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  • Despite Slam Match Wins, Holt Knows Challenger Dues Must Be Paid

    Despite Slam Match Wins, Holt Knows Challenger Dues Must Be Paid

    Having won opening-round matches at the past two majors, Brandon Holt could be forgiven for wanting to spend less time on the ATP Challenger Tour and steel his focus on tour-level events.

    But at No. 199 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the 24-year-old American realises that he still has dues to pay before earning the right to play at the top echelon of the sport on a consistent basis. In fact, the son of former WTA World No. 1 Tracy Austin is thankful to be playing tennis at all.

    A career-threatening hand injury in 2021 nearly forced Holt to hang up his racquets and put his Real Estate Development degree to use. But now that he’s 100 per cent healthy, Holt is aiming towards more success on the Challenger Tour.

     

    “In 2021, I went to an ITF tournament in Tunisia and instantly started feeling pain in my hand,” Holt said. “I came home and went to the doctor and was told it was this, then it was that. It ended up being a tumour in my bone [osteoid osteoma] that was growing. They had to do surgery on it. It was like touch and go, they didn’t really know if I’d be able to play again.

    “If they did one wrong technique, they would basically burn the tendon, 50/50 chance they’d burn the tendon and never be able to play again. Then they opted to do a different [procedure], where they basically cut one-fourth of the bone out and repacked it in.

    “There was a while where I’d walk out of a doctor’s office thinking I would never play again. That was a tough time because I was like ‘My whole life I’ve dreamed of playing this sport and worked so hard for it and just because I have this thing in my hand means I can never play again.’”

    Holt has been enjoying a rapid rise up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings the past six months, which included two victories at the hard-court majors. At the Australian Open, the American advanced through qualifying and played back-to-back five setters before falling in the second round (l. Bautista Agut). The strong start to the year was a welcome sight to Holt, who was World No. 531 a year ago before embarking on his career-best season.

    In 2022, the California native made his first professional breakthrough at his home Slam, the US Open, where as a qualifier he defeated 10th seed Taylor Fritz. A few weeks before his Grand Slam upset, Holt was battling in qualifying at the Challenger Tour event in Chicago, Illinois and couldn’t have dreamed of a Top-15 win on Grandstand.

    His Flushing Meadows debut, which came 41 years after his mother’s second major title, quickly grabbed tennis fans’ attention.

    Growing up in a tennis family can lead to high expectations and immense pressure. But Holt said his childhood was a blessing and he’s thankful that his family helped him see tennis as a hobby first before it became his full-time occupation.

    “I think my parents did a really good job of raising my brothers [Dylan and Sean] and I to be really well-rounded people,” Holt said. “My parents weren’t the tennis parents that are too much. Growing up, there were a lot of times where we were like, ‘Look at that guy, he’s crazy!’ It was never that way with my family. My grandparents would bring me to every single match, they never missed a match. My whole family is really close.

    [ATP APP]

    “My parents did a good job of letting me play all the sports and focus on school. Tennis was never the priority growing up. It was never play tennis and everything else is secondary.”

    Holt’s family recalls him dragging a racquet everywhere at a young age. He would walk around the house swinging at anything, such as a chair or someone’s ankle. While Holt claims he used to make his coaches mad by constantly trying to attempt Gael Monfils’ incredible shotmaking rather than focusing on the assigned drills, it all turned out okay for the American. He went on to play college tennis at the University of Southern California, where he was a four-time ITA All-American before turning pro in 2020.

    “Going to college allowed me to get a lot stronger because you have a lot of time in the weight room,” Holt said. “It’s kind of hard when you’re on Tour to get a good training block, so college is like four years of consistently working out. Also, there [are] coaches that have a four year plan with your game. They’re like, ‘This is the player we think you can become.’ Then they have years to progress you to that point. You show up every day and they have one goal to get better and closer to that goal. They have a tailored plan for every player and I think that’s huge.”

    Still early in his young career, it’s only a matter of time before Holt is lifting his hands around his maiden Challenger Tour trophy and making more noise at the Grand Slams.

    [NEWSLETTER FORM]

  • Korda Beats Hurkacz In Epic 5th-Set Tie-break To Reach First Grand Slam QF

    Korda Beats Hurkacz In Epic 5th-Set Tie-break To Reach First Grand Slam QF

    Sebastian Korda earned the biggest win of his career Sunday when he battled past 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz in five gripping sets to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.

