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  • In The Stands At The Murcia Challenger… Carlos Alcaraz

    In The Stands At The Murcia Challenger… Carlos Alcaraz

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    Carlos Alcaraz returned to the ATP Challenger Tour on Wednesday, not as a competitor, but a spectator.

    The Spaniard grew up close to the host site of this week’s Murcia Challenger. After a strong ‘Sunshine Double’ in the United States, Alcaraz returned home and made an appearance at the Costa Calida Region de Murcia.

     

    The eight-time tour-level titlist enjoyed second-round action at the Challenger 75 event and interacted with fans who were eager to meet their home favourite.

    The 19-year-old Alcaraz found his professional tennis roots on the Challenger Tour before rising to the top echelons of the sport.

    When Alcaraz made his Challenger debut at the Alicante Challenger in 2019, the Spaniard defeated Jannik Sinner, whom he has played six times in tour-level action, including in the semi-finals of last month’s ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.

    Alcaraz made rapid Challenger Tour progress, collecting four titles before graduating to the ATP Tour, where he’s reached World No. 1 and triumphed at the 2022 US Open.

    Carlos Alcaraz at the Real Murcia Club De Tenis-1919 on Wednesday.
    Carlos Alcaraz at the Real Murcia Club De Tenis-1919 on Wednesday. Credit: Andres Molina

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  • Alcaraz Learns Path To Sunshine Double

    Alcaraz Learns Path To Sunshine Double

    Carlos Alcaraz’s path to becoming the eighth player to win the Sunshine Double was set on Monday. But the Spaniard will need to overcome a series of difficult tests if he is to defend his Miami Open presented by Itau title and hold onto top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

    The Spaniard lifted the trophy in south Florida last year and arrives this week off the back of a run to the title in Indian Wells, which propelled him back to World No. 1. The 19-year-old must win his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Miami to remain on top, though, where he begins against Argentine Facundo Bagnis or a qualifier.

    Alcaraz could face former World No. 1 and two-time Miami champion Andy Murray in the third round and in-form American Tommy Paul in the fourth round. The top seed is seeded to face ninth seed Taylor Fritz or seventh seed Holger Rune in the quarter-finals and could renew his rivalry against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

    The Italian Sinner, who could meet Andrey Rublev in the fourth round and third seed Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals last week in their fifth ATP Head2Head meeting.

    View Draw

    [ATP APP]

    The third seed Casper Ruud reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami last year and will be hoping the hard-court event can once again provide him with a springboard to build from. Holding a 4-5 record on the season, the Norwegian opens against Ilya Ivashka or a qualifier and is seeded to meet Alexander Zverev in the fourth round. The German Zverev starts against Arthur Rinderknech or Taro Daniel.

    In the bottom half of the draw, Daniil Medvedev will look to begin another winning run when he opens against Bernabe Zapata Miralles or Roberto Carballes Baena. The 27-year-old won 19 matches in a row before Alcaraz defeated him in the Indian Wells final.

    [FOLLOW ACTION]

    The fourth seed could meet Matteo Berrettini in a blockbuster fourth-round clash and Hubert Hurkacz or Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals. Hurkacz lifted the biggest trophy of his career in Miami in 2021 and reached the semi-finals last year.

    Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to bounce back from an opening-round exit in Indian Wells when he takes on Richard Gasquet or a qualifier. The Greek, who enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in Miami in 2021, is seeded to meet seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last eight. The Canadian Auger-Aliassime, currently at a career-high No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, could play Indian Wells semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. Auger-Aliassime reached the semi-finals in Miami on his debut in 2019.

    #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton will play Chinese wild card Juncheng Shang or Adrian Mannarino on his debut in Maimi, with Hurkacz a potential third-round opponent.

  • Alcaraz Raises Profile With Vogue Feature

    Alcaraz Raises Profile With Vogue Feature

    Carlos Alcaraz continues to dip his toes into the world of fashion with a fresh feature story this month in Vogue. In the wide-ranging article, Alcaraz touches on his love for chess, his fashion sense and his admiration for Roger Federer, among many other topics.

    Complete with photoshoot imagery of the 19-year-old, the longform piece provides new insight into the routines, habits and whims of the ATP Tour’s newest superstar. Alcaraz also discusses what he called a “bad period” after he won the US Open last September for his first Grand Slam title.

