Tenny Sandgren was not long ago one of the great surprises of the Open the Australia by reaching the quarterfinals, a feat that he achieved in 2018 and that he repeated in 2020, where he even had match points against Roger Federer to qualify for the semifinals. This good performance led him to be 41st in the world and he became a true nightmare on hard courts, since as he himself declared, without being a magnificent player he was capable of competing against anyone due to his good serve and his powerful forehand.
Almost three years later, the reality of the American is very different from that of then and now he is more in the news for his statements off the pitch than for his performances on the track. It should be remembered that Sandgren has been one of the few players who has not been vaccinated against Covid-19 and has also always been very critical of governments that required a vaccination certificate to enter the country and compete in tournaments.
However, with the whole issue of the pandemic already more relaxed, the American comments in an interview for Ubitennis how hard it has been for him to be able to compete after the coronavirus and how political correctness is increasingly present in tennis. In addition, he also talks about his desire to be among the best rackets in the world again.
Political correctness in tennis
“Unfortunately, it’s not just in tennis, it’s everywhere. If you accidentally say something offensive to someone, the sponsors want nothing to do with you because they are trying to sell their products. In the end, few people are dissatisfied with what is politically correct, most people think about themselves and their lives. However, it is very difficult to live without offending anyone because whatever you say, you will always find someone who does not share your thoughts and they will feel offended. It’s not fun living always checking every word that comes out of your mouth. I’ve heard a featured player in the past say that it would be interesting for players to get more exposure. I smiled because it’s clear that it would be nice, but at the same time it would be sad if a player didn’t manage to earn money through sponsors for certain opinions. Even during press conferences, you have to be very careful because journalists are ready to use your words. I honestly don’t know how I would behave if I had million-dollar contracts with sponsors, I’ve never found myself in that position, but when it comes to controversial issues you have to be careful.
Differences between Challenger circuit and ATP
“When I was playing ATP events regularly I had the feeling that draws were hard to predict, as I could meet players like Shapovalov, Auger Aliassime, Rune in a first round and they are too strong. However, at the same time, I could find myself facing a player who wasn’t particularly motivated that day since he wasn’t trying to support his family with that tournament. I think that in general, tennis players between the ages of 40 and 80 have excellent continuity tournament after tournament and wait for a spot in the draw to reach a semifinal or final in an important tournament. The Challengers are difficult and even if the best in the world are not present, you have to be very strong mentally, otherwise you have little chance of winning.
Goals for 2023
“I would love to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam again. I know to do that I would have to win a couple of Challengers in a row, but if I can get back in the top 50 in the world I would be very proud of myself. I have the feeling that the level of tennis has increased, anyway, the goal is to play ‘majors’.
Difficulty motivating yourself in tournaments after having obtained great results in the best events in the world
“Certainly it is difficult but from a certain point of view I have the feeling that it is even more complicated when you are around the hundredth position in the ranking and one week you play an ATP event and the next you play a Challenger again. In a matter of days you go from playing for $10,000 and 30-40 points per game to playing for $500 and 7 points per game. I am aware that at this point in my career if I want to return to a certain level I have to go through these tournaments, if I cannot be motivated and humble I should retire. I can say that I have had two careers, the first one where I played Futures and Challengers, the second one where I played the most important stages in the world. Although I have had some good results in the slams, I know the reality of the Challengers well.
