Tennis Tips, Tricks And Gear

Alcaraz's coach says it's great for tennis – and for his charge – that Nole is coming to Australia.By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday, November 30, 2022

All signs point to Novak Djokovic being a significant force on the ATP Tour in 2023. The 35-year-old finished 2022 on a hot streak, winning 18 of his final 19 matches and claiming his sixth ATP Finals title.

Juan Carlos Ferrero, the coach of Carlos Alcaraz, says that is just fine with him.

“We need him,” said Ferrero of the 21-time major champion, in an interview with Eurosport.

Ferrero, a former World No.1, still believes that squaring off against Djokovic is critical to his development as a player – even if the 19-year-old Spaniard takes a few lumps.

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

Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the Madrid semifinals this spring. It was the pair’s only meeting and it went in favor of the Spaniard. Djokovic, who missed several months due to not being allowed to play at the Australian Open, Indian Wells or Miami, was hardly in mid-season form at the time, however.

Nevertheless, Ferrero liked how his charge rose to the challenge, accepting the stress of the moment to win in a third-set tiebreak.

“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,” he said.

No ducking the toughest test in tennis for Alcaraz, the World No.1 and his coach are happy that Djokovic, the nine-time champion, will be present and accounted for in Melbourne.

“Carlos and I were talking about [the fact] that we’re happy to see Novak there because if you want to win the Australian Open you have to win against the best, and of course it’s good news,” he said.

Former world No. 7 suspended two months for the presence of the ADHD medication, methylphenidate, in a urine sample after forgetting to renew TUE.
Fernando Verdasco has accepted a two-month suspension after forgetting to renew his Therapeutic Use Exemption and failing a doping test.

The 38-year-old Spaniard acknowledged the presence of the ADHD medication, methylphenidate, in a urine sample. Vedasco accepted a voluntary provisional suspension and will serve a two month suspension, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced today.

More: Mardy Fish, Bob Bryan Fined for Gaming Promotion

Former world No. 7 Verdasco was tested at an ATP Challenger event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in February 2022.

Verdasco admitted the Anti-Doping rule violation and explained that he had been medically diagnosed with ADHD and legitimately used methylphenidate as medication prescribed by his physician to treat the condition in accordance with a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), but had forgotten to renew his TUE when it expired.

Since the finding, there has been an ongoing TUE re-application process involving the player, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the ITIA. The player has been granted a new TUE by WADA for his medication moving forwards, and has withdrawn from the retroactive TUE process to resolve this case.

The ITIA said it "accepts that the player did not intend to cheat, that his violation was inadvertent and unintentional, and that he bears No Significant Fault or Negligence for it. In the specific circumstances of this case, based on the player’s degree of Fault, the TADP allows for the applicable period of ineligibility to be reduced from two years to two months."

Verdasco's two-month suspension will conclude on Sunday, January 8, 2023.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve 

Marin Cilic edged Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in a three-hour, 13 minute thriller sending Croatia in the Davis Cup semifinals vs. Australia. 
By Alberto Amalfi | Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Wearing Croatian colors inspires deep defiance in Marin Cilic.

More: Nick Bollettieri Tribute

Today, a gritty Cilic clinched Croatia's spot in its sixth Davis Cup semifinal with a rousing comeback conquest of Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. 

Cilic edged Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in a three-hour, 13 minute thriller capping Croatia's 2-0 victory over host Spain in Malaga, Spain. 

Bidding for its third Davis Cup championship, Croatia will face Australia in Friday's semifinals.

Australia defeated The Netherlands, 2-0, in Tuesday's quarterfinal.

A confident Borna Coric served with conviction staking Croatia to a 1-0 lead with a 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory against Roberto Bautista Agut. Coric's victory set the stage for Cilic's inspired comeback. Coric pumped 12 aces against no double faults and did not drop serve beating Bautista Agut. 

"I think I was serving very, very well. I thought I didn't serve this well since probably Cincinnati, to be honest," Coric said. "So obviously it's much easier to play like that. I can relax more on the service games when he's serving, because I know most likely I will hold my serve. So that's made a difference.

"I just think in general I was playing very smart. When I needed to attack, I did attack. When I needed to make a defense, I was defensive. I also mix up the rhythm, as well, which is very important against him. I was just very pleased with my game, to be honest."

