Tag Archives: ATP

Sebastian Baez Defeats Francisco Cerundolo at Rio Open to Reach His First ATP 500 Final

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Sebastian Baez has reached the biggest ATP Tour final of his career…

The 23-year-old Argentine professional tennis player faced three set points at 4-5 in the opening set on Saturday at the Rio Open. He saved each one under pressure from compatriot Francisco Cerundolo and didn’t lose another game en route to a 7-5, 6-0 victory at the ATP 500.

Sebastian Baez

Baez’s nine-game tear earned him the win in his first semifinal above ATP 250 level. He will now play for his fifth and biggest tour-level title on Sunday.

While Baez twice beat Cerundolo on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2021, Saturday’s win was his first in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series, which is now level at 1-1.

“We know each other too much, I think more than I want,” Baez joked after the win. “All matches are different. Today it’s going to my side. In the first set, I gave many break points to him. I had to take it because it’s so hard for both.”

After an early trade of breaks, Baez saved six consecutive break points in the one-hour, 24-minute match. He converted on four of his seven break chances and won more than half of his return points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“It’s hard but I always try to be focused on the next point, on the next game, every time thinking about my game and what I have to do,” Baez said of his surge through the finish line.

Cerundolo, who was also bidding to reach his first final above the ATP 250 level, struggled with 39 unforced errors, including 26 off his backhand wing. Despite the loss, he will return to the Top 20 in the ATP Rankings on Monday.

Baez is up seven places to No. 23 this week in the ATP Live Rankings, setting himself up for a career high. He could move up to No. 21 with the Rio title.

Joao Fonseca Becomes First Player Born in 2006 to Win an ATP Tour-Level Match

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Joao Fonseca is making ATP Tour history…

The 17-year-old Brazilian tennis player became the first player born in 2006 to win an ATP Tour-level match when he beat seventh-seeded Arthur Fils 6-0, 6-4 at the Rio Open on Wednesday.

Joao FonsecaFonseca defeated the No. 36-ranked Frenchman in front of raucous fans at the clay court tournament in Rio de Janeiro. He knelt on the court in tears to celebrate.

“This is where I belong. I want to be in these huge stadiums,” said Fonseca, who won the US Open boys singles title last year. “Now it is all about focusing on the process.”

Fonseca, currently ranked No. 655, is expected to jump about 200 positions after beating Fils. Fonseca said he is yet to decide whether he will play tennis for an American university later this year.

“For now I am very focused in the pro-tour, I want to get to the top,” said Fonseca. “That is going to be a personal decision with my family, I won’t make it public now,.”

His opponent in the round of 16 will be Cristian Garin of Chile.

Fonseca’s victory brought some new energy for local fans, who saw three of the title favorites crash out Tuesday.

Carlos Alcaraz abandoned his match against Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro due to an ankle injury; three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka lost to Argentina’s Facundo Díaz Acosta in straight sets; and Chile’s Nicolás Jarry was knocked out by Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in three sets.

Fourth-seeded Francisco Cerúndolo of Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Spain’s Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-2, 6-1.

Rain later postponed to Thursday the match between second-seeded and defending champion Cameron Norrie against Chile’s Tomás Barrios Vera for a place among the last eight.

Facundo Díaz Acosta Defeats Nicolas Jarry at Argentina Open to Claim First-Ever ATP Tour Singles Title

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Facundo Díaz Acosta’s wild(card) ride has come to a triumphant end…

The 23-year-old Argentine professional tennis player, a wildcard at the Argentina Open, won his maiden ATP Tour singles title on Sunday by beating Chile’s Nicolás Jarry 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the clay-court tournament.

Facundo DiazThe ATP said that Diaz Acosta became only the second left-handed champion — after Rafael Nadal — at the Buenos Aires tournament.

Díaz Acosta began the week with a career-high ranking of 87. He’s set to rise to No. 59 when the rankings are released Monday.

“This is yet to sink in,” Díaz Acosta told raucous fans. “I have dreamed about this moment for a long time, working with my team and having my family to back me. It is a dream come true that this happened in Argentina.”

Third-seeded Jarry was chasing his fourth ATP title.

