“I think it’s just a great event to have,” said Kyrgios as he prepares to lead the host nation at the new mixed teams event to be held from 29 December to 8 January. “An event where females and males come together as one to represent their nation, I think that’s incredibly important, and for the fans to see their favourite female players and male players come together and play for their country, [with] all the best athletes from around the world. I think it’s a very special, special event.”

[ATP APP]

The teams competition will kick off the 2023 season on both the ATP and WTA Tours, with 18 nations competing in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. As Team Australia’s leading men’s singles player, Canberra-born Kyrgios is set for a pair of blockbuster clashes against Team Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie and Team Spain’s Rafael Nadal in Sydney, the city he now calls home.

“There’s nothing better, to play the Australian summer is one of my favourite times of the year,” said Kyrgios. “Obviously being home, but being able to play in Sydney, in front of the home fans, my family, my friends, there’s nothing more that I love.

“To be honest I’ve never really played that great in Sydney, but I’m hoping I’m going to change that narrative at the start of the year. Just playing in Australia in general is special. The Tour is a long grind and it’s rarely in Australia, so I’m definitely not going to take it for granted.”

Each United Cup tie will comprise two men’s and two women’s singles matches and one mixed doubles match to be played across two days. Kyrgios is a top-class doubles option for Team Australia’s co-captains, Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur, with the 27-year-old's high-energy performances alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis making the pair crowd favourites wherever they play on the ATP Tour. Kyrgios predicts more of the same when male and female stars team up at the United Cup.

“What I love about mixed doubles is [what it brings] for the fans,” said Kyrgios. “To see some of the best females in the world playing with some of the best males in the world, I think it provides some really good entertainment... We’ve seen some iconic doubles pairs over the last decade.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Venus Williams continues to be a champion of longevity.

The former world No. 1 Venus Williams has received a wild card into the main draw of the 2023 Australian Open.

The 42-year-old superstar will make her 22nd Australian Open appearance a full 25 years after her 1998 Melbourne Park debut.

The Australian Open is set for January 16-29th and Williams says she’s pumped to play the Happy Slam again.

“I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne to compete at the Australian Open in January,” Venus Williams said in a statement.  “I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly.

“It will be an honor to play for the fans again and I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Venus Williams (@venuswilliams)

Seven-time major champion Venus owns a 54-21 lifetime Australian Open record. She ended 2022 on a six-match losing slide and didn’t win a match after her Wimbledon first-round win.

Two-time AO singles finalist Venus Williams partnered sister Serena Williams to four Australian Open doubles titles. Venus also joined forces with Justin Gimelstob to win the 1998 Australian Open mixed doubles championship.

Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams in a historic 2017 Australian Open final.

The post Venus Williams Receives 2023 Australian Open Wild Card appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Are you a Pete Sampras or Roger Federer fan looking to invest in a top-quality racket to take your game to the next level?

Whether you’re a fan of those two greats or not, Wilson has something for you. In this blog, we’ll break down a few of the best rackets that Wilson offers and what to look for when making your purchase.

Types of Wilson Tennis Rackets

Wilson offers several different types of rackets depending on your skill level and playing style. Here are some of the most popular models:

The Blade is one of the most popular rackets for intermediate players and pros alike. It’s great for those who are looking for a balanced blend of power and control. This racket also has an impressive sweet spot which helps create more consistent shots. They provide precision and feel but are also spin-friendly. I played with this racket for years and loved its balance.

The Pro Staff is perfect for advanced players who want maximum control over their shots. This was the weapon of choice for Sampras and Federer.
This racket has an extra-long handle to help generate powerful groundstrokes and serves. It also has an open string pattern which helps create spin on the ball. Finally, due to its weight, when you do want to go for it, the racket provides that heavy pace on the ball that opponents will have a hard time handling.

The Burn is ideal for beginners who want to get into playing tennis quickly. It provides excellent power and forgiveness, which makes it easier to hit accurate shots while still being able to generate some speed on them too. Additionally, it weighs less than 10 ounces so it won’t be too tiring on your arms during long matches. This racket also provides easy spin, making it ideal for those beginners that are looking to be consistent but still have the ability to push your opponent back.

The Clash is some of my favorite rackets. They have a unique dampness to them that makes them very comfortable to play with. When you play with this racket it feels like the sweet spot is endless. It’s also well-balanced, gives you nice control, and doesn’t compromise power. It’s also very spin friendly.

How To Choose The Right Wilson Tennis Racket

When selecting your Wilson tennis racket, there are several factors you’ll need to consider such as weight, head size, grip size, and string pattern among other things. For example, if you’re looking for a racket with more power then you may want one with a larger head size since this will give you more room to generate speed on your shots without sacrificing control too much. On the other hand, if you prefer more control then a smaller head size could be beneficial since it gives you more accuracy when hitting shots at slower speeds or with spin on them. Additionally, make sure that the grip size is comfortable in your hand; if it’s too small or too large then it can lead to poor shot execution due to a lack of control over the racket itself during swings.

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Tennis Warehouse and get your new Wilson racket in time for Christmas!

Like always, don’t forget to jump on to the TennisPAL app to stay up to date on tennis news, find groups of friends to play with, and get a virtual coach to help with your tennis game.

The post Wilson Racket Buying Guide appeared first on TennisPAL.

Halep has reportedly asked for an emergency hearing to review the suspension by the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency), which oversees drug testing in professional tennis. According to a report in ProSport, Halep has identified the problem as unlabelled Roxadustat in a contaminated supplement she took which originated in a French lab.

While the news is encouraging to Simona Halep’s fans, the proof required to reduce the ban will likely need to include documentation, lab results and testimony. In addition– crucially– an athlete still, by rule, assumes responsibility for everything they put in their body.

In 2020, doubles world number one Robert Farrah was able to show that a banned substance came from contaminated beef he ate, but it took considerable work and documentation to prove that. Furthermore, the contamination came from food. The ITF would likely require that supplements would need to carry a higher degree of vigilance on the part of an athlete.

The following three factors might help Halep in her case:

1. Roxadustat has a short half-life, meaning it exits the system quickly. According to Chris Min, a medical doctor who specializes in drugs and biochemistry, half a dose of Roxadustat is typically out of a person’s system within 10 hours of ingesting it or within 15 hours in a patient with kidney disease. Halep failed her test immediately after her first round match at the U.S. Open, and reportedly only traces of roxadustat were found in her urine samples.

Traces of the drug wouldn’t have impacted that match nearly as much as a regular dose. Why bother with traces before a big match? The half-life of Roxadustat and the traces found on that date indicate a full dose would have needed to have been taken in the week prior to her competing. Why would it make sense to build endurance in the week before, but not during, a major match? Additionally, the impact of the drug is nearly immediate, according to Min. In short: the timing and the amount of Roxadustat doesn’t make sense for an athlete who was intentionally doping.

To further her cause, Halep reportedly had clean tests in the days and weeks leading up to her positive test, including during the time she won the National Bank Open in Canada.

2. Athletes who test positive for banned substances often do so with drugs that fix a deficit rather than enhance what is already a strength. For instance, in 2013 Marin Cilic tested positive for the stimulant nikethamide, which improves focus– but not power, which the Croatian has plenty of already. Maria Sharpova’s banned drug meldonium enhances exercise, not focus. Fernando Verdasco, who has ADHD, recently forgot to get waivers for his prescribed Methylphenidate. No surprise, since ADHD can make people forgetful. The point: Athletes tend enhance what they need, not what they already have.

In Halep’s favor, the 2-time Grand Slam champion is already known for her endurance. Roxadustat, according to Min, increases red blood cell production, which would potentially help Halep outlast opponents– but that’s already her brand of tennis.

“Anything that enhances one’s Red Blood Cell production would be considered a competitive advantage. Look at Lance Armstrong’s history… more so I suppose something like cycling, but tennis players could theoretically benefit,” Min said.

3. Interestingly, Min notes that in the United States, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-assembled Advisory Committee decided 13 to 1 against recommending approval of Roxadustat in July 2021. The drug has been approved in other countries, including China, Japan and Korea.

In fact, in August 2021, the European Union approved Roxadustat under the brand name Evrenzo for use in Europe to treat kidney disease. Therefore, the legal use of the drug in France certainly doesn’t hurt Halep’s claim that the contaminated substance came from a French lab.

In the end, Simona Halep has a long way to go to get her provisional 4-year ban lifted, but she does have the potential for some common-sense arguments to support her claim that she took the banned substance by accident. That could logically lead to a reduced timeframe for her suspension.

The post Simona Halep’s Uphill (But Not Impossible) Battle To Play Tennis Again appeared first on Tennis Connected.

Link: TennisTV (best quality)

Link: WTA TV (best quality)

Link: Rogers SportsNet (Canada)

Link: ESPN+ (US Only, Subscribe today)

Link: ESPN (US Only)

Link: NBC Sports (USA Only)

Link: Tennis Channel (US Only)

Link: EuroSport (Europe)

Link: SkySports (Europe)

LINK: Amazon Prime (Europe)

Link: TSN (Canada)

Link: TVA (Canada)

Stream live sports and exclusive originals on ESPN+. Sign up now!

The post Live Streaming for the 2022 World Tennis League appeared first on Tennis Connected.

There will be a series of online and preparatory sessions ahead of the county umpire exam. These online sessions will take place in January 2023 on the following dates online:

• Monday 16th January – 7pm until 9pm
• Monday 23rd January – 7pm until 9pm

There will also be a full day preparation course taking place on the Saturday 11th of February in Sport HQ Dublin from 10am-3pm, ahead of the County Umpire Exam later in the afternoon. Lunch will be provided to those attending the in-person session and exam.

Candidates who are sitting the exams are strongly advised to attend all educational sessions that are possible.

Umpire Examinations

1. The County Umpire Exam will take place on Saturday 11th of February 2023 at 4pm in Sports HQ, Dublin.

Candidates who wish to sit the County Umpire Umpire Exam are recommended to be consistently reviewing the ITTF handbook 2022 (https://www.ittf.com/handbook/) and the umpires handbook 2019 (https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/HMO-16th-edition-final.pdf). There is plenty of useful resources available on the ITTF Webpage also: https://www.ittf.com/committees/umpires-referees/documents/

If you are interested in attending any of the online sessions, the in-person course and sitting of the exam please email TTI Office as to which part of the course you wish to attend, by emailing [email protected]

Please note there will be a small fee associated with this course.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing [email protected]

The post Registration for the County Umpire Course 2023 appeared first on Table Tennis Ireland.

It was a surprisingly rich week for tennis news. A highly anticipated Netflix tennis series released a teaser preview. Andy Murray won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award. Carla Suarez Navarro announces that she is pregnant.

Netflix Releases Break Point Teaser, Announces Premiere Date

Netflix on Wednesday released a teaser for Break Point, the upcoming tennis series created by the team behind F1: Drive To Survive. The series will premiere on 13 January. “I think it’s going to make a great show, and I think we gave them some good content,” Felix Auger-Aliassime said. “For me the main goal is that it can help tennis. It can help tennis overall. That would be amazing if we could see a rise in the number of fans and attention for our sport by airing this series.” Full Story: ATP Full Video: Break Point Teaser

Murray Wins Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award

Andy Murray has been named the 2022 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award recipient in recognition of his support for the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. He wrote an essay on ATPTour.com detailing the thought process behind his philanthropic efforts, what motivated him as a younger player to further involve himself with charity work and more. Full Story: ATP

Boris Becker returns to Germany after being freed from prison

Boris Becker has returned to Germany after serving eight months in prison in Britain. The three-time Wimbledon champion had been sentenced to 30 months in prison in April for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt.  Full Story: PBS

Chilean tennis player gets 3-year ban for match-fixing

Bárbara Gatica Avilés has been banned from the sport for three years after admitting she was paid to deliberately lose a match in 2016, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Thursday. The 26-year-old Gatica Avilés, whose career-best WTA ranking is No. 158, was also fined $5,000. Full Story: The Washington Post

Summer school: USTA Player and Coach Development Fellows

For 12 weeks this summer at the USTA National Campus, future tennis coaches were fully immersed in what it’d be like to live their dreams thanks to USTA Player and Coach Development’s inaugural Fellowship in Tennis Coaching & Leadership. This year’s fellowship, the latest iteration of an evolving program that’s helped guide young tennis coaches over the years, was joint effort by USTA Player and Coach Development and the USTA’s diversity & inclusion department, in collaboration with the USTA Foundation, from May to August. Full Story: USTA

Jack Newman on Coaching Young Tennis Players for the Business World

The story behind the establishment of Austin Tennis Academy is inspiring. Jack Newman’s career as a tennis coach started rather coincidently. It was to fill a short gap between a job and going to graduate school that Jack started coaching students. Eventually, he started loving the process and decided to continue with that. His passion for preparing young generations with athletic excellence led to the foundation of his own academy. Instead of providing physical training out of the academic curriculum, Jack developed a comprehensive system in which students are provided with athletic training plans along with academic education.   Full Story: AccessWire

Rafael Nadal Launches New Global Hotel Brand ZEL

Rafael Nadal is expanding his global empire with a new lifestyle brand in partnership with Meliá Hotels International. The new lifestyle hotel brand ZEL in Madrid includes resorts and urban hotels that will first debut in Spain, followed by future destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and America.  Full Story: Forbes

Serena Williams, Tennis-Star-Slash-Tech-Entrepreneur

When Serena Williams is searching for similar off the court. She told Bloomberg News in an interview prior to her retirement from professional tennis that she wants to run a billion-dollar fund someday. Her company, Serena Ventures recently raised $111 million in March for an early-stage VC fund dedicated to backing diverse founders in technology. Full Story: Bloomberg

Australian Tennis Foundation Lottery for AO 2023 Finals Experience

One lucky winner will win two premium tickets to their choice of the women’s final on 28 January or the men’s final on 29 January 2023. In addition, they will receive airfares to Melbourne from their nearest (Australian) state capital, two nights’ accommodation at the Westin hotel including breakfast, pre-match hospitality, a personalized tour of the Melbourne Park precinct and the opportunity to attend the exclusive champion’s photoshoot the next day. Full Story: Tennis Australia

Carla Suarez Navarro shares incredible baby news after overcoming cancer

Carla Suarez Navarro has announced she is pregnant, with the Spanish former tennisstar who overcame cancer expressing her “tremendous joy” and “great pride.” Suarez Navarro was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in September 2020, just months after announcing her intention to retire. Full Story: 7 News

Tennis Channel to air first 2023 Major League Pickleball Draft

The Tennis Channel televised the draft for Major League Pickleball by Margaritaville from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas last Thursday. The first season will take place across three events in Mesa, Ariz. (Jan. 26-29), Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mar. 23-26), and San Clemente, Calif. (Jun. 15-18), culminating with a Season One Championship Monday night on June 19. Full Story: Tennis

This Week in Professional Tennis

The post Tennis News: December 19, 2022 appeared first on Fiend At Court.

The world number one’s style remains classic — simple sporty silhouettes, minimalistic color palettes, no excessive details. This mauve pink sleeveless dress featuring a crew neck and a big cutout on the back was Swiatek’s choice for her first tournament in 2022, the Adelaide International 1.

At the Australian Open, the Pole launched this watercolor print apparel that combines lavender, light blue and neon yellow. In Dubai, Doha, Indian Wells and Miami, Swiatek continued to wear the collection that is 100% sustainable — everything is made from recycled material.

The Asics Spring Match Graphic Tank features a V-neck and rounded side slits. It is intended to be paired with a classic white skort, or a printed version of the skort.

In Stuttgart and in Rome, en route to her fourth and fifth WTA titles of the season, Swiatek wore the Asics Paris Match Graphic Tank, Paris Match Skirt, and matching Gel Resolution 8 Tennis Shoes. It’s like a dark version of her Aussie Open apparel.

At Roland Garros, Swiatek’s ensemble included the Asics Paris Match Tank, made from a mix of mesh fabrics, and the Asics Paris Match Solid Skirt, featuring a textured mesh overlay with pleats.

Swiatek’s Wimbledon attire included strategically mapped cooling zones that gave texture to an all-white look.

In Toronto and Cincinnati, the 21-year-old sported green separates in a print that reminds of tie-dye patterns. The pieces are made from ultra light pinhole fabric. The Asics Women’s Fall Match Graphic Tank features an elongated back and side hem vents. It can be combined with the Asics Women’s Fall Match Graphic Skirt, but Swiatek opted for a solid mint version of the design.

A similar green outfit was Swiatek’s choice at the US Open. The Pole paired the Match Skort, characterized by a pleated and textured mesh fabric overlay, with the Asics Match Tank, that has overlapping panels with a keyhole cutout on the back.

At her last three tournaments of the 2022 season, including the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Swiatek wore a dark blue tank with a keyhole opening on the back and a layered skirt, standard Asics designs. The world number one’s tennis shoe of choice in Texas was the sky/dive blue colorway of the Gel Resolution 8.

What do you think about Iga’s 2022 style? Do you prefer to see her in classic outfits or would you like her to experiment with more details and patterns?

MORE 2022 FASHION RETROSPECTIONS:

• Coco Gauff’s special New Balance clothes and signature tennis shoes
• Jessica Pegula’s year with Adidas in photos: Gender-neutral fits, eco-conscious fabrics
• Paula Badosa‘s year with Nike in photos
• Jelena Ostapenko’s epic DK ONE tennis dresses

The post World Tennis League NFTs, Experiences, Memorabilia Offered By Akshaya appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

World no. 1 Novak Djokovic toppled Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6 in the Rome Masters final. Novak needed an hour and 36 minutes to dismiss the Greek at Foro Italico, delivering a bagel in the opener and catching the rival in the second set's closing stages to seal the deal. Thus, Novak lifted his sixth crown at Foro Italico, standing as the second most successful player after Rafael Nadal. Djokovic secured his 38th Masters 1000 crown, leaving Nadal on 36 and extending his record. The Serb clinched a Masters 1000 title in the 14th season and gained a boost ahead of Roland Garros. Novak celebrated his 1000th ATP victory in the semi-final against Casper Ruud and lifted his 87th ATP title a day later. Djokovic ousted Tsitsipas for the seventh time in nine encounters and the sixth time in a row. Novak fired six aces and took 20 points more than his rival thanks to a one-sided opening set.

The Serb served at 70% and dropped 14 points in nine service games. He faced two break points and got broken once. It led Stefanos toward a 5-2 lead in set number two, but it was not enough for the Greek to force a decider. Tsitsipas struggled on the second serve and got broken four times from six chances given to Djokovic. Thus, he finished runner-up in his fifth Masters 1000 final. Novak had the advantage in the shortest and more extended rallies to forge the victory and move closer to his 90th ATP crown. A five-time champion broke at love in the encounter's first game following the rival's terrible volley at the net. Djokovic secured the second game with a forehand winner and denied Tsitsipas' three game points in the next one. Novak seized a break chance when Stefanos sprayed a backhand error to open a 3-0 gap and settle into a fine rhythm. Struggling to find the range with his backhand, Tsitsipas delivered another error in game five to fall 5-0 down in no time.

Novak closed the opener with a smash winner in the next one, providing a bagel in 29 minutes and hoping for more in set number two. The Greek raised his level and produced four comfortable holds to keep the pressure on world no. 1. Stefanos broke Novak at 15 in the fourth game after an extended rally and fired an ace in the next one to rattle off 12 of the previous 14 points and move 4-1 ahead. Djokovic faced a break point in game six that would have cost him the set. He denied it with a backhand crosscourt winner and closed the game for a boost. Stefanos painted a forehand crosscourt winner in the seventh game to open a 5-2 gap and served for the set in game nine. Djokovic broke back in the last moment at 3-5 after a routine forehand error from Tsitsipas, who could not recover in the remaining games. Novak held with ease in games ten and 12 to introduce a tie break, and they stayed neck and neck until 5-5. A service winner offered a match point to Djokovic. He seized it after another loose backhand from his rival to celebrate his sixth Foro Italico crown.

Rafael Nadal made significant changes in his coaching team ahead of the new season. A 22-time Major champion parted ways with Francisco Roig after 18 years. A couple of days later, Rafa added the Argentine Gustavo Marcaccio to his squad, with the 45-year-old forming a trio with Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez. Marcaccio has been working at Rafa Nadal Academy since 2021. Previously, he pushed Rafa's friend Juan Monaco into top-10 and worked with Guido Pella, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Maximo Gonzalez. Nadal wrote history books in 2022, clinching two Major titles, securing 900 consecutive top-10 weeks and finishing in the top-2 as the oldest player since the start of the ATP ranking. Despite injuries and setbacks, Rafa had a massive chance to become world no. 1 after the US Open, missing it and finishing the season behind Carlos Alcaraz. Nadal missed the second part of the 2021 season and made a perfect start to the one behind us.

The veteran conquered the Australian Open and went 20-0 before losing the Indian Wells final. Fracturing his rib in the desert, Rafa skipped Monte Carlo and Barcelona and struggled in Madrid and Rome. With foot pain bothering him again, the Spaniard needed injections ahead of every match at Roland Garros. However, the king of clay produced his magic and lifted his 14th trophy in the French capital. Nadal reached the Wimbledon semi-final, but it turned out to be the season's last notable result. Rafa experienced a seven-millimeter abdominal muscle tear, playing only nine matches by the end of the season and missing a chance to fight for the ATP throne. The Spaniard skipped Canada and suffered early losses in Cincinnati and the US Open.

Nadal did not play singles matches for two months, becoming a father in October and working on the practice court. Rafa picked the Paris Masters as the return event, building the advantage against Tommy Paul in the second round before falling in three sets. Nadal entered his 11th ATP Finals and fell to Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime. With no form or matches in his legs, Rafa lost four consecutive encounters for the first time since the end of 2009! The Spaniard ended the losing streak with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Casper Ruud in the last official match of the season. Rafa and Casper embraced a trip to Latin America in November and December, having great fun and starting preparations for 2023. Nadal will kick off the new season at the inaugural United Cup, facing Nick Kyrgios and Cameron Norrie in his first matches in 2023. 

Emma Raducanu met British football legend David Beckham while attending the Qatar World Cup final.

David Beckham and Emma Raducanu today at the FIFA World Cup final! ???????? pic.twitter.com/7QlHHoR8HD

— Relevant Tennis (@RelevantTennis) December 18, 2022

On Sunday, Raducanu attended the breathtaking World Cup final between Argentina and France. 

With two early goals from Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria, Argentina took a 2-0 lead at halftime. 

Then, Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in a span of 90 seconds to tie the game to 2-2. 

In the overtime, Messi scored a goal to give Argentina a 3-2 lead before Mbappe scored his third goal to tie the game to 3-3 and force a penalty shoo-tout.

Argentina came up big during the penalty shoot-out as Messi ended up finally winning his first World Cup title.

On Friday, Raducanu took part in the lone women's match at this year's Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. 

Raducanu, 20, fell just short of winning her first Mubadala World Tennis Championship as Ons Jabeur recovered from a set down to beat the Briton 5-7 6-3 10-8.

“I’ve had an amazing experience, really enjoyed playing on this court in a great environment. So impressed. The fans were cheering Ons a bit more, but I like that. It was great fun. I was happy with my performance, and it was good playing against Ons in a really enjoyable atmosphere," Raducanu said.

In Abu Dhabi, Raducanu revealed Sebastian Sachs as her new coach.

However, nothing is on full-time basis yet as Raducanu wants to take more time before she decides if Sachs will be her full-time coach in 2023. 

"We are trialing until the end of the year and just seeing how it goes really. It's been going well. I've done a week with him so far and I think he's a really calm influence. He's on it, switched on, and yeah, I'm excited to see how it goes," Raducanu said.

Earlier this year, having been approached by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Ukrainian Tennis Federation, Tennis Canada raised its hand to help a family in need. “It’s just so tragic, gut-wrenching and heartbreaking to see what’s happening in Ukraine,” said Hatem McDadi, Senior Vice President of High-Performance Development at Tennis Canada. 

“When the ITF reached out to our CEO and the Chair of our Board at the time, we said of course we would help. Olga and Katya were really eager to receive that support. We rallied the tennis community and feel so grateful and appreciative for so many kind and generous people that provided a lot of support. We were able to work with Tennis Montreal, Tennis Quebec, partners, our staff and national coaches to help support Katya and her family as they settle into their new home. Katya and her family have been through so much. They have shown tremendous courage, resilience and at the same time are grateful to our tennis community for helping in a time of need.”

A promising tennis player in Ukraine, Katya has seen her life turned upside down by the war taking place in Europe. Of course, the fear for the safety of her loved ones has always been top of mind, but the limitations the conflict has put on her tennis development has also been frustrating for the teenager. “Since the beginning of the war, I had no coach and my level of tennis began to gradually fall – which made me very upset,” she said.

So, when the opportunity to come to Canada was presented to the family, Katya, Olga and their 14-year-old dog, Lola, decided to make the trip to Montreal via Munich, where they spent some time waiting for their visa applications to be approved.

Once they arrived in Quebec, Katya was invited to train at a program run by Tennis Montreal with Tennis Canada funding her participation. She also takes part in a weekly session at the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers under the tutelage of some of Canada’s most prominent coaches.

“Canada and all the kind and generous donors and people involved have done a lot for us,” Katya explained. “They helped us with paperwork, provided us with flights, accommodation, participation in tournaments and most importantly for me, they found me a place to train and a coach. They have great courts and a great team of coaches, and it gives me great pleasure to train with them. Most of the time I train with Montreal Excellence – this is exactly the kind of training I need.”

“Overall, I’m just so grateful to Canada, Tennis Canada, Tennis Montreal, the Montreal Excellence team and everyone who made donations for everything they have done for me,” she added.

Katya’s schedule includes schoolwork each morning, followed by sports study in the afternoon, which consists of two hours on-court and one hour of fitness. Her assigned coach, Mira Teodorescu, is originally from Romania and played Junior Billie Jean King Cup (then Fed Cup) for her country before moving to Canada 18 years ago. It’s safe to say Katya has made quite the impression on her.

“My first meeting with Katya was in September when the program started at Tennis Montreal,” Mira began. “It was a very nice meeting because Katya was so kind, so determined, so social and so easy to talk to.”

“Katya works so hard,” she continued. “She came here so open minded, and she wants to learn everything. Every day I spend with her is a blessing. She changed my life because I saw a different aspect on life. Sometimes players give up if it’s difficult, but she never gives up. She always wants to improve. It takes time but she will be a great person and a great tennis player.”

Already, Katya is making her presence felt on the Canadian junior tennis circuit, picking up titles at events in Ottawa (pictured above with trophy) and Drummondville. During the summer, she was also invited to attend the National Bank Open presented by Rogers as the ATP Tour’s stars descended on Montreal for a week-long festival of tennis.

“Thanks to Tennis Canada, I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful ATP tournament in Montreal – it was an unforgettable experience,” she said. “I saw the game of the best tennis players in the world live.”

Tennis Canada has the Advantage because it can give an Advantage, like it has for Katya and Olga. Let’s keep the Advantage in Canada and donate to help develop the next generation of Canadian tennis stars. Click here to donate now.

The post Promising Ukrainian junior tennis player settles in Canada thanks to rallying support of Canadian tennis community appeared first on Tennis Canada.

I’m counting down the 128 best players of the last century. Separation anxiety is starting to set in…

* * *

* * *

13 points.

No one expected 13th seed Natasha Zvereva to actually beat Steffi Graf. At the 1988 French Open, Graf was the world number one and the defending champion. She hadn’t lost to anyone other than Martina Navratilova or Gabriela Sabatini in more than two years. Sabatini pushed her to a second-set tiebreak in the semifinals, but the German’s first five opponents managed a grand total of eleven games.

Zvereva, in the other half of the draw, was the surprise of the tournament. She upset Navratilova in the fourth round, then backed up the victory with a routine quarter-final defeat of sixth-seed Helena Suková. She was only 17 years old; maybe she had a few more tricks up her sleeve? In the final, perhaps she could make things interesting and keep Steffi on court for more than an hour.

Or not. In her first service game, Zvereva reached 40-30. Graf ran around a wide serve to launch her trademark inside-out forehand, erasing the game point. That was as close as the Belarusian would get. Graf won 6-0, 6-0. Official match time was 34 minutes, which charitably included two minutes of rain delay. The German allowed Zvereva just 13 points, three of them in that one early game.

As usual, the defining shot of the day was the one that earned Steffi her nickname, Fräulein Forehand. Graf hit 9 forehand winners in the compressed space of a mere 61 points. Another 11 forehands forced errors off the Zvereva racket. In the memorable words of Rex Bellamy, the challenger “was reduced to lolloping, lunging helplessness and public shame.”

Welcome to the club, Natasha.

1988 was Graf’s Golden Slam year. In the course of her 72 victories, she dealt out 29 bagels, plus 45 more sets by the score of 6-1. Her other three slam-final victims–Navratilova, Sabatini, and Chris Evert–each suffered one of those breadsticks on the sport’s biggest stages. Martina had won as many matches in a season, but even she hadn’t traipsed over the field so emphatically.

Top-20 player Helen Kelesi avoided meeting Graf in 1988, but she lost 6-1, 6-1 early the following year. “It was scary out there,” said Kelesi. “I was just trying to hit the ball back, and I couldn’t even do that.”

Susan Sloane, one of the pebbles in the German’s path at Roland Garros, was similarly flummoxed. “It’s no fun playing Steffi.” she said. “She has no weaknesses, none. Right now I’m playing the best I’ve ever played, and she beats me oh and one.”

The 1988 French Open final was the most lopsided major championship match of the modern era. For Graf, it barely stood out as a good day.

* * *

The forehand was the highlight-reel shot, the centerpiece of that unbreakable game. Yet Navratilova didn’t even consider it to be Graff’s premier strength. After losing the 1988 Wimbledon final, Martina said,

Steffi’s speed–her incredible spring–is her biggest weapon. She’s so quick off the mark. If she doesn’t get to the ball, she can’t nail that big forehand.

It was easy for fans to ignore her quickness because she ended points so rapidly. But opponents couldn’t miss it. She was impossible to beat from the baseline. Anything she could run down–in other words, just about everything–would come back with interest.

“Every time I hit what I think is a winner she hits it back harder,” said Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. That was after a 6-1, 6-0, 47-minute drubbing in 1990. On clay.

The only solution, aside from hoping for injury or waiting three years for a bad day, was to attack. Relentlessly. That worked–sort of–for Navratilova, who won 9 of 18 meetings. It was also the game plan of Lori McNeil, a younger serve-and-volleyer who scored multiple upsets against Graf, including in the 1994 Wimbledon first round.

Back in 1987, when Graf had yet to cement her dominance, she beat another net-rusher, Pam Shriver, in the US Open quarterfinals. The scoreline was a routine 6-4, 6-3, but Pam–who would always be a bit of a Steffi skeptic–came off the court with renewed confidence. “The puzzle is solved,” she proclaimed. Shriver gave some advice to McNeil, who would meet Graf in the semis.

The strategy: Non-stop pressure, force her to hit endless passing shots, pull her wide on the forehand side so she can’t unleash the inside-out howitzer. Problem was, the only woman alive who could do that was Martina, and even she couldn’t do it all the time. Feverish and flu-ridden, Steffi beat McNeil in three.

Navratilova did manage to win the 1987 Flushing final, stopping the youngster for the second straight slam. It was the last match Graf lost all year. She wouldn’t fall short again at a major until 1989.

Her first tournament back in Europe that fall came at the Citizen Cup in Hamburg, where she lost barely three games per match as she glided through the draw. Her victim in the final, Isabel Cueto, had first seen Steffi play when she was eight years old. “My parents and I couldn’t believe it,” she told a reporter in 1989. “They knew I would need some more lessons.”

* * *

Marvelous as the footwork-and-a-forehand combination was, the skill that took Graf from impressive to imperious was her mind. In early 1985, she was a 15-year-old outside of the top 20, generally ranked second behind Sabatini as a super-prospect. But both Evert and long-time circuit insider Ted Tinling tossed in the caveat that Steffi was stronger between the ears.

A few years later, Chrissie would go one step further. The Evert-Navratilova rivalry had often been characterized as brains-versus-brawn, Chrissie’s steel will against Martina’s outlandish athleticism. “Steffi has both,” Evert said.

That was the real secret behind all those 6-0, 6-1 victories. She never lost focus, never let up. Even at 19, her standards went far beyond what it took to win every match and complete the game’s only Golden Slam.

“I want to reach absolute perfection,” she once said. “And I think I can reach it.”

It wasn’t easy, targeting such a level, day-in, day-out. Czechoslovakian Pavel Slozil, a former ATP tour player, often said that he worked harder as Steffi’s coach than he ever had in his playing days. Her mother, Heidi, implored her to smile more on court. Graf was too single-minded for that. “What do you want me to do, Mother,” she answered, “smile or win?”

Only occasionally did Graf recognize the outrageousness of what she was doing. Early in 1989 at the Virginia Slims of Washington, she won the first 20 points of the final against Zina Garrison. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure how to handle such a situation: Play it safe and go for the golden set, or keep swinging away? Her befuddlement let Zina back into the match, but Steffi was the only one who would’ve been disappointed by the eventual 6-1, 7-5 outcome.

At other moments, the pressure seemed to just disappear. Graf sometimes had to stifle a giggle fit on court, as at one tournament in Florida when she was surprised to hear a spectator cheer her on in German. She never abandoned her game face for long, though. It was tough to tell whether Steffi was feeling any nerves herself. But as she rushed from one point to the next, alternating forehand bombs with skidding backhand slices, the pressure on the other woman never went away.

* * *

For more than a decade, Graf’s fortitude would be tested. She was unusually injury prone, even clumsy, stuck rehabbing anything from a broken thumb to a bone splinter in her foot. She missed one Australian Open with rubella. It eventually became a running joke. “Every time I played Steffi Graf,” said Shriver, “there was always something wrong with her.”

Lindsay Davenport learned early on that if Graf was healthy enough to play, she was healthy enough to win–usually in about 45 minutes. “She always goes out and plays just fine,” Davenport said at the 1997 Australian. “I don’t want to know what’s bothering her now.”

At other junctures, though, everyone knew what was bothering her, and it did affect her play. In 1990, German tabloids exploded with the story of her father’s affair with a Playboy model. Steffi had always been shy, uncomfortable with the level of attention her sporting prowess brought her. Now, she felt like she was taking on multiple opponents at the same time: Challengers gunning for her on court, insatiable gossip rags off of it.

It’s always tough to know how much weight to assign to off-court troubles. For one thing, Graf didn’t exactly struggle in 1990: She won ten titles and lost only five matches. Her semi-final loss at Wimbledon to Garrison is easy to link to the scandal: Media scrutiny was never higher than it was at Wimbledon, and the result was a particularly surprising one. But the two losses after that came against an ever-stronger Sabatini. Gabi had always played Graf tougher than the head-to-head record revealed, and the Argentinian’s focus in those days was, quite simply, to figure out how to beat the world number one.

The other two 1990 upsets came at the hands of the first younger player capable of pushing Steffi around. Monica Seles had two double-fisted strokes, each one nearly as fearsome as the German’s forehand. While she came to net even less than Graf did, she managed to implement a version of the Navratilova/Shriver/McNeil game plan from the baseline. Facing the rest of the field, Seles scored as many 40-minute drubbings as her elder did. Her all-out power was the first weapon that Steffi couldn’t reliably blunt.

Graf said it wasn’t just Seles who beat her in Berlin and for the French Open title in Paris: “I also lost the two finals against the German press.” Maybe so, but it would soon become clear that Monica could manage on her own.

* * *

The most entertaining thing about reviewing the careers of the all-time greats is how much their peaks contort our expectations. The way some people talk, the span from 1990 to 1992 were lost years for Steffi.

A three-year-long unfocused, injury-riddled disaster in which she–let me see here–won three majors, reached three more slam finals, picked up 22 other titles, and never fell below number two in the rankings. Seles so convincingly relegated her to also-ran status that Monica won… um, two of their five meetings between 1991 and 1993.

This is important, because Graf’s legacy–almost as much as Seles’s own–is tied up with the April 1993 attack that halted Monica’s career. Not only was the assailant an unhinged German fan, Steffi was the primary beneficiary of her rival’s absence. Graf won 10 of her 22 major titles between 1993 and 1996, a stretch in which a healthy Seles would’ve challenged for every one of them.

We’ll never know, of course, how those years would have turned out. Seles might have improved and won a Grand Slam of her own; she might have swerved off course under the pressure of celebrity. My point is only that Graf, in a slump, held her own against the best player the early 1990s threw at her. Steffi didn’t lose more than six matches in a season between 1993 and 1997, so it’s hard to imagine her crumbling under more of Monica’s pressure.

“I’m playing such good tennis, and I would like to prove it,” she said in 1994. “If Monica were around, I’d have someone to prove it against.”

After winning the 1995 French Open, a tournament overshadowed in part by the news that Seles would soon return to the circuit, Steffi added: “The most fun you get is when you have tough matches and you’re pushed to your limits. She was one of the players who did that to me…. I’ve missed her.”

In Seles’s absence, Arantxa became the primary challenger. Graf and Sánchez Vicario contested six major finals between 1994 and 1996. Two of them–both Graf victories–stand out among the best matches of the Open era.

Steffi played the 1995 Wimbledon final on anti-inflammatories to manage the pain of a bone spur in her back. She nearly withdrew from the tournament a few days before the fortnight began, and she did pull out of the doubles. Arantxa took the first set, then Graf charged back with a 6-1 second and an early break in the third. But the Spaniard turned it into a battle of attrition, decided only after Graf won a 32-point, 20-minute game to break for 6-5. Despite a list of injuries longer than her travel itinerary, she secured her sixth Wimbledon title and improved to 32-0 on the season.

In 1996, the two women went even longer, crossing the three-hour mark in the French Open final. This time Arantxa made the comeback, recovering from a 4-1 deficit in the second-set tiebreak and forcing one error after another to reach a third set. Toe to toe with the best retriever in the game on a surface built for grinding, Graf proved that her stamina–though rarely tested–was another world-class asset. Steffi pulled out the match, 10-8 in the third.

* * *

The Roland Garros title was her 19th major championship, then good for the Open era record. But Graf was never one to dwell on her place in history. “The match overwhelmed the record,” she said.

That one line, more than anything else, captures what Fräulein Forehand brought to the court. She aimed for perfection on every point, and frighteningly often, she reached it. For it all to matter, she needed a foil whose game could approach the same heights.

Sabatini had her moments. Sánchez Vicario always threatened a grueling afternoon. Peak Seles was the problem Graf never had enough chances to solve, the one who might have forced Steffi to raise her game to an even more staggering level.

In Graf’s mind, her one true equal was Navratilova. As the German rose through the ranks, Martina and Chrissie were still one and two, and Steffi’s first three major finals–and another three within two years–pitted her against the aggressive left-hander.

Navratilova called Graf “the best all-around player of all-time, regardless of the surface.” Steffi returned the compliment in 1999: “[Martina] is the uncontested number one. She has left a mark on the sport like no one else.”

At Wimbledon in 1993, Steffi expected to meet Navratilova in the final, but the veteran was ousted by Jana Novotná in the semis. “I’m disappointed she’s not there,” she said. After taking advantage of Novotná’s collapse for the title, Graf wanted to keep playing. She sent a note to Martina asking for a private match behind closed doors. My kingdom for a mobile phone: Navratilova was out golfing.

Graf was still thinking about it a year later. Journalist Sally Jenkins asked for her idea of a perfect tennis match. Wimbledon, Centre Court, Navratilova, she said. No fans. They wouldn’t even keep score: “It is just for us.”

“I’d do it in a second,” Martina replied. “We’d play the tennis of our lives.”

The post London | Highlighting the plight of Ukraine… appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

LIV Golf, the alternative golf circuit that rivals the PGA Tour in quality and prestige, announced this Wednesday three new tournaments for the 2023 season, which will be held in Tucson (Arizona), Tulsa (Oklahoma) and the Allegheny Mountains.

The first tournament will be held from March 17 to 19 at The Gallery Golf Club in Tucson, the second will be at the Cedar Ridge Country Club in Tulsa from May 12 to 14, while the third will be held from June 4 to 6 at The Greenbier.

"The expansion of LIV Golf to new markets in the United States increases the excitement for 2023. More and more fans around the world will experience the energy of LIV Golf and its innovative competition that has revitalized the sport," said Australian Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf.

The expansion of LIV Golf to new markets in the United States increases the excitement for 2023. More and more fans around the world will experience the energy of LIV Golf and its innovative competition that has revitalized this sport

With significant financial incentives for its players, LIV Golf aspires to organize a circuit that rivals the US-based tour.

After weeks of rumors and suspicion, the PGA Tour stepped forward in mid-May by denying permission for players on its tour to compete in the LIV Golf Invitational Series in London, the first event of LIV Golf.

This led to disciplinary measures and golfers such as the Spanish Sergio García, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Brooks Koepka, the Mexican Abraham Ancer or Louis Oosthuizen, among others, abandoned the PGA Tour on their way to LIV Golf.

On November 30, the LIV added the fields El Camaleón from Mexico, Valderrama from Spain and Sentosa from Singapore to its 2023 calendar.

LIV Golf, also known as the Super Golf League, is a professional golf circuit. It was founded in 2022, with the sponsorship of the Public Investment Fund (it is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia) 1. The circuit rivals the PGA Tour (United States) and the DP World Tour (Europe), offering substantially higher prize money.

The name LIV refers to the total number of holes to be played in each event (54 in Roman numerals, corresponding to 3 rounds of 18 holes), as opposed to the usual 72 holes (4 rounds of 18 holes) on other tours. Alternatively, 54 is the score obtained by scoring a birdie on every hole on a par 72.2 round.

Despite the usual physical problems, Rafael Nadal managed to win two Grand Slams in 2022. The Spanish phenomenon won the Australian Open and Roland Garros, proving once again that he is a living legend. His performance dropped in the second half of the season, also due to the tear in his abs sustained during Wimbledon. The 36-year-old from Manacor tried in every possible way to recover in record time, but had to give up on the eve of the semifinal against Nick Kyrgios. That injury also conditioned his approach to the US Open, where he failed to go beyond the round of 16 (beaten in four sets by Frances Tiafoe). His 2022 ended quite sadly with premature eliminations in Paris-Bercy and at the ATP Finals in Turin. During Roland Garros 2022, a major controversy erupted when Rafa announced that he had to undergo a series of foot infiltrations. Speaking to Eurosport, the former French player Arnaud Clement defended the Iberian. Recently, tennis players such as Simona Halep, Fernando Verdasco and Kamil Majchrzak have tested positive for banned substances.

“I never asked myself the question in relation to Rafael Nadal, especially after the last Roland Garros, everything he did. In addition, he even almost made it public. So at some point, there are rules, we follow them or we go beyond them, but in no case, Rafael Nadal was on drugs, I believe. I have absolutely no doubts about the ethics of this player," Clement told Eurosport. "It's not because a player is particularly physical or athletic that he is doped. You have to be careful with this kind of shortcut. We could also see players who were taken for doping and we said to ourselves, 'but no, not him, it's weird', because it's not the physics we imagine for a doped guy." In recent times though, Nadal has become a more offensive player, standing closer to the baseline and taking the initiative in points as soon as possible. That has made him a significantly bigger threat on non-clay surfaces, and has helped him win big titles on grass and hardcourts too. Tennis legend Rafael Nadal teased Casper Ruud in jest after the Norwegian won the 2022 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. "No way!!! They don't know you!!! Many congrats, you deserve it 100%! Super happy for you!" the Spaniard wrote. He received the award for his fair play, professionalism, and integrity on and off the court.

Borna Coric described Carlos Alcaraz as "absolutely incredible" and believes the 19-year-old Spaniard is here to stay. Alcaraz, who will have his birthday in May, is already a Grand Slam champion, as well as being the youngest number 1 in tennis history. "What he's doing is absolutely incredible. It's great for him to have such a good team around him. They know what they have to do to keep him at the same level, being number 1, or just being on top. He's an incredible player, an incredible talent, and I know he's a very, very good guy, I know him very well. I have no doubt that he will still be there. If you ask me about me, surely I couldn't have beaten him at that age," Coric told Arab News. When Coric was just 17 years old, in 2014, he introduced himself to the world of tennis, stunning Rafael Nadal in Basel. At a very young age, Coric achieved some remarkable results and began to think that everything would come easily to him. As a consequence, Coric wasn't working as hard and obviously wasn't making any progress. Coric, now 26 and more mature, won his first Masters title last summer after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Cincinnati final. "When he was world number 33 - probably in my prime I was 18, 19 years old - I wasn't able to deal with it. It got out of hand. I thought, it's going to be much, much easier. I thought, okay, now I'm in the top 30, and next year I'm going to be in the top 15, next year I'm going to be in the top five, and next year I'm going to be No. 1 or top three."

Carlos Alcaraz was recently commended by a well-known tennis journalist for outstanding achievements in his young career. "In Alcaraz, he looks like the real deal for anything that you can use to measure his success by, and the fact that the first one he got ended up being at the US Open, which, I don’t think that’s what people would have predicted, I think that’s a good sign that he’s the man for all seasons and all surfaces," he noted on the Court-side with Beilinson Tennis podcast. "He seems eager. He seems like a hard worker. He seems not to be taken by the trappings of having become No. 1. He seems to have his head on his shoulders. I mean, it’s really hard to know the truth of what goes on, but all signs point to ‘This guy is gonna be great’, and if he got (No. 1) as a teenager, that’s a good sign," Haber added.

Sport Ireland Safeguarding Workshop Tutors

https://forms.office.com/r/AevVDMnJHL

Sport Ireland Safeguarding Workshop Participants

https://forms.office.com/r/V4BLYBWCjf

If you could please take the time to complete the survey that relates best to you, it will provide Sport Ireland with valuable insight as to how best to continue to develop the Safeguarding Workshops.  

Surveys will close on March 1^st 2023.

This six-week programme will give participants a chance to learn more around goal setting, leadership, teen dropout, club initiatives, gender equality and networking all whilst interacting with their fellow participants and hearing from some fantastic guest speakers. Details on the programme, along with the application form can be found below:

Themes:

1. Goal Setting
2. Leadership
3. Club Initiatives
4. Teen dropout
5. Gender Equality
6. Networking

Dates & Times (delivered via Zoom):

Week 1: 10/01/23 @6:30-8PM

Week 2: 17/01/23 @6:30-7:30PM

Week 3: 24/01/23 @6:30-7:30PM

Week 4: 31/01/23 @6:30-7:30PM

Week 5: 07/02/23 @6:30-7:30PM

Week 6: 14/02/23 @6:30-7:30PM

Application Form

Testimonials from Past Participants

Please note, places are limited. Applicants must be between 18 – 26 years old to apply for this programme and must be nominated/ approved by their club in order to submit an application. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 4^th of January @5PM.

Please send your application to: [email protected]

Applications will be reviewed post deadline and you will be contacted if your application has been successful.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to email Gráinne O’Neill, the facilitator of this programme – [email protected]

The post Babolat Pure Aero Rafael Nadal 2023 appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

JOE SALISBURY ON WINNING WHEN NOT PLAYING WELL – “That’s always one of the things we’ve always said we’ve improved the most as a team in the last four years we’ve been playing together, that in the tough situations we always find a way. Even if we’re not playing our best, or we’re struggling or we feel our opponents are playing better, to win those matches.”

DAVID O’HARE ON LOUIS CAYER – “He’s been such an important figure in terms of my tennis knowledge and coaching. He’s dubbed the doubles guru, but that does him a little bit of an injustice because he’s fanatical about tennis and his approach is a systematic approach. He’s really special, he’s like a tennis father to me and to be able to sit beside him during matches to pick his brain, ultimately, he has a great vision and I try to implement what he says on a daily basis.”

HARRI HELIOVAARA ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CELEBRATING – “I’ve always loved competition and competition has the element of winning and losing, and of course winning is much better. Now that I’m older I know that it’s not going to last forever, so I’m going to enjoy every moment to the full and when you win matches you made a good job, so why wouldn’t you celebrate?”

LLOYD GLASSPOOL ON THE SPRINGBOARD MOMENT OF GETTING INTO THE ROME MASTERS – “Looking back I think it had a massive impact on our year. It was our first real opportunity to play the top, top guys in a tournament that we’d never been in before. That was our first Masters 1000 because of our ranking and just being able to compete in that, we played the World No. 1 and beat the World No. 1, so it was just a confidence booster and realisation that we could be one of the best teams in the world.”

MARCELO AREVALO ON WINNING ROLAND GARROS – “Being the first Salvadoran and Central American player to win a Grand Slam, it was a huge success for my country and for my region. I didn’t even know until later that I was the first one, I was just trying to win as many matches as possible. I had my goals clear and one of my main goals in life was to become a Grand Slam champion.”

MICHAEL VENUS ON TRAVEL – “Once the pandemic hit, I didn’t see my family for six months. Then my wife was pregnant with our second child, and I was at home for the birth and then I left two weeks after and I didn’t see her for the first six months after that too, so it got to the point where we needed to see each other as a family. So, they started travelling towards the end of last year and they’ve been doing that ever since.”

NIKOLA MEKTIC ON LOOKING FORWARD TO A GOOD 2023 – “I think mentally we have learned some things this year. The first year we didn’t have many setbacks and this year we had to adapt to some not-so-good results. I think in the end we pulled through, so I’m very optimistic for the next season.”

- Podcast presented by Seb Lauzier
- Interviews by Jill Craybas and Chris Bowers

Federer wrote on Instagram, “Fairytale stuff Argentina! ⚽️ Time and time again you @leomessi have redefined greatness. It’s a privilege to watch you. Congrats Leo & ???????? . Special and historic ????????????.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer)

Nadal posted on Instagram stories congratulating both the Argentines and French on the classic match. “Enjoy it champions,” he wrote in one of his posts.

Argentines, led by Juan Martin del Potro, quickly took to social media to celebrate their country’s victory.

FELICITACIONESSS LEOOO!!! ????
FELICITACIONESSS SELECCIÓN!!! ????????
GRACIAS POR ESTA GRAN ALEGRÍA QUE NOS DIERON!!!
LA FOTO QUE TODO EL MUNDO NECESITABA VER!!! ???????????? pic.twitter.com/tTFIfpU3rq

— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) December 18, 2022

???????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/GkE2UWO5nD

— diego schwartzman (@dieschwartzman) December 18, 2022

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who praised Messi throughout the tournament, shared his thoughts on the global superstar once more: “Is Messi the best athlete of all time? Forget just football,” Murray wrote. “What a man.”

Is messi the best athlete of all time? Forget just football. What a man.

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) December 18, 2022

Casper Ruud, who was wearing an Argentina jersey with his name on it during the championship, also congratulated the winners.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Casper Ruud (@casperruud)

The race for the division three title in the Braintree Table Tennis League continues to be the most absorbing as the top two slug it out.

Rayne E took a one-point lead into the week’s fixtures and increased that by just one point as they beat Rayne F 7-3, while chasing Sudbury Wanderers overcame Black Notley G 6-4.

