World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

Carlos Alcaraz

China Open Champs Alcaraz, Gauff Share Forbidden Good Fortune

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Prior to the start of this year’s China Open Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff took time to explore the Chinese capital and made a visit to the Forbidden City dressed in traditional clothing.

Not only did the young superstars enjoy their first visit to the Forbidden City, they both came away with their first China Open title. Alcaraz defeated rival and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Wednesday in the longest men’s singles match (3:21) in China Open history and on Sunday, Gauff followed Alcaraz with her title performance by defeating Karolina Muchova in straight sets.

When asked in Sunday’s trophy ceremony by tournament emcee Dong Wang about the visit and told “perhaps it was meant to be that way,” Gauff said, “Carlos and I both went to the Forbidden City earlier this week and some one in press told me that it was going to bring me luck. And I said I don’t know, I don’t want to jinx it. Then Carlos won but at that time it was only the round of 16 for me. Yeah, I guess the Imperial Palace brought us luck and maybe I will pay a visit again next year and get the same luck.”

Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference, “It was a great experience being there. I couldn’t go around much last year. For me, it’s great to see the culture here in China, see different things. Being there [in the Forbidden City] was a great experience for me. I’m really happy to be back here again in Beijing.”

Photo credit: China Open

Carlos Alcaraz Beats Jannik Sinner In A Classic To Win China Open In Beijing

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Carlos Alcaraz won the last seven points of the match, streaking to seven successive points in a deciding final-set tie-break to beat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final of the China Open in Beijing.

The next generation of tennis greats – and perhaps the next great rivalry in men’s tennis – battled for well over three hours before Alcaraz finally prevailed 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

Having cruised into a 5-2 lead in the opening set, Alcaraz wobbled to allow defending champion Sinner to reel off four of the next five games to force a tie-break that the Italian won with three breaks of serve. An hour-long second set was settled in Alcaraz’s favor, but a topsy-turvy deciding set went the distance. Sinner breezed into a 3-0 lead in the final-set tie-breaker, only for Alcaraz to string together an extraordinary run of seven straight points to claim the crown.

The win for Alcaraz was his sixth in the 10 career meetings with Sinner. Alcaraz has won all three meetings in the 2024 season, also winning in the semifinals of Indian Wells and Roland Garros. Both young stars split the four Grand Slam tournament crows in 2024, Sinner winning the Australian and U.S. Opens and Alcaraz winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

The two played one of the great matches in U.S. Open history in 2022, as discussed here “Alcaraz – Sinner Post Script: Keep Late Night US Open Matches” https://youtu.be/esRmKjEr4EA?si=GDeHYxRLtC5lDTVZ via @YouTube

Team Europe Wins 2024 Laver Cup In Berlin

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Team Europe staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Team World 13-11 at the 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin, marking their first win in the tournament since 2021. Carlos Alcaraz was pivotal in securing the victory, first by winning a doubles match alongside Casper Ruud and then clinching the final singles match against Taylor Fritz with a 6-2, 7-5 victory.

Team World had led 8-4 after the second day, with standout performances by Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. However, Europe’s resurgence began with Alcaraz and Ruud’s doubles win, followed by Alexander Zverev’s thrilling singles victory over Tiafoe, setting up Alcaraz’s deciding win against Fritz.

Despite strong efforts from Team World, including Shelton’s win over Daniil Medvedev, they couldn’t hold off Europe’s surge on the final day   .

The Laver Cup, first held in 2017, is an annual men’s tennis team competition that pits Team Europe against Team World in a Ryder Cup-style format. Named after Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the event was co-founded by Roger Federer and his management company, Team8. The aim was to create a unique tennis experience, focusing on teamwork and sportsmanship, qualities less emphasized in traditional, individual tournaments.

The format features six players on each team, with Team Europe consisting of the best European players and Team World including players from other continents. Matches are played over three days, with singles and doubles encounters. Points awarded increase each day, making the final day crucial for securing victory. The first team to reach 13 points out of a possible 24 wins the Cup.

The inaugural event took place in Prague, where Team Europe, captained by Björn Borg, defeated Team World under the leadership of John McEnroe. The tournament has since rotated between venues in Europe and other parts of the world, such as Chicago, Boston, and Vancouver.

One of the Laver Cup’s biggest draws is the camaraderie and rivalry between players who typically compete against each other on the ATP Tour but come together for this team-based competition. Notable moments include Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal teaming up for doubles and emotional appearances from rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz, who led Europe to victory in 2024 after several years of Team World dominance  .

Though initially viewed by some as an exhibition event, the Laver Cup has gained prestige over the years, attracting top-ranked players and growing in popularity with fans. Its success is partly due to the involvement of tennis legends and the unique team dynamic, which offers a fresh contrast to the traditional tennis calendar.

Perceptions of the Laver Cup are generally positive, especially for its innovative format and star-studded lineups. Fans appreciate the unique team-based approach, where Team Europe faces Team World, offering a fresh dynamic compared to traditional tennis tournaments. The event showcases camaraderie among top players, which is rarely seen in individual competitions. However, some critics argue that the Laver Cup lacks the prestige and history of major tournaments, seeing it more as an exhibition event. Overall, it draws excitement for its high-quality tennis and festive atmosphere.

Greg Sharko’s “Shark Bites” In Advance Of The China Open In Beijing

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by Greg Sharko

@SharkoTennis

The following are notes and nuggets on the upcoming China Open in Beijing!