    “That sounds like I’m making it up,” Alcaraz said, before explaining the stress that followed his achievement in New York, which made him the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

    Read an excerpt from the feature below.

    Alcaraz grew up just over an hour from [the Ferrero academy], in a village outside Murcia called El Palmar, a place he still visits on weekends. Everyone knows one another, he says, and he has the same friends he hung out with as a child. Some 40 years ago his great-uncle built a tennis club there, on what was a clay-pigeon shooting range, and Alcaraz’s grandfather, Carlos, joined in the venture. Later, Alcaraz’s father—who played professional tennis until he couldn’t afford to continue—became the director. So Carlitos was born, he says, “with tennis in my blood.” His older brother, Álvaro (now 23), played in tournaments before him, and his younger brothers (ages 13 and 11) are as passionate about tennis as the rest of the family, including his mother, who until recently worked as a shop assistant at IKEA. Alcaraz got his first racket at the age of four, and, according to his father, cried when he had to stop playing to go home for dinner. His social life revolved around the tennis club.

    By the time he was 12, he was a serious enough player that he was sponsored by Babolat and Lotto. A family friend who owns Postres Reina, a yogurt and dessert company based in Murcia, had already given him the money he needed to get to a junior tournament in Croatia, and continued to cover a lot of his travel costs. Ferrero first saw him play right around this time. “I’d already heard about him,” his coach says. “Especially the fact that he was doing a lot of different things—drop shots and lobs and running to the net, things that young kids don’t do, they just stay at the back, fight, and run. He was very dynamic, you could already see that.”

    Alcaraz’s routine is those several hours of tennis a day, plus training and physical therapy, and a siesta after lunch. He eats whatever he wants, but healthily. In the evenings he’s trying to learn English. “I’ve improved, but I’ve got a long way to go!” Occasionally he’ll watch a movie, and prefers—fittingly—either what he calls suspense or motivation. Motivational movies? I ask, a little confused. “Yes,” he replies. “Sylvester Stallone. You know: Rocky Balboa.”

    … One hobby is chess. “I love chess. Having to concentrate, to play against someone else, strategy—having to think ahead. I think all of that is very similar to the tennis court,” Alcaraz says. “You have to intuit where the other player is going to send the ball, you have to move ahead of time, and try to do something that will make him uncomfortable. So I play it a lot.”

    Read the full Vogue feature here.

    [ATP APP]

  • Alcaraz Meets NBA Star Jimmy Butler In Buenos Aires: ‘He Is A Legend’

    Alcaraz Meets NBA Star Jimmy Butler In Buenos Aires: ‘He Is A Legend’

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    Frances Tiafoe dipped his toes in the basketball world Friday when he competed in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. On Saturday, a six-time NBA All Star visited the tennis world in Buenos Aires.

    Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler watched Carlos Alcaraz’s semi-final win against Bernabe Zapata Miralles at the Argentina Open. Alcaraz knew who Butler was, but this was their first meeting.

    “I have seen him play several times. I have a lot of respect for him, after all he is a legend of his sport, a star and to have him come to see me is a privilege.” Alcaraz said. “I thanked him and invited him to the final.”

    The World No. 2 enjoys basketball and tries to keep up depending where he is in the world.

    “Sometimes with the time in Spain it is complicated but yes. Miami, the Lakers, some others, there are several teams that I like a lot,” Alcaraz said. “I also like to play it and I’m not bad at it.”


    Photo Credit: Argentina Open/Sergio Llamera
    The 19-year-old did not know Butler was coming until the last moment, when the management agency they share let him know. The pair shot hoops after the Spaniard’s victory.

    “For me it’s something new to meet personalities like that,” Alcaraz said. “I don’t see myself at that level and for me it [was], ‘Look, there’s Jimmy Butler!’”

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  • Alcaraz Races Into Buenos Aires Final In First Tournament Back

    Alcaraz Races Into Buenos Aires Final In First Tournament Back

    Carlos Alcaraz missed four months due to injury, but he has picked up where he left off.

    The Spaniard advanced to the Argentina Open final on Saturday when he cruised past countryman Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-2, 6-2 in 77 minutes. The top seed will try to secure his first title of 2023 in his first tournament since last year’s Rolex Paris Masters.

