Thursday 30 April 2020

'My Instagram': Get To Know Challenger Stars Rodionov & Wolf

They are two of the rising stars on the ATP Challenger Tour. Jurij Rodionov and J.J. Wolf dominated the circuit in the early months of the 2020 season, combining to win 29 matches and four titles, with both players surging to career highs inside the Top 170 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.

We know their accomplishments on the court, but who exactly are the Austrian and the American? What do they value most and what have been their most important experiences?

From Rodionov's passion for traveling to Wolf's first encounter with Roger Federer and the impact of his time at Ohio State University, they break down their favourite Instagram posts...

Get To Know: Jurij Rodionov


Get To Know: J.J. Wolf



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Five Things To Know About Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem is the No. 3 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, with 16 ATP Tour titles and three Grand Slam final appearances to his name.

ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 26-year-old.

1) He Is Closing The Gap On The Big Three
 Since the start of the 2019 ATP Tour season, Thiem has won seven of his 10 matches against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic (2-2), Rafael Nadal (2-1) and Roger Federer (3-0). The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the greatest threats to the trio’s dominance of the sport, reaching one Grand Slam final in each of the past three ATP Tour seasons.

Thiem has inflicted several high-profile losses on the Big Three during this period. The Austrian snapped Djokovic’s 26-match unbeaten streak at Grand Slam events in last year’s Roland Garros semi-finals and also ended Nadal’s bid to equal Federer’s record Grand Slam trophy haul at the Australian Open in January. Thiem also defeated Federer in last year’s Indian Wells championship match.

On 2 March, Thiem overtook Federer to reach a career-high No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He is the first man outside the Big Three to occupy a Top 3 position since Alexander Zverev on 5 May last year.

[ATP APP]

2) He Is One Of The Strongest Players On The ATP Tour
 Thiem’s rise to No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings has required years of preparation and hard work. The 16-time tour-level titlist, who posted a 15-3 record in deciding sets last year, has had to push himself to the limit off the court during training blocks.

“It’s amazing how he practises. All the time, 100 per cent, he’s very focussed all the time,” said Thiem's coach, Nicolas Massu. “He tries to improve every day, so for me as a coach it’s amazing because he’s a guy who wants to win all the time.”

In preparation for his run to the 2020 Australian Open final, Thiem was joined by fitness coaches Dr. Michael Reinprecht and Duglas Cordero during his off-season training block. The pair constantly monitored Thiem’s heart rate to see how long it took him to recover from certain drills, and used a laser beam to measure the exact speed of some sprints.

“Dominic is an amazing player. He is working very, very hard. It is amazing the high intensity he puts in for every exercise,” said Cordero. “The preseason is very important because if you get a good preseason, it’s possible to, [when you] combine it with good tennis, [to] keep the performance all year.”

3) 2019 Was The Best Year Of His Career
 In 2019, Thiem raised his game to new heights. The Austrian captured five titles last year, including his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Open. In his first tournament alongside new coach Nicolas Massu, Thiem outlasted Milos Raonic and Federer to take the title in Indian Wells.

The 6’1” right-hander also won each of the nine matches he contested in Austria, capturing the first two home titles of his career at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna and the Generali Open in Kitzbühel. Thiem also lifted ATP 500 trophies in Barcelona and Beijing.

Alongside his five title runs, Thiem also advanced to his second straight Roland Garros final (l. to Nadal) and reached his first championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals in London (l. to Tsitsipas).

[TENNIS AT HOME]

4) Football Is In His DNA
The 26-year-old loves football and is a keen supporter of English team, Chelsea FC. In 2015, Thiem visited the team’s home stadium, Stamford Bridge and, one year later, received 10 pairs of personalised shoes from the club at the 2016 Generali Open.

Thiem’s passion for the sport goes beyond Chelsea FC. He also enjoys playing football himself and founded his own club, 1. TFC Matzendorf. Ahead of the 2018 ATP Tour season, the Austrian travelled to Slovenia alongside countryman Dennis Novak to play for his club.

5) He Cares About The Environment
Thiem is conscious of the need to protect our environment. After stumbling across the work of 4Ocean, a business which has removed 8,691,089 pounds of plastic from the ocean since 2017, Thiem purchased one of their bracelets and began wearing it at tennis events.

4Ocean spotted Thiem wearing the bracelet at the Mutua Madrid Open and quickly got in contact. Thiem regularly shares the hashtag #4Ocean on social media and would like to join the organisation to personally remove plastic from the ocean one day.

“I really hope that I can attend one clean up and help,” said Thiem. “That would be a dream for me.”



