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Alcaraz’s ‘dream’ Wimbledon can signal changing of the guard
Alcaraz ended Djokovic's run of four successive Wimbledon titles with an epic 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory in a final for the ages on Sunday. The 20-year-old wore down Djokovic over four hours and 42 minutes of unrelenting drama on Centre Court, clinching his first Wimbledon crown and the second major title of his career. After two decades of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominating the sport, Alcaraz says his victory could be the start of a new era. "It's a dream. I'm 20. I didn't experience many moments like this. Making history like I did today, it's the happiest moment of my life," Alcaraz said. "Beating Novak at his best on this stage, making history, being the guy to beat him after 10 years unbeaten on this court is amazing for me. "It's great for the new generation to see me beating him and make them think they are capable of doing it as well. It's great for me, and the young players as well." When Djokovic won his first major at the Australian Open in 2008, Alcaraz was still three months shy of his fifth birthday. But with Federer retired and Nadal close to the end of his glittering career, Alcaraz has emerged as Djokovic's biggest challenger. Alcaraz, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, has replaced the Serb at the top of the world rankings and his Wimbledon victory may hasten the emergence of a new generation to replace the "Big Three". "Beating Novak, winning Wimbledon is something I dreamed about since I start playing tennis," Alcaraz said. Djokovic was aiming for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and could also have matched Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24 Grand Slam singles crowns. Instead, the 36-year-old leaves Wimbledon licking his wounds after beating over-powered by the relentless Alcaraz. In an ominous warning to Djokovic, Alcaraz said his All England Club win can provide a foundation for more success when they meet again. 'I grew up a lot' -"Probably before today I didn't think I was ready to beat Djokovic in five sets in an epic match like this, to stay good physically and mentally against a legend like Djokovic," Alcaraz. "I will remember this moment in other Grand Slams and think I am ready to play five sets against him. It probably changed my mind a bit." Alcaraz's previous clash with Djokovic had ended in defeat in the French Open semi-finals in June, when the Spaniard fell apart after suffering stress-related cramping. Learning from that painful loss, he held his nerve superbly this time. "I am such a different player since the French Open. I grew up a lot. I took lessons from that match. I prepared a little bit differently mentally," he said. "I handled the nerves better than I did at the French Open. I fought until the last ball. It was a long match. The mental part allowed me to stay there for five sets. "If I had lost the second set probably I couldn't have got the trophy, I would probably have lost in straight sets. That gave me a lot of motivation." Djokovic's frustration at Alcaraz's stubborn resistance boiled over when he smashed his racquet against the net post after being broken in the final set. But the Serb had no complaints about the defeat and even labelled Alcaraz a combination of himself, Federer and Nadal. Asked about that glowing tribute, the ultra-confident Alcaraz said: "It's crazy that Novak say that. But I consider myself a really complete player. "I have the shots, the strength physically, the strength mentally. "Probably he's right. But I don't want to think about it. I'm the full Carlos Alcaraz, let's say." smg/dj © 1994-2023 Agence France-Presse The post Alcaraz’s ‘dream’ Wimbledon can signal changing of the guard appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘It’s why I keep playing’: Wawrinka rolls back years in French Open marathon
Former champion Stan Wawrinka shrugged off his 38 years to reach the French Open second round on Monday, winning a five-set marathon against Albert Ramos-Vinolas which stretched to four hours and 35 minutes, and said: "It's why I keep playing". Wawrinka, ranked 89 in the world, came through 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 1-6, 6-4, and will next face Australia's world number 108 Thanasi Kokkinakis after winning a match at Roland Garros for the first time since 2020. Playing out on the semi-sunken Court 14 arena, the Swiss veteran fired 76 winners and committed 79 unforced errors in an all-out attacking performance which brought back memories of his 2015 title triumph in Paris. "It's one of the big reasons why I keep playing is to relive those emotions," said Wawrinka. "I think it was special today again to be here, a lot of support, a lot of fans here. It helped me a lot to stay in the match and to keep fighting for it. "I always try to make it special, try to have a connection with the people, with the fans, because as I say, it's one of the main reasons why I keep playing and I want to enjoy it as much as possible." With 14-time champion Rafael Nadal sidelined from the tournament for the first time since 2004 through injury, Wawrinka is one of only two champions in the draw -- the other is Novak Djokovic, the title winner in 2016 and 2021. "I won here many years ago, a long time ago. I was much younger and playing different tennis," said Wawrinka. "But it's always going to be special to be back here and always have that memory about 2015." Wawrinka, a three-time major winner, has been battling a series of knee injuries in recent years. The former world number three missed four successive majors after the 2021 Australian Open before returning to Paris last year. However, he was defeated in the first round at the French Open and then at Wimbledon, the US Open, and this year's Australian Open. Wawrinka and Kokkinakis, a player who has waged his own injury battles in recent years, have never met. "When he's healthy, like he's been this year, he's always a dangerous player," said Wawrinka. The post ‘It’s why I keep playing’: Wawrinka rolls back years in French Open marathon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Alcaraz claims back-to-back Barcelona titles
Carlos Alcaraz brushed aside Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets on Sunday to claim a second successive Barcelona title and hammer home his status as likely successor to Rafael Nadal as French Open champion. The 19-year-old world number two won 6-3, 6-4 to bag his third trophy of 2023, after winning in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells, and the ninth of his career. With 14-time French Open champion Nadal sidelined since January with a hip injury and world number one and two-time Roland Garros winner Novak Djokovic struggling with an elbow problem, Alcaraz reinforced his credentials as a major contender to add the clay-court Grand Slam title to the US Open he captured last year. On Sunday, his only blip was dropping serve in the third game of the match. From that point on, Alcaraz powered to a 79-minute triumph against the world number five, his fourth win in four meetings with the Greek. Tsitsipas has now lost three finals in Barcelona after losing to Nadal in 2018 and 2021. "It is incredible," Alcaraz said. "To feel this energy and lift the trophy in Barcelona in front of my family and friends, and most members of my team are here as well. "Playing this level and to lift the trophy in front of them is a good feeling for me." After Tsitsipas broke for a 2-1 lead, Alcaraz won five of the next six games to take charge. His flamboyant shotmaking delighted his home crowd before a solitary break in the fifth game of the second set proved decisive. "Me and my team were talking before the match about staying relaxed," said Alcaraz who raced to the title without dropping a set. "To want to play the tough moments, staying relaxed is the most important part for me. To forget the mistakes, everything and be myself on court. Not to think about all the people watching, but just me, the court, the racquet, and the final." Alcaraz now heads to the Madrid Masters where he is also defending champion. The post Alcaraz claims back-to-back Barcelona titles appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gauff defeats Sabalenka to win US Open crown
American teenager Coco Gauff came from behind to win the US Open on Saturday, clinching her first Grand Slam title with a battling win over Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Gauff, 19, produced a gutsy performance on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2hr 6min to complete a fairytale transformation in her season's fortunes. The sixth seed from Florida had gone into the final as the underdog against the hard-hitting second seed Sabalenka, who will become world number one in next week's rankings. But with both players making a slew of mistakes throughout an error-strewn final watched by a record crowd of 28,143 it was Gauff who held her nerve when it mattered to seal a deserved victory. The win completed a remarkable turnaround for Gauff, who was left distraught after a first round exit at Wimbledon in July. However she bounced back to win titles in Washington and Cincinnati and has now landed the biggest win of her career, after a shattering loss at the French Open last year. "It means so much to me," an elated Gauff said afterwards. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment. "That French Open loss (last year) was a heartbreak for me. That makes this moment even sweeter than I could imagine." Gauff, the third American teenager to win the US Open after Tracy Austin and Serena Williams, also used her victory speech to thank those who doubted her talent. "Honestly thank you to the people who didn't believe in me," she joked. "To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, they were putting gas on my fire and I'm burning so bright right now." - First set struggle - Gauff was in trouble in the opening game, Sabalenka breaking her straight away with a rasping backhand that drew a roar of "Come On!" from the Belarusian. She held easily to take a 2-0 lead but Gauff then took advantage of a shaky service game from Sabalenka to break at 2-2 in the fourth. The Belarusian double-faulted twice to allow Gauff to get back on level terms. But that hard-won parity was surrendered in the next game as Sabalenka broke back to go 3-2 ahead. Sabalenka then wobbled on her own serve once more as Gauff eked out