    “It’s a really special moment for me,” Alcaraz said. “I was a little bit down after the injury, so I had to recover in those four months the confidence and the rhythm. Coming back for my first tournament of 2023 and making the final is so special for me.”

    [BREAK POINT]

    The 19-year-old knows he will face a tough challenger in the championship clash against second seed Cameron Norrie. The Spaniard leads their ATP Head2Head series 3-1, but Norrie claimed their most recent meeting last year in Cincinnati.

    “I played a couple of times against him. [He is] a really, really tough player,” Alcaraz said. “I know that I have to give everything I have in the final. I’m going to say it’s going to be a really tough final, but at the same time a beautiful one.”

    Despite losing a set in his first match of the tournament against Laslo Djere, Alcaraz has gained momentum on the Argentina clay. A winner in Rio de Janeiro last year, Alcaraz will try to add another South American crown to his trophy case. 

    After one point early in the second set, Alcaraz hit an open-stance backhand winner up the line on the full stretch. Zapata Miralles threw his hands up in disbelief, knowing his opponent was finding an answer for all the questions he was asking with his own game.

    Alcaraz was relentless with his pressure from the baseline, punishing every ball that did not drive him back. He won 55 per cent of his return points and broke serve five times.

    Photo Credit: Argentina Open/Sergio Llamera
    Norrie is also finding his clay-court footing in Buenos Aires. The second seed advanced to the final with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory against Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas.

    “It’s going to be a tough one for sure regardless of who I play,” Norrie said before knowing Alcaraz will be his opponent. “I lost a tough final in Auckland, so hopefully I can get some good feelings back tomorrow in the final.”

    [ATP APP]

    Norrie needed three sets to battle through his first two matches of the week at the ATP 250. However, the lefty raised his level in the semi-finals against a gritty foe in Varillas, who reached a career-high No. 94 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in January.

    The Peruvian rallied the crowd to his side and clawed back deficits throughout the match, saving two set points when serving at 4-5 in the opening set and another at 5-6. But Norrie, who has team members from Argentina, never let slip his focus. He saved two break points in the final game to triumph after one hour and 54 minutes. 

  • Copy That! Carlos Alcaraz Sparks Player Surge In This Tactic…

    Copy That! Carlos Alcaraz Sparks Player Surge In This Tactic…

    At the highest level of the sport, tennis is a game of small margins. In these settings, tactical innovations can be very effective.

    Whether it’s Novak Djokovic often serving to the forehand on second serve or Maxime Cressy regularly storming the net to serve and volley on second serve, strategic innovations breathe new life and excitement into the game.

    One recent and highly effective tactical innovation is the use of the forehand drop shot by the 2022 year-end World No. 1, Carlos Alcaraz.

    [ATP APP]

    Drop shots are nothing new on the tour, particularly on clay. But for players at the very top of the game, Alcaraz has employed the forehand drop shot with an unusually high frequency and effectiveness, including on hard courts.

    On average, ATP players tend to deploy about 0.85 rally-ending forehand drop shots and 1.05 rally-ending backhand drop shots per match, winning about 51.5% of the points off the forehand drop shot and just 39.7% of the points off the backhand drop shot.

    But not Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish teen phenom employs the forehand drop shot a breezy 2.83 times per match, with an impressive win rate of 67.7%, and the backhand drop shot at a high 1.34 times per match, with a respectable win rate of 52.1%. This pattern is even more pronounced on clay, where Alcaraz hits 3.81 forehand drop shots per match and 1.84 backhand drop shots per match.

    Unlike most players on tour, who slightly prefer backhand drop shots, Alcaraz strongly prefers the forehand drop shot (see below). During big moments in a match, Alcaraz does not shy away from this shot either. One in six of his forehand drop shots occurs on break points and points that can lead to break points, with an exceptionally high win rate of 71.4%.


    Forehand and backhand drop shot usage by leading ATP Tour players .  

    Remarkably, once Alcaraz started making his way up to the Pepperstone ATP Rankings during the 2021 season, players took notice and started using the forehand drop shot much more frequently. Players who already used the forehand drop shot often (e.g., Ruud, Fritz, Sinner, Tiafoe, and Bublik) turned to it even more. Yet, unlike Alcaraz, the increased use of the forehand drop shot after Alcaraz burst on the scene has not resulted in a high win percentage; in fact it has declined from 52.4% to 48.2%.

