Aljaz Bedene is back to top form at Roland Garros. The 32-year-old Slovenian returned to action this March after an eight-month layoff and is picking up big wins again, defeating Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay to reach the third round in Paris.
His reward is a high-profile showdown with top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic. Before they step inside Court Philippe Chatrier, ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about Bedene.
Tennis Runs In His Family
Bedene's twin brother, Andraz, currently serves as one of his coaches alongside Miha Mlakar. Andraz was a top junior player in Slovenia and the twins often competed against each other for junior titles.
He’s Friends With Luka Doncic
In 2019, the NBA star visited the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag and watched Bedene play. They’ve remained friendly and even shared time competing together.
“I know Luka loves tennis. Maybe he’s not the best yet but I’m sure he’s going to achieve what he wants to do and he’s just such a great competitor,” said Bedene. “We [have] played some football together and he wants to win at everything he does, so that’s what makes him great.”
Bedene is also friends with fellow Slovenian athlete Anze Kopitar. He supported the Los Angeles Kings star in person at a hockey game this March.
He’s Married To Slovenian Pop Royalty
Bedene married his wife, Kim, in 2017. She's a pop star in Slovenia best known for her time in the former girl band Foxy Teens, Slovenia’s answer to the Spice Girls.
Grand Slam Success Didn’t Come Easily
Bedene initially struggled with his stamina in best-of-five-set matches, falling at the opening hurdle of his first eight Grand Slam appearances. But after making his fitness a higher priority, the Slovenian began to thrive in marathon matches. He scored his maiden Grand Slam win in a fifth set at 2015 Wimbledon and has since posted a 5-1 record in major matches that went the distance.
Clay Is His Surface
Although Bedene has enjoyed success on all surfaces, his best results have come on clay. The Slovenian reached two of his four ATP Tour finals on clay, at 2017 Budapest (l. to Pouille) and 2018 Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem). Eleven of his 16 ATP Challenger Tour titles have also come on the surface.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/iU0K24E
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