Schooled In Adversity, Djere Ready For Djokovic Battle

When Laslo Djere walks on the court inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday for his third-round US Open match against Novak Djokovic, he will face one of the biggest challenges in all of sports.

Djokovic has won more major titles — 23 — than any man in tennis history and the 36-year-old has not lost before the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament since 2016. But any challenge he faces on court is incomparable to the obstacles he has overcome off it.

By the age of 23, Djere had lost his mother, Hajnalka and father, Caba, to cancer. Since then, he has persevered and played the best tennis of his life. Continuing to push forward, he has earned opportunities to show his talent on the world’s biggest stages, just like he will against Djokovic.

“I don't want to go too sentimental or sound smart. Everybody has ups and downs and tough moments in life, but I think that's how life is,” Djere told ATPTour.com. “Some are less fortunate than others. Some are more fortunate. Every person has their own story I'm sure.

“It's important that you believe in your goals, your vision, yourself and you don't let things or some other factors that you can't control — or even sometimes you can, but didn't go your way — affect you on your road to that goal... Just keep going no matter what.”

As a countryman of Djokovic, Djere is well aware of what the three-time US Open champion is capable of. But he is not dwelling too much on who will be standing across the net.

“I will try and just prepare as for any other match. I think that's the key and not to be stressed about who will be my next opponent, the guy who is probably the best of all time,” Djere said. “I will really just try to approach it as every other match, as the third round of the US Open. My goal is to go out on the court and fight for every point and play my best tennis. I think that will be the key against Novak.”

Djere does not remember the first time he met Djokovic, remembering seeing him in Grand Slam tournament locker rooms when he was a junior. But the first time they spent a significant amount of time together was in Dubai in 2015, when Djokovic invited him to play doubles together. At the time, Djere was outside the Top 250 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“I was very happy. It was a great opportunity. We did a few practice sessions, played the doubles. I also got a glance how does it look on the Tour at an ATP 500, which was altogether a really nice and useful experience for my future career,” Djere said. “I saw where I wanted to be and it also gave me some motivation to keep working hard and reach that level one day, which thankfully, I eventually reached.”

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Djere has spent plenty of time with Djokovic over the years. From competing alongside one another in Davis Cup to sharing training sessions together, they have gotten to know one another well.

“In practices, the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed. He'll feel more free to try some things that you maybe wouldn't dare to try in a match,” Djere said. “But I mean, his focus and the intensity is pretty much the same in practice as it is in a match, and that's something I am also trying to do.”

Last year in Belgrade, they met in singles action for the first time. Then the World No. 1, Djokovic needed to draw on all of his experience to win 2-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) after three hours and 22 minutes.

“Obviously he wasn't in his best form back then. But again, I proved to myself that I can play with him and many other times also when I played Top 10 guys that I can play with those guys,” Djere said. “For sure they are on a different level, especially Novak. But I think I can have a good match with him. And he's playing now much better than back then. So I will not rely too much on that experience last year. I will just try to focus on this match.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Djokovic is well aware of what Djere is capable of. The 28-year-old won an ATP 500 title at Rio de Janeiro in 2019, dedicating the victory to his parents. He has climbed as high as No. 27 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and earned three Top 10 wins.

“He did have a lot of struggles with his family and private issues, had to endure all of that. So it says a lot about his mental resilience,” Djokovic said. “He's, as I said, a very nice guy, very humble. Just very quiet. Just goes about his things, works as hard as anybody and tries his best.

“He’s really dedicated to the game. I really like him as a person and as a player, as well.”

Djere has played some of his best tennis in recent months. In Hamburg, he reached his second ATP 500 final before making the semi-finals in Kitzbuhel.

“The good game is the result of many, many hours of practice. And it's hard work. And sometimes you also need a little bit of luck, a little bit of a push,” Djere said. “Now, I'm feeling great. I feel confident I am showing good tennis in the last couple of months. And obviously, when you have confidence, things tend to go much easier on the court.”

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Andy Murray issues retirement threat as Brit concedes Grand Slam defeat after US Open exit

Andy Murray was in despondent mood following his US Open second-round exit.

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Andy Murray exits US Open after heavy defeat despite leaving rival in awe early on

Andy Murray has crashed out of the US Open in the second round after a straight-sets defeat to Grigor Dimitrov.

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Simona Halep claims doping hearing 'delayed' again as she discusses 'emotional toll'

Romanian tennis star Simona Halep has vented her frustrations on social media after almost a year off the court, as she still awaits the outcome of her doping hearing.

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Andy Murray's 'big negative' highlighted as US Open tactic called out by Navratilova

Andy Murray crashed out of the US Open to Grigor Dimitrov, and Martina Navratilova had her say on the match.

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Murray Calls US Open Loss 'A Really Disappointing Defeat'

Andy Murray was not only disappointed Thursday because he lost at the US Open. The former World No. 1 was discouraged by how he lost, winning only eight games against 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov.

“It’s obviously disappointing to not play how you would like. But maybe I need to accept that, these events, I had the deep runs and everything that I felt like I'm capable of, they might not be there, as well,” Murray said. “I'm aware what I'm doing, it's unbelievably challenging to play at the highest level as I am now. And some days it's harder than others. But yeah, today is obviously a really disappointing defeat and probably [because of] the manner of it as well.

“I fought hard enough, but just didn't play well enough. Ultimately these are the events that you want to play your best tennis in, and create more great moments and didn't do that this year.”

Murray, who is 13-12 this season, lost by the third round in all three majors he played this year (he did not compete at Roland Garros). The 36-year-old showed good form at Wimbledon, but ultimately fell in a tough five-setter to Stefanos Tsitsipas. In New York, he never was able to battle his way into the match against Dimitrov.

“I think when you don't play well, obviously it's frustrating. But it can happen. At the highest level if you don't play to a high enough level, it's very hard to win,” Murray said. “Whereas at Wimbledon, obviously when you're playing at a good level and potentially had a good draw there and everything, that's tougher to take.”

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The No. 37 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Murray has shown consistency throughout the year, reaching the final in Doha and claiming three ATP Challenger Tour titles.

“I’ve obviously been progressing this year from a ranking perspective,” Murray said. “I had some great matches in Australia. Well, quite a few amazing matches at the beginning of the year really, in Doha as well. I think I was close to — you never know what's going to happen — but I think I was close to having a good run at Wimbledon.

“I still enjoy everything that goes into playing at a high level. I enjoy the work, the training and trying to improve and trying to get better. I do still enjoy that, and that's what keeps me going.”

An abdominal strain hindered Murray’s North American hard-court summer, forcing him to withdraw mid-tournament in Toronto and before the tournament in Cincinnati. That played a role in preventing the Scot from earning a seed at the US Open. But Murray is not using that as an excuse.

“If I want to have deep runs in these tournaments, I'm going to have to come up against players like Grigor or Tsitsipas or whoever in Australia, played Berrettini in the first round and Bautista in the third round. These are obviously top players. Obviously being seeded avoids them early,” Murray said. “But yeah, for me it's more about sort of the level you put out there and the performance and whether I was seeded or not here in the Top 32, then I don't think that that guarantees that I'm going to have a deep run either.”

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Draper Dispatches Hurkacz, Dimitrov Downs Murray In New York

Jack Draper stepped up his return to Tour on Thursday with a statement win against World No. 17 Hubert Hurkacz at the US Open.

The Briton retired in the second round in Winston-Salem last week in his first tournament back on Tour after three months out with a shoulder injury. However, the 21-year-old has shown little sign of discomfort in New York, backing up his opening-round win against Radu Albot with a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 triumph against Hurkacz.