    The 29th seed advanced to the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time with a back-and-forth 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) victory against the Polish star. Korda will play Karen Khachanov for a place in the semi-finals.

    “Awesome. I couldn’t have done it without you guys. You guys pushed me through,” Korda told the crowd. “I wasn’t feeling too much energy towards the fourth and the fifth, but you guys really picked me up and without you guys I don’t think it would have been possible today, so thank you!”

    [ATP APP]

    The American claimed an upset in the third round when he ousted back-to-back Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev in a nearly flawless straight-sets display. He backed up that triumph with a gritty performance inside Rod Laver Arena against the the 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist.

    “It was difficult but I’m very happy with the way I kind of just stayed down, kept going through it,” he said.


    Sebastian Korda’s team, including coach Radek Stepanek, celebrate his victory. Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
    Korda is just the third American to reach the quarter-finals at the season’s first Grand Slam since Andy Roddick last accomplished the feat in 2010. Tennys Sandgren (twice) and Frances Tiafoe have also reached the last eight since.

    After four mostly straightforward sets, the decider was full of drama, with a maiden berth in the Australian Open quarter-finals on the line for both men. The tension was clear in Korda’s player box where Radek Stepanek, who is Korda’s coach and like an older brother to him, was out of his seat after nearly every point in the fifth set. The Czech was constantly encouraging his charge and at points in the match he tried to involve the fans, too.

    [BREAK POINT]

    Hurkacz earned two break points at 5-5. If the Pole converted, he would have served for his place in the quarter-finals. But Korda played with nerves of steel to escape trouble.

    In the deciding tie-break, there were momentum swings galore. Korda during one stretch won six consecutive points only to watch his lead slip away. But he never panicked, closing out his victory with a perfect backhand passing shot up the line.

    “[I] had a little superstition with the towel. The towel got me through it,” Korda said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. “Every time I went to the towel I won the point, so I just kept going to it.”

    Korda is known for his aggressive play, but interestingly Hurkacz won rallies of 0-4 shots by a 93-84 margin. In points longer than four shots, the American claimed a 62-51 edge. Both men broke serve three times.

    Korda will next try to earn his third consecutive ATP Head2Head win against Khachanov (Korda leads series 2-1). Their most memorable clash came at Wimbledon in 2021, when Khachanov triumphed 10-8 in the fifth set of a clash that featured 19 service breaks.

  • A Galtier striker ready to slam the door in January

    A Galtier striker ready to slam the door in January

    Passionate about sport, cinema and television (on screen and behind it) since childhood, Bernard has been a journalist for 10 Sport since 2018. More skilful with the keyboard in hand than with the ball, he decided to mainly cover a much-loved sport, criticized and hated both (football) and a sport that is not (wrestling).

    Returning from a successful loan to Sporting last summer, Pablo Sarabia hoped to relaunch at PSG despite the presence of Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi. Unfortunately for him, the Spanish international is struggling to convince and lacks playing time, prompting him to consider leaving in January.

    On loan in the summer of 2021 by the PSGPablo Sarabia took advantage of his time at Sporting CP to revive himself, he who was confined to a substitute role in the French capital. In Portugal, the 30-year-old striker therefore had the opportunity to shine, totaling 21 goals and 10 assists in 45 appearances. The return of the Spanish international to PSG was therefore seen with a good eye in a season marked by the World Cup in winter, but it is still struggling to impose itself.

    Sarabia disappointed with his playing time?

    With only 16 appearances for 4 starts since the start of the season, Pablo Sarabia struggles to be convincing under the orders of Christopher Galtier. The Spanish international is said to be frustrated with the situation and has made it known to his management according to The Team.

    Leaving in January?

    Thus, the departure of pablo Sarabia during the winter transfer window cannot be ruled out according to the sports daily. the PSG and his player should look into the matter during the first weeks of January before deciding, while the professionalism of the 30-year-old player would remain appreciated internally.

  • Wins For Americans Holt, Cressy, Korda Among Biggest Grand Slam Upsets Of 2022

    Wins For Americans Holt, Cressy, Korda Among Biggest Grand Slam Upsets Of 2022

    This week, ATPTour.com begins its annual season-in-review series, looking back at 2022’s best matches, biggest upsets, most dramatic comebacks and more. In this installment, we look back at the best upsets at the Grand Slams, featuring Americans Brandon Holt, Maxime Cressy and Sebastian Korda.

