Korda Dishes On Agassi's Influence & Washington Memories

Sebastian Korda remembers when he was a junior running around the grounds of the Mubadala Citi DC Open. His father, Petr Korda, coached Radek Stepanek, the 2011 champion

Now 'Sebi' is not running around the lounge and locker room, but attracting fans to the court with his powerful game. The 23-year-old is the eighth seed this week at the ATP 500 event.

“Washington has to be one of my favourite stops definitely on tour, just kind of being here as a 12, 13 and 14-year-old kid with my dad and Radek Stepanek,” Korda told ATPTour.com. “Just to kind of experience everything was really cool. Being in the locker room for the first time and just being around the players, I have a lot of great memories from this tournament. It's definitely very special.”

On Sunday, the American was cooling down on a bike in the players’ gym when he noticed a photo of his mentor, former World No. 1 Andre Agassi, on signage outside.

“I sent him a selfie with me and him with the plaque in the back,” Korda said. “He's just a very special person to me. He's obviously kind of tennis royalty in a way and just to have someone like that in my corner, I think it's pretty special.”

Agassi coincidentally played Korda’s father, Petr, in the 1991 Washington final. Agassi won the match 6-3, 6-4 for one of his five titles at the tournament.

“I'm pretty sure Andre was playing night matches every single day and my dad was playing first on at like one o'clock when it was really hot,” Korda said, cracking a laugh. “And I think Andre just smoked my dad in the final.”

 

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Agassi has become a valuable guide for Korda. The 60-time tour-level titlist often watches his mentee’s matches and provides feedback.

“He sees life in a different way than everyone else. He's just a very positive, outgoing person, has a massive, massive heart. He'll do absolutely anything for the people that he's close with,” Korda said. “He's just a really great human being. Just the way that he sees tennis in a way is very different. He thinks about different things from other people. Kind of what he can do to get a bigger advantage in tennis.”

This is the first tournament of Korda’s hard-court swing. The surface typically caters to the American’s powerful baseline game.

“I love playing on the hard courts, especially in the U.S.,” Korda said. “I think it's so much fun to play around here. Everything's super close. All the fans are great. It's just really comfortable being here in a country you grew up in and everything's just super easy.”

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Korda began his season on a high by reaching an ATP 250 final in Adelaide, holding championship point against Novak Djokovic before falling short. He then advanced to the Australian Open quarter-finals with wins over Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz along the way.

After retiring in the quarter-finals due to an elbow injury, Korda did not play until April in Madrid. He is excited for the rest of the season.

“Started off great and there was kind of a speed bump in the middle, but there are things that you kind of have to go through as a tennis player,” Korda said. “You learn from them and you keep going. I'm grateful for my journey right now and I couldn't be happier to be back playing to a high level again.”

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Retiring Huey Reflects On 'Absolute Dream Come True'

Treat Huey was honoured Monday evening at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in recognition of his retirement from professional tennis. The eight-time ATP Tour doubles titlist’s career came to a close Saturday evening when he lost alongside Marcos Giron in qualifying at the ATP 500.

“It's definitely pretty emotional. Saturday night when we lost, coming off the court I had a tear or two. But yeah, it was something I absolutely enjoyed, and had the greatest time ever playing on Tour,” Huey said. “Growing up as a kid, I was like, ‘I’d love to be good enough to play this tournament one time’, and ended up playing it a couple times, winning it once. So it was an absolute dream come true.

“It was amazing I played for 14, 15 years, so I had an amazing time.”

^{Photo: ATP Tour}
Huey, a Filipino from Washington who played college tennis at the University of Virginia, was joined on Stadium Court by several colleagues and staff members from the ATP Tour and the tournament, including tournament chairman Mark Ein.

“That's what I loved about being on the Tour, making a tonne of friends from all over the world and really enjoying that part of travelling together [to] different tournaments and experiencing different parts of the world and playing tennis everywhere,” Huey said. “Competing against everybody, you might not like each other here on the court sometimes, but we all understand it. So it's a good competitive sport.

“The people that I get along with we'll get along the rest of our lives. We'll definitely stay in touch.”

[ATP APP]

Former World No. 1 Rajeev Ram, who is a year and a half older than Huey, has known the lefty since their junior days.

“He made the [Nitto] ATP Finals one year and obviously did pretty well at Wimbledon and won a bunch of titles out here,” Ram said. “So I think for someone to come out and have made a real impact on the Tour, especially representing the Philippines and making a great living out here playing, I thought it was an incredible achievement for him. I certainly wish him the best in the future.”

Among Huey’s accolades are his eight tour-level trophies, competing in the 2016 Nitto ATP Finals alongside Max Mirnyi, reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals with Mirnyi that same year and winning the Washington title in 2012 .

“Making year-end finals was probably the biggest. That was always one of my biggest goals even the first couple of years,” Huey said. “Once you get to the US Open and see the points race, see everybody going into it, I was always like God, I've always loved to be on that race on the board…

“To make it in 2016, it was a dream come true and everything I put all that hard work into doing and had a great year there and it worked out, so it was something that was absolutely incredible.”

Huey will take his experience to the college level as he serves as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia.

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The Shang Train Is Back Up & Running

Shang Juncheng began his season in the best possible fashion. Then 17, the Chinese #NextGenATP star qualified for his first major at the Australian Open and then won a match in the main draw. The dynamic lefty was charging up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings like a freight train.

But in the weeks following the tournament, the Shang train came to a screeching halt. The teen suffered from mononucleosis.

“You're doing something you love every day, and all of a sudden, you don't get to do it. I think that's not the best feeling for three or four months,” Shang, who is competing this week in the Mubadala Citi DC Open, told ATPTour.com. “But I got through it, I pushed myself, my team and [those] around me helped me, and we got through that. Now we're here, back on Tour again.”

After his big breakthrough in Melbourne, Shang won just one match at any level until Roland Garros. From the second week in April until the clay-court major, he did not compete at all, leaving him plenty of downtime in Florida as he recovered.

“Most of the time, [I was] very bored. I was on TV watching those guys compete. It was fun. I learned a lot of stuff,” Shang said. “Mostly, I was going to the golf course almost every day. That's probably one of the best moments to play golf, in the time off.”

[ATP APP]

Above all, Shang missed tennis. The competitive fire to return to action burned within. Veteran coach Dante Bottini, who has worked with stars including Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov, began mentoring Shang last offseason. According to the Argentine, he has quickly learned how much the teen loves the sport

“He cannot stay still. I tell him many times, ‘Okay, take some days off, don't do anything.’ He still goes and plays golf or hits some balls with his dad or mom,” Bottini said. “He loves tennis, you can tell he loves tennis. He follows the scores, follows the players. And obviously, he loves to play. That's why he was eager to come back pretty soon after his sickness.”

Shang was flying higher than ever in January. Despite the mono roadblock, his mindset never faltered. He made the most of his time at home by working with his team to best prepare for when he would return to the ATP Tour.

“After Australia, I was playing very good, playing very confident on the court. I know what I'm capable of doing on the court,” Shang said. “So in the time off, there was never a doubt that I would play like that again.”

A big win for Shang both mentally and physically was being able to return for Roland Garros, where he qualified for the main draw. He led Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas two sets to love. Although the lefty let slip his advantage, his level was clearly there.