The 2014 US Open champion Cilic navigated a wild ride against the home side. Cilic cracked 20 aces but clanked double faults, sometimes following a double fault with a massive ace down the middle.

Facing a 5-6, love-30 deficit in the final set, Cilic teetered two points away from the ledge of loss. Cilic kept calm, held to force the tiebreaker then rallied from 1-4 down in the breaker to prevail.

"Obviously I had a little bit of trouble on my own service games just to, you know, keep everything together," Cilic said. "You know, I was double-faulting quite a lot and had quite a lot of troubles with that.

"But overall, you know, kept my cool. It was not easy. You know, 4-2, coming back, 4-All, getting up to 5-4, and then it was also quite difficult game 5-4 just to hold there and get myself into the tiebreak.

"Overall, you know, summarizing a lot of matches of my career in this end of the third set, so it was incredible battle."

It marked the first time Cilic and Coric were healthy singles starters for Croatia since 2018, when the nation captured its second Davis Cup.

A year ago, Cilic and Borna Gojo were singles starters as Croatia reached the 2021 final bowing to Russia in the final.

Today, Croatia caught a break in that Spain was without world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who is recovering from a torn abdominal, and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who declared himself unavailable and is currently on an exhibition tour with Casper Ruud.

"You know, it would be much different, because I would say, both of them are — you know, Rafa has been during all his career, you know, a leader of the team and, you know, with his own results and always enjoyed this, like, team atmosphere," Cilic said. "And, you know, playing singles, doubles, he's one of the, if not the best, Davis Cup players ever, you know, in that sense.

"And then with Carlos, fantastic season for him. Such a pity for him to get injury at Paris-Bercy, not to be able to play also the Masters in Torino, and then also this one at home. So it's very difficult for both of them. Yeah, but a lot to look ahead for Team Spain in the following years, for sure."

Photo credit: Getty

The two stars of Polish tennis took to social media to call for investigation into allegations. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, Poland’s top-ranked WTA and ATP players, are using their voices to call for an investigation into accusations that the president of the Polish Tennis Federations has committed sexual abuse of former players.

The pair took to social media to voice their concern after Polish MP, Katarzyna Kotula, made public claims that Skrzypczyński, abused her multiple times when she was 13 years of age.

Kotula came forward after witnessing Skrzypczyński question the reliability of previous accusations against him. Those accusations were originally published by Polish outlet Onet, based on testimony of anonymous alleged victims.

Hurkaz called for the appropriate authorities to investigate.

“I support all women and all victims of abuse,” Hurkacz wrote. “No coach or guardian should use their power and position towards anyone. Any aggression, both in sports as well as outside of it needs to be condemned and punished. I hope that appropriate authorities will react to the press reports on the subject of the head of the Polish Tennis Association. I stand with all victims of abuse.”

Wspieram wszystkie kobiety i wszystkie ofiary przemocy.
–
I support all women and all victims of abuse. pic.twitter.com/bSkusRQQIL

— Hubert Hurkacz (@HubertHurkacz) November 22, 2022

Swiatek posted a detailed post stating her beliefs, and hopes that the powers that be make a proper investigation.

“When it comes to physical violence or emotional abuse, the most important issue is thinking and being sensitive about victims,” Swiatek wrote. “When we speak up about something wrong happening, we need to think about them first and most of all.

“I'm against violence, in sports, in tennis, in every discipline and in everyday life,” the world No. 1 wrote. “That's why I consider the articles about the president of the Polish Tennis Association as a serious matter.”

I feel that as a current leader of women's tennis I can’t be silent about particular matters: pic.twitter.com/cfyHa3Lbeg

— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) November 22, 2022

Swiatek believes that the matter is too serious to be taken lightly.

“Governing bodies should determine what happened and I hope they will take care of this case after the media wrote about the stories of people who they talked with. This is not my role to do the work of governing bodies and journalists, as the matter is too serious, and it's about people's life and health.

