport development that will yield immeasurable rewards at all levels in Jamaica. I had to pay attention to the cost/benefit analysis, especially in a circumstance of limited resources."

  Jamaica's commitment to cricket development remains unwavering. Minister Grange announced a significant investment of JMD$100 million in youth cricket and cricket in schools over the next five years. This initiative is in addition to the government's ambitious plan for the rehabilitation and development of Jamaica's sports infrastructure.

  While the decision has garnered support for its long-term vision, it has also sparked consternation among stakeholders who view it as a missed opportunity for the country. Opposition leader Mark Golding lamented to the Jamaica Observer, "It is hard to accept that an international tournament of this stature is being played in the Caribbean, and not a single match is being held here at our iconic Sabina Park."

  Dr. Donovan Bennett, a Cricket West Indies board director, expressed skepticism about the government's intentions, stating, "It's quite obvious that the Government had no intention of bidding because this thing has been going on for about 10 or 12 weeks."

  Dr. Akshai Mansingh, the dean of the Faculty of Sport at The University of the West Indies, echoed the sentiment that Jamaica missed a unique opportunity, saying, "By not bidding, the Jamaican Government spurned the chance to not only boost the economy and the tourism sector but also to upgrade infrastructure."