    Forehand and Backhand drop shot Win % for Players in the ATP Top 10.
    Forehand and backhand drop shot win percentage for leading ATP Tour players.

    Ultimately, no other player in the Top 100 executes the forehand drop shot as well and as often as Alcaraz. The forehand drop shot is a hard shot to pull off on a regular basis. So, what explains the success of the Alcaraz drop shot and his use of it?

    The animation below illustrates some of the key ingredients of the efficiency of the Alcaraz drop shot.

    First, before resorting to a forehand drop shot, Alcaraz pushes opponents far behind the baseline. Prior to deploying the drop shot, his opponents stand 14.5 meters behind the net on average (compared to 12.9 meters on average in rallies versus Alcaraz). To do this, Alcaraz uses high-speed rally shots (134 km/h on average) to push his opponents into a defensive posture just before hitting his forehand drop shot (compared to a 113-115 km/h average rally speed by Alcaraz, consistent with other top players).

    Next, Alcaraz often places his forehand drop shot to the other extreme distance from that point: usually, right in front of the net on the ad side. With a well-placed shot, opponents must cover 10.9 meters on average in 2.1 seconds from the time the shot is hit to reach the Alcaraz forehand drop shot. Subtracting the average time to recognise the shot, stop, and hit it (1.0 seconds), leaves 1.1 seconds for the run itself, requiring about 9.9 meters per second speed off the gun. Although a world-class sprinter like Usain Bolt could easily accomplish this feat, it is difficult for even fast ATP players to hit a high-quality shot in response.

    The rise of forehand drop shots before and after the emergence of Alcaraz among the Top 100 Players (excluding Alcaraz).
    The rise of forehand drop shots before and after the emergence of Alcaraz among the Top 100 players (excluding Alcaraz).

    Covering this distance is even more difficult because Alcaraz is a master at hiding his forehand drop shot. Alcaraz disguises it so well that his average opponent moves back when they see Alcaraz raise his racquet– as if he is about to hit another hard, deep shot – creating a lag time between Alcaraz’s racquet contact and his opponents beginning to move that is rarely seen. Moreover, Alcaraz sets up forehand drop shots not only with his deuce side forehand but also mixes in plenty of run-around forehand drop shots, and at all different points in the rally, including his serve + 1 shot. Combining all these features, Alcaraz’s forehand drop shot is the deadliest in the game.

    Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series in which Golden Set Analytics and TDI strive to provide a better understanding of the dynamics of tennis for players, coaches, fans and administrators.

  • Alcaraz & Sinner’s US Open Epic Among Best Grand Slam Matches Of 2022

    Alcaraz & Sinner’s US Open Epic Among Best Grand Slam Matches Of 2022

    ATPTour.com’s annual season-in-review series looks back at 2022’s best matches, biggest upsets, most dramatic comebacks and more. Today we reflect on five of the most memorable Grand Slam battles of the year, featuring World No. 1 and US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz, and Australian Open and Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal.

    5. Roland Garros, QF, Cilic d. Rublev 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(10-2)
    As two of the most fearsome forehands on Tour clashed at the beginning of June on the Roland Garros clay, an extraordinary sequence of clean hitting from Marin Cilic in the deciding-set tie-break clinched a thrilling quarter-final against Andrey Rublev.

    Cilic came into the match in a confident mood — he had described his fourth-round triumph in Paris against World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev as “one of the best matches of my career from start to finish” — and the Croatian’s confidence was clearly demonstrated in the way he took the deciding tie-break out of Rublev’s hands at the tail-end of an almighty tussle with a sequence of searing winners.



    Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images.

    “It comes from being me,” said Cilic when asked about his aggressive approach to the tie-break, in which he won nine straight points from 1/2. “I played that kind of tennis the whole match, and especially the fifth set was an incredible battle… A lot of heart, and one had to go down. Today was my day, but Andrey also played an incredible match.”

    Cilic had to dig deep after a fast start from Rublev on Court Philippe Chatrier, where the Croatian opted to meet the seventh seed’s forceful groundstrokes with plenty of power-hitting of his own. He finished the match having struck a remarkable 88 winners, including 33 aces, in an epic four-hour, 10-minute triumph.