    5) Australian Open, R1, Korda d. Norrie 6-3, 6-0, 6-4
    More than the result itself, this upset makes the cut for the domination with which Sebastian Korda scored his first Aussie Open win. Playing in his first match of the 2022 season, the American cruised to victory behind immediate breaks in all three sets, dismissing the 12th seed in one hour, 42 minutes.

    A positive COVID-19 test forced Korda to withdraw from the Adelaide International I event in the first week of the season, and he made his way to Melbourne only after seven days of hotel isolation. But he quickly made up for lost time by improving to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head against Cameron Norrie.

    Norrie finished the 2021 season in great form, winning the Indian Wells title in October before making his Nitto ATP Finals debut as an alternate. While he would go on to break into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2022, he did not bring his best tennis to Melbourne — and Korda was in no mood to let him hang around and find it.

    Korda celebrated his statement victory in style with a scissor kick, in honour of his coach and father, 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda.

    “I am just super happy with the way I came out. I stuck with my tactics. They worked really well and [I am] really comfortable on these courts,” the rising star said post-match. “I think even in the tight situations I still stayed with it. I kept being aggressive, using my powerful strokes on these fast courts.”

    Then 21, Korda backed up that result with a fifth-set tie-break win against Corentin Moutet before falling to Pablo Carreno Busta in four sets.


    Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour

    4) Wimbledon, R1, Cressy d. Auger-Aliassime 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(9), 7-6(5)
    Beginning the year outside the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Maxime Cressy made waves early in the season in Australia. The Paris-born American reached the Melbourne Summer Set final as a qualifier and later reached the Australian Open fourth round, where he took a set off eventual finalist Daniil Medvedev. But Cressy’s serve-and-volley game is best suited for grass courts, and that’s where he scored the biggest win of his career (by ranking) against sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

    While knowledgable fans knew the net-rusher would be a tough out on the London lawns, the fact that the upset came in Cressy’s Wimbledon main-draw debut and earned him his first Top 10 win helped it make our list.

    In a flawless serving performance, the 25-year-old stayed true to his attacking credo by charging the net 134 times, winning 71 percent (95/134) of those points. He saved the only break point against him in the match and rose to the occasion in two tie-breaks — executing a stretch volley on match point — to continue his rapid rise.

    “It’s very special,” Cressy said after the victory. “Felix was incredibly focussed the whole match. I had to stay focussed until the end. I knew that I would maybe have a few match points and it gets super close. I knew I had to stay in the zone.

    After the match, Auger-Aliassime called Cressy “courageous” and a “deserving” winner, and predicted a rise into the Top 20 for the American. One month later, after winning his first ATP Tour title on the grass of Newport, Cressy reached a career-high of World No. 31.

    Maxime Cressy, Felix Auger-Aliassime
    Photo Credit: Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images

    3) Roland Garros, R1, Simon d. Carreno Busta 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-4
    Frenchman Gilles Simon extended his Roland Garros farewell with a memorable, late-night win against 16th seed Pablo Carreno Busta that kept the Court Simonne-Mathieu crowd in full voice until after 1 a.m. in Paris.

    Following a fast start, the 37-year-old Simon faded physically as his Spanish opponent ripped through the fourth set to level and lead 4-2 in the fifth. But with the raucous support of his home fans, the veteran found a second wind and turned the match around, winning its final four games to seal a famous result.

    “It was a crazy match, an unexpected win,” Simon said after earning his second tour-level victory of the 2022 season. “It’s the most unexpected win I could have. It was really hard for me to see myself as a winner today when I was just warming up and everything. I knew it would be really hard… When the match starts to turn crazy like this, it means you just have two players on the same level trying to give everything to win. Sometimes you win it and sometimes you lose it.”

    After earning his first Roland Garros win since 2019, Simon recorded his 500th career victory with a second-round triumph against Steve Johnson. He bowed out at his home Slam after a defeat to Marin Cilic in the third round and ultimately finished his career back in France at the Rolex Paris Masters in November — but not before a pair of three-set upsets against Andy Murray and Taylor Fritz.

