Alexander Zverev's lawyers release statement as tennis star issued fine for 'bodily harm'

Alexander Zverev lodged an objection after receiving a penalty order of bodily harm. The German tennis player denied the charge.

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WTA blasted for 'disrespectful' Finals conditions as players band together with demands

The WTA has come under fire for the conditions at this week's season-ending Finals in Cancun.

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The Food Thiem Says Is 'Almost Magic'

Dominic Thiem views food as more than just a meal, the Austrian explained in the latest edition of ATP Uncovered’s What I Eat series.

“Food is obviously something very important. It’s like which fuel you put in the car,” Thiem said. “It’s the same with the food and your body. It’s so important. It gets you going or it can also slow you down.”

[SWEEPSTAKES]

When the former World No. 3 was younger, he “didn’t care so much” about what he ate. But his mindset regarding nutrition has changed.

“The past five to 10 years, I got more and more aware of it,” Thiem said. “And now I try to eat healthy, to eat conscious and to have a good relationship with food.”

In the feature, Thiem discussed what he likes to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as how things change before and after matches. The 30-year-old says one food in particular is “almost magic”.

Wonder which? Find out by watching the full ATP Uncovered feature below.

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Fritz Keeps Alive Turin Hopes With Opening Win In Paris

Taylor Fritz delivered a clinical display to keep alive his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes on Monday at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The ninth-seeded American wrapped a 6-1, 6-4 first-round triumph against Sebastian Baez at the ATP Masters 1000 event in the French capital. Fritz converted all three break points he earned to improve to 54-23 for the season and set a second-round meeting with #NextGenATP home favourite Arthur Fils or Daniel Altmaier.

“I’m pretty happy, especially with how the match started in the first set,” said Fritz, whose best Paris result is a quarter-final run in 2021. “I got an early break of serve in the second and luckily I was just able to hold on serve and finish it up.”

Moving on 👏@Taylor_Fritz97 knocks out Baez 6-1 6-4 to advance to R2 in Paris!
@RolexPMasters | #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/oqGBDp0kaf

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 30, 2023

However, it was not all plain sailing on Monday for Fritz, who received treatment from the physio mid-way through the second set on his left abdomen. The 25-year-old spoke candidly after the match about the issue and he will hope it is nothing too serious as he next looks to move past Fils or Altmaier to set a potential third-round showdown with his Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin rival Holger Rune.

“It’s something that’s been bothering me for a little bit... I didn’t think it was anything too bad going in [to this match], but one where I slid out and sliced that forehand, I felt like I did something that I had never done to it before," said Fritz. "Like maybe I tore something or pulled it. So I’m going to have to get it checked out and see what’s going on.”

With Monday’s win, Fritz moved above Hubert Hurkacz into ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He is currently 190 points behind the defending Paris champion Rune as he chases a second straight appearance at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

[SWEEPSTAKES]

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Novak Djokovic hilariously fools well-known YouTuber by pretending to be AC Milan player

Tennis icon and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic convinced a YouTuber he played for AC Milan after making an appearance at the Ballon d'Or.

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Carlos Alcaraz explains surprise Novak Djokovic Paris link-up after private chat

Carlos Alcaraz found an unlikely practice partner in his great rival Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Paris Masters.

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Rune Seeking 'Best Version Of Myself' In Paris Title Defense

A topsy-turvy year has Holger Rune hungry for a strong finish to the season.

In the first half of 2023, Rune saved four championship points to triumph in Munich, sandwiched in between final appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo and Rome. But following his Wimbledon quarter-final run, the World No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings has won just four of his past 12 matches.

Perhaps there is no better place to find his best form than at this week’s Rolex Paris Masters, where he is aiming to defend the title.

[SWEEPSTAKES]

“It's a good fight. It's the last push of the season,” Rune told the ATP Podcast in Paris. “I'm really ready to give it my all and then prepare for the next one.”

One change Rune has made is hiring a new coach, six-time major champion Boris Becker. In their first tournament together last week in Basel, Rune made the semi-finals before falling to eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime.

“It's been great working so far with Boris, what we're working on is what you see on the court,” Rune said. “There were a few adjustments that we made to be able to come back on track a little bit more. And I think that I was willing to do those small changes. I played some better tennis [in Basel] and I was fighting very well. Obviously didn't find my best level still, but I'm definitely building up more.”

Boasting a 41-21 season record, the 20-year-old Dane believes this coaching change will bring positive results.

“[I think] the more peace and quietness there is around a tennis player or an athlete, the better they can perform and if it's less, the more tough it is to keep the focus,” Rune said. “It was definitely tough for me to be the best version of myself and that's not good for any athlete.”

The sixth seed Rune is guaranteed to play a former major champion in his Paris opener as he awaits the winner of Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem. Sitting at eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, Rune needs a strong week in France to hold off a list of players such as Hubert Hurkacz, Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud, who all are battling for the critical eighth position in the Nitto ATP Finals. 

Should Rune qualify for Turin, the four-time tour-level titlist would make his Nitto ATP Finals debut. Last year, Rune was the first alternate at the prestigious year-end event.

“Last year, it would have been great to make it, but I didn't expect to make it at all. Before the last three tournaments, I was not even near so it was a big push that I made,” Rune said. “Then all of a sudden, it was possible to make it. But during this tournament, I also didn't think about it because I played Top 10 guys every match.

“It just kind of happened and I'm trying to do the same now, don't try or anything to seek that, but just do everything I can on the court and at the end hope to make it.”

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Can Rune's Paris Magic Help Him Earn Spot In Turin?

One year ago, Holger Rune won the biggest title of his career at the Rolex Paris Masters. This year in Paris, he will try to secure his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Rune enters the season’s final ATP Masters 1000 in the final qualifying position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. The 20-year-old leads ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz by 215 points with two weeks to go in the regular season.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin (29 October)

Player	Points
6) Stefanos Tsitsipas	3,875
7) Alexander Zverev	3,460
8) Holger Rune	3,280
9) Hubert Hurkacz	3,065
10) Taylor Fritz	3,055
11) Casper Ruud	2,815
12) Tommy Paul	2,620

Hurkacz had a golden opportunity to close the gap to just 15 points on Sunday in the Basel final, but the Pole lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in two tie-breaks. The 2021 Turin competitor now has ground to make up if he is to move into a qualifying position.

There are several intriguing sections in the Paris draw that could lead to matches with significant Live Race consequences. One example is that Rune could play 10th-placed Taylor Fritz in the third round.

The American, who made the semi-finals at last year’s Nitto ATP Finals, is 225 points behind Rune. A third-round win against the defending champion would not propel him past the Dane, but it would limit Rune to just 90 points for the week and give him an opportunity to make up significant ground with a deep run. However, if they play in the third round and Fritz loses, he would be eliminated from Turin contention.

[ATP APP]

Another consequential third-round matchup could pit Hurkacz against 2022 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up Casper Ruud. Both former season finale competitors are currently on the outside looking in.

The two players next in line to qualify are sixth-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas and seventh-placed Alexander Zverev, who lead Rune by 595 points and 180 points, respectively. Tsitsipas is trying to qualify for the fifth consecutive year and Zverev for the sixth time.

They could also meet in the third round in Paris. If they meet and Zverev loses, that could put the German under pressure from players trying to move into a qualifying position.

Five singles players have earned their spot in Turin: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev. The Top 8 players in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin after the final week of the regular season, on 11 November, will qualify for the year-end championships.

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Alcaraz & Djokovic Practise Together In Paris

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are locked in a tight battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honours, but that did not stop them from practising together on Sunday.

The top two seeds at the Rolex Paris Masters enjoyed a training session before the start of the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. The top-seeded Djokovic, a six-time champion at Bercy, will open his tournament against doubles partner Miomir Kecmanovic or Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Alcaraz, the second seed, will try to make a good start against home favourite Alexandre Muller or Roman Safiullin. He is pursuing his seventh trophy of the season.