* This is the second year back for the tournament after a four-year hiatus and is the only combined ATP and WTA tournament in the four-week Asian swing. The WTA event runs over 12 days from Sept. 25-Oct. 6 and the ATP event is one week from Sept. 26-Oct. 2.

* Last year the tournament drew over 200,000 spectators as Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner won their first title in Beijing.

* There are valuable ranking points at stake with 1,000 and 500 awarded to the WTA and ATP champions, respectively, as it’s the home stretch to the year-end Finals for both tours.

* This is the first year the WTA tournament is a 96-player 1000-level mandatory event featuring all of the top player on the WTA Tour. Swiatek leads No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka by 409 points in the Race to the WTA Finals standings and for the year-end No. 1 ranking.

* The ATP tournament is 500-level event featuring five of the Top 6 players (and 6 of the Top 10). Leading the field is World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 2 Alexander Zverev (after the USO), No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and No. 6 Andrey Rublev. Last year Sinner defeated Medvedev in the final as both players were making their Beijing debut (along with Alcaraz, who reached the semifinals). Sinner, who came into Beijing a year ago ranked No. 7, finished 20-2. He is 55-5 this year with an ATP Tour-best 6 titles.

* With Sinner and Alcaraz accounting for all four Grand Slam titles this season, this marks the first time in China Open history (since 2004) that all four Grand Slam winners are competing in Beijing.  It’s also the first time since 1993 that all four Grand Slam tournament champions in a season are 23 years old & under.

* Chinese tennis is on the rise with the success of Qinwen Zheng capturing the Olympic gold medal (8 Chinese women were in the US Open main draw for the 2nd time, 2019) and three Chinese men were in the US Open main draw. Teenager Juncheng Shang reached the 3rd Round and it’s the third straight year a Chinese man has advanced to the US Open 3rd Round.

* Co-tournament director Lars Graff is a former ATP chair umpire and ATP supervisor.

Sorry Carlos Alcaraz, John McEnroe – When The Dutch Pulled Major Second Round U.S. Open Upsets

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

A player from the Netherlands pulled a shocking second round upset at the U.S. Open.

This was true at the 2024 U.S. Open – as well as 35 years earlier almost exactly to the day at the 1989 U.S. Open.

Of course, reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was shockingly upset in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, but, ironically 35 years earlier, minus one day, another aspiring Dutch player registered a seismic U.S. Open upset.

On August 31, 1989, Paul Haarhuis, a qualifier ranked No. 114 in the world, wearing old, scuffed and dirty shoes, upset four-time U.S. Open champion and No. 4 seeded John McEnroe 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round.

“It’s one thing if the guy plays really well,” said McEnroe after the match, two years after returning to tennis after an eight-month break from tennis. “It’s harder to take if I play as poorly as I did. This is a tough one to take. I worked to get to No. 4 in the world, then to lose to a guy I hadn’t seen play before is pretty bad. I expected more from myself.”

Said Haarhuis after his upset, “I was loose. There was no pressure on me to win. All I had to do was go out and play good tennis. And it’s a great feeling to beat a great player like John McEnroe.”

Haarhuis and McEnroe were both in the stadium court of the U.S. Open exactly 35 years later minus one day on August 30, 2024, albeit in the 23,000 seat Arthur Ashe Stadium rather than the then 20,000 seat Louis Armstrong Stadium, which was then the main court at the U.S. Open.

Haarhuis was in the player box for van de Zandshulp during his upset over the No. 3 seeded Alcaraz as the Davis Cup captain for the Netherlands. McEnroe called the match for ESPN in the TV booth above the court. He spoke of his loss to Haarhuis during the broadcast saying “He’s the only guy I lost to who I had never heard of.”

While Haarhuis was a qualifier ranked No. 114, van de Zandshulp was ranked No. 74 and had a bit more pedigree, having reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open (as a qualifier coincidentally) in 2021 and reached a career-high ranking of No. 22.

“I don’t know what to say right now,” said Alcaraz after the match. “I mean, first of all, I think he played great. He played really good tennis. I thought he was going to give me more points. I’m going to say more free points, you know. He didn’t make a lot of mistakes that I thought he was going to do. So I was, you know, confusing a little bit. I didn’t know how to manage that, how to deal with it. I couldn’t increase my level. I think my level stayed at the same point all the match, and it wasn’t enough to win the match or to give myself the chance to getting into the match or trying to give myself chances. So, you know, what can I say? I didn’t feel well hitting the ball. I think I made a lot of mistakes. When I wanted to come back or I think I wanted to come back, it was too late.”

Carlos Alcaraz photo (Garrett Ellwood/USTA)

Three Observations From Olympic Tennis At Roland Garros

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by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The tennis competition at the Paris Olympic Games was one of the best ever.

The nine-day event featured riveting matches, packed crowds and star players playing sizzling tennis while showing off incredible emotions while competing for their nations. The event was historic in that it featured the career swan songs for future Hall of Famers Andy Murray and Angie Kerber and likely Rafael Nadal, while Novak Djokovic completed his career Golden Grand Slam with his gold medal performance. (And Sara Errani did it too with her doubles gold alongside Jasmine Paolini.) And, to boot, it was played at some of the great sporting venues in the world, Roland Garros, the site of the French Open every year.

There are three other things that stood out for me in particular at Olympic tennis in Paris that I outline below.