    Gilles Simon
    Photo Credit: Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images

    2) US Open, R1, Galan d. Tsitsipas 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
    The only thing more stunning than this US Open upset was the ease with which qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan raced to a two-set lead against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Louis Armstrong Stadium. With nothing to lose, the fearless Colombian swung for the fences and totally dictated play, not allowing the then-World No. 5 a path into the match in the early stages.

    Tsitsipas entered the year’s final Grand Slam with a chance at the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking, but nearly went two sets without winning a game as Galan led 6-0, 5-0. 

    It was a scarcely believable start to the 26-year-old Colombian’s US Open main-draw debut, but the finish would prove far more challenging.

    The fourth-seeded Greek found his footing to take set three and led by a break in the fourth, but he was soon on the brink as Galan edged back ahead. It took nine match points, as Tsitsipas leaned on his serve to escape time and again, but Galan ultimately completed the job when a forehand error handed him the match-winning break.

    “Definitely one of the best moments of my career,” Galan said. “Definitely the best match of my career, not only because of the circumstances, also the opponent. I’m really happy.” 

    By claiming his first Top 20 win in seven tries, the Colombian sent Tsitsipas crashing out of New York in the opening round for the second time in five years. Galan backed up his victory with a five-set triumph against Aussie Jordan Thompson before falling to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in four sets in the third round.

    Daniel Elahi Galan
    Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images

    1) US Open, R1, Holt d. Fritz 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4
    Qualifier Brandon Holt carried on a family tradition of US Open success with a shock victory in a Grand Slam debut for the ages. The son of two-time US Open singles champ Tracy Austin, Holt won his first tour-level match in style by defeating his 10th-seeded countryman Taylor Fritz.

    Entering New York at No. 303 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Holt earned all three of his qualifying wins in deciding sets, twice recovering from a set down. He once again had his back to the wall against fellow California native Fritz, dropping the opening set despite roaring to a 5-2 lead.

    Holt then saved three set points at 5-6 in set two before running away with the tie-break and racing out to early leads in sets three and four. In each of the last two sets, Fritz cut a two-break deficit to one, but Holt stood tall to serve his way to a landmark victory on home soil.

    “I was excited to be playing my first main-draw match,” Holt said after an emotional embrace with his mother, who was courtside in the Grandstand. “I had pretty good momentum from playing three qualies matches in a row. I felt pretty match tough. I had a lot of fun, a lot of friends and family were on the court, in a big stadium. Biggest match I’ve played in so far.”

    Adding further significance to the victory was Holt’s injury scare one year earlier. Diagnosed with osteoid osteoma — a condition which caused an extra bone to grow in his hand — Holt underwent surgery in August 2021, keeping him out of action for eight months.

    The shock New York result was made all the more stunning by Fritz’s stellar close to the season, which saw him reach the Nitto ATP Finals semis in his tournament debut. For Holt, the victory remains his lone tour-level win.

  • 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.

    Ukraine crisis relief

    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’s Rapid Rise From ATP Challenger Tour To Grand Slam Champion

    Alcaraz’s Rapid Rise From ATP Challenger Tour To Grand Slam Champion

    Perhaps the next big tennis rivalry initially started on the ATP Challenger Tour.

    When Carlos Alcaraz made his Challenger Tour debut at 15-years-old, he defeated 17-year-old Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 at the Alicante Challenger in 2019. The Spaniard made history that day, becoming the first player born in 2003 to win an ATP match.

    This past week, Alcaraz and Sinner met for the fifth time in a thrilling quarter-final match at the US Open, where Alcaraz outlasted the Italian 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3 in the second-longest match in US Open history (five hours, 15 minutes). The two youngsters produced a high quality of tennis, battling until 2:50 a.m. local time.

    Alcaraz and Sinner have split their four ATP Tour-level meetings and the instant classic at Flushing Meadows proved that their matches will be must-watch television for years to come.

    [ATP APP]

    When the two met in a first-round match in Alicante three years ago, it was a display of some of the brightest teenage stars in the sport. It was that meeting on the clay courts of Spain that set that stage for their rivalry and the Challenger Tour is where both players embarked on their professional careers.

    “This shows me that I have the level to play with these players,” Alcaraz told ATPTour.com in 2019, when speaking about the ATP Challenger Tour. “These matches give me very important experience. I need to continue improving and I’m sure that these matches will only make me better.”