    The win made 33-year-old Cilic the fifth then-active player to reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams, alongside Roger Federer (now retired), Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

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    4. Roland Garros, SF, Nadal d. Zverev 7-6(8), 6-6 (RET)
    It may seem unusual to declare a match that potentially wasn’t even halfway done when halted by injury as one of the best of the season, but such was the quality of tennis that Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev produced in their Roland Garros semi-final clash that it remains a must inclusion.

    “I’m 25. I am at the stage where I want to win,” Zverev had said prior to his meeting with the then-13-time champion Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier. ”I’m at the stage where I’m supposed to win, as well.”

    There was a steely determination to those pre-match comments from the German. Just two victories from claiming a maiden Grand Slam crown which would also have lifted him to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time, he seemed set on taking the match to the Spaniard.

    For the best part of two sets, Zverev did just that, as his fearless approach played a major role in some of the most scintillating Grand Slam tennis of the year. The World No. 3 went toe-to-toe with Nadal from the baseline early on, before the Spaniard showcased his resilience by rallying from 2/6 in the first-set tie-break to claim an epic one-hour, 31-minute opener.

    Despite that disappointment, Zverev’s determination to stay on the front foot helped him open a 5-3 lead in the second set. After Nadal had again rallied to reclaim the break and take an absorbing encounter to the brink of a second-set tie-break, however, a match already set to become a bona fide classic was cruelly cut short.

    Alexander Zverev is forced to retire from the Roland Garros semi-finals with an ankle injury.Photo Credit: Getty Images

    Chasing a Nadal forehand out wide to his right on the final point of the 12th game, Zverev badly rolled his right ankle. The ligament damage he suffered immediately put a painful end to both his Roland Garros campaign and his bid to become World No. 1, as well as bringing to a halt one of the best matches of the season after a breathtaking three hours and 13 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

    “Very tough and very sad for him,” Nadal said after the match. “Honestly, he was playing an unbelievable tournament. He’s a very good colleague on the Tour. I know how much he’s fighting to win a Grand Slam, but for the moment he was very unlucky. The only thing I’m sure is that he is going to win not one — more than one.”

    3. Australian Open, Third Round, Berrettini d. Alcaraz 6-2, 7-6(3), 4-6, 2-6, 7-6(10-5)
    There were some early signs of what was to come from Carlos Alcaraz in 2022 in this third-round epic at January’s Australian Open, but a fired-up Matteo Berrettini prevailed over the Spaniard across a topsy-turvy five sets in the Melbourne heat.

    The seventh-seeded Italian appeared in control after surging to a two-sets-to-love lead on Rod Laver Arena, before the 18-year-old Alcaraz roared back to force a deciding-set tie-break. Having rolled his ankle in the second game of the fifth set, it was to Berrettini’s credit that he held firm to clinch a four-hour, 10-minute battle.

    “I felt confident, and that momentum was on my side in the third set but then I got broken,” said the Italian afterwards. “My energy wasn’t right in the fourth set and in the fifth I just started to think about fighting for every point. In every match something happens [like the ankle injury] but I fought through it.”

    Matteo Berrettini
    Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour

    Alcaraz saved a match point at 5-6, 30/40 in the fifth set to take the pair’s first Grand Slam encounter to a deciding tie-break. Although a series of missed forehands subsequently cost the then-World No. 31 a statement victory, Berrettini was full of praise for his young opponent.

    “At his age I didn’t have an ATP point and he will only improve,” said the Italian. “He showed everyone his potential today.”

    “I’m very proud of the performance today,” reflected Alcaraz. “It was my first time two sets down and then to be able to come back the way I did… I gave everything on the court.”

    2. Australian Open, Final, Nadal d. Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
    At two sets-to-love-down and trailing 2-3, 0/40 on his own serve, Rafael Nadal’s hopes for a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title at January’s Australian Open appeared lost. Daniil Medvedev’s red-hot start to the championship match in Melbourne had left the Spaniard struggling to keep up.

    Cue what Nadal later described as “probably the biggest comeback of my tennis career”, as the 35-year-old roared to a stunning five-set victory to become the first male player to win 21 major crowns. Nadal began to out-hit Medvedev, one of the most powerful ballstrikers in the game, as he broke the second seed five times across the third, fourth and fifth sets on Rod Laver Arena.