Shang won seven times in a nine-match stretch ahead of Wimbledon at grass-court ATP Challenger Tour events, before losing a tight qualifying match at The Championships to World No. 80 Matteo Arnaldi.

He then advanced to the semi-finals of a Challenger in Chicago, losing to red-hot American Alex Michelsen in three sets. Last week, Shang upset Ben Shelton in his first ATP 250 main draw, at the Atlanta Open, before falling to former World No. 4 Nishikori, with whom he has trained in Bradenton.

“I played Ben in the first round. We were basically playing juniors together since we were 12 years old, 13 years old, so that was a good match. Ben is an amazing person and obviously amazing player,” Shang said. “Not to mention playing, Kei Nishikori in the second round of my first [ATP] 250 event was unreal. And Kei has taught me so much stuff in practice as well. He's an amazing person. So I'm just happy that he's back on tour again, and I got to play him.”

[BREAK POINT] 

Bottini added of Shang’s recent success: “We haven't had that much time to practise and to do fitness, which I would like to do. But it's a good problem to have. That means that he's winning matches, so let's keep going.”

Shang is thankful to be competing at some of the world’s biggest tournaments. This week, he has won three matches in as many days to qualify for the Washington ATP 500 and then make the second round of the main draw, setting a rematch with Shelton.

“It's always good to stay healthy and play tournaments. Not to mention these 250s, 500s, they're very good tournaments, as well. [I am] also very excited to play my first US Open in the pros,” Shang said. “And obviously, [later this year], the most exciting part is I get to play in China in front of a home crowd again.”

For now, at a career-high World No. 149, Shang is focussed on staying in the present and taking it all in, from his efforts on the court to the process of trying to improve off it.

“I think he's soaking it all in, all the information that I give him and some of the stories, moments that I went through with these players on certain occasions,” Bottini said. “I think he's excited, I can tell when I tell him some stories, he opens his eyes and is eager to listen. It's fun and hopefully one day we can tell our own stories.”

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Iga Swiatek accused of hurting women's tennis with on-court fashion choice

The top women's tennis player Iga Swiatek was the subject of criticism from a former pro who is not happy with part of the four-time Grand Slam champion's on-court attire.

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Evans/Murray Oust Krajicek/Pavic In Washington

Daniel Evans and Andy Murray thrilled a packed Grandstand Monday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where they ousted doubles stars Austin Krajicek and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-4.

The wild cards were cool under the intense sun, saving three of the four break points they faced against the second seeds to advance after one hour and 17 minutes.

Evans and Murray last competed together at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. This is Murray’s first doubles appearance of the season.

In other action, Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe eliminated Christopher Eubanks and Sebastian Korda 2-6, 7-6(9), 10-7. The Polish-American duo saved one match point, at 8/9 in the second-set tie-break, when Hurkacz put away a forehand volley.

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Tennis star collapses at tournament and forced to retire weeks after Wimbledon incident

Chinese tennis player Yibing Wu collapsed at a tournament and was forced to retire from the match weeks after suffering a similar episode at Wimbledon

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#NextGenATP Spaniard Llamas Ruiz Wins First Challenger Title

It was a weekend of comebacks on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Pablo Llamas Ruiz, who earned his maiden Challenger title Sunday at the Open Castilla y Leon in Segovia, saved three match points in the semi-finals before becoming the youngest Spanish winner at that level since Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. Vit Kopriva fought back from a set and a double break down in the Internazionali di Tennis Verona final to capture his second Challenger crown.

Llamas Ruiz, 20, defeated seventh seed Antoine Escoffier 7-6(9), 7-6(5) in the final to win on home soil and rise to a career-high No. 146 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. In Saturday’s semi-final, the #NextGenATP star fended off three match points at 4-5, 0/40 in the deciding set against Nicolas Moreno De Alboran before tallying five consecutive points and later closing the match in a final-set tie-break.

Following his triumph in Segovia, Llamas Ruiz rose to 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race. The Spaniard is aiming to make a maiden appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

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Kopriva rallied from a set down in his final three matches to win the Challenger 100 event in Verona, Italy. The Czech survived Ukrainian Vitaliy Sachko 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 in the championship match after dropping just one point behind his first serve in the final set.

The 26-year-old Kopriva, who won his maiden Challenger title last year at home in Prostejov and later reached a career-high No. 124, got into Verona as an alternate before embarking on a week to remember.

“Amazing week, I am speechless because I was 6-1, 5-2 down. I just fought and I won the title,” Kopriva said. “I didn’t even know if I was coming to Verona because I didn’t get in on the first [entry] list, so it was a very special moment to be here and hold the trophy.”

At the Finaport Zug Open, top seed Arthur Rinderknech also had to claw his way to the title. The 28-year-old moved past Belgian Joris De Loore 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win his fifth Challenger trophy.

“It was a very close match,” Rinderknech said. “I started well but then got broken in the first set and all of a sudden I was behind in the score. I just had to stay there, focussing on my serve. I continued to serve very well, which allowed me to win the third set and take the title.”

^{Arthur Rinderknech wins the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event in Zug, Switzerland. Credit: Fabian Meierhans}

Players from France have now combined for a season-leading 18 Challenger titles. They are aiming to pass Argentina’s record 23 Challenger titles in a single season (2022).

Illya Marchenko played inspired tennis at the Challenger de Salinas in Ecuador to win his ninth Challenger trophy and first since 2021. The 35-year-old defeated Croatian qualifier Matija Pecotic 6-3, 6-4 in the final and dedicated the victory to his fellow Ukrainians.

“It’s been a great week for me, I’m really happy and relieved that I could add another Challenger title to my career,” Marchenko said. “I used my experience today and it helped me a lot. Many matches here I was the underdog, but whatever happens I always fight.

“I would like to dedicate my trophy to all the people in Ukraine right now. It’s really difficult times for our country.”

^{Illya Marchenko wins the ATP Challenger Tour 75 event in Salinas, Ecuador. Credit: Armando Prado}

Pecotic, 34, was competing in his first Challenger final since 2015. The lefty made a splash at this year’s Delray Beach Open, where he became one of the stories of the season. Pecotic is the Director of Capital Markets for Wexford Real Estate Investors and works remotely while travelling to tournaments.

At the President’s Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan, home hope and third seed Denis Yevseyev dropped just one set all week to earn his maiden Challenger title. The 30-year-old ousted Khumoyun Sultanov 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 to triumph.

Yevseyev is the first player to win his maiden Challenger title after turning 30 since 2015 and first home champion Astana since 2015, when Mikhail Kukushkin clinched the title.

"To win my first Challenger at home is incredible. It was nice to feel such support from native fans,” Yevseyev said. “It was a wonderful experience. Never stop dreaming, even at the age of 30 you can play at the highest level and win tournaments.”

^{Denis Yevseyev wins his maiden ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Astana, Kazakhstan. Credit: President's Cup}

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Nick Kyrgios hits back at Tracy Austin after US icon called out retirement comments

Nick Kyrgios, who reached the final of last year's Wimbledon, has suggested he will call time on his tennis career before the age of 33.

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Wimbledon hero Chris Eubanks ranks Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Chris Eubanks enjoyed the tournament of his life at this year's Wimbledon as he defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals.

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Why Murray Is Sometimes 'Surprised' He's Still Competing With World's Best

There is no disputing that Andy Murray has suffered his fair share of disappointing defeats since undergoing his most recent hip surgery in 2019. Coming close but ultimately falling short of big wins like the former World No. 1 did at Wimbledon against Stefanos Tsitsipas does not make it any easier.

But outside of the results, Murray is proving to himself and the world that win or lose, his level is still close to the very best players in the world. For someone competing at 36 with a metal hip, that is a victory in itself.

“I'm surprised by that sometimes, because I know how difficult it is for me physically now,” Murray, who is competing this week at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, exclusively told ATPTour.com. “That my game is still able to match up and compete with the best players, yeah, I'm surprised by it.”

Murray is No. 42 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and notably won two five-setters at this year’s Australian Open against tough opponents in Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis. But the Scot is still working hard to not just compete against the best, but beat them on the world’s biggest stages.

“It's hard because ultimately, I would say in maybe certain events or certain periods of the year, it's easier to not ignore the results, but not place too much emphasis on them,” Murray said. “But obviously when you play in the major competitions, they are the ones that ultimately you want to perform well in and that you will get judged on and at Wimbledon, it really wasn't like I played a really bad match against Tsitsipas. So when I reflect on that tournament, I'm disappointed with the result.

“But there's still signs for me there that from a tennis perspective I can still compete and win against the top players in the world, even though I lost that match. If I'd gone out and lost 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, I played terribly and lost comfortably, the stage of my career that I'm at, maybe I’d start to look at things a bit differently.”

^{Photo: Peter Staples}
Murray has reached World No. 1, won three major titles and accomplished plenty more in his history-making career. But despite the obstacles he has faced, the 46-time tour-level champion continues to search for ways to continue raising his level.

“Obviously, the game always keeps evolving, keeps improving, and you need to do that as well as a player. And I enjoy that. It's one of the things that motivates me — trying to improve — whether that's on the court or in the gym,” Murray said. “Like seeing my scores in the gym are improving or that my speed is getting a bit better, or [that] I'm serving at a slightly higher percentage or harder, I love that. It's one of the great things about tennis in that that's kind of down to me and my team. I can make that those changes if I want to, and if I'm willing to put the work in, and I still enjoy that.”

That has still been the case in recent weeks. During the grass season, Murray spoke about tweaks he was making to his serve.

Competing this week in Washington brings back memories of his debut at the event in 2006, when he also made distinct changes to his game.

“Brad Gilbert's here this week and the first week that we spent together was here when he started coaching me. We were chatting about it the other day, I remember the first match that I played here, I played against Ramon Delgado. And they didn't use to play before like four o'clock, because of the conditions,” Murray said. “We were the first match on at four and I remember it just being brutally hot. I also played a match against Feli Lopez that year, and we got rained off because of thunderstorms and between the thunderstorms and going back out, I changed [my approach].

“A lot of people talk about the way that I returned now, I have quite a distinctive jump. And that started in that match, because Brad was saying I was standing too close to the baseline to return serve. So I had to go further back, which I did when we went back out there. And I instinctively started sort of jumping forwards before the return.”

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Murray made the final that year in Washington and will hope for another deep run this week in the United States’ capital. The 15th seed, who will open against Brandon Nakashima or Aleksandar Vukic, is looking forward to making a good start to his hard-court season after working hard on his fitness to prepare for the hot and humid conditions this swing presents.

“I think a challenge for all of the players is the conditions. You've gone from playing across the grass season where physically it's pretty straightforward in terms of you're not getting any extreme weather, the points tend to be a little bit shorter, it's a bit easier on the body,” Murray said. “Whereas, I really feel like here that the physical side, if you've taken care of that and you're in good shape, physically, it can have big benefits going into this stretch of tournaments.

“So I kind of look forward to the preparation of it. I did a lot of heat training in heat chambers and bike sessions in pretty brutal conditions to try and prepare myself for it. It doesn't make going on the court that much easier, but if you've done that work and your opponent hasn't, it can give you that little physical, psychological edge and I like that.”

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Who Was With Lionel Messi? Diego Schwartzman, Of Course!

Fans across the globe tuned into Tuesday evening's Inter Miami football match to watch superstar Lionel Messi play his second game in Major League Soccer. After the Argentine was substituted out of the game following a two-goal performance, a television close-up showed he was speaking with a familiar face to the tennis world: Diego Schwartzman.

It is no wonder the former No. 8 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings still had a smile on his face recalling the evening on Sunday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where he is competing this week.

The 30-year-old Argentine, a big football fan, attended the game with his brother, Matias Schwartzman. They were able to mingle with plenty of celebrities besides Messi. The Schwartzman Brothers also took photographs with singer Marc Anthony and football icon David Beckham. 

^{Diego Schwartzman and Matias Schwartzman take a photo with Marc Anthony.}

^{David Beckham poses for a photo with the Schwartzman Brothers. Photos courtesy of Diego Schwartzman.}
Schwartzman on Monday will face American Mackenzie McDonald at the Washington ATP 500. But on Sunday afternoon the Argentine was in a rush. Where? A football match, of course. He made a quick pre-tournament stop to watch Chelsea FC play Fulham FC.

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Popyrin Overcomes Cramp, Wawrinka For Umag Crown

Physically struggling in humid conditions late in Sunday’s final at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, Alexei Popyrin let loose to secure victory against Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 250.

Popyrin defeated the 16-time tour-level champion Wawrinka 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 to claim his second ATP Tour title after a gritty third-set showing on the Croatian clay. The Australian suffered a bout of cramp in his right leg in the fourth game of the decider that severely hindered his movement. Forced to go for broke at every opportunity to shorten rallies, his change of tactics proved successful as he forged a hard-earned two-hour, 36-minute triumph.

"All tournament I’ve been fighting battles that I don’t know how I won. This one tops it all,” said Popyrin in his on-court interview. “My quad was done at 2-1. I felt it cramp, I felt it strain. I think it’s pulled, but I managed to dig deep. I don’t know how I won it, honestly. I honestly don’t know."

[ATP APP]

Wawrinka absorbed severe pressure from the impressive Popyrin in the early stages of the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting but rallied from 3-5 to take the opening set in a tie-break. Despite that setback, Popyrin maintained his relentless powerful hitting to level the match before being forced into his final-set heroics.

“I even told the physio when he came out," said Popyrin. "He said, ‘If you go any more then it will be tough’. I said, ‘There’s no point in quitting now, I’m here in the final. If I lose, I lose. If I retire, I lose anyway. So I have a better chance of winning if I stay in’, so that’s what I decided to do.”

The former World No. 3 Wawrinka was chasing his first tour-level crown since his Geneva triumph in 2017. Although he struck some trademark backhand winners to the delight of the Umag crowd, he was unable to prevent Popyrin from converting four of nine break points en route to victory.

BOOM 💥

Huge return from @AlexeiPopyrin99 🔥@CroatiaOpenUmag | #ATPUmag pic.twitter.com/OEV8G2HFeY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 30, 2023

“It’s an unbelievable honour to play somebody like Stan in a final," said Popyrin. "I grew up watching him, Roger, Rafa, Novak play. To play him in a final and beat him in a final, words can’t describe how happy I am. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

The 23-year-old Poyprin lifted his maiden ATP Tour crown on indoor hard courts in Singapore in 2021. Sunday’s win in Umag ensured he will rise 33 spots to a new career-high of No. 57 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Nick Kyrgios' retirement promise brutally shut down as ex-American star aims pointed dig

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgious has slammed the hectic tennis schedule while taking part in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, but one former pro is having none of it.

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Zverev Downs Djere For Hometown Triumph In Hamburg

After 30 years, it was a hometown hero who ended the wait for a second German men’s singles champion at the Hamburg European Open.

Alexander Zverev delivered a high-class final display Sunday in the city of his birth to defeat Laslo Djere 7-5, 6-3 and lift his first title since the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals. The fourth seed produced some blistering hitting throughout the one-hour, 51-minute encounter to overwhelm Djere and become the fifth player this season to win a tour-level title without dropping a set.

“At the end of the day, this is my home, this is where I grew up, and this where I started playing tennis,” said Zverev, who was competing in his first ATP Tour final since May last year in Madrid. “It was incredible for me, incredibly emotional. I can’t describe it in words, I’m just super happy right now.”

Prior to Sunday, Michael Stich’s 1993 triumph was the only time a German had lifted the singles title in Hamburg in the Open Era (since 1968). As it was, Zverev’s triumph wrapped a maiden clean sweep for the home nation at the ATP 500 event, after Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz lifted the doubles crown earlier on Sunday.

Zverev was clinical with his chances on return against the in-form Djere, who had dropped serve just three times en route to his first ATP Tour championship match of the season. The German frequently took heavy cuts at his opponent’s delivery as he converted three of his four break points to improve to 3-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Djere.

“I think he was the much better player throughout the first set. I just kind of stuck with it and dug it out somehow,” reflected Zverev. “Credit to him, he’s one of the most respected guys on Tour, he’s doing all the right things. At the end, I’m just happy that it went the way it went.”

Winning his 20th tour-level title at home has also boosted Zverev’s hopes of qualifying for the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals. A two-time champion at the prestigious season finale, Zverev has risen three spots to ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin with his title run, although Taylor Fritz can reclaim ninth place with victory in the Atlanta Open final later on Sunday.

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Krawietz/Puetz Win Hamburg For Maiden Title As A Team

A perfect end to a perfect week for Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz at the Hamburg European Open.

The German duo defeated Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-6(4), 6-3 to triumph at the clay-court ATP 500 in their homeland without dropping a set all week. Krawietz and Puetz, who first teamed in 2017 in Hamburg but did not become regular partners until February this year, saved all four break points they faced in an 88-minute encounter of fine margins to lift their first ATP Tour title as a team.

The third-seeded Krawietz and Mies carried their momentum from winning the first-set tie-break into the second set against Gille and Vliegen. They notched the only break of the match in the second game of the second set, which proved decisive as they became the first all-German team to win in Hamburg since Jurgen Fassbender and Hans-Jurgen Pohmann in 1974.

[ATP APP]

Now 27-12 as a team in 2023, Krawietz and Puetz’s title run in Hamburg has propelled the duo up four spots to eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, which represents the final qualification spot for the Nitto ATP Finals. Krawietz is aiming to compete for the fourth time at the prestigious season finale, to be held in Turin from 12-19 November, while Puetz is chasing a debut appearance at the event.

Sunday’s match was Krawietz and Puetz’s third final of the 2023 ATP Tour season, with all three taking place in Germany. They also reached the championship match in Munich and Stuttgart.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Will Felix Or Andy Claim The Washington Title?

Will a star like Felix Auger-Aliassime or Andy Murray emerge from the Mubadala Citi DC Open as champion?

The former Top 10 players, who practised together on Saturday, will try to make a splash at this week’s ATP 500 in the United States’ capital. The pair cannot meet in the draw until the championship match.

[ATP APP]

Auger-Aliassime is the third seed and will face an opening test against reigning Dallas Open champion Wu Yibing or Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki. This will be the Canadian’s third appearance in Washington, having lost in the third round in 2019 and 2021.

The 22-year-old, currently No. 12 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, was upset in the first round at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon and will be keen to find his form this week. 

^{Photo: Peter Staples}
Former World No. 1 Murray has more experience in Washington, having tallied a 7-3 record at the event. The Scot first competed in the tournament in 2006, before the creation of the ATP 500 series.

That year, Murray defeated a series of notable opponents — Feliciano Lopez, Mardy Fish and Dmitry Tursunov among them — en route to the final, which he lost to Arnaud Clement. The Scot in 2018 even played a match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open that ended after 3 a.m.

One year on from a first-round exit in Washington, the 15th seed will open against Atlanta finalist Aleksandar Vukic or 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Brandon Nakashima. He could face top seed Taylor Fritz in the third round.

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Scouting Report: Felix & Fritz in D.C.; ATP 250s in Los Cabos, Kitzbühel

With one week to go before the ATP Masters 1000 in Toronto, three events are on the schedule across North America and Europe. Two North American hard-court events — an ATP 500 in Washington, D.C. and an ATP 250 in Los Cabos — are joined by an ATP 250 on the clay of Kitzbühel.

ATPTour.com breaks down the storylines to watch at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo and the Generali Open.

[ATP APP]

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
1) Top Seed Fritz Returns: Taylor Fritz will compete in D.C. for the third straight year and the fourth time overall, seeking to improve upon his 2-3 record. Following a deep run on the Atlanta hard courts, the American will have his hands full in his nation's capital: After an opening bye, he is seeded to meet Andy Murray in the third round.

2) Hometown Tiafoe Among Five American Seeds: The second-seeded Tiafoe could face 14th seed Ben Shelton in the third round, with Americans Sebastian Korda, Christopher Eubanks and J.J. Wolf also seeded. Tiafoe, who is from nearby Maryland, will be making his seventh appearance in D.C., with his best previous result a quarter-final showing last season.

3) Hurkacz, Auger-Aliassime Among Big-Name Contenders: Hubert Hurkacz and Felix Auger-Aliassime round out the top four seeds, while returning finalist Yoshihito Nishioka — who lost to Nick Kyrgios last year in the title round — is seeded 10th.

4) Nishikori, Anderson Continue Comebacks: Two greats of the game will bid to step up their returns to the ATP Tour — Kei Nishikori back from injury and Kevin Anderson in his second tournament after coming out of retirement. Both wild cards, Nishikori will open against Lloyd Harris and would face Eubanks in the second round, while Anderson faces Jordan Thompson, with seventh seed Adrian Mannarino awaiting beyond that.

5) Ram/Salisbury Lead Doubles Draw: Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury are the top doubles seeds, with Austin Krajicek and Mate Pavic seeded second. Krajicek/Pavic will face Daniel Evans and Andy Murray in an intriguing opening-round matchup. Also in the first round, Hurkacz and Tiafoe will meet Eubanks and Korda.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN LOS CABOS
1) Debutant Tsitsipas Set For First Action Since Wimbledon: Stefanos Tsitsipas will be the top seed in Los Cabos, where he will be making his first appearance. But the Greek is no stranger to success on Mexican hard courts: He holds a 7-2 record in Acapulco, where he reached a final and a semi-final in his two outings.

2) Norrie Aims To Continue Dominance: Cameron Norrie followed up his 2021 title in Los Cabos with a final run in 2022. He has reached at least the semis in three of his four Los Cabos appearances, compiling an 11-3 record.

3) De Minaur Bids For Mexican Trophy Double: After winning the Acapulco title in March, Alex de Minaur will hope to extend his winning streak in Mexico. After reaching the Queen's Club final and losing to Carlos Alcaraz, the Aussie picked up just one win apiece at Wimbledon and in Atlanta.

4) Paul Returns To Hard Courts: After five straight tournaments on grass, including a final run in Eastbourne, Tommy Paul  is back on the hard courts in Los Cabos. While he is making his debut at the ATP 500, he has already reached a Mexican final this season in Acapulco.

5) Other Contenders: Borna Coric, John Isner, Cristian Garin and Dominik Koepfer are among the other top players set to compete in Los Cabos.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN KITZBUHEL
1) Thiem, Ofner Among Austrian Hopes: Wild card Dominic Thiem and fourth seed Sebastian Ofner will seek deep runs with the support of the Austrian crowd. Thiem, who won the event in 2019, joins Tomas Muster (1993) as the lone Austrian champions in the long history of the tournament, which dates back to 1968.

2) Returning Finalist Misolic Seeks More Home Magic: One year after a stunning run to the final as a 20-year-old, Filip Misolic will again look to make the most of a wild card on home soil. After defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut in last year's title match, the Austrian will open against a qualifier this year. 

[BREAK POINT]

3) Argentines Etcheverry, Cachin In Opposite Halves: Seeded first and third, respectively, Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Pedro Cachin will hope to meet in an all-Argentine final. Etcheverry will open against Misolic or a qualifier, while Cachin will begin his campaign against Albert Ramos-Vinolas or Juan Pablo Varillas.

4) Germans Hanfmann, Altmaier Seeded: Second seed Yannick Hanfmann will face a tough opening test against Arthur Rinderknech or Alexei Popyrin, while eighth seed Daniel Altmaier meets Marc-Andrea Huesler in the first round.

5) Austrians Erler/Miedler Lead Doubles Draw: Top seeds Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler are one of three all-Austrian teams in the Kitzbühel draw. Thiem and Ofner will team up as wild cards, as will Misolic and Joel Josef Schwärzler.

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Wawrinka Reaches Umag Title Match, First Final Since 2019

Stan Wawrinka used a commanding performance at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag to advance to his first ATP Tour final since he reached two in 2019. The Swiss defeated Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-4 behind a single break in each set to advance to the title match, where he will meet Alexei Popyrin.

Through to his 31st tour-level final (16-14), and his 14th on clay (7-6), Wawrinka is seeking his first title since he won Geneva in 2017. Sunday's final will be Wawrinka's first since he underwent two left-foot surgeries in 2021 and fell out of the Top 300 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. 

"I'm happy with the match. I think I played really well, the best match of the week," said Wawrinka, who has moved up 23 places to No. 49 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings behind his four straight-set wins this week. "I'm really happy to be in the final tomorrow."

Wawrinka showed his full range in the victory, pairing powerful baseline blasts with deft touch. He saved the lone break point as he served out the opening set and escaped 0/30 to serve out the match after one hour, 26 minutes.

Sonego was denied his sixth ATP Tour final and what would have been his first since last year in Metz. 

Wawrinka will next meet Popyrin, after the Australian overcame Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 to reach his second ATP Tour final.

Popyrin, who lifted an ATP 250 trophy in Singapore in 2021, kept Arnaldi under constant pressure on return in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head series. He converted four of 19 break points en route to a hard-earned three-hour, 16-minute triumph against the seventh-seeded Italian on the Croatian clay.

Popyrin has impressed on clay already in 2023. He reached the fourth round as a qualifier in May in Rome, where he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime before pushing eventual finalist Holger Rune to three sets. The Australian has risen 17 spots to No. 73 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Umag run so far.

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Roger Federer's ex-coach had 'extremely difficult' moments working with tennis icon

Roger Federer won a staggering 20 Grand Slam titles throughout his illustrious career and he has Ivan Ljubicic to thank for some of that success.

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Fritz Beats Wolf In All-American Atlanta SF

Taylor Fritz already has one title on an American hard-court this season. Now he is one win away from a second at the Atlanta Open. The Delray Beach champion defeated countryman J.J. Wolf 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday at the ATP 250 to advance to his 11th tour-level final. 

"It was really solid. I served well the whole match," said Fritz, who saved both break points against him. "Whenever I was in trouble I played a lot of good points. I just did what I was supposed to do and didn't really give him much."

[ATP APP]

Both players thrilled the crowd with power tennis, with both eager to take the initiative in points with first-strike tennis. But on a hot day in Atlanta, it was Fritz's consistency and his performance on the big points that made the difference.

With a win in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Wolf, Fritz improved to 17-9 against Top 50 players this season. He will bid for his sixth ATP Tour title — and his fourth on hard courts — on Sunday against  seventh seed Ugo Humbert or Aleksandar Vukic.

Regardless of the opponent, Fritz will be counting on the backing of the American fans to help him over the line.

"It's been great having all the support this week," he said during his on-court interview. "It's so hot, so it's such a good effort for all these people to come out and support, even in this heat. So I appreciate all the love and I hope we'll bring it in the final."

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Davidovich Fokina Takes On Altmaier In Lexus ATP Head2Head Scavenger Hunt

Before their respective battles on the court this week at the Hamburg European Open, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Daniel Altmaier made some time to compete in a different sort of competition in the German city.

In the very first Lexus ATP Head2Head Scavenger Hunt, the ATP Tour players cruised through the streets of Hamburg testing their skills and their wits in a range of fun contests, with the winner ultimately being crowned at the tournament site. From gripping racquets to artistic adventures, the pair were neck-and-neck until the end, when a slew of athletic challenges decided the winner.

Watch the video below to find out who earned the victory and who needs a day off to recover from defeat.

There was more than pride on the line, with the loser suffering a humourous punishment, much to the delight of the other man.

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Andy Murray makes plea to tennis chiefs after highlighting 'really surprising' WTA issue

Andy Murray has called on the WTA to make changes after noticing an issue in tennis.

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Tennis fans raise big worry for Novak Djokovic that could leave his dream in tatters

Novak Djokovic remains on the hunt for his 24th Grand Slam title after losing in the Wimbledon final.

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Challenger Tour Star Galarneau On Psychology & Meditation

Alexis Galarneau lifted his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title last week on home soil in Granby, Canada. While fans may see the 24-year-old strike a fuzzy yellow ball, they may not know his off-court routine that includes daily meditation and speaking to a sports psychologist.

A former North Carolina State University standout, Galarneau departed Raleigh with an all-time school singles record (65-36) and a Bachelor’s Degree in finance. The two-time ITA All-American then transitioned to the pros and made a commitment to work with a sports psychologist. Galarneau has continued those meetings on a near-weekly basis for two-and-a-half years.

“I thought coming out of college, it would be a great opportunity to talk to someone,” Galarneau told ATPTour.com. “When you're on the road, it can be lonely sometimes, and keeping track of things that you're doing well, things that you're not doing as well.

“It's important to really take your mental health [seriously] and also prepare yourself for your best performances. I think everyone should use it.”

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A post shared by Alexis Galarneau (@alexis.galarneau)

This year, Galarneau became an ambassador for Tennis Canada’s Mental Timeout Intivative, alongside WTA star Bianca Andreescu and Canada’s top-ranked wheelchair player Rob Shaw. The goal of the initiative is to be a leading voice for mental wellness in sport through awareness, promotion and education.

Galarneau even curated a Spotify ‘Mental Timeout’ playlist that features 10 songs, starting with Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’, he listens to when he needs to calm his mind. Andreescu and Shaw also constructed a playlist.

Another way Galarneau quiets his thoughts is by drawing. At a career-high No. 162 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Galarneau recently started carving out time to enjoy the new hobby he discovered when he bought an iPad.

“I'll just take pictures from my phone that I took and try to recreate the canvas,” Galarneau said. “Lately, it's been a lot of pictures from my room window. It kind of reminds me of home as well. It's a cool little time off. You put on a little bit of music and you're not really thinking, just drawing on my iPad. I'll take 30, 45 minutes a day to try and put in my sort of little meditation.”

Drawing may bring the Laval-native memories of home, much like how he will remember his first ATP Challenger Tour title. Galarneau became the first Canadian Challenger champion of 2023, triumphing in Granby, just 90 minutes from his hometown.

^{Alexis Galarneau the Challenger 100 event in Granby, Canada. Credit: Sarah-Jäde Champagne}

Galarneau is one of five Canadians to win the Granby Challenger, joining Frank Dancevic, Vasek Pospisil, Peter Polansky and Gabriel Diallo.

“It felt amazing. I visualised this moment a tonne of times growing up, watching past Canadian champions win it,” Galarneau said. “I felt like it'd be a great achievement and a great feeling for me to go on and do the same thing they did. I felt really proud of that and having my whole family there was a really special moment for me.”

When Galarneau made his ATP Tour debut last August at the National Bank Open, he sported long hair in a ponytail and pushed 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov to two tight sets in the opening round.

This year, Galarneau will aim for his maiden tour-level victory when he once again competes at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada as a wild card. But there will be no ponytail this time. Galarneau first showcased a fresh haircut in May and despite lifting his first Challenger title in short hair, he stated that there is nothing superstitious about the change.

“I thought it was time. It was just a lot,” Galarneau said. “It took a lot of time to wash and prepare. I just wanted to keep it simple. It feels cleaner. I think there was a wild side to the long hair.”

^{Alexis Galarneau in action at the 2022 National Bank Open. Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images}

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Semi-Final Stan! Wawrinka Rolls On In Umag

Stan Wawrinka held his nerve to break his 2023 semi-final duck on Friday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, where the former World No. 3 reached the last four by downing Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 7-5.

In the pair’s second Lexus ATP Head2Head clash in the space of 11 days, Wawrinka improved to 2-0 against Carballes Baena by prevailing in a tense quarter-final clash of narrow margins. A late break of serve in each set ultimately proved decisive for the sixth-seeded Swiss, who wrapped a one-hour, 44-minute win to reach his first tour-level semi-final since Metz in September 2022.

“He’s a really tough player, I expected a tough match,” said Wawrinka in his on-court interview. “I think tonight I was playing well. It’s slow conditions so it’s not easy to get through, to be aggressive, but my game is there and I’m enjoying my time here. I’m happy to be in the semi-finals tomorrow.”

STAN. THE. MAN. 🤩 @stanwawrinka is semi-final bound in Umag after getting past Carballes Baena 6-4 7-5.@CroatiaOpenUmag | #ATPUmag pic.twitter.com/7q7OfLh7tt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 28, 2023

Wawrinka has impressed so far this week on his first appearance in Umag since 2007. He has now won all six sets he has played at the clay-court ATP 250 as he looks to clinch his first tour-level title since Geneva in 2017. His next opponent in Croatia will be Lorenzo Sonego, who earlier defeated Jaume Munar 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

“It’s going to be a tough match,” said Wawrinka, who lifted his maiden ATP Tour title in Umag in 2006. “He’s a great player. He’s a big fighter with some amazing shots, so I expect a really tough battle. But hopefully I can keep playing that well and keep winning.”

[ATP APP]

There had been Italian joy in Umag on Friday prior to Sonego’s win as Matteo Arnaldi also booked his semi-final spot on the Croatian clay.

In his maiden ATP Tour quarter-final, Arnaldi recovered from a difficult start in style to upset top seed Jiri Lehecka 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. In a clash between a pair of 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals competitors, Arnaldi converted three of his nine break points to wrap a two-hour, four-minute victory under the Croatian sun.

Since notching his maiden ATP Tour win against Munar in Barcelona in April, Arnaldi has made steady progress. He reached the third round as a qualifier at the Mutua Madrid Open in May, defeating Casper Ruud en route, and is now 9-7 for the season, with his run to the last four in Umag so far propelling him 15 spots to No. 61 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

The 22-year-old will face Alexei Popyrin in the semi-finals, after the Australian downed home #NextGenATP star Dino Prizmic 7-6(2), 7-5.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Rafael Nadal makes Nick Kyrgios' three-man personal list but Novak Djokovic left off

Nick Kyrgios has never shied away from controversy and this list epitomises that.

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Fritz Downs Nishikori, Surges Into Atlanta SFs

Top seed Taylor Fritz produced high-quality first-strike tennis Friday to down former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori and reach his seventh tour-level semi-final of the season at the Atlanta Open.

The 25-year-old defeated the Japanese star 6-4, 6-2 after dropping just four points behind his first delivery (25/29). Fritz looked to step around any ball left in the middle of the court before crushing a forehand winner, closing the match in one hour, 13 minutes.

"I'm super happy how I played today, getting better and better each day I feel like," Fritz said in his on-court interview. "A lot of positives I can take into the next match. Kei has been around since I first started. He's an incredible player and a great guy. I'm just happy to see him back playing again, having good results and hitting the ball well after being injured for so long." 

[ATP APP]

Through the first five games, neither player dropped a point behind their serve. Fritz later took advantage of his lone break point, which doubled as a set point in the 10th game of the opening set. As the match wore on, Nishikori did not seem at his physical best, using a medical timeout before the second set started for a problem with his left knee. 

It was Fritz’s maiden Lexus ATPHead2Head win against Nishikori, who had won the previous three meetings. Friday was their first encounter since 2019.

Aiming for his second tour-level trophy of the season, World No. 9 Fritz will next meet countryman J.J. Wolf. The eighth seed Wolf, who has not dropped a set all week, cruised past Dominik Koepfer 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals to set a maiden meeting against the American No. 1.

The 33-year-old Nishikori was playing in his first ATP Tour tournament since October 2021. A 12-time tour-level titlist, Nishikori underwent arthroscopic left hip surgery in 2022 and returned to competition last month on the ATP Challenger Tour, immediately winning a title in Puerto Rico.

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Tiafoe Launches Frances Tiafoe Fund To Help Kids In Need

Frances Tiafoe on Thursday alongside the USTA Foundation announced the launch of The Frances Tiafoe Fund. The American, who revealed the eponymous fund at his home tennis centre, the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland, hopes it will help serve as a source of positive social change.

“I’m so excited for this opportunity to work with the USTA Foundation and inspire kids who come from my hometown and beyond,” Tiafoe said in a statement. “One of my priorities has always been to show kids that dreams can come true and that success is in everyone – and this fund is just one step further toward that goal.”

Tiafoe led a clinic to interact with local youth at the facility where his father was a maintenance worker. The Frances Tiafoe Fund will help support National Junior Tennis and Learning chapters, like the JTCC, throughout the country.

Three years ago, Tiafoe received the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in the ATP Awards. In a letter he wrote at the time, the American explained why it is important for him to give back to the next generations.

“It’s about more than just setting up my family for life. What about those kids?” Tiafoe asked. “I want to help them write their stories right the first time. If there are kids out there who do not think they can achieve their dreams, I want to change that. I really believe success is in everyone. I want to paint a picture for them that they did not know was possible. I want to help them make that a reality.”

The creation of the Frances Tiafoe Fund is another step towards accomplishing that goal.

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Awesome Fils Flies Past Ruud For Statement Win In Hamburg

Arthur Fils has long made his mark on the 2023 ATP Tour season. Yet his Hamburg European Open quarter-final win against Casper Ruud on Friday felt like a further significant leap for the #NextGenATP Frenchman.

Fils delivered a stunning display for a 6-0, 6-4 victory against the World No. 4 Ruud at the clay-court ATP 500, his first win against a Top 20 opponent. The 19-year-old Fils was in particularly devastating form on his forehand in Germany, striking with the sort of power and accuracy off that wing that Ruud himself has become renowned for.

“I’m really happy about it. Of course, it was a tough match,” said Fils in his on-court interview. “I had good tactics with my coach before the match. We talked before the match, that I have to believe I can win. Of course, I’m coming on court, I want to win, so I tried to play my game and I played my best today, so I’m happy about it.”

Fils made a lightning-fast start to his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the Norwegian, unloading on his forehand at every opportunity and converting three of his six break points to charge to the opening set. Ruud settled into his groove in a closely fought second set, but Fils crushed four huge forehand winners to break to love in the 10th game and seal a famous 78-minute triumph in which he outhit Ruud by 35 winners (including 25 off his forehand) to six.

“I knew that he has a really good forehand, and when he uses his forehand during the point, it’s tough," said Fils. "He makes you run a lot. My goal was to play a lot of forehands and play a lot on his backhand, and I did it really well today.”

Fils is now 4-0 in tour-level quarter-finals. His run in Hamburg marks the first time he has reached a semi-final outside of France, while it is also his maiden last-four appearance at ATP 500 level. The Frenchman, who lifted his maiden ATP Tour title in Lyon in May, is fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race as he seeks to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time.

Fils' semi-final opponent will be Alexander Zverev, after the home favourite denied Fils’ fellow #NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche from reaching his maiden tour-level semi-final. The fourth-seeded Zverev prevailed 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to reach the semi-finals in Hamburg for the third time in six appearances.

Zverev held his nerve against Van Assche after the 19-year-old had converted his only break point of the match en route to a 4-1 lead in the second set. The 26-year-old German, chasing his first title since his triumph at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, reeled off five games in a row to seal victory to the delight of his home fans.

A two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion, Zverev has now risen two spots to tenth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin as a result of his Hamburg run. The 19-time tour-level titlist is seeking to qualify for the prestigious season finale for the sixth time.

[ATP APP]

In the bottom half of the draw, Lorenzo Musetti’s Hamburg title defence was ended at the quarter-final stage by the rock-solid Laslo Djere. The No. 57-ranked Serbian overcame Musetti 7-5, 6-3 for his first Top 20 victory since he defeated Ruud in Auckland in the opening week of the 2023 season.

Zhang Zhizhen will be Djere’s next opponent, after the 26-year-old reached his maiden ATP Tour semi-final with a 6-4, 6.4 triumph against home favourite Daniel Altmaier. Zhang has dropped just one set across his first three matches on his second Hamburg appearance, a run which has propelled the 26-year-old 27 spots to No. 52 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, level with his career high in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Should he defeat Djere in Saturday’s semi-finals in northern Germany, Zhang is set to rise further still to become the first Chinese player to break the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

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Fritz/Murray, Shelton/Tiafoe Possible Early-Round Matches In D.C.

Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe arrive at the Mubadala Citi DC Open as Top 10 stars carrying the torch for American men's tennis. The 25-year-olds are the top two seeds, respectively, at the ATP 500 event and could face early tests in the nation’s capital.

World No. 9 Fritz, who is making his fourth appearance in Washington, D.C, is seeded to meet three-time major champion Andy Murray in the third round. The Scot Murray was a finalist at the hard-court tournament in 2006. Fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz and sixth seed Alexander Bublik are also featured in Fritz's half.

In a loaded part of the draw, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Christopher Eubanks could clash against top seed Fritz in the last eight. Eubanks must first get through his section that features seventh seed Adrian Mannarino, former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori and two-time major finalist Kevin Anderson. Should Nishikori beat Lloyd Harris, he will then meet Eubanks in the second round. 

Home hope Tiafoe may meet 14th seed and #NextGenATP star Ben Shelton in the third round, which would mark their first Lexus ATPHead2Head contest.

Making his seventh appearance at the ATP 500 event and looking to improve on his quarter-final result last year, Tiafoe is in the same half as third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov. The Canadian Auger-Aliassime will open against Wu Yibing or Yosuke Watanuki.

Sebastian Korda, Daniel Evans and last year's finalist Yoshihito Nishioka round out the Top 10 seeds in Washington, D.C, where main draw action begins Monday, 31 July.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

 

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Rafael Nadal's uncle pleads with Carlos Alcaraz after Spaniard dethrones Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz recently ended Novak Djokovic's winning streak at Wimbledon by defeating the Serb in this year's final.

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Wimbledon star banned for 18 months gets Nick Kyrgios support

Nick Kyrgios wants the penalty overturned.

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Don't Call It A Comeback! Nishikori Notches Atlanta QF Spot

Take notice: Former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori is playing at a high level in his first ATP Tour tournament in 21 months.

The 33-year-old defeated Chinese teen Shang Juncheng 6-4, 7-6(3) on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Atlanta Open. The Japanese star Nishikori displayed vintage all-court coverage and absorbed the 18-year-old's firepower to advance. At 5/3 in the second-set tie-break, Nishikori won an exciting 21-shot rally to set up match point before sealing a spot in the last eight with an ace.

"It was a tough battle, but I was very excited on the court," Nishikori said in his on-court interview. "I felt pretty good, especially playing under [the lights]. I felt very good on the court today."

Nishikori will next look to extend his 3-0 Lexus ATPHead2Head series record against top seed Taylor Fritz.

The 12-time tour-level titlist Nishikori is competing in his first tour-level tournament since the BNP Paribas Open in October 2021. Nishikori underwent arthroscopic left hip surgery in 2022 and returned to the ATP Challenger Tour last month, immediately winning a title in Puerto Rico. Friday will be his first tour-level quarter-final since August 2021, when he made it to the last four of the ATP 500 event in Washington, D.C.