    Every player dreams of rising from the Challenger Tour to some day lifting a Grand Slam trophy. Alcaraz has done just that, from collecting his first Challenger title in August 2020 to triumphing at the US Open nearly two years later.

    The Spaniard, who is a four-time Challenger titlist, captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Alcaraz broke into the Top 100 after claiming the title at the Oeiras Challenger In May 2021 and after triumphing at Flushing Meadows this past week, the 19-year-old climbed to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. His rise to the top spot was rooted in early success on the ATP Challenger Tour.

    The Murcia native advanced through qualifying at the Trieste Challenger in August 2020, winning seven matches in nine days to claim his maiden Challenger title at 17. Rafael Nadal is the only Spaniard who has claimed a Challenger title at a younger age. The 22-time major champion captured his first title in Barletta, Italy as a 16-year-old and was two months younger than Alcaraz when he added a second crown on home soil in Segovia.

    Alcaraz
    Carlos Alcaraz (left) celebrates his first ATP Challenger Tour title with coach and former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. Credit: Citta di Trieste Challenger

    “There are a lot of points at stake at the Challenger level,” Alcaraz told ATPTour.com after winning the Trieste Challenger. “To play at such a high level against really good players… It’s good preparation for when I compete at the biggest tournaments.”

    Alcaraz continued building on his success, winning 10 consecutive matches in October 2020, when he captured two Challenger titles at home: Barcelona and Alicante.

    History Maker

    With his 🏆 in Barcelona, @alcarazcarlos03 becomes just the fifth-youngest player to win multiple #ATPChallenger titles.

    16y, 8m – Richard Gasquet
    17y, 1m – Felix Auger-Aliassime
    17y, 1m – Rafael Nadal
    17y, 3m – Bernard Tomic
    17y, 5m – Carlos Alcaraz pic.twitter.com/Vb8Equ7s2f

    Alcaraz made his Tour-level debut at the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro in February 2020, when he defeated countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The teenager was selected by fellow players as the Newcomer of the Year in the 2020 ATP Awards. The following season, Alcaraz triumphed in Umag, Croatia to capture his first ATP Tour title and won the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in November.

    Alcaraz boasts five ATP Tour titles in 2022, a season-leading 51-9 match record and is the World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

    Even the highest-ranked player in the sport began his professional journey on the ATP Challenger Tour.

    🔊🔊

    Former World No. 1 @juankiferri discusses his coaching tenure with surging 🇪🇸 teen Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest player in the ATP Rankings.

    🎥 @meftennisevents pic.twitter.com/OGNkIO2CV0

  • ‘Craziest Two Weeks’ Provide Grand Slam Belief

    ‘Craziest Two Weeks’ Provide Grand Slam Belief

    His 2022 US Open dream may have been ended by Carlos Alcaraz on Friday night, but Frances Tiafoe believes his run to the semi-finals in New York could be the start of something bigger.

    “I just proved that, honestly, I can play with the best obviously, and I’m capable of winning Grand Slams,” said Tiafoe after falling to the Spaniard in an epic five-setter at Flushing Meadows. “I think everyone knew when I play my best what I could do. But you know how close I can actually be to be one of those guys and to do this consistently.

    “Obviously through my career I’ve been pretty sporadic of playing well, veering off for a while. I’ve always backed myself against the best players in the world. I’m doing it on a consistent basis, starting to beat guys more readily. [I’m] ready to take the next step.”

    Tiafoe’s whirlwind fortnight in New York saw him become the only man to defeat Rafael Nadal at a major in 2022 with a fourth-round victory, before he reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final with a sublime straight-sets win against ninth seed Andrey Rublev.

    “I haven’t even let it soak in yet, honestly,” said the American. “But craziest two weeks of my life. Craziest two weeks of my life. Stuff you dream about doing.

    “[I] fell a little short. But, I mean, getting to the fourth round three years in a row, that’s already a good accomplishment. Beating Rafa, being the only player to beat Rafa in a Slam this year, the year he’s had. Him being in the race to be No. 1 in the world, shut that down.

    “Just saying you beat him in a Grand Slam… It’s not an easy task. To have my first time beating him here in New York in front of everybody and seeing what that meant, that was crazy.”

    Tiafoe believes a new approach to training and match preparation has been a key driver of his successes in New York.

