World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

Lead

Daniil Medvedev, Camila Giorgi Win Canadian Open Titles

by

Russian Daniil Medvedev and Italian Camila Giorgi won the National Bank Open men’s and women’s singles titles on Sunday in Toronto and Montreal, respectively, as the US Open Series reaches its penultimate week.

Medvedev, the world No. 2, defeated 23-year-old American Reilly Opelka, 6-4, 6-3, to win his 12th career ATP title and add to his success at US Open Series tournaments. The 25-year-old won his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati in 2019 and was named the Series’ Breakout Performer before reaching the singles final at the US Open.

Giorgi upset sixth-ranked Karolina Pliskova, 6-3, 7-5, to win her third career title and first since 2018. The 29-year-old Italian, who reached the 2018 Wimbledon quarterfinals and has been ranked as high as No. 26, is projected to rise from No. 71 to inside the Top 35.

The US Open Series continues this coming week in Cincinnati with the Western & Southern Open ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000, where nine of the women’s Top 10 and six of the men’s Top 10 feature in the singles draws. Tennis Channel and its streaming service Tennis Channel Plus will have week-long coverage.

# # #

About the US Open Series

The US Open Series serves as a true “regular season” of summer tennis in North America, linking nine WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. Featuring a cohesive weekly viewing schedule, as well as comprehensive outreach and grassroots engagement initiatives, the Series serves as a vital platform to promote and grow the game of tennis in person and at home. Fans can follow along all summer as today’s top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow’s emerging stars, while each tournament engages its local community with a variety of programs geared toward showcasing and promoting the game to new and existing fans.

Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev

Davis Cup To Return To Forest Hills For First Time Since 1959 For South Africa vs. Venezuela

by

The West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills, the iconic and historic former site of the U.S. Open, will host Davis Cup for the first time since 1959 when it will be the venue for the South Africa vs. Venezuela Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group II series September 18-19, 2021.

The best-of-five match series will be played the weekend after the conclusion of the U.S. Open on a hard court in the 98-year-old 13,000-seat historic horseshoe shaped stadium, which hosted the finals of the U.S. Championships and U.S. Open from 1923 to 1977. The stadium last hosted Davis Cup in 1959 when Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser led Australia to the Davis Cup title with a 3-2 victory over the United States team led by Alex Olmedo, Butch Buchholz and Barry MacKay.

The top South African players in the ATP rankings are Kevin Anderson, the former U.S. Open and Wimbledon finalist, who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 but is now No. 75, No. 49 Lloyd Harris, who beat Rafael Nadal last week in Washington, D.C.,  and former Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles finalist Raven Klaasen, who is ranked No. 23 in doubles. Venezuela is led by No. 585-ranked Ricardo Rodriguez, the all-time leading Davis Cup player for his country.

“We could not be more excited to bring world class tennis back to the West Side Tennis Club, one of the most historic venues in American sports,” said West Side Tennis Club President Monika Jain. “While Forest Hills is most synonymous as the former home of the U.S. Open, the West Side Tennis Club has also hosted many Davis Cup matches, Wightman Cup matches as well as the Tournament of Champions men’s event for many years. We are thrilled to add another chapter of our illustrious tennis history with this South Africa versus Venezuela series.”

Following agreement between the two national associations, South Africa will be the home nation and Venezuela the visiting nation for this World Group II tie on neutral ground.It will mark the first time that Davis Cup will be played in the New York City area since the 1981 USA vs. Czechoslovakia Davis Cup quarterfinal at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows featuring John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.

“It’s been 40 years since Davis Cup was last played in the New York area and 62 years since it was played at Forest Hills, so this is an event that New York sports fans should not miss,” said Jason Weir Smith, new West Side Tennis Club director of tennis from South Africa, who was the driving force behind securing this Davis Cup series. “We invite everyone to come to the West Side Tennis Club to take in the beauty of our club, watch one of the most exciting forms of competitive tennis and be part of this very special event. We want this to be a start to bringing more and more world class tennis events to Forest Hills for years to come.”

Tickets for the event can be found at ForestHillsProTennis.com. Special VIP hospitality, sponsorship, box seat and “Speak Easy” packages are available by emailing Weir-Smith at Jason@thewestsidetennisclub.com. The first day of play will feature two best-of-three-set singles matches starting at 11 am and the second day, also starting at 11 am, featuring the reverse two best-of-three-set singles matches and a best-of-three-set doubles match. The winner will remain in the Davis Cup Group II for the 2022 Davis Cup campaign, two levels below the Davis Cup World Group that determines the Davis Cup champion in the Davis Cup World Finals in Madrid.

Davis Cup by Rakuten is the largest annual international team competition in world sport. One of the cornerstones of the tennis calendar, Davis Cup provides players with the chance to represent their country in an otherwise individual sport. Founded by Hall of Famer Dwight Davis in 1900, Davis Cup began as a challenge match between USA and British Isles, with that first event being held at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston, Mass. Today, more than 120 nations compete in the annual event.