Díaz Acosta’s victory was easier than expected against Jarry, who struggled to compete after beating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.

Alcaraz is now set to compete at the Rio Open in Brazil, also on clay, which he won in 2022

Nicolas Jarry Upsets Carlos Alcaraz to Reach Argentina Open Final

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Nicolas Jarry has claimed the biggest victory of his career…

The 28-year-old Chilean professional tennis player upset Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(2), 6-3 on Saturday at the Argentina Open to extend the Spaniard’s title drought to nine tournaments since his Wimbledon triumph last July.

Nicolas JarryJarry had taken a set from the 20-year-old in their two prior ATP Head2Head meetings and showed clear intent to take the fight to the World No. 2 from the outset. Jarry matched Alcaraz’s power from the baseline, made a number of confident net approaches and didn’t face a break point in the first set.

After dropping serve at the beginning of the second set, Jarry immediately broke back for 1-1 and then claimed the decisive break in the eighth game.

“Third time lucky,” Jarry said of his first win over Alcaraz. “Carlos is one of the best players so it means a lot, especially after the battles I’ve had a couple of days ago. It’s been very tough physically, so I’m very happy to be able to come back.

“I didn’t start very well and couldn’t win points on his serve, but I came back little by little.”

In a tense final game that featured several breathtaking points, Jarry went down a break point when he gambled on a big second serve at 30-all, double faulting for the first time in the match. He later double faulted a second time on match point before soon after closing out the win in one hour, 55 minutes.

Third-seeded Jarry claimed the 100th win of his career in the second round when he rallied to defeat Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka in a third-set tiebreak after the three-time major champion served for the match at 5-4.

“It’s a difficult defeat, it hurt me a lot,” Alcaraz said. “There are many things to improve, and my level has to go up. I played good tennis but very far from my real level.

“I felt good physically and it’s important, and I think that with work I will get better… but having opportunities, is difficult.

“The positive thing is that I see that I have a lot of things to improve. Learning that I have to read the matches better, to give my best version in the moments of tension. Today I lacked that in the 0-30, in the break-points, to be able to play differently there.”

In Sunday’s final Jarry will play 23-year-old Argentine wild card Facundo Diaz Acosta, who defeated countryman Federico Coria 6-2, 6-3

Jarry has this week climbed back inside the Top 20 of the ATP Live Rankings and will move to a career-high No. 17 from his current No. 19 should he win his fourth ATP Tour title.

Facundo Díaz Acosta Defeats Federico Coria at Argentina Open Semifinals to Reach First-Ever ATP Tour Final

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Facundo Díaz Acosta is living his best life, career-wise…

The 23-year-old Argentine professional tennis player, a wildcard at the Argentina Open, defeated Federico Coria on Saturday 6-2, 6-3 to reach the first final of his career on the ATP Tour.

Facundo Díaz Acosta With the win, Diaz Acosta was able to achieve his place in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. Now, focused and practicing meditation on and off the court, he confirms that he still has a lot to give.

However, Díaz Acosta’s recent changes did not happen from one day to the next.

“Little by little I’m feeling more part of this circuit…”, he stated at a press conference. And that’s how his path has been, all in due time, without jumping steps all at once and, above all, convinced of belonging and finding (and find) your place on the Tour.

A little over two years ago, when he felt that there were more doubts than certainties and he was still unable to put his full potential on the court, Díaz Acosta decided to try something new: meditation. And that was a complete change, from the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. Of course it was not immediate, but today it is collecting the expected results.

“I started working with a mental coach and it’s to try to escape reality a little bit. Breathing, closing my eyes, looking for concentration. Don’t let my thoughts go anywhere,” he said. All of that, of course, is about the hand with beginning to have more prominence in the most important tournaments in the world.

A year ago, in Buenos Aires, Díaz Acosta won his first ATP Tour match, also against Coria. This time, the context was different, but the result was the same. “Winning so many games is a new sensation and I have to get used to it. Hopefully it will be the first of many,” he said with a smile. “Before I was all about tennis… One Friday night I would watch a tournament. Now I allow myself to go watch my friends play soccer or go out and have a drink, with peace of mind, obviously,” he acknowledged with a smile.