    “I’m definitely falling in love with the process and doing the work much more,” said Tiafoe, who is set to break the Top 20 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday. “I’m working smarter, I’m understanding. I’ve always tried hard, but [I’m making] my weaknesses stronger, breaking down my game a lot more, and I am a student of the game again.

    “I always knew to put two weeks together is obviously the toughest thing in the world. That’s why only three guys were doing it for so long. After getting this deep, I understand how much rest is important during two weeks of slams. Again, I didn’t go out to dinner one time. Just resting. It’s tough. I mean, it’s definitely tough, three-out-of-five.”

    [NEWSLETTER FORM]

    Tiafoe’s exploits have captured the imagination of the home fans this fortnight. As it had during his triumphs against Nadal and Rublev, the support for Tiafoe from the stands contributed to a deafening atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium for his semi-final clash with Alcaraz. He and the Spaniard responded in kind, treating the crowd to a pulsating four-hour, 19-minute epic.

    “It was so electric,” said Tiafoe. “I mean, the tennis definitely matched the hype of the match. Unbelievable shot-making, gets, extending points, crazy shots, I mean, at crazy times.

    “I was getting riled up. People love to see that guy play, so they were getting behind him, too. Obviously, I would have loved to win tonight, but I think tennis won tonight. I think the crowd got what they expected. I just wish I was the one who got the W.”

    Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, was among Tiafoe’s supporters in the crowd during Saturday’s semi-final. For Tiafoe, her presence added another surreal element to an already whirlwind fortnight.

    “[It was] crazy getting to meet her after,” said the 24-year-old. “[I’ve] seen her before, but it’s a little bit different circumstance. She sees me and she’s actually excited to see me. Yeah, unbelievable. Unbelievable night.”

    Ukraine crisis relief

    Tiafoe was full of praise for Alcaraz, who will take on Casper Ruud in Sunday’s championship match. Should the Spaniard triumph and lift his maiden Grand Slam crown, he will also become the youngest No. 1 spot in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

    “I think it’s going to be very tough to play him [in future],” said Tiafoe. “He’s one of the best players in the world, for sure. He’s so young. He hits the ball so hard. I never played a guy who moves as well as him, honestly. I’ve seen him get a lot of balls, but I was hitting some drop volleys that I’ve been hitting. He’s getting there. How he’s able to extend points, incredible.

    “He’s a hell of a player. He’s going to be a problem for a very long time.”

    [ATP APP]

    One particularly positive sign for Tiafoe moving forward is the way he handled the high-pressure moments during his run in New York. The 22nd seed won eight from eight tie-breaks he played across his six matches this fortnight, including two against Alcaraz on Friday.

    “I don’t know,” said Tiafoe, when asked about the secret behind his tie-break success. “I guess the breakers are just making sense. I really don’t know what to say. Usually in the other breakers, I was serving huge. Today I wasn’t serving so well at all. So, I was playing really well from the back.

    “To seven points, you can get a little rhythm. If you get hot early, get on the guy. Plus the crowd’s behind me. You know, the guy gets a little nervous.

    “It’s not easy to go 8-0 in breakers. I played a lot in this tournament. I wish the fifth [set] was a breaker, because maybe I would have been 9-and-0.”

  • US Open Day 4 Preview: Nadal’s Perfect Slam Streak On The Line

    US Open Day 4 Preview: Nadal’s Perfect Slam Streak On The Line

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    Rafael Nadal takes a perfect 20-0 Grand Slam winning streak in 2022 into Day Four at the US Open, where he will take on Italian veteran Fabio Fognini, who stunned the Spaniard inside Arthur Ashe stadium seven years ago. Nadal continues his pursuit of the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Rankings Thursday, as does his 19-year-old countryman Carlos Alcaraz.

    ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch on Day Four at Flushing Meadows.

    1) Rafa Aims To Avenge 2015 US Open Loss To Fognini:
    Rafael Nadal, who won his opening match in four sets against Australian Rinky Hijikata, has lost only twice in Grand Slams from two sets to love up. Fabio Fognini made history at the 2015 US Open, when he became the first to accomplish the rare comeback (Tsitsipas accomplished the same feat at ‘21 Australian Open). The 22-time major champion will be determined to avoid any similar history making feats by the Italian, who came from two sets down Tuesday in the opening round.

    Despite that loss seven-years ago, Nadal has won eight of his past nine meetings with Fognini, and leads the ATP Head2Head 13-4. The four-time US Open titlist is the current No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and is chasing his third major crown of 2022 in just his second tournament back from suffering an abdominal injury at Wimbledon.

    “Things are not perfect when you are not competing very often,” Nadal said. “When you come back from injury. You need to be humble enough to go through this process and accept that you need to fight and you need to accept that you are going to suffer.”

    Victory will see Nadal become the firs singles player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be played 13-20 November in Turin, Italy. Nadal is also looking to break a tie with John McEnroe on 65 match wins at the US Open to move into outright seventh place on the men’s match-wins leaders board at Flushing Meadows.

    Fognini completed his record-equalling 10th comeback from two sets to love down Tuesday, when he defeated Aslan Karatsev to advance to the second round. The 35-year-old celebrated his 400th tour-level win this past month in Hamburg and will now look for his first victory over a Top-10 player since he beat Nadal in Monte Carlo in 2019.

    [ATP APP]

    2) Three Seeded Players Meet Home Favourites:
    When players go toe-to-toe against Americans in New York, they often have a second opponent: the home crowd. Grigor Dimitrov, seeded 17th, is among four seeded players facing Americans Thursday. He will tackle #NextGenATP Brandon Nakashima. The Bulgarian won their only meeting in Rome earlier this season.

    World No. 13 Jannik Sinner meets Christopher Eubanks, who advanced through qualifying and claimed his maiden Grand Slam main-draw win on Tuesday. Cincinnati champion Borna Coric, seeded 25th, will expect lengthy rallies as he goes against Jenson Brooksby, who reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows last year. Frances Tiafoe rounds out the home hopes in action Thursday, when he takes on Australian Jason Kubler.

    3) Alcaraz Continues Quest For Maiden Slam & World No. 1:
    Carlos Alcaraz’s rise up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this year has been a storyline to the 2022 season. This fortnight, he has a chance to climb to the top spot. Should the Spaniard make it as far as the final in New York, the 19-year-old will have a chance of becoming the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on 12 September.

    Alcaraz goes head-to-head with Argentine Federico Coria Thursday, their second meeting. Coria needed three sets to win in Rio de Janeiro in 2020. Should Alcaraz advance, he would tie Stefanos Tsitsipas for a season record 46 wins.

    4)Top-10 Seeds Norrie, Hurkacz, Rublev In Action:
    Cameron Norrie, who boasts 42 wins this season, aims to build on his comfortable win against Benoit Paire when he meets Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the second round. Hubert Hurkacz, fresh off a straight-sets victory, hopes to continue his summer hard-court success when he goes against Ilya Ivashka.

    Andrey Rublev, who needed five sets to get through his opening round match against Laslo Djere, meets Soonwoo Kwon for the fourth-time this season (Rublev 3-0).

    5) #NextGenATP Star Musetti Sets Sights On Third Round:
    Lorenzo Musetti, 20, battled through a first-round match against David Goffin, triumphing in a fifth-set tie-break. Musetti encounters Dutchman Gijs Brouwer, who advanced through qualifying and earned his maiden Grand Slam victory Tuesday over Winston-Salem champion Adrian Mannarino.

    Musetti, who reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2021, attempts to surpass last year’s result at Flushing Meadows, where he was ousted in the second round by Reilly Opelka.

    [NEWSLETTER FORM]

      

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  • Holt Stuns Fritz In Sparkling Grand Slam Debut

    Holt Stuns Fritz In Sparkling Grand Slam Debut

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    American qualifier Brandon Holt claimed a statement win in his main-draw Grand Slam debut Monday night at the US Open, upsetting 10th-seeded countryman Taylor Fritz 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4 to charge into the second round at Flushing Meadows.

    Holt, 24, the son of two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin, had not won a Tour-level match coming into the tournament. The World No. 303 had to win through qualifying at the ATP Challenger Tour level in Chicago in his final tournament before playing US Open qualifying.

    Holt turned professional in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic began. Last year, Holt began to feel pain in his hand, which troubled him for months. After several doctor visits, he learned an osteoid osteoma, an extra bone growing on his fourth metacarpal.

    The American had two options to deal with it, and chose the more invasive, but safer option. After undergoing the operation in August, Holt did not play the rest of 2021.

    Holt will play the winner of Argentine Pedro Cachin and Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene.

      

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