West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills
West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills

Jannik Sinner wins Citi Open 2021 in thrilling three setter

by

Maya Sherif becomes first Egyptian to reach a WTA Finale

Maya Sharif becomes the first Egyptian to reach a WTA Finale and it happened in Romania at the Cluj-Napoca tenns tournament. Despite her loss versus experienced Andrea Petkovic 6-1 6-1, Sherif can look back on a great tournament because she reached the finals and as said before: the first Egyptian ever!

This is what Sherif had to say about it:

“I’m so proud of where I came from, how hard it was to get where I am today being from Egypt,” she said. “I could not imagine being here one day. It’s very emotional.

“It’s so nice to always do something first.”

Rafael Nadal reflects on Citi Open loss versus Lloyd Harris

Rafael Nadal lost versus Lloyd Harris at the Citi Open on Thursday in a thrilling three set: 6-2, 4-6, 7-6. In a comment Nadal said the following:

“I was ready,” the Spaniard said. “The most positive thing is my foot was better today than yesterday, so that’s the best news possible. I played against a player that played well. For the moment, I played better than yesterday, but in the third set when I had opportunities, the truth is his serve was huge, and I played this last game really bad.

This was the first match for the 35 year old Spaniard in 55 days.

“I honestly didn’t have two easy months. I had a lot of problems with my foot. I was not able to practice all the days that I really wanted, but I did as much as I could. And I tried hard here.”

Nadal is still expected to play the National Bank Open in Toronto, that is being held between August 9 – August 15.

Read our article on how Rafael Nadal can bounce back after this loss.

Roger Federer turned 40

Roger Federer, the all time GOAT, turned 40 years old this week and is still active on the ATP Tour. He received many many congratulations ranging from Billie Jean King to Novak Djokovic. There are some very interesting stats that was compiled by the ATP Tour. Here are some:

40 – The age Federer is now! The Swiss is the only 40-year-old inside the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, the elite group he has been part of — without dropping from it — since 11 October 1999
39 – Combined wins against Novak Djokovic (23) and Rafael Nadal (16)
38 – Age when Federer won his most recent title at the 2019 Swiss Indoors Basel. He has lifted the trophy at his hometown tournament 10 times
37 – Age when Federer won his 100th tour-level title at the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The only other player who has also reached that milestone is Jimmy Connors, who captured 109 trophies

Eugenie Bouchard turns tennis commentator on the Tennis Channel

Eugenie Bouchard hasn’t played much tennis since she had surgery on her shoulder. Although with her good looks and charisma she is a natural when it comes to commenting and analysing tennis matches. It went as far as this: “I was so nervous, thanks for the help”, Eugenie Bouchard thanked moderator Brett Haber afterwards. “Are you sure that you haven’t done that before?” Was Brett Haber’s reply.

Bouchard announced on Instagram that she had shoulder surgery recently and takes her time to recover. In a lengthy post she wrote the following:

Hey guys. Bad news to report. As some of you may know, I’ve been having pain in my right shoulder since last fall. This past March, I tore my subscapularis in my first round match in Guadalajara. Since then, I have tried every form of conservative treatment and rehab known to man, to no avail. So last week, I pulled the trigger and had arthroscopic surgery. Doc says everything went great. I have a tough road of rehab ahead of me, but my spirits are high and I will work hard to get back to the job that I love.

Thank you to Dr. Altchek and his great team at HSS. They helped make this whole process as pleasant as it could possibly be. And thank you to all of you guys for your unwavering support. I will be busy in the next few months and I’ll keep you posted! 💕

Taylor Townsend is making a comeback

Meanwhile Taylor Townsend is making a comeback to the world of tennis. The 25 year old is back into training after she gave birth four months ago to a baby girl. She has been working out and tells sources that she has been sore from all the intense training. Taylor Townsend is expected to come back to the WTA tour sometimes in the first or second quarter of 2022.

While she was away, she has also been planning and setting up projects outside the world of tennis. So we will see exciting project and product announcements pretty soon.

Nick Kyrgios to play doubles with Coco Gauff?

And why not? Coco Gauff was asked in an interview earlier this week who she would like to be friends with and the name Nick Kyrgios came to mind. She remembers Nick Kyrgios because when she was 12 she hit with him at the Miami Open. And played Ping Pong with her brother in the past.

Gauff thinks he is supercool guy both on and offcourt.

Meanwhile Nick Kyrgios wasn’t against the idea of doing a mixed doubles with Gauff when he reacted to the tweet:

Janek Sinner wins Citi Open 2021 by beating MacKenzie McDonald

Janek Sinner wins the the Citi Open 2021 by beating MacKenzie McDonald. But it wasn’t an easy one for Sinner. McDonald took Sinner to three sets before Sinner got to matchpoint and thus sealing the third ATP Tour title of his career at the early age of 19. The match lasted for over three hours but in the end Sinner won 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.