“Personally, I was lucky to not experience such difficult, terrible situations and I'm grateful for my dad and for how wisely he managed my career,” she said. “I have an amazing team, safety, and currently I'm really privileged, but I'm aware that not every athlete could have the same independence. I hope that with the exposure of such matters, and solving them carefully and fairly, sports will change for the better in Poland and in the world.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas compounded his loss to Andrey Rublev with a stinging shot. 
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 18, 2022

Andrey Rublev delivered an immaculate final set to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas and secure a spot in his first ATP Finals semifinal.

Tsitsipas served up the snark afterward dissing Rublev's "few tools."

Nadal: I'm Going to Die For It

With a semifinal spot on the line, Rublev served 74 percent and won 16 of 19 service points in the decider defeating Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Turin today.

The victory vaults Rublev into tomorrow's semifinals against US Open finalist Casper Ruud.

The second-seeded Tsitsipas imploded late in the match dropping two of his last three service games and seemingly belting a ball toward his parents in the support box at one point.

SF BOOKED! 🔥@AndreyRublev97 defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/6FveZPx4ie

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 18, 2022

Still, Tsitsipas turned the first question of his post-match presser into tool time suggesting Rublev is a player with limited weapons and implying the better player lost.

"It's a shame. I feel like the better player," Tsitsipas said. "I felt like I could do more with the ball today. I felt like I could just be much more creative. I don't even have to say that. I think it's quite obvious.

"But, yeah, he prevailed with the few tools that he has. He was able to really take advantage of them and win today."

While it's not quite on the level of John McEnroe's bold dismissal of Ivan Lendl's ability—"I have more talent in my little finger than he has in his entire body," Mac once said of Lendl—it is a clear shot from a frustrated Tsitsipas.

Asked his reaction to Tsitsipas' parting shot, Rublev offered a measured response.

The seventh-ranked Rublev said while the Greek is "obviously [the] better player because he's higher ranked" if you assess their games shot-by-shot—and head-to-head record—their weapons are more equal than Tsitsipas suggests.

"I don't know if I have few tools or not. If we go shot by shot, I think his backhand is better than mine. His forehand is not better than mine," Rublev replied. "The speed [first] serve is not better than mine. He's faster. He play much better than it. If we go for best shot, I don't think…

"Obviously he's better player because he's higher ranked and he achieved better results. It's obvious. There is no doubt. But I don't think that I beat him because of few tools. If you take our match, every match, we have tough battles. This year I lost to him twice in three sets, and now I beat him in three sets."

The former junior world No. 1 pair have known each other since they were teenagers.

While it's true Tsitsipas has shown more all-court acumen and sharper net skills than the Russian, Rublev is a powerhouse baseline blaster, who can take the ball early and do damage off both wings.

Tsitsipas successfully used the serve-and-volley in his victory over Daniil Medvedev, but said given Rublev stands closer to the baseline and hits it harder than the 2021 US Open champion he didn't deploy the tactic frequently today. 

The third-ranked Greek is out of Turin, but his season may not be done yet. Tsitsipas said he plans to play a Challenger in France next week and has a clear pre-season goal: Improve his return game.

"My goal for the pre-season is going to be perhaps a bit more consistent with my returns because I think if I'm able to improve on that aspect of my game, I can do more damage," Tsitsipas said.

Photo credit: Giampiero Sposito/Getty

The 21-time major champion is showing his steel down the stretch in Turin.By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday, November 18, 2022

Novak Djokovic was in a state of suffering on Friday in Turin. As it turns out, it was just a little fatigue.

Have you 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 seen Novak Djokovic struggling like this before?! 🥵 #NittoATPFinals

(via 📹 @TennisTV) pic.twitter.com/aXZdaFMCf3

— Eurosport (@eurosport) November 18, 2022

Though it might have looked like he was on the verge of a physical breakdown during the above changeover, Djokovic assured reporters that he was just feeling the mental and physical fatigue that comes with a hair-raising battle.

“There was a lot of different things,” Djokovic said after defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) on Friday . “But I'm not going to go into details about it because I just don't feel it's a place for me to share that because why would I? I don't want to reveal what I'm going through exactly to my opponents.

“Everyone has one of those days where they struggle more physically. For me that was today. I'm very proud to be able to find a way.”

Was the 21-time major champion pushed to his limit?

“I don't think that a limit exists,” he said. “It's really in your head. It's really about perspective and approach and your perception of how you see things in that given moment.”