  1. “Olympic Crowds” Should Be A New Term (Replacing Davis Cup Crowd) – The crowds at Olympic tennis were amazing. Flag were flying everywhere, and even flags of countries not represented in the matches they were watching, as Rennae Stubbs talked about while broadcasting the match on Peacock. With flags, chants, singing and exurberant cheering, the atmosphere at Olympic tennis was top-notch. There was a time during the event where I was going to tweet / post on X that the crowds there are like Davis Cup crowds. However, since Davis Cup has dropped in visibility and atmosphere since the ITF changed the format that causes for more neutral matches, that atmosphere has suffered so the term “Davis Cup crowd” or “Davis Cup atmosphere” is pretty much gone. From now on, we should refer it to “Olympic Tennis atmosphere.”
  • Let’s See More Doubles – More doubles matches where showcased and received more attention at the Olympics than all four Grand Slam tournaments combined. Of course, you had exciting teams like Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz and also Andy Murray and Dan Evans and Tommy Paul with Taylor Fritz, but also teams of doubles specialists like eventual gold medalists John Peers and Matt Ebden and silver medalists Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek. It’s clear that winning Olympic doubles – and even just medaling in Olympic tennis – rates higher than a major championship. Same can be said for mixed doubles. As I said on my video version of this article here https://youtu.be/vfyfYfNsKQc?si=hGWB-43PfXQqfbWY The ATP, WTA and the Grand Slams should look into ways at getting more star players (ie singles players) to play in the doubles to add star power and excitement to that discipline. I have suggested many times that doubles and mixed doubles at majors should start after the second round of singles, as you can see me discuss here https://youtu.be/3fGp1JzwEsM?si=CZvWMyyaWiuVvIES and read about here https://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/21267 and the same for mixed doubles, as I wrote about here https://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/23464 The Olympic doubles matches were riveting and gave tennis fans and amateur players (who mostly play doubles) more a look at what top-level doubles looks like because it is seldom on TV or played on feature courts at events.
  • Olympic Match Tiebreakers Are Awesome – Your Olympic life hangs in the balance when you split sets and a 10-point tiebreaker decides if you are still alive for Gold or if you start dreaming about Los Angeles in 2028. I tweeted out during the Games that Olympic doubles match tiebreakers was the most exciting thing in tennis. I am a pretty jaded tennis fan as I have seen A LOT of tennis in my day, but I found myself screaming in excitement at some of the match tiebreakers at Olympic tennis – and without really a big rooting interest! In mixed doubles, nine of 16 matches where decided in match tiebreakers. The doubles silver medalists, Zhizhen Zhang & Wang Xinyu, played match tiebreakers in all four of their matches in Paris. Many players who wouldn’t normally play doubles or mixed doubles will enter two of the three or all three (like Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff did, for example) so they really want to win a medal which makes losing a match tiebreaker that much more devastating and making it that much more exciting for fans. In men’s doubles, 10 of the 32 matches where decided by match tiebreakers while nine of 32 matches had match tiebreakers in women’s doubles. All the gold medal matches in doubles where decided in match tiebreakers. The doubles silver medalists, Zhizhen Zhang & Wang Xinyu played match tiebreakers in all four of their matches in Paris.

“The Best Two-Set Match I Have Ever Seen” – Steve Flink On Novak Djokovic – Carlos Alcaraz Olympic Final

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The authority on the greatest tennis matches of all time is Steve Flink, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame member and author of the book “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” (for sale and download here: https://a.co/d/c9XF9no)

After the sensational Novak Djokovic versus Carlos Alcaraz Olympic gold medal match in Paris won by Djokovic 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2), I had to check in with Flink to get his thoughts and perspective on what the tennis world just witnessed.

Considering the significance of this contest, it was easily the best two set match I have ever seen in 60 years of watching top flight tennis,” said Flink at the start of his email response to me.

The following is the rest of Flink’s response in full, written with the prose that tennis fans have enjoyed for decades and could very well be part of a future book in itself.

“This was the final of the Olympic Games with two of the top three players in the world going for the gold, and both players produced a scintillating match from beginning to end. To fight the way they did across two stirring sets and play at the lofty level they did with so much on the line was astounding. They have never played a match remotely like it.

This was their seventh meeting and they have had some astounding showdowns. The five set Wimbledon final that Carlos won last year was a beauty, and their four hour epic in Cincinnati when Novak came from match point down in the second set tie-break to win in a third set breaker was another gem. But the standard from beginning to end in this Olympic duel was nothing short of stupendous. Neither man broke serve in the match, although Carlos had eight break points and Novak had six. 

But fittingly it all came down to Djokovic prevailing in a pair of tie-breaks. He is the game’s greatest tie-break performer ever, and his ability to produce his best under pressure was fully on display in these two sequences. In the first set tie-break, the score was tied at 3-3 but Djokovic swept four points in a row, starting that run with a beautifully angled forehand return winner and ending it with a forehand drop volley winner. The second set tie-break pattern was similar. In that one it was 2-2 and Djokovic took five points in a row to close out an incredibly hard fought 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) victory.

This was the one missing link from the Djokovic glittering resume. He already had his men’s record of 24 majors, but, having never even made the final in four previous appearances at the Olympic Games, this was one of the most important matches of his career. Alcaraz, too., was eager to keep winning when it counted. He had won the last two Grand Slam events, taking the first on the same court at Roland Garros, winning over Djokovic for the second year in a row at Wimbledon. These two men were magnificent on the red clay at Roland Garros. Alcaraz was his usual spectacular self with his wide range of talent, his explosiveness and his incomparable drop shots. Djokovic was his typical sturdy self with unrelenting depth off both sides and the willingness to attack when it mattered. But, above all else, he had one of his great serving days, winning 78% of his first serve points in the match and earning free points with regularity.

Alcaraz gave a first rate performance in defeat and Djokovic played his match of the year to win. It was also one of the finest performances of  Djokovic’s career. To defeat a great champion 16 years his junior so soon after a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) drubbing in the Wimbledon final was proof once more than the 37-year-old Djokovic is a supreme competitor who knows better than anyone else how to bring out his best when he is most motivated and the stakes are exceedingly high. 

Novak Djokovic “Completes All The Records” With Historic Olympic Gold Medal Win

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

It was the one missing piece in the puzzle in career in Novak Djokovic.

But in a dazzling display of tenaciousness and shot-making in what may be considered the greatest two-set tennis match of all time, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(2), 7-6 (3) to win the Olympic gold medal in the Paris Olympics, the one big title that Djokovic had not won in his career.

“Overwhelmed with everything that I’m feeling right now, feelings of different emotions, of course, positive. Too proud. Too happy. Thrilled with the possibility to fight for a gold and to win a gold for the first time in my career for my country. Arguably, the biggest success I ever had,” said Djokovic to Peacock TV reporter Brittany Eurton moments after his victory. “Of course, I won everything that is to win, probably, in my individual career, but winning Davis Cup and particularly gold medal at Olympic Games for Serbia at age 37 is unprecedented.”

“I’m super grateful for the blessing to win a historic gold medal for my country to complete the Golden Slam, to complete all the records,” he continued.

The winner of 24 career major singles titles, a record among men, the man from Serbia had yet to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games as he entered his fifth career Olympiad this year. The “Career Golden Grand Slam” had only been won by two other men, Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal, and two women, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams, since tennis returned to the Olympic program in 1988. It was the main focus for Djokovic for years, who holds an immense pride playing for his country.

Djokovic tripped near the finish line three previous times, losing Olympic semifinals in 2008 to Nadal, in 2012 to Andy Murray and in 2021 to Alexander Zverev (all the eventual Gold Medalists). He also tripped at the starting line in 2016, falling in the first round of the event to eventual silver medalist Juan Martin del Potro.

Djokovic entered the 2024 Olympic Games on shaky ground, having not won a tournament all year (having won 98 in his career previously) while also having to undergo knee surgery after an injury in his fourth round match at the French Open, causing him to withdraw from the tournament. His status for Wimbledon and the Olympics were in doubt but a miraculous recovery helped him compete in both, losing to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final and winning the Gold over Alcaraz in Paris.

“It’s a staggering achievement considering his fitness level this year and the fact he hadn’t won one tournament this year,” said Mary Carillo on the Peacock TV coverage of the final. “It’s the only hole in his resume and it’s filled.”

“He’s the greatest tennis player we have ever seen play this game,” said Rennae Stubbs on Peacock “For him to finally to get this reward of a gold medal. There is no one more deserving  of singles gold medal at the Olympics, his fifth attempt at doing so. He loves his country so, so much.”

“There was no tournament, no victory that was going to be more important to Novak Djokovic this year than this one,” Stubbs continued. “He has own every Grand Slam title. He holds the record for the most. There is nothing more important than what he has done today.”

In addition to all four major singles titles and now the Olympics, Djokovic has also won all nine of the elite “Masters 1000” level events on the ATP Tour, the only man to do so, as well as the year-end ATP World Tour Finals championship. He also led Serbia for the Davis Cup title in 2010.

How Does The Strength of the 2024 Olympic Field Compare With Previous Years?

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

One of the annual storylines entering the Olympic tennis competition is who is playing and who is skipping. Even though the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris marks 36 years since tennis we re-introduced the Olympic program, there are still some players who don’t fully embrace Olympic tennis.

Each player who elects not to play has their specific reason, whether it be wanting to prepare differently for the U.S. Open, wanting to focus on ranking goals (there are no ranking points at Olympic tennis currently) and take advantage of weaker fields at tour events during the Olympic tennis competition. There are also sometimes disagreements with their National Governing Body or political reasons. In the cases of Tokyo in 2021, there were fears of COVID lingering and the long travel to Japan in advance of the U.S. Open. There was some concern about the Zika virus in Brazil for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janiero.  

For the 2024 Paris Games, some were concerned with the change of surfaces over a short period of time, going from the grass at Wimbledon, to the clay of the Olympics at Roland Garros and then back to the hard courts leading into the U.S. Open. Also for the 2024 Games, there is the difficult political situation of Russia and Belarus not being represented as nations, due to their invasion of and war with Ukraine.

For the 2024 Games, the strength of the men’s and women’s singles fields were about average for Top 10 and Top 20 players. The following are the stats for the 2024 Games and below that are the stats of strength of fields for all previous Olympic tennis competitions.

The 2024 Olympics featured an larger than usual number of players who originally wanted to play the Olympics, but suffered injuries that prevented them from playing, or at least playing singles.

Read all about the history and records of Olympic tennis in my ebook “The Olympic Tennis Fact Book: Second Edition” here https://a.co/d/bZ1ixoc via @Amazon

MEN

5 of top 10 men played (Missing: No. 1 Jannik Sinner (injured), No. 6 Alex DeMinaur (injured but played doubles), No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz (injured), No. 8 Andrey Rublev (chose not to play), No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov (chose not to play)

If all were healthy, then eight of the top 10 would have played.

13 of the top 20 men played (Also missing: No. 14 Ben Shelton (chose not to play), No. 17 Holger Rune (injured)

If all were healthy, then 17 of top 20 players would have played.

WOMEN

7 of top 10 women played (Missing: No. 2 Elena Rybakina (injured), No. 4 Aryna Sabalenka (chose not to play), No. 10 Daria Kasatkina (chose not to play)

If Rybakina was healthy, it would be eight of the 10 in the field. Sabalenka and Kasatkina hail from Belarus and Russia, both whose nations are not represented at the Games in Paris.

14 of the top 20 women played (Also missing: No. 12 Anna Kalinskaya (chose not to play), No. 16 Madison Keys (chose not to play), No. 20 Vika Azarenka (chose not to play))

A look at the missing top players from fields from the previous Olympics can be found below.

MEN

1988 Olympics

2 of top 10 men played (Missing: No. 1 Mats Wilander, No. 2 Ivan Lendl, No. 4 Andre Agassi, No. 5 Boris Becker, No. 6 Kent Carlsson, No. 7 Pat Cash, No. 8 Yannick Noah, No. 9 Jimmy Connors)

7 of top 20 in the field (Also Missing: No. 13 Thomas Muster, No. 14 Guillermo Perez-Roldan, No. 15 Aaron Krickstein, No. 18 Jonas B. Svensson, No. 20 Andres Gomez)

1992 Olympics

8 of top 10 played (Missing: No. 7 Petr Korda, No. 8 Andre Agassi)

11 of top 20 men played (Also missing were Americans who could not crack the line-up, such as No. 12 Ivan Lendl, No. 14 Aaron Krickstein, No. 16 Brad Gilbert, No. 17 Mal Washington, No. 18 John McEnroe as well as No. 11 Carlos Costa and No. 15 Richard Krajicek)

1996 Olympics

3 of top 10 played (Missing: No. 1 Pete Sampras, No. 2 Thomas Muster, No. 3 Michael Chang, No. 4 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, No. 5 Boris Becker, No. 8 Richard Krajicek, No. 9 Jim Courier)

9 of top 20 in the field (Also Missing: No. 12 Marcelo Rios, No. 14 Michael Stich, No. 18 Cedric Pioline, No. 16 Todd Martin

2000 Olympics

7 out of 10 played (Missing: No. 1 Pete Sampras, No. 5 Andre Agassi, No. 6 Thomas Enqvist)

14 out of 20 in the field (Also Missing: No. 14 Cedric Pioline, No. 16 Nico Lapentti, No. 18 Mariano Puerta)

2004 Olympics

5 out of 10 played (Missing: No. 3 Guillermo Coria, No. 7 Andre Agassi, No. 8 Lleyton Hewitt, No. 9 David Nalbandian, No. 10 Gaston Gaudio)

15 of top 20 (All players ranked No. 11 to No. 20 played in the tournament)

2008 Olympics

9 out of top 10 played (Missing: No. 9 Andy Roddick)

15 out of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 11 Richard Gasquet, No. 12 Fernando Verdasco, No. 16 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 17 Ivo Karlovic)

2012 Olympics

9 out of top 10 played (Missing: No. 3 Rafael Nadal)

15 out of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 13 Mardy Fish, No. 17 Alex Dolgoplov, No. 19 Marcel Granollers (played doubles only) No. 20 Gael Monfils)

2016 Olympics

5 of the top 10 played (Missing: No. 3 Roger Federer, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, No. 6 Milos Raonic, No. 8 Tomas Berdych, No. 9 Dominic Thiem)

11 of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 15 Richard Gasquet, No. 16 Nick Kyrgios, No. 18 Feliciano Lopez, No. 20 Ivo Karlovic)

2020 Olympics

5 of top 10 (Missing No. 3 Rafael Nadal, No. 6 Dominic Thiem, No. 8 Matteo Berrettini, No. 9 Roger Federer, No. 10 Denis Shapovalov)

10 of top 20 (Also Missing: No. 14 Casper Ruud, No. 16 Bautista Agut, No. 17 Alex de Minaur, No. 19 Cristian Garin, No. 20 David Goffin)

WOMEN

1988 Olympics

8 of top 10 played (Missing: No. 2 Martina Navratilova and No. 10 Lori McNeil)

14 of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 11 Barbara Potter, No. 14 Hana Mandlikova, No. 15 Mary Joe Fernandez, No. 16 Stephanie Rehe)

Martina Navratilova chose not play in the Olympics, but had been representing the United States in Fed Cup and had been an American citizen since 1981. Lori McNeil, ranked No. 10, could not crack the U.S. team line-up since Chris Evert, Zina Garrison and Pam Shriver were ranked ahead of her, as well as No. 11 Barbara Potter, No. 15 Mary Joe Fernandez and No. 16 Stephanie Rehe)

1992 Olympics

7 of the top 10 played (Missing: No. 1 Monica Seles, No. 3 Gabriela Sabatini, No. 4 Martina Navratilova)

16 of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 17 Amy Frazier)

1996 Olympics

8 out of top 10 played (Missing: co-No. 1 Steffi Graf, No. 7 Chanda Rubin)

14 out of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 15 Barbara Paulus, No. 18 Meredith McGrath, No. 19 Irina Spirlea, No. 20 Julie Halard)

2000 Olympics

6 out of top 10 played (Missing: No. 1 Martina Hingis, No. 4 Mary Pierce, No. 7 Nathalie Tauziat, No. 8 Serena Williams (doubles only!)

10 out of 20 played (Also Missing: No. 11 Sandrine Testud, No. 13 Anna Kournikova, No. 16 Chanda Rubin, No. 18 Jennifer Capriati, No. 19 Amy Frazier, No. 20 Julie Halard)

2004 Olympics

5 out of top 10 played (Missing No. 4 Lindsay Davenport, No. 5 Kim Clijsters, No. 7 Jennifer Capriati, No. 8 Maria Sharapova, No. 9 Vera Zvonareva)

13 out of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 11 Serena Williams, No. 19 Elena Bovina)

2008 Olympics

7 out of top 10 played (Missing: No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, No. 4 Maria Sharapova, No. 10 Anna Chakvetadze)

15 of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 13 Marion Bartoli, No. 17 Nadia Petrova)

2012 Olympics

9 out of the top 10 played (Missing: No. 10 Marion Bartoli)

17 out top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 16 Kaia Kanepi, No. 18 Andrea Petkovic)

2016 Olympics

8 of the top 10 played (Missing: No. 4 Simona Halep, No. 7 Vika Azarenka)

16 out of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 11 Dominika Cibulkova, No. 17 Karolina Pliskova)

2020 Olympics

7 of the top 10 played (Missing: No. 4 Sofia Kenin, No. 5 Bianca Andreescu, No. 10 Simona Halep)

15 of top 20 played (Also Missing: No. 14 Vika Azarenka, No. 16 Serena Williams)

In men’s tennis, the weakest Olympic fields came in 1988 and in 1996

In 1988, the men’s singles field only featured two top 10 players – No. 3-ranked Stefan Edberg and No. 10 Tim Mayotte. Missing from the event were world No. 1 Mats Wilander, No. 2 Ivan Lendl, No. 4 Andre Agassi, No. 5 Boris Becker, No. 6 Kent Carlsson, No. 7 Pat Cash, No. 8 Yannick Noah and No. 9 Jimmy Connors. Mayotte, the second-highest ranked entrant, went on to win the silver medal, losing to No. 12 Miloslav Mecir in the gold medal match. Edberg shared bronze with No. 17 Brad Gilbert.

In 1996, the men’s singles field featured only three of the top 10 – No. 6 Andre Agassi as the No. 1 seed and eventual gold medalist, No. 7 Goran Ivanisevic and No. 10 Thomas Enqvist. Missing from the Atlanta Games were No. 1 Pete Sampras, No. 2 Thomas Muster, No. 3 Michael Chang, No. 4 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, No. 5 Boris Becker, No. 8 Richard Krajicek and No. 9 Jim Courier did not participate. Only nine of the world’s top 20 ranked men played in Atlanta.

In women’s tennis, the weakest Olympic fields came in 2004 in Athens when only five of the top 10 ranked women participated. Lindsay Davenport, the world No. 4, did not play in Athens along with No. 5 Kim Clijsters, No. 7 Jennifer Capriati, No. 8 Maria Sharapova and No. 9 Vera Zvonareva. Adding the absence of No. 11 Serena Williams and the No. 19 Elena Bovina and a total of seven of the top 20 women were absent from the 2004 Games.

It is interesting to note that actually fewer top 20 women played in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 when only 10 of the top 20 played, however, four of the top 20 players, Chanda Rubin at No. 16, Jennifer Capriati at No. 18 and Amy Frazier at No. 19, could not play because the U.S. team was already filled with top 10 stars Venus Williams, Monica Seles and Lindsay Davenport and No. 8 ranked Serena Williams only qualified in doubles.

Novak Djokovic Was No Match For Carlos This Time At Wimbledon

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BY JAMES BECK

Novak Djokovic can still hit a big serve at times, hit great forehands and backhands, make a pretty drop shot or certainly put away volleys most of the times. That’s if the guy on the other side of the net isn’t Carlos Alcaraz.

But Djokovic was only a shadow of his old image this time.

That was the way Sunday’s Wimbledon final went.

NO RABIT IN NOVAK’S HAT

Nevertheless, there was hope by the fans and some of the TV gang for Djokovic to pull a rabbit out of his hat when Alcaraz gave Novak another chance to make things interesting for the Novak fans.

And gave is the right word.

After Alcaraz took a quick 40-0 triple match point while serving with a 5-4 lead in the third set, he committed a double fault and four errors in succession to practically hand Djokovic the key to the set. But Novak wouldn’t accept the chance, even though Alcaraz missed a pair of lines and Novak won two other points in the best-of-seven tiebreaker. Alcaraz turned up the heat again and came away with a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory for his second straight Wimbledon championship and fourth Grand Slam  title.

DJOKOVIC NEARS THE END?

With a record 24 Grand Slam titles maybe Novak might consider following Roger (Federer) and Rafa (Nadal) to the sidelines.

Alcaraz is just too good, having won a Grand Slam on all of the three surfaces, even the hard courts of New York. Only Djokovic’s favorite, the Australian Open, stands in Carlos’ way of a career Grand Slam.

It could happen possibly early next year Down Under. And the magic wand-owning Spaniard is still only 21 years old.

A WIN FOR THE AGES?

Yes, this one would go down as an easy win for the ages if Alcaraz had taken advantage of his 6-2, 6-2, 5-4 (40-0) lead against Djokovic.

The win still came fairly easy. It just wasn’t the 37-year-old Serbian great’s day.

Djokovic can take it easy and forget this loss. He still has seven Wimbledon titles and a record 24 Grand Slam titles.

The only questions are: Will Alcaraz remain so great on the court and healthy for the next 15 years or so?

And is there another magic man out there getting ready to step into his shoes one of these days?

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic Wouldn’t Yield In Wimbledon Semifinals

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BY JAMES BECK

Carlos Alcaraz seemed to be on his own against a vastly improved Daniil Medvedev. The defending Wimbledon champion appeared to be out of tricks.

And Medvedev sensed it.

Alcaraz still scored a 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Medvedev. It may look rather easy on paper, but there was nothing easy about Alcaraz’s victory. The young Spaniard just came through when he needed it to advance to what he hopes will lead to his fifth Grand Slam title.

MEDVEDEV APPLIED ENDLESS PRESSURE

Medvedev was always there, ready to pounce on any mistake by Alcaraz. But mistakes didn’t happen that often after Medvedev took the first set in a tie-breaker.

Alcaraz hadn’t served that well in the first set that Medvedev had taken in a tiebreaker. But it was a different story once Alcaraz found the mark on his serves. He just kept holding service until the match was his.

Remember, he’s only 21 years old. But now he faces someone in this Wimbledon final almost twice as old in 37-year-old Novak Djokovic.

NOVAK DIDN’T LET INJURED KNEE STOP HIM

Early in the match, Djokovic looked like he might have problems against Lorenzo Musetti. He appeared to have a slight limp in the right knee that was covered by a band. Of course, it’s been less than six months since Novak underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in that knee.

Djokovic didn’t always chase after balls in situations where his service game wasn’t in jeopardy. He just hit winners when the opportunities came along, and his serve was always ready to win a point, a game or the match.

MUSETTI WASN’T THE SAME

Young 25th seed Musetti had been so strong and talented in his quarterfinal upset of Taylor Fritz. The 22-year-old Italian had looked like he might be a threat to the likes of Djokovic and Alcaraz in the last two rounds in London.

Musetti appeared to be able to run down everything against the speedy Fritz, until Fritz seemed to grow tired in a fifth set that Musetti won easily.

The Italian wasn’t the same against Djokovic.

Djokovic was just too good and too consistent to allow Musetti to stop his bid for another title.

NOVAK THE VIOLINIST

The setting was completely different this time with Djokovic looking questionable at the start. But Musetti could hardly push Djokovic, and ended up losing by a 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-4. Once Novak charged through the second set tiebreaker, dropping only two points, Musetti couldn’t get back into the match.

And then Novak came out pretending to play a violin on his racket for his precious 6-year-old daughter Tara, whom Novak said has been learning to play the violin for about six months.

Some fans apparently didn’t like this, but then there probably were others who became Novak Djokovic fans. Novak obviously is a great guy and dad these days.

After all, Novak has just played his 97th Wimbledon match, and he’s hoping in his 37th Grand Slam final to tie Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Daniil Medvedev Maybe Could Have Been Defaulted From His Wimbledon Semifinal With Carlos Alcaraz

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Could Daniil Medvedev been thrown out of Wimbledon in the first set of his semifinal match against Carlos Alcaraz?

It appears there was at least some discussion about it.

Midway through the first set, Medvedev was running for a short ball and, in the opinion of chair umpire Eva Asderaki, he did not get to before the second bounce and it was not up. (Replays of the shot concluded the ball did hit the ground twice) Medvedev angrily protested the call and appeared to have used so direct choice language towards Asderaki, allegedly at least the “F” word directed at Asderaki.

On the changeover, there was discussion between Asdareki with Wimbledon referee Denise Parnell and Grand Slam supervisor Wayne McKewen and Grand Slam officials, likely discussing what she heard said to her and how to interpret it and discuss what the penalty should be. This is described here: https://talksport.com/sport/1959873/daniil-medvedev-unsportsmanlike-behaviour-wimbledon-umpire-supervisor/

I suggested on X/Twitter that, based on the circumstances (the first set of a Wimbledon semifinal) that it would have to be something really terrible for a default to happen at that point in this circumstance with a full stadium of people who spent, by reports, as much as $5,000-plus per ticket, as well as millions watching around the world. James Blake of ESPN, also the tournament director of the Miami Open and who brought up a possible default in the broadcast, responded to my comments saying “Depends on what was said. That’s the judgment call and I don’t think it should be influenced by the round or event. Rules should be consistent.”

This is true but, as many know, it is an unfair world and there are people and circumstances that are not treated equally, such as top-ranked player getting to play matches under the Wimbledon roof and have extra days off and more rest because of their status. Or higher-ranked players receiving byes in certain tournaments as well as extra badges and passes for their coaches/teams, extra preferences for practice courts, etc. It has to be a clear and obvious, vile and disgusting, over the top violation for a default to happen in that circumstance, which was the first instance, in a circumstance that lasted about five seconds. Novak Djokovic getting defaulted in the fourth round of the 2020 U.S. Open for hitting a ball that hit and injured a linesperson was such a case, and he was, rightfully, defaulted.

At the 2009 U.S. Open, in a semifinal match between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters, Williams was called for a foot fault and said vile and threatening things to the linesperson (perhaps similar to what Medvedev said to Asdareki). The linesperson then reported what Williams said to her to the chair umpire, who reported it to the U.S. Open referee, who agreed that a code violation would be issued. However, it was the second code violation of the match and thus Williams was given a point penalty and it just happened to be match point for Clijsters, so the match was then over.

No one wants to be called a “Fxxx Bxxxx” in any circumstance and the tennis world is a professional workplace. How would one react if you were called this in your professional workplace by a co-worker or by a superior? You certainly would be at the very least called into the Human Resources Department. I’ve always said in casual conversations that chair umpires should be treated like judges in a court room and should only be addressed as “your honor.” It wasn’t until the era of Ilie Nastase, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors in the 1970s when chair umpires were treated with a degree of disrespect, but became part of the vernacular or culture of how tennis was perceived.

Asderaki is one of the best chair umpires and she did the right thing to report what she heard Medvedev say to her superiors (McKewen and Parnell). As bad what was allegedly said by Medvedev to Asderaki, it’s my view that the one incident didn’t deserve a default, and that was the wise decision made by officials, but it was diligent of Asderaki to report it. Medvedev received a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct and will likely get a fine. Had another incident happened later in the match, Medvedev would subject to a point penalty and potential game penalties and default had the bad behavior continued.

Medvedev eventually lost the match 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and as Chris Fowler pointed out on ESPN, Medvedev did shake Asderaki’s hand following the match.

According to the Grand Slam Rule Book, the ruling on “Audible Obscenity” is as follows….

K. AUDIBLE OBSCENITY

Players shall not use audible obscenity within the precinct of the tournament site.  Violation of this Section shall subject a player to a fine up to $50,000 for each violation. In addition, if such violation occurs during a match (including the warmup), the player shall be penalised in accordance with the Point Penalty Schedule hereinafter set forth. In circumstances that are flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a tournament, or are singularly egregious, a single violation of this Section shall also constitute the Major Offence of “Aggravated Behaviour” and shall be subject to the additional penalties hereinafter set forth.

For the purposes of this Rule, audible obscenity is defined as the use of words commonly known and understood to be profane and uttered clearly and loudly enough to be heard by the Chair Umpire, spectators, Line Umpires or Ball persons.

What Medvedev allegedly said, however, was more than an audible obscenity, but is more along the lines of Verbal Abuse, which is defined in the Grand Slam Rule Book as follows.

VERBAL ABUSE

Players shall not at any time directly or indirectly verbally abuse any official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or other person within the precincts of the tournament site. Violation of this section shall subject a player to a fine up to $50,000 for each violation. In addition, if such violation occurs during a match (including the warmup), the player shall be penalised in accordance with the Point Penalty Schedule hereinafter set forth. In circumstances that are flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a tournament, or are singularly egregious, a single violation of this Section shall also constitute the Major Offence of “Aggravated Behaviour” and shall be subject to the additional penalties hereinafter set forth.

For the purposes of this Rule, verbal abuse is defined as a statement about an official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or other person that implies dishonesty or is derogatory, insulting or otherwise abusive.

One could argue that what Medvedev allegedly would potentially fall on the category of “Major Offence”

POINT PENALTY SCHEDULE

The Point Penalty Schedule to be used for violations set forth above is as follows:

FIRST offence WARNING

SECOND offence POINT PENALTY

THIRD AND EACH SUBSEQUENT offence GAME PENALTY

However, after the third Code Violation, the Referee in consultation with the Grand Slam Chief of Supervisors shall determine whether each subsequent offence shall constitute a default.

The following is the rules relating to Defaults from the Grand Slam Rule Book.

DEFAULTS

The Referee in consultation with the Grand Slam Supervisor may declare a default for either a single violation of this Code or pursuant to the Point Penalty Schedule set out above. In all cases of default, the decision of the Referee in consultation with the Grand Slam Supervisor shall be final and unappealable. Any player who is defaulted as herein provided shall lose all ranking points earned for that event at that tournament and shall lose all prize money earned at the tournament in addition to any or all other fines levied with respect to the offending incident

DETERMINATION AND PENALTY

The Referee in consultation with the Grand Slam Supervisors shall make such investigation as is reasonable to determine the facts regarding all Player On-Site Offences and upon determining that a violation has occurred shall specify the fine and/or other punishment therefor and give written notice thereof to the player. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Referee may, at his discretion, limit the fines levied during any tournament Qualifying competitions to a maximum of $20,000 for each violation.

ARTICLE IV: PLAYER MAJOR OFFENCES

  1. AGGRAVATED BEHAVIOUR

No player or Related Person at any Grand Slam Tournament shall engage in “Aggravated Behaviour” which is defined as follows:

1. One or more incidents of behaviour designated in this Code as constituting “Aggravated Behaviour”.

2. One incident of behaviour that is flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a Grand Slam Tournament, or is singularly egregious, including submitting a falsified Covid-19 vaccination record.

3. A series of two (2) or more violations of this Code within a twelve (12) month period which singularly do not constitute “Aggravated Behaviour”, but when viewed together establish a pattern of conduct that is collectively egregious and is detrimental or injurious to the Grand Slam Tournaments. In addition, any Player or Related Person who, directly or indirectly, offers or provides or receives any money, benefit or consideration to or from any other Covered Person or third party in exchange for access and/or accreditation to the tournament site shall be deemed to have engaged in Aggravated Behaviour and be in violation of this Section. Violation of this Section by a player, directly or indirectly through a Related Person or others, shall subject a player to a fine of up to $250,000 or the amount of prize money won at the tournament, whichever is greater, and a maximum penalty of permanent suspension from play in all Grand Slam Tournaments.