two break points in the sixth game. But Sabalenka got it back to deuce with an ace and then took a 4-2 lead with an emphatic smash. Gauff's problems on serve continued and Sabalenka broke for the third time to race 5-2 ahead, and she duly wrapped up the set by holding in the next game. Yet with the match threatening to become a rout, Gauff finally clicked into gear in the second set, making fewer unforced errors and ironing out the kinks in her serve. Instead it was Sabalenka who began to show signs of brittleness as the tension mounted. She double-faulted to hand Gauff the only break of the set and a 3-1 lead. Gauff fended off a break point in the next game to hold for 4-1 and went on to hold for the remainder of the set to level the match when Sabalenka smacked a forehand long. The momentum remained firmly with Gauff in the final set and she secured another crucial break in the opening game when she put away an underhit Sabalenka lob with a smash. Gauff then held easily for a 2-0 lead as Sabalenka struggled to regain any semblance of composure. She coughed up four unforced errors to gift Gauff a break and a 3-0 lead, and the American then held with ease to go 4-0 up. Sabalenka stopped the rot by holding serve in the fifth game, before taking a medical timeout to receive treatment on her left thigh. Gauff was in no mood to let her grip on the match slip though. Although Sabalenka held and broke Gauff to cut the lead to 4-2, Gauff hit back when Sabalenka double-faulted to present a break point. Gauff cashed in to break and grab a 5-2 lead and then swept to victory in the next game, holding to love with a backhand winner. rcw/mw © Agence France-Presse The post Gauff defeats Sabalenka to win US Open crown appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Djokovic wants ‘integrity, tradition’ protected in Saudi tennis deal
Novak Djokovic warned Saturday that the "integrity and tradition" of tennis must be preserved should the sport strike a tournament deal with Saudi Arabia. Both the ATP and WTA, which run the money-spinning men's and women's tours, have been targeted by the Saudis despite accusations that the Gulf kingdom is attempting to "sportswash" their human rights record. The country has been signing up veteran football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to play in their domestic league and are bankrolling English club Newcastle. Saudi Arabia also caused shockwaves in golf with its financing of the rebel LIV series and already hosts a Formula One Grand Prix. "I think that we as individual sport on a global level are probably closest to golf in terms of how we see sports," 23-time major winner Djokovic said at Wimbledon. "I think from that example we can probably learn a lot, some positives, some negatives, and try to structure a deal -- if it's going in that direction -- that it is going to protect the integrity and tradition and history of this sport, but still be able to grow it in such way that it will be appropriate." WTA chief executive Steve Simon said Friday that his organization is evaluating the "challenging topic" of taking the sport to Saudi Arabia. The country has been linked with hosting the flagship end-of-season WTA Championships. "It's a very difficult and challenging topic that is being measured by many groups right now," Simon said. "In February I went to Saudi Arabia to see it for myself. We took a couple of players and some reps as well. We wanted to see what the change was." ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has said the men's tour has had "positive" discussions with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund about a potential deal. That announcement drew criticism from tennis legends John McEnroe and Chris Evert. Former world number one Andy Murray, who has refused to play exhibitions in Saudi Arabia despite the offer of mind-boggling sums of money, said that it would be a "different, difficult question" if the tournaments were official tour events. "When you start missing them, you obviously get penalized for that. It's definitely something I would have to think about. Unfortunately it's the way that a lot of sports seem to be going now," said the British star. - 'Play wherever WTA decides' - Women's world number one Iga Swiatek said she was still waiting to see if a WTA deal with the Saudis is finalized. "It's hard to know what is the rumor and what's not," said Swiatek but added "I'll be ready to play wherever the WTA decides we're going to play." Swiatek, the reigning US Open and French Open champion, has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia. Although the 22-year-old Pole admitted she hasn't thought about the potential pitfalls of Saudi Arabia, she believes she and her peers can have an influence on any decision. "I was more thinking what I can do as an individual player. For sure we as a community, I feel like we have some power, we could use that," she said. dj/ea © Agence France-Presse The post Djokovic wants ‘integrity, tradition’ protected in Saudi tennis deal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
How to be a professional tennis player?
After R. Nadal beat N. Djokovic in the quarter-final of the French Open, it certainly ignited a spark among youngsters to play tennis. Athletes like.....»»
