'Before this guy was my favorite player’: The best of Wimbledon media day

WIMBLEDON -- There were no official matches Saturday, but the several dozen people who wandered onto Court 18 around midday got a rare thrill.
Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva, at 21 and 18, respectively, the youngest players in the PIF WTA Top 10, played some ferocious practice games. Their coaches, all dressed in white, urged them on -- Jean Christophe Faurel and Matt Daly stood by watching Gauff, while Conchita Martinez was more hands on with Andreeva, working in her movement to the ball.
Both players showed admirable variety, slicing off both wings and wielding drop shots. But in a theme that is likely to repeat itself in the coming fortnight, whoever was serving had a big advantage.
“I know I was down a break, so I guess she probably won that one,” Gauff said later. I don’t know what the score was. I love hitting and practicing with Mirra. She looks like she’ll do well here.”
Forty-eight hours before Monday’s first ball, it was a gorgeous, sunny day at the All England Club as the top players practiced and shared thoughts with the gathered media.
Sabalenka witnesses ‘another level’
Some of most arresting images this past week involved World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka -- practicing with the ATP Tour’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
“Hitting with the guys, it’s another level of intensity,” Sabalenka told reporters. “It’s just cool to see their level. Honestly, I hit with Jannik for like 10 minutes. I was exhausted. I was like, `Oh, my God. I don’t know.’
“An hour with Novak, you know, now I’m recovered. It was great experience. When you see on that side someone like Jannik or Novak, you learn from them. You reflect what they do on court. It was great for me.”
You’ve seen them practicing together. Now, hear the debrief 😂#Wimbledon | @SabalenkaA | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/fB1jAs3KjL
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 28, 2025
At the end of her press conference, Djokovic sauntered onto the stage.
“First of all, let me ask a question,” Sabalenka said. “What do you think about hitting with me? How do you see my level? Am I good?
Djokovic smiled and the 30-plus reporters in attendance started taking notes.
“I think you have the potential,” he said. “You’re, like, really talented player. You have nice strokes, good technique. [But] you’re lacking intensity on the court. You don’t have enough intensity.”
Sabalenka shook her head, laughing.
“Before this guy was my favorite player, but not anymore obviously,” she said.
Epic roundtable
While Gauff and Andreeva were whacking it around on Court 18, a heavily decorated triumvirate was watching from behind the large picture window in ESPN’s Green Room, dissecting the action: Eighteen-time Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert, 21-time Grand Slam doubles champion Pam Shriver and Coco Vandeweghe, two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist.
The players-turned-analysts bantered about who was getting the better of it (opinions varied), who the favorites were (there was no consensus) and what works best on grass.
“A drop shot on grass is gold,” Evert said.
“Serving is the calling card,” Shriver said.
“I think it’s wide open,” Vandeweghe said.
Beating the heat
Her first three visits to Wimbledon ended with a first-round loss. Last year, Jasmine Paolini got hot and won six straight matches before falling in the final to Barbora Krejcikova. The early week forecast calls for what could be record heat -- which is fine with Paolini.
“Drink a lot, I guess,” Paolini said. “That’s the main thing because if the match goes long, then it’s tough. In Hamburg was hot, Berlin was hot. We’ll see. I like hot. I am happy with the condition. It’s better when it is sunny for everybody.”
Gauff’s take on five
Gauff defeated Sabalenka in a three-set final at Roland Garros that ran 2 hours and 38 minutes. And then Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner went more than five hours in the five-set men’s final.
“Yeah,” Gauff told reporters. “I’ve thought about best-of-five. I mean, I think it would favor me a little bit just from a physicality standpoint.
“I do think it would kind of be a big change for the tour. I think it would be fine just keeping it like how it is.”
Just ‘good friends’
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz have signed up to play mixed doubles at the US Open, fueling speculation about their private lives.
They appeared together at a Saturday promotional event at the All England Club.
🤩#Wimbledon | @evianwater pic.twitter.com/J1jY6BrNxo
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 28, 2025
“It was fun yesterday,” Raducanu said. “We were both on court with Evian. Yeah, we were just getting some volley practicing ahead of New York. Yeah, I’m really happy obviously to be playing with him.”
Is there any truth to those rumors on social media?
“We’re just good friends,” Raducanu said, smiling.
“I think we can probably wrap it up there,” the moderator interjected.
“Way to wrap up,” Raducanu said, standing up to leave.