Djokovic currently owns a 500-point lead over Alcaraz in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer for the year-end World No. 1 battle. But with 1,000 points up for grabs in Paris and the Nitto ATP Finals still to come, the battle is very much alive.

One year ago, Alcaraz became the youngest year-end World No. 1 in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history. Djokovic is trying to earn the honour for a record-extending eighth time.

Watch Djokovic & Alcaraz Practise (courtesy TennisTV):

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Ram/Salisbury Win Vienna Crown

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury clinched their third tour-level title of the season on Sunday at the Erste Bank Open, where they clawed past Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-4, 5-7, 12-10 at the ATP 500 event.

The American-British team won 82 per cent (37/45) of their first-serve points and came through a tight Match Tie-break, converting on their fourth match point to triumph after one hour and 33 minutes.

Ram and Salisbury have now clinched 12 tour-level trophies as a team, having also won titles in Lyon and at the US Open this year.

"We felt like we were doing all the right things and had to keep going," Ram said. "If they beat us when we were feeling like that then it would have been too good. They are a really tough team, serve so well. We had to have the confidence we would at least give ourselves a chance and we did."

[ATP APP]

Ram and Salisbury have also qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals following their Vienna run. They will make their fifth appearance together at the prestigious year-end event in November, having won the trophy in Turin in 2022.

"It is amazing," Salisbury said on the win. "Titles don't come around too often. This is a pretty big one and amazing to come back. We won here five years ago so to come back and win is big."

Lammons and Withrow are currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. The Americans, who have won four trophies together in 2023, are aiming to make their debuts at the Nitto ATP Finals but due to the Grand Slam champion's rule, to make it to Turin, Lammons and Withrow will need to finish seventh in the Race. Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler are currently 17th and will qualify if they remain in the Top 20 after winning the Australian Open.

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Scouting Report: Djokovic, Alcaraz Lead Paris Field; Final 3 Turin Spots On The Line

The Rolex Paris Masters provides another chance for the world's best to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, with the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin set to continue at the indoor hard-court event.

Five Turin places have been claimed by Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev — all of whom are set to compete in Paris. The final three qualifying spots are currently occupied by Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune, though they will be pressured by the likes of Taylor Fritz, Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud at the season's final ATP Masters 1000.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch in Paris.

[ATP APP]

1) Djokovic Returns, Still No. 1: Djokovic will make his first competitive appearance since he quickly followed his US Open triumph with a Davis Cup win for Serbia. The tournament-record six-time Paris champion enters this year's event on a 13-match winning streak dating back to his Cincinnati title run. That stretch of success has earned him a 500-point lead ahead of Alcaraz for first place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer for the year-end No. 1 battle.

2) Alcaraz On The Mend: Alcaraz pulled out of Basel with problems in his left foot and lower back, but has confirmed his plans to play in both Paris and Turin. The Spaniard leads the ATP Tour with six titles this season, including ATP Masters 1000 crowns in Indian Wells and Madrid, but he has not lifted a trophy since he beat Djokovic in their epic Wimbledon final in July.

3) Defending Champ Rune Clings To Final Qualifying Spot: Holger Rune surged into the Top 10 for the first time behind his maiden Masters 1000 title last year in Paris, but the Dane narrowly missed out on a Nitto ATP Finals debut. He is within touching distance of Turin this year, but must hang on to his eighth-place position in order to get there. Last year in Paris, Rune beat five Top 10 players in a row to claim the title, including a three-set final victory against Djokovic.

4) Medvedev Seeks Another Deep Run: Medvedev took a week off from practice following his early Shanghai exit, during which time he celebrated his daughter's birthday, and he came back refreshed for a deep run in Vienna. He has now reached at least the final in three of his past four events dating back to his runner-up finish at the US Open.

5) Tsitsipas Rounding Into Form: Tsitsipas endured a difficult stretch after he won the Los Cabos title in early August, but he notched multiple wins in both Antwerp and Vienna to signal a warning to his ATP Tour colleagues. The Greek reached the Paris semis last season and was edged out by Djokovic in a final-set tie-break. He will hope to rediscover that form to close the season on a high. 

6) 'Contender' Zverev Seeks To Cap Comeback Season With Turin Bid: The German once again feels he is a threat to win every tournament he enters, and he's already claimed two tour-level titles this season in Hamburg and Chengdu. Seventeen months removed from a major ankle injury suffered last year at Roland Garros, Zverev is in prime position at seventh place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and can assure himself of a place at the Nitto ATP Finals with another strong showing in Paris.

7) Fritz, Hurkacz, Ruud Lead Chasing Pack: Ruud reached the final last year in Turin, while Fritz made the semis on his debut. Both are in danger of missing out on the Nitto ATP Finals this season but could boost hopes with deep runs in Paris. Hurkacz, whose Shanghai title put him firmly in the hunt for a place at the season finale, will likely need a similar result in Paris to secure his second appearance in Turin.

8) Can Shelton Go Bigger?: American Ben Shelton won the first ATP Tour title of his career earlier in October at the ATP 500 in Tokyo. Could he score an even bigger trophy at an ATP Masters 1000? Shelton owns an 8-9 record at that level in his young career, with his recent Shanghai quarter-final run his best result.

9) French Home Favourites: Adrian Mannarino, Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils are among eight Frenchmen in the Paris draw. Mannarino and Humber start against qualifiers, while #NextGenATP star Fils plays Daniel Altmaier. Richard Gasquet, Luca Van Assche, Benjamin Bonzi and Alexandre Muller have received wild cards.

10) Doubles Drama In Live Race: The final places at the Nitto ATP Finals are up for grabs in Paris. Reigning Paris champions Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski sit second in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and have already secured their Turin place.

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Paris Masters champion was branded 'baby' in spat with tennis icon before winning title

Holger Rune's run to the Paris Masters title got off to a tricky start when he was embroiled in a spat with Stan Wawrinka.

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Rising tennis star left rivals in awe after he beat Novak Djokovic 6-0 in Serbia

Andrey Rublev stunned his colleagues after reflecting on his victory over Novak Djokovic in the world No 1's home tournament.

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Turin-Chasing Lammons/Withrow Reach Vienna Final

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow kept alive their hopes for a maiden Nitto ATP Finals qualification Friday when they reached their ninth tour-level final of the season at the Erste Bank Open.

Eighth in Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, the Americans rallied past Frenchmen Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 4-6, 7-6(1), 10-7 after winning 80 per cent of their first-serve points throughout one-hour, 41-minute contest.

Lammons and Withrow have collected four team titles this season: Newport, Atlanta, Winston-Salem and Astana. They will next face second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury or third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer, who are 10th in the Race.

Ram and Salisbury advanced past wild cards Romain Arneodo and Sam Weissborn 6-3, 7-6(7) on Friday.

Nys/Zielinski Upset Top Seeds In Basel
Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski upset top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 in the Swiss Indoors Basel quarter-finals. Nys and Zielinski will next meet fourth seeds Jamie Murray and Michael Venus, who were finalists last week in Tokyo and are ninth in the Race.

In the bottom half of the draw, Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin will clash against Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the Basel last four.

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Andy Murray handed nightmare Paris Masters draw as Djokovic and Alcaraz discover fate

Andy Murray has been handed a difficult opponent at the Paris Masters as the draw also saw Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz find out their first opponents.

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Tennis fans send Rafael Nadal crystal clear message on retirement U-turn ahead of Aus Open

Rafael Nadal previously announced that 2024 could be his final year on the tennis tour.

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Rune Reaches Basel QFs On Huge Day For His Nitto ATP Finals Hopes

Thursday was a critical day in Holger Rune’s chase for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Not only did two players close to him in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin — ninth-placed Taylor Fritz and 11th-placed Casper Ruud — lose earlier in the day, but the eighth-placed Rune earned a solid win at the Swiss Indoors Basel. The top seed ousted Sebastian Baez, a winner of three ATP Tour titles this year, 7-6(2), 6-1 to reach the Basel quarter-finals.