"I feel physically good. I haven't had match exposure for a long time, so I'm still sort of managing my body," Draper said. "Still getting a little bit sore. Obviously it's a Grand Slam, as well. You have to push your body and know that if you need to go four or five sets, you need to be ready. And I was today. I feel good.

"With regards to my shoulder, I'm kind of looking after it each day. It was a bit sore after my last match but when the adrenaline kicks in and obviously playing the US Open, so, you know, just put it out of my mind and go out and try my best to play the tennis I want to."

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Draper was consistent throughout the two-hour, nine-minute clash, frequently making returns off the Hurkacz serve to neutralise rallies. The lefty committed just 22 unforced errors and broke five times to reach the third round at the hard-court major for the second time.

Draper, who reached a career-high No. 38 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings earlier this year, will aim to reach the fourth round at a major for the first time when he next plays Michael Mmoh or John Isner, who is retiring after the US Open.

Hurkacz rallied from two sets down to claw past Marc-Andrea Huelser in the first round, but was unable to cause Draper problems, with the Briton improving to 1-2 in their ATP Head2Head series.

[BREAK POINT]

Seven years on from their previous meeting, Grigor Dimitrov overcame Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the third round at the US Open for the first time since 2019.

Dimitrov’s last meeting against Murray came in the Beijing final in 2016, when the Scot triumphed as the World No. 2. Facing off again in 2023, the 32-year-old produced a clean-hitting display on Arthur Ashe Stadium to improve to 4-8 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

The Bulgarian, who broke Murray’s serve seven times in the two-hour, 45-minute clash, will next meet Alexander Zverev. The World No. 19’s best result at the hard-court major came in 2019, when he reached the semi-finals.

Dimitrov survived a five-set scare against Alex Molcan in the first round, saving three match points to advance. Earlier this month, the eight-time tour-level champion advanced to the last four on hard at the ATP 500 in Washington.

Murray has tasted success in New York, having defeated Novak Djokovic to capture his maiden major at the event in 2012. The former World No. 1, who earned his 200th Slam win against Corentin Moutet in the first round, has now failed to reach the second week at the US Open in his past five appearances.

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US Open star issues emotional statement on grandmother's death after crashing out

Caroline Garcia announced that her grandmother passed away a day before she was ousted from the US Open.

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Stricker Stuns Tsitsipas At US Open

#NextGenATP Swiss Dominic Stricker earned his maiden Top 10 win on Wednesday at the US Open, where he upset World No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3 to reach the third round at a major for the first time.

The 21-year-old, who is making his debut in New York, showed desire and quality throughout the four-hour, 10-minute epic to earn his second five-set win at a major. In humid conditions, the lefty rallied from 3-5 in the fourth set, while he was two points from defeat three times in the set.

"I came out today pretty well. I felt good from the first set on. It was a tough battle but I am just super happy right now," Stricker said. "I am going to enjoy the rest of the day and then I will recover for the next round.

"I was down 3-5 and then I came back in the fourth set. I don't know how, but I did it somehow and then I kept playing very high level tennis. I am a bit speechless but it is a great day."

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Stricker then found his best form in the deciding set, winning 83 per cent (19/23) of his first-serve points to advance. Stricker, who struck 78 winners against Tsitsipas, will aim to continue his run when he meets Christopher Eubanks or Benjamin Bonzi in the third round.

"Such a great day for me, such a great win," Stricker added. "It gives me a lot of confidence and I think it is great to see from my team. We are working hard everyday and it is so great to do that."

Stricker is currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah (486 points) and is aiming to make his second appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the first time. The 21-year-old has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this season.

Tsitsipas suffered a shock first-round exit in New York against Daniel Elahi Galan last year and has now failed to make the second week at the US Open in six attempts. The Greek, who went 1-2 at ATP Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, struck the ball well against Stricker in the pair’s second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, but committed errors in the key moments off the backhand wing.

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Why does Novak Djokovic wear a patch on his chest at the US Open?

Novak Djokovic is looking to win the fourth US Open of his career, but what has he got attached to his chest and why?

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Iga Swiatek jokes she ignored cheeky Frances Tiafoe request before US Open win

Tennis star Iga Swiatek began the defense of her US Open title in the best possible manner but she joked that the time she took to complete her first-round win did not help Frances Tiafoe.

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Zapata Miralles On Djokovic: 'He's A Machine'

Bernabe Zapata Miralles never cracked the Top 150 in the ITF Junior Rankings. The Spaniard played just one major as a junior, the 2015 US Open.

“I lost in the second round against Tsitsipas I remember,” Zapata Miralles told ATPTour.com. “I won the first round, but I played so nervous.”

Some of his lasting memories from the tournament were practice sessions with his countrymen, including Feliciano Lopez and Gullermo Garcia-Lopez. Zapata Miralles remembers fondly watching Garcia-Lopez play Tomas Berdych in the third round.

The junior players at the season’s final major use a locker room in an indoor building across the venue from Arthur Ashe Stadium. But Zapata Miralles remembers getting a chance to step into the pro’s locker room once. There, one of the competitors he saw was Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard has never practised with the Serbian nor faced him in a match. But on Wednesday, that will change when Zapata Miralles takes on the 23-time major champion.

“I think I need to stay relaxed. I don't have nothing to lose if I play against Novak, of course,” Zapata Miralles said. “I try to be focussed in the match and try to do my best to have some chances. But I don't feel too nervous.

“For me it's another match, one match more in my tennis career, and this is the important thing.”

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But he has never faced an opponent with the experience of Djokovic, who has finished as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone a record seven times. The Spaniard has plenty of respect for the three-time US Open winner.

“I think he's a machine,” Zapata Miralles said. “For me he's an unbelievable player, one of the best in history.”

The good news for Zapata Miralles is he has played a lot of top players this season — five Top 10 opponents, to be exact. He pushed Daniil Medvedev to a third set in Rome and Andrey Rublev to a final-set tie-break in Hamburg. However, Zapata Miralles has never defeated a Top 10 player.

“I played good matches this year on clay. I think the match if I play against Novak is different because it's on hard and normally I always feel more comfortable on clay,” Zapata Miralles said. “I played good matches against Rublev in Hamburg and Daniil in Rome. But I think [it will be a] different match on Wednesday.”

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Zapata Miralles defeated reigning NCAA men’s singles champion Ethan Quinn in straight sets Tuesday for his first tour-level win on hard courts this season (6-16 career). Twenty-seven of his 33 tour-level victories have come on clay.

“It's a different surface, so it's more complicated for me, I think,” Zapata Miralles said. "But I will try to find this level that I played in these matches.”

For a clay-court standout who climbed to a career-high No. 37 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this year based on his success on that surface, Zapata Miralles calls the US Open his favourite tournament.

“Probably [because I love] the city. I love New York. I feel very comfortable in Manhattan,” Zapata Miralles said. “When I have time, I like to walk there and go to dinner in some restaurants… I feel like I'm home here.”

Zapata Miralles will hope that is the case inside Arthur Ashe Stadium Wednesday when he plays Djokovic.

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Murray Captures 200th Major Win, Faces Dimitrov Next

Former US Open champion Andy Murray earned his 200th major win on Tuesday, when he overcame Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round in New York.

The Scot coped with Moutet’s flamboyant shotmaking throughout the two-hour, 58-minute clash, combating the Frenchman’s touch with consistent depth to advance to the second round for the 16th time. The 36-year-old also moved forward frequently, winning 69 per cent (48/70) of net points.

"It was amazing. A brilliant atmosphere against one of the most skilful players on Tour," Murray said. "He has so many ways to disrupt you, he is an exceptional player and he moves extremely well and always causes a bit of chaos. I hope it was entertaining for everyone. There were some fun points in there. I am happy to get through in straight sets because the second set was very tight."