Why was he able to achieve it now? “I was maturing and learning a lot of things. From the defeats and moments, you feel more confident. Little by little I started making that famous click,” he said.

With the win, Díaz Acosta becomes the third wildcard to reach the final in Buenos Aires (Puerta, final in 2005, Ferrer, champion in 2014). He is guaranteed a new career high, rising to No. 69 in the ATP Live Rankings.

Marcos Giron Defeats Adrian Mannarino to Reach Dallas Open Final

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Marcos Giron is one win away from his first ATP Tour title…

The 30-year-old Colombian American tennis player, unseeded in the tournament, beat No. 4 seed Adrian Mannarino of France, 6-1, 6-3, in the semifinals at the Dallas Open.

Marcos GironGiron took a 4-0 lead in the first set a day after going up 5-0 in a straight-set win over Tiafoe, who was the highest-ranked player in the tournament at No. 14.

The first break of the second set came when Giron made a lunging save with a forehand, then ran down Mannarino’s volley for a backhand crosscourt passing shot and a 5-3 lead.

Giron, who hasn’t lost a service game in four matches in the tournament, had little trouble closing out the match on his serve.

With three victories over seeded opponents, Giron has a chance to surpass his career-best ranking of 49th from 2022.

Giron reached the semifinals in Dallas two years ago, losing a three-setter to Jenson Brooksby while having match points. The final two sets went to tiebreakers.

 

“That stuck with me, and that’s hard,” Giron said. “I have experience. I know what it’s like to lose. I know what it’s like to win. Having a big win yesterday was awesome, and I’m really, really happy to be able to come back today.”

Giron, who beat top-seeded American Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals, is making his second trip to a final. He previously appeared in the finals of the 2022 San Diego Open, where he lost to Brandon Nakashima.

He’ll face second-seeded Tommy Paul in Sunday’s final.

Rafael Nadal to Play in “6 Kings Slam” Exhibition Event in Saudi Arabia

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Rafael Nadal is headed to the Middle East this fall.

The 37-year-old Spanish professional tennis player, the former World No. 1, is set to play in an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia in October, the kingdom’s latest move into tennis.

Rafael NadalNadal will be joined by Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, new Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune in what’s being touted as the “6 Kings Slam” in Riyadh.

All but Rune have won at least one Grand Slam title. Djokovic holds the men’s record with 24, followed by Nadal with 22. Alcaraz has two, and Sinner and Medvedev one apiece.

Nadal was recently announced as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.

The ATP men’s tour moved its annual tournament for leading players who are 21 and under to Jedda, and the WTA women’s tour is in negotiations to put its season-ending championship in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has pumped huge amounts of money into sports, such as soccer, Formula One, boxing and golf, with critics accusing the country of using its Public Investment Fund to engage in sportswashing over its human rights record, including the treatment of women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The kingdom denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

Alejandro Tabilo Claims First ATP Tour Title of His Career at ATP Auckland Classic

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From qualifying to the crown… Alejandro Tabilo is celebrating a remarkable week. 

The 26-year-old Chilean professional tennis player wrapped up the most extraordinary week of his career on Saturday when he emerged from the qualifying rounds to beat Taro Daniel 6-2, 7-5 in the final of ATP Auckland Classic, claiming the first title of his career.

Alejandro TabiloTabilo came through two rounds of qualifying and three rounds of the main draw.

He avoided second-seeded Cameron Norrie in the quarterfinals when Norrie withdrew with a wrist injury and beat sixth-seeded Arthur Fils in the semifinals to reach his second ATP Tour final.

Tabilo then dominated the final, serving 10 aces and keeping Daniel constantly on the defensive with his powerful left-hand forehands.

“It honestly feels surreal,” Tabilo said. “I feel happy and very emotional.

“Even my coach [Guillermo Gomez] didn’t have a visa and we applied in the quarterfinals and we got it yesterday and he came from Melbourne because he was waiting for me in Australia. So crazy, crazy.”

Japanese American Daniel also had an outstanding week as he made his way to a final between unseeded players.