“It was difficult in the first set. I think he was serving well. I was struggling a little bit to find the rhythm on the return,” Rune said in his on-court interview. “But I stayed there, I kept my focus on my own serve and managed to raise my level in the tie-break. And from there, I built some better tennis.”

[ATP APP]

Trailing by a set and a break in his opening match against Miomir Kecmanovic, the Dane was in danger of losing nine of 10 matches and missing an opportunity in the Live Race. But now the 20-year-old, who was an alternate last year in Turin, has a big chance to extend his 135-point lead over Fritz in the Live Race.

Rune will next play Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who needed more than three hours to defeat former World No. 1 Andy Murray on Wednesday. It will be the pair's first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“I have to prepare well, and hopefully another great match tomorrow,” Rune said.

Rune showed determination against the gritty baseliner Baez, with new coach Boris Becker watching closely from the front row. The four-time ATP Tour titlist saved the only break point he faced and after breaking serve for the first time early in the second set, he did not relent.

Rune won a higher rate of second-serve points (78%) than Baez did first-serve points (68%) and that proved critical. He is now 6-1 in Basel after reaching the final last year.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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United Cup 2024 Schedule Released

The schedule for the 2024 United Cup in Perth and Sydney has been released.

PERTH GROUP PLAY - RAC ARENA

Day	Time/Group	Teams
Fri. 29 Dec.	10am / A	Spain v WTA TBC
Fri. 29 Dec.	5pm / C	Great Britain v Australia
Sat. 30 Dec.	10am / E	Czech Rep. v China
Sat. 30 Dec.	5pm / A	Poland v WTA TBC
Sun. 31 Dec.	10am / C	USA v Great Britain
Sun. 31 Dec.	5pm / E	China v Serbia
Mon. 1 Jan.	10am / A	Poland v Spain
Mon. 1 Jan.	5pm / C	USA v Australia
Tue. 2 Jan.	10 am / E	Czech Rep. v Serbia

PERTH QUARTER-FINALS

Day	Time/Group	Teams
Wed. 3 Jan.	10am / QF 1	Group A winner v Best runner-up
Wed. 3 Jan	5pm / QF 2	Group C winner v Group E winner

SYDNEY GROUP PLAY - KEN ROSEWALL ARENA

Day	Time/Group	Teams
Fri. 29 Dec.	Day	No play
Fri. 29 Dec.	Night	No play
Sat. 30 Dec.	10.30am / F	Netherlands v Norway
Sat. 30 Dec.	5.30pm / D	Italy v Germany
Sun. 31 Dec.	10.30am /B	Canada v ATP TBC
Sun. 31 Dec.	Night	No play
Mon. 1 Jan.	10.30am / F	Croatia v Norway
Mon. 1 Jan.	5.30pm /D	France v Germany
Tue. 2 Jan.	10.30am / B	Greece v ATP TBC
Tue. 2 Jan.	5.30pm /F	Croatia v Netherlands
Tue. 3 Jan.	10.30 am / D	France v Italy
Tue. 3 Jan.	5.30pm / B	Greece v Canada

SYDNEY QUARTER-FINALS

Day	Time/Group	Teams
Thu. 4 Jan.	5.30pm / QF 3	Group D winner v Group F winner
Fri. 5 Jan	5.30pm / QF 4	Group B winner v Best runner-up

SYDNEY SEMI-FINALS

Day	Time/Group	Teams
Sat. 6 Jan.	10.30am / SF 1	QF 1 Winner v QF 3 winner
Sat. 6 Jan.	5.30pm / SF 2	QF 2 Winner v QF 4 winner

SYDNEY FINAL

Day	Time/Group	Teams
Sun. 7 Jan.	5.30 pm Final	SF winner 1 v SF winner 2

Note: Order of ATP/WTA matches will vary. Mixed doubles will always be the third match. Players subject to change.

View Groups At Official Website

Sporting Rivals To Clash On Day 1 Of United Cup

Australia will play Great Britain on the opening day of the 2024 United Cup, the innovative mixed team event beginning 29 December at RAC Arena in Perth.

World No.13 Alex de Minaur will line up alongside Ajla Tomljanovic, John Millman, Storm Hunter, Matt Ebden and Ellen Perez when they face the British team led by Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter.

The group stage will begin in Sydney on Saturday 30 December.

Each tie will comprise one men’s singles and one women’s singles match followed by one mixed doubles match.

Singles matches are best of three tiebreak sets. Mixed doubles matches are two tiebreak sets with a deciding match tiebreak (10 point) at one set-all.

In Perth, the day session will start at 10.00am and 5.00pm local time for the night session.

In Sydney, the day session will begin at 10.30am and 5.30pm for the second session.

Tickets to the group stage and quarterfinals go on sale 5.00pm local time today, Wednesday 25 October via UnitedCup.com/tickets.

Adult prices start from $40 and from $20 for children 3-12 years of age. Family passes (two adults and two children) start from $100.

Perth
Top seeds Poland featuring world No.2 Iga Swiatek and [11] Hubert Hurkacz will make their debut in Perth against a yet-to-be confirmed team on Saturday 30 December.

World No.1 Novak Djokovic and Team Serbia will take to the court on New Year’s Eve against China’s [18] Qinwen Zheng and Zhizhen Zhang.

Sydney
At Ken Rosewall Arena, [8] Casper Ruud’s Team Norway will face the Netherlands on Saturday 30 December followed by Team Germany - led by Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev - against Italy at night.

Canada, featuring Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez, will make their United Cup debut on Sunday 31 December.

No.2 seeds Greece with [7] Stefanos Tsitsipas and [9] Maria Sakkari will play their first tie in Sydney on Tuesday 2 January.

Showcasing equality at the highest level of the sport, the United Cup will feature 18 countries competing across Perth and Sydney from Friday 29 December to Sunday 7 January 2024.

An ATP-WTA event presented in partnership with Tennis Australia, the United Cup offers a minimum AUD $15 million in prize money and 500 Pepperstone ATP and 500 WTA Tour rankings points.

Each city will host three groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format.

Group winners in each city advance to the quarterfinals, with one quarterfinal spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city.

In Perth, the quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday 3 January and in Sydney, the quarterfinals will be played across Thursday 4 and Friday 5 January.

Winners will progress to the semifinals and finals at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 January.

Teams travelling from Perth to Sydney will have a travel day and rest day before their semifinal.

The final two remaining countries (one WTA and one ATP) will be admitted to the competition on Monday 20 November, based on the rankings published on this date.

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Stan Wawrinka gives heartbreaking interview with Swiss star's career hanging by thread

Stan Wawrinka has opened up on his battle to climb the world rankings after foot surgery.

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Dodig/Krajicek Reach R2 In Basel

Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek bounced back from a disappointing first-round exit in Shanghai on Tuesday when they beat Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sebastian Korda 6-2, 6-4 at the Swiss Indoors Basel.

The top seeds are chasing their sixth tour-level title as a team this week and will next play Tallon Griekspoor and Robin Haase or Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski. Dodig and Krajicek will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in November after qualifying earlier this month.

Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni are currently fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and are looking to join Dodig and Krajicek in Turin. They suffered a first-round loss in Basel, falling to Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz. The Germans advanced 6-2, 5-7, 10-5 in one hour and 38 minutes.

[ATP APP]

Ofner/Oswald Save 2 MPs, Advance In Vienna
Austrians Sebastian Ofner and Philipp Oswald defeated defending champions Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler 7-6(4), 4-6, 11-9 in the first round at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. Ofner and Oswald saved two match points, eventually advancing after one hour and 47 minutes.

Cameron Norrie and Tommy Paul also reached the second round at the ATP 500, beating Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-0.

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Wimbledon quarter-finalist has flight cancelled by 'bomb threat' then has luggage stolen

Christopher Eubanks endured the journey from hell on his way to compete at the Basel Open.

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Zverev Eases Past Ofner In Vienna For 50th Win Of 2023

Alexander Zverev hit 50 tour-level wins for 2023 in style on Monday at the Erste Bank Open, where the fifth-seeded German beat home wild card Sebastian Ofner 6-4, 6-1 at the ATP 500 in Vienna.

After an even start, Zverev won 10 of the final 12 games to claim a 78-minute triumph for a 3-0 lead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Ofner. The German did not face a break point and converted four of seven break points he earned to improve to 8-1 in Vienna, where he lifted the trophy in 2021.

“Obviously I’m happy to be back to winning ways after the past two weeks, which were not very positive for me,” said Zverev, who arrived in Vienna on a three-match losing streak. “In general I’m happy to be back in Europe, happy to be back in a German-speaking country. I think you always feel comfortable here straight away.”

Flying into the next round like… 🚀@ErsteBankOpen | #ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/1nvMSGJVGA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 23, 2023

Zverev was pleased with the way he had handled taking on a home favourite in his opening match in Austria.

“At the end of the day, tennis is tennis," he said. "You’ve got to win by playing tennis and I did well managing certain things today, but I think, all in all, the crowd here is always good and fair. They are always very energetic and loud, but I was happy with today.”

Now 50-24 for the season, Zverev will take on Cameron Norrie or Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic on in the second round as he looks to add another Vienna crown to the Hamburg and Chengdu titles he has already won this season.

The 26-year-old Zverev remains seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin as he chases a Nitto ATP Finals qualification spot.

Zverev’s fellow seed Karen Khachanov also booked a second-round spot on Monday. The World No. 16 beat Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4 to make a winning start to his seventh Vienna campaign. The eighth seed, who lifted his first ATP Tour crown in almost five years in Zhuhai last month, will play Jiri Lehecka next after the Czech downed J.J. Wolf 6-4, 6-4.

Matteo Arnaldi continued his excellent first full year on the ATP Tour with a hard-earned victory against qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Vienna debut. The 22-year-old Italian prevailed 7-6(4), 7-6(2) to improve to 19-13 for the season. The win also lifted him five spots to No. 41 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Struff Finds Return To Form In Basel

Jan-Lennard Struff snapped a four-match losing streak on Monday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, where he defeated American Christopher Eubanks 7-6(7), 6-4 to reach the second round at the ATP 500 event.

The big-serving German saved one set point in the first-set tie-break at 6/7 before he won 88 per cent (15/17) of points behind his first serve in the second set to earn his first Top 50 hard-court win of the season after one hour and 36 minutes.

Struff, who is making his second appearance in Basel, will next play fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz or Serbian Dusan Lajovic. The World No. 27 Struff has enjoyed standout results on clay and grass this year, advancing to the title match in Madrid as a lucky loser before reaching the final in Stuttgart. He holds a 4-6 record on hard courts in 2023.

Rock solid Struff 🧗‍♂️👊@Struffitennis claims his first Top 50 hard court win of 2023 by defeating Eubanks 7-6(7), 6-4#SwissIndoorsBasel pic.twitter.com/PWNlHfspgt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 23, 2023

In other action, Sebastian Baez clawed past Christopher O’Connell 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 to improve to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The Argentine Baez captured his first title on hard courts in Winston-Salem in August.

The 22-year-old will next meet top seed Holger Rune or Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. Rune is currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and will seek a deep run in Basel to boost his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes.

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Can Shelton Find A Way To Turin? Mover Of Week

With just three weeks to go until the Nitto ATP Finals, the countdown to the prestigious year-end event in Turin is on.

American Ben Shelton boosted his outside hopes of making his debut in Turin, while Stefanos Tstisipas strengthened his position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. ATPTour.com looks at the key movers as of Monday, 23 October.

[ATP APP]

14th (2,275 points) – Ben Shelton
The American has given himself an outside chance of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals after he won his maiden ATP Tour title in Tokyo. The 21-year-old defeated Aslan Karatsev in the title match at the ATP 500 event to become the sixth first-time tour-level winner of the year, jumping four places in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin as a result.

Shelton is still 825 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who holds the final qualification spot. The lefty will need deep runs in Vienna and Paris if he is to seal his spot in Turin.

Sixth (3,705 points) – Stefanos Tsitsipas
The 25-year-old has consolidated his sixth-placed position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin after reaching his fifth semi-final of the season in Antwerp. The Greek, who will compete in Vienna this week, is 650 points ahead of ninth-placed Taylor Fritz, who is outside of the cut.

Tsitsipas has fond memories at the Nitto ATP Finals, having won the title on debut in 2019. He is seeking his fifth consecutive appearance at the event.

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner have all qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.

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Perth, Sydney Groups Announced For 2024 United Cup

The groups have been announced for the 2024 United Cup in Perth and Sydney.

Grand Slam champions Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will begin their respective 2024 United Cup campaigns in Perth, following the official draw on Monday.

Defending champions, the United States, will battle Australia and Great Britain in a loaded Group C, also in the West Australian capital, while a blockbuster clash between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime is on the cards when Greece and Canada square off in Sydney.

World No.1 Djokovic will lead Serbia in the nation’s United Cup debut in Group E against the Czech Republic and China. After adding a 10th Australian Open and record 24th major trophy with a fourth US Open this year, the 37-year-old begins the new season alongside Olga Danilovic and will likely face world No.30 Jiri Lehecka and No.57 Zhang Zhizhen in his group stage singles matches.

Wimbledon champion and world No.6 Marketa Vondrousova leads the Czech team alongside Lehecka and will likely face China’s rising world No.18 Zheng for the first time.

See team line-ups

PERTH

Group A
Poland
Spain
WTA TBC

Group C
United States
Great Britain
Australia

Group E
Czech Republic
China
Serbia

 

SYDNEY

Group B
Greece
Canada
ATP TBC

Group D
France
Italy
Germany

Group F
Croatia
Netherlands
Norway

 

TEAM USA WITH TOUGH PATH TO DEFENCE
Of the top four seeds, the United States faces arguably the most challenging route out of the group stage in its bid to defend the title.

US spearhead Jessica Pegula would be up against the home crowd should she take on Ajla Tomljanovic in the Australia tie in Perth. The world No.5, who last year landed an imposing win over then-No.1 Swiatek en route to the final, was also drawn to meet world No.53 Katie Boulter in the team’s showdown with Great Britain.

As the current No.1 in doubles, the 29-year-old could be pivotal to the United States’ chances of going back-to-back. Her teammate from the 2023 triumph, world No.10 Taylor Fritz, also returns and is expected to face two familiar top-20 foes – world No.13 Alex de Minaur and world No.18 Cameron Norrie – in the group stage.

The American holds a 7-6 record against Norrie but trails de Minaur 3-4. Top-ranked Australian de Minaur beat Fritz and Norrie (2-1 overall) en route to his first Masters 1000 final in Toronto in August.

SWIATEK LEADS TOP SEED POLAND
Four-time major winner Swiatek and men’s world No.11 Hubert Hurkacz begin top-seeded Poland’s quest for the trophy against Spain and a yet-to-be-determined nation in Group A. The 22-year-old Swiatek scooped the silverware at Roland Garros for a third time in June while Hurkacz landed his second Masters 1000 title in Shanghai this month.

Hurkacz could have his work cut out squaring a 2-3 ledger against his Wimbledon conqueror Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

GREECE TO LIGHT UP SYDNEY
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari lead second-seeded Greece into battle against Canada and a yet-to-be-determined nation in Sydney.

Last year’s Australian Open runner-up Tsitsipas has claimed five of eight encounters with world No.17 Auger-Aliassime, while ninth-ranked Sakkari will carry a 2-0 record into a likely meeting with former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.

KERBER RETURNS TO PARTNER ZVEREV
Three-time major champion Angelique Kerber makes her anticipated return following the birth of daughter Liana in February. The former No.1 will compete Down Under for the first time in almost two years when she and men’s world No.9 Alexander Zverev headline Germany’s bid in Group D in Sydney.

Fourth seeds France and last year’s finalists Italy round out the group. Kerber owns six victories from nine meetings with French world No.20 Garcia. Following Italy’s upset of Greece to reach last year’s final, a new-look team headed by Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Sonego will lead the nation’s 2023 hopes.

RUUD LEADS NORWAY
World No.8 Casper Ruud returns to lead Norway’s chances in Group F against Croatia and The Netherlands in Sydney. The 24-year-old reached a second straight Roland Garros final in June and while yet to beat Croatian Borna Coric, he denied Dutch world No.25 Tallon Griekspoor in their only prior meeting. It will be Coric's first event since the US Open when he teams up with world No.24 Donna Vekic.

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Hijikata/Purcell Clinch Tokyo Title

Rinky Hijikata and Max Purcell capped a dream debut week as a team on Sunday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, where they defeated Jamie Murray and Michael Venus 6-4, 6-1 to win the title.

The Australians upset third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer to reach the championship match and backed up that standout win with a dominant display against Murray and Venus. Hijikata and Purcell saved both break points they faced and were impressive on return, winning 47 per cent (28/59) of points on Murray and Venus’ delivery to seal victory after 73 minutes.

With their title run, Hijikata and Purcell became the first Australian team to win the Tokyo doubles title since Jordan Kerr triumphed with Swede Robert Lindstedt in 2007.

[ATP APP]

Hijikata, 22, holds a 2-1 tour-level record in doubles finals, while Purcell improved to 4-6 in title matches. Sunday’s triumph was Purcell’s first crown on hard courts. The 25-year-old won Wimbledon earlier this year with Matthew Ebden.

Murray and Venus are eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as they seek a qualification spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. They may need to finish in the Top 7 to clinch a spot in Turin, though, as 17th-placed Hijikata and Jason Kubler triumphed at the Australian Open in January. If they finish inside the Top 20, they will qualify having won a Grand Slam title in 2023.

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou gets the last laugh as Antonio Conte left red-faced

NEIL SQUIRES COLUMN: Ange Postecoglou's impact at Tottenham is unmatched following a blistering start to life as the club's manager.

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Emma Raducanu's comeback plan may be clear with Australian Open in mind

Emma Raducanu is bidding to return at the start of 2024 with the Australian Open taking place in January.

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Medvedev Seeks Vienna Title Defence; Turin-Chasing Rune Leads Basel Field

With just three weeks to go until the Nitto ATP Finals, players continue to jockey for position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. This week will see two ATP 500s provide opportunities for movement, with action at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna and the Swiss Indoors Basel.

Daniil Medvedev, who has already qualified for Turin, is set to lead the Vienna field as the top seed and defending champion. He will be joined by fellow Top 10 stars Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev. Holger Rune is the best-placed of many Turin hopefuls in Basel, where Top 10 players Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz will also compete.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at both events.

[ATP APP]

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN VIENNA
1) Defending Champ Medvedev: Medvedev won the second of his two 2022 titles in Vienna 12 months ago. He enters the ATP 500 with five tour-level trophies to his name in 2023 — though he has not claimed a crown since his surprise May run on the clay of Rome. He will begin his tournament against in-form #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils.

2) Can Sinner Bring Beijing Best?: Jannik Sinner won his third title of 2023 earlier this month in Beijing and then qualified for his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals with an opening win in Shanghai. Entering Vienna at a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of World No. 4, Sinner will bid for his 10th career tour-level title. The second seed this edition, the Italian reached the Vienna semi-finals in 2021.

3) Rublev, Tsitsipas, Zverev Can Inch Closer To Turin: Rublev, Tsitsipas and Zverev occupy fifth, sixth and seventh place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. As the three highest-placed men who have yet to clinch qualification, all three have a big opportunity in Vienna. They will hope to join the already-qualified Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev and Sinner at the Nitto ATP Finals.

They are seeded third through fifth in Vienna, where Rublev triumphed in 2020 and Zverev lifted the trophy in 2021.

4) Americans Paul, Tiafoe Among Chasing Pack: Currently on the outside looking in for a place in Turin, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe could start a late surge with a deep run in Vienna. Sixth seed Paul will try to secure his first win in Vienna against a qualifier, and seventh seed Tiafoe will face a tricky test against Briton Daniel Evans.

5) Koolhof/Skupski Lead Doubles Field: Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, the second-placed team in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, will be the top seeds in an intriguing Vienna doubles draw that also includes Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow, and defending champions (and home favourites) Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BASEL
1) Rune Continues Quest For Turin Debut: Rune reached the title match last year in Basel, part of a run of four straight finals to close the 2022 season that included titles in Stockholm and Paris. This year, the Dane hopes to finish his season at the Nitto ATP Finals. He is currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, clinging to the final qualifying spot by 145 points over ninth-placed Fritz.

Having won one match since Wimbledon, Rune will hope to find his form at the Swiss ATP 500 as he battles to maintain his position. The Dane also announced in the past week that he has hired a new coach: Boris Becker.

2) Fritz, Ruud Also In Turin Hunt: Last year at the Nitto ATP Finals, Ruud reached the final and Fritz made the semis in his debut. Both players are currently on the outside looking in, but could make their move in Basel.

Fritz made the quarter-finals at this tournament in 2018, and will hope for a deeper run this edition, beginning with a clash against Max Purcell. Second seed Ruud will look to bounce back from an early defeat to Marcos Giron in Tokyo. Last year as the second seed in Basel, he was beaten by home favourite Stan Wawrinka in the opening round. He will face a tough opening challenge against Alexander Bublik.

3) Can Hurkacz Recapture Shanghai Form?: Hubert Hurkacz stepped up his late bid to reach Turin by winning the Rolex Shanghai Masters title two weeks ago, saving a match point to beat Andrey Rublev in the final. But he was beaten three days later by Zhang Zhizhen in the Tokyo opening round.

With a few days off before he returns to action in Europe, can Hurkacz get back to the level that saw him soar in Shanghai? The Pole enters the week 11th in the Live Race, 335 points behind Rune.

4) De Minaur Seeks Fifth Final: Fifth seed Aussie Alex de Minaur reached a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 11 earlier this month on the strength of four final appearances this season, including a title in Acapulco. Another deep run could boost the 24-year-old's hopes of qualifying for his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. Currently 13th in the Live Race, he will need a deep run in Switzerland, where he will open against Diego Schwartzman.

5) Home Favourite Wawrinka Set For 16th Basel Appearance: Swiss legend Wawrinka has compiled a 15-14 record across 15 previous showings in Basel. He reached the quarter-finals in each of his past three appearances (2016, 2019, 2022) and twice reached the semis, in 2006 and 2011. The home hero will begin his event against a qualifier.

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Emma Raducanu fires back at sponsorship haters as Brit continues to rack up millions

Emma Raducanu has defended her decision to look after her commercial interests after becoming a brand ambassador for the likes or Porsche and Dior.

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Five Things To Know About Shintaro Mochizuki

Shintaro Mochizuki has enjoyed the best tournament of his career at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, where he will play Aslan Karatsev in the semi-finals. The 20-year-old is trying to become the first Japanese champion at the tournament since Kei Nishikori in 2014.

His big run has helped the home favourite soar to 15th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah. Mochizuki has a chance the rest of the week to entrench himself in competition for a place at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the rising star.

1) Tokyo Breakthrough
Entering the week, Mochizuki had played in eight tour-level main draws, including an ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami in 2021 and Wimbledon this year. However, he had never won a tour-level match.

That all changed this week in Tokyo, where Mochizuki is into his first ATP Tour semi-final. By defeating Alexei Popyrin in the last eight, the home favourite became the first Japanese player to reach the semi-finals of the tournament since Kei Nishikori in 2018, and the lowest-ranked semi-finalist overall since World No. 479 Kelly Jones in 1986. Mochizuki is No. 215 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

[ATP APP]

2) Federer Gave Him Key Advice
Mochizuki revealed two years ago that his idol, Roger Federer, provided critical advice for his career. The Japanese star recalled to ATPTour.com that Federer had followed his run to the 2019 Wimbledon boys’ singles title and invited him to be a practice partner at that year’s Nitto ATP Finals.

“He’s my hero. At the Nitto ATP Finals, I was there as a hitting partner and I got to hit with him,” Mochizuki said. “It was a dream. In tennis he hits so easy, just relaxed when he’s playing.

“Many people are just playing with the power and emotions, but he's just hitting balls so easy. He taught me that if you have any chances to play bigger events, just go for it.”

In addition to his Miami appearance in 2021, Mochizuki has played qualifying at Masters 1000 events on three other occasions.

3) Japanese Star Has Received A Santoro Comparison
Just before becoming a teen, Mochizuki began training at the IMG Academy in Florida, where the likes of another Japanese star, Nishikori, has long been based. Another product of the academy is former doubles World No. 1 Max Mirnyi, who made an interesting comment about Mochizuki’s game.

Mirnyi compared Mochizuki’s game to one of the craftiest players in recent history: Fabrice Santoro.

"Fabrice is a player who really utilised the power of the oncoming ball to him and also was very crafty with his hands," Mirnyi said. "Just like Fabrice was fun to watch, Shintaro is one of them.

"He sees the court extremely in a different dimension. He uses the angles well, cuts them off well and likes to come into the net. He takes the ball early and he's got good feel with his hands."

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

4) Baseball Among His Hobbies
Mochizuki considered quitting tennis aged nine to pursue baseball, which is one of his favourite sports outside of tennis. The Japanese player has long loved playing and watching baseball when he can, but never pursued playing the sport professionally. His favourite team is the New York Yankees.

Earlier this year, Mochizuki explained that countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish, Major League Baseball stars, are his favourite players.

“I've never met them, but I think they're super strict with nutrition, fitness, everything they do is amazing,” Mochizuki said. “I think that's why they're playing at that level. I learn a lot of things from baseball players. Those guys always have a purpose to work, to practise, to go to the gym, to sleep, also their recovery is very important.”

Other hobbies for Mochizuki include hanging out with friends, watching YouTube videos, listening to Japanese music and singing for fun.

5) He Is A Former Junior World No. 1
Mochizuki showed his talent from a young age, having first held a tennis racquet aged one. He ascended to the top of the junior rankings just one month after his 16th birthday, following his triumph at the 2019 Wimbledon boys’ singles event.

The Japanese player also defeated Carlos Alcaraz when they were juniors. Born less than a month apart in 2003, they competed against one another at the 2017 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals, where Mochizuki emerged victorious 6-2, 6-3. He also made the Roland Garros boys’ singles semi-finals in 2019.

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Monfils Advances In Stockholm To First SF In Nearly Two Years

The 37-year-old Gael Monfils advanced to his first tour-level semi-final in 21 months with a 7-5, 7-6(3) victory against fellow Frenchan Adrian Mannarino on Friday at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.

With the win, Monfils became the oldest semi-finalist in the tournament's history. Ken Rosewall previously owned that record, having reached the semis at 36 in 1970.

"That's great," Monfils said when told of that statistic. "I know my coach, my wife and even my mom, they will tell you we will back it up next year, no worries!"

[ATP APP]

The Frenchman lost the opening set of his Stockholm campaign but has now won six in a row after his straight-sets win against the second-seeded Mannarino. Breaks were exchanged midway through both sets in the quarter-final, before Monfils powered through the finish with a closing burst in each.

He won the final four points of a dramatic tie-break that included several winners with razor-thin margins.

"I was a little bit lucky at the end. I went for my shots a little bit more," Monfils said. "I think the advantage was really close today, but I'm quite happy I won in two sets and I'm happy with the performance."

37 years young 💪

21 months since his last, @Gael_Monfils becomes the oldest semi-finalist in @sthlm_open history#bnpparibasnordicopen pic.twitter.com/R0IpUbWe5s

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2023

Next up for Monfils in the semi-finals will be Laslo Djere or Tomas Machac.

Earlier on Friday, Pavel Kotov upset third seed Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(4), 6-2, setting up a semi-final meeting with Miomir Kecmanovic. Kecmanovic led Elias Ymer 6-0, 3-2 before the Swede was forced to retire.

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Tsitsipas Beats Botic In Antwerp Return

What a difference six years makes...

In his previous appearance at the European Open in Antwerp, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the 2017 semi-finals as a 19-year-old qualifier. On Thursday, he returned to the ATP 250 as the top seed and lived up to that billing with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Botic van de Zandschulp.

"It took some time. I didn't have the best start that I would have expected but what a great way to end it," Tsitsipas said after recovering an early break in the pair's first Lexus ATP Head2Head matchup. "I was trying to get in there despite the early break and found a really good way through towards the very end. I felt like every point was a fight; every game there was an opportunity to do something. I was trying to maintain that consistency and work towards the victory."

Sharp Stef ⚔️

Top seed @steftsitsipas ousts van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-3 for a QF ticket with play like this@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/OoJJQB2zm8

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 19, 2023

It was a welcome win for the Greek, who has not recorded multiple singles victories at a tournament since he won the Los Cabos title in August. He will bid to break that streak when he takes on Dominic Thiem or fifth seed Yannick Hanfmann in Friday's quarter-finals.

Tsitsipas improved to 14-5 this season in his opening-round matches by battling out of a 2-4 hole in the opening set against van de Zandschulp. The Greek won nine of 11 games from that point to take command on centre court.

While neither player sustained his best level for long periods, Tsitsipas improved throughout the one-hour, 36-minute match and comfortably closed out the win behind strong serving. He did not face a break point in the second set after saving four of five break points in the opening set.

In addition to his singles campaign, Tsitsipas is also through to the doubles semi-finals in Antwerp alongide brother Petros Tsitsipas.

Earlier on Thursday, France's Hugo Gaston saved three match points to upset second seed Jan-Lennard Struff 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(11). Gaston, who saved 12 of 16 break points in the nearly three-hour match, clinched victory on his fourth match point. A total of six match points went begging in the decisive tie-break, three for each man, before Gaston booked his place in his fourth tour-level quarter-final with a big inside-out forehand.

The lefty Gaston will face another German in the quarters: Maxamilian Marterer, who beat Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6(3).

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Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz spark backlash after signing up to exhibition

Aryna Sabalenka has also signed up to the Saudi Arabian exhibition event, which is due to be held in late December.

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Why Boris Becker went to jail as tennis icon returns to coach 'diamond in the rough'

Boris Becker was released from prison in December 2022 and 10 months later he joined the coaching team of one of the world's best young tennis players in Holger Rune

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Carlos Alcaraz battling two injuries at once in blow to Novak Djokovic hopes

Carlos Alcaraz is battling to separate injuries after pulling out of the Swiss Indoors Championships.

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Alcaraz Withdraws From Basel

Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Swiss Indoors Basel due to a left foot injury and muscle fatigue to his lower back, he confirmed on social media Wednesday.

"Unfortunately I will not be able to play in Basel this year! 🥲" Alcaraz posted on Instagram. "I have a problem with the plantar fascia in my left foot and muscle fatigue in my lower back which need treatment so I can play the rest of the season. I hope to see you all soon! @swissindoorsbasel_official"

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (@carlitosalcarazz)

One year ago, Alcaraz made his Basel debut. He earned three wins before losing to eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals.