Two sets from the newly signed Adam Pitt held up Rayne E while a similar performance from Jamie Brooks helped Notley G restrict Wanderers’ scoreline.

Oliver Hicks won his three sets in straight games for Rayne E and Ian Shrubsole was unbeaten for Wanderers.

The other two matches in the division finished as draws, Notley H at Netts D and Notley I at home to Netts E.

In the second division, Sudbury Nomads stretched their lead at the top with an 8-2 win over Notley C while Notley D and Liberal C won 6-4 and 7-3 respectively.

Sean Clift was unbeaten for Notley D where the surprise was a rare nil return for Dave Marsh.

Andrew Huckson and Gareth Davies had spotless evenings for Liberal C.

At the top end of division one, Netts A drew level with Rayne A despite being a match behind.

Netts beat Notley A 9-1 – a good win for Takunda Nerutanga over Andy Holmes the one that got away – while Rayne beat Notley’s B team 6-4.

An injury to Steve Pennell will hurt Rayne’s chances of keeping Netts in sight. He was forced to pull out of the doubles and concede his last singles after aggravating a knee injury. Alan Burgess won his three singles for Rayne.

James Mullane was in form in Netts B’s 8-2 win over Liberal B. Mike Johnston got the better of Nikki Kennard and John Cleasby but could not overcome Mullane.

The post Braintree League: Hicks helps leaders advance appeared first on Table Tennis England.

Up-and-coming Juniors share responsibility with seasoned Senior internationals on Table Tennis England’s new Athlete Panel.

The panel has been set up to give athletes a voice to help shape the direction and operation of the Talent and Performance Pathway from top to bottom, and to influence how athletes are supported in training and competition environments.

The five athletes on the panel (pictured above, clockwise from left) are Senior internationals Tin-Tin Ho and Sam Walker and Juniors Mari Baldwin, Anna Green and Megan Jones.

They were appointed after an application process steered by former internationals Emma Vickers and Lois Peake, in collaboration with the Table Tennis England Board’s Talent & Performance Committee.

There is scope to add more athletes from the Junior boys’ ranks and, in due course, younger pathway athletes could potentially also come on board.

The Panel will collect thoughts, experiences and feedback from athletes at all levels on the programme and liaise with and make recommendations to the Head of Performance Development, the Board and the Talent & Performance Committee.

Lois said: “It’s a way to get athletes’ voices to be heard in a safe way, because athletes can be worried to reveal their feelings in case there are repercussions, and it’s also a way to take those views into account when making decisions about the pathway.

“We want athletes to trust that what they say is going to be confidential and that their voices matter and that it’s a positive, collaborative approach across the pathway.

“The first year is about getting it up and running and building up that trust with athletes that it’s not just a tick-box exercise and is a positive change to ensure athletes’ voices are listened to.”

The panel is set to meet four times a year in person or online. It will also collect views from athletes on a continuous basis. Members must be part of the Talent & Performance Pathway and will serve two-year terms.

Sam Walker said: “We’re there to hopefully make a difference for the athletes right across the programmes and give them a voice and a bit more communication about the decisions that are being made, and the chance to raise concerns or feedback.

“We all want a successful Table Tennis England in general and in particular from our point of view to be successful performance-wise, and if I can help that, then that’s what I want to do.”

Mari Baldwin, who is in the under-19 bracket of the pathway, said: “It’s something I wanted to be part of and I’m happy to get the opportunity.

“I want people to be able to talk to me about issues they’ve been having and to help them out and help them achieve what they can.

“I want to get more girls into the sport and into the pathway – and staying in the pathway, because there’s a drop-off at my age group. Hopefully this is a way to help that and also to help improve the programme.”

The post Athlete Panel to give Pathway players a voice appeared first on Table Tennis England.

Brotherhood C of Division Two took a big step in their quest for Cup glory when they defeated top-flight Walton C 5-3 in their Group D match of the Clacton & District League’s Handicap Cup.

This second group win should be sufficient to take them through to the knockout stages, but their victory against Walton was by no means easy, the Brotherhood trio of Mark Boyland, Mark Beckham and Paul Metcalf (pictured above, photo by Roger Hance) having to take four consecutive matches after trailing 3-1 at the half-way point of the contest.

Two of the individual matches went all the way, Beckham (+1) having to battle hard before overcoming Paul Meikle (-3) 3-2 (8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 13-11) whilst Boyland (-3) was given his toughest test to date, edging past Mark Gale (+1) in five (12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9).

Walton C could still gain the second automatic place but club-mates Walton A are also still in the hunt, this week beating Lawford 5-4 in a keenly-fought encounter. Kevin James was Walton’s most successful player, winning two singles and one doubles, his 3-2 (3-11, 11-8, 2-11, 13-11, 11-9) win (on -8) against Ian Sherwood (+2) in match seven proving critical.

Brotherhood B chalked up their second win in Group A, defeating Nomads Lions 5-2. The Lions made a good start, leading 2-1 at one stage, Ethan Lloyd and Jason Lloyd (-6) winning the opening doubles 13-11 in the decider against Barry Allen and Tricia Salter (+6). But Brotherhood took four consecutive matches to clinch the victory 5-2 and a place in the knockout round.

Nomads Panthers conceded their match against Walton D, which means that the Walton side has qualified without breaking a sweat, this after defeating a two-player Nomads Lions in their first match. It also means the Panthers are almost certain to miss out on an opportunity to retain their position as Cup-holders.   

The youngsters of Brotherhood E top Group B after their convincing 5-0 victory over Windsor Harriers. Jenny Higgins (-6) came closest to getting the Harriers on the scoresheet but Andrey Pavlov (+1) took their topsy-turvy match 3-2 (11-0, 11-2, 10-12, 9-11, 13-11).

Windsor Magpies enjoyed a welcome 5-2 success against Windsor Kestrels. Three of their wins finished close in five – John Plummer and Malcolm Caley (+1) defeating Debra Found and Allen Denyer (-1) 11-9 in the decider, Caley and Dave Sweetland (+1) defeating Denyer and Peter Aumord (-3) by the same score, with Sweetland (0) scraping past Found (0) 13-11 in the decider.

Windsor Buzzards are almost guaranteed qualification from Group C after defeating Brotherhood D 5-2, Dave Martin unbeaten on the night in his two singles and one doubles.

Brotherhood D’s chances of automatic qualification now depend on their final match against Windsor Penguins in a winner-takes-all encounter, this after the Penguins were handed a 5-0 win by Nomads Ocelots who were unable to fulfil their scheduled fixture.

The Brotherhood F v Walton E match in Group E proved a see-saw encounter, with Brotherhood leading 3-1, losing three matches which all went to a decider to go down 4-3, before winning the final two matches to take the tie 5-4. All credit to Tom Bryden, Joe Sherwin and JJ Barry for their fighting qualities which should ensure they go through to the knockout stage.

A two-player Nomads Jaguars’ side fielding a guest nearly pulled off a sensational victory in their match against Nomads Lynx. Chris Petrou and Kevin Hume each took two singles in the first four legitimate matches to level the score at 4-all. But they fell at the final hurdle, Pam Cousins and Ann Peart (+2) beating Petrou and Hume (-8) (7-11, 10-12, 11-3, 11-9, 11-5) in the deciding doubles.

In what has developed into the tightest of the seven Groups, Windsor Hawks kept their qualifying hopes alive with a 5-1 victory over Walton A in Group F. The match was closer than the scoreline suggests, the Hawks winning the three matches which went to five. Andy Vincent (0) beat Pete Burrows (0) 11-8 in the decider, Ian Fielder (+1) beat Gavin Price (-5) 11-3 in the decider, with Hawks’ skipper John Barton (+2) settling matters with a 13-11 in the fifth win against Burrows (-6).

And with Windsor Eagles breezing past a two-player Brotherhood A 5-0, all four teams in the Group are locked together on three points. It means that the winners of the final Group matches – Eagles v Hawks and Brotherhood B v Walton B – will definitely go through to the knockout stage, with the losing teams left hoping to finish as one of the best third-placed sides.

There are just three teams in Group G and the one match here saw Nomads Bobcats chalk up a 5-2 win against a Nomads Leopards’ side fielding a guest. James Horsler (+2) beat Dominic Joannou (-8) in the deciding encounter.

However, the Leopards should still qualify for the next round, with Windsor Merlins having to defeat the Bobcats by a large margin to stand a chance of taking their place in the round of 16.

* The League has received sad news about a former player, John Houghton, who died last month. John played in the League for the Nomads Club for a dozen or so years up to 2017, mainly for the Pumas but latterly for the Lynx and Wildcats.

A solid Third Division performer who usually averaged about 50 per cent, John enjoyed the competitiveness of table tennis, although it was the exercise, company and friendship which mattered just as much. Never one to seek honours, John did achieve one moment of success when, in his last playing season, he was a member of the Nomads Wildcats side which finished as Division Three runners-up.

We will remember John as a quiet, decent and, above all, friendly man, and we send our sincere condolences to his family.   

HANDICAP CUP RESULTS

Group A
Walton D 5 (w/o) Nomads Panthers 0
Brotherhood B 5 Nomads Lions 2

Group B
Windsor Kestrels 2 Windsor Magpies 5
Brotherhood E 5 Windsor Harriers 0

Group C
Windsor Buzzards 5 Brotherhood D 2
Nomads Ocelots 0 Windsor Penguins 5 (w/o)

Group D
Walton A 5 Lawford 4
Brotherhood C 5 Walton C 3

Group E
Brotherhood F 5 Walton E 4
Nomads Jaguars 4 Nomads Lynx 5

Group F
Windsor Hawks 5 Walton B 1
Windsor Eagles 5 Brotherhood A 0

Group G
Nomads Leopards 2 Nomads Bobcats 5

The post Clacton & Dist: Brotherhood aiming high appeared first on Table Tennis England.

There are different ways to work on your mental aspects. This diversity is visible at all levels of performance. In individual sport as tennis is, it is crucial to find own way to become mentally stronger that will fit your individual style, needs and possibilities. Working with psychologists, taking courses or using specifically-designed apps are tools available on the market but you can also do effective mental training on your own while practicing tennis. You spend many hours on the court so it is the waste of time if you dedicate your efforts just to working on how to hit the ball or where to place it.

Mental training is all about the environment. To be able to practice different psychological skills, you have to be in specific place, where you will have to deal with variety of challenges. During every training session on the tennis court, you are always in the right environment to improve your mental game. That is why you should be aware of this fact and use every opportunity to become as strong as Rafa Nadal (read here why Rafa is so strong mentally) or Novak Djokovic are.

When you have the next practice, step on the court with the goal to make the biggest possible improvement that will include mental work too. Awareness of the situation combined with hard mental work will guarantee progress and will allow you to become an effective mental warrior without spending any money:

Focus

In tennis, ability to focus on proper area is really helpful in maintaining optimal performance and increasing the chance for winning. It is important to understand that there are different types of concentration and players have to practice all of them to be ready for the requirements of tennis competition. Internal focus can be improved by focusing on own technique while external focus will be developed when player will keep focus on tactical solutions or opponent’s positioning on the court. By practicing with specific mental goal in mind, you will be able to use this skill under the pressure even when other factors will try to make your focus wander away. 

Dealing with mistakes

It doesn’t matter how good you are – you will always make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the development and are present during every training session and tennis match. You should try to avoid them by improving your skills but you also have to possess skills that will allow you to react properly to the mistakes. One mistake can lead to many others if the reaction is wrong so your mental tools have to include proven methods that will keep your form at proper level. After making mistakes, go through the routine and learn from the mistake instead of getting angry at it. By knowing why you did particular mistake and how to improve it, you will avoid series of mistakes and you will be able to win the next point.

Awareness

Situation on the court can change drastically in every minute. Tennis is not time-limited so you have to keep your game ready until the last point is played. To increase the chance for making proper decisions and implementing effective strategy, you have to possess the skill of awareness. That is why you have to think about the on-court situations and analyze with details what happens on the court. When you are aware of the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, own favorite patterns or rival’s decisions during crucial points, you will be prepared for what’s ahead and you will have advantage over the rival with the knowledge of his intended actions.

It is impossible to become successful tennis player without having strong mental skills. There are a lot of factors that can have negative impact on player’s performance so to deal with these challenges, you have to work in advance on specific tools that will allow you to find solutions to different problems. Make sure that every on-court meeting makes you stronger mentally and remember that mental’s improvement is dependent solely on your willingness to work on it during specific time. 

Marcin Bieniek is a professional tennis coach. You can contact Marcin through his personal coaching website http://marcinbieniek.info. Marcin has been working with USTA, top 50 ITF and WTA/ATP players. Author of tennis book “Tenisowy Olimp” and frequent contributor to TennisPro and TenisKlub magazines. He was a speaker at International Coaching Tennis Symposium 2016 and 2021 at Hilton Head Island, USA.

The post WAB CLUB FEATURE: Houston International Table Tennis Academy appeared first on Butterfly Online | Butterfly Table Tennis - ButterflyOnline is the North America distributor of Butterfly Table Tennis. Butterfly is a world leader in table tennis tables, ping pong tables, table tennis blades, ping pong paddles and all table tennis equipment..

The post US Open Update: Naranjo and Sung Win U21 Crowns appeared first on Butterfly Online | Butterfly Table Tennis - ButterflyOnline is the North America distributor of Butterfly Table Tennis. Butterfly is a world leader in table tennis tables, ping pong tables, table tennis blades, ping pong paddles and all table tennis equipment..

The post Coaching Tips of the Week: Should You Use a Super-Fast Racket? appeared first on Butterfly Online | Butterfly Table Tennis - ButterflyOnline is the North America distributor of Butterfly Table Tennis. Butterfly is a world leader in table tennis tables, ping pong tables, table tennis blades, ping pong paddles and all table tennis equipment..

Will Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz's rivalry explode in 2023, after the clashes the two young tennis players had in 2022? Between London, Umag, New York, one of the most greatest rivalries of this season develops, precisely that between the Spaniard and the Italian.

The two have been indicated since the first days of the year as the two faces of the Next Gen, the two candidates to take on the legacy of those who preceded them. Becoming Grand Slam champions, becoming number one in the world is the destiny that binds them and their rivalry: the Spaniard, unlike Sinner, has achieved both goals. The Italian struggled, however, with a physical condition that didn't assist him at all.

A rivalry that, at least for this year, has been seen on three occasions, with three epic matches. It all started in the round of 16 at Wimbledon. A match that Sinner dominates from the first exchanges, reaching match points in the third set tiebreak.

With the first canceled, Alcaraz takes a liking to it and cancels a second, taking the third set. In the fourth, however, the Italian number one returns to his levels and, although he still has match points canceled, he conquers their first challenge of 2022.

The level of the tournament drops, passing to an ATP 250, but the round goes up: Sinner and Alcaraz, a few weeks after the clash at Wimbledon, challenge each other to win the Umago trophy. Different plot, same ending: again a victory for Sinner, but this time it's up to him to come back.

In fact, he loses the first set in the tiebreak and recovers in the other two, giving the Spaniard a double 6-1. To close this rivalry, which will probably write the future of tennis but already inflames the present, there is the challenge in the quarterfinals of the US Open.

An epic match, in terms of intensity and the level of tennis shown, which perhaps more than any other symbolizes their struggle (and perhaps even the two different seasons). In New York, however, Alcaraz takes his revenge: in the fourth set, Sinner still has match points, which would send him to the semifinal of a Grand Slam for the first time.

This time, however, the 2003 class learns from his mistakes: he cancels the match point and takes the break, taking the match to the fifth set. Also in this last partial, with the two tired from the efforts of the previous exchanges, they give themselves to the opponent: Alcaraz loses his serve and immediately after Sinner follows him. Just the Italian however, gives up and still loses his turn to serve. The match goes to the Spanish talent, who doesn't have enough on this occasion: first Grand Slam title and top of the ranking.

Marin Cilic recognized the greatness of the Big Three, noting that Roger Federer "transformed tennis" Cilic, who won his only Grand Slam title at the 2014 US Open, has had many battles against Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on stage. larger. Cilic, 34, often turns to YouTube to watch highlights from his matches against the Big Three of all time. "Yes I do (watch the great moments from his matches against the big three). Very often I go on YouTube and watch the highlights of many of his games. They were the pinnacles of sport. Roger, whose career was so long, I don't remember so vividly (his beginnings of him). 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 were some of the most incredible years for him," Cilic said on the ATP Tennis Radio podcast. "As a player, he transformed tennis, and I remember those moments, some with positive things, some with negative things, but those are the ones that pushed me to be stronger and reach another level," Cilic said of Federer. Cilic has not had much success against Federer, as he has only won one of his 11 meetings. However, that victory turned out to be one of the most important of Cilic's career. In the 2014 US Open semifinal, Cilic stunned Federer in three sets to reach his first Grand Slam final. Cilic then defeated Kei Nishikori in the final to lift his first and only Grand Slam title. In the 2017 Wimbledon final, Cilic faced Federer. Unfortunately for Cilic, he didn't have much of a choice, as the Swiss prevailed in straight sets. Six months later, Cilic and Federer met in the 2018 Australian Open final. This time, Cilic played much better, but Federer still escaped with a five-set victory to win his 20th Grand Slam title. Last year, Cilic and Federer met for the last time, as the Swiss defeated the Croat at the French Open. The Balkan giant had an outstanding season, a year that closed in box number 17 of the ATP ranking.

Roger Federer revealed that he was glad that he didn't take the sport too seriously and was able to enjoy his time on the court. "I feel like I had a lot of fun on the tour. It was not just about tennis. It was also about going to nice dinner with friends and I'm happy that I didn't take tennis almost that serious or professional. Still had a bit of an amateur twist to it," he said. "A bit worried that every sport is going into such a professional direction which I hope we don't lose the fun in it. It's important," he added.

Without even having reached the age of majority, Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio (Madrid, 17 years old) has aroused the attention of the entire golf scene thanks to a list of winners and feats reserved for a select few. Number 13 in the world amateur ranking, the woman from Madrid is the Under-18 world champion, runner-up in the British Girl Amateur, winner of the Toyota World Cup, absolute Spanish champion (she did this at the age of 16), and a long list of awards that have fact that his next destination is the prestigious University of Texas A&M, in the United States.

The great presentation of Cata, as family and friends know it, before professional golf was three weeks ago, at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open in Spain. The golfer trained at the Country Club went to bed on Friday as the leader of the Ladies European Tour final after a tremendous round of 65 strokes, the best of the entire tournament. “I saw that she was going first and that she could win, but she told myself that it was very complicated. I had negative thoughts, I thought that I am very small, not even a professional... But when I go out on the course I forget that and I just try to play my best golf”, Cayetana recalls to AS. The pressure did not weigh on the weekend and she finished fifth, being the best Spanish in the tournament and also the best amateur. “They were some impressive days, I will always remember them. When I go out to compete I don't pay attention to what tournament it is or who I'm playing against, I'm going to win from day one. There were nerves, but as soon as I stepped onto the pitch I felt at home”, explains the Madrid native.

Cayetana, who has been playing golf since she was 5 years old, has always grown up linked to this sport. One of her sisters, Blanca, is in her fourth year at Texas A&M, the university that has now also recruited Cata. “I have always been clear that I wanted to leave, and my parents wanted us to try to leave together,” says Fernández, who will leave for the United States in August, where she already has rented an apartment in which she will live with her sister. “It's lucky because she's going to help me and she's going to introduce me to people. We get along very well, although I suppose we'll have a fight between the sisters... It's going to be great, we'll compete on the same team and it comforts me to know that, since I'm a little afraid of being away from home, I'll have Blanca by my side ”.

Until embarking on this new adventure, Cayetana leads a sacrificed life in the CETEMA of the Madrid Golf Federation. “We are four girls and four boys in class. In the morning we have three hours of school, then we go to train for three hours, we return to school for three more hours of class and we finish with physical preparation. Listening to it like this still has a bit of an impact because you are away from home for many hours, but it is very well organized and we have a very good atmosphere”, narrates a Cata who defines her game as “based on straightness with the drive and capable of making good putts. Although of character I am a bit complicated. But the anger makes me take out the claw ”. With dreams of "playing in the LPGA, winning a big one and participating in the Solheim Cup", the Spanish golf diamond has its next stop on the other side of the pond.

Making up 16% of all players in the Top 100 Singles and Doubles Rankings, former student-athletes not only excelled in ATP and WTA Tour events but in Grand Slams as well, winning at least one Championship at three of the four Grand Slams.

Out of the 11 ranked men’s singles players, four played at SEC institutions, including Florida’s Ben Shelton who has had a meteoric rise up the ATP Singles Rankings since turning pro just before the 2022 US Open.

Danielle Collins leads the charge for collegiate alum in the WTA Singles Rankings as the former Virginia Cavalier climbed all the way up into the Top 10 this season before ending the year ranked No. 14 in the WTA Singles Rankings.

The two-time NCAA Singles Champion reached her first Grand Slam Final in 2022, making a run at the Australian Open before losing to world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the Championship Match.

Pepperdine’s Mayar Sherif is the other former collegiate athlete in the WTA Rankings as the three-time ITA All-American won two WTA Championships to finish out her 2022 season to lead her to her career-high ranking.

It is men’s doubles where collegiate alum really shined this past season as 35 of the Top 100 ranked players come from the collegiate level.

Having a former student-athlete ranked as the No. 1 men’s doubles player for a majority of the year, both of the US Open and French Open Men’s Doubles Champions came from the collegiate ranks.

Former LSU alum, Neal Skupski, finished the season as the No. 1 ranked men’s doubles player in the world. The ex-Tiger was the 2022 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Champion with Desirae Krawczyk (Arizona State) and finished Runner-Up in the US Open Men’s Doubles Draw.

Rajeev Ram (Illinois) and Joe Salisbury (Memphis) continue to be one of the top doubles duos on tour as the two won back-to-back US Open Championships this year and ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the ATP Doubles Rankings for the majority of the year.

With a new ATP and WTA Tour season right around the corner, collegiate athletes will once again look to continue to shine under the brightest lights as college tennis continues to be a pathway to the pro level, with more and more former and current student-athletes excelling amongst the best in the world.

Collegiate Alum In ATP Singles Rankings

• 14 – Cam Norrie, TCU 
• 30 – Francisco Cerundolo, South Carolina 
• 34 – Maxime Cressy, UCLA
• 41 – John Isner, Georgia 
• 44 – Arthur Rinderknech, Texas A&M
• 47 – Brandon Nakashima, Virginia 
• 48 – Jenson Brooksby, Baylor 
• 61 – Marcos Giron, UCLA 
• 63 – Mackenzie McDonald, UCLA
• 66 – JJ Wolf, Ohio State 
• 97 – Ben Shelton, Florida 

Collegiate Alum In WTA Singles Rankings

• 14 – Danielle Collins, Virginia/Florida 
• 52 – Mayar Sherif, Pepperdine

Collegiate Alum In ATP Doubles Rankings

• 1 – Neal Skupski, LSU 
• 3 – Rajeev Ram, Illinois 
• 4 – Joe Salisbury, Memphis 
• 6 – Marcelo Arevalo, Tulsa 
• 6 – Jean-Julien Rojer, UCLA 
• 10 – Austin Krajicek, Texas A&M
• 12 – Lloyd Glasspool, Texas
• 16 – Michael Venus, LSU
• 18 – Tim Puetz, Auburn
• 20 – John Isner, Georgia
• 24 – Andreas Mies, Auburn
• 29 – Robert Farah, USC
• 34 – Jan Zielinski, Georgia
• 37 – John Peers, Middle Tennessee/Baylor
• 40 – Gonzalo Escobar, Texas Tech
• 46 – Nathaniel Lammons, SMU
• 50 – Jackson Withrow, Texas A&M
• 52 – Aleksandr Nedovyesov, Oklahoma State
• 59 – Sadio Doumbia, Georgia
• 61 – Sander Gille, ETSU
• 62 – Joran Vliegen, East Carolina
• 64 – Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, Texas
• 65 – Nicolas Barrientos, West Florida
• 69 – Henry Patten, UNC Asheville
• 70 – Julian Cash, Mississippi State/Oklahoma State
• 75 – Andre Goransson, California
• 79 – Ben McLachlan, California
• 80 – Diego Hidalgo, Florida
• 83 – Hunter Reese, Tennessee
• 84 – Saketh Myneni, Alabama
• 85 – John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee
• 87 – Robert Galloway, Wofford
• 94 – Mackenzie McDonald, UCLA
• 98 – William Blumberg, North Carolina
• 99 – Hans Hach Verdugo, Abilene Christian

Collegiate Alum In WTA Doubles Rankings

• 8 – Giuliana Olmos, USC
• 11 – Anna Danilina, Florida
• 16 – Desirae Krawcz, Arizona State
• 20 – Ellen Perez, Georgia
• 22 – Ena Shibahara, UCLA
• 31 – Erin Routliffe, Alabama
• 41 – Alexa Guarachi, Alabama
• 46 – Aldila Sutjiadi, Kentucky
• 47 – Luisa Stefani, Pepperdine
• 54 – Aliona Bolsova, Oklahoma State/Florida Atlantic
• 57 – Angela Kulikov, USC
• 61 – Alicia Barnett, Northwestern
• 63 – Kaitlyn Christian, USC
• 78 – Catherine Harrison, UCLA
• 80 – Ingrid Neel, Florida
• 85 – Sabrina Santamaria, USC
• 93 – Samantha Murray Sharan, Northwestern

The post Top Stories of 2022: Collegiate Stars Shine on ATP & WTA Tours appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

The most famous siblings in tennis will be represented in the Australian Open draw yet again after Venus Williams was awarded a wildcard into the season’s first grand slam in Melbourne.

A year after neither Venus nor Serena Williams contested the Open for the first time in a quarter of a century, Tennis Australia on Monday announced 42-year-old Venus would be back next month for a 22nd time.

Nick Kyrgios had a great season, winning 37 out of 47 matches and playing in his first Major final at Wimbledon. The Aussie finished the year just outside the top-20, hoping for more good results in 2023. Nick will lead Australia at the inaugural United Cup, joined by Alex de Minaur, Jason Kubler, Ajla Tomljanovic, Maddison Inglis, Zoe Hives, John Peers and playing co-captain Samantha Stosur. Australia will play two round-robin ties against Spain and Great Britain at Ken Rosewall Arena. Thus, Kyrgios will battle against world no. 2 Rafael Nadal and Cameron Norrie. Also, Nick could share the mixed doubles court with Ajla Tomljanovic, hoping to keep Australia in the title chase.

The best-of-five-rubber team event marks the long-awaited return of mixed doubles after the cancelation of the Hopman Cup. The mixed match will be the last rubber of ties, and we should get many exciting fights. Nick is excited about the upcoming event, saying he wants to raise his level in Sydney and compete at his best. Kyrgios will wear the yellow jersey for the first time since the 2020 ATP Cup, hoping for a strong start to the season ahead of the home Major in Melbourne.

"To be honest, I haven't played well in Sydney, but I hope to change that narrative at the start of the year. Just playing in Australia is special. The tour is a long grind, and it's rarely in Australia, so I'm not going to take it for granted. I do not play so much mixed doubles anymore but what I love about mixed doubles is it's for the fans. That's the most important thing. Seeing some of the best females in the world playing with the best males provides excellent entertainment, how the male lets the female do her thing on the court and not get in the way. That's fun to watch. It's just a great event to have, an event where females and males come together as one to represent their nation. That's extremely important for the fans as well. To have all the best athletes from around the world together, it's a very special event. We do not have very many events during the year where both males and females are in the same spot playing the one event together, competing for prize money, a top title and representing your country all in one," Nick Kyrgios said.

Four excellences of Italian golf were awarded in recent days in Abu Dhabi for the 2022 edition of the World Golf Awards. The awards, divided by country and category, were awarded on the basis of the votes expressed by the most important professionals in the world of golf tourism and by thousands of enthusiasts from over one hundred countries.

The facility in Pozzolengo (Brescia) won the World Golf Awards for the fifth time, in the Italy's Best Golf Hotel 2022 category. The president Pietro Apicella, commenting on the award for Golfando. “We won because Chervò Hotel San Vigilio has always stood out for its orientation towards guests. It doesn't matter who we have in front of us. The guest is a priority for us and so are his needs that we always try to satisfy. Every day we work to improve our standards by aiming for excellence. We are lucky. Our position, a few steps from Lake Garda and at the foot of the morainic hills, places us in a context of extraordinary beauty, rich in culture and excellent food and wine. But that's no reason to rest on our laurels. On the contrary: it is an incentive to improve and for this reason we aim to win the award for best golf hotel again next year, because we will be even better!”.

A company well known as "I Viaggi di Seve" was awarded the title of Italy's Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator 2022, i.e. best outgoing golf tour operator.

“I Viaggi di Seve is a golf tour operator which has by now become one of the main points of reference in Italy and not only for golf travel. “I Viaggi di Seve” won the World Golf Awards for the seventh consecutive time – says Alessandro Dinon – as the best Italian outgoing tour operator. To the question: do you participate alone to always win? Fortunately no. Those who vote for us probably recognize our professionalism, knowledge of the proposed destinations, advice in suggesting and accompanying the customer in making the ideal choice, continuous assistance and availability. We like to say one thing: we speak the same language as golfers, because first of all we are golfers.

This award consolidates our image as a dynamic company and the growth of recent years. Recognition, above all, repays us for the many sacrifices made during and after the pandemic that has brought half the world to its knees. We have chosen a growth strategy in small steps, thinking first of all about quality and not quantity. We have built a solid company made up of people with a big heart and passion. For us there is only one thing that matters: the customer and his satisfaction.

In 2022, in addition to the World Golf Awards, we received the most important recognition. We have been chosen by Ryder Cup as the only tour operator in Italy entitled to the official sale of the Ryder Cup Rome 2023 packages, effectively consecrating our position on the market.”

The regional consortium was awarded for the fourth time as Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator 2022 (best incoming golf tourism operator).

“Once again our golf offer receives a prestigious award. This award qualifies it in the eyes of the world - said the regional councilor for Tourism Andrea Corsini - for its high quality, professionalism and organization. The practice of golf has recorded an excellent performance in our region this year. The numbers confirm its leadership in the national golf tourism sector”.

This is echoed by Celso Lombardini, federal councilor and president of Emilia Romagna Golf. “Starting the Ryder Cup year in Italy with this award makes us proud and gives us hope for even better results in the coming years. We are very happy that the joint work that we have been carrying out for 24 years now in collaboration with our Region and with the Federgolf Regional Committee has obtained new international recognition. We will continue to do everything possible to make our Region's golf-tourism offer known and appreciated on international markets".

For the second year, the Umbrian course won the title of Italy's Best Golf Course 2022, i.e. the best golf course in Italy.

“We are proud to win this award for the second time. It is an honor and a confirmation of the quality of the work we have been carrying out for years to build a high-level offer aimed at the many golfers who choose our course".

Milos Raonic's coach Mario Tudor says Novak Djokovic's dedication to getting better is simply astonishing.

Djokovic, 35, has been working with coach Goran Ivanisevic since 2019.

Tudor, a Croatian coach, is in touch with Ivanisevic so he is well aware of how Djokovic's practice routine looks. 

According to Tudor, Djokovic is committed to every single detail and he is always fully determined to find ways to get better. 

Reflecting on that, coach Tudor says no wonder 35-year-old Djokovic is still a dominant force in the game.

"Goran is one of my best friends and we are in contact almost every day. As for Nole, Goran tells me that he is incredible in training. How every training is looking for something to improve on. He is interested in every little thing and you really have to be well-prepared as a coach, because Novak wants you whole and above all, he wants to be better and better every day. Nole accepts both criticism and praise and constantly asks where are those little things to improve. Here's why it keeps getting better and better. If you look at Roger, Rafael and Novak, how much they have improved and worked on their game in the last fifteen years, you quickly understand why they are so good. The hard work and vision of how to improve their tennis makes them so exceptional and also very difficult to beat," Tudor told Sport Klub Slovenia.

Even though Djokovic is 35, he is still perfectly healthy and one of the best-prepared athletes in the tennis world.

Heading into the 2023 season, Djokovic is a top favorite to win more Grand Slams.

Djokovic will be starting his 2023 season in Australia, where he will be hoping to win his 22nd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

It remains to be seen if Djokovic can win a record 10th Australian Open title in January.

The 42-year-old Williams has reached the final twice in Australia, including a loss to her younger sister, Serena, in the 2017 championship match. She will be contesting the season-opening major for the 22nd time.

“I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly,” the seven-time major winner said in a statement.

Venus and Serena Williams combined to win the Australian Open women’s doubles title four times and Venus also won the mixed doubles title in 1998 with fellow American Justin Gimelstob.

Serena Williams will not be contesting the Jan. 16-29 tournament at Melbourne Park after announcing at the U.S. Open that she was ready to evolve away from tennis.

The post 10 Interesting facts about the WTA Tour 2022 season appeared first on Tennis Pro Guru.

The latest of yet another extravagant tennis exhibition tournament will kickstart the festive season in the Middle East as Dubai hosts the inaugural World Tennis League. The event, dubbed the “Greatest Show On Court,” will run from December 19-24 featuring 18 players. So let us take a closer look at match details, format, and players involved.

When does the tournament start?

The World Tennis League will commence on Monday, 19th December. It will be played on hard courts at the lavishly-constructed Coca-Cola Arena which has a capacity of converging up to 17,000 fans. Tickets won’t come cheap with a season pass costing upwards of $400.

Who will be playing?

It is a mixed-gender tennis tournament that brings 18 of the very best tennis players, including 21-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and WTA #1 Iga Swiatek. Four franchised-owned teams will play each other in a round-robin format, with the top-two scoring teams facing off for the championship on Saturday.

Teams

Eagles: Nick Kyrgios, Caroline Garcia, Bianca Andreescu, Rohan Bopanna, Andreas Seppi

Falcons: Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Grigor Dimitrov, Paula Badosa

Hawks: Alexander Zverev, Elena Rybakina, Dominic Thiem, Anett Kontaveit

Kites: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Iga Swiatek, Holger Rune, Sania Mirza, Eugenie Bouchard

Tournament format

Each team will consist of at least four players. There will be a singles men’s and women’s match, and a mixed-doubles match each day between the two teams. Matches will be best-of-three contests with a 10-point tiebreak for the third set.

Day 1: Kites vs Eagles

Day 2: Falcons vs Hawks

Day 3: Falcons vs Eagles

Day 4: Hawks vs Kites

Day 5: Eagles vs Hawks

Day 6: Falcons vs Kites

Day 7:  Final (TBC)

What the players have said

Djokovic, who is the biggest star attraction during the week, could not contain his delight. In an Instagram post, the Serbian star said, “Hello, tennis fans around the world. A big tennis event is coming up in Dubai — World Tennis League.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the league for the first time along with my teammates from Team Falcons–Grigor Dimitrov, Aryna Sabalenka, and Paula Badosa. I’m looking forward to sharing some great moments with you guys on the court and off the court as well.”

Djokovic is slated to play Australia’s Nick Kyrgios on day two of the event. And the Aussie is keen to atone for his Wimbledon loss in July. Kyrgios said, “I cannot wait to be part of the WTL. The team that has my eye is definitely Novak and the Falcons. I can’t wait to come against them and I can guarantee an Eagles win. But for now, all tie.”

Main Photo from Getty.

The post World Tennis League – What You Need to Know appeared first on Last Word On Tennis.

This weekend I gave myself an early Christmas gift and checked off one of my bucket list items by competing in the Senior National Grass Court Championships. After the first day of the competition, I have a couple of observations about playing on grass that might be useful for other first-timers on the surface.

Shoes

While there is such a thing as grass court tennis shoes that have little nubs for better traction, those aren’t permitted for non-professional players at any facility in the United States that I am aware of. The good news is that none of the major retailers stock grass court shoes, so you are unlikely to accidentally purchase a pair. Do not go out of your way to find grass court shoes.

That leaves standard hard-court or specialized clay court shoes. This weekend I encountered people with an adamant preference for both options. My theory is that people who slide into their shots prefer the uniform herringbone pattern on the clay shoes. My standard hard-court shoes worked well for me.

You want relatively new shoes because those have the most texture on the sole for gripping the court. At the same time, you don’t want to step onto the court with brand-new shoes because the new rubber on the sole is pretty slick out of the box. I was talking to another player that made that mistake as she was heading over to an adjacent hard court to scuff up her soles a little bit.

The Ball Doesn’t Bounce

While other players had told me that the ball doesn’t bounce on grass, I under-appreciated some of the subtle nuances. One way to simulate the bounce while playing is to use green-dot quick-start balls. However, that ball doesn’t fly off the racquet the same way as standard balls.

For me, the most significant impact was how the ball bounces vertically during the service motion. In fact, that caused pretty significant issues with my rhythm. I have tried not bouncing the ball before serving but found that omitting that step really throws me off. Similarly, I discovered that if I bounce the ball pretty hard, it throws off the rhythm and creates tension in my shoulder. The best solution for me is simulated ball bounces. (It makes me look like a dork, but then again that is exactly what I am.)

I uploaded this YouTube video that illustrates how the ball (doesn’t) bounce on grass when serving.

Additionally, your teaching pro probably tells you it is best to hit an overhead before it bounces. That is important on grass. If you let the ball bounce, the next shot probably isn’t going to be an overhead because there isn’t much rebound at all.

White is a Terrible Color for Grass

Many clubs with grass courts require all-white clothes when playing. Mission Hills Country Club, the host of my current tournament, does not have that restriction. However, I am wearing my whites anyway because I have been maintaining that wardrobe in anticipation of playing on grass for years. By golly, it is now or never for that clothing.

White is a terrible color for playing on grass. The ball picks up mud and grass stains which are transferred to your clothing as balls are pocketed. The following photograph illustrates some of the grass stains that my doubles partner and I picked up on the first day of the tournament.

Fortunately, the condo that we rented has a clothes washing machine with a specific setting for grass stains. At home, I would have cranked the heat to high and used stain remover treatment and bleach. We had neither stain remover nor bleach, so tried out the “Grass” setting with a Tide Pod. The following image captures those settings and our good fortune.

You Have to Try Grass

Competing on the surface has further convinced me that all players should play on grass at least once. My experience at this event will enhance how I watch professional tennis during the grass-court swing leading up to Wimbledon.

The time I spent playing on grass also gave me a greater sense of connection to the rich heritage of our sport. If playing on grass isn’t already on your bucket list, it should be.

The post Playing on Grass appeared first on Fiend At Court.

4 min read With origins dating back to 1735, Farmington is a staple of the community with a rich history, and its tennis scene is evolving with help from Universal Tennis. Carlos Romero and Rich Karban are two providers at Farmington responsible for adult and junior tennis, and they’ve relied on Universal Tennis to innovate …

Continue reading

The post Club Spotlight: Farmington Country Club appeared first on Universal Tennis Blog.

Novak Djokovic paid his tribute to Sinisa Mihajlovic, a former Serbian footballer and coach who passed away after battling cancer.

Mihajlovic, 53, passed away on Friday after battling cancer for the past few years.

Mihajlovic, who enjoyed a successful football career before he entered the coaching waters, left a major mark on Serbian sports.

"Rest in peace, dear Sinisa. My condolences to the Mihajlovic family. Thank you for everything you did for our sport, as well as in Italy. Your mark is indelible," Djokovic wrote on Twitter.

Next week, Djokovic will be participating in the inaugural World Tennis League.

After competing in the Dubai exhibition, Djokovic will head to Australia, where he is set to return 12 months after the Australia visa saga.

Leading up to the Australian Open, Djokovic plans to compete at the Adelaide International. 

In early 2021, Djokovic spent two weeks in quarantine in Adelaide and he had an exhibition match scheduled there against Jannik Sinner.

After withdrawing late from the exhibition, Djokovic still showed up on the court and played one set. 

Adelaide tournament director Alistair MacDonald was recently asked about the bizarre scene from 2021. 

“We saw in those two weeks that Djokovic was in quarantine here in Adelaide that he has a heck of a lot of fans here. Ultimately, in the end he did play that year and of course things can go wrong, but he’s committed and we expect he will play again," MacDonald told News Corp.

Going into the Australian swing, some feel Djokovic may not receive a warm reception in his Australia return.

"Covid was a pretty tough time for everyone and his experience probably didn’t go the way he wanted it to last year, but 2023 is a fresh start. It’s probably not our position to judge how he will be received, but he’s a great player and will certainly drive interest in the event," MacDonald explained. 

Ranked 6th at the start of the 2003 season, Roger Federer found the rhythm in February to conquer Marseille and Dubai. The Swiss did not play at his best level in Indian Wells and Miami, but he found his game again on clay to conquer Munich and reach the final in Rome. Things didn´t go so well at Hamburg and Roland Garros, and Roger focused on the grass-court season, lifting the first ATP title on the fastest surface in Halle. Coming into Wimbledon as one of the favourites, Federer dropped one set in seven meetings, producing top-quality tennis against Andy Roddick and Mark Philippoussis to lift the first Grand Slam crown. The youngster had a chance to become world number 1 in Montreal and Cincinnati, losing the semifinal in Canada to Andy Roddick and waiting until next February to seize the ATP throne. At the US Open, Federer lost the first set against José Acasuso before recovering, dominating the Argentine, who retired early in the fourth set. In the second round, Roger defeated Jean-Rene Lisnard 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 in one hour and 17 minutes, in one of his most dominant triumphs in New York. The Wimbledon champion gave up 15 points in 11 service games, declining the only break point he faced and stealing 55% of return points. Federer grabbed seven breaks from 14 chances and clinched a third-round berth. Thus, Federer set the fourth round clash against James Blake, expecting a much closer match in front of the American public. In addition, Roger referred to his girlfriend Mirka, who got into tennis after being inspired by Martina Navratilova. "You always have to stay focused in the early stages of each set, which has worked well for me today. I´ve hit quite a few first serves and everything has worked my way. I didn´t expect to beat him so easily. James Blake is a nice guy; it should be a good and fair match. Our first meeting will be before a large audience that should be on his side."

Martina Navratilova has an interesting potential future career in mind for Roger Federer, now that the Swiss great has bid farewell to tennis. "Roger could be an ambassador, or maybe president. And it might not be Switzerland, either!" Martina Navratilova wrote in a recent column for The Wall Street Journal. Navratilova feels that if the Swiss legend was not hindered by serious injuries late in his career, he would have "undoubtedly" prolonged his career even beyond the age of 41. "Roger would no doubt still play if he could do it physically," Navaratilova expressed.

"The balance sheet for 2022 is very good, the year didn't start in the best way but it ended in a great way.

However, there are some regrets regarding the Major tournaments, which represent a thorn in the side, there are". Jon Rahm, former number 1 in the world and now fifth in the world ranking, on the occasion of the Illustrious Award de Bizkaia sums up After a growing season, which ended with success in Dubai in the DP World Tour Championship.

And, regarding 2023, the Spaniard explained that "the aspirations are the same as always, because in golf there are four Major tournaments and five other events that are certainly more important than the others", he explained. Next year, the 28-year-old from Barrika will be among the key players of team Europe at the Ryder Cup in Rome.

Then, on the LIV Golf, the Arab Super League. "They have included more appointments in their 2023 calendar. But the substance remains the same", cut short the Basque golfer.

Jon Rahm Rodríguez (Barrica, Vizcaya, November 10, 1994) is a Spanish professional golfer, current number 2 in the world.

He was number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 60 weeks, holding the absolute record as number 1 in said ranking. He started as a professional in 2016, the year in which he participated in the United States Open, which he would win only 5 years later, on June 20, 2021, being the first Spanish golfer to win this tournament. In 2017 he was proclaimed champion of the San Diego Open, the Irish Open and the Dubai World Championship.

On July 19, 2020, he won the Memorial Tournament (Ohio) and rose to number one in the PGA World Golf Rankings, unseating Rory McIlroy. He is the twenty-fourth number one in history, the tenth European and the second Spanish after Severiano Ballesteros.

Jon Rahm March Rodríguez was born on November 10, 1994 in Barrica, Vizcaya, the son of Edorta Rahm, born in Bilbao, and Ángela Rodríguez, born in Madrid. His paternal surname Rahm comes from Switzerland.

In 2007, he won an award when his father took him to the Real Club de Golf Valderrama to watch the Volvo Masters live. Jon had already been practicing golf for about three years. His first contacts with golf were at the Club Deportivo Martiartu and later he trained at the Larrabea Golf Club. At that Volvo Masters, Jon, at the age of 13, asked for autographs from some of the players he competed with a few years later.

The post London | Raducanu works with a new coach and tops Google search poll appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

Bolstered by an energized home crowd, the Spartans were able to take home their program’s first team National Championship with a 5-1 win over the University of Chicago in the championship match. 

The 2022 NCAA Doubles Champions, James Hopper and Jonathan Powell picked up one of the biggest points of the day in doubles, taking down the No. 25 ranked doubles team from the top spot in a tightly contested 8-7 (7-4) match. 

Capitalizing on the momentum from doubles, Case knew they only needed two wins out of the six singles matches to clinch the match and after taking four of the six first sets from UChicago, the Spartans were in the driver’s seat to claim their first National Title. 

In 2023, the Division III Men’s Indoor Championship will head to Minnesota as Gustavus Adolphus takes their turn as hosts. Case will look to defend its title as the nation’s best will once again be in attendance looking for a national championship.

Road To The Championship

Opening Round: 8-1 win vs (8) Gustavus Adolphus

• No. 1 Doubles – Hopper/Powell (CWRU) def. Aney/Budde (GAC), 8-5
• No. 2 Doubles – Fouchier/Terakanambi (GAC) def. V. Aduru/Dayal (CWRU), 8-6
• No. 3 Doubles – C. Aduru/Sutanto (CWRU) def. Christensen/Elofson (GAC), 8-1
• No. 1 Singles – Hopper (CWRU) def. Raut (GAC), 6-0, 6-0
• No. 2 Singles – V. Aduru (CWRU) def. Aney (GAC), 6-2, 7-6
• No. 3 Singles – Shah (CWRU) def. Fouchier (GAC), 4-6, 6-2, 1-0
• No. 4 Singles – Sutanto (CWRU) def. Budde (GAC), 6-4, 6-1
• No. 5 Singles – C. Aduru (CWRU) def. Siviero (GAC), 6-0, 6-7, 1-0
• No. 6 Singles – Powell (CWRU) def. Wikstrom (GAC), 6-0, 6-1

Semifinals: 8-1 win vs (4) Trinity

• No. 1 Doubles – Hopper/Powell (CWRU) def. Settles/Nguyen (TU), 8-4
• No. 2 Doubles – V. Aduru/Dayal (CWRU) def. Krimbill/Hunter (TU), 8-4
• No. 3 Doubles – C. Aduru/Sutanto (CWRU) def. Azzalini/Hamilton (TU), 8-4
• No. 1 Singles – Krimbill (TU) def. Hopper (CWRU), 7-6, 2-6, 1-0
• No. 2 Singles – V. Aduru (CWRU) def. Nguyen (TU), 7-6, 4-6, 1-0
• No. 3 Singles – Shah (CWRU) def. Azzalini (TU), 6-1, 6-4
• No. 4 Singles – Sutanto (CWRU) def. Settles (TU), 6-4, 6-2
• No. 5 Singles – C. Aduru (CWRU) def. Hamilton (TU), 6-1, 6-2
• No. 6 Singles – Powell (CWRU) def. Liao (TU), 6-1, 6-3

Championship: 5-1 win vs (6) UChicago

• No. 1 Doubles – Hopper/Powell (CWRU) def. Alshon/Hsieh (UC), 8-7
• No. 2 Doubles – V. Aduru/Dayal (CWRU) def. Asokumar/Leonov (UC), 8-4
• No. 3 Doubles – C. Aduru/Sutanto (CWRU) def. Forgus/Otero (UC), 8-2
• No. 1 Singles – unfinished
• No. 2 Singles – Alshon (UC) def. V. Aduru (CWRU), 6-0, 6-1
• No. 3 Singles – Shah (CWRU) def. Hsieh (UC), 6-1, 6-3
• No. 4 Singles – unfinished
• No. 5 Singles – unfinished
• No. 6 Singles – Powell (CWRU) def. Michulka (UC), 6-2, 6-4

The post Top Stories of 2022: Case Western Reserve Wins ITA Division III Men’s Indoor Championship appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

Milos Raonic's coach Marko Tudor thinks Bernard Tomic is a perfect example of what happens when someone is a victim of "overtraining at a young age."

After enjoying a very successful junior career, an 18-year-old Tomic made the Wimbledon quarterfinal as a qualifier in 2011.

At the time, Tomic was working with coach Tudor.

After becoming the youngest player since Becker to reach a Wimbledon quarterfinal, Tomic never again reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal. 

Several years ago, Tomic admitted that he was burnt out.

In one of his interviews, Tomic also admitted that he missed out on many normal teenage things because he had to be on the practice court.

Now, coach Tudor confirms that Tomic's father was overly obsessed with tennis and also added that comparing Tomic to Roger Federer was just too much. 

"I worked with Bernard a decade ago for a year and a half, when he reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon as a nineteen-year-old. I can say that he has a great feel in his hand. But I didn't agree with the reports in the Australian media, who at the time were writing that he was the new Federer. It is not even close to the Big Three in any way. His father was obsessed with tennis and insanely ambitious, so Bernard trained five times more than the competition, we're talking 5 to 6 hours a day on the court. Ever since he was eight years old and that's why he already won the Junior Grand Slam at the age of sixteen. His ball is different from the competition, he plays it completely flat and jumps extremely low. I've never played against shots like that and you really have to get used to them. But you should know that at the beginning he was a surprise for the Tour, but they quickly began to read him and understand his game. He certainly could have achieved much more than he did, but to be material like Federer. Not even close. Considering all the pressure from his father, I'm not surprised that Bernard got sick of tennis and withdrew for a while, now I'm seeing that he is coming back. But this is another story of overtraining at a young age," Tudor told Sport Klub Slovenia.

The Arab Super League of golf continues to expand in the United States, where the PGA Tour has been thriving for decades. LIV Golf has announced three competitions in the United States to be held respectively in Arizona (in March), Oklahoma (May) and West Virginia ( August).

"LIV's expansion into new U.S. markets adds to the growing excitement that has been generated with the announcement of the 2023 calendar that will represent a transformational season for the Superleague," said Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf. In the meantime, he continues his signing campaign and this time he seems to have targeted Australian Jason Day, former number 1 in the world (in 2016), Major champion, who hasn't won an event on the PGA Tour since May 2018.

He entered the world top ten for the first time in June 2011, finishing ninth after a second-place finish at the US Open. In February 2014, he captured his first WGC title, the match play world championship.

In August 2015, he won the 97th US PGA Championship, also setting a record with the lowest score ever across all four majors, 20 under par. The previous record belonged to Tiger Woods, set in 2000 with 19 hits.

In March 2016 he won the match play world championship again by defeating the South African Louis Oosthuizen in the final, becoming number one in the world rankings for the first time in his career, at the age of 29. He will remain at the top of the standings for almost a year, when he will be overtaken by the American Dustin Johnson.