The 35-year-old believes that the mind can help the body overpower fatigue, and his performance against Medvedev was a perfect example.

“The biggest battle, as I've said before, is always the inner battle,” he said. “If you manage to find yourself in that optimal state of mind and body as often as you possibly can, I feel you can extract the best and reap the best results for yourself in every moment, every point, every match.”

Djokovic will need to recover quickly for Saturday’s semifinals. He will face Taylor Fritz in the semis and will need to win on three consecutive days if he is to finish the season by claiming his sixth ATP Finals title.

It's a challenge he isn't worried about…

“I'm not the freshest guy right now talking to you as I was maybe yesterday,” he said, before adding that the thrill of victory might actually give him energy rather than take it away.

“I feel that every big win against one of the best players in the world, particularly Medvedev in these conditions, can only boost your confidence,” he said.

“On the physical side, I'm not worried because, I mean, worry just depletes you of the vital energy you need. If something happens tomorrow in a good or bad way, it happens and I have to deal with it then tomorrow. I'm going to do everything I possibly can today with my physio, with myself, with my team in order to get the good rest, the good recovery. I have things that have always been part of my routine. I know what I need to do.

“I've had many cases in my life before where I managed to recover very quickly. Hopefully that's going to be the case again.”

Ahead of Sunday's opening matches, we take a glance inside the numbers of this year's ATP Finals. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday, November 12, 2022

A look inside the key numbers ahead of Day 1 in Turin…

2 – Number of singles debutantes at this year’s ATP Finals – No.5-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime and No.8-seeded Taylor Fritz.

6 – Number of doubles debutantes at this year’s ATP Finals – Neal Skupski (paired with Wesley Koolhof), Austin Krajicek (paired with Ivan Dodig), Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios, Marcelo Arevalo (paired with Jean-Julien Rojer), Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara.

3 – Number of former Nitto ATP Finals champions in the Red Group, which includes five-time champ Novak Djokovic, 2020 champ Daniil Medvedev and 2019 Stefanos Tsitsipas.

2015 – Djokovic has not won the Nitto ATP Finals since he claimed his fifth title – and fourth in succession – in 2015.

$14,750,000 – Total prize money on offer at this year's event.

7 – Number of nations represented in singles.

8 – Number of nations represented in doubles.

3 – Number of players with a shot at the ATP’s year-end No.1 ranking this year. If Nadal wins the tournament or goes 4-1 as runner-up (and Tsitsipas does not win the title) he will rise to No.1. If Tsitsipas wins the title undefeated (5-0) he will win the title.

If neither scenario occurs, Carlos Alcaraz will become the youngest player – and first teenager – in ATP history to claim the year-end No.1 ranking.

6 – The all-time record for Nitto ATP Finals titles, held by Roger Federer. Djokovic bids to tie the Swiss great this season.

11 – Number of appearances Nadal has made at the ATP Finals. The Spaniard has yet to win a title but has reached the finals on two occasions (2010 and 2013). The 22-time major champion is 20-16 lifetime at the season-ending championships.

41-17 – Djokovic's career record at the ATP Finals. The 21-time major champ makes his 15th appearance.

30 – Roger Federer remains the oldest champion at the ATP Finals. The Swiss won his last title in London in 2011 as a 30-year-old.

36 – Nadal is the oldest participant in this year’s event, followed by Djokovic, who is 35. The other six participants are 26 or younger.

60 – Tsitsipas leads the ATP with 60 wins on the season. Felix Auger-Aliassime (56) is the only other participant with more than 50 wins in 2022.

27 – ATP Finals debutante Felix Auger-Aliassime leads the tour in indoor wins with 27 wins against five losses in 2022.

Baoluo Zheng has been provisionally suspended from the sport effective October 27th.
A Chinese player has been provisionally suspended on match-fixing charges.

Baoluo Zheng has been provisionally suspended from the sport, pending investigation of Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) charges, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced today.

More: Rune Shocks Djokovic for Maiden Masters Title

Zheng, who reached a career-high ATP rank of 1729,  has been banned since October 27. He is prohibited from competing in or attending any sanctioned tennis events organized by the governing bodies of the sport.

The provisional suspension was granted under section F.3 of the TACP 2022: “The ITIA may at any time impose a Provisional Suspension on a Covered Person, including (i) before a Notice of Major Offense has been issued, (ii) before a Hearing or (iii) at any time after a Hearing but prior to the AHO’s issuance of a written Decision.”

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve 

The Dane was outside of the top-100 at the beginning of the season, and could finish in the top-10. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday, November 5, 2022

Riding a career-best run of four consecutive wins against the Top-10, Danish teen Holger Rune is confirming his newfound status as an elite talent on tour in Paris.

Already with a pair of titles to his name in 2022, Rune continues to turn heads with an aggressive, physical baseline game that is perfectly suited for indoor tennis. He ranks second on the ATP Tour with 20 wins on hard courts (against four losses), and with today’s 6-4, 6-2 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime he is one victory away from making a Top-10 debut.

Rune is into his first Masters 1000 title after wins over Stan Wawrinka (saving three match points), Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz and Auger-Aliassime.

He will face the ultimate test when he takes on six-time Paris champion Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday at Bercy.

Fourth final in a row. Fourth top-10 win in a row 🤯@holgerrune2003 snaps Auger-Aliassime’s SIXTEEN-match winning streak to reach his maiden Masters 1000 final in Paris!#RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/gcfq107ye9

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 5, 2022

His victim on Saturday says that there wasn’t much he could do against the blistering attack of the 19-year-old on Saturday.

“I feel like because of the way he was playing and how good he was playing, I have to give him a lot of credit,” Auger-Aliassime said. “He kind of exposed weaknesses in my game.

"He was just playing so aggressively without missing. I haven't seen or I haven't played many players that were this aggressive and hitting that hard, that deep.”

Rune started his season very much unproven, at 103 in the world, making his climb well inside the top-20 in ten months’ time all the more impressive.

Auger-Aliassime admitted that he was surprised with just how quickly Rune has become a force against top talent on tour.

“I'm surprised, yes,” he said. “I knew he had a lot of qualities… But I'm surprised, and I have to say hats off to him for his wonderful rise in the ranking. He has played very well throughout this season. He's also had very tough moments, which is not normal for someone who is 18 years old. He managed to be in the final in Stockholm, in Basel. It's very incredible at his age. He hasn't been much on the tour. Hats off to him, because he's exceptional.”

The Generation Game 🍿

19-year-old Rune will face 35-year-old Djokovic for the #RolexParisMasters title! pic.twitter.com/jvn73FL9EF

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 5, 2022

Rune improved to 38-24 on the season with Saturday’s win. The former Junior No.1, who is coached by Lars Christensen and managed and mentored by his mother, Aneke, trains at the Mouratoglou Academy and has Patrick Mouratoglou traveling with his team as the season winds down.

He’s proven to be a quick study, quickly sizing up and learning how to impose himself against the tour’s best, on all surfaces.

The Dane says his ability to stay composed on the court – something he displayed in spades on Friday when he was forced to put his serve on ice for ten minutes while Carlos Alcaraz had an injury looked at during the pair’s quarterfinal in Paris – is one of the things that his aiding his ascent.

Rune just patiently waited for the Medical Timeout to end then served out the next game to force a tiebreak. He eventually won when Alcaraz retired, 6-3, 6-6 RET.

“I would say I work on it as much as I work on my serve, forehand, my backhand,” he said of his mental game. “You know, it's all small things that can improve all the time. It's mental, it's physical, it's tennis. It's everything. “To do 1 percent better every day, that's really what I'm trying to do. To improve every small thing, to try to get things better, no matter if it's warmup, a little more better every day, because it's the small things that make the big difference.”

Auger-Aliassime – and many of his peers – tend to be more impressed by the high-octane groundstrokes Rune plays. The Dane goes on the attack and stays on the attack, forcing his opponents to defend.

He’s relentless, and thanks to improved stamina and experience, he can execute and cash in on his tactics without too many dips.

“Today he was very aggressive,” the Canadian said. “He was playing very strongly on both sides. He's serving much better. He served very well during the last weeks. But he's serving much better. I think he improved from a physical point of view, as well.

“Before it was hard to have so many matches under his belt in a row. It means that he has improved physically, so it will be interesting to see next year how things will unroll.”