Alcaraz owns a 63-9 record this season including six titles, with two coming at ATP Masters 1000 events (Indian Wells and Madrid) and another at Wimbledon. The 20-year-old last competed in Shanghai, where he lost in the Round of 16 to Grigor Dimitrov.

[ATP APP]

The Spaniard is entrenched in a battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone with Novak Djokovic. Had Alcaraz won Basel and the 500 points that come with it, he would have entered the Rolex Paris Masters tied with Djokovic in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

Instead, Djokovic will retain the edge in the battle for year-end No. 1, an honour the Serbian has earned a record seven times. Last year, Alcaraz became the youngest year-end No. 1 in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history.

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Emma Raducanu convinces tennis fans of dramatic career change following run of injuries

The British tennis ace has left fans seriously impressed with her talents away from the courts as she prepares a return to action.

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Rafael Nadal comeback timeframe mooted after shutting down Australian Open claims

Rafael Nadal recently clarified that he hadn't officially committed to competing at next year's Australian Open following a premature announcement from the tournament.

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Wimbledon champion questioned whether win was a 'mistake' after being treated differently

Elena Rybakina admitted that she wondered whether her Wimbledon glory was down to luck or a mistake as she came to terms with being a Grand Slam champion.

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Felix Finding Form, Zhang Advances In Tokyo

Is this the week Felix Auger-Aliassime finds his form?

The Canadian backed up his first-round win against Aleksandar Vukic with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph against Sebastian Ofner at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Wednesday.

Auger-Aliassime arrived in Tokyo having won just twice in his past 11 outings. The last time he won consecutive matches was in Indian Wells in March, when he reached the quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old ensured that run would end in Japan, though, producing a clean-hitting display to down Ofner after one hour and 35 minutes. Auger-Aliassime rallied from a break down in a tight first set before he raced away in the second set, winning the final six games of the match.

Into his fifth tour-level quarter-final of the season, the World No. 17 will next face second seed Casper Ruud or American Marcos Giron.

[ATP APP]

In first-round action, Zhang Zhizhen earned revenge against Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole defeated Zhang en route to the title in Shanghai last week, but the Chinese star ensured history would not repeat itself at the ATP 500 hard-court event.

Zhang fired 10 aces, won 76 per cent (39/51) of his first-serve points and broke Hurkacz’s serve three times to advance 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) in two hours and 17 minutes.

Hurkacz rose to 11th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin following the run to his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Shanghai. The Pole is 335 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who currently occupies the final qualification spot. His defeat is a major dent to his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes.

The 27-year-old Zhang is enjoying the best season of his career, having earned 19 tour-level wins. He became the first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist from China in May in Madrid and in July rose to No. 52 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the highest position ever held by anyone from the East Asian country. He beat Casper Ruud at the US Open to become the first Chinese man to beat a Top 5 opponent.

Aiming to make more waves this week, he will next face Aslan Karatsev.

Tommy Paul kept alive his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Mackenzie McDonald. The American is 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 515 points behind Rune. If Paul wins his first title of the season this week, he could rise to ninth if his direct rivals fall early in Tokyo.

Paul has now earned 39 wins this year, matching his previous personal-best tally (2022). He will aim to make it 40 wins when he plays Ben Shelton or Jordan Thompson in the quarter-finals.

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Boris Becker playing coy over coaching rumours despite 'daily contact' with tennis star

Boris Becker recently sparked rumours that he could be stepping into a new coaching job less than a year after leaving prison.

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Carlos Alcaraz warned that 'master' Novak Djokovic could ruin his dream for 2023

Novak Djokovic has been tipped to keep winning as the 2023 tennis season nears its end in what comes as bad news for Carlos Alcaraz.

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Emma Raducanu comeback verdict given by US Open victim

Emma Raducanu has been sidelined for six months after undergoing surgery and ending her season.

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Estonian Lajal Earns First ATP Tour Win, Goffin Cruises In Antwerp

Twenty-year-old Mark Lajal will not soon forget what he accomplished on Monday in Antwerp. The #NextGenATP Estonian earned his first ATP Tour win with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Jaume Munar at the European Open.

The wild card had never played in qualifying or the main draw at an ATP Tour event, but he showed few nerves in Antwerp. The Estonian won 85 per cent of his first-serve points and saved the two break points he faced to advance after 69 minutes.

“This is my first time playing in an ATP, any ATP and main draw, so obviously I was really ready for it,” Lajal said in his on-court interview. “I wanted to do well and that for sure gave me the extra motivation.”

[ATP APP]

Lajal became the first Estonian to win an ATP Tour match since Jurgen Zopp reached the Gstaad semi-finals in 2018. The No. 229 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is the only player from his country in the Top 500.

Lajal owns a 19-17 record on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, including a run to the Little Rock title in June. It will not get easier for the 20-year-old, who will next play fellow #NextGenATP star Arthur Fils, the fourth seed.

Into the next round 💪

Hugo Gaston defeats Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to advance in Antwerp!@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/dxoxbzsqMD

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 16, 2023

Former World No. 7 David Goffin began his question to triumph in Antwerp for the first time with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Frenchman Quentin Halys. The Belgian lost the first three games, but dropped just two games the rest of the match.

“You’re never under control when you play a guy very aggressive, big serve. So you have to stay really focussed on every shot,” Goffin said in his on-court interview. “Every point is important, so I had to stay really focussed. But it’s true that after I came back in the first set with two good games, good service games to come back at 3-all, then I started to feel more comfortable in the rallies, especially in the return because his serve is his best weapon.

“So as soon as I found my return, I felt that I was more comfortable. But I had to stay calm until the end.”

In other action, two Frenchmen also advanced to the second round. Hugo Gaston eliminated countryman Arthur Rinderknech and Gregoire Barrere ousted Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 7-6(5).

Gaston will next challenge second seed Jan-Lennard Struff and Barrere will try to hold off the big serving and tricky game of third seed Alexander Bublik.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Novak Djokovic continues to fire shots at tennis bosses and vows 'I won't stop'

Novak Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slams.

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ATP Tennis Podcast: Sinner Excited For Turin, Federer On Nadal & Alcaraz

This week on the ATP Tennis Podcast...

HUBERT HURKACZ ON VOLLEYING – “Definitely it’s important for my game because I can serve pretty big and that definitely helps to set up another shot that I can follow to the net. As long as I can be aggressive from the baseline, I can come to the net.”

GRIGOR DIMITROV’S COACH JAMIE DELGADO ON HIS PLAYER – “He’s got all the shots and he’s been using his slice well to set up his best shots, but most players play better when they are being proactive and looking to make things happen a little bit. Definitely as the year has gone on, he’s been getting better and better at that.”

JANNIK SINNER ON QUALIFYING FOR TURIN – “It’s just incredible and it’s tough to think about this when you’re young. Two years ago, I had the chance to play there, but that was because of Matteo Berrettini hurting himself and it is a different feeling when you make it in the official eight. I’m very much looking forward to it.”

ROGER FEDERER ON RAFAEL NADAL – “I am very relaxed on and off-site, whereas he has an incredible intensity. He was like a tiger in the cage and he’s going around and there’s always stuff to do for him. You could always tell he had a match on his mind.”

ROGER FEDERER ON CARLOS ALCARAZ – “He’s still young and everything he’s achieved is fantastic. Not just on clay, but on hard and beating Djokovic at Wimbledon, that is no joke. We didn’t really need to prove that point, but that is another major plus on his CV. He’s going to lose from time to time, but he’s got an unbelievable game and an unbelievable future ahead of him.”

PLUS ANDREY RUBLEV BUILDS HIS PERFECT PLAYER AND BEN SHELTON SPEAKS ABOUT HOW HE GOT INTO THE GAME

- Podcast presented by Chris Bowers
- Interviews by Ursin Caderas, Jill Craybas and Chris Bowers
- Features by ATP Uncovered

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Novak Djokovic's main goal can be ruined by Dan Evans after Serb predicted concerns

Novak Djokovic previously voiced his concerns over Serbia's weak spot at the Davis Cup and Dan Evans could leave him heartbroken again.

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Only Djokovic & Hurkacz Have Done This In 2023...

Hubert Hurkacz and Novak Djokovic are the only two players in 2023 to save a match point en route to an ATP Tour title in two separate tournaments.

Hurkacz joined Djokovic on the exclusive list when he saved one championship point in the Shanghai final against Andrey Rublev. It was the second consecutive ATP Masters 1000 event at which the champion saved match point during his title run, after Novak Djokovic did so in Cincinnati against Carlos Alcaraz.

The Polish star also saved a match point in February at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille. He saved a match point in the quarter-finals against Mikael Ymer and did not lose a set the rest of the week.

Player	Event-Opponent	Rd	MPs Saved
Novak Djokovic	Adelaide-1 vs Korda	F	1
Wu Yibing	Dallas vs Isner	F	4
Hubert Hurkacz	Marseille vs M. Ymer	QF	1
Holger Rune	Munich vs. van de Zandschulp	F	4
Frances Tiafoe	Stuttgart vs Struff	F	1
Christopher Eubanks	Mallorca vs Harris	SF	5
Novak Djokovic	Cincinnati vs Alcaraz	F	1
Hubert Hurkacz	Shanghai vs Rublev	F	1

Djokovic accomplished the feat in his first tournament of the season, the Adelaide International 1. He was on the brink against Sebastian Korda before rallying for the victory.

The Serbian also saved championship point against Alcaraz in the final of the Western & Southern Open. The three-hour, 49-minute battle was one of the best matches of 2023.

Eight times in 2023 a champion has triumphed after saving match point en route to the title. On six of those occasions, the champion saved match point in the final.

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Granollers/Zeballos Reign In Shanghai

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos captured their fifth ATP Masters 1000 title and first of the season together on Sunday when they overcame fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The seventh seeds did not drop a set en route to the final but were made to work hard by Bopanna and Ebden, who were chasing their third trophy of the season as a team.

After dropping serve in the 12th game of the first set to lose the opener, Granollers and Zeballos responded by racing into a 4-0 lead in the second set. They won 53 per cent (8/15) of points on Bopanna and Ebden’s first serves in the set to level before converting on their third match point in the Match Tie-break to triumph after 84 minutes.

"We were playing against a great team," Zeballos said. "They were serving very well, doing great stuff but I think the most important thing was to stay confident and keep talking. At the end we were playing really good tennis."

[ATP APP]

With their 33rd win of the season, the Spanish-Argentine tandem has consolidated its position in fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Granollers and Zeballos are aiming to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year.

"We have been working really hard this year to finally get that trophy," Granollers said. We played great all week and have been for the past months. Everything came together."

They have now won five Masters 1000 titles, also triumphing in Montreal (2019), Rome (2020), Madrid (2021) and Cincinnati (2021). Sunday’s victory was their eighth title triumph together and first since Halle in 2022.

Bopanna and Ebden are 32-17 in their first season together and stamped their ticket for the Nitto ATP Finals by reaching the final in Shanghai.

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Carlos Alcaraz told how Wimbledon win caused problems with Djokovic still in his sights

Carlos Alcaraz has not lifted a title since he defeated Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon.

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Boris Becker appears to confirm first major coaching role since prison stint

Boris Becker could be back in the coaching business after being spotted in Monaco with a top 10 tennis star.

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Carlos Alcaraz's Novak Djokovic quest could backfire massively as Spaniard risks repeat

Carlos Alcaraz has been vocal about his focus on Novak Djokovic as the 2023 tennis season nears its end.

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Wimbledon champion aged 30 refusing to return to tennis after becoming Zumba instructor

Garbine Muguruza may have called time on her tennis career as the former world No 1 continues her indefinite break from the sport.

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Bopanna & Ebden Earn Nitto ATP Finals Team Debut

In their first season as a team, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden will compete in the Nitto ATP Finals. The Indian-Australian duo qualified for the season finale by reaching the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Bopanna and Ebden will join Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek and Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski at the year-end championships, which will be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 12-19 November.

After losing their first two matches together this season, Bopanna and Ebden made the final in Rotterdam. They have not looked back since.

The duo triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells and also lifted the trophy in Doha. Bopanna and Ebden also reached a major final at the US Open and another Masters 1000 final in Madrid.

This will be Bopanna’s fourth appearance in the Nitto ATP Finals and his first since 2015. All four of his qualifications have come with different partners. Ebden will compete in the season finale for the first time.

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Nick Kyrgios' views on injury comeback as Australian set to be wiped out of rankings

Nick Kyrgios will see his singles ranking obliterated in a few days' time as he remains sidelined with injury problems.

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2023 Tel Aviv Watergen Open Cancelled

The ATP regrets to confirm the cancellation of the 2023 Tel Aviv Watergen Open (scheduled 5-11 November) due to security concerns following the outbreak of war in the region.

“The violence and acts of terror witnessed in Israel are beyond comprehension. We strongly condemn any form of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives across this conflict. We hope and pray for peace in the region,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman.

The decision to cancel the ATP 250-level tournament was taken in close consultation with security experts, with the safety of players, staff and fans as a priority.

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Dimitrov Blunts Jarry Power For Shanghai SF Berth

Grigor Dimitrov backed up his upset of Carlos Alcaraz in style on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the Bulgarian downed Nicolas Jarry 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals for the first time at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event.

The 18th-seeded Dimitrov delivered a rock-solid display in the face of a big-serving barrage from Jarry to advance to the last four in Shanghai for the first time in seven attempts. He made just three unforced errors in his one-hour, 39-minute victory, frequently showcasing his high-quality movement around the court and delighting the crowd inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena with some breathtaking hand skills.

“I think there were many components going the right way today,” said Dimitrov, who himself dropped just four points behind first serve in the match. “For me, he is one of the best servers right now. I’ve played him a couple of times, and I feel like every time it gets tougher and tougher to return against him. In the most important moments, I was able to be just solid, nothing else.

“I don’t think I did anything crazy in those moments, I just kept on believing in my game, kept going after my shots. You don’t get many opportunities against him, especially in the beginning it’s very difficult because he doesn’t give you any rhythm… I was trying to apply pressure with the hope that he might make a few mistakes, and he did.”

Dimitrov had notched his biggest win of the season by beating World No. 2 Alcaraz in the fourth round in Shanghai, but he entered Friday’s match with Jarry having lost both of the pair’s previous Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes. He appeared the more settled throughout, however, as he dominated the first-set tie-break before claiming a decisive break in the seventh game of the second set. It was just the second time the Chilean had dropped serve all tournament.

Now into his fifth ATP Tour semi-final of the season, Dimitrov is 35-18 as he looks to add another Masters 1000 title to his 2017 Cincinnati triumph. He acknowledged that Wednesday’s win against top seed Alcaraz, his first against a Top 5 opponent since 2021, had given him a boost heading into the Jarry encounter.

“[Beating Alcaraz] helps confidence-wise, but also it was just another match, if you think about it,” said Dimitrov. “I didn’t have much time to overthink it, I just had a little bit of a chat with the team and tried to see what I did pretty good, what worked, what didn’t, and what I could do better in the next round.

“We didn’t have much time to think about that but of course I take all the positives out of it because you need to feed off this every single round. I think so far things are good and I need to keep on going.”

Dimitrov has now reached the semi-finals at seven of the nine Masters 1000 events. He will try to reach his second championship match at that level on Saturday, when he faces fifth seed Andrey Rublev or 32nd seed Ugo Humbert.

The Bulgarian is also up three spots to No. 16 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings as a result of his run in China so far. Dimitrov could rise as high as No. 11 in Monday’s update of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings by lifting the Shanghai trophy, which would be his highest position since October 2018.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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