Daniel had only bad memories of the Auckland tournament after being beaten last year in the final round of qualifying in a tournament plagued by rain. His reluctant decision to return this year paid off when he beat top-seeded Ben Shelton in the semifinals to reach his second career final after Istanbul in 2018.

But on Saturday he came up against a player on a roll, hardened by his many matches in Auckland. He fought hard to keep in the match, but Tabilo always was on top, breaking Daniel’s serve in the sixth and eighth games of the first set and the 12th game of the second.

It ended a tough run for the 82nd-ranked Tabilo.

“Last year was tough. Even two years ago we made the finals of Cordoba and from there we were going up,” Tabilo said. “Then we had a little stress fracture in my arm and we had to stop that year and I had to work back up.

“There were a lot of injuries last year also and now with the whole team, with the recovery, with the food, with my family and my girlfriend also supporting me … it’s been a crazy ride.”

Both players now move on to the Australian Open, where Daniel will play Chris Eubanks in the first round and Tabilo will play American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Carlos Alcaraz Wins ATP Awards’ Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award

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Carlos Alcaraz is officially a great sport…

The 20-year-old Spanish professional tennis player has won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award from the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

Carlos AlcarazThe award, which Alcaraz earned a year after becoming the youngest No. 1 in the history of the ATP rankings, recognizes fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court.

“I’m so happy to win the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award,” said Alcaraz. “I’m especially happy that it’s an award chosen by my colleagues on the circuit. It means a lot to me, so thank you all very much.”

Alcaraz becomes the fourth Spaniard to receive the prestigious ATP Awards honor, joining Jose Higueras (1983), Alex Corretja (1996, 1998) and five-time winner Rafael Nadal (2010, 2018-21).

He has now won three player-voted ATP Awards, receiving Newcomer of the Year in 2020 and Most Improved in 2022.

Carlos Alcaraz Nominated for ATP’s Sportsmanship Award

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Carlos Alcaraz is a good sport…

The 20-year-old Spanish tennis player has been nominated for the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the first time in his career as part of the 2023 ATP Awards.

Carlos AlcarazAlcaraz will face off against fellow first-time nominees in the category: Jannik Sinner, Grigor Dimitrov and Hubert Hurkacz.

Alcaraz was the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2020. He was also the ATP Player of the Year and ATP Most Improved Player of 2022.

Alcarez’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, meanwhile, has been nominated for Coach of the Year.

The 43-year-old Spanish former world No. 1 tennis player and current tennis coach is nominated for helping coach Alcaraz to a 65-12 record. Alcaraz defeated four-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final, 1–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 to win the gentlemen’s singles tennis title at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. It was his first Wimbledon title.

ATP Awards winners, including Fans’ Favorite, will be revealed during Awards week, starting December 11.

Here’s the complete list of 2023 ATP Awards nominees:

Comeback Player of the Year: The player who has overcome serious injury in re-establishing himself as one of the top players on the ATP Tour.

Dominik Koepfer
Gael Monfils
Jan-Lennard Struff
Alexander Zverev

Most Improved Player of the Year: The player who reached a significantly higher ATP Ranking by year’s end and who demonstrated an increasingly improved level of performance through the year.

Matteo Arnaldi
Christopher Eubanks
Ben Shelton
Jannik Sinner

Newcomer of the Year: The #NextGenATP player who broke into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in 2023 and made the biggest impact on the ATP Tour this season.

Flavio Cobolli
Arthur Fils
Alex Michelsen
Dominic Stricker
Luca Van Assche

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award: The player who, throughout the year, conducted himself at the highest level of professionalism and integrity, who competed with his fellow players with the utmost spirit of fairness and who promoted the game through his off-court activities.

Carlos Alcaraz
Grigor Dimitrov
Hubert Hurkacz
Jannik Sinner

VOTED BY COACHES

Coach of the Year: Nominated and voted on by fellow ATP coach members, this award goes to the ATP coach who helped guide his players to a higher level of performance during the year.

Craig Boynton (Hubert Hurkacz)
Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi (Jannik Sinner)
Juan Carlos Ferrero (Carlos Alcaraz)
Goran Ivanisevic (Novak Djokovic)
Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton)