AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Queen’s Club
9th-15th June, 2014
In-form Alex Dolgopolov has joined Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych in the field for the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club, 9th-15th June, and says he is playing the best tennis of his life.
Dolgopolov, who has beaten the two most recent Grand Slam champions and three of the four highest ranked players in the world this year, has risen from 57 in the rankings at the end of 2013 to No.23.
Aegon Championships Tournament Director Ross Hutchins is delighted that Dolgopolov has committed to play at The Queen’s Club.
‘Alex is a natural born entertainer, and his recent form is just a glimpse of how special a player he is,” said Hutchins. “In terms of sheer talent, he is one of the most exciting players in the sport, and the things he can do on a tennis court bring spectators to their feet. With Alex, Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych already confirmed, we are in for a fantastic week at the Aegon Championships.”
Dolgopolov, who reached the final in Rio de Janeiro and holds wins over Rafael Nadal, Stanislas Wawrinka and David Ferrer this year, is already looking forward to it.
“It’s a really good tournament, the courts are really good, and it’s great to be in London for some weeks,” he said. “It is all good preparation for Wimbledon, I really enjoyed it last year and I’m looking forward to being there again.”
Dolgopolov has been ranked as high as No.13, but even though he is currently 10 places lower, he believes he is in the form of his life.
“This is the best tennis I’ve ever played,” he said. “I’ve been in the Top 20 before but I wasn’t close to this level – mentally, physically, everywhere. I was risking a lot (on the court), I would play unbelievable matches sometimes before, but I was not as solid as I am now on the court. I am taking tennis more seriously now, I’m more concentrated on the game than on other stuff, and if you do the hard work, have the right team, and have a bit of luck, it pays off. I’m really happy that I’m getting results.”
The ‘other stuff’ to which he refers, includes his interest in performing rap songs on stage at tennis tournaments. Here’s an example from the Umag ATP tournament last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9XbCQkHlNU
He hasn’t given it up altogether, but his performances on court are what matter most to him now.
“I like to go to Karaoke to rap sometimes, but I’m concentrating on tennis more now and so I have less time for everything else that I used to do,” said Dolgopolov. “I’m more happy to get results than to give extra time to rapping!”.
David Macmillan, Chief Marketing Officer, Aegon UK, said: ”This is fantastic news. With established stars Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych already confirmed for this summer’s award winning Aegon Championships, it’s great news that a rising player like Alex has also committed to play. We look forward to watching him at The Queen’s Club in June.”
Editors note.
The Aegon Championships has been staged at The Queen’s Club for more than a century.
Andy Murray, who completed the Aegon Championships-Wimbledon double in 2013, will try to join Roddick, Hewitt, John McEnroe and Boris Becker as the only four-time winners of one of the biggest, and most famous trophies in tennis.
In 2015, the Aegon Championships will attain ATP-500 status for the first as part of an expanded grass-court season. Wimbledon will move back a week and the Aegon Championships will be held 15th-21st June, 2015.
Aegon is Lead Partner of British Tennis and is helping to transform the sport in this country. They’re supporting young talent through the Aegon FutureStars programme, as well as sponsoring the junior and senior GB Davis and Fed Cup teams and amateur and professional events. In addition to the Aegon Championships, Aegon sponsor two other world-class grass court tournaments – the Aegon Classic and Aegon International – and will also sponsor the new WTA and ATP events in Nottingham from 2015. For further information visit www.aegontennis.co.uk
The Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) mission is to get more people playing tennis more often, and its role is to develop, promote and govern tennis in Britain.
To find a playing partner, local court or coach please visit www.allplaytennis.com
For more information on the LTA and British tennis, visit: www.lta.org.uk
Topics: AEGON Championships, Alex Dolgopolov, Andy Murray, Berdych, Tennis News, The Queens Club
Aegon Championships -Dolgopolov Joins Murray, & Berdych @ The Queen’s Club – http://t.co/DwvbtGVJUm @andy_murray @TheDolgo #QueensClub