    “At the end history is about the victory, but the way that you win the match in terms of personal feelings is different,” Nadal said after the five-hour, 24-minute epic. “The way that I achieved this trophy tonight was just unforgettable, one of the most emotional matches of my tennis career, without a doubt. [It] means a lot to me.”

    Rafael Nadal

    Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

    Nadal’s ability to stay the course was all the more remarkable considering his relatively recent return to the Tour after missing the second half of the 2021 season with a left-foot injury. Medvedev later admitted his disbelief at his 35-year-old’s physical prowess during the pair’s marathon battle.

    “[It’s] tough to talk after five hours, 30 minutes and losing, but I want to congratulate Rafa because what he did today, I was amazed,” said the second seed. “I tried during the match just to play tennis, but after the match I asked him, ‘Are you tired?’, because it was insane.”

    1. US Open, QF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3
    Two of the biggest young talents in the game battling it out until the early hours in New York City, September’s US Open quarter-final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner was one for the history books.

    It was a demonstration of power, athleticism, skill and sheer mental resilience from two players who look set to be at the top of the game for years to come. In what may well be the first of many classic Grand Slam battles between the two, Alcaraz ultimately prevailed having saved match point at 4-5 in the fourth set en route to a remarkable five-hour, 15-minute win.

    “”Honestly, I still don’t know how I did it,” said the Spaniard after sealing victory in the second-longest match in tournament history. “You have to believe in yourself. I believed in my game. It was really difficult to close out the match. I tried to stay calm, but it is difficult in the moment.”

    Jannik Sinner/Carlos Alcaraz

    Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin/AFP via Getty Images

    The 19-year-old Alcaraz and 20-year-old Sinner both hit the ball with relentless force throughout. The combination of power and consistency kept an enraptured Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd on the edge of their seats all the way through to 2:50 a.m., when Alcaraz finally clinched a New York classic that broke the record for the latest finish in tournament history.

    “The energy I received in this court at 3 a.m., it was unbelievable,” Alcaraz later acknowledged. “I mean, probably in other tournaments, everybody [would go] to their house to rest. But they [stayed] in the court, supporting me. It was unbelievable.”

    [NEWSLETTER FORM]

  • Alcaraz, Djokovic, Kyrgios Make Headlines

    Alcaraz, Djokovic, Kyrgios Make Headlines

    The third quarter of the 2022 ATP Tour season saw the rise of the youngest-ever World No. 1, a familiar face lifting the Wimbledon trophy, and a pair of first-time ATP Masters 1000 champions.

    An action-packed grass-court season witnessed Matteo Berrettini and Nick Kyrgios deliver a host of standout performances, but it ended with Novak Djokovic clinching his fourth consecutive title at the grass-court major. The switch to the North American hard courts in August saw Pablo Carreno Busta and Borna Coric claim their maiden ATP Masters 1000 titles, before Carlos Alcaraz lifted his first Grand Slam crown in style at the US Open in September to reach top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

    ATPTour.com reflects on all that and more from a thrilling few months on the ATP Tour.

    [ATP APP]

    Alcaraz On Top Of The World
    Despite his promising fourth-round run at Wimbledon being ended by his #NextGenATP rival Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz cracked the Grand Slam code in dramatic style at the US Open, where the 19-year-old lifted his first major title after a high-stakes championship match showdown against Casper Ruud.

    With the winner in New York set to claim both their maiden Grand Slam title and the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time, it was the #NextGenATP Spaniard who ultimately prevailed. Alcaraz powered to victory in four sets despite having spent 20 hours and 19 minutes on court across six matches at Flushing Meadows en route to the final.

    “It is something I have dreamt of since I was a kid,” said Alcaraz. “To be No. 1 in the world, to be champion of a Grand Slam, is something I have worked really, really hard [for].”

    Alcaraz had already confirmed his qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time by reaching the quarter-finals in New York. He now leads the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin from his countryman Rafael Nadal, who became the first player to qualify for November’s season finale with his second-round win at Flushing Meadows.

    Despite his championship match disappointment, Ruud looked back fondly on his fortnight in New York, which lifts him to a career-high No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “I’m very proud of being No. 2,” said the Norwegian. “In a way it’s a good thing, because I can still chase the last spot.”

    Seventh Heaven For Novak At SW19
    Novak Djokovic made his move in the Grand Slam titles race by charging to his 22nd major title at Wimbledon in early July, just one shy of Nadal’s record. The Serbian saw off Sinner, Cameron Norrie and Kyrgios en route to his fourth consecutive triumph in London, where he now holds an 86-10 match record.

    The seven-time year-end No. 1’s run in London was not without its tense moments, not least when he trailed Sinner by two sets before completing an inspired comeback win in the quarter-finals. The 35-year-old’s seventh title at SW19 moves him within one of Roger Federer’s record, and Djokovic appeared eager for more after defeating Kyrgios in four sets in the final. “Every single time it gets more meaningful and more special,” he said. “So I’m very blessed and very thankful to be standing here with the trophy.”

    Novak Djokovic

    Novak Djokovic celebrates his comeback win against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon. Photo Credit: Sebastien Bozon/Getty Images

    Berrettini Finds Grass-Court Groove
    Another man who enjoyed the grass in 2022 was Berrettini, who returned in style on the surface in June having not played for three months due to a hand injury. The Italian defeated Andy Murray to triumph at the BOSS OPEN in Stuttgart, before successfully defending his Cinch Championships title at the Queen’s Club in London a week later, his seventh tour-level crown.

    Despite frustratingly being forced to miss Wimbledon due to Covid-19, Berrettini can look back fondly on a grass season during which he won all nine of his matches to improve his career record on the surface to 32-6, a showing that put any doubts surrounding his injury recovery to bed. “I arrived in Stuttgart and was not feeling great,” said Berrettini, looking back after lifting the trophy in London. “I was not hitting the ball how I wanted and I was like ‘Guys, I think it is going to be tough’. But it has gone pretty well!”

    Red-Hot Kyrgios Doubles Up In D.C.
    A grass season full of promising performances from Kyrgios culminated in the Australian reaching his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, although he ultimately fell short in his attempts to stop Djokovic charging to his seventh crown at SW19.

    Kyrgios immediately bounced back from that disappointment when his North American hard-court season began in August at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. The show-stopping Australian claimed his seventh ATP Tour title with victory in the U.S. capital, where he also lifted the doubles crown alongside Jack Sock. “It’s just very emotional for me,” said Kyrgios after his singles win. “To see where I was at last year to now, it’s just an incredible transformation. I just came out with great energy.”

    Victories over then-World No.1 Daniil Medvedev in both Montreal and at the US Open were also highlights of an impressive stretch for the 27-year-old Kyrgios, who went 26-7 across the grass and North American hard-courts to rise to No. 20 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, having been No. 78 at the start of June.

    Carreno Busta Masters Montreal
    Carreno Busta’s frank description of 2022 as ‘one of the worst years’ of his career may have required some reassessment from the Spaniard after he strung together an inspired series of performances to claim his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal.

    Berrettini, Sinner and Hubert Hurkacz were among those swept aside by the 31-year-old on the Canadian hard courts in August. “It’s an amazing feeling to be a Masters 1000 winner,” said Carreno Busta after he defeated Hurkacz in three sets in the final. “It’s the best title of my career for sure and I don’t know how I’m feeling in this moment.”

    Coric Born-a Again In Cincinnati
    It was a long and painful road to his third ATP Tour title for former World No. 12 Coric. The Croatian underwent shoulder surgery in May 2021 and entered the draw at this year’s Western & Southern Open in August with a protected ranking after missing the majority of last season for his recovery.

    One week later and Coric was an ATP Masters 1000 champion, having stormed to the title in Cincinnati for the loss of just one set. The 25-year-old defeated Nadal, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Norrie en route to the final, where he completed an emotional championship match victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas. It was a first tour-level title since 2018 for Coric, who revealed he now has to dedicate an extra 30 to 90 minutes a day to prepare his shoulder for the rigours of life on Tour.

    Kohlschreiber, Querrey, Soares Wave Goodbye
    Eight-time Tour titlist Philipp Kohlschreiber brought his 20-year career to a close after failing to qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon in June. “The funny thing is, I really didn’t plan to announce it… I didn’t plan to go to Wimbledon and say maybe, maybe not,” said the German, who reached a career-high No. 16 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2012 and was a constant presence in the Top 100 between March 2006 and February 2021. “It was just that day I felt, ‘OK, it’s time.’”

    Former World No. 11 Sam Querrey also retired after falling in the first round at the US Open. The big-serving American lifted 10 tour-level singles trophies and notched an impressive 23 wins against Top 10 opponents during his career. “I was a pretty good big-match player,” said Querrey, whose last match was against Ilya Ivashka in New York. “I feel like the better the opponent, the better I played, and [I] had some great wins.”

    An illustrious doubles career also ended at Flushing Meadows, where six-time Grand Slam champion Bruno Soares announced the tournament would be his last on Tour. A hugely popular figure with fans and fellow players alike, the Brazilian won 545 tour-level matches and finished 2016 as one half of the year-end No. 1 doubles team, alongside Jamie Murray.

    Ram/Salisbury Take Hard-Court Honours
    Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury found their form on the North American hard courts to confirm their status as one of the game’s pre-eminent duos. American Ram and Briton Salisbury lifted their third ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Cincinnati in August before repeating the feat at the US Open, where they were the defending champions.

    Those successes saw Ram and Salisbury qualify for November’s Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year. The duo they defeated in the US Open championship match, Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings leaders and Montreal champions Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, had already become the first team to secure its spot at the season-ending showpiece with its first-round win in New York.

    [NEWSLETTER FORM]

  • Alcaraz Kept Awake Landaluce, Who Went On To Win US Open Boys’ Singles Title

    Alcaraz Kept Awake Landaluce, Who Went On To Win US Open Boys’ Singles Title

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    On Friday evening, Martin Landaluce was preparing for the biggest match of his life, the US Open Boys’ Singles final. But another match on television kept the Spaniard from going to sleep: Carlos Alcaraz’s enthralling five-set quarter-final against Frances Tiafoe.

    “I tried to sleep, but he was [on] the TV, so I couldn’t sleep in that moment. I just slept in the fifth,” Landaluce said of Alcaraz with a smile on his face. “But I was watching it. It was a great match. Yeah, both were playing good. I took some things from Alcaraz and from Tiafoe also.”

    Like his countryman Alcaraz did Friday, Landaluce earned a big win on Saturday. The 16-year-old, seeded fifth, defeated second seed Gilles Arnaud Bailly of Belgium 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-2 for the Boys’ Singles title.

    [ATP APP]

    “It was a great match. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I tried to enjoy the final. It’s a special moment, special tournament,” Landaluce said. “I tried one game plan at the beginning that went more or less good. But then in the third set I tried to change it, to be more solid, more consistent. I think that’s what gave me the match, the win.”

    There was a tough moment for the teen late in the second set. Bailly, 17, won a lengthy point in which he goaded Landaluce into an error to force a deciding set. Instead of suffering a letdown, Landaluce immediately bounced back to break at the start of the third set and never looked back.

    “It was the final of the US Open. How could I be down or something?” Landaluce said. “I was just trying to enjoy the moment, try to understand the situation, to change some little things to win the match.”

    Did You Know?
    Landaluce practised with Alcaraz during his run to the Mutua Madrid Open title earlier this year.

     

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  • Alcaraz To Make Nitto ATP Finals Debut

    Alcaraz To Make Nitto ATP Finals Debut

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    Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday became the second player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, joining fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The 19-year-old will compete in the season finale, to be played from 13-20 November in Turin, for the first time.

    Alcaraz clinched his place at the year-end championships when he defeated Jannik Sinner in the US Open quarter-finals. He will play in the Nitto ATP Finals one year after triumphing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. Alcaraz is the youngest player to qualify for the event since Nadal was a 19-year-old in 2005 (he did not play).

    The Spanish teen is second in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. However, he has an opportunity to leave Flushing Meadows as the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Alcaraz can achieve the feat by lifting his first major trophy or if he reaches the final and Casper Ruud does not.

    After triumphing in Milan last year, Alcaraz has taken his level to new heights in 2022. The pupil of former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero has rewritten the record books this season, becoming the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 titlist in the series’ history (since 1990) in Miami. The teen followed that up with a second Masters 1000 victory in Madrid, where he became the first player to beat Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the same clay-court event.

    Alcaraz also became the youngest ATP 500 champion in history in Rio de Janeiro, and lifted another ATP 500 trophy in Barcelona. By advancing to the US Open semi-finals, the Spaniard improved his record on the season to 49-9.

    Alcaraz will be the third Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion to compete in the Nitto ATP Finals. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Sinner have both accomplished the feat.

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