“I had a lot of chances,” Sinner said, “[but] I couldn’t use [them] because, first, he was playing better in the crucial moments. But I tried to work for one more chance and for one more chance.”

The Citi Open 2021 finale marked the first for MacKenzie McDonald. But in more ways than one, this was also a victory for McDonald himself. McDonald was on the verge of the breakthrough of his career when a hamstring injury required surgery back in 2019. This marks a great comeback for McDonald who takes home $178,500 while Janek Sinner takes home $350,755.

“He pushed me really hard today,” McDonald said, “and I think I left it all out there.”

Coco Vandeweghe and Taylor Fritz support Second Serve

Americans Coco Vandeweghe and Taylor Fritz support Second Serve. Second Serve is a non-profit organisation who is “dedicated to enhancing the lives of underprivileged kids who love tennis by supporting them with the equipment they need.”

Fritz and Vandeweghe both donated equipment and a moment to talk to the youngsters while attending a fundraiser in order to get more tennis equipment.

“I think it’s really fun,” Ayanna said in an interview last winter. “A couple of months ago we sent a shipment out to Uganda with a couple of our old racquets, and to see the pictures of the kids, with our rackets, is just really nice to see the impact.”

https://fox5sandiego.com/sports/neighborhood-all-stars/local-sisters-start-nonprofit-to-help-underprivileged-kids-play-tennis/
This video is only available outside the EU.

Second Serve

We are striving to enhance the lives of underprivileged kids who love the game of tennis by supporting them with the equipment they need! Help us make an impact by donating your gently used equipment to us. We have many amazing national and international partner organizations in underserved communities around the world that we donate to. Please visit their website at https://www.secondserve.org/

Tennis results for the Citi Open, Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic and the Winners Open

The winners are in bold

Janek Sinner vs MacKenzie McDonald Citi Open finale ended up in 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.

Andrea Petkovic vs Maya Sherif at the Cluj-Napoca (the Winners Open) ended up in 6-1 6-1.

Danielle Collins vs Darja Kasatkina at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic ended 6-3, 6-7, 6-1.

That’s it for Mondays with Morgan Adams. If you have any comments or questions then please feel free to contact me at jimbeamgames (a) gmail.com

How Can Rafael Nadal Come Back After Washington Loss?

by

The hard-court tennis circuit in North America is always filled with some healthy competition. Last year’s Citi Open was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic which saw the majority of sports events either postponed or take place behind closed doors. Now Washington welcomes us back and even in temperamental conditions it is refreshing to see the crowds amass and some sense of normality resume.

A lot of attention was paid to Rafael Nadal. The swashbuckling Spaniard pulled off a narrow victory against Jack Sock in an upset which would have blown the whole tournament wide open and turned the heads of those checking the tennis odds this weekend. Nadal overturned a marginal deficit against Sock, but fell short at the third-round stage to South African Davis Cupper Lloyd Harris. Nadal will be disappointed with his performance, losing 6-4, 1-6 6-4 but safe in the knowledge he can go brush himself off and go again. Here is how he can turn around a mixed performance in Washington and gear up for the future.

Overcoming Injury

After receiving a bye to the second round, Nadal took some time to get going in his first few games with persistent injuries ruling him out of both Wimbledon and the Olympics. While there was to be no medal for Nadal in Tokyo, this time off to rest and rehabilitate, coupled with the performances he has been putting in since shaking off the proverbial cobwebs will make him a force to be reckoned with. It was clear he is still not back to his 100% best yet and spoke about masking the pain in order to claim victory. Just a few days later he was back on the court and despite defeat supporters took comfort in knowing Nadal’s pain was more emotional than physical. 

“I was able to move a bit better, so that is very important, especially for me personally, to keep enjoying the sport and keep having energy, believing that important things are possible,” Nadal said. “And then I need to keep improving. It’s true. I honestly didn’t have two easy months. I had a lot of problems with my foot. I was not able to practice all the days that I really wanted, but I did as much as I could and I tried hard here.”

Comeback King

Throughout his career Nadal has shown that he is capable of overcoming the odds and mounting a comeback. All tennis betting tips had Nadal as favourite to go all the way in Washington but he found himself coming up short. This isn’t Nadal’s first setback and won’t be his last. Credit where credit is due, Harris played a great game. The South African, who is ranked 50th in the world, earnt the biggest win of his career to date, booking his place in the next round as the underdog. For Nadal it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth but also an opportunity to learn for the future.

Missed momentum for Cincinnati

Next on the hard-court circuit is a stop at the Western & Southern Open where Nadal enters ranked third behind Medvedev and reigning singles’ champion Novak Djokovic. Despite underperforming at the Olympics, departing Tokyo at the quarter final stage, the Serb will make the trip to America hungry for more accolades and will definitely prove Nadal’s biggest test if he is to claim yet another victory on the next pitstop of his American tour. The momentum he missed out on by going the whole way in Washington ahead of the Masters could have stood Nadal in good stead for a clean sweep.

How Alexander Zverev Won Olympic Gold In Tokyo

by

It’s fair to say that the men’s tennis singles tournament at the Tokyo Olympics did not have the fairy tale ending that Novak Djokovic would have so wished for. The World No. 1 would have had his sights firmly set on adding a gold medal to his bronze from Beijing in 2008, and the tennis odds were firmly in his favour ahead of the competition.

Having won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon already this year, the Serbian was on course for a never-before-seen in men’s tennis Golden Slam — the tough feat of landing all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold. However, Alexander Zverev had other ideas, crushing the 34-year-old’s hopes in the semi-finals before going on to scoop the illustrious gold medal for himself.

It was a victory not many called in the tennis predictions prior to the tournament, with the likes of Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas all much more fancied than the German. But Zverev will head to the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, later this month as a gold medal winner. So, let’s take a look back at how he won the Olympics men’s tennis singles…

First round – Lu Yen-hsun (6-1, 6-3)

Zverev dispatched of Chinese Taipei’s Lu Yen-hsun in just under an hour in the first round. It took the current World No. 5 just 24 minutes to win the first set 6-1. The German took a 2-0 lead and wasn’t fazed as ‘Randy Lu’ pulled a game back to make it 2-1, winning four consecutive games to take the first set. The second set was a little more competitive, as the pair matched each other in the first four games. However, with the set poised at 2-2, Zverev started to pull again — eventually winning 6-3 and securing his place in the second round.

Second round – Daniel Elahi Galán (6-2, 6-2)

It was a similar story for the young German in the second round, as he breezed past Colombian Daniel Elahi Galán in straight sets. The current No. 111 tried to fight back a number of times in the first, closing the gap on a couple of occasions. But when Zverev eventually made it 4-2, there was no looking back, and he went on to win the set 6-2. Galán put up more of a fight in the early stages of the second set, winning both of his service games to give him a 2-1 advantage. However, Zverev went on a run of five straight games to win the set 6-2 again.

Third round – Nikoloz Basilashvili (6-4, 7-6)

Ranked 28th in the world, Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili promised to be Zverev’s toughest task yet, and that was fairly reflected in the final score. The pair matched each other game-for-game in the first set, but with the scores level at 4-4, Zverev finally pulled away to win the first set 6-4. It was even tighter in the second set. The German looked to have the match wrapped up when he took a 5-3 advantage. However, Basilashvili won two games in a row to make it 5-5, and with another game each, a tie break was forced — which Zverev eventually won 7-6.

Quarter-finals – Jeremy Chardy (6-4, 6-1)

France’s Jeremy Chardy brought the game to Zverev in the first set of their quarter-final, and wouldn’t go down without a fight — constantly keeping the German on his toes and not letting him run away with it. With the first set poised at 5-4, Zverev won the 10th game to secure the set. Despite Chardy taking the first game of the second set, it proved to be a walk in the park for the German, as he went on to win 6-1.

Semi-finals – Novak Djokovic (1-6, 6-3, 6-1)

When drawn to face the in-form World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, not many would have fancied Zverev’s chances of progressing to the Gold Medal Match. And after the losing the first set 6-1 to the Serbian, the odds were truly stacked against him. However, he fought back well, taking the second set 6-3 and he stunned the 34-year-old with a 6-1 victory in the final set — ending his hopes of that rare ‘Golden Slam.’

Final – Karen Khachanov (6-3, 6-1)

After dispatching of Djokovic, Zverev would have been confident he could get the better of Karen Khachanov, who was representing the Russian Olympic Committee, in the final, and he duly delivered. Taking the first set 6-3 before coasting to a 6-1 victory in the second set in a Gold Medal Match that lasted just one hour and 19 minutes.

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev

John Isner Has Now Won As Many ATP Singles Titles As James Blake And Mardy Fish Combined

by

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

John Isner defeated fellow American Brandon Nakashima, 7-6 (8), 7-5 in just under two hours to win the Truist Atlanta Open singles title for a sixth time. The win for the 36-year-old former University of Georgia star marks his 16th career ATP singles title, which, for perspective for the sometimes overlooked American star, is the same amount of ATP singles titles won by former American tennis stars James Blake and Mardy Fish COMBINED. Blake won 10 singles titles in his ATP career while Fish garnered six singles titles. Since the end of the John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors era of American tennis in 1992, Isner ranks No. 5 among American tennis players as far as ATP singles titles won, trailing only Pete Sampras (64 titles), Andre Agassi (60 titles), Michael Chang (34 titles), Andy Roddick (33 titles) and Jim Courier (23 titles).

With his sixth title in Atlanta, Isner joins Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the only active men’s players to win six or more singles titles at a tour-level event. Isner’s six Atlanta titles are second only to Federer’s seven Cincinnati victories in terms of US Open Series events. 

Nakashima, from San Diego, was bidding to become the youngest American singles champion at an ATP event since Andy Roddick in 2002 in Houston. He was also a singles finalist a week earlier in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Coached by Dusan Vemic, Nakashima, who played one season at the University of Virginia before turning pro, spent two weeks training with former USTA Player Development director of coaching Jose Higueras prior to this hard-court swing and is projected to rise to a career-high No. 89 in the world on Monday. Nakashima is the second rising American to reach an ATP singles final in as many US Open Series events thus far in 2021, after 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby reached the final in Newport two weeks ago.

About the US Open Series

The US Open Series serves as a true “regular season” of summer tennis in North America, linking nine WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. Featuring a cohesive weekly viewing schedule, as well as comprehensive outreach and grassroots engagement initiatives, the Series serves as a vital platform to promote and grow the game of tennis in person and at home. Fans can follow along all summer as today’s top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow’s emerging stars, while each tournament engages its local community with a variety of programs geared toward showcasing and promoting the game to new and existing fans.

“The ROC” Wins Tokyo’s Mythical Olympic Team Gold In Tennis

by

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

“We are winning gold for….the ROC,” said Russian Andrey Rublev, laughing, after winning the Olympic gold medal in mixed doubles alongside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, referencing the “ROC” moniker that Russia is playing under at the Tokyo Olympics due to past doping violations by Russia.

While Rublev was discussing his mixed doubles gold, he could also be referencing the “Team Gold” medal when by ‘The ROC” or the Russian Olympic Committee.

“What? Team Gold?” you may wonder. Many have discussed that there should be a team element to the Olympic tennis event. Taking a page out of how the NCAA team championship used to be determined – awarding one point per match victory in the individual singles and doubles championships – and implementing it with the singles, dobules and mixed events at the Olympics, and the ROC would be the team champions.

Buoyed by the “All-ROC” mixed doubles final with Rublev and Pavlyuchenkova, beating Elena Vesnina and Aslan Karatsev, Karen Khachanov’s silver medal showing in men’s singles and Vesnina and xxx finishing fourth in women’s doubles, ROC won 24 matches in Tokyo – earning 24 points.

Finishing second – earning the mythical silver medal – was Spain with 18 match wins, led by Pablo Carreno Busta’s incredible bronze medal showing in men’s singles, highlighted by wins over the world No. 1 and No. 2 players (Novak Djokovic in the bronze medal match and Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, respectively.)

The bronze medal in the mythical Olympic tennis team competition was won by the Czech Republic with 17 match wins, led by women’s doubles gold medalists Barbora Kreicikova and Katarina Siniakova.

Germany, led by men’s singles gold medalist Alexander Zverev, finished fourth with 14 points.

Who won the mythical team gold in previous Olympic Games? Read my previous posts, linked here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/13299

To read more about the history of tennis in the Olympic Games, get my book “The Olympic Tennis Fact Book” here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DC1ZBDD/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_QA3WEAY0ABJF11Y0VJD7 via Amazon

Mixed Doubles Champions For"The ROC"
Mixed Doubles Champions For “The ROC”

Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic Win Olympic Gold

by

Alexander Zverev Wins Olympic Gold for Germany

Alexander Zverev has won Olympic Gold for Germany and that makes him the second German who has conquered gold after fellow countrywoman Steffi Graf did so at the Olympics of 1988. This truly is a remarkable debut for anyone attending the Olympics. Zverev did what many thought to be impossible: Zverev managed to upstage top favorite and Golden Slam contender Novak Djokovic last Friday.

Alexander Zverev wins Olympic Gold at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics

In a very one sided match Zverev beat Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-1. Ranked No. 5 in the world Zverev only allowed his Russian opponent one break and wouldn’t even let him have that.

“There is nothing better than this,” Zverev told. “You are not only playing for yourself, you are playing for your country, and the Olympics are the biggest sporting event in the world. The feeling I have now, and will have, nothing will be better.”

Adding to it: “I think sport right now, in the world we are living in, is not only important, but necessary,” Zverev insisted. “I think it’s necessary for people to have something to watch, something to cheer for, even if it’s in front of the TV. I think the Olympics are very important to be happening right now – not only for Japan, but the whole world.”

Novak Djokovic Golden Slam Dream Crushed by Alexander Zverev

Novak Djokovic’ dreams of winning the Golden Slam went up in smoke after he lost to Olympics medal winner Alexander Zverev in the semi finals of the Olympic games. Djokovic however was still in the running for a Bronze medal but he lost eventually to Pablo Carreño Busta in three sets 6-4 6-7 6-3.

Not only was Djokovic dream crushed, he also crushed his raquet while venting his anger and frustrations. Afterwards, Djokovic, who also lost in mixed doubles, left the press conference in tears saying that he doesn’t know what to say. Djokovic is known for his mental strength but on this difficult day, Djokovic just let it go. Showing us what top sport is all about when dealing with loss.

Belinda Bencic wins Olympic Gold for Switzerland

Belinda Bencic wins Olympic Gold for Switzerland with her win over  Marketa Vondrousova  7-5, 2-6, 6-3. Bencic has been in top form during the Olympics in Tokyo 2021 tennis tournament since the start.

“If I end my career now without winning any additional matches, then I would still be happy,” Bencic said. “What I have reached today no one can take away from me. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who made this happen.”

“For me, this is the biggest thing ever for an athlete, so I cannot believe I have two medals and one of them is gold, and one of them is to be decided. I mean, I don’t know what to say. I mean, it’s amazing.

“I cannot really believe it right now. I just don’t get it yet. I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I didn’t think it would be possible. I was fighting for my life, and it worked out. I cannot believe it worked out.”

While Bencic was in the running for a second medal in doubles with her partner Viktorija Golubic, they lost to Czech doubles team Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in straight sets 7-5 6-1.

Belinda Bencic wins Olympic Gold at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics

Kiki Bertens retires from tennis with doubles loss

Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens retired from tennis after she got ousted in both doubles and singles at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 tennis tournament. Bertens, the number 21 of the world, did not survive the first round of the Tokyo Olympics tennis tournament in three sets versus Markéta Vondrousová, the number 41 of the world, 4-6 6-3 4-6.

This marked Bertens final singles match. Bertens now retires after an impressive career with highlights such as being world number four and the semis of Roland Garros.

“It’s enough,” said the 29-year-old, whose Achilles injury put a serious hamper on her career. “It’s too hard to keep going, for my body and my mind. I had hoped after my decision to play to the end of the year that my body would be feeling a bit better after the grass, but the grass court season was pretty tough again.

“Always you think about whether to carry on a bit after tough losses. I think everyone has had that before. But with me it was always, ‘Okay, just keep on pushing, I still have my goals, I can still achieve more.’ Then I had the surgery last year – afterward I worked really hard again and had the hunger to come back and play at my best level, but it’s just been a struggle ever since. It’s tough, but you know when it’s enough.

“After Paris, I was like, ‘Okay, this is the time. This is my last year.’ But then, it became my last two months. It’s enough for me, and I think this is a great way to finish, with a great team, and together with Demi Schuurs. Hopefully we will end it in a nice way and then I can say goodbye.”

Kiki Bertens retires from tennis after her first round loss at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

Rafael Nadal plays Citi Open 2021 for the first time in his career

Rafael Nadal is making a triumphant return to the tennis courts by signing on for the Citi Open 2021 for the first time in his long career. The 20 times grand slam winner has not played since he lost the finale at Roland Garros about two months ago. So while he may lack some match rythm , he is well rested and very eager to play.

“I am very excited to come to Washington for the first time,” he said in a statement. “I have never been there, and it’s one more place I wanted to come and play. I am looking forward to playing again, and Washington shall be the best start for the U.S. summer swing for me.”

Rafael Nadal will have a first round bye and then face the winner of the match between Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka and American Jack Sock.

For more information on the Citi Open 2021 please visit their website at: https://www.citiopentennis.com/ or visit their Twitter https://twitter.com/CitiOpen

Rafael Nadal plays Citi Open in Washington for the first time in his career.

Tennis tournaments coming up this week

Citi Open Tournament, ATP 500 in Washington DC, USA. Website: https://www.citiopentennis.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CitiOpen

The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, WTA 500 in San Jose, USA. Website: https://www.mubadalasvc.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MubadalaSVC

Winners Open 2021, WTA 250 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Website: https://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/2043/cluj-napoca

Novak Djokovic, Gunning For The Grand Slam, Leads 2021 U.S. Open Entries (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal To Challenge Him In New York!)

by

The U.S. Tennis Association announced that 20-time major singles champions Novak Djokovic (SRB), Rafael Nadal (ESP) and Roger Federer (SUI) will headline the men’s singles field for the 2021 US Open Tennis Championships, as their race for the men’s major singles title record and Djokovic’s pursuit of the first men’s ‘Calendar Grand Slam’ since 1969 take center stage.

No. 1 Djokovic, No. 3 Nadal and No. 9 Federer lead a US Open men’s singles field that features the Top 103 men in the world, including No. 6 and defending US Open champion Dominic Thiem (AUT), former US Open champions Stan Wawrinka (SUI) and Marin Cilic (CRO) and a Top-10 full of young challengers: No. 2 Daniil Medvedev (RUS), a 2019 US Open finalist; No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE), a 2021 French Open finalist; No. 5 Alexander Zverev (GER), a 2020 US Open finalist; No. 7 Andrey Rublev (RUS), second on the tour in wins this year; No. 8 Matteo Berrettini (ITA), a 2021 Wimbledon finalist; and No. 10 Denis Shapovalov (CAN), a 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist.