LIV Golf, also known as Super Golf League, is a professional golf circuit. It was funded in 2022, with the patronage of the Public Investment Fund (es el fund riches sovereign of Saudi Arabia) 1​. The circuit rivals the PGA Tour (United States) and the DP World Tour (Europe), offering substantially higher prize money.

The LIV name refers to the total number of horses competing in each event (54 in Roman numbers, corresponding to 3 rounds of 18 horses), as opposed to the usual 72 horses (4 rounds of 18 horses) in other tours. Alternatively, 54 is the score obtained by noting a birdie in each hoyo in a match of 72.

Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish tennis player who made the decisive leap in this last part of the season, conquering the plenary thanks to a single match, became number one after the US Open, and continues to be the leader of the men's ranking. With the final victory at the US Open, he won his first Grand Slam title and took first place in the ranking. The youngest number one in the world, after returning to Paris-Bercy, ended the year in France; due to injury, in fact, he had to forgo the ATP Finals, where he was rewarded for finishing the year as number one. A top of the ranking that Carlos Alcaraz will not give up so easily. In fact, the Iberian will arrive at the Australian Open as number one in the world, despite the presence of Rafael Nadal in the United Cup. In this last competition, the 22-time Grand Slam champion can obtain a maximum of 500 points, in case of final victory. However, the two compatriots are separated by 800 points: therefore, Alcaraz will maintain the position until the next stage, the Australian Open. In fact, even the points that Nadal could earn in a 250 tournament in the week leading up to Melbourne would be superfluous. Taking this scenario into account, Carlos Alcaraz would have been at the top of the ranking for a total of 19 weeks. In this way, he makes definitive the overtaking of his predecessor Daniil Medvedev: the Russian stopped in 16 weeks. The Spaniard becomes the 17th tennis player for number of weeks as world number one. The list of those who have accumulated more time than him in that position is long, while fewer tennis players have scored fewer weeks as the leader of the world rankings. Marat Safin stayed in 9 weeks; while John Newcombe and Juan C. Ferrero in 8. Six weeks at the top for Thomas Muster, Marcelo Ríos and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Two for Carlos Moyà, while Rafter reaches his all-time low: only one week as number one in the world.

Three months after his incredible coronation at the US Open, propelling him to the top of world tennis, Carlos Alcaraz still does not realize. “It feels like a dream to me. Honestly, I often think about my current position in the ATP rankings, and I still can't believe it. I wonder if it's real, if I'm number 1 in the world. I'm dreaming. It's something I have to realize," the world's youngest ever No. 1 told Arab News. Injured in the abdominals in recent weeks, he will return to the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition in Abu Dhabi from December 16 to 18.

The post Rafael Nadal Australian Open Gear 2023 appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

Co-created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Sports for Nature Framework aims to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, by 2030 and beyond.

As part of the framework, signatories pledge to adhere to four key principles that will safeguard nature and contribute to the new global goals for biodiversity. Sports federations, leagues, clubs and events have committed to protect and avoid damage to important species and habitats, restore key ecosystems; create sustainable supply chains, and educate and inspire the wider sporting community to take action for nature. World governments are expected to ratify the framework later this week.

“I am proud that ITTF was able to join as a founding signatory of the Sport for Nature Framework. Sustainability is one of my priorities and I am glad that concrete actions are happening,” Petra Sörling, ITTF President, said. “These international frameworks ensure we are on the right path and enable us to do the necessary work, behind the scenes for our sport, for people, planet and prosperity.”

In addition to pledging to meet the four key principles, the ITTF has committed to develop and implement action plans that will be reported to an independent expert panel. This panel will then assess whether the ITTF’s plans are credible and effective in meeting the goals of the principles of the framework.

Joining the ITTF as founding signatures are the following sport organizations:

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
• The Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024
• Spanish Olympic Committee
• Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee
• International Canoe Federation (ICF)
• International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
• Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
• World Rowing (FISA)
• World Sailing
• World Skate Federation
• International Orienteering Federation (IOF)
• International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF)
• SAMBO International Federation (FIAS)
• World University Games (FISU)
• World Squash Federation (WSF)
• England Squash
• AlUla Sports Club
• Forest Green Rovers
• The Ocean Race
• We Play Green
• E1 Series
• Extreme E
• Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB)

The IUCN will be tasked with leading the coordination with the framework’s signatories, while also providing technical support, training and other tools needed to address stakeholders’ goals.

This framework is a key pillar of the UN’s Agenda 2030 and fits in with the Olympic Movement’s role in being a steward for a better society through sport and development.

The post ITTF Joins Historic Sport for Nature Framework appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

The Task Force expressed satisfaction with the efforts to make Ukrainian players’ participation in several table tennis and para table tennis events possible through the fundraising campaign Table Tennis United organised by the ITTF Foundation, helping players as they navigate through the ongoing crises caused by the war in their country.

It welcomed and fully endorsed the Olympic Summit declaration of 9 December 2022, including the continued support for the Ukrainian athletes and sports community, and agrees with the importance of bringing together athletes from all countries regardless of their nationality.

Therefore, the Task Force endorsed the IOC Summit position to review the current protective measures restricting the participation of Russian and Belarussian athletes in international competition and looks forward to exploring potential options in this regard. Noting that Russian and Belarusian athletes were already competing professionally in several domestic leagues across Europe.

After the ITTF Executive Committee’s decision to follow the recommendations made by the IOC Executive Board on 28 February 2022, no Russian or Belarusian players and officials have been allowed in events hosted by the ITTF Group. The Task Force will evaluate future developments and will reassess the situation in the first weeks of 2023.

The post ITTF Task Force Meets to Assess 2023 Events appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

After 11 months of nonstop tennis, ATPTour.com takes a deep dive into the facts and figures from the 2022 Challenger Tour season.

Halys Held Most Wins
For the second straight year, a Frenchman topped the Challenger match wins leaderboard. This season, Quentin Halys was nearly unstoppable as he collected a 43-10 record on the Challenger Tour.

The 26-year-old reached seven Challenger finals, including in Pau, Lille, and Ismaning, where he captured the title. Halys finished the year at a career-high 64 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. 

Title Leaders
Pedro Cachin and Jack Draper finished with a season-leading four Challenger titles. While the Argentine Cachin competed in seven finals, he was crowned champion in Madrid, Prague, Todi, and Santo Domingo. Draper’s early-season surge helped pave the path of his graduation to Tour-level tournaments and qualification for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. The Briton triumphed at the Forli-2, Forli-4, Forli-5, and Saint-Brieuc Challengers.

Teen Titans
Nine teenagers broke through to triumph at the Challenger level. China’s Shang Juncheng won the Lexington Challenger to become the youngest (17 years, 6 months) Challenger champion of 2022. The Beijing native is the youngest Chinese champion in Challenger Tour history. Luca Nardi and Dominic Stricker were the only teenagers to win multiple Challenger titles this season.

Other teen champions include Luca Van Assche, Holger Rune, Hamad Medjedovic, Francesco Maestrelli, Flavio Cobolli, and Zachary Svajda.

Biggest Movers To Top 100
Ben Shelton, who was a six-time Challenger finalist this year, led the way as one of the four biggest movers to the Top 100.

Title Leaders By Country
Players from 38 countries won titles this year. Argentines collected a historic 23 Challenger titles, which surpassed their own record for most titles by a country in a single season (20). French players, who combined for 22 titles, were not far behind.

Valentin Vacherot, who won the Nonthaburi Challenger, became the second player from Monaco to win a title and the first since 2004.

ATP Tour & Challenger Tour Winners
Borna Coric and Holger Rune showed their dominance at the Challenger level and on the ATP Tour in 2022.

Coric, who won the Parma Challenger in June, upset three Top-10 players en route to winning the title in Cincinnati to become the first player since 1993 to win a Challenger and an ATP Masters 1000 title in the same season. And then it was the Danish teen’s turn in Bercy.

Rune, 19, claimed the Sanremo Challenger in April before rising to three Tour-level titles, including the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris.

Four other players also were crowned champions at both levels: Yoshihito Nishioka, Marc-Andrea Huesler, Francisco Cerundolo, and Lorenzo Musetti.

Doubles Titles History
In the span of six months, British duo Julian Cash and Henry Patten went from scrambling to gain entry into Challenger tournaments to finishing the season with a record-setting 10 titles.

In May, Cash and Patten were ranked outside the Top 300 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. The former college standouts made quick progress as they collected titles on all three surfaces and surpassed the previous Challenger doubles titles record, eight, which was set in 2012 by twin brothers from Thailand, Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana.

Fast Facts

• A total of 52 players collected their maiden title this season. Shang, 17, was the youngest of the bunch while 28-year-old Alexander Ritschard was the oldest player to win his first title in 2022.
• #NextGenATP stars lit up the Challenger Tour this year. Players born in 2001 or later combined for 40 titles.
• A single-season record 22 players advanced through qualifying en route to capturing a Challenger title.
• Longest final: Genaro Alberto Olivieri and Tomas Martin Etcheverry tied the record for the longest Challenger final. After three hours, 31 minutes, Olivieri defeated his countryman 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-3 to win the Montevideo Challenger.
• Shortest final: Hamad Medjedovic needed just 48 minutes to down Zhang Zhizhen 6-1, 6-2 at the Luedenscheid Challenger.
• Youngest final: Hungary’s Filip Misolic, 20, defeated 17-year-old Mili Poljicak to win the Zagreb Challenger. In Granby, 20-year-old Gabriel Diallo defeated Chinese teen Shang Juncheng in the championship match.
• Oldest winner: Fernando Verdasco won the Monterrey Challenger to become the season’s oldest champion (38 years, 3 months). Only Ivo Karlovic has won a Challenger at an older age: 39 years, 7 months (2018 Calgary).
• Four players saved at least one match point in a Challenger final: Wu Yibing (6) in Indianapolis, Jack Draper (4) at the Forli-5 event, Emilio Gomez (4) in Salinas, and Zizou Bergs (1) in Ilkley.
• Guido Andreozzi became the lowest-ranked champion since 2000. The Argentine was No. 901 when he triumphed at the Temuco Challenger.
• Ben Shelton became the youngest player in Challenger history to win three titles in as many weeks (Charlottesville, Knoxville, Champaign).
• At the Orleans Challenger, Gregoire Barrere became the fifth player since 2010 to defeat four Top-100 players en route to a title.
• Francisco and Juan Manuel Cerundolo became the first pair of brothers to win titles in back-to-back seasons.
• A record-setting 184 tournaments were played across 38 countries.
• The Tampere Open, which is the longest-running event on the Challenger Tour, became the first tournament to celebrate its 40-year anniversary.

Opening byes in this loaded six-man field certainly did not prove to be any advantage, as top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud bowed out right away in Saturday’s semifinals. Rublev already had a match under his belt (a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Borna Coric) and then destroyed Alcaraz 6-2, 6-1. Tsitsipas followed up a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Cameron Norrie by beating Ruud 6-2, 6-2.

Thus it will be familiar foes Alcaraz and Ruud in the third-place match while Tsitsipas and Rublev take center stage in the final.

Speaking of familiar foes, Tsitsipas and Rublev have faced each other 12 times in official competition and the head-to-head series is all tied up at 6-6 (Tsitsipas leads it 6-5 at the ATP level). Rublev has won five of their eight hard-court encounters, including a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision at last month’s Nitto ATP Finals.

Tsitsipas may be a slight favorite on paper, but this should set up well for Rublev. Given his recent head-to-head success in Turin, his performance against Alcaraz, and the Abu Dhabi setting, you have to like the eighth-ranked Russian’s chances. He loves the quick hard-court conditions and–as usual–it will be windy in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Rublev generally handles wind better than the Greek, whose backhand can go awry even in favorable conditions.

Look for Rublev to come out on top in a competitive, high-quality contest.

Pick: Rublev in 3

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

The post Tsitsipas, Rublev advance to Mubadala World Tennis Championship final appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Link: TennisTV (best quality)

Link: WTA TV (best quality)

Link: Rogers SportsNet (Canada)

Link: ESPN+ (US Only, Subscribe today)

Link: ESPN (US Only)

Link: NBC Sports (USA Only)

Link: Tennis Channel (US Only)

Link: EuroSport (Europe)

Link: SkySports (Europe)

LINK: Amazon Prime (Europe)

Link: TSN (Canada)

Link: TVA (Canada)

Stream live sports and exclusive originals on ESPN+. Sign up now!

The post Live Streaming for the 2022 Mubadala World Tennis Championship appeared first on Tennis Connected.

Now the former world number one has been given the all-clear to compete in Australia and will start by taking part in the Adelaide International in the run-up to the first Grand Slam of the year.

The 35-year-old may have slipped down the rankings, but he is still considered by most wagering sites to be the favorite for the title in Melbourne. If you fancy placing a wager, you should check out the best tennis betting sites, where you can read more about which sportsbooks offer the best odds and markets for your wager.

Djokovic, who is currently fifth in the world rankings, finished 2022 in style by winning the ATP Finals and will hope to secure his 22nd Grand Slam title win in Australia, a feat that would put him level with Rafael Nadal.

Speaking on the subject of just how capable Djokovic is, even in the latter stages of his glittering career, Swedish tennis great Mats Wilander believes it’s only his own personal motivation that can hold him back now;

“I see Nole as the big favorite, ahead of Medvedev, who is at his best on the concrete courts, and Nadal, the defending champion. The only thing that can betray Djokovic is his desire to do too much, to prove, after everything that happened to him in Australia a year ago, that this tournament is his home.”

Chief among his competitors will be current world number one Carlos Alcarez, with the Spaniard becoming the youngest-ever player to hold that spot at the end of a calendar year. 

Alcaraz won the US Open in 2022 and secured a quarter-final finish at the French Open and decent displays at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The teenager also won at the Miami Open and the Madrid Open over the course of a hugely successful year, which saw him finish with a 57-13 record. 

His coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, is glad that Djokovic will be competing in Australia and believes the presence of the Serb will help Alcaraz become a better player;

“I think for Carlos to improve his tennis; he needs to play against one of the best in the history. Of course, Rafa [Nadal] is there to play against him – and Novak, we need him.”

“In Madrid, Carlos played against Novak, and he increased his level to try to win the match, so that’s what we need, to play in the Slams against him; I think it’s very important for Carlos to improve,” Ferrero added.

Alcaraz has a 100% record against Djokovic, albeit from just the one match that they’ve played in on the tour thus far, and it would take a brave individual to call out a winner should these two meet in the sweltering Australian heat in January.

The post Novak Djokovic Cleared to Make Australian Open Return appeared first on Tennis Connected.

I am continually amazed and inspired by people who reinvent themselves to make profound changes in their lives. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that practice for personal development or improvement. However, reinventing oneself to ditch an unfortunate history of high performance for NTRP rating purposes is a quick way to land on my naughty list.

This reinvention process is when an existing USTA member creates a new membership with the organization rather than renewing. That essentially wipes the playing history clean because “new” members have not played before. It is unethical and wrong. Based on a couple of obvious instances that I have recently stumbled across, I am starting to wonder how frequently this happens.

In preparing for this post, I went partially through the process of joining the USTA as a brand-new player. I was astonished to discover that there is no check box for indicating previous membership before reaching the Self-Rating part of the process. That means that it is plausible that some people might accidentally create a second identity when attempting to renew an expired membership.

It is very easy to register a new account with the USTA and it should be. It is in our collective best interest to make joining as frictionless as possible. However, there has to be an integrity check at some point along the way. If a player decides to “start over” the USTA is probably expecting that other players will notice and alert the organization to the discrepancy. However, I can think of a couple of ways that a player could hide their actions if the secondary membership was intentional.

The first and most obvious way to create a new under-the-radar identity is a simple name change. Some women elect to update their last names as marital status changes. Name changes can also be done with first names. A person named William who goes by Bill can probably use the other name without attracting notice. Similarly, Christine could become Christie.

Geographic relocation is another opportunity to become a new person. Moving to a new area means no one will blink an eye at a self-rating because the player is new to that playing community. As an additional bonus, a lot of contact information including the postal address is updated when a person relocates. That makes it more challenging for the USTA to detect malfeasance.

I also thought through how a new account could be quickly “laundered” to turn a self-rating into an appealed rating. By establishing a self-rating lower than the desired level, that player could immediately appeal in the upward direction to “correct” that self-rating error. I don’t think any NTRP coordinator would think twice about approving that appeal-up request for a new self-rated player. Unless people are clicking into detailed playing histories, that would likely go undetected for an established player that did not relocate.

Once again, I observed that it is possible in the current registration process for a player to accidentally create a second USTA membership. One way to make that less likely is to add a step to the process where a player has to declare if they have been a USTA member in the past. A deliberate bad actor will of course fail to check that box, but in doing so shuts down “accident” as a defense.

I seriously doubt that the USTA is checking for this kind of fraud. Quite frankly I would rank doing that pretty low on the organizational priority list. However, I do think that the USTA might want to think through how to handle these types of discrepancies as they are identified.

That would include a way to “merge” two accounts for a player that made an honest registration error. Investigation and consequence procedures for potentially more nefarious scenarios should be defined. I am assuming that this would generally flow through the USTA League Grievance process. There is no specific mechanism for USTA tournaments.

The general playing community needs to know that this is a possibility. An attentive playing community is probably the best way for this specific issue to be detected and addressed.

The post The Naughty List: Reinvention appeared first on Fiend At Court.

The post Messi or Mbappe: Who Wins One-On-One? appeared first on Butterfly Online | Butterfly Table Tennis - ButterflyOnline is the North America distributor of Butterfly Table Tennis. Butterfly is a world leader in table tennis tables, ping pong tables, table tennis blades, ping pong paddles and all table tennis equipment..

World no. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will have to work hard to achieve his pre-injury level. Carlos debuted at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship and experienced a tough 6-2, 6-1 loss to the last year's champion Andrey Rublev. The Russian sealed the deal in an hour following a reliable performance on serve and return, leaving the world's leading player behind and setting the clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Andrey made the difference with his first serve and fended off all seven break points to mount the pressure on the other side. Both players played terribly on the second serve, and Carlos could not follow the rival's pace. Alcaraz got broken four times to push the opponent over the top. Andrey secured the encounter's opening game with a service winner and grabbed a break in the next one after Carlos' loose forehand. Alcaraz forced the rival's mistake in the third game to create break points.

The Russian saved them with booming serves and closed the game with another for a 3-0 advantage. Carlos grabbed his first game and reduced the deficit before earning a break chance in the next one after Andrey's loose backhand. The Spaniard squandered it with a wayward backhand, and the Russian gained a 4-1 advantage with a forehand down the line winner. Alcaraz secured the sixth game with powerful serves, and Rublev responded with an unreturned serve in the next one for 5-2. Returning in game eight, Andrey created three set points and clinched the third after Carlos' backhand error for 6-2 in no time.

Rublev defended break points at the start of the second set and held with a smash winner for 1-0. Alcaraz grabbed the second game at 15 before Rublev delivered another fine hold for 2-1. Andrey broke Carlos at love in the fourth game to build a 3-1 advantage and move closer to the finish line. Rublev landed a forehand winner at 30-30 in game five and forced Alcaraz's mistake to bring it home and open a 4-1 gap. Dominating in those moments, Andrey created two break points in the sixth game and forced Carlos' mistake to deliver another break and serve for the victory in the next one. The Russian defended two break points in game seven and fired two powerful serves to seal the deal and advance into the final. 

2023 is getting closer, the tennis players are in full pre-season, preparing mind and body for a demanding campaign that begins in two weeks. It is time for adjustments and changes, and one of them has become the news of the day due to its size and all that it represents. Rafael Nadal's team will have a big change starting this Friday, one that the Spanish champion himself has shared on his social media. After 18 seasons, the historic Francisco Roig has decided to part ways with the Majorcan champion and set up his own team. The announcement was made on social networks by Nadal himself, who wanted to thank Roig for having accompanied him all these years: "I would like to inform you that Francis Roig is leaving the team and starting a new personal project as a coach", began the 22-time Slam champion in his Instagram post. "After 18 seasons with me, he began to form part of the team and worked with us together with my uncle Toni and then with Carlos Moyá and recently with Marc López. Francis has been an important person in my career and I am very grateful to him for all these years of work and friendship. When we started working together I was a child and together with my uncle Toni we were starting out on the circuit. Francis is a great coach who knows tennis very well and has helped me a lot to improve more and more. I only have words of gratitude and I wish him all the luck in the world in his new project", concluded Nadal. At the beginning of the 2000s, a very young Rafael Nadal was entering the world of professional tennis and already emitting great signals about what would later be his glorious career.

Rafael Nadal has ruled out retiring any time soon, stating that he hasn't reached "that point" yet. "I'm still a pro-athlete and I wish it lasts. I put effort so that it lasts as much as possible. Retirement starts the day you start as there's one day less to reach it. But I'm not at that point, I work every day with the right energy to not be at that point yet. It will come though," the 36-year-old said. Nadal said in a statement that he was very happy to be named the ITF World Champion and thanked his team and fans for their support. “I’m very happy to be named ITF World Champion for the fifth time," he said. "When I first won the award in 2008, I would not have expected to still be playing at such a high level 14 years later. It was really special to win the Australian Open for a second time, and of course to win Roland Garros. I am really grateful for the support of my team and my fans around the world and, I am already looking forward to the 2023 season."

Reilly Opelka managed to win two ATP titles this season, in Dallas and Houston. In Dallas, then, Opelka recorded the longest tiebreak in the history of the ATP Tour, against his countryman John Isner.

However, the US player dropped in the world rankings, going from 20th to 38th position. Recently, in a podcast interview released to the ATP, he talked, first of all about, his mentality, then touching on various issues.

Opelka told: "My mentality is, I would say, analytical, better to say, it's just a bit how I've always been set up. Finding the right balance between being too analytical and becoming harmful, so it's just about finding the right balance to handle that well."

The US tennis player added that you have to be comfortable with looking silly on the court at times: "I mean, it looks like fun, but you have to be comfortable with looking silly on the court at times and at my size, playing the way I play. If I get a ball that I like, I launch into a high stakes shot and splurge. This leads to some missed shots that look stupid, but that's just the nature of the game. It's just what it is, it's just reality"

Finally, the American underlined something important about tennis according to him: "Having a clear identity of who you are as a tennis player is one of the most important things in the game. I didn't have the mentality of being a server at a young age.

I remember that moment. It was one of the most frustrating moments of my youth career, I would say. I was 16-17 and played the way I was raised to play. At 15, I had to accept to play more recklessly, more aggressively, without fear. I hadn't yet planted this new thought in my mind. It was pretty tough; it was hard to accept that this was going to be my way of playing."

Opelka in his career reached an eighth final at the US Open and a final in a 1000 lost in 2021 at the Rogers Cup against Daniil Medvedev.

The post London | Nadal and Salisbury are proclaimed ITF World Champions. appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

The post London | Murray donates £500,000 for Ukraine humanitarian projects appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

The post London | Raducanu returns as Sky takes back US Open appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

After fighting off a strong push from the French team in the semifinals, the United States had to rise to the occasion once again against Great Britain, relying on some heroics in doubles play to clinch the third-straight championship for the Americans.

Making one lineup change in singles from the first two days of play, Team USA earned two singles victories from the No. 2 positions on both the men’s and women’s sides of play to head into doubles play tied at two with the Brits.

In women’s singles, Connie Ma (Stanford) continued her dominance at this tournament, earning her third singles victory with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Nadia Rawson. From the No. 1 position, Fiona Crawley (North Carolina) fell for just the first time this fall, dropping her match 6-3, 4-6, 5-10 to former Old Dominion standout, Holly Hutchinson.

For the men, Patrick Maloney (Michigan) made the most of his first appearance in the singles lineup, winning 7-6, 5-7, 10-8 over Giles Hussey (Tennessee). In what was a battle between two of the top collegiate players over the past two seasons, Great Britain’s Charlie Broom (Baylor) was able to get the best of Stefan Dostanic (USC) to level the match after singles play.

Utilizing strong doubles play to clinch the match against France in the semifinal, the Americans were once again left hoping for some strong doubles play in today’s championship and that is exactly what they got.

It was Crawley and Haley Giavara (Cal) teaming up for what was arguably the best match of the tournament, outdueling Emily Arbuthnott (Stanford) and Hutchinson 6-3, 2-6, 17-15 to swing momentum in favor of the United States as the men’s doubles match could now secure the championship for Team USA.

For the second day in a row, it was Dostanic and Ryan Seggerman (North Carolina) providing the clinch, as the duo was able to hold off Broom and Ben Jones to lift the title for both team and country.

Greg Patton (former Boise State) and Amanda Augustus (Cal) reach the pinnacle of international collegiate tennis once again this year with Team USA and continue to conduct some of the top American collegiate players to success at the Master’U Championships.

Team USA Results Against Great Britain

Women’s Singles:

• No. 1 Singles – Holly Hutchinson (GBR) def. Fiona Crawley (USA) 3-6, 6-4, 10-5
• No. 2 Singles – Connie Ma (USA) def. Nadia Rawson (GBR) 6-0, 6-2

Men’s Singles:

• No. 1 Singles – Charlie Broom (GBR) def. Stefan Dostanic (USA) 6-3, 6-2
• No. 2 Singles – Patrick Maloney (USA) def. Giles Hussey (GBR) 7-6, 5-7, 10-8

Women’s Doubles:

• Crawley/Giavara (USA) def. Arbuthnott/Hutchinson (GBR) 6-3, 2-6, 17-15

Men’s Doubles:

• Dostanic/Seggerman (USA) def. Broom/Jones (GBR) 7-6, 6-3

Mixed Doubles:

• Not Played

Team USA Results Entire 2022 Master’U Championships

Singles:

• Connie Ma, Stanford: 3-0
• Patrick Maloney, Michigan: 1-0
• Fiona Crawley, North Carolina: 2-1
• Ryan Seggerman, North Carolina: 1-1
• Stefan Dostanic, USC: 1-2

Doubles:

• Haley Giavara, Cal: 3-0
• Stefan Dostanic, USC: 2-0
• Connie Ma, Stanford: 2-0
• Ryan Seggerman, North Carolina: 2-1
• Fiona Crawley, North Carolina: 1-1
• Patrick Maloney, Michigan: 0-2

The post Top Stories of 2022: Team USA Claims Master’U BNP Paribas Championship appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

This individual will be responsible for assisting the Head Men’s Tennis Coach in all duties of the program. Duties include, but are not limited to, coaching, recruiting, organizing practices, strength/conditioning sessions, community relations, administrative duties, team travel, etc.

This is a full-time salaried position with full benefits. The position salary is $29,500 with ample opportunity for extra earning through lessons/camps/clinics.

To apply please send a resume and letter of interest to head coach Justin DeSanto at [email protected]

The post University of Alabama, Birmingham – Assistant Coach, Men’s Tennis appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

Emma Raducanu has begun working with a new coach as she prepares for the 2023 season, joining forces with the former German player Sebastian Sachs, according to reports.

Sachs is thought to be working with the British No 1 on a trial basis and would be Raducanu’s fifth coach in under two years. The 30-year-old only had a brief playing career on the Futures tour but has impressed as a coach, guiding Belinda Bencic to Olympic gold in Tokyo last year.

Marco Cecchinato will marry his partner Gaia. From training in Spain with world number one Carlos Alcaraz, to a marriage proposal: this was in fact the social week of the Italian tennis player, who in 2018 had gone as far as the semifinal of Roland Garros. After the victory against Novak Djokovic, he was then defeated by Dominic Thiem in the semifinals, indeed.

Now the Italian tennis player has slipped to position 101 in the ranking, but in this last week he has been in Spain, where he trained with Carlos Alcaraz: to immortalize the moment, the photo that portrays the two players with their respective coaches.

The following Instagram post is of a completely different tenor. "She said yes!" This is the only description that accompanies the photo that portrays Cecchinato with his partner, Gaia. The tennis player announced on social media that he will marry his partner, as well as the mother of his son Edoardo, had in 2018.

In the comments, some colleagues came to congratulate Tatiana Garbin, captain of the Italian women's team of the Billie Jean King Cup, who left a heart. Flavia Pennetta also expressed herself with good wishes accompanied by three hearts.

Fabio Fognini, husband of the winner of the US Open 2015, on the other hand, used an ironic tone to congratulate: "FINISHED... Best wishes guys" Cecchinato did not hesitate to answer: "I know!!!"

For Cecchinato, 2022 was an opportunity to rediscover his tennis.

In this troubled season, two Challenger titles arrived, both in the first half of October: the first on clay in Lisbon. The second, on the same surface, in Rio de Janeiro. The latter was the tournament that allowed him to regain the top 100, returning to number 98 in the world.

A position that he lost in the last few weeks of the year and returned to the threshold of the top 100 in the world. The year is over and now Cecchinato is preparing for 2023, in view of new objectives to be signed and new goals to be achieved.

        Visualizza questo post su Instagram                      

Un post condiviso da @tennisworlditalia

Carlos Alcaraz confirms his participation in the next Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell – 70th Conde de Godó Trophy, which will be held on the courts of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899 from April 15 to 23. In this way, the number one in world tennis will defend the title that he won last year in a historic final against Pablo Carreño. Alcaraz is the first tennis player confirmed for the next edition of the tournament, which already has tickets on sale. At 19 years old, trained by Juan Carlos Ferrero, the Murcian completed a dream 2022 season that raised him to number one in the ATP ranking, being the youngest tennis player to do so since he began the ranking in 1973. Alcaraz played a total of 17 tournaments and won five titles (out of seven finals played), the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, the US Open, the Mutua Madrid Open, the Miami Masters 1,000 and the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro. He is very young, but the Spanish tennis player showed unusual solidity and reached at least the semifinals in nine of the seventeen tournaments. “Carlos Alcaraz is a unique player, with a lot of charisma and who also has fun on the court. He has exceptional conditions to be able to dominate the point against any rival and that makes him different from any other player. And we are talking about a number one in the world who has been the youngest in history to achieve it. He still has a whole career ahead of him to continue to improve and develop as a player. He will be the great dominator of the circuit for the next ten years, without a doubt,” says David Ferrer, sports director of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. In recent years, the Barcelona tournament has served as a springboard to discover emerging stars such as Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas, who starred in the finals held in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Barcelona, a track he knows very well Carlos Alcaraz made his first debut on the RCTB-1899 tracks at the age of 11 and, since then, he has played on numerous occasions until he became a professional.

Elected ATP coach of the year 2022 by his peers, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had an exceptional season alongside his player, Carlos Alcaraz, wanted to look back on the day he worked for the first time with the youngest world number one in history. “When he first came to the academy at 15 he was a stick man, he was quick but had no muscles. Despite this, we saw something very special. His rise came very quickly, it's a surprise for everyone, except for me, because I train with him every day and I know what he can do. I was sure that if it wasn't this year, it would be the next. Now we want to continue."

On the eve of starting the last tournament of 2022, Antoine Rozner is relishing his return to Mauritius in a tournament that almost succeeded 3 years ago, beaten in the play-off by a sensational Rasmus Hojgaard.

Mauritius paradise for golfers? Antoine Rozner confirms!

The Parisian comes to end his year 2022 on the course of Mont Choisy host of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. A route that he discovers like many players and which, with the wind, should prove to be particularly demanding.

For the Frenchman, all the conditions are met to finish on a good note before the holidays.

The Republic of Mauritius, also referred to in Italian as Maurizio is a state insular of Africa; it is located in the southwestern Indian Ocean 550 km east of Madagascar. In addition to the main island of the same name, it also includes the islands of Agalega, Cargados Carajos and Rodrigues.

Mauritius is geographically part of the Mascarene Islands archipelago, which also includes the French overseas territory of Réunion, about 200 km southwest.

Mauritius has no official language; however, being a former colony of the United Kingdom, from which it gained independence in 1968, the language used in parliamentary acts is English, although the most widely spoken is Mauritian Creole, largely based on French with English, South African and Indian influences . Slightly less than 4% of the population is instead pure French speaking.

There is no state religion, but the most practiced is Hinduism, from more than half of the population, to about 70% of Indian origin descended from workers sent there under the British Empire in debt servitude. It is the only African country with a Hindu majority.

The island was already known to the Malays and the Arabs at least since the 10th century; the Arabs called her Dina Arobi. The Portuguese discovered it in 1505, baptizing it with the name of Ilha do Cerne ("island of the swan"), but it remained uninhabited until the first Dutch settlement, in 1598. It was the Dutch who gave it the name of Mauritius, in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau. Cyclones and other unfavorable climatic events led the Dutch to abandon it a few decades later.

In 1715 the French took possession of it, renaming it Île de France. Conquered by the British in December 1810, Mauritius reverted to its Dutch name. On February 1, 1835, the administration abolished slavery. In 1965, the British seized the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, which became part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Later, the Mauritian government argued that this operation was illegal under international law, claiming possession of the Chagos.

The nation achieved independence on 12 March 1968, and became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1992. The island has always been a stable democracy, with free and fair elections, respecting human rights, and attracting huge investments from abroad. It has one of the highest per capita GDPs in all of Africa.

In January 2021, the UN Maritime Tribunal also ruled that the United Kingdom has no sovereignty over the Chagos and must return them to the Republic of Mauritius.

On August 27, the United Nations postal agency, the Upu, ordered a halt to the sale and use of British postage stamps in the Chagos

In March of 2022, Andy Murray announced that he would donate all of his prize money to UNICEF’s humanitarian response to children who had been affected by the war in Ukraine.



Many wins and $630,000 in prize money later, Murray has been awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian award for the second time.

The 35-year-old penned a letter, which was published on the ATP’s website on Thursday.

“When Russia invaded Ukraine everyone was very worried about what it would mean,” wrote the former World No.1 and three-time major champion. “When all the images on the news showing what was happening to families began pouring in, it was devastating. Houses were bombed and families were displaced. Young children were affected by this, with many injured and in some cases dying. I wasn’t sure what I could do to help.”

Andy Murray has been named the 2022 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award recipient in recognition of his support for the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. ????#ATPAwards | @andy_murray pic.twitter.com/W6eue01Z0T

— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 15, 2022

On Friday 16^th December, the concluding day of action, he made it made it three in a row yet again.

Competing in class 14, partnering colleague and tournament director, Domingo Arguello, he added the men’s doubles top prize, prior to partnering Aneth Araya, also from Costa Rica, to mixed doubles gold.

A group organised event, Domingo Arguello and Steven Roman finished ahead of the combination formed by Peru’s Daniel Prado and the host nation’s Hernan Sous.

Later in the mixed doubles, at the final hurdle, Steven Roman and Aneth Araya accounted for the partnership comprising Logan Wade of the United States and Romania’s Camelia Ciripan (11-8, 11-9, 11-9).

Gold for Aneth Araya, it was a second gold of the day; earlier in women’s doubles class 14 she had partnered Chile’s Joseline Yevenes to success. In a group competition they finished ahead of Romania’s Camelia Ciripan and Gabriela Constantin.

Two titles for Aneth Araya, it was the same for Colombia’s Manuela Guapi, as it was for Yorick Adjal of France as well as for the Czech Republic’s Zbynek Lambert and Ivan Karabec.

Having secured the women’s singles class 3-4 title, Manuel Guapi partnered compatriot, Luis Valencia to mixed doubles class 4 gold. In a group administered event, they finished ahead of the United States partnership comprising Zachary Wentz and Valerie Rolph.

Meanwhile, winner of men’s singles class 2-3, Yorick Adjal joined forces with Great Britain’s Simon Heaps to claim success in men’s doubles class 8; at the final hurdle the combination overcoming Zachary Pickett and Zachary Wentz of the United States (11-5, 14-12, 11-7).

Similarly, maintaining form, Zbynek Lambert, men’s singles class 6-7 winner, and Ivan Karabec, successful in men’s singles class 10, combined to claim the men’s doubles class 18 title. At the final hurdle they accounted the United States pairing of Muhammad Pirzada and Logan Watson (10-12, 12-10, 11-5, 10-12, 11-5).

A busy time, the Copa Costa Rica brings the Para table tennis calendar for 2022 to a close.

• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Full Information
• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Draw and Full Results
• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Further Articles

The post For the Second Time Three in a Row for Steven Roman appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

When you stop to think about it, it’s incredibly difficult. The balance we ask kids to find, while going through the biggest hormonal change in their life, is tough.

Most parents and coaches (yes, not all) try to preach about not worrying about today’s results. They ask the kids to focus on getting better and not care if they win or lose. “Just give 100% of your energy and focus and make the most out of today” is some version of what they say.

It’s the right idea, and the correct thought process that helps athletes improve the fastest.

But let’s take a deeper look into what what we’re asking kids:

In order for an athlete to make the most out of today’s practice, they have to be completely focused on every little detail. They have to pay attention to what they’re doing right, and when they make a mistake, to learn and make the correct adjustment.

For that to happen, to be completely focused on every little detail, an athlete has to care about the immediate present as if it’s the most important thing in the world. Mentally. Physically. And emotionally. Only when you care that much about the present can you be 100% focused.

And if you make a mistake and, it has to bother you. It has to bother you a lot.

If it doesn’t bother you, that’s a huge problem.

Because if it doesn’t bother you enough, you’re not going to care enough to do everything possible so that mistake doesn’t happen again. Instead, you’ll make the mistake again until something happens that makes you upset enough to make the correction. By that point though, a lot of time has been wasted.

So in order to not waste time, they have to care about how things are presently going.

But when we care that much about the moment, and things bother us, we’re going to get upset.

So how can we fairly ask a junior tennis player to care enough about the present, that mistakes bother them enough so that they correct them, yet have to only care about the outcome of their shots over the long term?

Pretty crazy right?

Yet that’s what they have to do to maximize their potential.

The ability to care enough about how well an athlete is performing in the moment, while buying in to the belief that at some point things will work out, is one of the most important things an athlete needs to do well. 

Unfortunately, it’s also the most difficult thing they have to do.

Caring that much on a continuous basis is an emotional ride. That’s where we see smashed rackets, tears, screams, and the classic “I hate this sport” comments from tennis players. They’re so emotionally committed to the moment that they’re on edge. The edge is a miserable place to be when things aren’t going well.

And I think us as coaches and parents need to remember how difficult and unfair the balance we’re asking them to have is. We still have to be hard on them and ask them to find the balance, but if we can remember how difficult the balance is, we can do it more empathetically.

And we if can do it more empathetically, we can create a healthier developmental environment for the child. And the healthier their environment is, the greater the odds of them enjoying the game and maximizing their potential will be.

There’s no place like Tennis Paradise.

ATP and WTA pros don’t always agree on everything, but one thing that keeps them in constant accord: the BNP Paribas Open is the best tournament on tour.

For a record-setting eighth straight year, the BNP Paribas Open has been voted the ATP Tour 1000 and WTA 1000 Tournament of the Year. The year-end awards were announced on December 16 as the players of the ATP and WTA Tours once again voted Tennis Paradise as their favorite 1000-level event of the season.

Hundreds of thousands of eager tennis fans flocked to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this past March as the BNP Paribas Open returned to its traditional springtime calendar slot for the first time since 2019. The on-court action on both the ATP and WTA side thrilled fans from start to finish, with two first-time singles champions prevailing in both draws.

Southern California native Taylor Fritz became the first American to win the BNP Paribas Open Men’s Singles competition in over 20 years, taking down Rafael Nadal in a thrilling championship match. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek secured her first career title in Tennis Paradise, defeating Maria Sakkari in the final. The 2022 edition of Tennis Paradise would prove to be a breakthrough moment for both champions, as both Fritz and Swiatek carried their momentum from March into incredible 2022 seasons.

Tennis Paradise – as the BNP Paribas Open is known throughout the tennis community – has become beloved by players, fans, and media alike due to its unique tournament atmosphere. With world-class players competing in the stunning natural beauty and backdrop of the Coachella Valley, the event has become a must-see destination for tennis fans around the world.

For tickets to the BNP Paribas Open please visit this link: https://bnpparibasopen.com/tickets/

The post BNP Paribas Open Earns ATP and WTA 1000 Tournament of the Year Honors appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

A 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals competitor, Rune’s season had started well. The teen, who began the year outside the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, quickly climbed into the Top 50 by lifting his first ATP Tour trophy in Munich and advancing to the Roland Garros quarter-finals. The only player younger than the Dane in the Top 50 was Carlos Alcaraz.

But what seemed a bump-free road revealed potholes. After losing to Casper Ruud in the last eight on the Parisian clay, Rune lost seven consecutive matches. For nearly two months, he did not win a set against a Top 100 player.

“It was tough for sure. When you lose a couple of matches in a row, you’ve got to get back at it and you have [to think about] your goals that you want to achieve. But I think it’s normal in a way,” Rune told ATPTour.com. “It’s going up and then sometimes it’s going a little bit down. You’ve got to accept it because this is sports. Everybody can beat everybody, so it’s just about accepting it and keep believing.

“[To] keep having belief is the most important. That’s also what kept me going. I’m basically a guy who is very motivated no matter what happens, so that’s one thing that is also helping me.”

In Hamburg, the 19-year-old lost his sixth straight match. He remembers thinking to himself about what was happening.

“It was really not a nice feeling,” Rune told ATPTour.com. “I kind of told myself that, ‘I still have to be motivated and get back to practice.’ As soon as I got back to practice, because I love tennis so much, I was just super motivated and then I was excited for the American swing and there I got things going a little bit again.”

After reaching the third round of the US Open and the quarter-finals in Metz, Rune won 19 of his next 21 matches. He made the final in Sofia, triumphed in Stockholm, advanced to the championship match in Basel and earned the best result of his career in Paris, where he claimed his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown.

Rune not only won the Rolex Paris Masters, but he did it in style, becoming the first player since the inception of the ATP Tour (1990) to claim five Top 10 victories at a tournament outside the Nitto ATP Finals. He clawed past in-form Novak Djokovic in the final.

^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}
Patrick Mouratoglou, who officially joined Rune’s team in October, was impressed by the Dane’s bounceback.

“It shows about his character that he can bounce back and that’s also what we say about champions,” Mouratoglou told ATPTour.com. “It’s not about what they win, it’s about how they bounce back when they’re in trouble. So I think it’s a good indicator about his personality, how strong it is, how much he wants it and how much he’s able to bounce [back].

“A champion is able to bounce back during a match when he’s in trouble, during a season when he’s in trouble. They’re able to find within themselves the necessary strengths to find the solutions to inverse a difficult situation.”

With his big win in Paris, Rune broke into the world’s Top 10. Although he is happy with his progress, Rune has long spoken about his dreams of becoming World No. 1. What will it take to get there?

“It’s definitely to keep improving a lot. Keep improving my serve, return, everything that’s possible. And it is the same with the mental side: keep staying composed in those important moments, being brave,” Rune said. “There are a lot of small things that are so important.

“Also now that I have been in the Top 10, it’s going to be even harder because people start to know my game more, so I have to keep improving. “It’s going to be fun and a great experience.”

The thinking is simple: Serving to the backhand provides a safer option when sending down a slower delivery on the second serve. Naturally, forehand returns are more dangerous, so a high ball to the backhand provides a better chance of neutralising the opponent's return, while reducing the risk of double faulting.

Animation 1: Serve Zone Trajectories on second serves to Deuce court: Win % and In %

However, the growth of increasingly sophisticated data and analysis of each and every action in the sport of tennis undermines the logic behind this long-held belief.

ATP players win 51 per cent of points when serving to the forehand corner versus just 49 per cent when serving to the backhand corner.

In other words, primarily directing the second serve to the backhand of an ATP opponent typically reduces the chances of winning the point. This information is derived from detailed analysis for nearly 150 right-handed ATP players with at least 1,000 second serves to right-handed opponents over a 10-year period.

Table 1: High frequency and second-serve win per centage to forehand and backhand corners of 150 right-handed ATP players with at least 1,000 second serves to right-handed opponents over a 10-year period.

What’s more, well-placed deuce-side second serves to the forehand corner generate 8.5 per cent more points won than well-placed serves to the backhand corner of the same service box. Perhaps even more surprisingly, second serves to the forehand corner in the deuce court lead to eight per cent more unreturned serves and lead servers to win 17 per cent more deuce-side return points in shorter rallies of five or fewer shots.

Animation 2: Win % heatmap for placement of second serves to Deuce court

All of this goes to highlight the growing importance of accessing and understanding detailed data analysis on Tour to enable players to leverage every marginal gain available to them. This is why Tennis Data Innovations is committed to delivering detailed tracking data on every court across the ATP Tour in 2023, to shed light on the most effective tactics and strategies in tennis.

And what does all this mean in practice? Well, just as we have seen with the inexorable rise of three-pointers in the NBA driven by crunching the data, so we are seeing the second serve to the forehand rise, increasing from 15 per cent in 2012 to 22 per cent in 2022 (a 47 per cent jump).

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev are two players who have embraced data analysis and who often serve to the forehand on their second serve on both sides of the court with success.

However, other players have been slower to embrace the insights provided by data analytics and we see a number who rarely serve to the forehand. Not surprisingly, they are missing out on crucial points.

Grigor Dimitrov, as an example, may have gained a significant number of points by serving to the forehand corner 25 per cent of the time instead of 10 per cent. The five per cent differential gained on those second serves could have led to several additional matches being won in the course of a season, such are the fine margins in our sport.

In real terms, the difference in Pepperstone ATP Rankings points and prize money foregone by an over-reliance on serving to the backhand could be sizeable.

Table 2: Low frequency and second-serve win percentage to forehand and backhand corners. Date set of 150 right-handed ATP players with at least 1,000 second serves to right-handed opponents over a 10-year period.

Of course, we should not assume that pushing more second serves to the forehand will automatically increase the win per centage on all of those points. There is undoubtedly an element of surprise with serves to the forehand side currently that underpins its statistical advantage – built on the ingrained expectation of more serves being delivered to the other corner. This raises the question of how much more ATP players should serve to the forehand on second serve? Most players would benefit significantly if they served to the forehand at least 15-20 per cent more than they currently do.

One reason that second serves to the forehand have such a high win per centage is that they are surprising to the returner. Of course, as the per centage of serves by a player to the forehand increases, the win per centage decreases. Our analysis shows that increasing the proportion of serves to the forehand does not decrease the per centage of points won by very much. And more variation in second-serve location will deliver an increase in the win per centage of serves that continue to go to the backhand.

Given ever-improving racquets, string, and training technologies, which lead to faster and more accurate serves, we believe the per centage of serves to the forehand on second serve will continue to rise, with the expectation that one day we will see something closer to parity between the two sides.

Until then, we’ll likely continue to see an enlightened group of players and coaches take advantage of these marginal gains. In isolation, they may not seem like much, but in a sport where winning 51 per cent of the points will generally win you the match, these fine margins can be what separates success from failure.

Editor's Note: This is the first in a three-part series in which Golden Set Analytics and TDI are looking at the increasing prominence and importance of deeper tennis data in helping us all better understand the dynamics of the sport, whether as players, coaches, fans or administrators.

Today we get a closer look into the life of one top table tennis player, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, a German Table Tennis Player with Ukrainian roots.

Dimitrij is one of the best players in table tennis history. His impact is immense, and he’s always intentional in his games.

His love for table tennis is genuine, just from how he plays and practices.

This article will highlight his early life and how his passion for the game has been growing over the years until now.

We will also get a chance to see his profile, some of his achievements, family life and success over time, his net worth, and his equipment history.

Dimitrij’s Early Life

He was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 2, 1988. He has ever since been representing Germany in table tennis, but he is a Ukraine native.

It was after the Chernobyl tragedy in 1992 that his father- Mikhail Ovtcharov- decided to relocate his family to a much safer state, Germany. Dimitrij was 4 years then.

After staying for some time in Germany, he started showing interest in table tennis sport. When his father saw this, he offered him constant support in his early career life. His dad was also a table tennis player and coach. He completely understood and knew what he needed as he kick-started his table tennis career. He was dedicated to helping him become better and better every other day.

His father’s love for the sport also impacted him in a big way, as it motivated Dimitrij to become a better version of himself every day. As his career started peaking, his dad was the undisputed Soviet table tennis champion in the year 1982.

Dima’s joined his first-ever club in Germany. It was called TSV Schwalbe Tundern, which he became part of not so long after he seriously started practicing table tennis. This club-shaped him into a great professional table tennis player. He was able to achieve a lot while he was in Schwalbe. He even climbed up to the 1^st Bundesliga and became among the highest in the German Division.

He once created a unique serve while he was still at Schwalbe until 2007. The family atmosphere in Tundern also allowed him to focus fully on table tennis.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov Player Profile

Full name: Dimitrij Ovtcharov

Nickname: Dima, Dimi

Age: 34 years

Place of residence: Dusseldorf (Germany)

Current ITTF ranking: 9^th place

Highest ITTF ranking: 3^rd place

Playing style: European shakehand

Height: 186 cm

Weight: 78 kg

Team: TSV Schwalbe Tundern

            Gazprom Fakel Orenburg (Russia)

            TTC Neu-Ulm (2022, the most recent)

Coaches: Mikhail Ovtcharov

                 Tatiana Ovtcharov

                 Jorgen Persson

Equipment: Blade: Ovtcharov Innerforce ALC Blade

                     Rubber: Dignics 05, Dignics 09C

Dimitrij Ovtcharov Olympics and Other Achievements

Here is a summary of his achievements over the years in the World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Games:

Medal record: gold-1      silver-6      bronze- 8

Total medals won: 15

Olympic games: 2. place; teams; 2008 Beijing; 2020 Tokyo

3.place; singles; 2012 London; 2020 Tokyo

Teams; 2012 London; 2016 Rio

World Championships: 2.place; teams; 2018 Halmstad; 2014 Tokyo; 2012 Dortmund; 2010 Moscow

World Cup: 1. place; singles; 2017 Liege

3.place; singles; 2015 Halmstad; 2013 Verviers

Teams; 2011 Magdeburg; 2009 Linz

Dima has also won several gold medals in European championships and European games. He holds a total of nine gold medals. Most of his successes come from these championships. At the 2008 Summer Olympic team events in Beijing, Dimitrij won a silver medal alongside Timo Boll and Christian Sub. Here, he used a special technique in his serves that was picked by Time Magazine, which identified it as one of the top innovations of 2008.

In the World Cup 2017, He won against Timo Boll, marking a huge milestone because he was able to defeat one of the best table tennis players in the world.

In June 2015, Dimitrij won a gold medal at the inaugural European games. Two years later, he won the title at China open against Timo Boll (where he scored 4 and Boll 3), and in August 2017, he won the title at Bulgaria open. In March, he played in the world table tennis championships in Doha. He won the World Table Tennis Contender Event and reached the semi-finals of the World Table Tennis Star Contender Event.

Junior Career Achievements

His first greatest victory came in the 2002 Youth European Championships, whereby he won silver. He later ensured that he settled for the gold and claimed it in 2005.

At just 19 years, he won bronze at the senior level competitions in the 2007 European Championships singles event. This was a huge accomplishment for a 19-year-old at that time.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov Playing Style

Dimitrij is a right-handed player who uses the European shakehand style of play. He portrays such a unique style of play especially when it comes to serves. He has two common styles of serving, famously known as the ‘corkscrew’ and the ‘tomahawk’. Many of his fans are pleased with his serving techniques, saying that he is one highly skilled table tennis player.

His serves are notably different from other players and this is what makes him stand out. He has been using this type of serve ever since he was young, as he began his table tennis career. He has therefore perfected the art and become the leading expert.

He assumes a bent-down posture in a full squat when serving. He positions his feet perpendicular to the table as well and towards the direction of play when making a corkscrew serve. This is the same serve that was stated to be one of the top innovations of 2008 by Time Magazine.

When it comes to the forehand and backhand, both are super powerful. He uses his forehand to mainly execute banana flicks. For his backhand, he often uses strokes and pushes. However, the strokes are easier shots for him compared to the pushes. His footwork is just perfect and he can comfortably and swiftly convert when the need arises in a gaming situation.

He can change into a more neutral position when the rallies become faster.

Ovtcharov Current and Highest Ranking

Dimi currently ranks in 1^st place in the whole of Germany and 3^rd place in Europe. He ranks 9^th place worldwide according to the ITTF ranking as of November 2022.

He enjoyed his short moment of Glory at rank one from January to February 2018. This is the highest rank he has ever achieved. His fans acknowledge this period as one of his greatest achievements. Even though it was a short one, it was worthwhile.

All in all, Dimitrij Ovtcharov is one of the top 10 best table tennis players. He has been raising the ranks gradually and through his great achievements.

He has even managed to defeat great players like Timo Boll. He was just at position 72 when he met head-to-head to compete with Timo Boll. This was a great honor to him.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov Net Worth

His net worth is estimated to be around $ 16 million, with table tennis being his main source of income. This amount was generated throughout his table tennis career and the awards and prizes he has won.

Training, Coaches, and Clubs

Dimitrij’s dad was technically his coach. He has been training him from a tender age as he was beginning his career. His dad started coaching him when he was 9 years old.

He started playing table tennis at his home club TSV Schwalbe Tundern when they relocated to Germany, Dusseldorf. He later joined a Russian club by the name Gazprom Fakel Orenburg where he played successfully for 12 years.

He then shifted to TTC Neu-Ulm, where he currently plays. His dad coaches this team too.

He was also coached by Jorgen Persson, a Swedish table tennis player and coach who has won 4 World Championships. His mother (Tatiana Ovtcharov)also coached him. She trained her at the beginning of her career. Dima once said that it was easier when he was being trained by his mother compared to his father.  His mum was patient with him, and she ensured that he fully understood all the basics as he began.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov Family

Mikhail Ovtcharov

He is a renowned table tennis player and coach. Mikhail was the Soviet individual table tennis champion in 1982 with 80 appearances in the national team. In the early 90s, he played for the second-division team Schwalbe Tudern, a district of Hameln in Lower Saxony. He is married to Tatiana, who also has an A-license coaching certificate.

Dima also said that his dad is his greatest confidant. From his family line, we clearly can tell that he was born into a family of table tennis players.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov’s wife

Dimitrij is married to a beautiful Swedish table tennis player called Jenny. They got married in 2013. Jenny grew up in Umea, Sweden, where she kick-started her table tennis career too.

She won a couple of Swedish Youth Championships in table tennis in 2002, 2003, and 2009. She played for the Swedish national team for 8 years.

Jenny and Dima have a daughter together, Emma, who was born in 2016.

Dimitrij Ovtcharoj Equipment History

He is a Butterfly-sponsored player. He also had a previous partnership with Donic.

He uses Butterfly equipment. His blade is the Ovtcharov Innerforce ALC Blade. For the rubber, he uses the Butterfly Dignics 05 for his backhand and Dignics 09C for his forehand.

Blade History

As he began playing table tennis, he was using a Waldner Senso Carbon blade and coppa rubbers. He decided to change to a butterfly blade to meet his increasing gaming demands.

The Butterfly’s Arylate Carbon (ALC) (also the Dimitrij Ovtcharov Innerforce ALC Blade) contains 5 plywood and 2 carbon layers. The blade’s reaction is at 11.7, and the vibration at 10.5. The carbon’s strength meets Arylate’s ability to reduce vibrations. It is a perfect blade with amazing qualities that define its speed and performance.

It is the best option for close-to-the-table 2-winged attackers like Dima.

Dignics 09C Rubber

This rubber’s topsheet is sticky thus, it’s able to generate sharp topspins. This is one of its advantages. It also combines spring sponge x technology which is an advanced version of spring sponge containing more elasticity.

Its surface offers great resistance. You will get a high level of bounce because of the synergy effect between the original top sheet and a rather hard spring sponge x.

It also has an upgraded friction High tension feature for players who want to feel the effect of the friction rubbers.

Dignics 05 Rubber

It is a medium-hard rubber. Dignics 05 rubber also features the spring sponge x technology. This technology helps to “hold” the ball longer onto the bat. This rubber has similar characteristics as the Dignics 09C. The grippy top sheet allows you to produce numerous amounts of spins.

This means that shots and banana flicks are strong. It gives direct loops with higher trajectories and also has a lower throw angle that makes it fit for close to medium distances from the table. Dignics 05 excels in the counter-looping game. If this is your thing, then you need to have this rubber. It is also high-quality and very durable.

Final Thoughts

To be a great player, dedication, endurance and determination are the key factors. Dimitrij’s dedication placed him at the top position among many other great table tennis players.

He also received the right guidance and utmost support from his family and friends.

Those who look up to him are equally capable of being great, just like him if they want to. It is always a matter of personal responsibility, whereby you take up the challenge and aspire to put in the effort and become better every day.

The journey to success also begins early because, just like Dimitrij, you practice much while you are still young and have a lot of time.

The skills that you learn while still young are always difficult to forget. In fact, you end up perfecting them while you are older.

You can walk in Dima’s footsteps to be great like him.

The post ICC WINTER OPEN 2022 appeared first on Butterfly Online | Butterfly Table Tennis - ButterflyOnline is the North America distributor of Butterfly Table Tennis. Butterfly is a world leader in table tennis tables, ping pong tables, table tennis blades, ping pong paddles and all table tennis equipment..

The post Sally Moyland & Coach Wang Hui Joined Force in the U17 WTT Contender appeared first on Butterfly Online | Butterfly Table Tennis - ButterflyOnline is the North America distributor of Butterfly Table Tennis. Butterfly is a world leader in table tennis tables, ping pong tables, table tennis blades, ping pong paddles and all table tennis equipment..

The DP World Tour and the PGA Tour consolidate their partnership with the South Korean Professional Tour (Korea Professional Golfers Association). The winner of the Order of Merit (KPGA Genesis Point) will gain playing rights on the European Tour. Another alliance with the Indian pro Tour is about to be finalized. So many agreements to counter the rise of LIV Golf, allied to the Asian Tour.

After the Sunshine Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Japan Golf Tour, the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour are consolidating their alliance with the South Korean Professional Tour (KPGA). The winner of the Order of Merit of the Korea Professional Golfers Association will thus obtain a member status of the DP World Tour and will play the Genesis Scottish Open, one of the five Rolex Series (8 million dollars) on the 2023 calendar.

We will therefore see Youngsoo Kim in Scotland next summer. The South Korean golfer indeed finished at the top of the Genesis Point Award 2022 after his victories at the Genesis Championship and then at the LG Signature Players Championship at the end of the season.

This agreement follows the return of the European Tour to South Korea by a few weeks. A first for ten years. The Korean Championship, two million dollars in prize money and co-sanctioned with the KPGA Tour, will take place from April 27 to 30 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon.

Another "strategic" alliance is said to be about to be finalized with the Indian Professional Tour, which receives a stage of the DP World Tour 2023, the Hero Indian Open (February 23-26). So many synergies that confirm here the objective of countering the rise of LIV Golf, allied for its part with the Asian Tour.

The Korean Tour is a series of golf tournaments organized by the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) of South Korea. Almost all golf tournaments take place in South Korea.

The major golf tournaments on the Korean Tour are the Korean Open and the Korean PGA Championship which were established in 1958 and 1963 respectively. Some golf tournaments are also part of the OneAsia Tour.

This tour is played exclusively for South Korean golfers where they can also play on the Asian PGA Tour and the OneAsia Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. There are also a few who participate in the US PGA Tour and the European PGA Tour.

From 2011, the winners can collect tournament points for the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Most tournaments have an OWGR value of six points. Tournaments that are also part of the OneAsia Tour are worth 10 OWGR points.

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal were among the players to beat this year. The Spaniards finished the season in the top-2 and wrote the history of tennis in their country. Rafa and Carlos won three of the four Grands and left their rivals behind. Alcaraz entered the ATP ranking list at the beginning of 2018 and it only took him four and a half years to conquer the throne and become the youngest world number 1. Despite a reduced schedule, Carlos earned 350 roster spots in 2020 and momentum heading into 2021. Hungry for more, the young Spaniard racked up 32 ATP wins in 2021, capturing his first ATP title in Umag and becoming an ATP quarterfinalist. a Major at the US Open. The man from El Palmar closed the season with the ATP Next Gen Finals crown in Milan and prepared for more success in 2022. Starting from the threshold of the top-30, Alcaraz lost the Australian Open duel against Matteo Berrettini before traveling to Rio de Janeiro. Carlos went all the way to secure his second ATP title and become the youngest champion in that series (since 2009). And more importantly, an 18-year-old cracked the top 20 the next day. Thus, Alcaraz became the third youngest player in that group since the inception of the ATP Tour in 1990, joining Andrei Medvedev and Pete Sampras on the exclusive list. At 18 years and nine months, Carlos left his great compatriot Rafael Nadal behind, as Rafa broke into the top-20 aged 18 years and ten months in 2005. Thus, Carlos is the youngest active player to enter the aforementioned group and the 14th youngest since the inception of the ATP rankings in 1973, joining some impressive names! Carlos arrived in Rio in 29th place. He got off to a slow start against compatriot Jaume Munar before defeating him in sets two and three.

Elected ATP coach of the year 2022 by his peers, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had an exceptional season alongside his player, Carlos Alcaraz, wanted to look back on the day he worked for the first time with the youngest world number one in history. “When he first came to the academy at 15 he was a stick man, he was quick but had no muscles. Despite this, we saw something very special. His rise came very quickly, it's a surprise for everyone, except for me, because I train with him every day and I know what he can do. I was sure that if it wasn't this year, it would be the next. Now we want to continue."

In the world of tennis, in addition to the results, another important piece of information refers to the statistics and records that tennis players achieve each year. There are many records that fans look at, concerning the best and the best on the circuit. Over the years, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have made and broken millions of records, and now especially Nole and Rafa keep achieving great results. The three star in the eternal GOAT fight, which some experts value in relation to the number of Grand Slam titles. Coric has an average of 80% with four wins in five games, three of them at the ATP tournament in Cincinnati, the first Masters 1000 of his career and a great victory. Coric is also up for the 2022 Comeback Award, in which he competes with Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem and Yibing Wu. In second place in this particular classification is Novak Djokovic, he has a percentage of 78.6%, but it must be said that he has played more matches against Top Ten players and has an excellent record of 11 wins and 3 losses in this 2022. Nole is the only tennis player on the circuit who has achieved at least 10 victories against one of the 10 best tennis players in the world. In third place is Rafael Nadal, with a percentage of 72.7%, while Stan Wawrinka and Ugo Humbert follow him.

A few days before the World Tennis League begins, Novak Djokovic has spoken about how excited he is at the opportunity to participate in the inaugural edition of the exhibition tournament. "Hello, tennis fans around the world. A big tennis event is coming up in Dubai — World Tennis League," Djokovic said. "I'm very excited to be a part of the league for the first time along with my teammates from Team Falcons — Grigor Dimitrov, Aryna Sabalenka, and Paula Badosa. I'm looking forward to share some great moments with you guys on the court and off the court as well." Daniel Vallejo, a rapidly rising star on the junior men's tennis circuit, recently praised Novak Djokovic for his great conduct towards him. "The best thing about that week was training with Djokovic, warming up with him before his matches," Daniel Vallejo said of his experience. "He was very kind to me, very charismatic, he showed why he is one of the best on the planet. He made me feel privileged."

I’m counting down the 128 best players of the last century. Separation anxiety is starting to set in…

* * *

* * *

On Monday, it rained.

On Tuesday, it rained.

Wednesday, Thursday, you get the idea … it rained every single day of the first week of the 1985 Wimbledon Championships. It wasn’t a total washout; the singles events remained nearly on schedule. With women like Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert atop the field–they were co-number one seeds this year–the sky didn’t need to clear for long. Martina’s victories were so certain that news reports were more likely to emphasize how quickly she got off the court.

Two years earlier, Navratilova averaged just 47 minutes per round as she won her fourth Wimbledon title. Andrea Jaeger was so aware of the clock that when she lost the first set of the final to Martina in 17 minutes, she considered stalling to salvage a little bit of dignity.

In 1985, Navratilova was gunning for her sixth Wimbledon crown, her fourth in a row. No one had done that for 55 years, since Helen Wills. Martina was always the favorite on grass, her athletic serve-and-volleying game a perfect fit for the surface. But Evert was a renewed threat. While Navratilova had won 19 of their last 24 meetings, one of the losses was the French Open final a month before. Chrissie was playing so well that she had retaken the number one WTA ranking. Only the idiosyncrasies of the All-England Club kept a 1 next to the defending champion’s name in the draw.

Martina’s other problem was that her schedule was about to get very busy. To fit all the singles matches into the first week, the tournament had postponed most of the doubles. Navratilova was entered in women’s and mixed doubles, so if she reached all three finals, she’d have as many as sixteen matches to play in the second week.

Spoiler alert: She made all three finals.

Navratilova got past her long-suffering doubles partner, Pam Shriver in the quarter-finals, Pam’s 24th loss in their 27 meetings to that point. (She’d lose 17 more.) Their chemistry on the doubles court was, as always, unaffected. In the doubles round of eight, the pair straight-setted Evert and Jo Durie. It was Navratilova and Shriver’s 108th straight victory as a team, a streak going back two years.

On Saturday, the women’s singles final was Martina’s 11th match in six days. Evert played nearly perfectly in the first set, making only three unforced errors and taking the opener, 6-4. But Navratilova settled her nerves and resumed her world-beating grass-court form. That day–okay, that entire year–she played some of the best serve-and-volley tennis in the game’s history. Chipping returns on the grass, she could come in on Chrissie’s serve, too. She allowed only two break points in the final two sets. With a 6-3, 6-2 finish, she improved her career record against Evert to 34-32.

Fatigue finally set in for the women’s doubles final, played the same afternoon. Navratilova and Shriver fell in three sets to Kathy Jordan and Elizabeth Smylie. The doubles streak ended at 109.

But the tournament did not end on a down note for the 28-year-old Czech-American. On Sunday morning, she had still yet to start her mixed doubles quarter-final. She and Paul McNamee played nearly six hours of tennis, including a 23-21 deciding set in the semi-finals. For the title, Navratilova and McNamee beat the Australian team of Smylie and John Fitzgerald in another three-setter, capping a 99-game day.

Navratilova later admitted to her biographer, Johnette Howard, what she sometimes wondered. She was speaking more generally, but it sure fits that week at Wimbledon: “How did I ever do it?”

* * *

If it weren’t for that madcap final week, the 1985 Championships would barely register as a notable moment in Navratilova’s career. It was her sixth of nine singles trophies at Wimbledon, her 12th of 18 major titles overall. It was one of 37 career major finals in women’s doubles and one of ten mixed doubles championships.

The end result was certainly not a surprise. 1985 was the fourth season of an exceptional five-year run in which Martina lost only 14 singles matches. Total. She won 74 straight in 1984. From the end of 1982 through the 1984 US Open, she beat Evert 14 times in a row.

A reporter asked Chrissie if she thought anyone else even had a chance against Navratilova. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t.”

“You know exactly what she’s going to do,” said Arthur Ashe, “but there isn’t a thing you can do about it.”

No one had ever doubted Martina’s athleticism. She won her first tour event in 1974, when she was 17. Her big left-handed serve, combined with flashy footspeed and an acrobatic net game, got her past veterans Rosie Casals, Françoise Dürr, and Julie Heldman in succession. A few months later, she reached her first major final, upsetting Margaret Court in the Australian quarter-finals before falling short against Evonne Goolagong in the final.

The same year, Billie Jean King told the teenager just what she was capable of. “You know,” said the Old Lady, “you could be the greatest player ever.” King was still plenty competitive, but as she had when she got her first glimpse of Evert, she recognized a player with the potential to take the women’s tour to new heights.

“But,” added Billie Jean, “if you don’t work hard you are not going to make it.” That was the problem. Navratilova defected from Czechoslovakia in 1975, and everything about the move conspired against her tennis. She was on her own at 19, cut off from a once-close family. In the United States, she suddenly had everything she could dream of. There was no pressing need to fight to improve her game.

Talent was enough to earn Martina her first two Wimbledon titles, in 1978 and 1979. On her day, she was unbeatable. But then, even more than today, the tour was a year-round slog. Questionable fitness and a topsy-turvy personal life made her susceptible to human backboards like Evert and Tracy Austin.

Nancy Lieberman, the basketball star who would soon change Navratilova’s outlook, recognized what was missing. “I could see,” Lieberman said, “that Chris Evert wanted to win and Martina just wanted to play.”

* * *

The arrival of Lieberman marked a turning point for Navratilova’s career. The women met at the Amelia Island tournament in 1981. Evert beat Martina there on the clay, 6-0, 6-0, but Lieberman quickly cottoned on to her new friend’s astonishing gifts.

Seven years earlier, Billie Jean had said that the left-hander could be the best. Lieberman told Martina that she should become the greatest of all time.

The hoopster quickly became a familiar face at Navratilova matches. She took the role of a full-time fitness coach and motivator. Martina both slimmed down and gained muscle. Gym work was rare among women players of the time; competitive as Chrissie was, she hesitated to compromise her femininity. Navratilova had Lieberman’s persuasive voice in her ear, and she didn’t have a reputation as America’s princess to protect.

The same year, Martina added her first full-time coach: Renée Richards. The transgender Richards had competed as a man before undergoing surgery and making headlines on the women’s tour. Navratilova rarely shied away from controversy, and another distraction hardly registered at this point; she had recently been outed as gay by a New York newspaper. While fans and media fixated on the growing entourage of outsiders, Richards added the technical and tactical acumen that Navratilova’s game had been missing.

“I couldn’t believe how little Martina knew about playing tennis and how faulty her strokes were,” Richards told Johnette Howard. (How great an athlete was she? This is a two-time Wimbledon champion we’re talking about here!) Navratilova’s first tournament with Richards at her side ended in disappointment, as she failed to put away Austin in a three-set final at the 1981 US Open. But she had beaten Evert in the semis to get there, and she upset her rival again at the Australian a few months later.

Stronger, sturdier, and savvier, Martina was ready to ascend to a higher plane of tennis dominance.

* * *

1982: 15 titles in 18 events. Evert lost to Jaeger at Roland Garros, and Navratilova took advantage to win the French for the first time.

Commentator Mary Carillo said, “Martina went from somebody who got nervous and thought, ‘I can be up a set and a break and still lose’ to someone who thought, ‘This shouldn’t take more than forty-five minutes.'”

1983: 86-1. Martina lost early at the French, and that was it. She completed her career Grand Slam at the US Open. Across seven matches in New York, she lost only 19 games.

“I try to… uphold women’s tennis,” said Shriver, “and say that the other players aren’t that far behind, when, in fact–at least at the majors–we’re light-years behind.”

Mike Estep took over for Richards this season as Navratilova’s coach. Martina was already the most aggressive player on the circuit, and Estep encouraged her to go even bigger, attacking at every opportunity. “You’re not trying to be number one,” he told her. “Your goals are beyond that.”

1984: 74 wins in a row. Hana Mandlíková scored an upset in Oakland to start the season. Navratilova reeled off 13 straight tournaments before finally dropping another decision to Helen Suková in Australia. Oh, and she paired with Shriver to win the doubles Grand Slam.

“It’s hard playing against a man–I mean, Martina,” said Mandlíková. “She comes to the net and scares you with those big muscles. She is very big and difficult to pass.”

For the record, the “very big” Navratilova was five feet, eight inches tall. Hana was–let me check my notes here–five feet, eight inches tall. Martina was difficult to pass both with and without the scary muscles. The young Czech eventually apologized.

1985: Another 84 match wins and, for the first time, the singles final at all four majors. Chrissie had rededicated herself to catching Navratilova, and Martina still won four of six meetings.

“It’s really strange what Martina’s play has done to the women’s tour,” said Billie Jean King. “Everyone seems so paranoid to walk on the court with her.”

1986: 89-3. Three more singles finals in three majors, continuing a streak that would eventually run to 11 straight slams. The cast of characters was changing, but the 29-year-old Navratilova continued to hold sway. She won three of four meetings with Steffi Graf, four of four against Gabriela Sabatini, and two of three over Evert for good measure.

“She seems a freak of nature,” said Virginia Wade, “the perfect tennis player.”

* * *

Any one of those seasons would have earned Martina a place in tennis history. Five of them together was unthinkable.

Estep often told her, “A good attacking player will beat a good baseliner almost all the time.” Navratilova went out and proved it.

The field–led by Graf–slowly caught up, but not without revealing the depth of Martina’s transformation. In the 1970s, she had all too often played brilliant tennis and lost. By the 1990s, she couldn’t always summon the speed and the reach of her younger self, but she kept winning anyway.

She did, in fact, turn in a flawless performance to win her record-setting ninth Wimbledon title in 1990. But that was secondary. “I didn’t care if I scraped and scratched to get this,” she said after beating Zina Garrison in the final. “They don’t put an asterisk next to your name saying you won but didn’t play that well.”

No, there are no asterisks on Navratilova’s record. Not on her 43 wins over Evert. Not on her seven defeats of Monica Seles, who was a teenager as Martina persisted into her thirties. Not on her Australian Open mixed doubles title in 2003, the championship that completed her career Grand Slam in all three disciplines.

Back in 1978, the left-hander finished the year atop the WTA rankings for the first time. After a hard-fought season, though, her status was insecure. Many pundits overruled the computer and rated Evert higher. Martina didn’t care for the uncertainty. “I want to be number one in the mind of every single person on this earth,” she said.

It didn’t happen immediately. It took a complete mental and physical overhaul. But for five full years, that’s exactly what she was.

As one of the most prestigious accolades that a former college coach or distinguished collegiate tennis player can receive, the ITA Collegiate Tennis Women’s Hall of Fame has inducted sixteen classes in its history dating back to 1995.  

If you would like to nominate a deserving former player or coach to be in the running for the 2024 Women’s Hall of Fame Class, please click the button below to be taken to the ITA Women’s Hall of Fame website where these deserving individuals can be nominated.

The post 2024 ITA Collegiate Tennis Women’s Hall of Fame Nominations Now Open appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

I’m particularly interested in applicants who want to pursue college coaching. Subject to admission into the University of Toledo Graduate Program. Compensation is full tuition and stipend.

Interested applicants should send a resume to Head Coach Al Wermer at [email protected]

The post University of Toledo – Graduate Assistant, Men’s Tennis appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

Ons Jabeur has won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship after beating Emma Raducanu in an entertaining Abu Dhabi exhibition match.

Jabeur, ranked at No 2 in the world, recovered from a set down to beat Raducanu 5-7 6-3 10-8 in the lone women's match played at this year's Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Jabeur faced four break points in the very first game of the match but she was able to save all of those four break points and avoid going down by an early break.

After saving four early break points, Jabeur earned the first break of the match in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead.

In the seventh game, Raducanu got the break back and cut the deficit to 4-3.

Right after returning the break back, Raducanu again lost her serve as Jabeur led 5-3 through the opening game of the match.

On the brink of losing the first set, Raducanu stunningly recovered as she claimed back-to-back breaks to win the next four games and steal the first set from Jabeur.

After a first set that featured a total of five breaks, there wasn't too much drama in the second set.

The first break points of the second set were seen in the sixth game, when Jabeur broke Raducanu to take a 4-2 lead.

This time, Jabeur managed to take advantage of her break as she served out for the second set in the ninth game.

After losing the second set, Raducanu bounced back in the match tie-break as she had a 8-6 lead after the first 12 points of the decider.

With two points away from losing the match, Jabeur responded by winning four points in a row and completing a big comeback win. 

This was the first meeting between Jabeur and Raducanu.

However, since it was an exhibition match, the match won't be registered in their official head-to-head. 

It remains to be seen if Jabeur and Raducanu will meet on the main level in 2023.

Naomi Osaka reveals she now has a different metric for success as she admits that determining her success solely on wins and losses was damaging her mental health. 

Before the 2021 French Open, Osaka announced she would not be conducting post-match press conferences. 

After drawing lots of negative attention, Osaka pulled out from the tournament and opened up about her battle with anxiety and depression. 

Since then, Osaka hasn’t played that much as she has been focused on improving her mental health. 

Now, Osaka admits that talking to reporters after losses was something she was finding very unpleasant. 

“One of the most difficult parts was, directly following a defeat, to have to go into the press room and talk to the media, answering questions about why I played poorly or what I could have done better, and to be asked, ‘How does it feel?’ to have just lost the match. None of those conversations are enjoyable, but especially not on the heels of a loss. It’s like pouring salt into a wound. The sheer weight of the outcome of a match made me realize I needed to take a step back and create a new metric for success, as hyper-fixating on wins and losses was damaging to my mental health as well as to my love of the game,” Osaka told Net-a-Porter. 

Over the last year and a half, Osaka has been trying to be advocate for positive changes in today’s society. 

Now, Osaka says she considers herself more than just a tennis player. 

“We need to determine our own metric of success to avoid being defined by others. We should still celebrate those wins but, when they don’t come, we need to remind ourselves that the game doesn’t define the person,” Osaka said.

Meanwhile, Osaka is scheduled to start her 2023 season in Australia. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas admits he worked on becoming patient as developing that skill played a big part in his impressive comeback win over Rafael Nadal at the 2021 Australian Open.

At the Australian Open in 2019, Tsitsipas reached his first Grand Slam semifinal.

There, Tsitsipas didn't stand much of a chance against Nadal as the Spaniard claimed a routine 6-2 6-4 6-0 win.

Two years later, Tsitsipas and Nadal clashed again at Melbourne Park.

Again, Nadal started the match well and had a two-set lead over Tsitsipas. 

But this time, Tsitsipas didn't lose easily as the Greek created a stunning comeback to beat Nadal 3-6 2-6 7-6 (4) 6-4 7-5 in their quarterfinal meeting. 

"There were two times when I found myself in the same situation with the same opponent, but [it was] a different Stefanos each time. The first time I faced Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open in the semi-finals [in 2019], I was really impatient. I remember thinking, 'OK, I’m playing against one of the best. I really need to prove myself with big shots and go for it.' Two years later, I faced him again at the same tournament, this time in the quarter-finals. After going two sets down, I understood what I was doing wrong. I remember coming to an agreement with myself, saying, 'OK, you’re going to become patient. You’re going to wait. You’re going to spend every single minute on the court enjoying the play and just make it a fun game.' It turned out to be one of the best comebacks in my career so far," Tsitsipas told The Red Bulletin. 

In the same interview, Tsitsipas said: "It was excruciating, physically and mentally – I don’t think I’ve ever played at such high focus levels for so long. Everything felt like it made sense. It’s like a drug when you’re able to experience it – it brings you to another level. You’re not playing with your skill any more, you’re playing with your soul."

In January, Tsitsipas will be aiming to win his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open.

Os quería comunicar que Francis Roig deja el equipo. Francis ha sido una persona importante en mi carrera y le estoy muy agradecido por todos estos años de trabajo y amistad. Cuando empezamos a trabajar juntos yo era un niño y junto a mi tío Toni, empezábamos en el circuito. pic.twitter.com/qeW0wFQTpa

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 16, 2022

"I wanted to inform you that Francis Roig is leaving the team," Nadal posted on social media. "Francis has been an important person in my career and I am very grateful to him for all these years of work and friendship.

"When we started working together I was a child and together with my uncle Toni, we started on the circuit."



Former world No. 1 Carlos Moya remains Nadal's primary coach. Marc Lopez, who partnered Nadal to the Olympic doubles gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, also remains a part of the 22-time Grand Slam king's coaching team.



It's been a season of change for Nadal, who became a first-time father and partnered rival Roger Federer for a tearful Fedal doubles farewell at Laver Cup in London last September.

Next month, Nadal will launch defense of his Australian Open title without Roig in his box.

Photo credit: Getty

 Click Here to Order

QUESTION: What does a top player’s weekly training schedule look like?

Frank: A player’s training schedule is one of the most important aspects of the tennis parent’s job description.  Managing each component of a player’s organizational plan will provide accountability to all members of the player’s team. Remember, the tennis parent is the CEO of the organization and ultimately in charge of their child’s life development.

I encourage parents to customize the training to their player’s needs. The training requirements of younger players will vary dramatically based on their physical, mental and maturity levels. Additional factors to consider include the player’s personal growth development schedule and how well they digest information. (An experienced coach can help to identify your child’s levels.)

“There is no one-size-fits-all formula to maximizing potential at the quickest rate.”

Assisting your child in organizing their weekly schedule will help them to develop time-management skills that will prepare them for life on and off the courts. I highly recommend holding a meeting with your athlete’s coaches to get updates from them in regard to your child’s progress. Their opinions will help you to better manage your player’s schedule. It’s important to remember that the estimated success formula to becoming world class at any talent is about twenty hours a week for about ten years.

Following is a sample week of one of my top nationally ranked U.S. Juniors. His long-term goal is to play Division I college tennis and then progress onto the pro tour. His weekly schedule shifts between 20 and 30 hours a week depending on his tournament schedule.

Sample Training Week

Practice Sets/Tournament Matches: 4 Hours

It’s important to schedule different styles and different ability levels of opponents.

Technical Stroke Lessons: 4 Hours

Correct flaws in their primary strokes and begin to build their secondary strokes.

Mental & Emotional Training: 4 Hours

During live ball sessions, focus on between point rituals as well as proactive patterns to beat the 3 styles of opponents.

Video Analysis: 1 Hour

Video tape a tournament match, then have a pro do a video analysis lesson. Chart to spot tendencies. (This will be covered in great depth later in this book.)

Off-Court Gym: 3 Hours

Core and upper body strength is more important than ever. Hit the gym to prevent injuries as well as build muscle mass.

Off-Court Cardio: 4 Hours

Cross train with short sprints, up hills. Use a random directional approach to clean up hesitation.

Watching Tennis on TV: 2 Hours

Chart the pros, spot styles of play, analyze footwork, and decipher patterns and tendencies of players.

Total Training in One Week:  22 Hours

The post The 10 Most Memorable Tennis Matches Of All Time appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

The post Tell me about Fresco Tennis appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

The post What are the 8 Basic Tennis Shots appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

The Advisory Committee’s mission is to provide the IOC with strategic guidance and advise on human rights risk management. It is a key instrument to help the IOC meet its human rights responsibilities and address the organisation’s salient human rights risks through a comprehensive strategic approach and policy.

Chaired by former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the committee is composed of nine members.

Ryu Seung-Min has been the first Vice-Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission since 2021. In addition, he serves on the following IOC commissions: Sustainability and Legacy, Olympic Education, Olympic Programme and Coordination of the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad Los Angeles 2028, and on the Board of Directors of Olympic Channel Services. He is an Olympic champion in table tennis for South Korea (Athens 2004).

The post Ryu Seung-Min Appointed to IOC Advisory Committee on Human Rights appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

Mauela Guapi emerged the women’s singles class 3-4 winner as anticipated, she was the top seed; conversely, Jessica Alzate succeeded against the odds.

Competing a women’s singles class 8-9 group organised event, in her concluding contest Jessica Alzate beat Lucie Hautière from France, the top seed (13-11, 11-7, 12-14, 11-8) to maintain her unblemished; the only defeat for Lucie Hautière, the silver medal was her lot.

A somewhat surprise outcome, it was the same in men’s singles class 9, Logan Watson from the United States prevailed. A player with no previous international success of note, very much an unknown quantity, at the semi-final stage he ousted Chile’s top seeded David Letelier (11-2, 11-6, 14-12), prior to overcoming Puerto Rico’s Shaquille Rivera (11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6) to seal the top prize.

Otherwise, it was success for the top seeds but in the case of Romania’s Gabriela Constantin only just.

On duty in women’s singles class 6-7, administered on a group basis, in her concluding match she beat Stephanie Chan (17-15, 11-7, 11-8) to inflict the one and only defeat on the Canadian. The previous day, Stephanie Chan had accounted for Camelia Ciripin, also from Romania (4-11, 13-15, 11-9, 13-11, 11-9), the player who in the opening contest had overcome Gabriela Constantin (11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8).

Three players level, games ratio decides; thus, it was first place for Gabriela Constantin (4:3), followed by Camelia Ciripin (5:4) and Stephanie Chan (3:5).

Success by narrow margins for Gabriela Constantin, for the remaining favourites, less dramatic as the Czech Republic and France matched Colombia by winning two titles.

Zbynek Lambert, now 66 years old, proved that age was no barrier, he won men’s singles class 6-7.

Experience counted it was the same for 42 years of age Czech colleague, Ivan Karabec, a player who has the full gambit on major titles: Paralympic Games, World Championships, European Championships. He won his umpteenth. He succeeded in men’s singles class 10.

Meanwhile, for France, Yorik Adjal, who earlier this year had been a bronze medallist in Brazil, Greece and Thailand, secured his first open international tournament men’s singles title by clinching gold in class in men’s singles class 2-3.

Somewhat differently, Emeric Martin, with a whole host of successes dating back to men’s team gold at the International Master Italian Open in 1998, prevailed in men’s singles class 4-5.

Gold for visitors to Costa Rica, there was also gold for the hosts. Steven Roman won men’s singles class 8; thus, securing the title for the third consecutive time.

Men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles follow; play concludes on Friday 16^th December.

The men’s singles and women’s singles events conclude on Thursday 15^th December.

• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Full Information
• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Draw and Full Results
• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Further Articles

The post Mexican Form Repeated in Costa Rica as Colombians Strike Gold appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

The ITTF Experts crisscrossed the globe in delivering the most sought-after product on offer, the MA Activity. It allows members to choose a development activity suited to their needs and priorities, and most beneficial to their progress. The involvement of an ITTF Expert is the icing on the cake as they learn and interact with them physically.

Different peculiar and interesting requests were received in 2022. A case in point is the Para Table Tennis Training camp that was hosted by New Caledonia with Trevor James Hirth Ply as the Expert. Trevor is a familiar face in Para Table Tennis and his involvement in the training camp was a marvel for those who have seen him represent his country Australia at the highest competitions. A first-of-its-kind activity in Oceania, participants in attendance ranged from thirteen (13) to fifty-seven (57) years of age.

“With the support of my husband, I joined Para table tennis to continue with my passion for sport. With the help of an Olympian and Expert from ITTF, I am very hopeful that one day I will also represent my country at the highest level of table tennis.” 57 year old participant Ms. Hahine Ligo.

Suriname Table Tennis Federation in the Americas hosted a Women’s Activity that focused on practical table tennis skills during the training camp in Nickerie and leadership skills enhancement during the Community Leadership course in Wageningen. With the number of female participants in sports dwindling, the association saw it fit to encourage women and girls’ participation in this particular program.

A full bouquet of eleven ITTF Online Services with options of up to 10 hours per Member Association was offered in 2022. The online sessions through videoconferencing were supported by Pingprofy, our program partner, which marked the second year working with the organization to successfully deliver many hours of online services. One of the most popular was Creating MA Development Plans, which shows the interest and need of our Members for continuous improvement and development.

Different National Activities were organized by the Member Associations as well, which is the third component of the 2022 Participation Program. Among various national projects ranging from training camps to National Championships across the world, there have been many focusing on youth development, including school projects and talent identification programs. Thus, the Member Association of Guinea Bissau organized “Table Tennis in Schools” that was conducted from 25 October till 25 November 2022 with massive participation of girls and boys who showed a lot of interest in playing table tennis and becoming professional players to represent the country in the international arena.

Not only are grassroots activities part of the program, but those of a higher level as well. With a focus on youth development, the National Top 10 Youth Table Tennis Championships were organized in Singapore. The young athletes competed from 8 to 10 December 2022 and showed excellent performance.

As the curtain closes for the year 2022, Member Associations are waiting with bated breath and anticipation for the 2023 Participation Program. It is a sign of good working relations between the Members and the ITTF Development Department. In celebration of this, we say chole! To the end of the 2022 ITTF Participation Program!

The ITTF Participation Program promises to be enticing and fully loaded for all in the following year. With our partners, Stupa Analytics, StreetTT, an enriched Online Services menu and diversified offer of table tennis activities, 2023 will be a feast befitting a king for the Member Associations to enjoy!

The post Chole! Towards a better future with the ITTF Participation Program appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

“I want to inform you that Francis Roig is leaving my team and starting a new personal project as a coach... He started joining the team and worked with us together with my Uncle Toni and later with Carlos Moyá and recently Marc López,” Nadal wrote. “Francis has been an important person in my career and I am very grateful to him for all these years of work and friendship.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)

Roig has worked with Nadal since 2005, before the lefty claimed his first Grand Slam title. Now Nadal is a 22-time major winner and has spent 209 weeks at World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in his career.

“When we started working together I was a child and together with my Uncle Toni, we started on the circuit,” Nadal said. “Francis is a great coach who knows tennis very well and has helped me a lot to get better and better. I only have words of gratitude and I wish him all the luck in the world in his new project!”

The award recognises the Norwegian's fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court.

All ATP Awards Winners

"A big thanks to everyone who voted for me for this year’s ATP Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award," said Ruud. "I feel very, very honoured and happy to win this prize this year. I will try to keep my mood in the right place for next year. Can’t wait to be back on court."

By winning the sportsmanship award, Ruud breaks the dominance of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who combined to win it each year since 2004 — Federer 13 times and Nadal five, including each of the past four years. Ruud is also the award's first Scandinavian winner since Sweden's Edberg won it for a fifth time in 1995. The following year, it was renamed in his honour.

In the 2022 season, Ruud won three ATP Tour titles (Buenos Aires, Geneva, Gstaad) and finished runner-up at Miami, Roland Garros, the US Open and the Nitto ATP Finals. He ended the season at World No. 3 and has a golden opportunity improve upon that position in early 2023, with no points to defend at the Australian Open after missing this year's first Grand Slam with an ankle injury.

The cinch Championships at The Queen's Club in London claims the honour at the ATP 500 level, winning the award for the fourth time. Also recognised in the ATP Awards in 2015, 2016 and 2018, the tournament has thrived in its prestigious setting in West Kensington by consistently attracting some of the best singles and doubles players on the ATP Tour.

Founded in 1989, the event was won by Matteo Berrettini in each of the past two years. Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic won the 2022 doubles title.

“Given the quality of tournaments in this category, it is an honour to be voted by players as the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year,” said Chris Pollard, Events and Digital Director, LTA. “It is recognition of the outstanding work from the LTA tournament team and the support from a large number of sponsors, partners and suppliers who collaborate so effectively with the LTA, the Queen’s Club and the ATP in delivering the Tournament. As well as hosting our highest event attendance in 2022, the LTA introduced a number of innovative sustainability and inclusion initiatives that opened up the event to new audiences – we look forward to further enhancing the event experience for players, spectators and sponsors in 2023.”

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open repeats as winner in the ATP 250 category, claiming the Tournament of the Year award for the fifth time overall (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021). Doha has set high standards since its inception in 1993 and under the guidance of former player Karim Alami, the tournament continues to build its reputation for its superb facility, world-class hospitality and welcoming fans.

Roberto Baustista Agut was this season's singles champion, while the year-end No. 1 doubles duo of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski won the doubles title.

“The Qatar Tennis Federation and all the members of the team organising the Qatar ExxonMobil Open are delighted to be selected as best ATP 250 for the fifth time in the last eight years,” said Alami. “This award is a recognition of our team's efforts to evolve, improve and adapt, while maintaining the focus on creating a warm and attractive environment that makes all guests and participants feel welcome despite the unusual conditions faced these last couple of years. We want to thank our loyal sponsors, the local government and leadership for their commitment, trust and vision.”

He’s making a list and checking it twice… but the list was incomplete. That wouldn’t be acceptable for Santa Claus and it isn’t for the USTA either.

At midnight Eastern Time every December 1, the USTA releases NTRP ratings for the coming calendar year. During the early morning hours after that update occurs, many people and intrepid captains hammer the system with queries. In the past, that has caused server performance issues and outright crashes under the abnormal (but very predictable) spike in network traffic.

Previously, the USTA has effectively mitigated that effect by releasing a list for all players in each local area. It creates less processing load for the server to regurgitate a static text file than to perform an actual query every time.

On the eve of the release of new NTRP Ratings earlier this month, I advised people to download those lists for the ratings of the players in their local area of interest. As it turns out, the USTA did not publish comprehensive lists this year. However, it is possible to query the system to get that list from the “Advanced Search” page. Here is a screenshot of the parameters set up for Women’s 4.5 for Fort Worth, Texas.

The day after the new ratings were released, I realized that the USTA did not publish the area lists this year. Others commented on this site with the same observation. The good news is that server performance held up for individual queries, so perhaps it was a sign that the organization knew that mitigation was not needed.

However, there is a potential alternate explanation. As I started drafting instructions on how to use the Advanced Query screen to get that data, I noticed that the area query wasn’t returning valid results. For the Fort Worth example illustrated above, my name did not appear in the results even though I played several matches there in 2022. Based on the partial list that was returned, my best guess is that it contained only players whose ratings had changed. In other words, perhaps the people at the USTA did not publish those lists because they were encountering the same problem.

Earlier this week, I was pleased to notice that the USTA has fixed this particular issue in the interim. There is a legitimate need for players to have access to comprehensive lists of NTRP-rated players in their area. For example, a couple of my teams are scrambling around trying to conjure up second teams to enable USTA League Play. Having a shopping list of computer-rated players is essential as an efficient starting point.

I am not sure how the USTA was alerted to the issues with this particular query but am pleased that it was recognized and fixed so promptly. This is an enormous step forward that needs to be recognized and applauded.

However, this is also a launching point for reexamination of other issues with the way the ratings and rankings system organizes, processes, and presents data. Those posts will come in early 2023. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised by the additional progress that has been made.

This brings me to the two things on my Christmas wish list that I would like to receive from the USTA. First, it would make me happy if the USTA would engage an experienced database analyst to identify the underlying issues with the structure of the USTA’s competitive records. I remain convinced by the externally visible recurring issues that the root cause is how information is organized in the database. There are people who are very good at architecting those systems that can help fix it.

Second, the USTA desperately needs to start a formal acceptance testing program for consumer-facing content delivery mechanisms. Functional and regression testing in the release approval process would likely eliminate most of the more obvious errors before they are inflicted on the consumers that are trying to use these systems.

Recall that the USTA has the following strategic imperative in the organization’s current long-term strategic plan.

Build and optimize best-in-class digital infrastructure and platforms

Creating intuitive and seamless digital connectivity with the tennis community and positive online user experiences will enhance customer engagement and loyalty. We must continually improve our use of data to derive actionable insights to make informed decisions, measure effectiveness of our programs and initiatives, and evaluate longer-term impact on our mission to grow the game.

USTA “Strategic Imperative”, 2019-26 Long-Term Strategic Plan.

Repairing the underlying data architecture issues and adding a layer of quality assurance is essential for fulfilling that objective. As it turns out, all I want for Christmas from the USTA is fundamentally a gift to the organization itself.

1. 2019-26 Long-Term Strategic Plan, USTA Web Page, accessible from the “About” page.

The post All I Want for Christmas from the USTA appeared first on Fiend At Court.

Andy Murray said it "felt right" to have Roger Federer retire by playing alongside Rafael Nadal. 

In late September, Federer put an end to his illustrious tennis career at the Laver Cup.

In the final match of his career, Federer teamed up with Nadal for a doubles match.

While Federer and Nadal were playing against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe, they were being supported by Murray and Novak Djokovic from the Team Europe bench.

After the match was over, Nadal also became very emotional and broke down in tears while the Swiss was holding his retirement speech.

"I think the way it was done was brilliant, him finishing alongside Rafa just kind of felt right, and I really enjoyed the week and getting to spend some time with those guys again, there has hardly been any tournament in the last four or five years where all of us have actually competed in the same event, primarily because of injuries and age. So yeah, it was great to be a part of that and it was obviously really sad to see him go but that's what happens in sports. Get to a certain age and your body is not able to do what it once did and it's tough and it's brutal but he seemed totally at peace with the decision. He was in brilliant form, and like I said, it was a really nice way for him to finish, and obviously tennis will take a while to recover from that. You know we have young players coming up now; they are brilliant as well, and they will carry the sport forward in the next few years," Murray said on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast. 

Meanwhile, 35-year-old Murray is planning to play on the ATP Tour for at least one more season.

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, hasn't had much success in recent years but he is refusing to quit and simply retire.

In 2023, Murray will be hoping to make his first deep Grand Slam run since 2017.

Carlos Alcaraz congratulated Juan Carlos Ferrero on winning the 2022 ATP Coach of the Year award. 

Ferrero, who has been working with Alcaraz since 2018, has received lots of credit for helping Alcaraz achieve stunning success in 2022. 

Alcaraz, 19, has accomplished major success at a very young age. 

This year, Alcaraz won a Grand Slam and captured two Masters titles.

Also, Alcaraz is the youngest No 1 in tennis history.

In his message, Alcaraz said no one deserved the award more than Ferrero.

"Congratulations Juanki for the Coach of the Year award! Nobody deserves it more than you. What a year! Thank you for always being there!" Alcaraz wrote on Twitter.

Congratulations Juanki for the Coach of the Year award! ❤️ Nobody deserves it more than you. What a year! ???????? Thank you for always being there! @juankiferri pic.twitter.com/IUGRI0lGsY

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) December 14, 2022

At the US Open, Alcaraz accomplished his goal of becoming a Grand Slam champion.

By beating Casper Ruud in the US Open final, Alcaraz also rose to the world No 1 spot for the first time in his life. 

In one of his interviews after the US Open, Alcaraz admitted that even he was surprised by how far he was able to accomplish certain things. 

“For me it’s a dream come true being No. 1 in the world, to be a Grand Slam champion. Everything has come so fast. I didn’t think at the beginning of the year that I’m going to have the year that I’m having right now. I always believe in my team and in my work, so this is something that came with the hard work that I put in every day, the hard preseason, the work during the year with my team. Everything pays off," Alcaraz said after the US Open.

For Alcaraz and his team, the 2022 season was everything they could have asked for.

Now, Alcaraz is focused on having another big season in 2023. 

It remains to be seen if Alcaraz can start the new season with an Australian Open triumph.

Casper Ruud has been announced as the winner of the 2022 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. 

For the first time since 2003, someone other than Roger Federer (13) or Rafael Nadal (5) has won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. 

Ruud, who made his first two Grand Slam finals this year, is known as a very fair player. 

Now, he is being recognized for his fair play and outstanding sportsmanship. 

"A big thanks to everyone who voted for me for this year’s ATP Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. I feel very, very honoured and happy to win this prize this year. I will try to keep my mood in the right place for next year. Can’t wait to be back on court,” Ruud told the ATP website.

Ruud, ranked at No 3 in the world, is set to represent Norway at the inaugural United Cup. 

After the United Cup, Ruud will fly to New Zealand for the ASB Classic. 

In a recent interview, Auckland tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said the tournament and Ruud quickly agreed on a deal. 

“One of the easiest was Casper Ruud. You would have thought it would have been more difficult because of his ranking, but he’s the kind of guy who likes to play a lot of ATP 250 tournaments and doesn’t mind playing the week before a grand slam. I guess it was more challenging with Emma Raducanu. We wanted to wait to see what happened after the US Open. On both sides there was interest, she was also keen to hear about what was happening with the United Cup, so it took longer to agree. But in the end we were on the same page," Lamperin told New Zealand media company Stuff.

For Ruud, it will be very important to prepare well for the Australian Open. 

The post London | Becker released and deported appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

The post London | Suárez Navarro and partner Olga Garcia expecting a child appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

The post London | Swiatek named ITF World Champion as she joins IMG appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

Novak Djokovic will be the big favorite at the 2023 Australian Open, where he will be hunting for his tenth seal. In the event of a triumph in Melbourne Park, the Serbian phenomenon would hook his eternal rival Rafael Nadal at 22 Grand Slams. The former world number 1 was unable to play the Happy Slam this year due to his vaccination status, as well as having suffered serious image damage. For the same reason, the 35-year-old from Belgrade also had to miss the US Open and all the American Masters 1000. Nole managed to revive his season by winning Wimbledon, the ATP Finals in Turin, the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, the ATP 500 in Astana and the ATP 250 in Tel Aviv. The 'Djoker' finished the year in the Top 5 and is preparing to return to the throne in 2023. Goran Ivanisevic's protégé will compete in the Adelaide ATP 250 at the beginning of next season, so as to warm up the engines in view of the Australians open. Djokovic will have to be especially careful of Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz. In an interview with 'Punto de Break', Daniel Vallejo spent beautiful words for Novak.

"The best thing about that week was training with Novak Djokovic, warming up with him before his matches," Daniel Vallejo said of his experience. "He was very kind to me, very charismatic, he showed why he is one of the best on the planet. He made me feel privileged. It is not the best advice because it is something very basic, but I prefer what Djokovic told me in Turin. After training together, he told me that I had good ball quality, but that I have to accelerate more with my right hand," Vallejo revealed. The 18-year-old highlighted that Djokovic has the ability to be very aggressive even without hitting the ball hard, while also giving his opponents very little time to react. "There is no one that I look at exactly, but the closest thing would be Djokovic, except for the huge differences. He also stands well inside the court and, without hitting him so hard, he manages to be very aggressive because he takes a lot of time from the rival," Vallejo explained. Novak Djokovic is all set to launch a new pair of sneakers next year, in collaboration with his sponsor Asics. "At the beginning, I said I don't want to change," he said. "When I switched from my last sponsor to Asics shoes, I felt really like I was going to a sportscar from a commercial car. I felt lighter on my feet, I felt there was more flexibility. I could change direction quicker, and I could slide. Why change when you feel good? Why change? Let's try to make an even better shoe."

Maria Sharapova is always active: she is a super mom who trains on the court in a goergeus black outfit. She was one of the most beautiful and strongest tennis players of the last twenty years, and paradoxically she said goodbye too soon to the WTA Tour.

The Russian tennis player became number 1 and won several Grand Slams from a very young age and at least initially seemed to be the main rival of the US champion Serena Williams.

Maria won 5 Grand Slams, triumphing in all four Grand Slam rounds, the last one at the Roland Garros back in 2014. However, physical problems held back Masha's career and she was forced to retire, after several rounds, in far February 2020.

Now, Maria is facing a new life, she is a mother and is linked to the British entrepreneur Alexander Gilkes. She continues to keep fit and has repeatedly posted social photos and videos while she is busy doing fitness exercises or keeping fit by playing tennis.

Here is one of her Instagram Stories:

        Visualizza questo post su Instagram                      

Un post condiviso da @tennisworlditalia

Sharapova's last words

Sharapova talked in an interesting interview with the microphones of New Beauty and she released interesting statements: "The role of mother must arrive at a certain point in your life, I felt ready and to tell the truth it was something I've always dreamed of.

I have an excellent relationship with my mother, we are very close and we share a lot, we are related and this is also why I wanted to have a child so that I could share my experiences with him. I'm excited to see him grow and I'm learning new things too. Every day is a new day, there's always something to learn and it's a great challenge.

The sporty aspect is also very demanding, it keeps you grounded every day. Tennis was something I wanted to do every week, beyond winning and losing. I always had to reinvent myself and challenge myself and I just didn't feel comfortable. I don't know if it's more difficult being a tennis player or a mother, let's just say both roles are very demanding."

His matches have been a breath of fresh air, his fearless tennis and his brilliant personality have led Carlos Alcaraz to be one of the most beloved players on the professional tennis circuit, a player who at 19 is already number one in the world and owner of a Grand Slam. The young man from Murcia will have the first stop of the preseason at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships. At this point, a historic appointment in December, even and especially for Nadal. This year, however, he opted for a different schedule before flying to Australia for the United Cup and, above all, his Melbourne Park title defense. In summary: Alcaraz will play the exhibition tournament in Arabia, and with a few days to go he spoke to the ArabNews microphones to explain his feelings at the end of the season. During his analysis, in addition to establishing parallels with the female number one, Iga Swiatek, the Spanish was clear. "Her year of hers was incredible. He broke the record for the longest winning streak of this century. She's magnificent. I'd like to be like her, never lose the lead, but it's almost impossible." In addition to Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero, a benchmark for 'Carlitos', practically since his arrival on the junior circuit, also spoke. The former world number one and champion of Roland Garros in the 2003 edition spoke of the birth and growth of the star who, in just over a year, went from promising to winning two Masters 1000 and a Grand Slam, in addition to conquering the top of the ranking. "Even when he wasn't famous he attracted people. I'm not too surprised to see how many people love him: he smiles, he's nice to everyone, he's a nice guy," he said. 

The current champion of the Count of Godó confirms his presence for the next edition of the tournament held in Barcelona in 2023. Now as the number one in the world, Carlos Alcaraz will arrive in Catalonia with a trophy to defend. David Ferrer, director of the tournament, shared the joy of having the Murcian for next year: "He is a unique tennis player, with a lot of charisma and, in addition, he enjoys on the court. He still has a whole career ahead of him to continue improving", said the tennis player to Mundo Deportivo. We will have to wait until April to find out if Alcaraz repeats his triumph in Barcelona.

To be successful with an effective online store, you need a modern shop system. Magento is ideal at this point and makes it possible to increase your growth quickly and effectively. But how exactly does Magento SEO work and how do you best showcase your new store?
If you want to know more you can comment.

The role of the Foundation Board is to serve as the main decision-making body for the organization is comprised equally of members of the Olympic Movement and Public Authorities. The other ASOIF Representatives are Mr. David Lappartient (UCI) and Mr. Jean-Christophe Rolland (World Rowing).

“I am thrilled to be nominated to a spot on WADA’s Foundation Board,” Sörling said of her appointment. “Ensuring clean sport is respected all over the world is one of the core tenants of the Olympic Movement. I would like to thank WADA, the ASOIF and the IOC for putting their trust in me. Joining esteemed colleagues in this endeavour is something I take very seriously, and I am excited to get to work.”

Sörling was elected the first female president of the ITTF in 2021, and at the time of her election was one of only four female Presidents of international sport federations. After winning a four-year mandate, she pledged to modernize the sport and increasing sustainability and diversity opportunities for the sport.

The post ITTF President Joins WADA Foundation Board appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

This past season the 19-year-old surged to No. 1 in the world thanks in part to a U.S. Open title along with Masters 1000 triumphs in Miami and Madrid. He also lifted ATP 500 trophies in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona.

“I’m really happy to receive this award, and I want to say thank you to all my colleagues who voted me as the Most Improved Player of the Year,” said Alcaraz. “For me it’s an amazing achievement. This year has been a really good year for me, a dream year for me, and I’m looking to improve the year in 2023. Thank you very much.”

Holger Rune, Maxime Cressy, and Jack Draper were also up for Most Improved Player.

Coinciding with Alcaraz’s success, Ferrero’s Coach of the Year Award was no surprise. They started working together in 2019, really began to take off in 2021, and have now reached the highest of highs–both at the Grand Slam level and the ATP rankings. One of 2022’s memorable images was Ferrero returning to Miami after attending his father’s funeral Spain, arriving in time for the final (in which Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud, just as he did six months later at the U.S. Open).

“This year has been an amazing year,” Ferrero assured. “Gladly, all the hard work has been rewarded with results and now with this amazing prize. I’m extremely happy to win the ATP Coach of the Year Award. Thank you all of you for the support.

“I saw [Alcaraz] at 13,” Ferrero added. “He came to the academy (Equelite Sport Academy in Alicante, Spain). We trained one day; he was very small, but everyone was talking about him. He had everything he has now, but in miniature. Officially, I saw him when he got his first ATP point at 14 years of age, then you could see how he competed. When he arrived at the academy at 15, he was a stick; he was fast but didn’t have any muscles. Even so, we saw something very special.”

“It’s happening very quickly. It’s a surprise to everyone, except to me, because I train with him every day and I know what he can do. I was sure that if it wasn’t this year, it would be the next. Now we want to keep going.”

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

The post Alcaraz is ATP’s Most Improved Player, Ferrero Coach of the Year appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Roger Federer's retirement is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this year. The news was in the air, since the Swiss had not stepped on the court in official tournaments for more than a year, but his announcement marked the end of an era. The Swiss player had tried by all means to take one last lap, but the state of his right knee did not allow him to continue. The 41-year-old from Basel had attempted a timid comeback last year, playing only 13 official matches and stopping again after Wimbledon. The last two and a half years have been a true ordeal for the "genius", who has not been able to play as much and as well as he would have liked. The 20-time Slam champion played his last match alongside Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup, the exhibition he founded in 2017. Roger has promised that he will not abandon the sport that has given him everything. The Swiss has traveled to Tokyo and New York in recent weeks, even allowing himself a brief visit to Wimbledon. As a guest on the latest edition of the "Daily Show", Federer emphasized how crucial numbers have become in modern sport. "We live in a world based on numbers and statistics," Federer began without mincing words. "We like to improve our stats and break records, so we can establish who's the greatest and all that. As soon as you win a Slam or become number 1 in the world, they immediately ask you how long you will stay at the top or when you will win your next Major. The fun has taken a backseat. This mechanism has been fed to such an extent that it has become a problem, at least in my opinion", added the Swiss. During his extraordinary career, Federer has won 20 Grand Slams, 103 ATP titles, 28 Masters 1000 and 6 ATP Finals.

During the presentation of the Sports Awards in Switzerland, Roger Federer evoked the famous ceremony of the Laver Cup. The Swiss in front of his family even revealed that there were several scenarios depending on his emotional state. “In fact, with my agent Tony Godsick, we had planned a plan B if ever I had not been able to say a word. I must say that I was a little anxious before everything fell into place. At first, a few weeks before, I wasn't even sure I could play so I thought I was going to have to show up in a suit and tie. Then I knew I could do a double and that relaxed me a bit. On the day, despite the tears and the emotions, I managed to say a few words, so it was great, and I think that in the end I fought well (laughs)."

Rafael Nadal skipped the second part of the 2021 season due to an injury. The Spaniard made a fresh start this year and claimed 20 victories from the opening 20 encounters! Rafa conquered Melbourne, the Australian Open and Acapulco before reaching the Indian Wells final. Seeking the fourth consecutive title, Nadal fell to Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6 for his first defeat in 2022. Struggling with a left pectoral muscle injury, Rafa could not play at his best and impose his strokes. He sprayed over 30 unforced errors to hand the first Masters 1000 trophy to the 24-year-old American. Speaking about the final, Rafa said he could not do much, despite keeping fighting and having chances to prolong the battle and force a decider. Fritz was not at his best either, experiencing an ankle injury in the semi-final against Andrey Rublev but enduring all the efforts to lift the trophy and crack the top-15.

The American was the more aggressive player, doing damage with his forehand and staying in touch with the Spaniard in the more extended exchanges. Taylor won ten points more than Rafa and fended off eight out of ten break chances, mainly in the second set. Playing miles below his best, Nadal got broken four times from nine opportunities offered to his young opponent to finish on the losing side. They had a similar number of winners, and the American tamed his strokes nicely to stay on 22 unforced errors while the Spaniard sprayed 34. Taylor forced Rafa's backhand error on the fourth break chance in the encounter's opening game for an early advantage. The home player held at love in game two and grabbed another break with a forced error for a 3-0 lead. Fritz moved 4-0 up with a comfortable hold before Nadal pulled one break back at 2-5. Still, the Spaniard suffered the third break in game nine to hand it to his rival 6-3 after 39 minutes.

Rafa broke at 1-1 in the second set after forcing Taylor's mistake before losing the advantage in the next game. Fritz defended four break points at 2-2 for a massive hold and played against a break chance at 4-4. Taylor saved it with a reliable backhand and brought the game home in another pivotal moment. The home player earned a match point at 5-4 after a running forehand down the line winner. Nadal saved it with a forehand attack and survived to lock the result at 5-5. The Spaniard wasted two more break chances in the 11th game and put himself under pressure in the tie break. The more experienced player hit a terrible forehand drive-volley at 5-4, which marked the beginning of his end. Taylor grabbed another mini-break in the 11th point and converted the second match point with a forehand attack for a career-best moment.

"I tried my best, but it was not my day. That happens, and I have experience in all these situations. Honestly, it was tough to play the final like this, but I gave my everything until the end. I had my chances in the second set, but I did not convert them; that's it. I think it's a difficult match to analyze personally from my side because I could not do many things I usually do," Rafael Nadal said.

Novak Djokovic missed two Majors and four Masters 1000 events in 2022. Still, the Serb wrapped up the season with five titles, including his 21st Major crown and the sixth ATP Finals trophy. Djokovic finished inside the top-5 despite a reduced schedule and 2000 points missed at Wimbledon, eager for more in 2023. Stefanos Tsitsipas praised Novak as a player to beat. The Greek hailed the Serb's professionalism and hard-working approach, stating that Novak took tennis to another level. Djokovic had a rough four months at the start of the year after missing the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami. Novak lost the Belgrade final to Andrey Rublev before raising his level in May. Djokovic lost a thriller to Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid and conquered his 38th Masters 1000 trophy in Rome to gain a boost. Novak toppled three top-10 rivals in a row and looked promising ahead of Roland Garros. The Serb lost an epic clash to Rafael Nadal in over four hours in the quarter-final and bounced back at Wimbledon.

Novak claimed his seventh Wimbledon crown and the 21st Major title following a win over Nick Kyrgios, lifting the trophy but missing 2000 points on his tally. Novak could not play Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open due to his vaccination status, missing a chance to win more titles. Djokovic lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Laver Cup before embracing an indoor winning streak. Novak's third ATP title came in Tel Aviv over Marin Cilic. A week later, the Serb conquered the ATP 500 event in Astana after beating Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Novak was the favorite at the Paris Masters, seeking his seventh crown in the French capital. Djokovic advanced to his 56th Masters 1000 final and faced the young gun Holger Rune. The Dane ousted the Serb 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to secure his first Masters 1000 title and end Novak's streak of 13 wins. Djokovic was a player to beat at the ATP Finals, seeking his sixth title at the premium ATP event. The Serb secured five top-10 triumphs to wrap up the season in style and lift his 91st ATP trophy. Djokovic is eager to return to Australia in a couple of weeks and seek his tenth Australian Open title.  

"Novak is the most formidable player to beat and the most consistent one. He is a perfectionist who took tennis to another level. His diet, physical work, flexibility and professionalism in each area are incredible. There is not a single aspect that he neglects; he has progressed to stand where he is now," Stefanos Tsitsipas said.

Job Responsibilities

Assist coaching staff in all areas such as:

• On court coaching for team and individual practices, including hitting and feeding
• Coaching on court during home and away tournaments/matches
• Preparation of team matches including travel
• Assist with administrative duties, including recruiting as allowed within NCAA rules
• Video Analysis

This is an unpaid position, however, candidate will have opportunity to teach lessons and help with clinics and camps at the tennis center.

The applicant must meet the employment standards set forth by Virginia Tech and will be subject to a background check.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work within the United States.

Interested applicants should forward cover letter, references, and resume to Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren at [email protected]

The post Virginia Tech – Volunteer Women’s Tennis Coach appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

Rafael Nadal could not chase his 11th Rome masters title. Rafa fell to Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid and experienced an early loss at Foro Italico following a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat to Denis Shapovalov. Denis prevailed in two hours and 37 minutes after a fine performance in the decider to leave the king of clay with dark clouds over his head ahead of Roland Garros. Nadal skipped Monte Carlo and Barcelona and did not play at his best in Madrid and Rome. The Spaniard claimed three wins at his favorite events and did not know what to expect in Paris. Last year, Nadal defended two match points versus Shapovalov in Rome. The Canadian served revenge this time, keeping his focus in the second set and dominating the decider to seal the deal. Rafa struggled with a foot injury, and things did not look good for him ahead of Roland Garros. Denis won three points more than Rafa, fired 13 aces and defended seven out of 11 break points. Nadal got broken five times, three in the final set, when he could not stay in touch physically.

Shapovalov had a clear edge with 35 winners and 39 unforced errors, firing 30 service winners and doing everything right at the net. There was nothing to separate them in the shortest and more extended rallies. Denis saved his best tennis for the most crucial parts of the clash to find himself in the last eight. Nadal was the only player on the court in the opening set, serving well and delivering two breaks to control the scoreboard. The Spaniard drew first blood with a backhand down the line bullet in the opener's fourth game. Denis earned a break chance with a volley winner in the next one and squandered it after a loose backhand. Nadal fired a forehand crosscourt winner in the sixth game for a break chance and claimed another extended exchange to secure a break and open a 5-1 gap. Serving for the set in game seven, Rafa fired a service winner for 6-1 in 42 minutes, looking more than fine so far. The Canadian survived three break points and seven deuces at the beginning of the second set to gain a boost.

He broke Nadal in the second game after the Spaniard's backhand error and cracked a forehand down the line winner in the next one for 3-0. Denis forced Rafa's mistake in the fifth game to defend a break point and closed it with a forehand down the line winner for 4-1. Not giving up, Nadal earned three break chances in game seven and grabbed the first after Shapovalov's loose forehand for 3-4. The Spaniard denied a break point in game eight with a volley winner at the net and saved another with a service winner. Denis sprayed a backhand error after a couple of deuces to bring Rafa back to 4-4. The Canadian placed a deep return in game ten and created a set point with a forehand crosscourt winner. Nadal saved it and squandered and held with a backhand down the line winner that locked the result at 5-5.

From 30-0 up in game 12, Rafa lost four straight points on his serve. He sprayed a backhand mistake to hand the set to his rival and seal his fate in this match following his physical state! Shapovalov hit a wild forehand at the start of the decider to lose serve and broke back in the next one after Nadal's loose backhand. Rafa leveled the score at 2-2 after two hours and 20 minutes, but it was all we saw from him. Nadal barely continued after the fifth game, and Shapovalov broke him at love in the next one to open a 4-2 gap. Denis fired an ace in game seven for a hold at love, taking 12 straight points and moving closer to the finish line. Shapovalov placed a backhand winner in the eighth game for match points and converted the third after Nadal's backhand error to score a notable win and move into the last eight.

Naomi Osaka reveals it was during the pandemic when she sat by herself and realized she wanted to use her voice to address certain issues. 

During the 2021 French Open, Osaka opened up about her battle with anxiety and depression.

A year and a half later, Osaka has become one of the biggest advocates for athletes' mental health. 

“I think I’m slowly getting comfortable with using my voice but for me it was probably during quarantine like when COVID first came out. I didn’t have anything to do, so I sat by myself and I was just thinking about my life and what I want to accomplish and I think all in all I just wanted to feel like I didn’t shy away from issues that I felt heavy in my heart,” Osaka said  TODAY with Hoda & Jenna.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is also establishing herself in the business world.

Last year, Osaka launched a sun-care brand - KINLO.

“It has been fun. It’s been a process. I’ve learned a lot during the creation of KINLO and when I was younger, I actually didn’t wear sunscreen because I was like, ‘my melanin will protect me’ and I think there’s a lot of people that feel that way. So, just the education process of it was definitely really interesting. I’m the type that always likes to do something and I’m always curious. So, it’s nice that I get to learn like the behind the scenes of everything. So, I definitely have projects coming up and I hope maybe I’ll be on here again,” Osaka said. 

This year, Osaka appeared in a total of 11 tournaments.

However, she has signed up to start her 2023 season in Australia. 

At the Australian Open, Osaka is a two-time champion. 

Osaka hasn't won any titles since she won the 2021 Australian Open title.

Australia co-captain Sam Stosur expects Nick Kyrgios to thrive during the inaugural United Cup.

Between 29 December - 08 January, the inaugural United Cup will be taking place in Australia.

Stosur, who will co-captain the Australian team with Lleyton Hewitt, will also be a playing member of the team that includes Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Jason Kubler, John Peers, Ajla Tomljanovic, Maddison Inglis and Zoe Hives.

Kyrgios has said multiple times that he absolutely loves team environments and Stosur believes the 2022 Wimbledon finalist will do well at the United Cup. 

“It’s no secret that he [Kyrgios] loves the team environment, playing in a group and in a team, and it does seem to bring out some of his best tennis. I’m sure the United Cup is going to be no different to what we’ve seen him do in those sorts of situations before. He loves playing at home, and it will be at Ken Rosewall Arena and hopefully have great crowds and excitement. It’s going to be good fun," Stosur told the ATP Tour website.

Australian Davis Cup team captain Hewitt invited Kyrgios for the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage in Malaga, but the 27-year-old declined the invitation.

After skipping the Davis Cup Finals and then competing at the last week's Diriyah Tennis Cup, Kyrgios was asked why he skipped the Davis Cup and then went to Saudi Arabia. 

“Maybe if Australia embraced me a little bit more, I would play for it and bring home the trophy. At this point of my career, I’ll always do what’s best for me. I can travel around the world playing exhibitions around this time of year for six figures. I feel I put myself in that position, so it’s an easy one for me," Kyrgios said.

Kyrgios didn't represent Australia at the Davis Cup Finals but he will be leading his nation at the inaugural United Cup.

The post Getting The Most Out of Practice: Five Tips For Making Big Gains appeared first on JTCC.

Click here to read the article.

The holiday season just got even more peRFect in Newport.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is celebrating Roger Federer’s career with an exhibit devoted to Federer’s farewell match.

“This addition to the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to the final chapter in a defining career,” said Todd Martin, CEO of the ITHF. “We are tremendously grateful to Roger for this generous loan, and for valuing our mission to preserve tennis history as it happens. The ITHF congratulates Roger on all his achievements, the example he has set for everyone in the sport, and for his dedication to the sport’s history. We know this exhibit will inspire countless fans and visitors.”

Federer returned to the ATP Tour for the first time since 2021 at the Laver Cup in September of this year. Prior to the event, he announced through a heartfelt open letter that it would be his last, closing on of the greatest tennis careers in history. In his final match, Federer played doubles with Rafael Nadal and lost to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe 6–4, 6–7(2–7), 9–11. Team World went on to win the event for the first time in its five-year history.

The Laver Cup is designed to commemorate Laver’s extraordinary career and his profound impact on the game’s growth and ensuing popularity.

Federer’s illustrious career began in 1998 when he debuted as a wildcard in the Rado Open in Gstaad. In the two decades following, he ascended to the game’s highest heights, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Federer was the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles in his career, including a record eight Wimbledon championships, six Australian Open titles, five US Open titles, and the 2009 French Open. He finished his career with 103 ATP singles titles, the second-most all-time, and sat atop the world rankings for 310 weeks.

Visitors can plan their trip to view these items and experience the museum at www.tennisfame.com/museum-and-grounds.

The post Roger Federer’s Final Outfit on Display in Hall of Fame Exhibit appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Barnes, who lives in Fresno, California, worked his last event at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals. Karlberg stepped away after officiating in Basel in October this year.

At first glance, they seem as different as topspin and slice. But peel back the surface layer and you’ll find an underlying dichotomy that connects them.

"Tom is a very, very good friend,” Karlberg said. “He may scare most of the people around him, but that's just on the surface. If you look under his skin a little bit he is a golden-hearted person and very fun to be around."

Similarly, Barnes said that first impressions of the genial Karlberg don’t paint the full picture. “He’s probably the strongest one out of all of us even though he doesn’t look or act like he is,” Barnes said. “He’s a very strong character, critical thinker, friendly guy and good to be around.”

Barnes' career has spanned the birth of the ATP Tour in 1990 through to its newest events, including the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. Photo: Getty Images.

Barnes worked his first event in Guam in 1990 and completed his tournament report on three laminated pieces of paper. Known by many as ‘Baaaaarnes' after being given the moniker by former World No. 4 Brad Gilbert, the Californian said that over the years he bonded with some of the game’s more prickly players.

“I tend to get along better with the difficult players than the not-so-difficult players,” he said. “Why, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because of my marine corps background. It’s all personal relationships.

“We have one goal in mind and that's to provide good tennis. The Supervisor is in charge of everything and is the final authority on site. The most challenging part of the job is to keep everything in balance and make judgments when it’s important. I always try to consider what is best for the tournament, players, and spectators.”

Karlberg was a Supervisor for the Men’s International Professional Tennis Council and Tournament Director of the Bastad ATP event before joining ATP in 1991, the year after the Tour was formed. Having worked alongside thousands of players from Jimmy Connors to Pete Sampras to Carlos Alcaraz, Karlberg said that to preserve impartiality he would be friendly to players, but would not seek to become their friends.

“It’s like a circus with everyone travelling around, players, coaches, officials, and everyone else, so it’s inevitable that you develop relationships, but you have to be clear where the line is,” Karlberg said. “Of course we will have friendly conversations with players and their teams, but we wouldn’t go out for breakfast or dinner.”

"Every Supervisor and Chair Umpire currently working for ATP has been mentored by Tom and Thomas," said Ali Nili, ATP Senior Director, Officiating Administration. "They are an institution in Officiating and there will never be another Tom Barnes or Thomas Karlberg. They will be truly missed, but their legacy will live forever."

[ATP APP]

While elements of the job have evolved through the continued growth of technology, Barnes said that the key quality he looks for in good Supervisors has not changed in his 30 years in the job.

"Common sense is the number one thing,” he said. “We constantly have to make decisions and some of them are pretty significant, like defaulting a guy. You can easily make the wrong choice in either direction. You have to have a mindset that can look at incidents and shut out all the other noise and think about what the situation deserves.

“The most challenging thing is to keep everything in balance and make judgments when it’s important. Always try and consider what is best for the tournament, players, and spectators.”

Karlberg added: “Knowing how to deal with people is also very important. To be calm when something goes wrong, to listen to other people, show respect to the players and the people you work with.

“And there’s no substitute for having full knowledge of the rules. When you’re called out on court in the heat of the moment with thousands of spectators looking on, you can’t reach for the rulebook.”

Thomas Karlberg sends Rafael Nadal back to the locker room during a rain delay at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Photo: Getty Images

Both men have been privileged to sit courtside for thousands of matches, watching the game’s greatest champions up close. But they don’t view matches in the same manner as fans.

“It is a nice perk of the job, but I don’t watch tennis like my wife does,” Barnes said. “I’m looking at it from a technical standpoint and not really from the artistic level. I’m making sure the ballkids are doing what they’re supposed to do, linespeople, chair umpire are doing things correctly and the players aren’t misbehaving.”

With both men spending decades on the road away from their families and homes, Karlberg and Barnes paid tribute to their wives, Eva and Debbie, for the sacrifices they made that allowed them to pursue their careers with the ATP.

“I didn’t realise when I started this job what my life would become,” Karlberg said. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll try that’. Now I’ve had more than 30 years with the ATP. My wife has always supported me to do this; she realised I really loved to work in tennis. I thank her very much. I realise that she has done a hell of job raising three kids and working at the same time. I have her to thank.”

Barnes said of his wife, Debbie: “She’s my rock. We made the decision together that I would pursue this as a full-time career. I did it a little later in life, our son was already off in college so no young ones at home to worry about, which may have made it a little easier.”

Both men are also thankful for the friendships they made on the Tour, in what Roger Federer once called his "second family”.

“The relationships that I’ve developed, the friends that I’ve made is something I will always treasure,” Karlberg said.

Barnes added: “With my colleagues, everyone, travelling and seeing different countries and meeting different people, I learned a lot from that. It’s like we live together; in many cases guys spend more time with each other than their own family, especially in the beginning when you work 30 weeks in a year.”

Now both men can enjoy plenty of family time at home.

Montreal, December 15, 2022 — Tennis Canada today announced that Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez are the recipients of the 2022 Tennis Canada Excellence awards for Players of the Year and Singles Players of the Year in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.

The other Excellence Awards went to Gabriela Dabrowski and Denis Shapovalov in the category of Doubles Players of the Year, Rebecca Marino and Gabriel Diallo as the Most Improved Players of the Year, and Victoria Mboko and Jaden Weekes, who took home the honours for Junior Players of the Year. In wheelchair tennis, Rob Shaw claimed the Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year award, while Mitch McIntyre was named the Wheelchair Tennis Most Improved Player of the Year.

“We would like to offer our congratulations to all of this year’s recipients of the Tennis Canada Excellence Awards,” said Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada. “2022 saw our athletes and organization reach new heights both on and off the court. Of course, having led Team Canada to its first- ever Davis Cup title and with four ATP singles titles to his name, Félix is a well-deserving recipient in the men’s category. On the women’s side, Leylah has continued to showcase her skills and prove that she is one of the top talents on the WTA Tour. It’s especially pleasing to see Rebecca Marino named the Most Improved Player following a storybook season for her.

“Gaby has continued to establish herself as one of the world’s best doubles players, while Denis has performed exceptionally in doubles too,” added Downey. Special mentions must also go to youngsters Victoria Mboko, Gabriel Diallo, and Jaden Weekes who are deserving winners in their respective categories and shining examples as to why the future of tennis in Canada is so bright. And of course, our wheelchair tennis athletes Rob Shaw and Mitch McIntyre have represented Canada tremendously, both having career years on the wheelchair tennis circuit.”

For the second straight year, Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime clinched the title of Male Player of the Year and Male Singles Player of the Year. After securing seven titles this season, the 22-year-old finished with a career-high ranking of world No. 6. His remarkable 2022 campaign began in Sydney, Australia, where he helped Team Canada claim the ATP Cup. In February, he earned his maiden singles title at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and added to his total later in the season, winning three consecutive events in Florence, Antwerp, and Basel. Auger-Aliassime capped off his season with a stunning performance in Malaga, Spain, winning all four of his matches to lead Team Canada presented by Sobeys to its first-ever Davis Cup by Rakuten crown. He also competed at the year-end ATP Finals in November and was part of Team World – champions at the Laver Cup in September.

On the women’s side, Laval’s Fernandez took home her third Female Player of the Year and Female Singles player of the Year awards. The 20-year-old enjoyed a strong 2022 season, defending her title at the Abierto GNP Seguros and reaching the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros with impressive wins over world No. 12 Belinda Bencic and No. 23-ranked Amanda Anisimova. She was also an integral part of the Canadian Billie Jean King Cup squad that swept Latvia in April, as well as the team that played in the Finals in Glasgow, United Kingdom. In 2022, Fernandez had a combined 5-1 record in Billie Jean King Cup action, losing her only match to eventual champion Belinda Bencic. She will finish the season as world No. 39.

Doubles, Juniors, and Most Improved Players of the Year Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski had another successful year on the doubles circuit. Paired up with Mexican partner Giuliana Olmos for much of the season, Dabrowski, the world No. 7, clinched the WTA 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open and the WTA 500-level trophy in Tokyo, Japan. She also won an event with Luisa Stefani of Brazil in Chennai, India. Dabrowski competed alongside Olmos at the year-end WTA Finals and played with teammate Fernandez during the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November. Dabrowski has now won the Female Doubles Player of the Year award for the 10th time in her career.

Meanwhile, Shapovalov, the 23-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ontario, won his fourth Excellence Award as the best male doubles player in Canada. He began his season with a pair of stellar wins alongside Auger- Aliassime at the ATP Cup in Sydney. In February, Shapovalov paired up with Rohan Bopanna of India to reach the Finals in Doha, Qatar, and finished off his season on the doubles court with Vasek Pospisil, defeating Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

Enjoying breakout seasons in 2022 were Rebecca Marino (Vancouver, BC) and Gabriel Diallo (Montreal, QC). Marino, the 32-year-old Vancouverite, re-entered the Top 100 for the first time in 10 years following a tremendous campaign. This season, she recorded 49 wins and clinched the biggest title of her career at the $60,000 ITF event in Arcadia, California in March. Her year-end ranking will be a well-earned, No. 64 in the world. As for Diallo, he turned heads with his impressive championship run at the National Bank Championships in Granby, Quebec in August. The 21-year-old rose from world No. 988 to No. 228 in under 12 months. He was also part of the Davis Cup-winning squad, playing in his first match at the event during the knock-out stage in September.

In juniors, Mboko (Toronto, ON) and Weekes (Lasalle, QC) had fantastic seasons. Mboko won four junior titles (one singles, three doubles), and even added a first professional title to her name, winning the Saskatoon Challenger in July. The 16-year-old star will end the year as No. 6 in the girl’s rankings. Her compatriot Weekes also won four titles (one singles, three doubles) and will finish the year as No. 48 in the boy’s rankings.

Wheelchair tennis awards

Additionally, Shaw, the current world No. 7 in the quad division, received the Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year award. The Ontario native had another great year, qualifying for the US Open, winning 10 titles (six singles, four doubles), and competing in the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters. The Wheelchair Tennis Most Improved Player of the Year award went to British Columbia’s McIntyre, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 in the quad division. He won three titles (one singles, two doubles) and jumped up 20 spots in the quad rankings over the past 12 months.

The post Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez Win Tennis Canada 2022 Player of Year Awards appeared first on Tennis Connected.

For the first time this season there’s a full fixture list in the Senior British League Premier Division this Saturday. Ormesby are set to take on Urban, North Ayrshire welcome BATTS and Ormeau host Fusion as six of the seven teams in the league are in action.

With just five matches played so far this campaign, three teams are on four points having won one and lost one tie. All this weekend’s games will be streamed live on Table Tennis England’s online platform TTE.TV.

Ormesby will be looking to bounce back against Urban after they suffered a shock defeat to league newcomers Brighton last month. 

Key to the Ormesby team will be their new number one signing David McBeath. The fifth ranked player in the national men’s ranking list and current member of the England men’s team has been brought in to replace Ryan Jenkins who has retired from competitive table tennis.

Sam Mabey, England number seven, who has been instrumental for Ormesby over the past year will not be available until the new year due to illness. This has given the northeast side the opportunity to play two home-grown juniors.

Thomas Rayner, ranked number 25 in the English senior list and number three in the juniors, and Ben Piggott, ranked number four in the English junior list, will line up alongside McBeath.

The Urban squad will include some of Britain’s top juniors players. Connor Green is ranked England’s number one junior, Felix Thomas is fifth, Joseph Hunter is the number nine junior and Toby Ellis is tenth. This tie is sure to be an exciting affair showcasing some of  Britain’s top future prospects.

Over in Northern Ireland Ormeau will welcome Fusion as the home side look to get back to winning ways after losing a tense match against BATTS in November.

They welcome Xavier Dixson to their team for the first time. The new signing is Australia’s number one, ranked 98th in the world and has recently notched up a victory against India’s Amalraj Anthony. 

Matt Ware will be back in action as team captain and will be joined by Irish number two Zak Wilson.

Gervis Knox, team coach and founding member of Ormeau TTC,  said: “We have a great relationship with the Fusion team and look forward to welcoming them to Belfast this weekend. The lads were disappointed with a 4-3 loss at BATTS in November but look to improve our points this weekend.”

Fusion were last in action on 22nd October, winning their only match of the season so far. Lorestas Trumpauskas, Joshua Bruce and Robert Pelc were the trio selected for that tie and expected to feature this weekend.

BATTS will battle freezing temperatures and plane strikes to get to their fixture against North Ayrshire. Josh Bennett, Shayan Siraj and Joe Ferguson will make the journey to Scotland as they look to continue the brilliant form that saw them beat Ormeau in a thriller. Shayan Siraj put in a player of the match performance as they picked up the win and is sure to play a huge part in Saturday’s fixture.

You can watch every match live on TTE.TV.

Fixtures

Ormeau v Fusion – 13:00

North Ayrshire v BATTS – 14:00

Ormesby v Urban TTC – 14:00

The post Ormesby and Ormeau look to bounce back in SBL Premier Division appeared first on Table Tennis England.

A few weeks ago, Novak Djokovic received the go-ahead to travel to Australia next month. In fact, the local government has lifted the three-year ban that weighed on the Serb's head, the protagonist of a bad soap opera at the beginning of the year. Indeed, the 35-year-old tennis player from Belgrade had been expelled from the country due to his vaccination status and had not been able to participate in the Australian Open. For the same reason, the former world number 1 had also had to give up the US Open and all the North American Masters 1000. However, 2022 was satisfactory for him thanks to triumphs at Wimbledon and at the ATP Finals in Turin, not forgetting the victory at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. Despite a season heavily conditioned by his decision not to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus, Nole managed to close the year in the Top 5 and reiterated that he is still the man to beat. The 21-time Grand Slam champion will kick off his 2023 by competing at the Adelaide ATP 250, before going on the hunt for his tenth trophy at Melbourne Park. Invited to the exhibition organized in Saudi Arabia, Mats Wilander stated that Djokovic will be the big favorite in the AO (which will start on January 16). Present in Saudi Arabia, Mats Wilander answered questions from our Tennis Italiano colleagues. According to the Swede, Novak Djokovic is the big favorite for the Australian Open, but there is still a risk. "I see Nole as the big favourite, ahead of Medvedev, who is at his best on the hard courts, and Nadal, the defending champion. The only thing that can betray Djokovic is his desire to do too much, to show, after everything that happened to him in Australia a year ago, that this tournament is his home".

Daniel Vallejo, a rapidly rising star on the junior men's tennis circuit, recently praised Novak Djokovic for his great conduct towards him. "The best thing about that week was training with Djokovic, warming up with him before his matches," Daniel Vallejo said of his experience. "He was very kind to me, very charismatic, he showed why he is one of the best on the planet. He made me feel privileged." The 18-year-old highlighted that Djokovic has the ability to be very aggressive even without hitting the ball hard, while also giving his opponents very little time to react. "There is no one that I look at exactly, but the closest thing would be Djokovic, except for the huge differences. He also stands well inside the court and, without hitting him so hard, he manages to be very aggressive because he takes a lot of time from the rival," Vallejo explained.

Nick Kyrgios says he has heard only positive things about the Adelaide International as he is looking forward to preparing in Adelaide for the Australian Open.

Kyrgios, 27, will be making his Adelaide debut in January. 

This January, Adelaide is set to host ATP 250 events in back-to-back weeks.

Kyrgios won't be competing in Adelaide 1, but he is set to play Adelaide 2 - which is scheduled to kick off on 09 January.

This year, Kyrgios' close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis won Adelaide.

Now, Kyrgios is hoping to also enjoy success at the turnament.

“I have heard good things about the tournament and the upgraded venue at The Drive. I am looking forward to playing in Adelaide. My good friend, Thanasi, had a great run last year in front of his home crowd and I hope I can enjoy the same success and support in January," Kyrgios said of playing in Adelaide.

This year, Kyrgios made his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon. 

Kyrgios enjoyed a great 2022 season and he is the Australian player that enters the Australian Summer with the biggest expectations. 

With that being said, Adelaide tournament director Alistar MacDonald is excited about giving Adelaide tennis fans a chance to see Kyrgios in action. 

“This is a great opportunity for Australian tennis fans to see Nick take to the court at The Drive. We all remember the doubles final at the Australian Open earlier this year where he and Kokkinakis took victory – it is not every day you can witness these Aussie champions play at home. We are urging tennis fans to secure their tickets to be a part of the crowd and atmosphere this summer, cheering on one of the strongest fields we’ve seen here in Adelaide at our Festival of Tennis with strong competition on-court and amazing entertainment off the court," MacDonald said of Kyrgios signing up to play Adelaide.

Borna Coric admits it means a lot to him to be voted as the 2022 ATP Comeback Player of the Year.

In 2021 May, Coric underwent shoulder surgery.

Coric, who was initially hoping to compete at the 2021 US Open, ended up sidelined for 12 months. 

In March, Coric played his first tournament in 12 months at the Indian Wells Masters.

After struggling in his return, Coric put up a stunning run at the Cincinnati Masters to lift his first Masters title.

Coric, who was ranked at No 278 in May, finished the season ranked at No 26 in the world.

“I’m super happy to win the ATP Comeback Player of the Year award. Obviously it does mean a lot to me after a very, very hard season, and after my shoulder surgery. So all I can say is thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. It does mean a lot to me and obviously I hope that my next season is going to be even better," Coric told the ATP website.

Coric struggled in his first tournaments as he had just one win and six losses in his first seven matches.

Then, Coric decided to return to the Challenger Tour and in June he captured the Parma Challenger title.

After winning Parma, Coric used his protected ranking to enter the Cincinnati Masters.

In Cincinnati, Coric upset Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to winning the title.

“Thank you to my parents, who are not here, my sister and my team. It has been very tough for us. With my physio, if I didn’t have him I wouldn’t be on the court. Then of course to my tennis coach, Mate. We have been working very hard and now we are here," Coric said after winning Cincinnati.

It remains to be seen if Coric can have an even better season in 2023.

The other Excellence Awards went to Gabriela Dabrowski and Denis Shapovalov in the category of Doubles Players of the Year, Rebecca Marino and Gabriel Diallo as the Most Improved Players of the Year, and Victoria Mboko and Jaden Weekes, who took home the honours for Junior Players of the Year. In wheelchair tennis, Rob Shaw claimed the Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year award, while Mitch McIntyre was named the Wheelchair Tennis Most Improved Player of the Year.

“We would like to offer our congratulations to all of this year’s recipients of the Tennis Canada Excellence Awards,” said Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada. “2022 saw our athletes and organization reach new heights both on and off the court. Of course, having led Team Canada to its first-ever Davis Cup title and with four ATP singles titles to his name, Félix is a well-deserving recipient in the men’s category. On the women’s side, Leylah has continued to showcase her skills and prove that she is one of the top talents on the WTA Tour. It’s especially pleasing to see Rebecca Marino named the Most Improved Player following a storybook season for her.

“Gaby has continued to establish herself as one of the world’s best doubles players, while Denis has performed exceptionally in doubles too,” added Downey. Special mentions must also go to youngsters Victoria Mboko, Gabriel Diallo, and Jaden Weekes who are deserving winners in their respective categories and shining examples as to why the future of tennis in Canada is so bright. And of course, our wheelchair tennis athletes Rob Shaw and Mitch McIntyre have represented Canada tremendously, both having career years on the wheelchair tennis circuit.”

For the second straight year, Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime clinched the title of Male Player of the Year and Male Singles Player of the Year. After securing seven titles this season, the 22-year-old finished with a career-high ranking of world No. 6. His remarkable 2022 campaign began in Sydney, Australia, where he helped Team Canada claim the ATP Cup. In February, he earned his maiden singles title at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and added to his total later in the season, winning three consecutive events in Florence, Antwerp, and Basel. Auger-Aliassime capped off his season with a stunning performance in Malaga, Spain, winning all four of his matches to lead Team Canada presented by Sobeys to its first-ever Davis Cup by Rakuten crown. He also competed at the year-end ATP Finals in November and was part of Team World – champions at the Laver Cup in September.

On the women’s side, Laval’s Fernandez took home her third Female Player of the Year and Female Singles player of the Year awards. The 20-year-old enjoyed a strong 2022 season, defending her title at the Abierto GNP Seguros and reaching the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros with impressive wins over world No. 12 Belinda Bencic and No. 23-ranked Amanda Anisimova. She was also an integral part of the Canadian Billie Jean King Cup squad that swept Latvia in April, as well as the team that played in the Finals in Glasgow, United Kingdom. In 2022, Fernandez had a combined 5-1 record in Billie Jean King Cup action, losing her only match to eventual champion Belinda Bencic. She will finish the season as world No. 39.

Doubles, Juniors, and Most Improved Players of the Year

Ottawa’s Dabrowski had another successful year on the doubles circuit. Paired up with Mexican partner Giuliana Olmos for much of the season, Dabrowski, the world No. 7, clinched the WTA 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open and the WTA 500-level trophy in Tokyo, Japan. She also won an event with Luisa Stefani of Brazil in Chennai, India. Dabrowski competed alongside Olmos at the year-end WTA Finals and played with teammate Fernandez during the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November. Dabrowski has now won the Female Doubles Player of the Year award for the 10^th time in her career.

Meanwhile, Shapovalov, the 23-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ontario, won his fourth Excellence Award as the best male doubles player in Canada. He began his season with a pair of stellar wins alongside Auger-Aliassime at the ATP Cup in Sydney. In February, Shapovalov paired up with Rohan Bopanna of India to reach the Finals in Doha, Qatar, and finished off his season on the doubles court with Vasek Pospisil, defeating Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

Enjoying breakout seasons in 2022 were Marino (Vancouver, BC) and Diallo (Montreal, QC). Marino, the 32-year-old Vancouverite, re-entered the Top 100 for the first time in 10 years following a tremendous campaign. This season, she recorded 49 wins and clinched the biggest title of her career at the $60,000 ITF event in Arcadia, California in March. Her year-end ranking will be a well-earned, No. 64 in the world. As for Diallo, he turned heads with his impressive championship run at the National Bank Championships in Granby, Quebec in August. The 21-year-old rose from world No. 988 to No. 228 in under 12 months. He was also part of the Davis Cup-winning squad, playing in his first match at the event during the knock-out stage in September.

In juniors, Mboko (Toronto, ON) and Weekes (Lasalle, QC) had fantastic seasons. Mboko won four junior titles (one singles, three doubles), and even added a first professional title to her name, winning the Saskatoon Challenger in July. The 16-year-old star will end the year as No. 6 in the girl’s rankings. Her compatriot Weekes also won four titles (one singles, three doubles) and will finish the year as No. 48 in the boy’s rankings.

Wheelchair tennis awards

Additionally, Shaw, the current world No. 7 in the quad division, received the Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year award. The Ontario native had another great year, qualifying for the US Open, winning 10 titles (six singles, four doubles), and competing in the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters. The Wheelchair Tennis Most Improved Player of the Year award went to British Columbia’s McIntyre, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 in the quad division. He won three titles (one singles, two doubles) and jumped up 20 spots in the quad rankings over the past 12 months.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
 

The post Félix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez receive 2022 Players of the Year Awards appeared first on Tennis Canada.

Heading into the 2022-23 season, it was evident that this group of collegiate newcomers could leave their mark on the sport. This fall they did just that, sweeping the men’s singles national championships while also recording numerous strong finishes on the women’s side. 

Beginning with Ethan Quinn, the Georgia freshman quickly showed how his game would translate to the collegiate level after excelling at the junior level and climbing up the ATP Singles Rankings during his redshirt season with the Bulldogs. 

The No. 1 ranked Freshman/Newcomer in the 2022 ITA Preseason Rankings, Quinn immediately made his presence felt this fall, going 9-0 across all singles play, including winning the ITA Men’s All-American and Southern Intercollegiate Championships.

Quinn finished the fall ranked No. 1 in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Singles Rankings and will be an integral part of the Georgia team who seeks its seventh NCAA National Championship this spring. 

Right behind Quinn at No. 2 in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Singles Rankings is Stanford’s Nishesh Basavareddy, another freshman powerhouse who had no difficulty taking his game from the Juniors to the collegiate level this fall.  

The 2022 US Open Boys Doubles Champion went 17-1 in singles this fall, winning the ITA National Fall Championships Singles Title after taking home the Men’s Singles Consolation Title at the ITA Men’s All-American Championships. 

Basavareddy will use this momentum to help lead the Stanford team back to the pinnacle of Division I men’s tennis this spring, joining No. 7 Max Basing and Arthur Fery in the strong Cardinal lineup. 

The third freshman in the Top 15 of the ITA Men’s Singles Collegiate Tennis Rankings is Columbia freshman Michael Zheng. 

Zheng, a 2022 Wimbledon Boys finalist, entered the fall as the No. 3 ranked newcomer in college tennis this season and has shown the ranking was justified, finishing ranked No. 11 in singles in the final fall rankings.

Playing in the ITA National Fall Championships, Zheng went on an impressive run to win the Consolation title, taking down many nationally-ranked opponents in the process. 

Columbia, who finished No. 27 in the final 2022 team rankings, will rely on Zheng and three more nationally-ranked singles players to lead the Lions as they continue to establish themselves as one of the strongest non-power five programs in the country. 

For the women, talented USC freshman Madison Sieg got off to a great start to her collegiate career this fall, finishing as the No. 2 ranked singles player in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings. 

A top-five high school recruit, Sieg went 10-1 in singles this fall, beating No. 4 Daria Frayman (Princeton) and No. 8 Carson Tanguilig (North Carolina) at the Fall Ranked Spotlight Tournament. 

The 2022 Milwaukee Tennis Classic Champion is one of three Trojans in the Top 25 of the ITA Collegiate Tennis Singles Rankings as USC looks to make another deep run into the postseason. 

These freshmen and their teams will be back in action this spring when the dual-match season kicks off in early January.

Top 15-Ranked Freshman Singles Players

Men:

• No. 1 – Ethan Quinn, Georgia
• No. 2 – Nishesh Basavareddy, Stanford
• No. 11 – Michael Zheng, Columbia 

Women:

• No. 2 – Madison Sieg, USC

The post Top Stories of 2022: Freshmen Flex Their Muscles In The Fall appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

Carlos Alcaraz has had a simply brilliant season, in which he has proven to be a phenomenon today and with an immense future. The 19-year-old Spaniard won the US Open, becoming the youngest number 1 in the history of men's tennis. His trip to New York left everyone speechless, leading many pundits to point to him as the future dominator of men's tennis. 'Carlitos' improved his year by also winning two Masters 1000 (Miami and Madrid) and as many ATP 500 (Rio and Barcelona). The performance of the young Iberian fell slightly in the last part of the season, also due to some injuries. Juan Carlos Ferrero's coach suffered a knee problem and an abdominal strain during the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy. That setback prevented him from playing the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. The Murcian, who will participate in the Abu Dhabi exhibition from December 16 to 18, will not play official tournaments before the 2023 Australian Open. In an interview with "Sky Sport Germany", Patrick Kuhnen -former ATP number 43 and current director of the Munich tournament- analyzed Carlos Alcaraz's prospects in detail: "The Spaniard will start the new season as number 1 in the world and will have to defend this status. There is a risk that this position will become a burden for a 19-year-old, especially on a mental level. Alcaraz is surrounded by a very good team, which should allow him to face this challenge with more confidence. In any case, I am convinced that Carlos will find some difficulties next year." Who also spoke about the young man from Murcia was the Russian Daniil Medvedev, who has already reached the top of the standings this season, and who looks to Alcaraz for inspiration.

The current champion of the Count of Godó confirms his presence for the next edition of the tournament held in Barcelona in 2023. Now as the number one in the world, Carlos Alcaraz will arrive in Catalonia with a trophy to defend. David Ferrer, director of the tournament, shared the joy of having the Murcian for next year: "He is a unique tennis player, with a lot of charisma and, in addition, he enjoys on the court. He still has a whole career ahead of him to continue improving", said the tennis player to Mundo Deportivo. We will have to wait until April to find out if Alcaraz repeats his triumph in Barcelona.

Novak Djokovic found his form in Madrid, playing only his fourth tournament in 2022. Novak lost an epic battle to Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid before seeking another strong run in Rome. Novak faced Aslan Karatsev in the second round at Foro Italico and beat the Russian 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 30 minutes. It was Djokovic's milestone 60th triumph at the Rome Masters. Thus, he became the third player with that many wins at a single Masters 1000 event after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Novak and Aslan struggled to find the first serve, and the better-ranked player made the difference with a rock-solid performance on the second serve. Djokovic faced two break points and got broken once. He kept the pressure on the other side and seized four breaks from ten opportunities to control the scoreboard. Karatsev fired 18 winners and twice as many unforced errors to plague his chances for a better result.

The Russian stayed in touch in the more advanced rallies. The Serb forged the victory in the segment of the shortest exchanges up to four strokes. A five-time champion held at 15 in the encounter's opening game with a service winner and grabbed a break in the next one after Karatsev's forehand mistake. The Russian pulled the break back after a well-constructed attack in game three to get his name on the scoreboard and reduce the deficit. Novak fired a backhand down the line winner to secure the fifth game and open a 3-2 gap. Aslan closed the sixth game at 15 with an ace down the T line, and Novak responded with a hold at love for 4-3. The Serb placed a deep return in game eight to grab a break and forge a 5-3 advantage. Djokovic brought the ninth game home at 30 for 6-3 in 41 minutes, hoping for more in set number two.

Aslan fired a backhand down the line bullet at the beginning of the second set to save a break point and erased two more. Novak pushed hard and seized the fourth chance after forcing the rival's forehand error to build an early lead. Djokovic erased a break point in game two and held after deuces for 2-0. World no. 1 broke again in game three to forge a 3-0 gap and fired a forehand crosscourt winner in the next one to extend the lead. Karatsev saved a break point in game five to avoid a bagel before Djokovic grabbed the next one with a forehand winner for 5-1. The Serb landed four winners in the eighth game to seal the deal and find himself in the third round.

Novak Djokovic has won 21 Grand Slam tournaments, 38 Masters 1000s and six ATP Finals during his incredible career. But even such a champion has a dream in his drawer that he hopes to fulfill in the future. The Serb has always represented his country with pride and dedication - he won the Davis Cup in 2010 - but he has never managed to win a gold medal at an Olympic Games. Djokovic, born in Belgrade, has suffered some of the most notorious defeats of the Olympic Games; it is impossible to forget the tears he shed in Rio de Janieiro after the game he lost against Argentine Juan Martín Del Potro. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Djokovic's path was interrupted in the semifinals. The Serbian tennis player, ahead by a set and a break, suddenly collapsed and suffered a resounding 10 games to 1, during which he failed to hold serve five of the six times he faced Alexander Zverev. "An Olympic medal, especially gold, is always a great wish. I rewound the match with Zverev in Tokyo several times in my mind, trying to understand what went wrong," Djokovic revealed to the Serbian media and in words collected by the portal The Kansas City Star. "I played magnificently until the break in the second set. I felt drained both mentally and physically." The Serb will try, probably for the last time in his career, to win the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. When the tournament is played, Djokovic will be 37 years old. "I want to be a major player in Paris in 2024," said the Serbian legend. Djokovic will return to Australia in early 2023 after a case broke out last year. He will start the season at the ATP 250 tournament in Adelaide and then play the Australian Open. The goal is to raise the 22nd Slam to heaven in Melbourne.