"It's always tough coming back from injury, I was out for almost two years," Nishikori said. "I just came back, played the last couple tournaments and coming into here, I'm feeling pretty good. Luckily I won two rounds here and happy to play another one tomorrow." 

Shang, who used a medical timeout at 2-3 in the second set to treat a right foot problem, earned his second tour-level victory this week when he upset fourth seed Ben Shelton in the opening round. The Beijing-native is 18th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Fritz Fires Past Wu, Into Atlanta QFs

Taylor Fritz jumped out to an early lead Thursday against Wu Yibing and never looked back to reach the quarter-finals of the Atlanta Open.

The top seed relied on his hefty service delivery in key moments to defeat Wu 6-4, 7-6(5) after one hour, 30 minutes. Fritz started fast, gaining a 4-0 lead to kick off the evening session in Atlantic Station and won 81 per cent of his first-serve points to advance.

"Just a couple points here and there. I had some break chances, he had some break chances," Fritz said in his on-court interview. "It could have gone either way, I kind of just barely got out of the points I needed to win."

In the second set, the California-native saved two set points at 4-5. Fritz then fired three consecutive aces from 30/40 to close the game and later closed the match in a second-set tie-break. 

The 25-year-old Fritz avenged this year’s Dallas Open semi-final loss to Wu, who was eventually crowned champion at the ATP 250 for his maiden tour-level title. Their Lexus ATPHead2Head series is now tied at 1-1.

Fritz, who is World No. 9 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is chasing his second tour-level trophy of the season, having lifted his fifth ATP Tour crown in Delray Beach in February. He will next meet former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori or #NextGenATP Shang Juncheng.

In other Atlanta action, German Dominik Koepfer mounted a comeback to down third seed Daniel Evans 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. World No. 88 Koepfer saved three match points from 3-5, 0/40 in the second set and then broke Evans' serve when the Brit served for a quarter-final spot the ensuing game. The 33-year-old Evans is on a seven-match skid at tour-level.

Koepfer will next meet eighth seed J.J. Wolf, who downed countryman Maxime Cressy 7-6(7), 6-3 to book his ticket to the last eight. Wolf saved a set point at 6/7 in the opening-set tie-break before tallying three consecutive points. World No. 46 Wolf is into his fourth quarter-final of the season.

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The Tour: Lehecka Reveals Famous Athlete He Once DM’d As A Fan

Have you ever sent a direct message to somebody famous? Jiri Lehecka has!

The 21-year-old revealed who it was in the latest edition of ATP Uncovered’s ‘I Am’ series.

“I sent a message to Petra Kvitova when she won her first Wimbledon [in 2011],” said Lehecka, who was a fan of the lefty's game from a young age.

Kvitova first lifted the Wimbledon trophy 12 years ago. Little did the lefty or Lehecka know they would compete at this season’s United Cup together.

Now Lehecka has fans just like he once was. The Top 40 star hopes to follow in Kvitova's footsteps and achieve several career ambitions he revealed later in the video.

The Czech also shared more about his life away from tennis including what hockey team he supports, his favourite cheat meal and the music genre he enjoys.

Watch the full video above to find out what three tips he would give to young tennis players, his first tennis memory, how he would describe his off-court personality and more.

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Serena Williams' ex-coach furious as former Wimbledon finalist fined for breaking rules

The International Tennis Federation has come down hard on one of its big-name coaches for a betting rules breach.

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Wimbledon hero Chris Eubanks' hilarious reply after superb win as he enters world's top 30

Wimbledon hero Chris Eubanks has kept his fine form going at the Atlanta Open, but he remains as down to earth as ever.

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Eubanks Ace Fest Sinks Nakashima In Atlanta

Christopher Eubanks rode his towering serve to a come-from-behind victory over fellow American Brandon Nakashima to charge into the Atlanta Open quarter-finals Wednesday night.

With Nakashima adopting an aggressive service stance, the 21-year-old earned seven break points throughout the match - including three at 0/40 in the final game - but fifth-seeded Eubanks held firm each and every time en route to a 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5 win.

Eubanks fired 21 aces but had not earned a break point on Nakashima’s serve until the ninth game of the second set when he caught fire, breaking the 21-year-old to love, helped by one explosive 99 mph forehand winner. He closed out the set in the next game and in the decider he fended off two break points in his opening service game before breaking to 15 in the 10th game.

Eubanks, who hit 51 winners, is through to his second quarter-final in Atlanta and will next play World No. 82 Australian Aleksandar Vukic, who upset fourth seed Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) in brutally hot conditions during the day session.

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Two-time tournament champion Alex de Minaur improved to 10-1 at Atlantic Station after rallying from an early break down in the second set to defeat fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-4 in a first-time meeting between the Australians.

Kokkinakis paid the price for putting just 55 per cent of first serves into play, a problem compounded by De Minaur dominating on second serve returns, winning 56 per cent of those points.

De Minaur went down an early break in the second set before upping his aggression. “I let him dictate too much so I tried to step in and play on my terms, which is what got me the first set,” De Minaur said of his revival. “I’m happy to live and fight another day.

“Thanasi is a very good friend. We know each other well and just yesterday we were hanging out all day. It’s always tricky to play a mate.”

The 24-year-old, who at No. 17 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is just two places below his career-hgh mark, advanced to the quarter-finals, where he will meet Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who took out South Africa's Lloyd Harris 7-6(6), 6-4.

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Fritz Featured On Style Magazine Cover

Taylor Fritz is used to the spotlight as the United States' highest-ranked male tennis player. However, the World No. 9 recently traded in his match kit for the glitz and glam of Style Magazine.

Featured on the cover of the July/August issue, the 25-year-old Fritz posed in stylish sweaters and overcoats to add his name of ATP Tour stars who have made their way to magazine stands this year.

^{Photo Credit: Marco Cella/Style Magazine}

Last month, British No. 1 Cameron Norrie stepped in front Tatler's cameras for chic photoshoot with the fashion and lifestyle magazine. A semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2022, Norrie posed alongside fellow Britons Jack Draper and Katie Boulter for the publication.

^{From left to right: Katie Boulter, Cameron Norrie and Jack Draper. Credit: Tatler Magazine}

Billed as "the new British tennis superstars", the trio was photographed in retro styles fitting the storied tradition of their home major.

The cover story, now live on Tatler's website, begins with Alex de Minaur's shoutout to girlfriend Boulter during an on-court interview at last year's Wimbledon.

 

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Norrie and Draper are far from the only ATP stars to grace the pages of fashion magazines in recent months. In addition to Carlos Alcaraz's February Vogue feature, both the Spaniard and Norway's Casper Ruud have appeared on the cover of L'Equipe this year.

Ruud also posed for Vogue Scandinavia, where he was the focus of a February spread.

Photo from Vogue Scandinavia

The month of May saw Jannik Sinner appear on the cover of Sportweek in Italy, while Holger Rune featured in Icon this June in Spain. Also in June, Lorenzo Musetti was on the cover of Undici in Italy.

 

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Going back to January, a collection of young stars were highlighted in GQ as "the new golden age of tennis". Among those featured and photographed were Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Matteo Berrettini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ruud and Rune.

 

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Watch this space — and your local newsstands — to keep tabs as more ATP stars step into the fashion spotlight.

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