Murray, who defeated Novak Djokovic to triumph at the hard-court Slam in 2012, is just the ninth man in history to earn 200 match wins at the majors. He will aim to make it 201 when he faces Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian saved three match points to edge Alex Molcan 6-7(9), 6-7(5), 6-1, 7-5, 7-6(11-9) in four hours and 40 minutes.

All-time Grand Slam Men’s Singles Win Leaders

Player	Wins
Roger Federer	369
Novak Djokovic	354
Rafael Nadal	314
Jimmy Connors	233
Andre Agassi	224
Ivan Lendl	222
Roy Emerson	210
Pete Sampras	203
Andy Murray	200

Murray has lifted the trophy at Wimbledon twice (2013, ’16) and he is a five-time finalist at the Australian Open (2010, ’11, ’13, ’15, ’16). He also advanced to the championship match at Roland Garros in 2016.

The 36-year-old saved two set points in the second set against Moutet, rallying from 3-5 to gain further control. He then earned the decisive break of the third set in the eighth game, converting on his 10th opportunity of the set. Murray then held serve, advancing on his fourth match point.

"The preparation was slightly tricky because I had to pull out of the tournament mid-way through in Canada and miss Cincinnati," said Murray, who suffered an ab strain in Toronto. "I had to slowly build my serving up but I was quite happy with how I served today, the ab felt good."

Murray will next face Dimitrov, who rallied from two sets down against Molcan to reach the second round in New York for the fourth consecutive year. The 32-year-old, who trails Murray 3-8 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, struck 81 winners against Slovakian Molcan.

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Briton Cameron Norrie also reached the second round, defeating Alexander Shevchenko 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 32 minutes.

"I was pretty nervous going into the tournament," said Norrie, who suffered opening-round exits in his past three events. "I have had a couple of tough loses recently, so the confidence was not where I wanted it to be. Coming in I would usually have had a lot of matches under my belt and I wanted to start well. I had a really positive week in practice. My team has been really good in these tough times, so it is nice to get a comfortable win."

The 16th seed is making his seventh appearance in New York, where he enjoyed a run to the fourth round last year. Lefty Norrie is currently 15th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin (1,815 points) and will need a deep run at the hard-court major to boost his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 28-year-old, who has won three tour-level titles on hard courts, will next play Yu Hsiou Hsu.

[BREAK POINT]

Jack Draper reached the third round at the US Open on debut last year and made a fast start again this week, overcoming Radu Albot 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.

The 21-year-old saved all three break points he faced to seal his win after two hours and five minutes. Briton Draper will meet Marc-Andrea Huesler or Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.

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Andy Murray leaves Iga Swiatek in disbelief with comments at US Open

Before his opening 2023 US Open match, the three-time Grand Slam champion chose a player from the WTA Tour he would like to play doubles with and left her in a state of shock.

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#NextGenATP Stars Fils & Michelsen Earn Wins On US Open Debuts

#NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils earned victory on his US Open debut Tuesday, clawing past 24th seed Tallon Griekspoor in a five-set thriller to reach the second round.

The 19-year-old battled hard throughout the three-hour, 58-minute epic, striking 61 winners to advance 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5. Fils will next face Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2022.

Fils has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the ATP Tour, winning his first title at this level on home soil in Lyon in May. The Frenchman is currently fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah (953 points) and is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the first time.

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The 19-year-old will be joined in the second round by fellow #NextGenATP star Alex Michelsen. The American wild card captured a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win against Spaniard Albert-Ramos Vinolas on his major debut.

Michelsen is seventh in the Live Race To Jeddah (492 points) after a standout few months on Tour. The 19-year-old advanced to his maiden tour-level final in Newport in July and reached the third round in Winston-Salem last week.

Aiming to compete at the 21-and-under event for the first time, Michelsen will look to earn more wins in New York to boost his chances. He will next play 23rd seed Nicolas Jarry after the Chilean defeated #NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(3).

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Koepfer's Climb: From Mystery Injury To Centre Stage Against Alcaraz

One year ago, Dominik Koepfer was at one of his lowest lows. The German lefty, beset by a mystery left arm injury, lost in the first round of qualifying at the US Open to Italian Raul Brancaccio, who was ranked outside the world’s Top 200.

“I already had accepted that my ranking was pretty sh***y. I'd already lost enough points by then. But it's not fun,” Koepfer told ATPTour.com. “Everyone plays tennis to play at this site, to play these events and play in the main draws of Slams and that's the most fun. It's not fun to play in Mexico on Court 3 at a Challenger. It's just different.

“It was definitely hard, it wasn't easy. But you have to accept it and just treat every match the same.”

One year on, the former Tulane University star is ready to play World No. 1 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the first round of the main draw at Flushing Meadows. Getting back to such a big moment has been full of adversity and, as the 29-year-old made clear, plenty of pain.

The trouble began in Vienna in October 2021. Just months earlier, Koepfer had reached a career-high No. 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. When the pain started, the lefty thought he would finish the year at the Rolex Paris Masters and take time off to recover. Even with pain in his left humerus (upper arm), Koepfer defeated Andy Murray and Felix Auger-Aliassime at the season’s final ATP Masters 1000 event and pushed Hubert Hurkacz to three sets.

“I played a great tournament, but the arm was done. I played with a lot of painkillers, got checked out there. They said there was nothing really wrong,” Koepfer said. “I took some weeks off, got an MRI, nothing was wrong and then went to Australia and couldn't really serve the entire offseason. In Australia, they diagnosed it with bone bruise, which it never was apparently.”

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That was the beginning of what felt like a never-ending cycle. Koepfer would play with pain, take some time off, get several scans and learn nothing about what his injury actually was, rinse and repeat.

“No doctor really knows what it is. It's probably instability in my shoulder and just maybe some nerve stuff too that's a little stuck. Nothing really helped,” Koepfer said. “I've literally tried everything I could. There was no surgery you could do because if there's no diagnosis, really, you can't really do anything to fix it.”

Koepfer was able to hit three hours of forehands and backhands without issue. But as soon as he had to serve, everything began to hurt.

“The first 20 to 30 minutes were alright and then after that it's just like a dead arm. You couldn't swing really. And then it's just throbbing pain I would describe it as. Even at night sometimes when I played too much, it was just constantly in pain and it was just not tolerable anymore,” Koepfer said. “If you break your arm, you know you're going to get surgery and you'll probably be fine in like two or three months. This is just on and off and not really knowing.

“It was frustrating to see a lot of different people. At every Slam I saw every doctor. I've seen so many doctors and physios and no one really could figure out what it actually was or what's wrong with it. Still at this point, it's just kind of a guessing game.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

At the beginning of this year, as Koepfer’s Pepperstone ATP Ranking slipped as low as No. 262, he spent two months in Switzerland to rehab his arm and found exercises that helped with the pain.

At the end of March, Koepfer played an ATP Challenger Tour event in Mexico City, where he trailed a player ranked outside the world’s Top 400 in the first round of qualifying and nearly lost before pulling through in three sets. He ended up winning the title.

“It just took one win for me to play well again and have confidence and belief in myself,” Koepfer said. “It was crazy quick, I didn't expect that. I was hoping that I would win some matches and get there really quickly, by the end of the year maybe.”

[BREAK POINT]

Koepfer had hoped to earn his way into Roland Garros qualifying. Just months later, he is back to World No. 75 behind another Challenger title, two more finals and a run to the Los Cabos ATP 250 semi-finals.

Now the German will play inside the biggest tennis-only stadium in the world against Alcaraz, the top seed at the US Open.

“He's not perfect. No tennis player is perfect. I've played Novak before, won a set against him. I played Roger, I've played those guys before. It's a different feeling because it's just the name that makes you a little more anxious or nervous or makes it more special to play them,” Koepfer said. “But he's just a tennis player, too. He's going to miss some like every other guy too. Obviously, he's a little faster than most guys. But I will just go out there and have fun and try my best.”

Koepfer has a lot of respect for Alcaraz, whom he called “the best player to watch right now”. Considering where he was one year ago, the 29-year-old feels he has no pressure and can “swing for the fences”.

“I kind of see it as a payoff for the last year that I had. Just coming from 260, playing first round of qualies here and losing to playing on Ashe in the night session against the No. 1 in the world,” Koepfer said. “It's a win-win situation. I have nothing to lose. I'm excited to play him.”

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Carlos Alcaraz's brother wins another tournament as Williams dominance dream lives on

Carlos Alcaraz's brother is tipped to become a top tennis player in his own right.

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Thiem Earns First US Open Win Since 2020 Title, Shelton Advances

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem earned his first match win at a major since 2021 on Monday, when he produced a clean-hitting performance to overcome 25th seed Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in New York.

The Austrian, who reached the fourth round at the Australian Open in 2021, played consistently throughout the one-hour, 54-minute clash. The 29-year-old struck 26 winners and committed 21 unforced errors, improving to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Bublik.

Thiem holds fond memories in New York, having defeated Alexander Zverev in the 2020 final to win his maiden major title. With his victory against Bublik, Thiem snapped a six-match losing streak at Slams. He lost his first-round match in New York in 2022. His best result this season was a run to the final in Kitzbühel in August.

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The former World No. 3 Thiem will play #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton in the second round after the 20-year-old defeated Pedro Cachin 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Shelton is making his second appearance at the US Open, having fallen in the first round last year. The American is aiming to earn a series of wins in New York to boost his chances of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time. The 20-year-old is currently fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

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Five Challenger Tour Players To Watch At The US Open

ATPTour.com looks at five ATP Challenger Tour players to keep your eyes on during the US Open.

Alex Michelsen
The 18-year-old American won his first Challenger title last month in Chicago and has since continued his surge. The following week, Michelsen was a finalist at the ATP 250 event in Newport despite competing in just his second tour-level tournament.

Michelsen was committed to play college tennis at the University of Georgia this upcoming year, but the World No. 133 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings announced his decision to forgo his college eligibility and turn pro in early August. The California native will bring his rock-solid backhand to his major main-draw debut in Flushing Meadows, where he opens against Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Jakub Mensik
In May, the big-serving Mensik won the ATP Challenger Tour event in Prague, where he became the youngest Czech Challenger champion in history (since 1978). The 2022 Australian Open boys’ singles finalist was ranked outside the Top 800 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings last August and has since risen to No. 191.

The 17-year-old is the second-youngest player in the US Open main draw, behind American Learner Tien. Mensik, who will meet Frenchman Gregoire Barrere in the first round, advanced through qualifying to make his first major main draw.

Dominic Stricker
The #NextGenATP Swiss has tallied an 18-9 match at the Challenger level this year, with titles coming in Rovereto and Prague. At No. 113 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Stricker will be hopeful for a strong run in New York to push him closer to his Top 100 debut.

Stricker, 21, made his first major main-draw appearance this year at Roland Garros before qualifying for Wimbledon. The lefty’s aggressive style of play will next be on display at the American Slam, where he advanced through qualifying, in which he saved a match point in the second round to stay alive. Stricker will open against Cincinnati quarter-finalist Alexei Popyrin.

Yosuke Watanuki
Despite playing just six Challenger events in 2023, Watanuki has reached the semi-finals at three. The Japanese star, who first cracked the Top 100 on 31 July, earned the highest-ranked win of his career earlier this month when he upset then-World No. 12 Felix Auger-Aliassime in Washington, D.C. Watanuki, who is coached by his brother Keisuke, is making his US Open main-draw debut.

His first-round match against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino will be a contrast of styles. While the Frenchman is known for his flat groundstrokes and craftiness, Watanuki will grab fan’s attention with his easy firepower and quick speed.

Sebastian Ofner
Nobody boasts more Challenger match wins in 2023 than Ofner (35-12). The Austrian has reached at least the final in six Challenger events this season, including a title run on home soil in Salzburg last month.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a surprise run at Roland Garros, where he reached the fourth round as a qualifier, leading to his Top 100 debut. Playing the US Open main draw for the first time, the World No. 58 will start against Portugal’s Nuno Borges.

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US Open star kicks off over day one scheduling with Novak Djokovic to headline main stage

US Open star Holger Rune has hit out at tournament organisers over their schedule for Day One.

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Guillen Meza, 20, Becomes Youngest Ecuadorian Challenger Champion Since '03

Winning the title in just your third ATP Challenger Tour event of the year?

No problem for Ecuador’s Alvaro Guillen Meza, who was crowned champion Saturday at the Lima Challenger, where he defeated Jamaica’s Blaise Bicknell 7-6(3), 6-1 in the final. The 20-year-old, who is one of four Challenger titlists this week, is the youngest champion from Ecuador since Giovanni Lapentti in 2003.

Competing in his eighth Challenger tournament, Guillen Meza’s ability to hold his nerve in pressure moments throughout the week helped him lift the trophy. He fended off 10 of 16 break points faced in the second round to upset fifth seed Gustavo Heide and against the 21-year-old Bicknell, Guillen Meza saved all three break points faced.

"I had to stay focussed all week and I managed to win. The truth was [I was] quite calm, I don't know why," Guillen Meza said in Spanish. "It is a very special day for me and I am very happy."

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Now at a career-high No. 384 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Guillen Meza is the first NextGenATP Challenger winner from South America in 2023 and the first Ecuadorian champion this year. He is the second-lowest ranked champion of the season, only behind then-unranked Kei Nishikori, who won the Palmas del Mar Challenger in June.

In other Challenger Tour action, Spaniard Carlos Taberner collected his sixth title at that level when he downed countryman Oriol Roca Batalla 6-4, 6-4 in the Schwaben Open final in Augsburg, Germany.

^{Carlos Taberner wins the Challenger 50 event in Augsburg, Germany. Credit: Andreas Schebesta/Schwaben Open}

Saturday marked the 26-year-old’s Taberner first Challenger title since March 2022. Last year, Taberner reached a career-high No. 85.

A pivotal moment for Taberner came against Oliver Crawford in the second round, when the Valencia native rallied from 0-4 in the final set to stay alive.

“It’s amazing because to win titles is very, very difficult in tennis because every week, only one guy wins the title,” Taberner said. “It’s a very good feeling for me because not only was it a year-and-a-half since I last won a title, but also that long since I made the semi-finals. So I’m very happy for this week and I just want to enjoy it.”

Frenchman Arthur Weber became the fourth-oldest player to win his maiden Challenger crown at the Hengqin International Tennis Challenger. The 31-year-old survived two deciding-set matches to close the week, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Jason Jung 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the final.

At a career-high No. 307 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Weber is the oldest player to win a Challenger title in his debut. The lefty came into Zhuhai having won two ITF World Tennis Tour trophies this season.
 
^{Arthur Weber is crowned champion at the Zhuhai Challenger. Credit: Hengqin International Tennis Challenger}

Weber is the 15th different Frenchman to add to his home country’s season-leading 20 Challenger titles, within three of tying Argentina’s record from last year.

The Challenger 50 event in Zhuhai marked the first tournament at that level held in China since October 2019. 

German Rudolf Molleker did not drop a set all week to be crowned champion at the IBG Prague Open by Moneta Money Bank. The fourth seed cruised past 17-year-old Frenchman Gabriel Debru 6-2, 6-2 in the final to win his first Challenger title since May 2018.

^{Rudolf Molleker (middle) poses during the Prague Challenger trophy presentation. Credit: IBG Prague Open by Moneta Money Bank}

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Roger Federer tactic is Alcaraz's 'biggest ick' and Djokovic tells rivals what annoys him

Tennis stars including Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have revealed their biggest 'icks'.

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How Muller Has Overcome Crohn's Disease To Face Djokovic At US Open

When Novak Djokovic fulfilled his US Open media responsibilities on Friday, one of his stops was with the tournament’s social media team, which asked him to share a few words about his first-round opponent, Alexandre Muller.

“He's good looking,” Djokovic said, cracking a laugh. “But that's not enough.”

“I think it's true,” Muller quipped to ATPTour.com the next day. “I think he doesn't know me. But maybe he saw some pictures and he thought I was beautiful.”

Muller is far more than that, though. The 26-year-old is enjoying the best season of his career and serving as an inspiration to plenty of people of all ages throughout the world. At the age of 14, the Frenchman was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

“I was just a little bit sick. I went to the doctor, and he gave me some medicine,” Muller recalled. “I was quite young — 14 years old is young — so I kept it to myself for one year. But it was like an inflammation. So after one year, the inflammation was so big and I couldn't move anymore. I lost maybe 10 kilos.

“When I came back to my parents for the weekend, during the night, they heard the toilet like 50 times. So they said, ‘Okay, there is something wrong.’ So I went to the hospital, I did all the exams and everything and they said okay, it's Crohn's disease.”

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It was a devastating blow for someone who was entering a key moment in his tennis journey. Muller began playing tennis at the age of six, when his family moved to Meyrargues, a small village in France. There was an old hard court at the home they moved to and Muller’s father, Stefan, refurbished it. Nobody in the family had a history in the sport, but Stefan and Alexandre would play at home.

“At the beginning, I was crying because I was losing with my dad,” Muller said. “But after one or two years he was crying.”

Too good for his father, Muller began playing at a local club and quickly showed potential. Having also played football from a young age, he was told it was necessary to focus on tennis in order to train more. The Frenchman moved to a bigger club in Aix en Provence.

But by his early teens, Crohn’s disease was taking its toll on the Frenchman. His future in tennis seemed in doubt.

“It was not easy because the doctor told me if I wanted to be in good shape, I needed to stop tennis and sports in general. Not [playing] the sport, but when you're a professional tennis player, you practise every day, so it's very hard. I needed to stop it,” Muller said. “I stopped training for maybe two months, I took a lot of cortisone. It's the process with this disease. So now I'm trying to manage it.

“I need to do an injection to myself every two weeks, all my life. So it's not that easy, but I'm trying to manage it.”

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Muller explained that it is still “not so easy” even though he is a world-class athlete. “Sometimes I’m feeling quite bad,” he said.

But in 2023, Muller has proven he belongs at the upper levels of the ATP Tour. He began the season at No. 160 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and has consistently risen, climbing as high as No. 76 last month.

Muller reached the quarter-finals in Doha, where he upset Botic van de Zandschulp and pushed former World No. 1 Andy Murray to three sets. In Marrakech, he upset Richard Gasquet and Lorenzo Musetti en route to his first ATP Tour final and his first step into the world’s Top 100.

“I thought before it was very important for me. But at the moment when I won the matches, it was in Marrakech the semi-final. I was looking at the live rankings and said, ‘Okay, now I'm Top 100,’” Muller said. “But you always want more. When I was 400, I wanted to be in qualies in the Grand Slams. I was qualies in the Grand Slams and then I wanted to be in the main draw. I'm main draw, so now I want to be Top 50.

“You always want more, so I was happy for sure. But I hope it's not the end of my story in tennis.”

The 2023 season has been a dream-like chapter in his tennis story. At Roland Garros, Muller played Jannik Sinner on Court Philippe-Chatrier. A month later, he faced eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court at Wimbledon. On Monday evening, Muller will try to stun 23-time major winner Novak Djokovic in the first round of the US Open inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I think the most important thing is that I need to enjoy the moment, because I don't know what's going to be my career,” Muller said. “But I'm going to play on centre court, night session, Arthur Ashe. I need to enjoy it, play my tennis, we'll see what happens.”

 

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A post shared by Alexandre Müller (@alex2mumu)

Muller has seen Djokovic around at tournaments, but has never spoken to him or trained with the Serbian. But the 26-year-old is very familiar with the three-time US Open champion’s game.

“I think if he doesn't want to miss the ball, he cannot miss. That's the thing. But yeah, he's the man who got the most titles at ATP [Masters] 1000s, Grand Slams,” Muller said. “For the moment he is the biggest player in tennis history if you watch the career. Everybody knows the game of Djokovic. He's very solid, returns amazing. Moving amazing. So a lot of amazing things. Difficult to say something bad about his game. But I will try my best.”

Just more than a decade ago, a doctor told Muller he needed to stop playing serious tennis. This year he is playing on some of the biggest stages in international sport against the best players on the ATP Tour.

On Saturday morning, he walked onto the court inside Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time for a practice session with countryman Arthur Fils. Soon when he makes the same walk for his match, 23,000 screaming fans will be watching.

“Life is crazy sometimes. I think it's very important because I received some messages from [some people] because in France a lot of people know that I have Crohn's disease and on this planet, on earth, there are a lot of people with this disease,” Muller said. “If I have something to tell everybody... trust yourself, and you can do some beautiful things, even with diseases or something like this. Just try to manage this and you will see beautiful things happen.”

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Murray Ready For US Open After Ab Strain

Thee-time major champion Andy Murray is set to make his 17th appearance at the US Open this week. The 36-year-old arrives at Flushing Meadows after suffering an abdominal strain that forced him to withdraw mid-tournament in Toronto. Murray, who will face Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the opening round, has seen positive signs in his health ahead of the season's final major.

“The radiologist from back home looked at my scans and checked them, I had a small tear, which is healing and the last five or six days of practice have been really good,” Murray said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I've not had any issues serving. It's just obviously been a bit [difficult], you don't just take a week off from serving and then go full into it, you need to build up a little bit so it's not been perfect in that sense, but my ab has been okay.”

The Scot has played some of his best tennis at the majors this year. In Melbourne, Murray won two epic five-setters in his opening two matches against 13th seed Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis. At Wimbledon, he was up two-sets-to-one on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas before the Greek mounted a comeback.

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Despite competing with a metal hip, the 46-time tour-level titlist Murray is motivated to keep playing against the world's best.

“Some people probably stop and feel like they've had enough whether that's through performance or whether it is through their body hurting and aching and then maybe after an extended period of time away from the sport, they start to miss it again,” Murray said. “Maybe mentally some players just feel like they need a break away from the sport and then to refresh and maybe get another shot. Some people [stop because of] injury.

“I think everyone’s case is a bit different. For me, I came back to play because I felt like I still had more to give but also because physically, I was able to compete at the highest level. That’s why I’m still playing.”

Murray took no consolation from the Wimbledon defeat to then-World No. 5 Tsitsipas, labelling the loss as ‘very disappointing’. He revealed on Saturday that after that heartbreak at the All England Club, he went back to the drawing board and found ways he could still improve.

“I went away on holiday straight afterwards, went away for like six days and then after matches, especially Wimbledon or at majors, when everything is a greater disappointment and greater emotions at any time of the year… I [spoke] with my team about things that I really feel like I need to make a change to certain shots in my game if I wanted to win more of those matches and dictate more of those matches,” Murray said.

“My feeling was I wanted to put in some work technically to allow me to play the way that I want to and the way that my team wants me to.”

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17-Year-Old Mensik To Make Major Main-Draw Debut At US Open

Jakub Mensik continued his breakthrough season Saturday when he qualified for his first major main draw at the US Open. The 17-year-old relied on a rock-solid serving performance, firing 11 aces and winning 84 per cent of points behind his first delivery to down countryman Zdenek Kolar 7-5, 6-4.

Turning 18 on 1 September, Mensik is the second-youngest player in the US Open main draw, behind American Learner Tien. The Czech, who will meet Frenchman Gregoire Barrere in the opening round, ousted tour veteran Fabio Fognini in the first round of qualifying before defeating #NextGenATP Swiss Leandro Riedi and Kolar to advance.

In May, Mensik won the ATP Challenger Tour event in Prague, where he became the youngest Czech Challenger champion in history (since 1978). The 2022 Australian Open boys’ singles finalist was ranked outside the Top 800 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings last August and has since risen to No. 191.

Three Americans also advanced through qualifying Saturday, with New York native Nicolas Moreno De Alboran leading the way by saving two match points to survive Belgian Joris De Loore 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(12). Despite trailing 0/5 in the deciding-set tie-break, the 25th seed mounted a comeback to make his major main-draw debut. Zachary Svajda cruised past Marc Polmans 6-2, 6-1. Emilio Nava led Eliot Spizzirri 6-3, 3-6, 3-1 before his countryman retired.

What a moment!

New York native Nicolas Moreno de Alboran earns a spot in the main draw with a thrilling three-set win! pic.twitter.com/CgZdkt7coz

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2023

Frenchmen Hugo Gaston and Titouan Droguet secured main-draw spots. The sixth seed Gaston rallied past Slovakian Lukas Klein 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Droguet defeated Belgian Kimmer Coppejans 6-1, 1-6, 7-5. Later in the day, Italian Stefano Travaglia ended a possible French trifecta by battling past #NextGenATP Arthur Cazaux 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-1 in three hours, two minutes.

Eighth seed Borna Gojo defeated Czech Tomas Machac 7-6(5), 6-2. Japanese Sho Shimabukuro escaped 10th seed Liam Broady 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

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US Open star Dan Evans 'drank a lot' and played golf with Alcaraz after Wimbledon exit

Dan Evans has revealed how he got over his poor form and Wimbledon exit before triumphing in Washington ahead of the US Open.

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Andy Murray fires accusation at Grand Slams ahead of US Open - 'It's clearly wrong'

Andy Murray made his feelings clear after drama at Wimbledon this year

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Lammons/Withrow Complete Home Hat-trick With Winston-Salem Crown

A U.S. summer of success continued for Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow on Saturday at the Winston-Salem Open.

The American duo downed second seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Neal Skupski 6-3, 6-4 in the final at the hard-court ATP 250 for their third tour-level title as a team, all of which have come in the past six weeks on American soil.

“I think our U.S. summer has been pretty great so far, taking our third title,” said Withrow. “I think even coming here, where we hadn’t had the best results before, kind of getting on top of that and just trying to trust our stuff and playing well in Winston is a confidence builder for us [heading into the US Open].”

Having triumphed back-to-back in Newport and Atlanta in July, Lammons and Withrow did not drop a set en route to the trophy in Winston-Salem, where they also defeated top seeds Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury in the first round and third seeds Hugo Nys/Jan Zielinski in the semi-finals.

“Tennis is a sport where we spend at least half of our year in other countries, so it’s always cool to be back home,” said Lammons. “The crowd really gets behind us, it’s fun to play with that atmosphere and we feel like we’re playing for more than just ourselves. It’s a lot more fun, and I think that’s a big reason why we’ve been successful.”

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Saturday’s victory against British duo Glasspool and Skupski was based on a rock-solid serving performance. Lammons and Withrow did not face a break point in their 63-minute triumph as they won 89 per cent (31/35) of points behind their first delivery.

In contrast, it was a lapse on serve that cost Glasspool and Skupski dearly at the business end of the first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the teams. Two double faults from Glasspool helped Lammons and Withrow break for 5-4, and the Americans made no mistake in serving out to improve to 3-3 in tour-level championship matches in 2023.

Another successful week in their homeland sees Lammons and Withrow continue their mid-year charge towards the qualification spots for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. The duo, which is now 37-20 for the year, remains 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings but is just 265 points shy of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in seventh.

“The start of this year, I think we saw what [Lloyd] Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara had done last year," said Lammons. "We kind of used them as a reference point for us. We thought, ‘Let’s just have a really consistent year and hopefully we make the year-end finals’. That was our goal going into it. It was just about stacking results, and I feel like we’ve been doing that.”

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US Open 2023 men's power rankings: Does Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic take No. 1

The best tennis players in the world are set to hit the hard courts of New York for the 2023 US Open, and Daily Express Sports US takes a stab at who has the best shot of glory in Flushing Meadows.

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Novak Djokovic rules out revenge against Americans or Carlos Alcaraz as US Open motivation

Novak Djokovic could not be blamed for having an axe or two to grind at the US Open.

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Djokovic On Alcaraz: ‘He’s Always Pushing Me To The Limit’

Novak Djokovic explained on Friday before beginning his chase for a fourth US Open title that World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is bringing the best out of him.

The pair clashed on Sunday in the Western & Southern Open final and the Serbian needed three hours and 49 minutes to emerge with his record-extending 39th ATP Masters 1000 trophy.

“He's always pushing me to the limit. I think I do to him pretty much the same thing. That's why we produced memorable final. It was one of the best, most exciting, and most difficult finals I was ever part of in best-of-three, no doubt, throughout my career,” Djokovic said. “That's why I fell on the ground after I won the match because it felt like winning a Grand Slam, to be honest. The amount of exchanges and rallies. It was physically so demanding and grueling that I felt very exhausted for the next few days.”

Late in the first set and early in the second set of the epic Cincinnati final, Djokovic appeared to be struggling physically. But the 36-year-old embraced the battle, saved a championship point in the second-set tie-break and found his best tennis from there.

“I love competition. I think the more you find yourself in those particular circumstances where you're experiencing adversity on the court, where things are not maybe moving the right way for you in terms of the performance of that day, in terms of tennis, or mentally you're not feeling your best, that's normally the best possible opportunity for you to grow mentally from that, to learn something,” Djokovic said. “Normally in the face of adversity is where you learn the most.”

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Now Djokovic is back in New York for the first time since 2021. That year, he won the first three majors of the season, but fell one match short of becoming the first man to win all four majors in a year since Rod Laver in 1969.

“The first feeling that I have is excitement to come back because it is the biggest arena we have in our sport, the biggest stadium, and definitely the most fun, electric, exciting atmosphere out there in tennis, playing night session in Arthur Ashe, no doubt,” Djokovic said. “I'm very excited that I'll be able to play the opening night on Monday. Come back in front of probably the loudest fans in sport, tennis fans in sport.

“I’m just very, very [much] looking forward to that. It's been two years when I played last here and lost finals to Medvedev in '21, going for four Slams in a year. I haven't performed well that day in terms of tennis. But what I felt from the crowd, that kind of connection and love and support that they gave me throughout entire match and also in the closing ceremony, was something that I carry still in my heart, and I still feel vibes from that night of the finals two years ago.”

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The last major Djokovic played, he suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. He is keen to bounce back and claim a record-extending 24th Slam crown.

“Grand Slams are the biggest goals that I have in my career at the moment. I always speak about that, that I aim to peak and perform my best in Grand Slams,” Djokovic said. “I don't know how many more Slams I'll have. I'll still keep going. I don't have an end in my mind at the moment. I also understand that things are different when you're 36, so I have to be more appreciative, a bit more I guess present, treating every Grand Slam as maybe your last one in terms of commitment and performance.