Daniel Vallejo, a rapidly rising star on the junior men's tennis circuit, recently praised Novak Djokovic for his great conduct towards him. "The best thing about that week was training with Djokovic, warming up with him before his matches," Daniel Vallejo said of his experience. "He was very kind to me, very charismatic, he showed why he is one of the best on the planet. He made me feel privileged. It is not the best advice because it is something very basic, but I prefer what Djokovic told me in Turin. After training together, he told me that I had good ball quality, but that I have to accelerate more with my right hand," Vallejo revealed.

The Sky is the limit for US Open TV coverage.

The USTA announced it has signed a five-year pact with Sky Sports that gives the network exclusive US Open live television and digital rights in the United Kingdom and Ireland through 2027.

More: French Pair Banned for Life for Match Fixing

The new agreement, which returns US Open rights to Sky Sports, launches with the 2023 US Open, starting on August 28, 2023.



Sky Sports will have access to all individual court feeds, broadcasting a minimum of 135 hours of competition throughout the two weeks of main draw play.

Across Sky Sports’ linear channels and on Sky Sports digital and social channels, extensive coverage will provide content for both existing tennis fans and new audiences. The agreement includes coverage of Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Juniors and Wheelchair competitions.

Sky Sports previously held broadcast rights to the US Open between 1991 and 2015.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by US Open (@usopen)

Auger-Aliassime, who won three straight events late in the year before leading Canada to its first Davis Cup title, won in the men’s singles category.

Fernandez, who defended her Monterrey Open title, won in the women’s singles category while Gabriela Dabrowski and Denis Shapovalov were recognized in the doubles category.

Rebecca Marino and Gabriel Diallo won the national sport organization’s most improved player awards.

Victoria Mboko and Jaden Weekes earned junior players of the year honours.

In wheelchair tennis, Rob Shaw was named player of the year and Mitch McIntyre was named the category’s most improved player.

More from Sportsnet

Davis Cup takeaways: Canada is officially a tennis powerhouse

Leylah Fernandez looking ahead to 2023 after injury-beset year of tennis

The 55-year-old German, who has lived in Britain since 2012, was released on Thursday morning ahead of his deportation, PA reported, without citing sources.

Becker, the three-time Wimbledon champion, had been sentenced to 30 months in prison in April for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt.

He had been convicted by London’s Southwark Crown Court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate. He would normally have been due to serve at least 15 months before being eligible for release.

Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title.

The former world No. 1 was declared bankrupt in June 2017.

More from Sportsnet

Tennis great Boris Becker sentenced to prison over bankruptcy charges

Boris Becker found guilty over bankruptcy, could face jail

The post Top 5 Minimum Deposit Online Casinos for Tennis Fans appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

The post ASICS launch Court FF 3, Gel Resolution 9 appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

The post How to Play with Less Money – All about Minimum Deposit Casinos appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

In both instances medals are assured, the colour to be decided.

Occupying the top seeded places in their respective categories, Yorick Adjal and Emeric Martin are assured of a minimal bronze; for Lucie Hautière the worst case scenario is silver.

Competing in men’s singles class 2-3, Yorick Adjal duly booked his place in the penultimate round, as in men’s singles class 4-5 did Emeric Martin.

Meanwhile, in a group organised all-play-all women’s singles event, with one match to play, Lucie Hautière and Colombia Jessica Alzate remain the only unbeaten players.

Semi-final places booked as anticipated for France, it was the same for the Czech Republic; in the men’s singles event Zbynek Lambert progressed to the penultimate round in class 6-7 as did Ivan Karabec in class 10.

Success for Europe, for the Americas, in the men’s singles events the host nation’s Steven Roman on duty in class 8 and Chile’s David Letelier, likewise top seeds, reserved their penultimate round places.

Outcomes as anticipated, it was the same in women’s singles class 3-4, Colombia’s Manuels Guapi remaining unbeaten.

However, as is often the situation, there is an exception, women’s singles class 6-7 provided the surprise.

Romania’s top seeded Gabriela Constantin was beaten by colleague Camelia Ciripan in her opening contest (11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8). Later, Camelia Ciripan lost to Canada’s Stephanie Chan (4-11, 13-15, 11-9, 13-11, 11-9).

At the end of the day Stephanie Chan emerged the only player unbeaten, Gabriela Constantin and Camelia Ciripan each had one defeat against their names; in the concluding series of matches, Stephanie Chan meets Gabriela Constantin.

The men’s singles and women’s singles events conclude on Thursday 15^th December.

• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Full Information
• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Draw and Full Results
• ITTF Copa Costa Rica 2022: Further Articles

The post Success in Qatar, Success in Costa Rica, a Good Day for France appeared first on International Table Tennis Federation.

Murray is the fourth player who has earned the award multiple times (also 2014), joining Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi.

The 35-year-old wrote an essay for ATPTour.com detailing the thought process behind his philanthropic efforts, what motivated him as a younger player to further involve himself with charity work and more.

[MY POINT]

* * *
In February I was playing the tournament in Dubai and I remember watching the news and there were rumours about something happening between Russia and Ukraine.

A few days later when Russia invaded Ukraine everyone was very worried about what it would mean. When all the images on the news showing what was happening to families began pouring in, it was devastating. Houses were bombed and families were displaced. Young children were affected by this, with many injured and in some cases dying. I wasn’t sure what I could do to help.

Shortly after I decided that from Indian Wells onwards, I would donate my prize money for the rest of the season to UNICEF’s humanitarian response – the final total was just over $630,000. It seemed like something that would give me some extra motivation this year. I thought I could also raise some awareness and hopefully get others involved in helping, too.

There are 7.5 million children in Ukraine and after more than nine months of increased conflict, 5.2 million of them are in need of assistance. UNICEF is working around the clock to keep children safe by ensuring child health and protection services are sustained, critical supplies are delivered to families and that children have clean water and nutritious food.

When you see images of children on the news who were impacted by things like this, that makes it even more difficult to stomach. I have four young children who are really fortunate that everything is fine with them. But being a parent, it affects you differently. You try to put yourself in their shoes. If something like that happened with your own family, how difficult would that be? It is hard to fathom.

I’m in the fortunate position to try to make some sort of difference, so hopefully the money that’s been raised through UNICEF can help some of the children who have been affected. 

I think in situations like these it is important to be empathetic and do what you can to help others. When I was younger, in my early 20s, I didn’t really think about anything else except my tennis. As you start to get older and maybe mature a little bit, you realise there are things that are more important than sport.

I found it important to speak out on certain subjects that were important to me or to do certain things for charities that touched me or were important to me. I did some fundraising early in my career for one of my best friends, Ross Hutchins, who was diagnosed with cancer.

Ross, who was also a professional tennis player, called me with the news one day when I was in Abu Dhabi and I was shocked. I remember sitting in my room for quite a while after he told me. I was upset by the whole thing and then started thinking about any ways I could help him or get him engaged with something that might make a difference for him or give him something to look forward to. You don’t expect that to happen to one of your best friends, especially someone who was in his mid-20s and as fit and healthy as he was.

Around that time was when I saw the positive benefits to doing more charity work. Because something happened to someone very close to me, I probably was more encouraged to do more of that as I got older. I saw a greater responsibility to speak out and do things when I had the opportunity. Maybe when I was first starting out on the Tour, I didn’t realise how important it was.

More From The 2022 ATP Awards
Rafa Named Fans' Favourite
'Super Happy' Coric Is Comeback Player Of The Year
Rune 2022 Newcomer Of The Year

In 2014, I became a UNICEF UK Ambassador, and later that year I received the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for the first time. It’s an honour to be named recipient again. The reason to do the right thing is not for an accolade like this, but it is nice that it is appreciated somewhere.

Arthur Ashe was a special person, so to win an award named after him means a lot. He was a great tennis player and has been recognised for that as well, but it speaks for what he’s done off the court that people remember how he helped others.

Billie Jean King is someone else in tennis circles who has done that. She was also an incredible tennis player, but what she’s done away from the game has been incredible too and I think athletes have a responsibility to use their platform in a positive way if they can. Arthur and Billie Jean certainly did that.

I join Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi as two-time winners of this award. Agassi is someone who I looked up to a lot growing up. I know he has done a lot of great things away from the court with his school. Roger’s foundation has also staged fundraising matches for parts of Africa and I know Aisam has been involved in peace talks in his part of the world.

I think that a lot of the young players who are coming through seem like good guys. I’m sure they’re going to be great ambassadors for the sport moving forward. I’d encourage them to try and find some causes that are important to them and mean something to them and to try and give back when they get the chance.

* * *
UNICEF PRAISES MURRAY’S COMMITMENT

Jon Sparkes OBE, the Chief Executive at the UK Committee for UNICEF, issued the following statement in praise of Murray’s efforts in Ukraine:

We are hugely grateful to UNICEF UK Ambassador, Andy Murray, for generously donating this season’s prize money to UNICEF UK. The incredible donation will support UNICEF’s work responding to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which is having a devastating impact on the country’s 7.5 million children.

Over nine months of war has left millions of children in need of humanitarian assistance, with destroyed infrastructure and freezing weather leaving Ukraine’s children facing an uncertain future. UNICEF is working day and night in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to keep children safe by helping to make sure that child health and protection services are sustained, delivering critical supplies to families and ensuring children have clean water and nutritious food.

Andy’s endless dedication to the role of UNICEF UK Ambassador has seen him support many life-changing fundraising initiatives and advocacy campaigns since he took on the role in 2014. During this time he has launched his exhibition match, Andy Murray Live in 2016, and donated generously to UNICEF’s work around the child migrant and refugee crisis in 2015.

I know I speak on behalf of everyone at UNICEF UK when I say a huge thank you.

“Break point” follows some of the top players in the world on both the ATP Tour WTA Tour throughout the 2022 season. The goal is to give fans an insightful look into players’ lives both on and off the court. “Drive to Survive” was a humongous success, driving interest in F1 exponentially, and the hope is this new Netflix series will work similar wonders for tennis.

“I think it’s going to make a great show, and I think we gave them some good content,” said Felix Auger-Aliassime. “For me the main goal is that it can help tennis; it can help tennis overall. That would be amazing if we could see a rise in the number of fans and attention for our sport by airing this series.”

“It’s great for the game–moving the game forward,” Frances Tiafoe added. “I’m happy I was part of it and some other guys got a chance to be part of it, as well.”

Auger-Aliassime and Tiafoe are part of list of featured players that also includes Nick Kyrgios, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Sloane Stephens, and Ajla Tomljanovic.

“It’s hard to imagine another sport which has been so dominated by a handful of individuals for so long,” executive producer James Gay-Rees told the AP. “But they are at the end of the cycle–barring, obviously, Novak and Rafa, to some extent. The changing of the guard is happening.

“And, therefore, the timing was really good, too. Because I love tennis, but I’m like, ‘Who is Tsitsipas?’ Do you know what I mean? Honestly. But actually, you realize, ’My God, he’s No. 5 in the world. He’s a really, seriously, good tennis player and he’s a really interesting guy. And I’d like to know more about him.’ Because all I’ve heard for the last 15 to 20 years is, ‘Roger, Roger, Roger. Serena, Serena, Serena.’ For a reason, right? Obviously we’re not disputing that, because they’re legends and icons. But I think it was really exciting shining a light on a new generation.”

January 13 is the premiere and the first five episodes will be available that month. Those five focus on the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Madrid, and Roland Garros. The next five episodes arrive in June and will look at Wimbledon, Eastbourne, Queen’s Club, the U.S. Open, and both the ATP and WTA Finals.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

The post “Break point” less than a month away as trailer for Netflix series is released appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

"I’m really happy to receive this award, and I want to say thank you to all my colleagues who voted me as the Most Improved Player of the Year," said Alcaraz. "For me it’s an amazing achievement. This year has been a really good year for me, a dream year for me, and I’m looking to improve the year in 2023. Thank you very much."

Billed as a budding superstar on the heels of a strong finish to 2021 — one that saw him reach the US Open quarter-finals and later claim the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals title — Alcaraz had a lot to live up to this season. The Spaniard not only met those lofty expectations, he exceeded them in record time.

After winning the first of his five titles on the year at the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro to break into the Top 20, Alcaraz showed he could deliver on the game's biggest stages by winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami after a semi-final run in Indian Wells. He then brought the show to his home fans, claiming a Spanish trophy double in Barcelona and Madrid, beating Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in succession in the latter event.

[NEWSLETTER BANNER]

More success put Alcaraz in position to reach the top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at the US Open, and he took the chance with aplomb to become the youngest World No. 1 since the rankings began in 1973.

“For me it’s a dream come true being No. 1 in the world, to be a Grand Slam champion,” Alcaraz told the ATP Tour after the US Open.

“Everything has come so fast. I didn’t think at the beginning of the year that I’m going to have the year that I’m having right now," he continued. "I always believe in my team and in my work, so this is something that came with the hard work that I put in every day, the hard preseason, the work during the year with my team. Everything pays off.”

It was the second consecutive year that Alcaraz had been nominated for Most Improved Player in the ATP Awards. His fellow nominees in the category this year were Maxime Cressy, Jack Draper and Holger Rune.

Karen Tonge had “a wonderful day” as she was presented with an OBE by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle.

Karen, the Chair of British Para Table Tennis and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games referee this summer, was accompanied by her husband Ken and by BPTT Performance Director Gorazd Vecko and his wife Sabina.

The above photo (copyright Press Association) shows them watching on the right as Karen receives her medal.

Karen, who was previously an MBE, was made an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to Paralympic table tennis.

She said: “She apologised that it was her again because she presented by with my MBE, but I said it was special because she is our IOC (International Olympic Committee) member.

“She knows everything about you and she’s really interested and we talked for quite a long time. When we left, one of the Equerries commented about that.

“It’s an honour for the Paralympic family so it was only right that I took some members of the Paralympic family with me.

“Afterwards, we went for a champagne tea in Windsor, so it was a wonderful day.”

The post By royal appointment, Karen receives her OBE appeared first on Table Tennis England.

A group which brings people together every week through table tennis has held a successful first public fun day, with more than 80 participants.

Altrincham Table Tennis Social Group is a non-profit organisation which aims to help newcomers from Hong Kong settle and thrive in the Greater Manchester area. 

Working with Table Tennis England and other local partners such as Trafford Leisure and the local council, the group has organised more than 45 social table tennis sessions every Saturday afternoon since January 2022. 

Earlier this month, it hosted the Altrincham Table Tennis Fun Day, attracting more than 80 people to join in. Participants are pictured above (photo by Marie-Anne Ventoura).

Harry, on behalf of the ATTSG committee, said the group had started with the belief that the social table tennis sessions would create opportunities for Hong Kongers to meet new friends in the UK and foster a stronger relationship and bonding with the local community.

He added: “Our goal is to provide a safe and friendly environment for the table tennis players to play together and make friends. In future, we are committed to continuing working with the local partners and organising more activities related to table tennis, such as tournaments for the community.”

Table Tennis England Partnerships Manager, Colin Eley, said: “Altrincham Table Tennis Social Group has made tremendous progress to date, providing sessions for communities in Greater Manchester and wider.

“These sessions and the fun day further strengthen our belief that table tennis has the ability to engage a range of audiences from different backgrounds and different abilities.

“The future looks bright for ATTSG and we’re excited to continue our relationship to further expand their engagement and volunteer development.”

For details of the future events, visit the group website or follow the group on Facebook or Instagram.

The post Social group’s big day is a big success appeared first on Table Tennis England.

Hyde, the winningest coach in Florida State history, has led the Seminoles to two Elite 8 appearances in 2018 and 2021, and to 16 NCAA Championship appearances.

“Our strength of schedule each year is one of the great things about playing in the ACC,” said Hyde.  We have the opportunity to compete against the nation’s best teams, week in and out.  This season is relatively heavy in ACC travel, which means hostile crowds and challenging conditions. We will look and lean on our our incredibly passionate fan base in Tallahassee to get behind us when we have the opportunity to compete at home. This is going to be a very exciting for the Noles, and I can’t wait to get things started here at home in January.”

The Seminoles’ spring schedule includes 11 matches at the Speicher Complex on Florida State’s campus beginning with Florida Gulf Coast (Jan. 20), Mercer (Jan. 22) and Florida A&M (Jan. 22).

Florida State will play host to nationally ranked opponents Miami (March 5), Wake Forest (March 10), NC State (March 12) and Virginia (March 26) in ACC play in an action-packed slate of games during the month of March.  The Seminoles will play host to ACC foes Virginia Tech (March 24), Notre Dame (April 6) and Louisville (April 8) to bring their total of ACC home games to seven.

Florida State will also face 2022 NCAA Tournament participants Arkansas (Jan. 27), Old Dominion (Feb. 19) and Georgia Tech (April 14) and potentially Stanford (Jan. 28) in road games.

The Seminoles are the No. 2 seed in the Stanford Region for the 2023 ITA Kickoff Weekend (Jan. 27-28)  The Seminoles are in one of 15 pods of four teams each in the national tournament, which will serve as the 2023 spring season opener around the nation.  The Seminoles will face Arkansas in the first round of the tournament and either Stanford or Kansas State the second round.

The regional winners of the ITA Kickoff Weekend advance to the 2023 ITA Indoor National Championships, in Seattle, Wash.

The highly anticipated Netflix docuseries “Break Point” released some concrete details about the release of the series earlier today. The official teaser of the show that followed around the world’s best tennis players in 2022 became available to fans this week as Netflix announced the first five episodes of the series will debut on Jan. 13, just three days before the start of the 2023 Australian Open.

Tennis Netflix series sets debut date

Tennis fans became aware of this Netflix project late in 2021 as the company was trying to build off of the profound success of “Drive to Survive,” a series that followed around the stars of Formula One.

The team behind the critically acclaimed F1 series spent the 2022 year on the ATP and WTA tours, capturing behind-the-scenes moments of some of the best players in the sport. Netflix describes the series as such:

“Break Point follows a diverse group of tennis players on and off the court as they compete in gruelling slams with hopes of winning a final and even bigger dreams of becoming world number one. Break Point gets up close and personal with top players on the tennis circuit through an entire year travelling across the globe for all four Grand Slams and the ATP and WTA tours.”

While most fans knew the show was being shot during the 2022 season, Netflix held its details close to the vest. Today we learned many of the names set to appear in the first five episodes and what each episode’s key focus will be.

Netflix doc episode list (with key players for each)

Ep 1: Australian Open (Kyrgios, Kokkinakis)

Ep 2: Australian Open (Berrettini, Tomljanovic)

Ep 3: Indian Wells (Sakkari, Fritz)

Ep 4: Madrid (Jabeur, Badosa)

Ep 5: French Open (Auger-Aliassime, Ruud)

— James Gray (@jamesgraysport) December 14, 2022

You will notice throughout the show that the producers are more infatuated with telling the stories of the younger players in the sport. Of course, the story of the 2022 tennis season cannot be told without the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams, but do not expect to get many glimpses of behind-the-scenes footage of these legends. Similar to “Drive to Survive”, ATP and WTA players and tennis personalities had to opt in to agree to being filmed and followed by the documentary camera crew, in Formula 1, teams like Haas and McClaren have agreed to participate, while current F1 Champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing famously opted out of Drive to Survive Recently.

One of the more noteworthy points I gathered from today’s news dump was the involvement of many former players and coaches in the series. Many episodes will feature interviews with Paul Annacone, Chris Evert, Patrick Mouratoglou, Toni Nadal, Martina Navratilova, Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova.

As for the future of the series, five more episodes are set to debut in June of 2023. These episodes will focus on Queens Club, Eastbourne, Wimbledon, the US Open, WTA Finals, and ATP Finals. This will conclude the ‘first season’ of the series as the producing team focuses on developing the next five episodes for January 2024.

Sports documentaries that offer a look behind the curtain have achieved critical acclaim in recent years, including Amazon Prime’s “The Test” covering the Australian men’s Cricket team, and “All or Nothing” a series that has covered professional sports franchises including the National Football League’s Philadelphia Eagles, the Brazilian National football team, Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League, and the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

The ATP and WTA Tours will be hoping that by providing Netflix’s camera crews with unprecedented access, more fans will be exposed to the personalities and excitement of professional tennis and highlight what it takes for tennis athletes to achieve greatness on its grueling yearly calendar.

Main Photo from Getty Images

The post Netflix releases trailer for highly anticipated “Break Point” tennis docuseries appeared first on Last Word On Tennis.

After the death of legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri last week, it seemed appropriate to select a book or media title that examined his life. There were a lot of candidates to choose from. I own all three books co-authored by Bollettieri. There is also reportedly an authorized biography in the works by journalist David R. Legge. Ultimately I settled on a documentary about Bollettieri that was produced and released by Showtime in 2017. Love Means Zero examines his life through his relationships with some of the biggest stars that emerged from his tennis academy.

Last Monday I shared a family story about Bollettieri that reflects the way I choose to remember him. Love Means Zero is a much grittier look at some of the more controversial aspects of his life and relationships. The producers frequently broke the “fourth wall” by including some of the prompts and dialogue from Bollettieri’s filmed interviews for this documentary. The reasons behind some of the things that Bollettieri did in his life were elusive, even to himself.

Love Means Zero is also an examination of the Tennis Academy concept that was pioneered by Bollettieri. He recruited the most talented junior players by awarding them scholarships. Those players attracted other paying customers who made the business work. Bollettieri relentlessly promoted his top stars and rose to prominence along with them. Former Bollettieri Academy coach Fritz Nau perhaps summed it up best. “Nick cared about his players and he wanted them to be great… but I think he wanted to be great with them.”

Jim Courier was one of the prominent players to fall out of Bollettieri’s orbit. Courier applies a mature perspective honed by years of work as a tennis commentator and analyst. He is one of many people who describe the father-figure relationship that Bollettieri had with his players. The pain he described when the relationship fell apart is palpable.

Love Means Zero is filled with first-person accounts of players who were in Bollettieri’s elite inner circle and their divergent outcomes and experiences. It is tough to build a father-figure relationship with tennis players only to discard them over lack of on-court performance. The same can be said about expecting financial remunerations after the players are successful.

Of all unlikely people, Boris Becker made some of the more insightful observations about Bollettieri. Through their brief time working together, Becker realized that he wasn’t a tennis coach, but rather more of a life coach. The number of divorces and failed relationships in Bollettieri’s wake precludes him from being a good choice as a comprehensive life coach. Becker did not make that distinction, which in retrospect may explain some of his own recent issues.

Of all the books and media centered on Bollettieri, Love Means Zero is perhaps the most credible narration of a story that has wildly divergent perspectives. Bollettieri describes himself as a person who doesn’t look back. At the same time, he acknowledges that he made mistakes and did things wrong along the way.

Love Means Zero ultimately examines whether the ends justify the means. Bollettieri reached the pinnacle of tennis coaching. His rise to fame is inseparable from the emergence of some of the prominent players developed by his academy. The question of whether he could have reached the top of the mountain without doing things that were wrong along the way is left unresolved.

Love Means Zero (Documentary) Showtime

The post Love Means Zero (Nick Bollettieri) appeared first on Fiend At Court.

Jessica Pegula congratulated coach David Witt on being the 2022 WTA Coach of the Year as the American jokingly took all the credit for her coach's recognition. 

This past season, 28-year-old Pegula enjoyed the season of her life.

Pegula's rise didn't go unnoticed as the WTA rewarded coach Witt with the Coach of the Year award.

"I know I know, you couldn’t have done it without me. Congrats to Diamond Dave," Pegula captioned her Instagram post.

        Pogledajte ovu objavu na Instagramu.                      

Objavu dijeli Jessie Pegula (@jpegula)

After Iga Swiatek, Pegula was the most consistent WTA player in 2022.

Even though Pegula won just one title this year, she was regularly reaching the latter stages of tournaments. 

Late in the season, Pegula became a WTA 1000 champion for the first time in her life after winning Guadalajara.

Also, Pegula achieved her career-high ranking of No 3 late in the season. 

Pegula, who comes from one of the wealthiest families in the United States, has definitely earned the respect from fellow Tour colleagues.

Recently, Pegula admitted that it meant a lot to her to prove that she was more than just a rich girl from a wealthy family. 

"I think it's always something I've had in the back of my mind a little bit, but I think at the same time when I was younger, I would maybe try to prove myself too much. I think that would create more pressure. Over the years, I've gotten a lot more comfortable as far as my family or my background and stuff like that. I think maybe taking that pressure off helped me to earn my accomplishments and have people more recognize my name on the tennis court than not. So it's definitely a very rewarding, satisfying feeling. Especially when a lot of people I know, they know me as a tennis player and a great tennis player. I think that's always really nice to hear," Pegula explained. 

In 2023, Pegula will be aiming to win her first Grand Slam and reach the world No 1 ranking.

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has left prison after serving eight months of his sentence for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts. Former world no. 1 was jailed for two and a half years in April after being found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act. However, he left the prison on Thursday morning and will most likely be deported to Germany next week. Becker qualifies for automatic deportation as a foreign national without British citizenship and a custodial sentence of more than 12 months. Boris was initially held at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London before moving to Huntercombe Prison in May, where he stayed until today.

Becker was cleared of 20 other charges, including nine counts of hiding trophies and medals, including his first Wimbledon trophy from 1985! This spring, Becker appeared at London's Southwark Crown Court wearing a striped Wimbledon-colored purple and green tie. Becker took a £3.85m loan from private bank Arbuthnot Latham in 2013 and borrowed £1.2m with a 25% interest rate from the billionaire businessman John Caudwell. The day after his bankruptcy, Becker was said to have transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds and made nine secret payments at £350,000, over £111,000 to two of his former partners. Born in 1967, Becker became the leading tennis star in the mid-80s after winning back-to-back Wimbledon titles at 17 and 18!

Boris cracked the top-10 following a sensational Wimbledon crown in 1985, becoming the youngest winner at the All England Club. The German was among the world's best players for over eight years and one of the most formidable opponents on grass and an indoor surface. Becker's last Major title came at the 1996 Australian Open, and he closed the season with the Grand Slam Cup title in his hands. Boris retired at his beloved Wimbledon in 1999, beating Lleyton Hewitt in the third round before falling to Patrick Rafter in straight sets. Becker is a former coach of Novak Djokovic, working with the legend between 2013 and 2016 and achieving everything with the Serb.

"Any foreign national convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity," a Home Office spokesperson told BBC Sport.

Carlos Alcaraz conquered his first Masters 1000 title in Miami, becoming the third-youngest champion at that level after Michael Chang and Rafael Nadal. Not stopping there, a teenager went all the way at home in Madrid to become a multiple Masters 1000 champion at such a young age! Carlos took down Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic within two days and set the title clash against Alexander Zverev. The Spaniard preserved energy after a marathon clash against Djokovic and toppled the German 6-3, 6-1 in 62 minutes. Thus, Alcaraz became the youngest multiple Masters 1000 winner since Rafael Nadal in 2005! Zverev played the previous two matches late at night and went to bed before 4 and 5 am. A two-time Madrid Masters champion did not have much in the tank for Sunday's final, winning only four games to settle with the runner-up prize. Zverev defeated Alcaraz in straight sets twice in 2021, and the Spaniard was ready to respond in front of the partisan crowd at Caja Magica. Carried by that boost, a teenager stormed over a tired German to lift the season's fourth title! Alcaraz served at 71% and dropped six points behind the initial shot. Feeling no pressure in his games, Carlos pushed hard on the return and grabbed half of the points.

He created eight break chances, seized four to control the scoreboard and emerged at the top in no time. The Spaniard fired 12 winners and 11 unforced errors. The German plagued his chances with seven winners and 25 unforced errors, including a double fault on the match point. There were only eight rallies with over eight strokes. Carlos forged a massive advantage in the shortest and mid-range exchanges to bring the victory home in no time. Alcaraz held in the opening game from 30-15 down and created a break chance at 2-1. Zverev saved it with a service winner and stayed on the positive side with a smash winner at the net. Alcaraz grabbed the fifth game with a serve & volley combo and cracked a forehand crosscourt winner in the next one for three break chances.

Zverev netted a volley at the net on the first to lose serve and fall 4-2 behind. Carlos forced the rival's mistake in the seventh game to confirm the advantage and move closer to the opener. Alexander held at love in game eight to prolong the set and reduce the deficit. Alcaraz served for the opener in game nine and earned three set points with a service winner. A teenager seized the first with an unreturned serve for 6-3 in 31 minutes and a massive boost. Zverev held at 30 at the start of the second set before Alcaraz closed game two at 15 for 1-1. The German sprayed a forehand error in game three and faced three break points.

Carlos converted the first with a perfect drop shot winner that sent him 2-1 in front. The Spaniard grabbed the fourth game with a service winner and delivered another break in the next one following a lob winner that pushed him 4-1 in front. Alcaraz opened a 5-1 gap with a hold at love, and Zverev served to stay in the match. Carlos created three match points and wasted them to keep the opponent alive. However, Alexander hit a double fault on the fourth match point to propel Carlos over the finish line and toward history.

I’m counting down the 128 best players of the last century. Separation anxiety is starting to set in…

* * *

* * *

It’s easy to forget, but Novak Djokovic’s first tennis-playing hero was Pete Sampras. The first match Novak saw on television was the 1993 Wimbledon final, Pete’s first title at the All-England Club. Sampras overcame compatriot Jim Courier in four sets in a classic battle of offense versus defense.

After working with the six-year-old Djokovic for just three days, coach Jelena Genčić pronounced him a “golden child.” It took a bit longer to convince the boy to give up his Sampras-style one-handed backhand.

Djokovic pays tribute to Pete’s legacy just as sincerely as Roger Federer does, even if Fed’s game style and records are more closely associated with the American. Novak told Sampras’s biographer, Steve Flink:

In the moments when most players would break down, [Pete] was the guy that showed the resilience and mental strength and the laser-like focus that separated him from everyone else and made him an all-time great.

We all know which moments Djokovic is talking about. Sampras was famous for his knack for erasing break points with one pinpoint serve, not to mention his prowess in tiebreaks. Courier told Flink that Pete would come alive at 4-all, that “he could summon his greatness late in a set.”

Novak has the same ability. For me, the quintessential Djokovic experience is a tight set on a hard court, a feisty underdog–let’s say David Goffin–staying even through eight games. Then, at 4-all, the Serbian finds a new level. A backhand down the line, maybe a couple of forced errors, a serve that registers a tick faster than anything he’s struck all day… in five minutes, a dead heat at 4-4 becomes a routine 6-4 set. If the man across the net is up for a battle, the second set might go the same way. Otherwise, it’s already over.

In other words, exactly the treatment Courier remembers getting from Sampras.

When we run the numbers, though, we find that the parallels only take us so far. 4-all–or any score at the business end of a set, for that matter–is not where Novak most reliably raises his game. To become the greatest player of the most demanding era of men’s tennis history, Djokovic backs himself in games that Pete ignored.

* * *

To face Djokovic is to spend a couple of hours–awkward, self-doubting hours–on the back foot. It’s even worse than that, because for all your struggles, he’s never off-balance himself.

It starts from the first point. Heaven forbid you win the toss and choose to serve. Heh.

Novak’s equivalent of Sampras’s 4-all is, improbably enough, returning to start a set, at love-all. The Match Charting Project has logged every point of 435 Djokovic matches, from his 2005 Australian Open defeat to Marat Safin through his full title run in Turin last month. The resulting dataset allows us to determine how well he performs at each game score, relative to his showing in the match as a whole.

In the typical charted match, Djokovic won about 41% of his return points. His career mark is a bit higher, at 42%, but the data is skewed slightly toward more important clashes with tougher opponents. In 751 return games at love-all, he won 44.5% of points. That’s almost exactly the same as his season-long rate in 2011–the greatest season in decades, at least until he complicated the discussion with his 2015 campaign.

I apologize if you’ve heard me say this too many times before: That difference of three percentage points may sound small, but due to the small margins in tennis, it’s enormous. Setting aside extreme players like Reilly Opelka, the entire tour wins return points at rates within about ten percentage points of each other.

In practical terms, the set-starting boost makes it that much more likely that Djokovic’s opponent begins at a disadvantage. Grabbing 41% of return points translates into breaking serve about 29% of the time, already a fearsome figure. Upping that number to 44.5% means breaking 36% of the time. Commentators don’t talk about break percentage much, so the visceral impact of that number isn’t what it should be. Nobody breaks at 36%.

Well, except Novak in 2011. And Rafael Nadal in a couple of his best seasons. That’s what the tour has had to face in the first game against Djokovic for more than 15 years.

The Serbian’s other strongest games also come relatively early in the set, especially if he finds himself in a hole. He gets a similar three-percentage point boost when returning at 2-4. He gains about two and a half points returning at 2-3. His numbers are in the same range serving and returning at 0-3, but that’s such a rare occurence that it’s tough to draw conclusions from the limited data.

For the most part, Djokovic performs at his usual level–no higher–in the games we traditional think of as clutch, like 3-all, 4-all, and so on. He even gets a little shaky at 5-all and serving at 5-6, though the effect isn’t as dramatically negative as the love-all trend in the other direction. By that point in the set, we might be seeing the effect of opponents bringing out their own big guns.

More likely than a struggle at 5-all, though, is an end to the set before things get that far. Novak has won 76% of his sets at tour level, a figure that increased to a barely comprehensible 84% in 2015. He’s just as good as Federer in tiebreaks, but he’s played less than two-thirds as many.

The only thing better than the ability to raise your game in the clutch is to avoid high-pressure situations and win anyway.

* * *

It’s tempting to read Djokovic’s early-set performance as a sign that he’s a man in a hurry. As a junior, he had very little margin for error, and he rarely had the luxury of time.

Novak trained with Genčić–also an early guide for Monica Seles and Goran Ivanišević–throughout the NATO bombing of Belgrade in 1999. They chose courts in areas that had been recently attacked, reasoning that the enemy would choose other targets for a little while.

At 12, he went to Germany to work with former pro Niki Pilić, who typically limited his academy to students 14 and over. Even as the youngest boy in camp, Djokovic stood out as the most diligent, the most serious about his future. He recognized that his family’s fortunes depended on him. His father, Srdjan, borrowed money from loan sharks to fund his development.

Raising a tennis star is not cheap for anyone, but neither the Federers nor the Nadals ever faced financial ruin. Novak’s family gambled it all. The situation was dicey enough that Djokovic–a devoted and vocal patriot–considered taking funding from the Lawn Tennis Association and playing for Great Britain. When he reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in 2006–losing to Rafa in the first of their 59 meetings–the result was as much a relief for its six-figure prize money as it was an encouragement that his game was moving in the right direction.

Even before the 19-year-old made that breakthrough, the secret was out. A famous story has Toni Nadal watching just a few minutes of the Serbian’s play at Wimbledon in 2005 before going to find his nephew. “Rafael,” he said, “we have a problem.”

The Nadals were among the first to recognize how much of a threat Djokovic posed. Soon enough, Novak would be everyone’s problem.

* * *

The key word used to describe Djokovic’s greatness is “complete.” Aside from some early, unpredictable health issues, he has never really had a weakness. His two-handed backhand has long been the best in the game, and while none of his other weapons rank quite so high, there’s no respite for an enterprising opponent. There’s nothing to expose.

More important than the strokes are Novak’s anticipation and movement. He is able to play a bruising baseline game on a fast court without giving up ground. Highlight reels tend to emphasize his gumby-like ability to stretch for groundstrokes. More often, he’s already there.

Djokovic’s anticipation is most evident on his return of serve. There are basically two ways to be a great returner. One is to play deep, get the serve back in play, then grind out return points. That–broadly speaking–is the Nadal approach. The other strategy is to step up, swing big, and hope for the best. Call that the Andre Agassi method.

Both approaches can be described in statistical terms. The stereotypical clay-court grinder gets a lot of serves back in play, but he doesn’t win an overwhelming number of those points. Swing-and-pray guys don’t get many returns back, but when they find the range, the success rate is high.

Novak comes as close as anyone to reaping the advantages of both extremes. Again we can draw on Match Charting Project data. Djokovic puts 71% of his returns in play, better than–to name just two more conservative examples–Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev. When he gets the ball back, Novak wins 52% of points. Of the 30 guys with the most extensive charting data, that’s second only to Agassi. And Andre landed just 63% of his returns.

Here’s a graph that shows the percentage of returns put in play (horizontal axis) and win rate when the point was prolonged (vertical axis). The nearer you are to the upper right corner, the closer you’ve come to tennis nirvana.

Djokovic and Nadal are roughly equals here. Both men have won just over 42% of career return points. The Match Charting Project data gives them lower numbers (as it does for most of the players shown here) because it is less likely to include routine, lopsided matches. Novak has a healthy edge on hard courts, while Rafa leads by a few percentage points on clay. There’s no one optimal strategy. If you can figure out a third way to win 42% of your return points, by all means do it. Feel free to send me a share of your prize money.

The point is, of the most effective returners, Novak is the one who splits the difference between staying safe and swinging big. Or, more accurately, he is able to play both ways as the situation demands. He can chip back a return and grind out a long rally against Andy Murray. He can swing away at a Stan Wawrinka bomb and flat-foot the Swiss player with a winner.

Yes, Nadal can also go for broke, and Agassi had it in him to play more conservatively. But no one has ever balanced the two return tactics so successfully.

* * *

You can see which strategy Djokovic prefers when he gets a crack at a second serve. He neutralizes second-chance deliveries so effectively that he turns them into what some commentators have called his “third serve.”

The witty tag is more than just a figure of speech. He converts defense to offense in a meaningful way. In a point between average players, the server starts with an edge, and the returner works his way to even terms as he gets more balls back in play. Around the sixth stroke of the rally, the server’s advantage is erased.

When an opponent misses his first serve against Djokovic, the edge is gone, never to return. In his career on hard courts, Novak has won 56% of second-serve return points. In the thirty-plus years that the ATP has maintained these stats, only Agassi is better. Even Andre would probably give up the top spot if we added his missing numbers from 1986-90, years for which these numbers aren’t available.

Djokovic’s return is so potent that he forces servers to fight their way into their own points. When I first analyzed this subject in 2013, I limited my view to a handful of elite opponents. Against Nadal, Wawrinka, and Juan Martín del Potro, Novak got the most value from his first two shots after the serve. The other men saw their results improve the longer that return points lasted. Djokovic, by contrast, essentially reset the point with one swing of the racket, then waited to see if the man across the net could fight his way back in. The majority of the time, even these big-hitting opponents weren’t able to do so.

The underlying skills that go into such an effective, aggressive return game–eyesight, anticipation, footwork–would seem to make it a young man’s game. Yet in 2022, Novak led the tour by winning 55.8% of his second-serve return points. Almost every player lands in the same ten-percentage-point range, but he outpaced the field with a 1.4-point advantage.

* * *

The end result of a complete player with a relentless return game? Winning. Lots and lots of winning.

Djokovic, as you surely know, owns 21 major titles. He has at least two at every slam. In another era, he might have been as successful at Roland Garros as he is at Melbourne Park. While he is most dangerous on a hard court, he has been the second-best clay courter on tour for more than a decade.

Most impressive to me is Novak’s ability to take on each one of the best players in the game–regardless of surface–and consistently come out on top. You might remember early last year, when Daniil Medvedev won eleven straight matches against top-tenners. Pretty good! Djokovic did that too, in 2014-15. Except that was his seventh-longest such streak. Novak owns five of the eight longest top-ten win streaks since 1985, including one in 2015-16 that reached 17 victories.

Oh, and he’s got another one going. Since losing to Nadal at the French, he’s won eight straight against the likes of Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Casper Ruud.

It’s so much winning sometimes that fans don’t quite know what to do with him. After Djokovic secured the Australian Open in 2008, Sports Illustrated called it “Wii tennis.” Nick Bollettieri, in a 2015 column praising every aspect of Novak’s game, described him as “the most perfect tennis machine.”

The talk of machines and videogames was an obvious contrast to the “religious experience” of watching Federer or the red-streaked guts of Nadal.

With Federer and Nadal monopolizing both headlines and fan affection, spectators missed the things that would humanize the Serbian. His history made him as much of an underdog as any champion of his era. His early-career retirements, had he communicated better, could have made him a figure of sympathy instead of derision. He has always been the most plain-spoken of the Big Three and the most likely to cut loose in public.

But by the time he overcame Roger and Rafa–emphatically–in 2011, most fans had already picked a side. Djokovic snuck off with matches that Federer should have won at the US Open, striking his most significant service return of all to save a match point in 2011. In the same 12-month span, he won seven straight decisions against Nadal–all of them finals, two of them on clay. The Maestro and the Matador were supposed to be the greatest we’d ever seen. Yet as we settled in to watch the rivalry unfold, the heroes were confronted with an even stronger foe.

The problem with rooting against Novak, though, is that you risk blinding yourself to magnificence. Ignore the “machine”–if you insist on seeing him that way–and focus on the heights his game can reach. No one has ever sustained such an astounding level on a tennis court. For fifteen years, we’ve been the ones lucky enough to see it.

The post London | ITF and Rosland Capital unveil Billie Jean King Cup coin collection appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

In 2022, ITA Cup Champions from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and Junior College were represented at the 2022 ITA National Fall Championships, with two of the four earning wins in the opening round. 

Khazan is hoping to lead Barry to its sixth consecutive NCAA II Championship in May. 

Takeshi Taco of Cowley (Kan.) represented the small colleges in men’s singles. The returning ITA All-American continued to elevate his game this fall, winning the Junior College singles draw at the ITA Cup to earn his spot into the National Fall Championships. 

Facing Baylor All-American Finn Bass in the first round, Taco had his experienced opponent on the ropes early, winning the first set 6-4.  Trading blows the rest of the way, Taco had his chances but ultimately fell to the Baylor senior 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. 

Taco won National Championships for Cowley at No. 2 Singles and No. 1 doubles last season and will look to help them back to the top of the JUCO ranks this spring.

Another Division II institution from the Sunshine State Conference was represented as the women’s doubles wild card at the National Fall Championships as Fatima Bizhukova & Natalie Espinal of Nova Southeastern faced off against the nation’s best in San Diego.

Taking on Cubitt & Rabinowitz of LSU in the first round, Bizhukova and Espinal continued their fall success, rolling to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the SEC duo. No. 13 ranked, Chloe Beck and Cameron Morra, of Duke ended the impressive fall for the Nova Southeastern pair in the second round. 

Bizhukova and Espinal helped Nova Southeastern to the No. 2 team ranking last spring, and they will look to lead the Sharks back to the top of Division II women’s tennis this spring.

Aduru and Hopper seek to build on Case’s 2021-22 season when they were crowned the Division III National Team Indoor Champions and NCAA National Runners-Up.

ITA Cup Wild Card Results

Deniz Khazan (Barry)

• def. Anastasiya Komar (LSU), 6-4, 6-1
• loss [5-8] Carson Tanguilig (North Carolina), 6-3, 3-6, 0-6

Fatima Bizhukova & Natalie Espinal (Nova Southeastern)

• def. Cubitt/Rabinowitz (LSU), 6-3, 6-4
• loss Beck/Morra (Duke), 1-6, 0-6 

Takeshi Taco (Cowley)

• loss Finn Bass (Baylor), 6-4, 3-6, 3-6
• loss Nathan Han (Oklahoma), 5-7, 0-6

Vishwa Aduru & James Hopper (Case Western Reserve)

• loss [3] Alexander Jong & Lui Maxted (TCU), 3-6, 6-3, 8-10
• loss Younes Lalami & Brandon Perez (Old Dominion), 3-6, 6-4, 8-10

The post Top Stories of 2022:  ITA Cup Champions Make the Most of National Fall Championship Wild Cards appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

It is increasingly rare to see Tiger Woods playing golf in public. The legend of the sport has not competed since last July 15, when he failed to make the cut at the British Open. Since then, Tiger, about to turn 47, has stayed away from the spotlight, which little by little is pointing to his 'successor', his son Charlie. At just 13 years old, the youngest son of El Tigre has already made a few public appearances in which the expectation raised has been unprecedented.

Starting this December 15, Tiger will once again be a partner together with Charlie at the PNC Championship, an unofficial tournament in which professionals usually play with family members. It will be the third time that the Woods have participated and, in the previous two, Charlie stole the spotlight from his father, leaving a good number of unthinkable blows for someone who is not even a teenager yet.

Tiger spoke about the evolution of his son during The Match, the event held this Saturday in which, along with Rory McIlroy, he faced Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. As the golfers carried microphones, the spectators were able to listen to all the relaxed chats they had during the day. And especially interesting was Tiger's confession when he was asked if his daughter already surpassed him in distance with the driver. “I hate to say it, but I'm going to admit it, he already has. A few weeks ago I didn't hit him well, and he gave a bombshell that caught me.

At just 13 years old, Charlie Woods has all golf fans watching his evolution, and the fact is that the son of the winner of 15 majors is proving to carry the genes of the Tiger. However, his father has repeated on numerous occasions that he should not rush. He can't have a better tutor.

Eldrick Tont Woods (born December 30, 1975), better known as Tiger Woods, is an American golfer.

Considered among the best golfers of all time, as well as the best of the modern era, in his more than twenty-year career he won 110 professional tournaments, including 15 majors, making him the most successful player in history ; held the number one position in the OWG world rankings for a total of 683 weeks, 281 of which were consecutive weeks (from June 12, 2005 to October 30, 2010), and is the only golfer to have won all four majors in the modern era within a single year (between 2000 and 2001).

In 2014, he became the first sportsman in the world to surpass one billion dollars in earnings from wins and sponsorships. In 2019, US President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States of America.

For Carlos Alcaraz, the Mubadala World Tennis Championships will be the first event of the preseason, an appointment that leads him to begin his preparations for 2023. In his second "real" season on the big circuit, the Spanish phenomenon reached the top of the classification, winning, among other things, two Masters 1000 and a Grand Slam in Flushing Meadows. Speaking to "The National", he explained that metabolizing everything is not an easy task. "When I remember what happened, I still have a hard time believing it," he says. "Next season will certainly be different from the one that just ended. I won't be one of those who will have to climb the positions, I'm already in the lead, so mentally it will be something completely new for me. I will have to prepare myself to stay strong throughout the year, because I will play many tournaments as a favorite and that will put me in an awkward position. Everyone is going to want to beat me, so I'll have to be prepared," he explained with the usual incredible lucidity that a nineteen-year-old might be better off not finding. The incredible ability to make difficult things seem easy. Yes, but at what price? "No, no, no. Trust me. Honestly, doing everything he did was very complicated. It's great to have succeeded, but I've had to work hard to achieve it. I think all of this is simply the result of the extraordinary work that we have done with Juan Carlos [Ferrero] and everyone else. Presumably seeing an era like the Big 3 again will take some time. Or perhaps it will cease to exist" In any case, as the main pawn on the board, Alcaraz tried to take off his hat. "For 20 years we have always had the same three or four players who have won almost everything. Today, however, there are many players who have a chance to do it in the biggest tournaments."

During a joint interview for Arab News with Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero admitted that his player was not mentally ready to assume this world number one position at only 19 years old. According to him, it should still take some time. “After the US Open, it was difficult for him to adapt to this new role on the circuit. I talked to him about how he had to deal with everything, but I think he needed to feel it and live it, to go to a tournament and feel the pressure to be number one, to play matches in this position. It is not very easy at first, even at 19 years old. He is not very mature to control everything that is happening to him at the moment. He is at a point where he has to live it and adapt. He knows he's going to be like this at least until the Australian Open, so he has to try to be normal, but at the same time he's not normal."

Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet were the most prominent players born in 1986, battling since their junior days. Rafa and Richard turned pro at young age and showed their class and quality against the more experienced rivals on the Challenger and Futures circuits. Richard found himself in the top-200 at 16, needing more time to make the next step and crack the top-100. On the other hand, Nadal was on a steady course toward the top-50, settling there in 2003 and 2004 and carving his path toward the top in 2005. Rafa hit the top-100 in April 2003, staying there ever since and celebrating his 1000th consecutive week in that group last month! Gasquet had a chance to follow the Spaniard's pace after entering the top-100 in September 2003 at 17! However, the Frenchman struggled with injuries in the next couple of seasons, needing more time and establishing himself as a top-100 player in the spring of 2005.

This week is special for the French veteran, becoming the second active player with 900 consecutive top-100 weeks after Nadal! The 36-year-old Gasquet has been ranked outside the top-50 since April last year, unable to deliver his best tennis and consistent results. Also, he endured a couple of challenging weeks in his pursuit to remain in the top-100 and extend his impressive streak. Richard passed them and wrapped up the season behind us in the top-70 after a 26-19 score on the Tour. The veteran kicked off the season at the Australian Open and lost in the second round.

He was the quarter-finalist in Montpellier, Marrakech and Estoril before the semi-final run in Geneva. The Frenchman reached the third round at Wimbledon and scored three victories in Winston-Salem ahead of the US Open. Gasquet met his old rival Nadal in the third round in New York, never beating the Spaniard before. Rafa kept his run against Richard alive following a 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 victory in two hours and 17 minutes. Rafa beat Richard for the 18th time in as many encounters, winning the previous 34 sets against his coeval! Gasquet fought well in the third set, but it was not enough to keep him in contention after experiencing a late break that pushed Nadal through.

That result was enough for Richard to stay in the top-100. Gasquet embraced a busy indoor swing in the season's closing stages to secure a year-end top-70 spot. Richard's second ATP semi-final came in Antwerp, playing well and beating Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Stricker and David Goffin. He fell to Felix Auger-Aliassime in two tie breaks and missed a chance to advance into his first ATP final since Umag last year. Gasquet wrapped up the season at the home Masters 1000 event in Paris, beating Alex Molcan and losing to world no. 4 Casper Ruud. Richard will start the 2023 season in Adelaide before kicking off his 16th Australian Open, hoping for another solid run and another top-100 year.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Carla Suárez Navarro (@carlasuareznava)

The 19-year-old Alcaraz became the first teenager and youngest player to finish No. 1 in the 50 editions of the year-end Pepperstone ATP Rankings following a standout season that saw him capture two ATP Masters 1000 titles and his maiden Grand Slam crown at the US Open.

What an amazing year it was for @juankiferri ???? Excited to see what 2023 brings!#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/gwP5u5Pbig

— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 14, 2022

The Spaniard, who also won titles in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona, finished the year holding a 57-13 record. Under the guidance of Ferrero, Alcaraz also made the biggest jump to year-end No. 1 in history, rising from No. 32 at the end of 2021.

"This year has been an amazing year," said Ferrero, upon his selection by fellow coaches as the ATP Award winner. "Gladly, all the hard work has been rewarded with results and now with this amazing prize. I’m extremely happy to win the ATP Coach of the Year award. Thank you all of you for the support."