Djokovic, the singles champion at the Australian and French Opens and Wimbledon this year, will come into New York with a chance to be the third man in history to win all four major singles titles in the same year, following Australian Rod Laver in 1969 and American Don Budge in 1938. Djokovic is also entered into the singles field at the Tokyo Olympics, meaning should he win the Gold Medal in singles there, he would have the chance to join Steffi Graf (1988) as the only players to ever complete the ‘Golden Grand Slam.’

The 2021 US Open will be played Monday, August 30 to Sunday, September 12 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The US Open Men’s Singles Championship is presented by Chase.

Lucas Pouille (FRA), a 2016 US Open quarterfinalist ranked No. 103, is the last man to receive direct entry, while 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray (GBR), ranked No. 104, is currently the first player on the alternate list. Only Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) used a protected ranking (No. 96) to enter. Sixteen more players will gain entry through the US Open Qualifying Tournament, which will be held August 24-27.

Thirty-five countries are represented in the men’s entry list, with 10 Americans qualifying for direct entry: No. 32 Reilly Opelka (Palm Coast, Fla.) No. 37 Taylor Fritz (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), No. 39 John Isner (Greensboro, N.C./Dallas), No. 47 Sebastian Korda (Bradenton, Fla.), No. 53 Frances Tiafoe (Hyattsville, Md.), No. 54 Tommy Paul (Greenville, N.C.) No. 64 Marcos Giron (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), No. 70 Sam Querrey (Las Vegas), No. 82 Tennys Sandgren (Gallatin, Tenn.), No. 83 Steve Johnson (Orange, Calif.).

The July 19 edition of the ATP rankings was used to determine the US Open main draw entry list. Seeds will be determined and announced closer to the start of the event.

The 2021 US Open will mark the culmination of the US Open Series, the North American summer season of nine WTA and ATP Tour events that began last week in Newport, R.I.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

. 

Which Tennis Teams To Look Out For At Tokyo Olympics

by

Which Tennis Teams To Lookout For At The Tokyo Olympics

With the Olympic Games in Tokyo soon to start, people are starting to pay attention to which teams that are competing are likely to do well and which players are the ones to look out for. After the 2020 games were cancelled, there are many hopes pinned on various sporting events in this year’s Olympics and tennis is no exception.

Japan

With Naomi Osaka on their side, Japan is a team that people will definitely want to keep an eye on. Osaka is considered a favourite for a gold medal by many – quite an accolade, as the Tokyo Olympics is her debut. Osaka is well known for many reasons, although four Grand Slam Single wins certainly helps. She’s well-loved and respected for using her platform to raise awareness of issues she’s passionate about.

Serbia

Djokovic has a number of men’s tennis records under his belt and as such, he’s given Serbia a massive boost in the Tokyo Olympics ratings. His performance at Wimbledon this year was truly incredible. Former British men’s singles no.1 Andrew Castle rates the Serbian very highly. He said to sports betting site Betway: “I think I’ve seen the best tennis come from Novak’s racquet. He came to the party slightly after the [Federer & Nadal], but I think he might have been the most remarkable.” He’s clocked up some impressive stats including nine Australian Open Titles. That said, despite having 19 Grand Slam Titles and a bronze Olympic medal to his name he has yet to win gold – something that he will no doubt be keen to do this year.

Poland

Another name to look out for is Iga Swiatek who had an impressive tennis year in 2020. She’s the youngest player since 1992 to win the French Open and clearly has sports competition in her blood, as one of her parents is an Olympic rower. She’s won a doubles gold at the Youth Olympics in 2018 and will no doubt be going all out to win a gold medal this year.

Switzerland

2020 was a tough year for Roger Federer but that hasn’t stopped him from stepping up to the plate for Switzerland in this year’s Tokyo Olympics. He’s won medals in both the Beijing and the London Olympics, but seeing as he turns 40 during the Tokyo games he will no doubt be wanting to go home with another gold medal this year.

Tunisia

You might not think it but Tunisia are a team to watch this year – as Ons Jabeur has become the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final. She now ranks within the top 30 players in the world and as such, is a player to watch at this year’s games.

There will be people wondering whether the Olympics this year will attract any celebrities in the audience. After all, people like Andrew Caste found it a joy to cover Wimbledon this year, largely thanks to the number of tennis legends in the realm. Wimbledon this year even saw Andy Murray make a return to the game he loves so much. Although he didn’t win, it was a real joy watching him return and for many people a real highlight of the whole 2021 tournament. As for what the Tokyo Olympics tennis tournament will bring, no one can really say but they are definitely the teams to watch out for. 

2016 Olympic Medalists
2016 Olympic Medalists

Matteo Berrettini May Be Set for More Grand Slam Final Appearances

by

Wimbledon was a memorable tournament for Matteo Berrettini this year as he reached his first Grand Slam singles final. That may be the first of many appearances in major finals for the Italian who has a game which is improving fast.

The 25-year-old is now up to number eight in the world rankings. It has been an excellent few months for him on the ATP Tour. He showed his liking for the grass surface with victory at the Queen’s Club Championship prior to Wimbledon. He was the number one seed for that tournament and he showed why with some excellent performances.

The win in London was his first ATP 500 tournament success. It is unlikely to be his last grass-court title. It was maybe fitting that he defeated Andy Murray on the way to the trophy at Queen’s Club. The former Wimbledon champion has been one of the best grass-court players of the last decade but perhaps that baton has now been handed to the Italian.

Although he showcased his skills on grass well over the last two months, Berrettini will also be relishing the hard court season. He has had a lot of success on hard courts so there could be more titles in 2021.

Berrettini is 18/1 in the tennis betting to win the US Open in 2021, his next Grand Slam tournament opportunity. He reached the semi-final at Flushing Meadows in 2019 where he was beaten by the eventual winner Rafael Nadal.

Big Serve Is A Huge Weapon

The Wimbledon runner-up has developed one of the best serves on the ATP, which is helping him pick up a lot of points. Not only does it carry high pace, but his varied approach during the grass-court season made it difficult to read for his opponents.

Berrettini is much more than just his big serve. What it does do, though, is ensure he wins a lot of fast points. This takes the pressure off his service game and at the same time puts pressure on his opponent to follow.

Only Alexander Bablik has hit more aces in the men’s ATP Tour than Berrettini in 2021. The Italian was ranked 34th on the list in 2020 so that’s a clear sign of how he has worked on his serve and is getting the results for that work.

Experience Of Wimbledon Defeat Will Help

Berrettini will be hoping to follow Djokovic by winning his second Grand Slam final. The Serbian was beaten in his maiden major final when he lost in the 2007 US Open to Roger Federer. He did not wait long for his first success as he prevailed in the 2008 Australian Open.

The experience gained in that final against the world number one will help the man from Rome. He really pushed the 20-time Grand Slam winner in the opening stages, with the opening set going his way following a tie-breaker.

Berrettini now knows what to expect the next time he reaches a Grand Slam final. He was unlucky to bump into Djokovic at his best and he will be aware it was the toughest challenge in the sport at the moment.

We can expect to see a lot more of the Italian at the latter stages of big tournaments now. He is also one of the players most likely to win a maiden Grand Slam title next.

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini

Wild Card Entry Kevin Anderson Wins Hall of Fame Championships In Newport To Move To Direct-Entry Status For 2021 U.S. Open

by

Two-time Grand Slam finalist and former world No. 5 Kevin Anderson outlasted 20-year-old American Jenson Brooksby, 7-6(8), 6-4, to win the Hall of Fame Open ATP 250 on Sunday in Newport, R.I., to claim the first singles title of the 2021 US Open Series.

The title is the 35-year-old South African’s seventh and second at a US Open Series event, coming six years after winning the Winston-Salem Open in 2015. Anderson, a wild card entry into the event, came into the event ranked No. 113 and more or less guaranteed a direct entry into the 2021 U.S. Open with his performance in Newport this week. Brooksby was appearing in his first ATP Tour-level final and was the second-youngest finalist in the event’s 45 years, after 19-year-old Greg Rusedski won the title in 1993.

Brooksby, from Sacramento, Calif., is projected to rise to a career-high No. 126 in the world and No. 6 in the ‘Race to Milan’ for a spot in November’s eight-player Next Gen ATP Finals for players 20 and younger. Brooksby was the USTA Boys’ 18s National Champion in 2018 and is coached by Joseph Gilbert, who has twice been named USTA Player Development’s Team USA Developmental Coach of the Year (2013, 2018). 

Read more about Brooksby at USTA.com, ATPTour.com, Tennis.com and by Randy Walker here: .http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/17233

Americans Jack Sock and William Blumberg, a 2021 USTA Collegiate Team member and 2017 NCAA singles finalist at UNC, won the doubles title in Newport over American Olympian Austin Krajicek and Canadian Vasek Pospisil, 6-2, 7-6(3). 

The next event on the US Open Series calendar is the Truist Atlanta Open ATP 250 July 24-August 1. Five-time champion John Isner, rising Americans Reilly Opelka and Taylor Fritz, Nick Kyrgios, Grigor Dimitrov and Jannik Sinner headline the field in Atlanta, which will also feature a women’s exhibition between Kim Clijsters and Sloane Stephens. Tennis Channel and its streaming service Tennis Channel Plus will have week-long coverage.

# # #

About the US Open Series

The US Open Series serves as a true “regular season” of summer tennis in North America, linking nine WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. Featuring a cohesive weekly viewing schedule, as well as comprehensive outreach and grassroots engagement initiatives, the Series serves as a vital platform to promote and grow the game of tennis in person and at home. Fans can follow along all summer as today’s top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow’s emerging stars, while each tournament engages its local community with a variety of programs geared toward showcasing and promoting the game to new and existing fans.

Kevin Anderson
Kevin Anderson