“I see every Grand Slam that I play right now as really a golden opportunity to make more history. Of course, there's a big significance to that.”

Djokovic is the second seed in New York, where all eyes will be on him as he continues to chase history. Although he rarely shows it, the 95-time tour-level titlist admitted he gets “nervous as anybody else really”.

“People think that I don't have any stress or tension. Actually in contrary, I have quite a lot of that. I have to deal with it, manage it,” Djokovic said. “Everyone has their own way of managing the emotions and trying to be in optimal balance emotionally, mentally, and physically in order to perform their best.”

Djokovic will need to reach the final to have a chance to play Alcaraz again this fortnight. Is the Serbian thinking ahead to that potential matchup?

“Carlos is No. 1 in the world. He's definitely one of the best players in the world the last couple years. Sure, there's always an eye that follows him from my team, from any other team. I know that the same goes for me probably. We follow each other,” Djokovic said. “I'm sure his team watches my matches. My team watches his matches. It's no secret. But seriously working on a practice court on something that is related to Alcaraz, it only happens if I get to play him.”

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Can Daniil Play Disruptor At US Open?

While tennis fans may be looking ahead to a potential Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic final at the US Open, World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev is looking to play the role of disruptor this fortnight.

Medvedev has enjoyed the Alcaraz-Djokovic budding rivalry like anyone else, but with much of the attention on the top seed and the 23-time major champion, the 27-year-old could crash the party.

“I think that's normal we talk about them. I do think we still talk about me,” Medvedev said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I'm not feeling too bad, but I'm going to try. The goal is after this US Open, that we talk about me, so I'm going to try to do it. I just try to win. That's the most important. But unconsciously, I feel like many times I was playing good in this role. Hopefully it can help me these two weeks.

“I think it's great for tennis that we have these two guys playing against each other right now. As I say, it's a great story, but then the tournament starts and hopefully we can — when I say 'we’ [I mean] me personally or someone else — we're going to try to beat them and stop them from playing each other.”

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The third seed Medvedev enters the season’s final major boasting a 49-11 match record this year. A highlight of his season came in February and March, when Medvedev won 19 consecutive matches and collected three straight titles: Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai.

Aiming for his sixth trophy of the season and first major title since his triumph in New York two years ago, Medvedev is still finding ways to improve his game.

“Definitely the serve, trying to work on it right now. Serve is a tough shot because it's such fine margins sometimes,” Medvedev said. “It's probably the most important shot in tennis because in general, serve can save you many times. You can play not the best match, but serve can save you. You go to the tie-break, then you start playing better. Happened to me many times.

“Everyone went through this stage and sometimes it's in one week and sometimes it's in one month where you serve just a little bit worse. In general, I know I can serve very well. Usually, the US Open for whatever reason I was serving even better than I usually do. Hopefully this can help me.”

The 20-time tour-level titlist will open against Hungarian Attila Balazs and is seeded to meet long-time friend Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. A potential meeting with Wimbledon champion Alcaraz lies in the semi-finals, but Medvedev enters the American Slam with his full attention on one match at a time.

“I'm feeling good right now. Hopefully I can feel like this during the tournament also,” Medvedev said. “How do you cope with this? You try with your team to do the best schedule possible in terms of days off, practices, what you do in your off time. I feel like I'm pretty experienced in this so hopefully I can be 100 per cent starting from the first match.”

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Caroline Wozniacki lifts lid on Serena Williams chat ahead of US Open return

The former World No.1 had a conversation which changed everything.

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Andy Murray defying team's expectations with 'outrageous' preparation ahead of US Open

Andy Murray is hoping for a deep run at the US Open after he narrowly missed out on being seeded.

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Alcaraz Warns The Field: 'I'm A Better Player Than A Year Ago'

Last year, Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed his breakthrough moment at the US Open. The Spaniard captured his maiden major title and rose to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.

Twelve months on and the defending champion returns to New York, chasing his third Slam title. The top seed fired a warning to the rest of the field ahead of his opening match against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer.

“I feel that I'm more mature on court. I feel that I'm a better player than I was a year ago,” Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I got my first Grand Slam last year, but I feel like I'm more mature and I'm better.”

[BREAK POINT]

Alcaraz’s 53-6 record this season backs up his statement, with the 20-year-old clinching a Tour-leading six titles. The World No. 1 has demonstrated his ability to deal with pressure in 2023, clawing past Novak Djokovic in five sets to win Wimbledon in July.

As defending champion, Alcaraz is ready to deal with raised expectations again.

“I try to do exactly the same thing that I did last year, trying to practise the same way that I'm going to play, and focus on that. I'm not focus on the defending champion, the points, whatever,” Alcaraz said. “I'm just focused on showing my best level, trying to improve in every practice, and let's see how it is going to be in the tournament.”

Alcaraz is seeded to meet sixth seed Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals in what would be a rematch of their epic clash at last year’s event. The Spaniard, who is also in the same half of the draw as 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, is likely to have NBA star Jimmy Butler in support. Alcaraz and Butler have developed a close friendship since they first met a year ago.

“I started to know him one year ago, to have a close relationship that is pretty good,” Alcaraz said. “He's a really huge fan of tennis. He trying to play. I think it's great for tennis to have Jimmy coming to tournaments and supporting us. It's great. Talking about me having him supporting me, a great athlete, NBA star, so it's for me almost crazy to have a good relationship with someone like Jimmy.”

The 20-year-old arrives in New York as the World No. 1, but is unlikely to leave the event on top spot. If Djokovic, who beat Alcaraz in an epic Cincinnati final, wins his opening match, he will gain 20 points and guarantee his return to No. 1 on Monday 11 September. The Serbian is not defending any points, having not played last year's event. The Spaniard is defending 2000 points.

Alcaraz, who did not win either of the ATP Masters 1000 events in Toronto or Cincinnati this month, is aiming to become the first man to successfully defend their US Open title since Roger Federer in 2008.

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Delayed, But Not Defeated, Top Seed Coric Marches On

Top seed Borna Coric advanced to his third semi-final of the year after waiting out a four-hour thunderstorm delay before taking the court against 21-year-old Juan Manuel Cerundolo Thursday night in Winston-Salem.

The storm, initially with heavy rain and later with thunder and lightning, pushed back the start of the night session to around 10.30 pm, leaving officials with no option but to play the two remaining quarter-finals concurrently on Stadium and Court 2.

Coric claimed an early break in the first set against the left-handed World No. 100, who had just three tour-level wins this season coming into the tournament, and pushed on to a 6-3, 6-1 victory.

The Croatian is chasing his fourth career title and first since he claimed the biggest title of his career just over a year ago at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.

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In Friday’s Saturday night semi-final, Coric faces a first-time Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Argentine Sebastian Baez, who is on the cusp of his second consecutive final after defeating Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-0.

Making his first appearance since winning the Kitzbuehel title on clay, the sixth seed came up clutch in the first set, rallying from 0/40 in the opening game of the match and ultimately saving all five break points he faced in the set.

Baez, who is up to No. 35 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race, is chasing his fourth career title.

Coric and Baez will also play in the first round of the US Open.

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Lammons/Withrow Reach Winston-Salem SFs

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow continued their Winston-Salem Open run on Thursday when they booked their ticket to the semi-finals.

After ousting top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the opening round, the Americans cruised past Simone Bolelli and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-2 in just 64 minutes. Lammons and Withrow, who are aiming for their third tour-level title of the season (Newport, Atlanta), will next clash against third seeds Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski.

Second seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Neal Skupski also advanced to the last four Thursday after they saved a match point to down Australians Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith 7-5, 4-6, 11-9. The British duo won three straight points from 8-9 in the Match Tie-break to set a meeting against Marcelo Demoliner and Matwe Middelkoop or Romain Arneodo and Ariel Behar.

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#NextGenATP Stricker, Shang One Win From US Open Main Draw

#NextGenATP lefties Dominic Stricker and Shang Juncheng secured US Open qualifying wins Thursday to move one step closer towards making their maiden main-draw appearance at the season's final major.

The Swiss Stricker survived fellow #NextGenATP star Pablo Llamas Ruiz 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(13-11) in a dramatic two hours, 41 minutes. Stricker and the Spaniard were locked at 9/9 in the Match Tie-break when rain stopped play for nearly three hours.

When players returned to court, the 22nd seed Stricker put the finishing touches on the victory, converting his third match point, to set a meeting with Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante, who ousted American Brandon Holt 7-6(4), 6-3.

[ATP APP]

Shang, 18, downed home hope Patrick Kypson 6-4, 7-6(2) after winning 81 per cent of his first-serve points to set a meeting with 28th seed Finn Otto Virtanen. 

The 21-year-old Stricker is 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Race to Jeddah, while Shang is 17th. This year's Next Gen ATP Finals, which hosts the season's best 21-and-under players, will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Stricker is aiming for a second consecutive appearance at the event. The Chinese star Shang is seeking his maiden qualification.

In other action Thursday at Flushing Meadows, Chinese Taipei's Yu Hsiou Hsu escaped 20th seed Benoit Paire 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Third seed Federico Coria cruised past American Martin Damm 6-3, 6-2. Fourth seed Taro Daniel defeated South Korean Seongchan Hong 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.

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Korda Saves M.P., Edges Gasquet In Winston-Salem

Is this the week Sebastian Korda captures his second tour-level title?

The American saved one match point against Frenchman Richard Gasquet at the Winston-Salem Open on Thursday, advancing 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(7) to reach the semi-finals at the ATP 250 event.

Korda, who captured his only tour-level trophy in Parma in 2021, recovered from failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third set. He struck two double faults in the game, but responded in the decisive tie-break, saving one match point at 6/7 before converting on his third opportunity to advance after two hours and 31 minutes.

"It was hot today. I just have to trust a little bit in all the work I've put in," Korda said in his on-court interview. "A lot of thanks to [the fans] for sticking by me in keeping me pumped up and ready to go."

[ATP APP]

The 23-year-old, currently No. 30 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, now leads Gasquet 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Korda will next play Jiri Lehecka or Max Purcell in the last four. Earlier this season, the third seed advanced to the title match in Auckland, where he held a championship point against Novak Djokovic before losing. He also enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at The Queen’s Club in London.

The 37-year-old Gasquet was aiming to reach his second semi-final of the season after winning the title in Auckland in January.

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US Open star snubs handshake with Eugenie Bouchard after rival's unprovoked dig

Sportsmanship was off the cards after their ugly exchange on social media.

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Peniston, Ambassador For Young Lives Vs. Cancer: 'I Want To Inspire Kids'

When Ryan Peniston was one, he faced an immense challenge for which no family wishes.

The Briton was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer found in children, forcing him to have surgery to remove a tumour before undergoing an extensive period of chemotherapy in London. Now the 27-year-old Peniston, who has been cancer-free since his toddler years, wants to impact families who are walking that same difficult path.

Since last summer, Peniston has been an ambassador for the charity organisation Young Lives vs. Cancer.

[ATP APP]

“They help kids and their families that are going through cancer and all the troubles that it brings, the costs, the hardships,” Peniston said. “They do some great work and I'm just happy to be a part of it and to try and spread awareness and help in any way.

“It's hugely important to me, mainly because of my history, I had cancer myself as a young child. So I definitely relate to what the families are going through and what the kids are going through. I want to try and inspire the kids if I can and just help show them that it's possible to get better and still live out your dreams.”

On a much smaller scale than battling cancer, Peniston recently enjoyed a significant milestone on court. The Essex native captured his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title last week at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger presented by MBuilds, where he defeated #NextGenATP Swiss Leandro Riedi in the championship match.

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Despite falling short in his previous three Challenger finals, Peniston stayed focussed in a deciding set against Riedi to lift the trophy.

“It's an amazing feeling. It’s something I've worked towards for a while now,” Peniston said. “And to come away with the title feels great.

“It came into my head that I've made three finals before and I obviously didn't want to lose another final. And then you think about, ‘What if I never win one?’ But I managed to keep thinking positive, keep talking positive to myself, and I managed to get over the line in the end.”

At World No. 208 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the former University of Memphis standout will next look to maintain his form at the Cassis Challenger, which runs from 4-10 September.

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Cressy Advances In US Open Qualifying

Maxime Cressy wasted no time Wednesday to reach the second round of US Open qualifying, needing 69 minutes to dispatch Czech Vit Kopriva 6-3, 6-3.

The 26-year-old American dropped just six points behind his hefty serve to move one step closer to his fourth main-draw appearance in Flushing Meadows, where he will next face Belgian Joris De Loore, who defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-4.

#NextGenATP stars Jakub Mensik, Arthur Cazaux and Leandro Riedi also earned victories Wednesday. The 17-year-old Mensik overcame a slow start and struck 10 aces to oust former World No. 7 Fabio Fognini 1-6, 6-1, 6-1. 17th seed Cazaux cruised past Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-3 and the Swiss Riedi survived 13th seed Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.

[ATP APP]

Canadian Vasek Pospisil played the longest men's qualifying match of the day, needing three hours, 29 minutes to move past 26th seed Pedro Martinez 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 6-4.

John Millman, who was a US Open quarter-finalist in 2018, defeated Alejandro Tabilo 6-4, 7-5. Dennis Novak upset fifth seed David Goffin 7-6(5), 6-3. In an all-American battle, Tennys Sandgren downed Denis Kudla 7-6(6), 6-4.

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Novak Djokovic told why he'll never be 'loved' by tennis fans ahead of US Open

For many fans, the rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will always define the recent generation of men's tennis despite Novak Djokovic tallying the most major titles in history.

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John Isner Announces He Will Retire After US Open

John Isner on Wednesday evening announced on social media that the US Open will be his final tournament. The American’s 17th consecutive appearance in his home major will be his last.

"There comes a time in every athlete's career that they have to decide to hang it up. For me, that time is now," Isner posted on Instagram. "I didn't come [to] this decision lightly, but I feel it is the right way to go. When I left the University of Georgia in 2007, there was no way I could have imagined playing 17 years on the ATP Tour.

"Of course, there are countless matches I wish I could have back, but I am proud of what I was able to accomplish. The journey was nothing short of incredible."

 

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The 38-year-old at Flushing Meadows will draw to a close his illustrious career, during which he has won 16 ATP Tour titles, won 488 tour-level matches and competed in the Nitto ATP Finals (in 2018).

Isner will leave behind a legacy as one of the greatest servers in the history of the sport. According to Infosys ATP Stats, he holds the record for most career aces with 14,411. No other player has hit the 14,000-ace mark and only five have reached 10,000 aces.

The American finished inside the Top 20 of the year-end Pepperstone ATP Rankings for 10 consecutive years from 2010-19 and was the year-end No. 1 American eight times (2012-16 and 2018-20). He reached a career-high World No. 8 in July 2018 after making his first major semi-final at Wimbledon.

Isner became the oldest first-time ATP Masters 1000 singles champion as a 32-year-old when he emerged victorious in Miami in 2018. He also has won five Masters 1000 doubles titles. The 38-year-old has also earned at least one victory against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.

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