[NEWSLETTER BANNER]

Ferrero first set eyes on Alcaraz at the Equelite Sport Academy when the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion was just 13 years old. He witnessed the Spaniard earn his first ATP Tour point aged 14, before the pair started officially working together in 2018.

“I saw him at 13,” said Ferrero. “He came to the academy, we trained one day, he was very small, but everyone was talking about him. He had everything he has now, but in miniature. Officially, I saw him when he got his first ATP point at 14 years of age, then you could see how he competed.

“When he arrived at the academy at 15, he was a stick, he was fast but didn’t have any muscles. Even so, we saw something very special.”

_{^{Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images}}
Alcaraz’s rise to the top of men’s tennis has caught the world’s attention. However, it has not come as a surprise to Ferrero, a former World No. 1.

“It’s happening very quickly, it’s a surprise to everyone, except to me, because I train with him every day and I know what he can do,” Ferrero said following Alcaraz’s US Open triumph. “I was sure that if it wasn’t this year, it would be the next. Now we want to keep going.”

This season finished with a record-setting 184 tournaments across 38 countries. While players work hard for points, prize money, and the chance of launching their career, tournament directors, supervisors, and volunteers also put in hard yards to run the events.

ATPTour.com reviews Challenger tournaments in Finland, Bosnia, Lithuania, South Korea, and Japan, where special milestones were celebrated this year.

In July, the Tampere Open, which is the longest-running event on the Challenger Tour, became the first tournament to celebrate its 40-year anniversary.

Led by tournament director and former World No. 48 Veli Paloheimo, a native of Tampere, the tournament has become a beacon on the Challenger Tour and a summer staple in Finland.

"Of course we're proud of it," Paloheimo said. "This is the biggest tournament in Finland, so it is nice that we have this here for so long in Tampere. It is a full effort with a few hundred volunteers every year. Coming together as a community is what makes this so special for everyone."

The Challenger Tour is the springboard to success for the stars of tomorrow and the Tampere Open has seen players such as Carlos Moya, Robin Soderling, David Ferrer, Richard Gasquet and David Goffin all compete at the clay court event before rising to decorated careers.

The Srpska Open, located in Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina, celebrated their 20th year anniversary in August. With a population centre of just 138,000, Banja Luka is one of the smallest cities to host a Challenger tournament for 20 years or more. The Banja Luka Challenger is the longest-running men's professional tennis tournament in the Balkan region of southeast Europe.

Top professionals such as Felix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Schwartzman, Fabio Fognini and Janko Tipsarevic have all competed at the Challenger in Bosnia before climbing to the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The clay court event has carved its own identity on the Challenger Tour for the past two decades and has left a strong impression on players.

"I really enjoyed my time in Banja Luka," said 2021 champion Juan Manuel Cerundolo. "The tournament is very nice. The people there are very warm and welcoming and a lot of fans come to watch the tennis. To win there was very significant, it put me very close to the Top 100 and it gave me the momentum to reach the Top 100 a few weeks later. Congratulations to them for this 20th anniversary."

In the 45-year history of the ATP Challenger Tour, Lithuania had never hosted a Challenger tournament. That all changed in October, when the Challenger circuit turned its eyes to the country’s capital city, Vilnius. Lithuania became the 91st different country to welcome a Challenger tournament.

The SEB Arena, host venue of the Vilnius Challenger. Credit: SEB Arena

The Challenger 80 event is held at the largest indoor tennis complex in central Europe, the SEB Arena. The state-of-the-art facility boasts 28 indoor tennis courts and a recent expansion project included the construction of a stadium court for the debut tournament.

After nearly a decade of dreaming and brainstorming what the Vilnius Challenger would look like, tournament director Ramūnas Grušas was delighted to see it come to fruition this year.

“We started to think about having a Challenger in 2013,” Grušas said. “We made a trip to some Challengers in Europe and talked to the organisers there and finally, we are doing it. We are really happy and excited.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

“It’s really important to show people that we are here. We have high-quality facilities, I think it’s showing that we are going in a good direction. We are not looking at this tournament for a really commercial side. We are looking to have good quality.”

Following a near three-year absence due to the pandemic, the Challenger Tour returned to South Korea and Japan in the latter part of this season. A three-week swing in South Korea was capped off by the Challenger 125 event in Busan.

The final five weeks of the season featured four tournaments in Japan, including in Kobe and Yokkaichi, where home favourite Yosuke Watanuki captured back-to-back titles.

Bourbon Beans Dome, home of the Kobe Challenger. Credit: Kathryn Riley

The 2023 Challenger Tour season is set to begin 2 January with five tournaments during opening week, including events in Australia, New Caledonia, Thailand, Argentina, and Portugal.

The Norwegian — who signed off on the 2022 ATP Tour season by reaching the Nitto ATP Finals title match — will lead the Auckland field, with Turin alternate and World No. 11 Holger Rune also set to compete. Former Nitto ATP Finals competitors Cameron Norrie and John Isner will also play for the title in Auckland, with Isner bidding for his third title at the event after triumphs in 2010 and 2014.

Four Argentines are also among the direct entrants, with Top 30 players Diego Schwartzman and Francisco Cerundolo joined by Sebastian Baez and Pedro Cachin. Alexander Bublik, Jenson Brooksby, David Goffin and Fabio Fognini are among other players on the initial acceptance list.

[ATP APP]

Former Champ Rublev, Home Favourite Kyrgios In Adelaide
Andrey Rublev, winner of the inaugural Adelaide International 2 title in 2020, leads the field this year at the ATP 250. The World No. 8 reached the Turin semi-finals at the close of 2022, and will be eager to take that form to Australia in the new year.

Nick Kyrgios also qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals last season as a doubles player, and the Australian joins Rublev and Karen Khachanov among the singles direct entrants.

Four Spaniards and four Americans will also compete for the title. The Spaish contingent is led by World No. 13 Pablo Carreno Busta and World No. 21 Roberto Bautista Agut, while Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, Maxime Cressy and Brandon Nakashima will represent the United States.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

On December 4th 2022, Nick Bollettieri passed away at the age of 91. While this is an incredibly sad time for his family and friends, it’s also a great opportunity to celebrate the incredible life and legacy of Nick Bollettieri.

Nick will forever be associated with his namesake tennis academy, which he sold to IMG in 1987. Bollettieri was the first academy of its kind, rounding up the best American talent in Bradenton, Florida. The most famous pupil he ever had was Andre Agassi. I remember as a kid watching Agassi’s matches and Bollettieri was as big a celebrity as Andre in the early days. I remember wondering who the man who always stood shirtless during their practices was. He already looked famous and definitely had a style of his own. His style coupled with Andre’s style made for a pretty excellent partnership. My dream as a kid was for my parents to send me to the Bollettieri academy. It was not to be though!

Nevertheless, Nick’s work was not isolated to Agassi. He also worked with Seles, Sharapova, and Williams among others. He was also known for being an innovative coach who experimented with new techniques and tactics that have become standard practice today. For example, he was one of the first coaches to incorporate sports psychology into his coaching methods—a practice that has since been adopted by virtually every top-level tennis player. In addition to coaching some of the greatest players ever to grace a court, he was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014 for his contributions to the game.

Nick Bollettieri’s legacy will live on through all those he coached throughout his lifetime as well as all those who continue to benefit from his innovations and teachings today. IMG continues to run what is in essence the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida. I continue to dream about going there. However, this time around I dream that it will be my son and daughter attending the academy not me. We’ll miss you Nick!

Like always, don’t forget to jump on to the TennisPAL app to stay up to date on tennis news, find groups of friends to play with, and get a virtual coach to help with your tennis game.

The post A Tribute to Nick Bollettieri appeared first on TennisPAL.

Boasting the likes of world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, former US Open winner Emma Raducanu, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Ons Jabeur, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Borna Coric and Cameron Norrie, this year event is sure to be memorable tournament and a great segue into the 2023 season.

Alcaraz, who will be the odds on favourite to take home the title from December 16-18 according to bet365 bonus code ontario, will likely use this event to prep for his run at the Australian Open next month Down Under. Alcaraz received some more good news today, as his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero was named coach of the year by the ATP Tour.

Alcaraz, will be challenged by Ruud, Rublev, Coric and Norrie, but perhaps his greatest competition this week will come from Tsitsipas.

The Greek star, who will be 25 next year, recorded an ultra impressive 61 wins the circuit this season, compared with only 24 losses. Owning nine career titles, Tsitsipas has been one of the most consistent players on Tour in the last three years. Tsitsipas has yet to win a match against Alcaraz in three lifetime meetings.

The Spaniard came to stardom at last year’s US Open, after overcoming Tsitsipas in five-thrilling sets.

Other notable contenders this week will be Cincinnati winner Coric and ATP Finals semifinalist Rublev. Both players will be attempting to finish off their seasons in the strongest way possible. Coric’s year began to flourish when he defeated 22-time Major winner Rafael Nadal along the way to his first Masters 1000 title in Mason, Ohio. Recently winning the ATP Tour comeback player of the year award, Coric currently sits at No. 26 in the rankings.

Rublev will also be one to watch this week in Abu Dhabi. The 25-year-old, who possesses one of the best forehands in the world, took home four titles in 2022. Rublev is also a fan-favourite wherever he plays, due in large part to high-octane game.

Fans in Abu Dhabi will also will be treated to a great women’s match this week, when Emma Raducanu faces Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur.

Raducanu, who reached stardom last year by winning the US Open as a qualifier, has become one of the most popular players on the WTA in the last 12 months. Her opponent Jabeur is also no stranger to being one to watch on Tour, as her eclectic game and radiating smile are always a welcome sight during any Tour stop.

The post Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2022 Preview appeared first on Tennis Connected.

In this article, we go over the abundance of freebies you can find on iGaming sites. You can use it as a guide to find the best bonus deal for you and play for free!

Types of Free Promotions Players Can Receive

Players can get their hands on bonuses, typically free cash offers or free spins. The former is a sum that players can use to place bets on slots games or sports events. The latter offer is solely for online video slots. Here’s an overview of the types of bonuses you can encounter on the iGaming scene:

Welcome Bonus

This kind of promotion is specifically for those new players who have just completed their registration on any platform. Depending on the casino, this offer can only be worth as much as $50, but in some cases, it can be as high as $1,000 or even $2,000.

You can expect a welcome package that consists of multiple deposit matches too. As the name implies, these are welcome gifts and treats to thank players for choosing a specific company’s gaming platform.

Daily Bonus

Unlike the welcome bonus, which is only given to mark the start of the player’s engagement with an online platform, this perk can be offered on a daily basis. Free promotions such as these are a great way to invite players to continue to use the services of an online casino. Not every casino has a daily bonus offer, so you should search for this when deciding on an establishment.

These bonuses come with wagering requirements players need to achieve in order to be rewarded with the bonus. For the most part, players need to bet 30 times the bonus or more. If you’re signing up with a UKGC-licensed site, you can expect the WR to go as high as 35x.

Free Spins Bonus

This promotion does not incentivize players with money. Instead, they reward players with free spins that can be used in online slots. The amount offered is limited and depends on how much an operator is willing to give, and where they can be used also depends on the platform. While some only allow free spins to be used on certain slot games, other sites leave it up to the players to choose from any game in their library.

With some casinos, bonus spins can be accompanied as part of a welcome bonus or other free promotions. They can also come with a wagering requirement that must be met in order to be activated. This leads to the further development of free spins bonuses into regular free spins, free spins with no deposit needed, and free cash spins.

Loyalty Scheme Bonus

Online casinos that have a loyalty scheme or VIP membership can offer players worthwhile free promotions. The rewards differ based on the level a player has reached in the VIP program. Membership is often given to those who are long-time customers of a casino and play regularly.

Players climb up the rank by reaching the number of wagers placed or how often they deposit. The criteria required are unique to any online casino. You are usually rewarded with Loyalty Points which you can use to buy free spins and other rewards.

No Deposit Bonus

As the name implies, this is one of those free promotions that players can receive without making a deposit. These perks are more likely to be limited in monetary value compared to the welcome bonus, but nevertheless, they are a welcome sight for players.

Platforms that offer this kind of bonus usually offer only $50 or less. If you claim it, you’d need to carefully read the instructions on where this bonus can be used. We’d also advise you not just to claim any deposit-less deal you see online. First, you should ensure that the iGaming site is safe and licensed by a reputable body, such as MGA, UKGC, Curacao, or any state wagering commission.

Deposit Bonus

This promotional offer shares a similarity with the welcome bonus, but it’s not just for new players. You are asked to deposit a certain amount, and for it, you can receive free spins or free cash. If it is a deposit match bonus, the freebie you receive is proportional to the money you deposit.

Cashback Bonus

While this kind of deal won’t let you play for free per se, you can think of it as a safety net. Cashback bonuses allow you to get back a percentage of the cash amount you used to bet with, and essentially, it’s a sort of refund. However, the amount you can receive isn’t a large one. It’s usually between 5% to 20% of the money you’ve spent. Most casinos rarely go higher, but it’s not unheard of.

No Wagering Bonus

As mentioned above, a lot of promotions come with wagering requirements that need to be fulfilled in order for players to receive the prize they award. However, this bonus type does not come with such requirements.

It essentially means that anything you have earned or received from such a bonus is free for you to use on whichever game you want with no time limits. This works for both kinds of bonuses, whether free cash or free spins.

Summary

Free promotions and bonuses make online casinos as entertaining as they are. They serve as both incentives for players to join a platform, but also to continue using the site’s services. From cashback offers to Loyalty rewards, these promotions come in various forms with their own values and rules.

Operators can create unique gaming experiences just by creating bonuses and promotions only available on their platforms. Like a figurative cherry on top of an already fun time, they are permanent fixtures, and we hope to continue to see them evolve with the rest of the iGaming industry.

The post Enter the Limitless Casino Amusement Using Free Promotions for Tennis Players appeared first on Tennis Connected.

England national team manager Gareth Southgate once mentioned Andy Murray during a team meeting as in 2016 he urged his young team to take lessons from Andy Murray.

After losing his first four Grand Slam finals and suffering multiple heartbreaks on the Grand Slam level, Murray finally became a Grand Slam champion at the age of 25 after beating Novak Djokovic in the 2012 US Open final. 

When Southgate took over as England's manager in 2016, he had a very young team that was coming off a very disappointing campaign from that year's European Championship. 

Since Southgate took over as England's manager, England made the semifinal at the 2018 World Cup - finished as runner-up at the 2020 Euro and made the quarterfinal at this year's Qatar World Cup.

In late 2016, Murray defeated Djokovic in the final at the ATP Finals. 

Following that win, Murray became the world No 1 for the very first time in his life - at the age of 29. 

After that match, Southgate spoke to his team and urged his players to draw inspiration from Murray.

"You are a product of the experiences you have been through. Andy Murray had to go through semi-final defeats, final defeats. You have got to go through the big matches and get through the other side before you get belief," Southgate told his young English team in 2016, as quoted on The Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, Murray is preparing for the 2023 season. 

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, will be starting his 2023 season at the Adelaide International.

“I’ll be starting the year in Australia, which I always really enjoy. Playing at the Adelaide International for the first time is something I’m looking forward to. The crowds in Australia love their tennis and they’ve always been very supportive. I’ve been working hard in the off season and the Adelaide International will be great preparation for the Australian Open. I’m looking forward to seeing what Adelaide and 2023 brings," Murray said.

In Adelaide, Murray will be joined by Djokovic.

Starting the season ranked 16th, Novak Djokovic wasted no time while becoming the third-strongest link in men's tennis in 2007. The Serb entered the top-10 after Indian Wells, despite losing the final to Rafael Nadal. It was the other way around two weeks later in Miami, with Djokovic going all the way and claiming the first Masters 1000 title at 19. The Serb served revenge over the Spaniard in the quarter-final and scored a 6-3, 6-4 triumph in an hour and 37 minutes. Djokovic scored incredibly on his second serve, taking 15 out of 20 points and fending off four out of five break chances to keep Nadal under pressure. Unlike in Indian Wells, Rafa could not follow the rival's pace behind the initial shot. He struggled on the second serve and got broken three times from seven chances offered to his opponent. They stayed neck and neck in the shortest rallies up to four strokes.

Djokovic had the upper hand in the mid-range and more extended exchanges to dictate the pace. He hit more winners than unforced errors and left Nadal behind. After three great holds on both sides, Novak forced a mistake from Rafa in the encounter's fourth game to move 3-1 in front. The Serb gathered momentum before suffering a break at 15 in the next one when his forehand landed long to bring the Spaniard back to the positive side. Djokovic's forehand worked much better in the next game, forcing another error from Nadal to secure the second straight break and open a 4-2 gap.

Novak held at love with a service winner to cement the advantage and wrapped up the set with an incredible volley in the ninth game for 6-3. In the second set's third game, Nadal survived three break chances to stay in touch and earned a break opportunity in the next one with a volley winner. Novak dismissed it with a powerful forehand and leveled the score at 2-2 with a volley winner. Nadal netted a slice backhand in the fifth game to give serve away, and Djokovic gained a 4-2 lead with a hold at love a few minutes later. Novak passed the most challenging test while serving for the victory at 5-4. He fended off three break chances with brave hitting and sealed the deal with an ace to notch the first triumph over Nadal.

"This is the most significant victory of my career; Rafa is the best player I have ever beaten. I learned many things from our Indian Wells final. My serve was bad in that one, together with a backhand and return, and Rafa used those opportunities, as you would expect from world no. 2. I was motivated today, having nothing to lose. My results have been great in the last couple of months, and I'm in great shape; I feel confident on the court. My serve worked like a charm, and that's a positive thing for the future. Competing against world no. 2 in the Masters 1000 quarter-final is never easy; I got a bit nervous while serving for the match. I missed some shots, but I still played on a high level, not making too many errors that Rafa was waiting for. Playing against Michael Llodra and Feliciano Lopez helped me a lot, as they are both left-handed; those were helpful tests ahead of such a big encounter," Novak Djokovic said.

Matches between the Big Three are special, they paralyze the world of tennis for their meaning, for the brilliant points they will leave behind, but also for everything they will bring to history, to the record books. A record series is precisely the one that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have experienced, the latter is the one who remembers a special duel with the Spaniard due to his level of play, highlighting aspects in which it was a new triumph in the Grand Slam favorite of the. Novak Djokovic won his 15th Grand Slam title at the 2019 Australian Open and placed ahead of his idol, Pete Sampras. Novak dropped a set against Daniil Medvedev and Denis Shapovalov en route to the quarterfinals before shifting into a higher gear. Seeking his seventh Australian Open crown in as many finals, Djokovic toppled his great rival Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-3, resulting in Nadal's most brutal defeat ever! final phase of a Major! Recalling the match, Novak said he was proud of how he defeated Rafa, offering a perfect performance against a great champion like him. Nadal had not dropped a set before the title match, suffering just two breaks in six meetings and with good prospects of winning the Australian Open for the first time in ten years. As always, the only problem for the Spaniard lay in the fact that Djokovic was never an ordinary match for him, failing to beat him off the clay court after the 2013 US Open final! Starting in Beijing that year, Djokovic had posted 13 wins in 16 matches against Nadal to completely dominate him, extending the head-to-head lead to 28-25 after Melbourne.

Novak Djokovic has worn Asics' shoes for the last few years and will be wearing a new, upgraded design the coming season. "At the beginning, I said I don't want to change. When I switched from my last sponsor to Asics shoes, I felt really like I was going to a sportscar from a commercial car. I felt lighter on my feet, I felt there was more flexibility. I could change direction quicker, and I could slide. Why change when you feel good? Why change? Let's try to make an even better shoe," he said. "I've really enjoyed the process. Sometimes not, most of the time, yes. Good things take time. I am really proud of the whole process. Don't know if I can choose between stability and flexibility. You need to combine the lightness and comfort with functionality. For us, we change directions a lot and the first step is so crucial. We need a good shoe to absorb the shock of stopping and help us launch and change direction to the first step back to the middle of the court," he added.

But in recent years, basketball and tennis have still managed to collide.  

On December 4 in Washington, just a stone’s throw from the suburb where he was born, Frances Tiafoe shared a quick hug with NBA legend LeBron James, who was in town with the Lakers. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Frances Tiafoe (@bigfoe1998)

Tiafoe wanted to thank King James in person for tweeting his congratulations on Frances’ emotional win over Rafael Nadal at last summer’s US Open. 

When he saw the tweet after his match, Tiafoe couldn’t believe it.  

“Man, I was losing it in the locker room. Bro, I was going crazy,” he said. “That’s my guy. So, to see him post that, I was like, ‘Do I retweet it as soon as he sent it?’ I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to be cool and act like I didn’t see it and then retweet it three hours later.’”  

And that’s not the only episode to bring the two sports together. Tiafoe’s anecdote notwithstanding, it would be difficult to find a member of the ATP more closely linked to basketball than Nick Kyrgios. 

The Australian star loves hoops so much that he walks on and off the court in basketball shoes and is often spotted wearing a team cap and NBA jersey during warm-ups.   

Nick isn’t just a fan. He also plays.  

Last April, he proved he had some major skills at a charity basketball match in Australia.

He can do it all: shoot, dribble and block. In just 20 minutes, he racked up 16 points, 2 assists and 2 blocks. He may not have been up against the likes of Steph Curry, but there’s no denying Nick’s talent.  

For NK and Big Foe, basketball is a passion. 

And they aren’t alone. 

Would you be surprised to learn that Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Tsonga, Monfils, Zverev, Paul, Munar, Fritz and Isner all play? You’ll be amazed by this 2021 compilation by the ATP, which provides proof that the tennis aces have style and substance on the basketball court, too. 

They’re good—and not just in their chosen sport. They’re athletes, through and through. You might even say some are true sports chameleons.   

Roger Federer: How to retire rich 

When Roger Federer called it quits last September, he left tennis as the wealthiest player in history—a record that will likely stand forever.  

It’s hard to imagine even his most illustrious contemporaries catching up. While Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have surpassed him in terms of Slam crowns, Roger’s still got the most gold in the bank.  

Of course, athletes don’t make their fortune in sports but in the offices of the corporations for which they sign on as spokespersons.  

The numbers don’t lie.  

Over the past two years, Federer earned only $730,000 on the courts. Off the courts, he collected $180M. He’s been a fixture on Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, even in those two seasons he hardly played at all. From 2012 to 2022, he consistently sat at no.7 or higher. 

By comparison, Djokovic’s never made it on list, and Nadal made one appearance at no.9 in 2014.  

Roger has been the highest paid player in men’s tennis for the past 16 years, and retirement probably won’t change that any time soon. 

Considering his image, his qualities as an ambassador and his enduring visibility, he may be on his way to joining the very select club of billionaire sports stars, alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tiger Woods. 

Here’s what that roster currently looks like. 

Richest athletes  

It’s safe to assume Uniqlo, Wilson, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Lindt and Credit Suisse will remain loyal to Roger for years to come as his personal fortune rises into the ten figures. Not to mention the fact that he’ll continue to command sky-high appearance fees.  

There’s also the tremendously popular On sneaker brand in which he invested in 2019 and whose market capitalization just hit $6B.

And TEAM8 Sports & Entertainment, which he founded with his agent and friend Tony Godsick. Also invested in On and Laver Cup, the firm represents Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro and young star Coco Gauff.  

That alone should be enough to keep Roger’s accounts in the black. At least for the next few decades. 

Until he retires with Mirka to a remote Swiss canton to relish in the tinkling bells of the cows grazing on the lush green meadows outside his mountainside retreat. 

And hasn’t he been the ambassador of Switzerland Tourism since 2021? A job for life, if he wants it, since he’s often professed his love for his home country and said he has no intention of ever living elsewhere.  

Remember that Swiss tourism promo video I included in one of last year’s posts featuring Roger and a surprise guest star? Here it is again. 

Go, Leo! 

This past season, a teenager rose from No.2214 to No.509—a staggering jump of 1,705 spots in the rankings.  

The teen may deserve the title of most improved player of 2022 in my season recap, but he won’t get it, since he earned only 69 ATP points.  

Still, I’m dedicating an entire segment to him, because he’s not just any teen. More specifically, he’s not the son of just any father. 

With a name as widely recognized as Borg, you don’t have to look very far to figure out who that father is. So, just imagine how things go down when he competes in Sweden, their country. In Stockholm, their hometown.  

At 19, Leo may look like his dad, but he lacks Bjorn’s maturity and exceptional talent.

At the age of 19 years and 5 months, Bjorn was World No.4, had raised his first ATP winner’s trophy two years earlier (age 17 years and 6 months) and was months away from securing his first Slam in Paris.  

But none of that matters. Considering how challenging it can be to carry on such a legendary surname, very few kids have been able to match or surpass their famous tennis parent. I even wrote about it this fall here.   

As far as first titles go, Leo Borg won his at the M15 Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt. In the final, then ranked No.575, he defeated 18-year-old Bor Artnak of Slovenia (then No.792) in two sets (3-6, 7-5, 6-4). 

Leo ended the season with a 69–29 record (including 30–19 in U15 and 8–4 in U25), but the highlight of 2022 came on October 18, when he played in an ATP 250 tournament at the Kungliga Tennishallen. 

He’d been awarded a wildcard by organizers, who felt it was the right time to give him an opportunity to compete on the main stage.  

And attract tonnes of spectators, of course. 

Was it a blessing or a curse? There’s pressure playing at home. And there’s pressure knowing your dad—not just any dad—is sitting right behind you in the stands. 

The kid didn’t disappoint. Not his dad, not the fans, not tournament organizers. Even if he didn’t win.  

Against titleholder and World No.31 Tommy Paul of the US, Borg played inspired tennis and took the first set 7-5 in front of a roaring crowd that never saw it coming. 

Let’s face it: the No.577 was the obvious favourite to lose to a player of Paul’s calibre. But that first set proved to everyone, including Leo, that he belongs in the ATP. It was the first set he ever won on the pro tour. 

In the end, Borg fell 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. The result hardly affected his ranking but likely did a whole lot for his confidence.  

Until then, Leo had faced only one player of Tommy Paul’s calibre, and that was Tommy Paul himself. Exactly one year earlier, at the same tournament and with the same wildcard, Borg suffered a much quicker two-set defeat (6-2, 6-2) at the hands of the American, then ranked No.52.

If there’s a player ranked in the 400s to keep an eye on in 2023, it’s Borg. 

LEO Borg.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @paul6rivard 

Follow all our Canadians in action here. 

The post Rivard: When tennis and basketball share the court appeared first on Tennis Canada.

Find a hobby

Now that you don’t have to worry about setting your alarm every morning to catch the bus and go to work, you will have all the time in the world to enjoy a hobby or two. Have you ever thought about looking after your garden? How about paint? Maybe you have a passion for writing or pottery making. Think about the activities that might seem fun enough for you to try and potentially fall in love with. You don’t have to do it alone. Ask a friend to join a book club with you or sign up for a painting class.

Adopt a pet

Pets will be the best companions when you’re left alone in retirement. Even if you and your spouse are retired, the extra company will never be too much. That’s especially true when it comes to cats or dogs, which will be your loyal friend when you most need them. Having to feed the dog and walk him around the neighbourhood or thinking about what the cat could play with next adds more duties to your list, making you feel needed. When the kids are all grown up and grandkids don’t come by as often, a pet will offer the necessary companionship and fulfil the need for caring for someone else.

Consider moving into an aged care home

Have you been feeling lonely in retirement? A lack of interaction with people or the mere fact you’re living alone can feel overwhelming and make you unhappy. Living in an aged care home will be a much better option as it will offer you the ability to spend time with other retirees. You will get exceptional care, meet lovely people, and have your every day fulfilled with an abundance of elderly-friendly activities. From high-quality accommodation and lifestyle to premium dining experiences, life in an aged care home will be beyond enjoyable.

Learn to manage our finances well

Sometimes when people get older, they lose sight of money management. Not every pension will satisfy a person’s needs, and when people lack activities, they sometimes spend money on unnecessary items. So, it’s vital to learn to manage your finances, so you don’t go broke. Ask your kids or friends to help you set money aside for all your expenses, and start writing a journal of expenses each month to get a better insight into all your costs.

Stay in touch

When was the last time you saw your friends? Are there family members waiting for you to call them back and arrange a meet-up you talked about a year ago? Don’t let retirement make you lose sight of people who matter in your life. Stay in touch by messaging them at least once a week. Agree on hosting weekly get-togethers where you’ll enjoy a movie or game night whilst catching up.

Look for travel opportunities

Now that you don’t have work to worry about and holidays to save up, travelling can be more thrilling than ever before. All you need to choose is the most suitable season to travel, and you’re ready to go. If your job used to prevent you from travelling as much as you wished, retirement will offer more travelling opportunities than your job ever could. Invite a friend or a family member to come with you if you don’t like travelling alone to make the retirement years worthwhile.

Final thoughts

If retirement feels like the end of the world, we assure you it doesn’t have to feel so final. You can engage in a full spectrum of activities and visit a myriad of places to make your retirement years the best ones yet. Check out the list we offered, and if you choose just one of our suggestions, your retirement will be more exciting already.

Announcements From Our Racquet Sports Director

Hello Everyone!

Please read below regarding our 2022 December-January Holiday Schedule. Hope everyone has a great holiday.

Schedule Effective 12/16

Adult Tennis

Monday Dec 19 - All Adult Tennis Drills will start at 10:30am-12:00pm

Tuesday Dec 20 - All Adult Tennis Drills will start at 10:30am-12:00pm

No Official Programming December 21-Jan 1

Junior Tennis

December 19 - Jan 1 - No Tennis Programming. Make time will be sent out.

Pickleball

Drills - There will be no official drills Dec 16-Jan1 ( Possible Pop up drills and clinics)

Open Play - Courts will be reserved for Members Only on scheduled days.

Saturday Open Play - No Saturday Open Play on Dec 24th and Dec 31st

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.

Thanks!

Jeff Contreras 254-493-0217

Wildflower Tennis and Pickleball

The season is in the spring and the non-traditional season is in the fall for 6 weeks. We also have summer camps and other opportunities to increase earnings considerably. 

We are looking for someone who has enough experience as a player and or coaching to be able to work with college players on and off court. 

There is also an emphasis on recruiting. 

If you are interested in working at a great university in a beautiful and safe area of Southern California (45 mins N of LA and 15 miles inland from Malibu Beach) to help us get the program into the national rankings and beyond, then please contact Mike Gennette at: [email protected]

The mission of California Lutheran University is to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice. Founded in 1959 in beautiful Ventura County, the university has an enrollment of about 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students who come from across the nation and around the world from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures and faiths. As a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, Cal Lutheran is looking for candidates with a dedication to and success in working in diverse communities. The university is committed to an inclusive learning and work environment
that values individual differences and respects each person’s dignity.

Basic Function

Reporting to Head Coach, the position is responsible for performing assistant coaching duties and assisting the Head Coach in the management and administration of the sports program in adherence to the policies, rules and regulations of the University, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC)

Representative Duties

• Serves as an assistant coach for the program
• Assists in coaching during athletic events
• Coaches scheduled practice and workout sessions
• Assists in the development of practice and game plans
• Coaches team members, individually and in groups
• Demonstrates game techniques
• Performs film review, analysis, and exchange
• Performs other assistant coaching duties as assigned
• Recruits academically and athletically qualified student-athletes to meet the University’s admission standards and enrollment goals
• Ensures compliance with University, NCAA, and SCIAC obligations
• Maintains continual and thorough familiarity with all applicable University, NCAA, and SCIAC rules and regulations
• Briefs student-athletes and monitors adherence to rules and regulations
• Assists with California Lutheran University’s sports camps, including (but not limited to) coaching and coordinating
• Provides general counsel, guidance, and inspiration to students regarding their overall success
• Promotes good sportsmanship
• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge Of

• University, NCAA and SCIAC rules and regulations
• Coaching theory and techniques; technical and tactical coaching of a position area
• Effective promotion of good sportsmanship, academic excellence, positive attitudes and character
• The care and prevention of athletic injuries, basic sports injury first aid and emergency procedures
• Principles of sports leadership and training
• Film analysis techniques; video editing techniques for HUDL film exchange

Ability To

• Scout and recruit quality student-athletes.
• Serve as a positive role model for student-athletes.
• Maintain knowledge of and ensure compliance with University, NCAA, and SCIAC rules and regulations.
• Objectively evaluate physical skills in physical potential and mental capability for intercollegiate athletics.
• Effectively teach fundamentals, skills, regulations, position details, and sport strategies during preparation and practice sessions.
• Provide effective leadership to student-athletes to encourage both successful academic development and competitive performance.
• Work within a team-oriented philosophy.
• Lift moderately heavy equipment and materials.
• Provide a safe environment for students, athletes, visitors, and other constituents.
• Analyze situations and adopt an effective course of action.
• Work independently, prioritize, schedule, and complete work.
• Communicate effectively, in oral and written forms.
• Maintain confidentiality of records and information.
• Maintain positive relationships with students, parents, guardians, colleagues, administrators, booster groups, foundations, and community organizations.
• Maintain files accurately, on paper, and in software programs.
• Handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Operate a personal computer and associated software
• Coordinate and work summer camps.
• Operate a vehicle to travel and conduct work.
• Work flexible hours with frequent evenings and weekends.
• Travel locally or nationally.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination equivalent to: bachelor’s degree in exercise science, kinesiology, sports management, or related field and one year of coaching at the collegiate level.

Preferred Qualifications

• Division III coaching experience in the sport of preferably with a working knowledge of NCAA rules compliance.
• A proven ability to recruit and retain quality student-athletes.
• Commitment to the values, standards and expectations of NCAA Division III athletics and a liberal arts university.
• Licenses and other requirements
• Valid California driver’s license.
• Ability to obtain a Class B endorsed CDL License, insurance coverage (if driving own vehicle) or be insurable.
• Possession of or ability to obtain CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), AED (automated external defibrillator) and First Aid certifications within 90 days of employment.

Physical Abilities

• Ability to communicate (verbally and in writing) and hear to exchange information
• Ability to walk, run, jump, stretch, stand, sit, bend, twist, use hands for fine manipulation, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl
• Lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
• Climb stairs, ropes or ladders
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus and peripheral vision
• Ability to demonstrate proper techniques and skills needed for athletic participation
• Ability to operate a vehicle to travel to various sites to conduct work
• Ability to maintain level of physical fitness to meet departmental standards

Environment

• Working environment includes both indoors and outdoors
• Exposure to various weather conditions, including temperature extremes
• Indoor work environment may not be air conditioned during hot weather
• Subject to vehicle operation to conduct work
• Travel is required
• Frequent weekend and evening hours is required

Statement

California Lutheran University is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment for all persons, regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable law. No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program, activity or facility of the University on the basis of these factors in a manner consistent with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, ordinances, orders and rules, and University’s policies, procedures, and processes. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process can be provided to individuals with qualifying disabilities. Please contact the Human Resources Department for further information or to request an accommodation.

The post California Lutheran University – Women’s Tennis Assistant Tennis Coach appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

Rafael Nadal is the undisputed king of clay, a player who has won more than anyone on the surface, showing the 14 trophies he has so far added to his collection at Roland Garros. The left-handed man from Manacor conquered the Parisian clay from the moment his eyes fell on the Musketeers' cup, with few, very few, who could give him battle in his kingdom. The Iberian had different rivals, and although Federer lived the best stage of his professional career, he could not defeat his great rival of the time on the slow surface. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal met in the latter stages of Roland Garros between 2005 and 2008. Rafa defeated Roger in the 2005 semi-final and went on to go on to three straight final victories in the years that followed to keep the Swiss away from a Grand Slam on the calendar. Nadal failed to win his fifth Roland Garros title in 2009, leaving the door open for the Basel native to chase a crown that had so far eluded him. Rafa fell to Robin Soderling in the fourth round, and Roger met the Swede in the title clash. Federer took advantage of his opportunity and claimed a 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 victory in one hour and 55 minutes to secure a calendar Grand Slam at 27 years old. Speaking of the final, Nadal admitted that he did not want Roger to win it and get further away from him in the race for a Major. However, the Spaniard was emotional after the match, happy for Roger and his incredible achievement. Federer hit 16 aces, and his first serve worked like a charm. He allowed her free points or a good position for a backcourt attack, leaving Robin unanswered. Soderling broke serve four times and was unable to spoil Roger's party despite a valiant effort in sets two and three. The Swiss only lost 17 points on serve, avoiding both break points and increasing the pressure on the other side of the net. Federer had twice as many winners as his opponent, dominating close and mid-range exchanges to clinch the win and join the tennis immortals. Roger clinched the opening set in the blink of an eye, barely dropping a point on serve and scoring breaks in games one, three and seven to make it 6-1.

During his interview on the set of the Daily Show in the United States, Roger Federer wanted to convey a message that refers to the debate on the GOAT (the greatest player of all time). “We live in a very statistics-based world. We like our stats, and we like breaking records, knowing who's the greatest, and all those things. So you just won a Grand Slam, or you just became world number 1 and the first question is 'how long do you want to stay world number 1'? Or 'When are you going to win the next Grand Slam? Or ‘What’s your next win?’ Instead of enjoying it. It's a bit of a problem, I think."

Swiss ski star Marco Odermatt reveals Roger Federer has always been a great source of inspiration to him. 

Odermatt, 25, is one of the best skiers in the world, having won the gold medal for Switzerland at the Beijing Winter Olympics. 

Federer, a former 20-time Grand Slam champion, recently put an end to his astonishing tennis career.

Odermatt, who is now one of the most popular Swiss athletes, described Federer as a perfect ambassador for sports and a great role model.

Now, Odermatt is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Federer and promote Switzerland in a positive way on the international stage.

“Nobody can ever fit into the big tracks he left, but I will try my best. On the worldwide scene, skiing has never been on the same stage [as tennis], but in Switzerland, I guess, the interest is nearly the same as tennis, maybe even more. It's really nice to have been in contact with him. I got to meet him twice this year, on a few shooting days as well as at the Laver Cup for a minute or two. He's just a nice guy and I already learnt a lot and I still can learn a lot from him. I think in the past it was just like having the fun he has for his sport and [sharing] the emotions and the spirit he brought back home [watching] on the couch. He was a big motivation. And now, since I'm on a high level as well, I think it's just how he handled everything with all the guys who want something from him. And it's definitely not easy. I still don't feel like I'm doing it as easily as he did it for many, many years. But I will try my best to be humble as well like he was. And yeah, he's still a big inspiration," Odermatt told the Olympics website.

Over the course of his entire career, Federer was one of the most respected athletes in the world. 

After Federer announced his plans to retire, tributes from all over the world came the Swiss' way. 

PGA Tour wants to become the dominant force against LIV Golf, and Tiger Woods is not backing down. It is well known that there is a lot of financial power behind the opposing tour. However, they have also decided to change some things on the PGA Tour as well. It might take a long time for us to get to the end of this story. The new goal of PGA Tour leaders is to assist young players and to increase the prize pool as much as possible. As a result, this approach will guarantee the retention of a large number of players, and at the same time arouse the interest of the younger players. Tiger Woods is one of the main ones in the fight against LIV Golf, and his goal is to help young players.

“But what we can do,” Woods said, “is talk about better opportunities for younger players getting onto the tour, what it means to play the tour, how important it is, how important it is to have a legacy, be able to win major championships.”- he said, as quoted by golfdigest.com

At the meeting of the PGA Tour players, many issues were discussed that would affect the progress of this tour.

Tiger Woods continued: “There was a lot of talk of that and ways in which we can increase purses, reward players that are more visible than others that drive the tour, reward them, and also give better access to the tour at different ages and in different ways than we ever have in the past. It was a long meeting. A lot of different options were [discussed]. Then we've had many subsequent meetings, FaceTime meetings, trying to figure it out and make it better and also worked with the tour to try and make it better as well.”

It is likely that this war between the two tours will last for a very long time. In Tiger Woods' case, he picked a side that provided him with a lot of opportunities. Although he had a big offer from LIV Golf, he didn't hesitate to stay loyal and decided that it was the best decision for him.

The post Djokovic Has The Momentum To Shine In Melbourne appeared first on Love Tennis Blog.

“I’m super happy to win the ATP Comeback Player of the Year award,” said Coric. “Obviously it does mean a lot to me after a very, very hard season, and after my shoulder surgery. So all I can say is thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. It does mean a lot to me and obviously I hope that my next season is going to be even better.”

Since undergoing surgery in May 2021, Coric has had to spend between 30 and 90 minutes a day working on his right shoulder to maintain it. Considerable off-court commitment is necessary for the Croatian to even make it onto court, let alone to start winning matches on the ATP Tour.

That hasn’t stopped the 26-year-old from surging back up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this year. Having dropped as low as No. 278 in May, Coric ended the season at No. 26.

After making his comeback at Indian Wells in March, Coric was understandably rusty. Yet an ATP Challenger Tour title won in Italy in June was a sign that he was starting to find his feet again, and the former World No. 12 then charged back into the ATP Tour winners’ circle in style at the Western & Southern Open in August.

[NEWSLETTER BANNER]

“I have no words, to be honest,” said Coric after taking out five Top 20 players in a row, including Rafael Nadal, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas, to claim a stunning maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. “It's just an unbelievable feeling… I thought I could play well. I was training hard, and I knew I could play good tennis, but that I could play this level tennis, I was just not aware. I'm just super happy.”

Coric was nominated in the Comeback category alongside three other players who have overcome injury to re-establish themselves as a major force on Tour — Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka and Wu Yibing.

From huge serving and defiant defence to rapid reactions and razor-sharp volleying, the ATP Tour’s doubles action offers non-stop intensity and excitement to fans around the world.

Despite playing a format where each point, game, set and match can be decided by the finest of margins, some pairs have found a way to consistently rise above the rest in 2022. Today, ATPTour.com looks at some of those best-performing teams from an action-packed season on the doubles circuit.

[ATP APP]

Koolhof/Skupski Shine In First Year Together
Seven tour-level titles, a 56-19 match record, and the year-end No. 1 doubles crown. As first seasons playing together go, Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski could hardly have asked for more.

“We win together, lose together, share moments on and off court together… In January the click was there from the beginning,” said Koolhof after the pair were crowned ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by Pepperstone at the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Their achievements in a whirlwind first year as a team included three ATP Masters 1000 titles, won in Madrid, Montreal and Paris.

Even changes in surface or conditions did little to slow the Koolhof/Skupski winning machine. Their overall tally of seven tour-level titles included triumphs on outdoor hard courts, clay, grass and indoor hard. They also performed strongly at the majors, reaching the quarter-finals at three of the four Grand Slams, including a championship match run at the US Open.

Those stellar performances as a team propelled both Koolhof and Skupski to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. Dutchman Koolhof hit top spot on 7 November following the duo’s Rolex Paris Masters triumph, before Great Britain’s Skupski joined the Dutchman as joint World No. 1 a week later.

Ram/Salisbury Built For The Big Stage
Few teams more consistently brought their best to big occasions in 2022 than Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

The American-British pair lifted its second and third ATP Masters 1000 titles with high-class displays at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (Ram and Salisbury’s first tour-level title together on clay) and at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. They backed up those successes by becoming just the second team to successfully defend the men’s doubles title at the US Open, after legendary ATP Tour duo Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.

“Those [Masters 1000s and Grand Slams] are the ones we want to win, the big ones,” Salisbury told ATPTour.com prior to November’s Nitto ATP Finals. “Even if it’s only a couple a year, those are the ones we are going for. I think it’s good we perform our best at those bigger tournaments."

The pair successfully continued that trend with its fourth and final tour-level of the year in Turin, where it went undefeated to claim its maiden Nitto ATP Finals crown in style and finish a standout year on Tour with a 37-14 record.

Just like Koolhof and Skupski, both Ram and Salisbury rose to become No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time in 2022. Salisbury held the position from April until the beginning of October, when his partner Ram took over top spot until Koolhof’s ascent five weeks later.

‘Special Ks’ Light Up Doubles Circuit
“We definitely don’t practise doubles at all,” said Nick Kyrgios prior to making his Nitto ATP Finals debut alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis in November. “We don’t do any doubles drills or anything like that. Maybe it can be an advantage, maybe a disadvantage at times, because we only do our own thing.”

One of the most uniquely gifted pairs to grace the doubles court in 2022, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios began their season in style by charging to victory at their home Grand Slam, the Australian Open. A semi-final run in Miami and a second tour-level title as a team in Atlanta followed as the pair racked up a 20-7 record across the eight tournaments it played.

Yet those results only tell half the tale of Kokkinakis and Kyrgios’ time on the doubles court. The pair revelled in putting on a show for fans, who were engrossed by its exciting blend of big-serving, outrageous shotmaking, and joyous celebrating. The bigger and louder the atmosphere, the more energised the duo seemed to become.

Despite playing relatively few tournaments across the season, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios qualified for their Nitto ATP Finals debut in Turin as one of the eight best-performing teams on Tour. Kokkinakis believes it was a reward for simply sticking to their natural game.

“I think we bring our singles strengths onto the doubles court,” he said in Italy. “If we try and be doubles players instead of playing our [natural] game, it’s not going to come out too good for us... I think we are going to continue to play singles on a doubles court.”

History-Making Arevalo/Rojer's Big Impact
An 11-match winning streak sparked first-year pairing Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer’s 2022 season into life. The duo lifted back-to-back ATP Tour titles in Dallas and Delray Beach in February before a championship match run in Acapulco to announce its arrival as one of the most complete teams on the circuit.

That early-season form laid the foundation for a stellar year for the Salvadoran-Dutch pair, which went on to clinch its maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and a fourth tour-level title of the year on the indoor hard courts of Stockholm in October.

Their biggest title triumph of the year almost never happened. Arevalo and Rojer saved three championship points against Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in the Roland Garros final before completing a 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3 win that etched both their names in the history books — Arevalo as the first Grand Slam men’s doubles champion from Central America, and Rojer as the oldest Grand Slam men’s doubles champion in the Open Era.

“I really want to thank my partner," the then-40-year-old Rojer said after the dramatic victory in Paris. "We spent a lot of time living and training in Miami and we decided to play together. I know this kid has a big heart. He showed it today and I thank him. I am glad he trusts me, and I am so happy and proud of this moment here.”

Mektic/Pavic Masterclass Continues
Having a successful debut season together is one thing. Backing it up is another.

Yet Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic had no problems doing just that this year. The 2021 year-end No. 1 pair in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Teams Rankings added five ATP Tour titles to their tally with some typically classy performances across a range of surfaces.

Clay-court crowns in Rome (their fourth together at ATP Masters 1000 level) and Geneva were followed by victories on grass at The Queen’s Club and Eastbourne during a red-hot run that saw the Croatians win 24 of 26 matches across six tournaments in May and June. That included a run to the final at Wimbledon, where they fell just one win short of completing an incredible defence of their 2021 Wimbledon title despite Pavic playing with a fractured wrist from the first set of their semi-final.

"We gave our best and we gave it a fight,” said Pavic after Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell prevailed 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-2) in a marathon championship match at SW19. “I think we can be very proud of ourselves for those two matches."

There was to be no stopping Mektic and Pavic in October at the Astana Open, however, where they lifted their fifth and final title of the season at the indoor ATP 500 event. The pair then rounded out an impressive 51-21 season with a run to the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, their 21st tour-level final appearance in just two seasons together.

Read more from our Best Of 2022 series

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

On Behalf of the Munster Branch, we wish to inform all members that the 2023 Munster Open has been rescheduled to start on Friday 27^th until Sunday 29^th of January 2023 (originally scheduled for 13^th to 15^th of January 2023). The event will take place in Saile Sports & Community Centre, Cappagh, Kinsale Co Cork (Eircode: P17 WD21). The entry form and schedule will be released shortly and we advise to keep an eye on TTI social media and website for further updates on the event

The post Munster Open – Rescheduled appeared first on Table Tennis Ireland.

Now is the time to book YOUR place in the crowd for England’s crucial European Championships double-header in January!

England’s men, led by Commonwealth Games gold medallists Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall, will battle Serbia and France on two amazing evenings of top-class international sport in Crawley on Thursday January 26 and Friday January 27.

The K2 venue will be transformed into a sporting arena of almost 600 seats, each with a superb view of the high-octane action and packed with fans creating a rocking atmosphere to spur England on to victory in the ETTU European Team Championships matches.

It won’t be easy as Serbia and France have some of the best players in Europe at their disposal – but so do England!

Liam and Paul will be joined in the squad for these qualifying ties by Sam Walker, Tom Jarvis and David McBeath, putting them at full strength for what will be two spellbinding nights of family entertainment.

All that’s missing is you – but you can book your place right now by visiting our ticketing page!

Tickets are on sale exclusively to Table Tennis England members from today – you have until 23.59 on Sunday to take advantage of this exclusive window, using a password which we have emailed to our members. Tickets go on general sale from Monday morning.

Tickets are superb value, at just £12.50 for adults and £8 for children – and you can make great savings on family tickets or if you double up by buying tickets for both days. Click the button below for full details and to book your tickets.

England got their qualifying campaign off to the perfect start with victory away to Serbia earlier this month, and Liam’s certainly hoping that a passionate home crowd can make all the difference to the England team.

He said: “I’m sure there’ll be a good crowd and a there’ll be a buzz around it – I’m looking forward to it.

“A crowd helps a lot, especially when you’re playing team matches. It can give us a few extra points and can turn matches around for us, and I enjoy playing in that environment.”

The post Get your tickets for huge England double-header! appeared first on Table Tennis England.

Two-time Paralympian Ashley Facey, who left British Para Table Tennis after the Tokyo Paralympic Games to pursue a new career in cycling, has returned to the sport he fell in love with as an 11-year-old boy growing up in East London.

The 27-year-old first joined the BPTT Performance Squad in 2009, going on to represent his country in World and European Championships and in the Rio and Tokyo Paralympic Games.

He made the decision to swap his table tennis bat for a bicycle after discovering a passion for cycling during lockdown in 2020 when he decided to remain in Sheffield to focus on his fitness rather than return to his London home after training was suspended due to the pandemic.

“I’ve missed Para table tennis and wanted to come back,” said Facey, who reached a career high of world No 8 in men’s class 9 in 2018. “Transferring to cycling has made me realise how much I still love the sport of table tennis and I miss competing and training as a table tennis player.

“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and being away from table tennis has certainly done that for me. I still love cycling but as a hobby not a sport to compete in as an elite athlete.

“I feel that in this world we are not allowed to make mistakes or challenge ourselves but I did and I knew it wasn’t for me. I’m so happy and feel very blessed to be a part of BPTT again.”

BPTT Performance Director Gorazd Vecko said: “We are delighted that Ashley has made the decision to come back to table tennis. He has always been a very talented athlete and part of our BPTT family so it will be great to have him back in our squad.

“After Tokyo, he felt that he needed a new challenge but taking time away from table tennis has reinforced his commitment to the sport. I know that he is going to work harder than ever to get the best possible results and I am looking forward to seeing what he will achieve in the future.”

The post Paralympian Ash returns to table tennis fold appeared first on Table Tennis England.

Watch the England Team, LIVE

One frequent comment I received from members and fans when consulting on Table Tennis United, was how much you loved watching the England team play in this country but were frustrated by the lack of opportunities.

As we continue to listen, we are delighted to confirm you will be able to get behind the team when we play two back-to-back matches as part of the qualification for the European Team Championships 2023:

• England vs. Serbia, Thursday 26 January 2023
• England vs. France, Friday 27 January 2023

The matches will take place at the K2 Centre, Crawley, West Sussex, starting at 7pm. Full details and ticket information can be found here.

We are continuing to explore bringing more live top class table tennis to our members and fans and really hope you will support these events and join us next month for what I am sure will be two fantastic matches.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Restructuring People and Departments (now referred to as Teams)

Table Tennis England does some great work with many capable people who are passionate about what they do.

In recent months, a key part of my considerations in designing Table Tennis United, has been the alignment of our staffing structure and the skills and experiences needed to deliver the pledges contained within our new strategy.

Table Tennis England requires a structure that is flexible and has the capacity and capability to deliver its strategic objectives. The reorganisation therefore that I feel best supports our ambitions has seen some roles and people retained, some people retained but offered new roles and some roles made redundant resulting in us unfortunately losing members of our team.

At a high level, I wanted to share the restructure of the teams – this is as follows:

Performance Development Team (was Talent & Performance)

• Performance becomes one integrated team across GB including England, enabling greater efficiency of resources
• Table Tennis England will place great emphasis on identifying and developing pathway players and coaches including an investment into establishing seven Pathway Development Centres (PDCs) – the Pathway must have the ability to seamlessly integrate into the Performance programme

• Coach Education will become Coach Development and move into the Performance Development team with a heavy focus on developing coaches, as opposed to simply qualifying them, in order to build the coach pipeline

Table Tennis Development Team (was Development)

• Nationally led, locally delivered – ‘Meet people where they are at’ as opposed to ‘build it and they will come’ – this approach to the way we engage and support the table tennis community, and develop the partnerships needed to grow table tennis, is a fundamental principle of Table Tennis United
• We will establish seven areas with local ‘account management’ across participation, coach development, competition and pathway development

• The Area network will each have an Area Manager, an investment budget allocated, and a local delivery plan developed alongside the creation of Area Committee’s
• The Competition and Events Team will move from sitting within the Performance Team and be incorporated into the new Table Tennis Development Team

Engagement Team (was Business Development)

• This Team will focus on data, insight and technology in order that our products, communications, services and systems are best placed to reach and engage new and existing audiences
• Membership will move into the Engagement Team where it will focus on the customer and data led with defined value propositions

Governance Team (was Governance & Operations Team)

• The first ‘G’ in ‘Governing Body’ is an important part of what we do and why we are entrusted with public funds
• With governance and integrity under greater scrutiny, we will strengthen our Governance role including further modernisation and reforms and implementing structural change including reviewing the roles of our Advisory / Standing Committees, and strengthening their respective membership
• Will strengthen on all safeguarding and disciplinary matters alongside the responsibilities we have to wider integrity issues such as anti-doping

People Team (a new Team)

• We will create a new Team focused on the development of the people who lead and deliver table tennis and establish a clear plan of action
• We have also moved our work in tackling inequalities into the new Team – equality, diversity and inclusion must be an organisation commitment

CEO Team

• In addition to the leadership and strategic oversight, the CEO Team will take the lead for constructing and developing a commercial programme
• It will also oversee the development of a Major Event Strategy (World events, WTT, Internationals)

Finance & IT Team

• There are no changes to the current responsibilities of this Team

A new organisation structure can be found here which also introduces you to members of the team.

Thank You

I’d like to conclude by thanking you all for the wonderful welcome you have given me since I joined Table Tennis England earlier this year and this update provides the opportunity for me to also wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Best wishes,
Adrian

The post Chief Executive’s Update: December 2022 appeared first on Table Tennis England.

The USTA League Regulations points to a “Questions and Answers” document about the NTRP Appeal Procedures. Embedded in that resource are implicit tales of rejected medical appeals of yore. We spent the past couple of Wednesdays breaking down the USTA procedures that have galvanized me with the idea that very few medical appeals are officially requested and that even fewer are granted.

For example, an Attending Physician’s Statement (APS) is required for a medical appeal to even be considered. There is a lengthy section in the “Questions and Answers” document that provides specific things that will not be reviewed even if included on the APS.

A statement from the attending physician stating what specific NTRP level the player should play. It is the responsibility of the committee to determine the skill level where (sic) the player should play.

NTRP Medical Appeal Procedures – Questions and Answers 8.a

Essentially, the attending physician is neither qualified nor authorized to determine the appropriate NTRP level associated with a medical appeal. Even if the doctor is an experienced player with NTRP insight, that opinion carries no weight. However, I take minor exception that only the committee can determine the appropriate skill level. How can they do that without direct observation of the player’s skills?

The APS also excludes statements expressing the player’s desires, as that is not medical information. Nor can the physician make speculative statements that do not constitute current medical status. The Questions and Answers document provides a few example statements along those lines that will not be considered by the medical appeals committee.

A pretty common complaint associated with medical appeals is a request that was denied following joint replacement or surgery. That scenario is explicitly covered in the Questions and Answers document.

Most individuals actually play better after knee, hip and shoulder surgery due to decrease in pain and possible increase in mobility from their pre-operative status.

NTRP Medical Appeal Procedures – Questions and Answers, Section 9 Excerpt

The concerns that I usually hear regarding orthopedic surgery are frequently framed-out against other perceived “frivolous” medical appeals that were granted. The following statement seems to dispel rumors of medical appeals that were granted on the basis of conditioning-related concerns.

If medically released to play tennis, potential pain, shortness of breath and risk of injury should not be factors in determining NTRP skill level, as these could occur no matter what NTRP level playing.

NTRP Medical Appeal Procedures – Questions and Answers, Section 9 Excerpt

I am done looking at medical appeals for a while. Quite simply, it isn’t a medical appeal if not reviewed and approved by a committee at the USTA National level. Even if a dubious appeal reaches that point, it will certainly not be approved.

There is an unfortunate side effect of discovering that only a minor fraction of appeals are likely in the medical category. There appears to be an excess of granted appeals beyond automatic appeals and medical appeals.

I don’t think I want to look under that rock.

1. USTA League Regulations, 2022, downloaded October 29, 2022.
2. NTRP Medical Appeal Procedures – Questions and Answers, Undated USTA Artifact, downloaded October 29, 2022.

The post Implicit Tales of Medical Appeals appeared first on Fiend At Court.

The best predictor in our 2022 contest is Omar Hamsho Llarena!

Congratulations, Omar! You will receive Maria Sharapova’s autobiography as a prize. Six of your picks indeed finished the year in the Top 10, although not in those exact positions that you predicted. You didn’t include Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia, Veronika Kudermetova and Daria Kasatkina, instead of whom your picks were Ashleigh Barty (now retired), Garbine Muguruza (currently ranked No.56), Naomi Osaka (No.41) and Anett Kontaveit (No.17). Still, your picking six Top 10 players this year was very difficult, harder than picking eight of ten in a normal year.

Year-end Top 10 WTA rankings for 2022

1. Iga Swiatek
2. Ons Jabeur
3. Jessica Pegula
4. Carolina Garcia
5. Aryna Sabalenka
6. Maria Sakkari
7. Coco Gauff
8. Daria Kasatkina
9. Veronika Kudermetova
10. Simona Halep

Only one contestant, winner Omar, chose six of the Top 10 players for 2022

Unless your name is Iga Swiatek, it was difficult to be a winner this year. Iga, of course, had over twice as many ranking points as any other player and finished as the runaway number one player for 2022. No contestant chose her as number one, but our winner and Karla picked her second. No one chose Veronika Kudermetova, Caroline Garcia and Daria Kasatkina anywhere in their Top 10. Only Karla and Michaela chose Jessica Pegula to finish in the Top 10.

Why was 2022 so difficult for us to choose the Top 10 players? The surprise retirement announcement by Ashleigh Barty after our contest deadline meant no one could score a perfect 10. Every contestant had Barty in their Top 10. Who knew Elina Svitolina would stop playing because she would have a baby?

A word about doubles players

Finally, I like to promote doubles players who are sometimes forgotten. They are a key asset for the WTA who wants single players to play doubles too. Three of our Top 10 singles players are also Top 10 doubles players – Veronika Kudermetova, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. Three of my friends who are real double players finished near the top of the doubles rankings. Gabriela Dabrowski finished, as usual, in the Top 10. Lyudmyla Kichenok was a Top 10 player for the first time. Anna Danilina finished eleventh, her best ranking ever. Most tennis fans play doubles rather than singles and can relate to hard-fought doubles matches played on packed outside courts.

Let’s all hope for peace and a wonderful tennis year for 2023.

Rafael Nadal entered his third tournament of the season at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco in February. The Spaniard saught his third title in 2022 after previously conquering Melbourne and the Australian Open. Feeling well, Nadal traveled to Mexico and set his eyes on the fourth Acapulco crown. A 21-time Major winner trained with Stefan Kozlov ahead of the tournament, but they could not finish their session. The American got a call from the organizers to prepare for the main draw, entering the action as a lucky loser. Kozlov made a slow start to the season before reaching the Delray Beach quarter-final ahead of Acapulco. Kozlov faced Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round and survived cramps and drama in a 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 triumph in three hours and 21 minutes!

The American scored two points more than the Bulgarian, and there was nothing to separate them after four breaks on each side. The opening set lasted an hour and 20 minutes, and Kozlov claimed it 10-8 in the tie break after fending off two set points. The younger player led 3-1 in the second set before Dimitrov climbed back to level the score at 3-3. Stefan broke again in game eight to move 5-3 ahead and serve for the victory. However, he lost four straight games and handed the set to Grigor. Experiencing massive cramps, Kozlov kept fighting and survived a marathon in the deciding set's first game. Barely moving, the players were engaged in a tight battle before Stefan scored a break to open a 4-2 lead. Kozlov stayed focused in games seven and nine, serving well and moving over the top with a hold at 5-3 to advance into the second round and set Rafael Nadal clash.

It was the first clash between Nadal and Kozlov, and the favorite grabbed a commanding 6-0, 6-3 triumph in an hour and 16 minutes. Stefan did not have much left in the tank after enduring that marathon against Dimitrov. He experienced a bagel in the opener and played better in the second. Rafa lost ten points in eight service games to keep the pressure on the other side. The Spaniard suffered one break from the only chance offered to the opponent and turned over half of the return points into five breaks from six opportunities. Rafa had 29 winners and 18 unforced errors, with over ten direct points coming from his smash, which worked like a charm. Stefan fought well in the second set, but Rafa did enough with a couple of breaks on his tally.

Carla Suarez Navarro and her partner Olga Garcia are expecting a baby! The former Spanish player has once again thrilled all tennis fans. Carla has in fact announced that she (or her partner) is three months pregnant and that, together with Olga, will embark on her motherhood journey with great enthusiasm.

So, Carla Suarez Navarro announces the pregnancy by writing: "Fantastic news!" The Spanish used her social profiles to update her fans and make this fantastic news public. She wrote on her Instagram account: "We wanted to announce that I am three months pregnant. It is twelve weeks of tremendous joy to bring new life into the world.

Both I and Olga García, my partner, feel a huge responsibility, it's a great pride to have taken this step and I was excited to share it with all of you. This Tuesday we went for the first trimester ultrasound, to check that the pregnancy is progressing in the right direction."

She added: "Fortunately, the medical team confirmed that the gestation process is developing completely normally. This is fantastic news for us and fills us with hope for the foreseeable future. What matters most to us right now, as to all people going through this moment, is that the pregnancy proceeds without complications and that the baby is in perfect condition."

Suarez Navarro has won the biggest battle of his life against cancer. In September 2021, the former world number 6 was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After months of treatment, the former Spanish player defeated the disease and greeted all her fans on the tennis court.

Suarez Navarro played her last official tournament at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals with Spain. The Spanish team, during that edition, failed to overcome Group C made up of the United States and Slovakia. 

        Visualizza questo post su Instagram                      

Un post condiviso da Carla Suárez Navarro (@carlasuareznava)

Roger Federer has been one of the longest-lived athletes of the modern era, so much so that he has also become a source of inspiration for champions of other disciplines. The Swiss's career came to an end this year at the Laver Cup, the exhibition he founded in 2017, after playing his last game alongside his eternal rival, Rafael Nadal. The former world number 1 decided to hang up his racket at the age of 41, after realizing that he could not continue competing at the highest level due to the state of his knee. The 20-time Grand Slam champion had made a timid comeback last year, with nine wins and four losses. The "genius from Basel" had not made it past the round of 16 at Roland Garros and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before undergoing a new operation on his right knee. The Helvetian assured that he will not move away from the sport that made him a world icon. One of his most renowned coaches was the American Paul Annacone, who also worked with another historical figure such as Pete Sampras, an association that brought great results. Annacone precisely gave an interview on the Tennis Channel microphones, where he told some anecdotes about his association with Federer. "People were convinced that everything was easy for Roger Federer and that he didn't need to work hard. His elegance fooled a lot of people," Annacone confided. "I can assure you that his training sessions with Pierre Paganini and Severin Luthi were very intense both in the gym and on the pitch. Another aspect of Roger that intrigued me a lot was his curiosity. He was open to hearing new ideas, but he always wondered why he had to do a certain thing. He once told me that as a child they called him 'the man of why'."

During his interview on the set of the Daily Show in the United States, Roger Federer wanted to convey a message that refers to the debate on the GOAT (the greatest player of all time). “We live in a very statistics-based world. We like our stats, and we like breaking records, knowing who's the greatest, and all those things. So you just won a Grand Slam, or you just became world number 1 and the first question is 'how long do you want to stay world number 1'? Or 'When are you going to win the next Grand Slam? Or ‘What’s your next win?’ Instead of enjoying it. It's a bit of a problem, I think."

The post London | Nadal and the ‘Special Ks’ top fan poll appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

From Our Tennis Director

Parents, below is a link for our UTR Singles Tournament this Saturday. If you are not a member of UTR you can create an account for Free on their site.

Tournament Details

This will be a singles tournament. All info can be found on the link provided

Tournament Date

Saturday December 17

Who Is This Tournament For

All info can be found on the link provided

What Are The Age Ranges?

All info can be found on the link provided

Registration

All Registration must go through UTR. If you have any questions on this please contact the tournament Director Kory Putman - 254-661-5058

Questions?

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.

Jeff Contreras

Wildflower Tennis Department Head

254-493-0217

Student-athletes from Columbia, Delaware, Penn, Pepperdine, Princeton, South Alabama, Temple, and UTSA earned Top-20 spots in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point with their performance in ITA national and regional events.

The senior then won the ITA Northeast Regional Singles Championship, before finishing the fall as the ITA National Fall Championship Singles Runner-Up. 

Tjen climbed up the rankings this fall after winning the 2022 Battle of the Bay Singles Championship and reaching the round of 16 at the ITA Southwest Regional. Tjen amassed an impressive 9-1 record in singles, including a straight-set win over ITA Women’s Singles Preseason No. 1 Eryn Cayetano of USC. 

In doubles, five of the Top-10 of the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings come from outside of the power five. 

UTSA’s Alan Magadan and Sebastian Rodriguez were one of the best stories this fall as they won the ITA Texas Regional, beating three straight Top-25 opponents, before advancing to the ITA National Fall Championships Quarterfinals a few weeks later. The No. 6-ranked pair finished 11-1 this fall, recording numerous program firsts on their run. 

Penn’s Edoardo Graziani and Kevin Zhu are ranked seventh after reaching the Quarterfinals of the ITA National Fall Championships where they secured a win over the top-seeded Texas duo of Cleeve Harper and Eliot Spizzirri. 

Completing the non-Power Five trio in the top six are Delaware’s Adel-Byanu Abidullina and Eliza Askarova, who became the first-ever ranked team in Blue Hens history this fall after reaching the Semifinals of ITA National Fall Championships.

The success of these non-power five institutions this fall shows the depth of talent in NCAA Division I Men’s & Women’s Tennis. All these players and institutions will look to carry this momentum into the spring when play turns from individual-based to team-based for the dual-match season.

Non-Power Five Men’s Singles Top-20

• 11 – Michael Zheng, Columbia

Non-Power Five Men’s Doubles Top-20

• 6 – Alan Magadan / Sebastian Rodriguez, UTSA
• T7 – Edoardo Graziani / Kevin Zhu, Penn
• 15 – Max Westphal / Theo Winegar, Columbia
• 16 – Jack Clements / Louis Delcour, South Alabama

Non-Power Five Women’s Singles Top-20

• 4 – Daria Frayman, Princeton
• 12 – Janice Tjen, Pepperdine

Non-Power Five Women’s Doubles Top-20

• 4 – Savannah Broadus / Janice Tjen, Pepperdine
• 5 – Maiko Uchijima / Jamie Wei, Temple
• 6 – Adel-Byanu Abidullina / Eliza Askarova, Delaware

The post Top Stories of 2022: Non-Power Five Programs in ITA Collegiate Tennis Top 20 appeared first on ITA #WeAreCollegeTennis.

Both Deming and Ahn were extremely excited to break through. “It feels amazing to win my first ITF doubles title,” said Deming. “It was so great to play against some of the best players in SoCal and all across the world.”

Deming recognized her growth this past year and credited the work that she has been doing on her progression with her new coach. “I feel like I have developed a lot more of my game in the past year,” she said. “My new coach and I have been working on strengthening certain parts of my game, and I feel good about the progress.”

Ahn had similar sentiments and was especially proud to have earned her first accolade on a familiar court, and with a good friend. “To have played the tournament on my home courts at the Barnes Tennis Center made it even more special. I have been focusing much more on doubles and winning my first ITF title in doubles definitely raises my confidence going forward.”

In singles, San Diegan Svajda was impressive in a (6-2, 6-3) win in the final to capture the tournament championship. The younger sibling of emerging American star Zach Svajda, Trevor is well on his way to following his brother up the competitive ladder.

“It feels great considering I haven’t played many tournaments the last couple of years, especially in my home town.” said Svajda, who was overjoyed to have been able to win in San Diego. Svajda cites his father as a guiding force in his career, giving him credit for his development. “I’ve been working hard especially in the gym, trying to get stronger and my dad has been helping me a lot on and off the court,” he said. Trevor is currently focused on getting more experience and is considering his options for his career, including possibly playing in college.

The girls’ tandem shows no signs of slowing down either, as both players mention they hope to compile more titles and more experience on the junior circuit. Deming has her sights set on National L1 events and additional ITF draws, while Ahn is beginning to shift her focus to a collegiate tennis career.

The post Three’s Company! Trio of SoCal juniors land first ITF trophies appeared first on USTA Southern California.

Despite the default expectation that they’d naturally make a dynamic doubles team, and the optics that reflect the legendary Southern Californian Bryan brothers or Williams sisters, the Okey twins unquestionably favor singles competition over tandem play.

“It’s the individual part of the sport,” Winner says of what attracts him most to the competition. “I want (the outcome) to be up to me.”

Still, the twins realize the value in joining forces on the other side of the net. “We know we can do well in doubles. We both have big serves,” Champion adds, noting that their physical games are well suited for the power of doubles play.

Still, they chide each other with ease. “I get mad at him because he misses dumb shots,” Winner laughs.

Equally intriguing is the concept of facing off in a singles draw, something that had happened only four times in their young careers, but never in a major tournament. Of those four meetings, the brother have split at two-apiece.

Champion – the elder brother by about 60 seconds – and Winner took to tennis at a young age, after an early introduction to racquet spots by their father, an accomplished table tennis player. But the larger racquet and wider court appealed to the boys, and their ascent has been steady. Recently, the Okeys shifted to home schooling, with the desire to focus more on developing their tennis game along with their studies.

“This year, we decided to home school for more training,” said Winner, who was nursing a midsummer injury ahead of the fall schedule. “So hopefully we’ll take it more seriously, play some of the bigger tournaments and Nationals.”

After that, the brothers will weigh options about their future in the game, with both pro tennis and the collegiate experience on their radar. “We’d like to (go pro), but we’re also thinking about college,” Champion added. “I think when we get closer to that age, we’ll see how good we are and decide then.”

Still the hard-hitting question remains – which is better, a champion or a winner?

“We had this discussion a few weeks ago,” Winner recalled. “You know when they say, ‘winner takes all’? Well, I guess I take all!”

His brother was quick to counter. “You can be a winner but not a champion,” Champion said. “If you’re a champion, you have to be a winner.”

Yes, this a friendly sibling rivalry that will be fun to watch in the years to come.

The post This is… Irvine’s Champion & Winner Okey appeared first on USTA Southern California.

Ash Barty’s fifth Newcombe medal as Australia’s top tennis player has been viewed dimly by compatriot Nick Kyrgios, who teed off at the award on social media.

Former world No 1 Barty retired in March, not long after winning the Australian Open in January, which ended the country’s 44-year wait for a home champion.

An 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz played another impressive tournament in front of the home fans at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona. A teenager claimed his fourth ATP title and extended his incredible run in 2022 to 23-3! The Spaniard faced two match points in the semi-final against Alex de Minaur, erasing them and prevailing after three hours and 39 minutes! Preserving energy, the youngster returned to Pista Rafa Nadal a couple of hours later and faced fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the title clash. Carlos proved too strong and delivered a 6-3, 6-2 victory in 65 minutes to lift his fourth ATP crown 11 days before turning 19! With these 500 points, Alcaraz cracked the top-10 the following day, on the same day and almost at the same age as Rafael Nadal! Carlos fired 18 winners and ten unforced errors, dropping six points in eight service games and never facing a break point.

Carreno Busta was far from that pace, staying under ten winners and spraying too many mistakes to suffer four breaks and propel the rival over the top. Pablo cracked a forehand down the line winner for a hold at love in the encounter's opening game. Feeling fresh despite the challenging semi-final, Carlos landed a forehand down the line winner in game two to get his name on the scoreboard. Carreno Busta hit a service winner in game three for another hold at love and a comfortable start. Unimpressed, Alcaraz repeated that in game four for 2-2 and seized the second break chance in the next one after the opponent's forehand error. Carlos fired a forehand winner in game six to confirm the break and open a 4-2 gap in under 20 minutes. Pablo defended five break points in the seventh game to reduce the deficit to 4-3 and remain in touch.

Leaving that game behind, Carlos fired an ace in the eighth game for a hold at love and a 5-3 advantage. The younger Spaniard grabbed a break a few minutes later after the rival's massive backhand mistake for 6-3 after 34 minutes. A teenager closed the second set's first game with a service winner and repeated that at 1-1. Like in the first set, Pablo stayed in touch in the opening games, securing the fourth with a drop shot winner for 2-2. Carlos held at 30 in game five and broke in the next one with a deep return that sent him 4-2 in front. The youngster secured the seventh game with a forehand winner and broke at love in the next one to seal the deal and wrap up another impressive week with the trophy.

Novak Djokovic has looked back on a particularly turbulent season. The former world number 1 paid dearly for his choice not to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus, which led him to miss the Australian Open and the US Open. The Serbian phenomenon also had to give up all the American Masters 1000 (Indian Wells, Miami, Montreal and Cincinnati), as well as having suffered serious damage to his image. The 35-year-old from Belgrade needed time to find rhythm and confidence, as he himself admitted in the last press conference of 2022. The best Nole was seen again starting from Wimbledon, where he took his seventh seal by equaling Pete Sampras. The 21-time Grand Slam champion enriched his year by also winning the ATP Finals in Turin, the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, the ATP 500 in Astana and the ATP 250 in Tel Aviv. The 'Djoker' has also received clearance to travel to Australia next month. Goran Ivanisevic's protégé will play the ATP 250 in Adelaide, before hunting for his 10th seal at Melbourne Park.

If he was officially allowed to play the Australian Open a few weeks ago, following the cancellation of his three-year ban from the territory by the new Minister of Immigration, Andrew Giles, Novak Djokovic does not know. not on the other hand what reception will reserve him the local population. A survey conducted by Resolve Strategic gives the beginning of an answer. Only 30% of those questioned are in favor of his coming. A figure still quite low but increasing compared to last January (14%). This question would leave 29% of Australians indifferent while 41% believe that he should not be allowed to enter the country and play the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne. The tournament director, Craig Tiley, himself slipped a message to the public. Novak Djokovic is the player to beat next year, according to World No. 14 Cameron Norrie. "[Novak] Djokovic is the opponent to beat next year. He had an incredible season playing a limited number of tournaments. I have a lot of respect for him, it's incredible what he did to finish the year as did," Cameron Norrie said. "I want to be number one in the world, that is a great objective for me. Obviously, there are many things that I must achieve before, I haven't been in the Top-5 yet, so that's a goal that I want to keep in mind to make sure that I'm practicing every day for that and trying to be the best player in the world."

Emma Raducanu says she can definitely be extroverted at times but noted that she needs and loves her alone time.

Raducanu, 20, has a very busy schedule but she is doing her best to at the end of the day find some time for herself. 

In an interview with SheerLuxe, Raducanu was asked to name the health and wellness tips she picked up.

"Probably to prioritise a bit of time to just be on my own – that’s probably counts more as ‘self-care’ but I quite like that. I can be extroverted sometimes, but I like having my alone time. Sleep is also a big thing for me. The last couple of years have been so busy and my sleep schedule has suffered a bit. So yes – hydration, sleep and alone time," Raducanu told SheerLuxe. 

Once Raducanu is finished with all her daily work and responsibilities, she likes to do different things such as watching Netlix, reading a book, or simply talking to her friends. 

"I love a bath and I like to read in there, too. Even though I’ve finished my A Levels now, I like to keep my brain quite active. Bath time is also when I watch TV or Netflix – I find I don’t get much spare time to do that otherwise. People always ask what I’m watching but it’s usually quite obscure. Right now I’m really into these different Chinese shows because I’m trying to improve my Mandarin! As for books, I recently finished The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma which is about this lawyer searching for the meaning of life. I like non-fiction books best. I also like talking to my friends – not so much on the phone, but I’m a big texter," 

Meanwhile, Raducanu is playing this week at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

On Thursday, Raducanu will play against 2022 Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur.

Last year, Raducanu tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to skip the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Now, everything is fine and Raducanu will be playing in Abu Dhabi this week.

The post All Parents interested in getting your child involved with county training, please join our zoom on Wednesday 18th January 8-8.45pm. appeared first on Tennis Sussex.

“I am super happy to receive the Fans’ Favorite Award [in] 2022,” Nadal assured. “It makes me feel great. I can’t thank you enough everyone for the support not only for this award, but at the same time for all the support that I receive in every single city and event around the world. That means everything to me, so I am very [much] looking forward to 2023 to share a lot of positive things again. See you soon!”

The award caps off what can only be considered a hugely successful season for the 36-year-old Spaniard–even if the second half of it underwhelmed. He won each of the first two Grand Slam titles, staging an epic comeback to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final before rolling to a 14th French Open triumph. Injuries plagued Nadal thereafter, including a withdrawal from the Wimbledon semifinals and a couple of months off between the U.S. Open and Nitto ATP Finals.

He finished at No. 2 in the world, 800 points behind Carlos Alcaraz and 200 ahead of Casper Ruud.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis were voted as the Fans’ Favorite doubles team. Kyrgios and Kokkinakis were one of the surprise pairings of 2022, as they won the Australian Open and earned a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals. The longtime friends and fellow Aussies also captured the Atlanta title and reached the semifinals at the Miami Masters.

“Just wanted to say a massive thank you for voting us, me and Nick, as your Fans’ Favorite ATP Doubles Team of the Year,” Kokkinakis said in a video. “It’s been a hell of a year, winning our first Grand Slam on home soil in Australia. Crazy atmosphere down there. The support we’ve gotten all year has been amazing. Thanks again and hopefully we can keep it rolling. We’ll see you all in January. Thank you!”

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

The post Nadal wins ATP Fan Favorite Award for first time following 19-year Federer run appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

The 2022 season will go down as the Year of Iga.

Iga Swiatek amassed a 37-match winning streak and captured two of the four Grand Slam titles.

Now, she’s being rewarded for her efforts earning her first WTA Player of the Year award.

Swiatek won the WTA’s Newcomer of the Year in 2020.

This year, the world No. 1 enjoyed an outstanding season on the Hologic WTA Tour in 2022, leading the way for finals reached, trophies lifted and matches won. Swiatek swept eight tournament titles, including winning six-events-in-a-row which took in a 37-match winning streak.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Iga Świątek (@iga.swiatek)

Among those eight titles were two Grand Slams, at Roland-Garros and the US Open, WTA 1000 titles at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open (Doha), BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells), the Miami Open presented Itaú, Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome) and WTA 500 titles at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart) and the San Diego Open, and overall Swiatek won 67 matches this season.

The post Iga Swiatek Earns WTA Player of the Year Honors appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

“Last time we played, he won,” Fritz said, reflecting on his 7-6(1), 6-3 loss to Medvedev at the Cincinnati Masters this summer. “He told me I was the better player in the first set and it’s kind of reversed this time. It was a really tough match. He was in control; he had all the chances. Every time he had a break point I played really well and always kind of came up with what I needed to. And then I played well in the tiebreakers and the big points, so I was then able to steal it away from him.

“I’m super happy whenever I get these kinds of wins, because I played the big points really well,” added the 25-year-old, who prevailed after one hour and 50 minutes in a match that had zero breaks of serve. “I want to thank all the sponsors that made this event possible. It’s a really great event. The field speaks for itself. You have all the best players in the world coming here. I felt the support from the fans all week; I felt the love. It was a great four, five days here and I hope to be back.”

Medvedev had knocked off Zverev and Wawrinka earlier in the event, both in routine straight sets.

“I think I played better [in the final] than when I played against Zverev, but that’s how tennis goes,” said Medvedev, who won the previous edition of the Diriyah Tennis Cup in 2019. “It was a great game against Taylor.

“It’s a great tournament. My second time and I feel very welcome coming here and I will be happy to come back many times. It was a great atmosphere from the first match. [The final] was the biggest crowd I’ve seen here in the two years.”

Tsitsipas, Rublev, and Norrie will also be participating in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

The post Taylor Fritz wins in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi next up on exhibition swing appeared first on 10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com.

Big serving, huge forehands and no shortage of outrageous shotmaking. There are few better spectacles on the ATP Tour than a free-hitting showdown between Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios.

After three years without a tour-level meeting, fans were treated to three installments of the Medvedev-Kyrgios rivalry in 2022. While Medvedev notched an impressive victory at the Australian Open, it was Kyrgios who secured bragging rights for the season with a pair of hard-fought wins on North American hard courts, in Montreal and at the US Open.

At the end of a year in which Medvedev rose to World No. 1 for the first time and a rejuvenated Kyrgios put together some of the best results of his career, ATPTour.com looks back on how one of the Tour’s blockbuster rivalries played out in 2022.

[ATP APP]

Australian Open, Second Round, Medvedev d. Kyrgios 7-6(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
The 2022 Grand Slam action was just four days old when Medvedev and Kyrgios collided in a heavyweight second-round clash at January’s Australian Open.

For the first half of the match it appeared that second-seeded Medvedev was on track to claim his first victory in three attempts against the Australian in style. His top-quality return game helped him claim the first two sets on Rod Laver Arena, but Kyrgios roused the home fans with some typically majestic shotmaking en route to the third.

“I thought the atmosphere was awesome,” Kyrgios later said. “That's what sport is. You've got the most entertaining player playing in his home slam on Rod Laver. You'd expect the crowd to be like that.”

_{^{Photo Credit: William West/AFP via Getty Images}}

Those positive vibes could not carry Kyrgios to a famous comeback win, however, as Medvedev slammed the door shut on the Australian in clinical fashion by breaking twice in the fourth set to seal a two-hour, 58-minute win.

“I came to win this match and I am happy I managed to do it,” said Medvedev. “It was a funny match because we both served big. In the second and fourth sets I managed to return a little bit more at the crucial moments."

Despite the defeat, Kyrgios was happy with how he had performed against eventual finalist Medvedev in just his second competitive match in four months.

“No matter how little I train or how much I play, I'll always lift for matches like this,” said the Australian. “I'm not going to shy away from it… If I play 95 per cent of people tonight on that court, I think I win, to be honest with you.”

National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, Second Round, Kyrgios d. Medvedev 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2
In contrast to the meeting in Melbourne, Kyrgios arrived at August’s National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal amid a red-hot run of form that had seen the Australian reach his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and lift his seventh ATP Tour crown in Washington.

That confidence was plain to see against World No. 1 and defending champion Medvedev in the second round in Canada, where the 27-year-old Australian remained unbroken throughout a two-hour encounter for his 14th win in 15 tour-level matches.

“This is the fourth meeting we’ve had, and I’ve had some success against him in the past,” said Kyrgios after the match. “But he’s beaten me before [as well]. I feel like we know each other’s games well. I’m not the type of player that goes into this match looking at rankings or anything like that, it’s just who I’m playing and what kind of ball they’re giving me."

Kyrgios’ decision to frequently deploy serve-and-volley tactics against an opponent renowned for his deep positioning on return paid off in Montreal. The Australian won 67 per cent (32/48) of points at the net to claim his second win against a reigning World No. 1, after his 2014 Wimbledon win against Rafael Nadal.

“Today I had a very clean objective of how I was going to play, a lot of serve-and-volley, a lot of aggressive play from the back," said Kyrgios. "I executed better than he did, that’s all it comes down to.”

“He was great. He was playing good,” reflected the defeated Medvedev. “He beat me fairly, if we can say [it] like this."

US Open, Fourth Round, Kyrgios d. Medvedev 7-6(11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

"I just thought I played the right way,” said Kyrgios, who fired 53 winners, including 21 aces, en route to a two-hour, 53-minute fourth-round win at Flushing Meadows. “I returned unbelievable today. Just thought the third and fourth sets were just so free. I was just having a lot of fun, embracing every moment out on Ashe today. [I am] really proud of that."

Kyrgios sealed his victory despite a bizarre third-set gaffe, later described by the Australian as “probably the most boneheaded play of all time”. At 1-0, 30/30 on Medvedev’s serve in the third set, Kyrgios ran round the net to intercept a high volley from the top seed that was clearly not going to make it to his side of the court.

"I thought it was legal to be honest. I genuinely thought it was legal,” Kyrgios said in an interview with ESPN. “I thought I was playing the concrete streets of my suburb in Canberra… You can see my face… I was so happy. I was like, ‘That’s the best shot ever’ and it wasn’t legal. But it was fun.”

A disappointed Medvedev was impressed with the level Kyrgios had shown as the Australian extended his lead in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series to 4-1.

“It was a high-level match,” said Medvedev, who lost his No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as a result of the loss. “[I’ve] played Novak, Rafa. They all play amazing. Nick today played kind of their level, in my opinion.

“He has a little bit different game because he's not like a grinder in a way. At the same time, he can rally. He's tough to play. He has an amazing serve… He has every shot. It was a really high-level match from him.”

Read more of our Best of 2022 series

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Each session will feature a men’s and women’s singles match, as well as a mixed doubles showdown.

18 players in four teams will compete round-robin format for a place in the final on December 24.

The four teams are: The Kites, The Hawks, The Falcons, The Eagles.

Schedule of Novak’s matches:
December 20 at 15:00 CET: Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev (Germany)
December 21 at 15:00 CET: Novak Djokovic vs Nick Kyrgios (Australia)
December 23 at 15:00 CET: Novak Djokovic vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada)

“This new event is exciting, there’s no doubt about it,” said Djokovic. “I absolutely love playing in Dubai, I’ve had a lot of success there over the years and really enjoy the fans. This is something different, and it’s going to be great being a part of it.”

Novak will make his return to Australian soil in Adelaide (ATP 250). Four of the world’s top 10 players will contest the Adelaide International 1 at The Drive from 1 to 8 January, 2023. In 2007, the best Serbian tennis player beat Australian Chris Guccione 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4 to win the Adelaide International tennis tournament.

The first Grand Slam event in 2023 will take place in Melbourne from January 16 to January 29. Novak lifted the Australian Open trophy for an unprecedented ninth time in 2021, following a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final. He missed the 2022 edition due to the COVID-19-related Australian border restrictions.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Carla Suárez Navarro (@carlasuareznava)

Carla and Olga shared the happy news on social media. The retired WTA star and the Spanish soccer player hired a professional photographer to take a photo of them posing with a white board that says: “Baby is coming. June 2023.” The couple also posed with a pair of baby sneakers in their hands.

The seven-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Suarez Navarro wrote on Instagram:

Let’s grow the family. Excited and happy to face this big moment. Very soon we will be one more.

The former WTA world No.6 added in a press statement:

Olga and I really wanted to be able to expand the family. After my retirement from sports, and both of us still young, we thought it was the ideal time to face a process that fills us with joy and enthusiasm. We are very excited about what we are experiencing and with all the new experiences that we hope to live soon.

The first women’s tennis players to congratulate Carla were compatriots Garbine Muguruza and Paula Badosa. Sara Errani, Kiki Bertens, Caroline Wozniacki and Monica Puig were also quick to send best wishes to the growing family.

For more stories about the relationships of tennis stars, visit our WTA Players and their Love Partners page.

The post Interview With Claudia Herweg, President Of The German Table Tennis Association appeared first on Butterfly Online | Butterfly Table Tennis - ButterflyOnline is the North America distributor of Butterfly Table Tennis. Butterfly is a world leader in table tennis tables, ping pong tables, table tennis blades, ping pong paddles and all table tennis equipment..

The post “Juan Martin del Potro: The Gentle Giant” Book Author Sebastian Torok Wins Prestigious ATP Ron Bookman Media Excellent Award appeared first on World Tennis Magazine.

Not just the best players in the world. According to a report in the New York Times, one of the goals of LIV Golf, the Arab Super League, was to create a dream team off the course as well. Introducing the likes of Michael Jordan, Condoleezza Rice, Randall Stephenson, Mark Parker and Ginni Rometty to the board. Excellent names for objectives, in fact, certainly missing to date. Because as reported to the Times by Stephenson, former president of AT&T, "not only did I not know I was on the list but, moreover, I have never been contacted".

Despite the large 2 billion investment by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, not everything has gone according to plan. Starting with the signing of players with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, icons of world golf, who first rejected mind-boggling offers and then turned into the main opponents of LIV Golf by repeatedly calling for the resignation of Greg Norman, CEO of the league separatist. To date, as far as the world Top 10 is concerned, only Australian Cameron Smith is part of the Arab Super League.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ, is an American former basketball player and former baseball player, as well as the principal shareholder and president of the Charlotte Hornets basketball team.

Nicknamed Air Jordan and His Airness of him for his athletic and technical qualities of him, he was elected "the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century" in 1999 by the sports television channel ESPN. He is considered the greatest player in basketball history. Over the years he has acquired a lot of fame on the court which has made him an icon of the sport, to the point of pushing Nike to dedicate a line of basketball shoes to him called Air Jordan, introduced in 1984.

He played for three years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he led the team to the NCAA National Championship in 1982. He was then drafted third in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and quickly became one of the stars of the league , helping to spread the NBA globally in the 80s and 90s. In 1991 he won his first NBA title with the Bulls, and then repeated with two more successes in 1992 and 1993, winning a three-peat, after which he retired to pursue a career in baseball. He returned to the Bulls in 1995 and led them to another three-peat victory (1996, 1997 and 1998). He retired a second time in 1999, then returned as a member of the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003, before retiring permanently.

Andrey Rublev claimed his 11th ATP title in Belgrade following a 6-2, 6-7, 6-0 victory over world no. 1 Novak Djokovic. Andrey scored his first win over Novak from two encounters and wrapped up his third title in 2022 in two hours and 27 minutes. Djokovic gave his best to seek the trophy in front of the home fans, competing only for the second time this year after Dubai. Novak came from a set down in all four matches, although he had nothing left in the tank in the decider against the fellow top-10 rival in the title clash. Thus, the Serb experienced the fifth bagel in the ATP finals and missed a chance to defend the crown in front of the partisan crowd at his tennis center. Rublev won 24 points more than Djokovic thanks to sets one and three. The Russain fended off eight out of nine break chances and turned almost half of the return points into six breaks from 12 opportunities.

Andrey fended off a break chance in the encounter's fourth game with a forehand winner and broke Novak at love in the next one after the Serb's backhand error. Rublev held at love in game six to open a 4-2 gap and claim ten straight points. With nothing working his way, Djokovic hit a double fault in the seventh game to experience another break and fall 5-2 behind. Serving for the opener in game eight, Andrey held at 30 after Novak's backhand mistake to claim the opener in style in 35 minutes. The home favorite broke at love in the second set's second game with a volley winner to build the lead and gain a boost.

Andrey broke back in game three to reduce the deficit, and they both served well after that. Serving to stay in the set at 4-5, the Russian squandered five game chances and offered the Serb two set points. Andrey fended them off with winners and fired another from his forehand to prevail and lock the result at 5-5. Novak saved a break point in game 11 with a forehand winner and created three set points on the return in the next one. Rublev erased them with winners and introduced a tie break. Djokovic opened a 4-1 advantage after Rublev's loose forehand and forged a 5-2 lead after the rival's double fault.

Andrey missed a volley at 4-6 to hand the set to Novak, who forced a decider after an hour and 53 minutes without having much left in the tank. Djokovic made one last push and earned two break points in the final set's first game. Rublev fended them off with winners and held after Djokovic's tired forehand for 1-0. Andrey was the only player on the court in the rest of the set, taking all six games to bagel Novak and sail over the top. The Russian broke in game two and cracked a forehand down the line return winner at 3-0 to extend the advantage. Andrey held at 30 in game five, and Novak served to avoid a bagel in the next one. It was not to be for world no. 1, though, as Rublev broke him with a forehand down the line return winner to lift the trophy in style.

A few weeks ago, Novak Djokovic received clearance to travel to Australia next month. The local government has in fact lifted the three-year ban that weighed on the head of the Serbian, the protagonist of a bad soap opera earlier this year. The 35-year-old from Belgrade had in fact been expelled from the country due to his vaccination status and had not been able to participate in the Australian Open. For the same reason, the former world number 1 had also had to give up the US Open and all the American Masters 1000. However, 2022 was satisfactory for him thanks to the triumphs at Wimbledon and the ATP Finals in Turin, without forgetting the victory at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. Despite a season heavily conditioned by his choice not to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus, Nole managed to close the year in the Top 5 and reiterated that he is still the man to beat. The 21-time Grand Slam champion will start his 2023 by competing in the ATP 250 in Adelaide, and then go hunting for his tenth seal in Melbourne Park. Guest of the exhibition staged in Saudi Arabia, Mats Wilander said that Djokovic will be the big favorite at the AO (which will start on January 16).

Present in Saudi Arabia, Mats Wilander answered questions from our colleagues at Tennis Italiano. According to the Swede, Novak Djokovic is the big favorite for the Australian Open but there is still a risk. “I see Nole as the big favourite, ahead of Medvedev, who is at his best on the concrete courts, and Nadal, the defending champion. The only thing that can betray Djokovic is his desire to do too much, to prove, after everything that happened to him in Australia a year ago, that this tournament is his home. With 9 titles in Melbourne, it is certain that the Serb will be the big favorite for the 2023 edition which begins on January 16. 2022 Australian Open Boys' singles runner-up Jakub Mensik recently stated that he is delighted that Novak Djokovic will be allowed to participate in the 2023 edition of the tournament. "I wish him [luck] very much. When the news reached me that he would be able to play one of the most popular Grand Slams, I was very happy. Already at the beginning of the year, he had a very difficult time there. I'll be cheering for him and sending energy there remotely," Mensik stated.

 
Earlier today, Tennis Canada held its traditional annual review to turn the spotlight on the high points of the 2022 season. Eva Havaris, Vice President of Participation and Partnerships; Sylvain Bruneau, Head of Women’s Pro and Transition Tennis; and Guillaume Marx, Head of Performance; each led a detailed analysis of a range of aspects of Canadian tennis, including the year’s most memorable performances, structuring programs, elite development, tournament success and early participation.

Team Canada crowned Davis Cup champions

After successfully qualifying for the Davis Cup Finals by Rakuten held in Malaga from November 22 to 27, Team Canada dismantled Germany, Italy and Australia in back-to-back wins to secure its very first Davis Cup title in 109 years. Five Canadians selected by captain Frank Dancevic were crowned world champions: Félix Auger-Aliassime (Montréal, QC), Denis Shapovalov (Richmond Hill, ON), Vasek Pospisil (Vernon, BC), Alexis Galarneau (Laval, QC) and Gabriel Diallo (Montréal, QC).

Together, they made Canada the 16th nation to win the world’s most prestigious international team tennis competition, in which 138 countries participated this year. The triumph automatically qualifies Canada for the 2023 Finals. Along with Australia (finalist), Italy and Spain, Canada advances directly to the group stage that gets underway on September 11, 2023. The squad will be in the mix with the 12 countries that survive their Qualifier ties in February.

ATP Cup champions

At the start of the 2022 season, the Canadian quadrumvirate of Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov, Brayden Schnur and Steven Diez defeated Spain 2–0 in the final to win the ATP Cup and make Canada only the third country to claim the title, which was inaugurated in 2020. Fun fact: with the Davis Cup victory, Canada became the first country to win both leading team tennis events in the same season.

Auger-Aliassime at the Nitto ATP Finals

On the heels of a strong 2022 season in which he raised his first four ATP winner’s trophies (three of which he won consecutively in the whirlwind of an impressive 16-match winning streak), Auger-Aliassime punched his ticket to the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. Even though he made an exit at the end of the group stage, his participation represents a major achievement since it marked the Quebecer’s very first appearance at the renowned year-end championship. The 22-year-old closed the year out at a career-high ranking of World No.6. In 2022, he chalked up wins over the likes of No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, No.2 Rafael Nadal, No.5 Novak Djokovic, No.7 Andrey Rublev, No.12 Alexander Zverev, No.14 Cameron Norrie and No.15 Jannik Sinner.

Team Canada returns to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals

In April, Canada qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals by Gainbridge for the second straight year with a win over Latvia. As one of the 12 countries battling for the title in Glasgow, Scotland, Team Canada was powered by Leylah Annie Fernandez (Laval, QC), Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga, ON), Rebecca Marino (Vancouver, BC), Carol Zhao (Vaughan, ON) and Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa, ON). Despite an initial win over Italy, the squad fell 2–1 to eventual champion Switzerland in the last tie of the group stage. 

Five Canadians in the top 50s

Five Canadians ended the season in the ATP or WTA Top 50. On the men’s side, joining No.6 Auger-Aliassime is No.18 Shapovalov, who competed in two ATP finals in 2022 and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last January. In the WTA, Fernandez (winner in Monterrey 2022) is World No.40 in singles, and Andreescu is No.45. In doubles, Dabrowski ended the season at No.7 after taking home three titles in 2022, including the prestigious Mutua Madrid Open WTA 1000 crown. She also competed in the WTA Finals in doubles and won her third Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award, an award given by the WTA in recognition of her work in supporting her colleagues and the tour initiatives.

A special nod goes to Marino, who wrapped up 2022 as World No.65. It was a meteoric rise from No.144 in January for the woman who found her way back to pro tennis in 2017 after a four-year hiatus. In 2011, she hit a career-high ranking of No.38.

Record attendance at the National Bank Open in Montréal and Toronto

After being cancelled in 2020 and then presented at limited capacity in 2021, the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montréal and Toronto was finally able to welcome back all its fans. The results were spectacular: the tournament in Montréal broke its own attendance record (237,733 visitors), and the Toronto event set a new attendance record for a women’s championship (143,516 visitors). The National Bank Open is also on firm footing for the future thanks to major federal funding of $9.3 million for the tournament in Toronto and $10 million for Montréal. The investments will help the Canadian Open upgrade its infrastructure and place the tournament in a better position to ensure its long-term success.

Enhancing tennis facilities across Canada

Making tennis courts across the country more accessible to Canadians is among Tennis Canada’s top priorities for the coming years, and the organization was very proactive in that regard in 2022. This year, it announced the first tennis court projects launched as part of the Year-Round Community Tennis Courts Program presented by Rogers. The cities of Markham (ON), Ancaster (ON) and Calgary (AB) recently inaugurated their new public indoor tennis facilities, and work is currently underway in Waterloo (QC) on courts that are expected to open during the 2023–2024 season.

Tennis Canada also joined forces with National Bank to officially launch the National Bank Play Your Court Program, which aims to make tennis more accessible to all Canadians by revitalizing outdoor community tennis courts. Funded by the National Bank, the initiative provides $3 million to revitalize more than 100 courts by 2030. The first four courts to be revitalized through this program are located at Morris Kerbel Park in Brampton, Ontario.

Canadians excel at home

Canadian tournaments have always aimed to help propel our Canadian athletes to new heights, and they certainly achieved that mission in 2022 as three homegrown heroes took the top honours at Challenger events across the country. Sixteen-year-old Victoria Mboko was the first Canadian to be crowned when she won her very first pro title at the Saskatoon Challenger in July. In August, Diallo also collected his first professional winner’s trophy at the Granby National Bank Championships. Pospisil won his second Challenger of the year in Drummondville in November after earning the title in Quimper (France) earlier in the season.

A promising new generation

This year, at junior tournaments around the world, athletes from the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers (NTC) have done well on several occasions. Notable performances include Toronto’s Victoria Mboko, who in addition to reaching the junior semifinals at the US Open and Wimbledon in singles, also competed with Kayla Cross of London, Ontario, in the junior doubles finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

The year-end ITF junior rankings are also flattering for NTC athletes as five athletes finished the season inside of the Top 50: Victoria Mboko (6th in girls), Annabelle Xu (32nd in girls), Kayla Cross (34th in girls), Mia Kupres (38th in girls) and Jaden Weekes (48th in boys).

Wheelchair Tennis: Rob Shaw continues to shine

Ontario’s Rob Shaw had another stellar year, finishing 7th in the world rankings in the quad division. This season, he won 6 titles which earned him an invitation to the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters. He became the first Canadian player to qualify for this prestigious tournament since Sarah Hunter in 2004

Other information

• For more statistics on how Canadians performed this season, click here.
• For more information on Tennis Canada’s programs and 2022 highlights, click here.

The post 2022 in review: An outstanding year for Canadian Tennis appeared first on Tennis Canada.

No one understands that better that Virginie Tremblay, a top-tier strength and conditioning coach at Tennis Canada who has worked with some of Canada’s top athletes, including 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu.

Check out what she has to say about guiding athletes to be physically their best as she joins Mike McIntyre and Ben Lewis on this week’s episode of Match Point Canada.

And with 2022 almost in the rearview mirror, Mike and Ben give their year-end report cards for Canada’s best players.

All of that and more on the latest episode of Match Point Canada, available on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify below:

The post Match Point Canada: S4 E40 – Virginie Tremblay and Canadian Report Cards appeared first on Tennis Canada.

The post London | Barty, Swiatek, Goolagong Cawley, Sue Barker and the LTA honoured appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.