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Rapper's Delight: Moutet Shows Off Creative Side On Instagram

While players have turned to social media over the past month to share funny photos and volley challenges, Corentin Moutet stunned his peers and fans by showcasing a hidden talent for rapping through original tracks on Instagram.

The #NextGenATP Frenchman had already established himself as one of the most talented musicians on Tour as a piano player. Two years ago, Moutet was inspired to take up rapping and began to write lyrics every day. Not only has it been a fun way for him to spend his down time at ATP Tour events, but it’s become a valuable mental outlet as he remains at home in France.

[TENNIS AT HOME]

“I take music as therapy because it’s nice to write and get rid of everything you’re feeling inside, both good and bad. I like the connection with people on social media through music as well,” Moutet told ATPTour.com. “Even if you don’t speak the same language, you can speak to a lot of people through music.

“The days can be long on site at tournaments, so I wanted to do something else. I’m usually writing, singing or rapping most of the time now. I try to write every day about my feelings or anything else that comes to mind.”

Moutet challenged himself to write a song every day during the first week of lockdown, but wasn’t as pleased with the results because it didn’t allow him enough time to work on mixing the tracks. He’s now working at a less hectic pace and satisfied with the results, particularly with ‘Frère’, a song about his brother.

But writing songs is one thing. Sharing them with the world is another. Moutet had been sitting on a wealth of original rap music after two years of work, but admitted that he was hesitant to release it.

“It was a mix of emotions. The first song I put on Instagram [Écorché vif] is one of the more personal songs I have about myself, so it was tough to put on social media,” Moutet said. “But on the other side, I wanted to share how I feel and show that your social status or where you come from doesn’t matter. We all feel the same way.”

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise for Moutet was how fellow players reacted to his music. Although he hadn’t been hiding his musical talent, it hadn’t come up in conversation during tournaments. The 21-year-old also wasn’t sure if the French Tennis Federation or older colleagues would understand what he hoped to accomplish.

“The tough thing about the tennis world is that I’m friends with some players, but it’s normally all about tennis, even with the media or my coach,” Moutet said. “I didn’t know how everyone around tennis would take it because music is something different. I wasn’t sure if they would smile or criticise or tell me to stick to tennis. I’m really happy though because I received a lot of nice messages from around the world, including from players and some coaches.”

The overwhelmingly positive response to Moutet’s songs inspired him to create a separate Instagram account and YouTube channel devoted to his music. As he continues to release older songs and work on new ones, he’s confident that his best is still to come.

“My best songs are other ones that I did in the studio and have on my phone, but haven’t put them on Instagram yet,” Moutet said, smiling. “I’ll keep sharing my music even when the Tour resumes. I’m not sure if I’ll keep doing it on my tennis account or a different one, but it’s something I’ll continue with and I hope to do good things there as well.”



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Andy Murray Plans For Future Victory Speech In Spanish After Madrid Win

After lifting the Mutua Madrid Open title on hard courts in 2008 and clay in 2015, Andy Murray completed a successful transition to PlayStation with a 7-6(5) victory against David Goffin to capture the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro title on Thursday.

Both men entered the contest with unbeaten records, but former World No. 1 Murray fired a cross-court forehand winner to end an epic contest after 33 minutes. The 46-time tour-level titlist rose to his feet and held his hands to his head in celebration as Goffin covered his eyes.

“We raised a lot of money for some good causes,” said Murray. “It was nice, personally, to spend a little bit of time chatting to some of the players. [It is] something that I have missed during this period and something that I have been used to for the past 12, 14 years of my life… It was something I have never done before. Thanks to everyone who put the event on.”

[TENNIS AT HOME]

Murray receives €150,000 in prize money for his title run and can now decide how much of that total will be allocated towards tennis players currently suffering economically. A further €50,000 will go towards reducing the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He had a few more options, but my serve was probably the biggest difference,” said Murray. “I came up with some big serves.”

Goffin was attempting to win his second tie-break of the day, after booking his place in the championship match with a 7-6(6) semi-final triumph against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Later in the day, Tsitsipas overcame Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias 6-3 to win the Charity Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro.

“It was fun. At the end, it was a great final,” said Goffin. “Andy was playing so good, so he deserved [to win] the final.”

Murray also revealed that Mutua Madrid Open Tournament Director Feliciano Lopez was putting pressure on him during the week, sending text messages referring to him as the tournament favourite.

“I just want to thank you for playing and proving my prediction that you were going to be the winner,” said Lopez.

[ATP APP]

During the post-match trophy ceremony, Murray made a commitment to Lopez for the 2021 edition of the tournament, where he plans to collect his trophy and deliver a speech in Spanish.

”I am going to practise [my Spanish]. There is no excuse for me during this period where I have got a lot of time at home and not much else happening in my life to not try and learn a little bit more Spanish, so that I am confident enough to speak publicly in the language,” said Murray.

“Next year, when I come to the tournament and I get presented with the trophy, I will do my speech in Spanish. That’s the commitment I am going to make.”



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Cilic's Anniversary, Tsonga's Trick: Tennis At Home Roundup

Your favourite players are all at home, but they're finding plenty of ways to pass the time. From Marin Cilic's celebration, to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's basketball crossover, find out how the biggest names in tennis are keeping busy.

Marin Cilic celebrated his second anniversary with his wife, Kristina Milkovic.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga appeared to be pitching himself to the NBA by showing off his hoop skills.

Mike Bryan introduced his first child, a baby boy named Jake.

Nick Kyrgios enjoyed some quality bonding time with his dog.

Mood

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Roberto Bautista Agut took a more relaxed approach to Andy Murray's 100-volley challenge.

Mansour Bahrami added a new twist to the volley challenge craze by hitting with a shoe.

Jamie Murray offered his fans a shoulder workout to do from the comfort of home.

Nicolas Mahut completed Rohan Bopanna's 30-ball challenge with his son.

Santiago Gonzalez hilariously showed just how much he's missing competing in front of fans.



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Celebrating Puerto Vallarta On The ATP Challenger Tour

In December, four tournaments were recognised for excellence in standards set across the global ATP Challenger Tour and for their steadfast commitment to growing the game. These integral events in Puerto Vallarta, Heilbronn, Braunschweig and Szczecin have become player and fan favourites for their dedication to providing a world-class experience both on and off the court.

This week would have been the third edition of the Puerto Vallarta Open, which earned Tournament of the Year honours in back-to-back seasons, following a dazzling debut in 2018. Despite being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains one of the more vibrant destinations on the circuit. One year ago, Mexico's crown jewel staged a celebration to remember.

In front of daily sold-out crowds on Estadio Puerto Vallarta, the tournament boasted the energy and charisma of a Mexican fiesta. With world-class hospitality and captivating off-court activities in the local region, as well as perfect conditions between the lines, the players' appreciation for the tournament is at the forefront.

Led by the Puerto Vallarta Office of Tourism, the commitment and hard work of the tournament team, the support of the municipality, local authorities, sponsors, the press and the public produced a stunning week of professional tennis.

Those competing on the Challenger circuit are battling every week for critical FedEx ATP Rankings points and prize money, but it can't always be about the forehands and backhands. Mental and emotional breaks are a crucial element to success between the lines. In Puerto Vallarta, they have gone above and beyond to 'make it unforgettable', as their motto says.

Between the lines, the attention to detail in Puerto Vallarta is exceptional. The pre-match walk-ons are akin to the Nitto ATP Finals at The O2, with fog machines, flashing lights and rock music greeting the night session competitors. The players are treated like rock stars and the fans are given an up-close view of the action in an intimate setting. A full-service VIP section nestles up to the sideline, with Mexican fare and Siete Leguas tequila flowing from first ball to last.

Puerto Vallarta

Away from Parque Parota, signage is plastered throughout the city and radio and TV spots abound throughout the month leading up to the tournament, encouraging both locals and tourists to visit the event. In addition, MegaCable TV broadcasts every evening for both night session matches, with three commentators calling the action.

For players criss-crossing the globe and spending countless hours on the court and in the gym, it's essential to find the right balance of work and play. In Puerto Vallarta, they understand the rigours of life on tour and are redefining the culture of a tournament. An oasis on the Challenger circuit, the tournament is located steps from the Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags), just off the Pacific Ocean. Nestled between the blue waters of the Pacific and the towering Sierra Madre mountains, the natural surroundings provided the perfect backdrop for a tournament.

Puerto Vallarta

Once a mining town in the 19th century called 'Las Peñas', Puerto Vallarta emerged when miners from the Sierra Madre needed a port in the bay to load and unload various products. The city soon became an integral hub for agricultural, fishing and forestry activities. Now, with a diverse multi-cultural identity, it also boasts a growing art scene and an exotic habitat with hundreds of species of birds and wildife, in addition to its thriving sports culture.

The tournament has fast become the standard on the ATP Challenger Tour. It has already established itself as an integral piece of the tennis landscape not only in Puerto Vallarta, but Mexico as a whole.



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