Nadal beats Ruud to win record-extending 14th French Open title
PARIS - Rafael Nadal cruised to a record-extending 14th French Open title in style, sweeping Casper Ruud of Norway 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in a one-sided final here on Sunday.By capturing his 22nd Grand Slam trophy, the Spaniard, who turned 36 on Friday, moved further clear of Novak Djokovic and Roger.....»»
Rafael Nadal to face Novak Djokovic in French Open q finals
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Djokovic conquers Everest and eyes 52-year landmark at French Open
Novak Djokovic can become the first man in 52 years to win all four Grand Slam titles twice in the French Open final on Sunday after conquering Rafael Nadal, the 'Mount Everest' of Roland Garros......»»
Djokovic conquers ‘Everest’, eyes 52-year landmark at French Open
Novak Djokovic can become the first man in 52 years to win all four Grand Slam titles twice in the French Open final on Sunday after conquering Rafael Nadal, the ‘Mount Everest’ of Roland Garros. World number one Djokovic takes on Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title with tennis history on the line. Victory for […] The post Djokovic conquers ‘Everest’, eyes 52-year landmark at French Open appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Djokovic to Nadal: Let& rsquo;s have a great battle
Paris—Novak Djokovic said facing Rafael Nadal for the 58th time on Friday, with a place in the French Open final on the line, will be “a great battle” against his “biggest ever rival”......»»
Nadal, Djokovic sail through
Novak Djokovic survived a five-set scare while Rafael Nadal shone in the Paris sun as the two Grand Slam heavyweights reached the French Open quarterfinals for the 15th time, stalling the advance of tennis’s next generation......»»
Djokovic survives, Nadal cruises
Paris—Novak Djokovic survived a five-set scare while Rafael Nadal shone in the Paris sun as the two Grand Slam heavyweights reached the French Open quarter-finals for the 15th time, stalling the advance of tennis’s next generation......»»
Federer ponders withdrawal; Djokovic, Nadal set new landmarks
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Nadal, Djokovic eye history as French Open settles down for quiet night in
Nadal, Djokovic eye history as French Open settles down for quiet night in.....»»
Nadal, Djokovic eye history as Roland Garros embraces quiet night in
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will set their sights on more Grand Slam history at Roland Garros as the French Open embraces a new and eerily empty era of nighttime tennis......»»
‘Blew me off court’: Djokovic suffers heaviest loss to lucky loser Sonego in Vienna
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego during their quarter-final match of the ATP tennis tournament in Vienna, Austria, on October 30, 2020. (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT Novak Djokovic suffered his heaviest ever defeat in a three-set match on Friday when he was knocked out of the Vienna ATP tournament by lucky loser Lorenzo Sonego, stalling his bid to wrap up the year-end world number one ranking for a sixth time. Italian Sonego, ranked 42 and who had intially lost in qualifying last weekend, is the first lucky loser ever to beat Djokovic. His 6-2, 6-1 quarterfinal stunner was 33-year-old Djokovic’s heaviest ever defeat. The only other time the Serb had won just three games was at the 2005 Australian Open at the hands of Marat Safin in a best-of-five set encounter. “He just blew me off the court, that’s all,” Djokovic told atptour.com. “He was better in every segment of the game. It was a pretty bad match from my side, but amazing from his side. “He definitely deserved this result,” added the Serb star who was playing his first tournament since his Roland Garros final defeat to Rafal Nadal three weeks ago. Friday’s defeat means Djokovic will have to wait a little longer before he completes the formality of equalling Pete Sampras’s all-time record of ending the season top of the rankings for a sixth time. “For sure it’s the best victory of my life. Novak is the best in the world. Today I played so, so good,” Sonego said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s amazing. I played the best match in my life. I’m so happy for this.” Sonego fired 26 winners past the Serb who lost for only the third time in 2020. Djokovic, a 17-time major champion, managed just seven winners against 25 unforced errors. Sonego goes on to face either Britain’s Dan Evans or Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria for a place in the final. Second seed and defending champion Dominic Thiem also lost Friday, going down 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 to Russian world number eight Andrey Rublev. Rublev hit 30 winners past the US Open champion and goes on to face South Africa’s Kevin Anderson for a place in the final. “I came here with the mood that I have nothing to lose,” said Rublev who is chasing a fifth title of the year. “I had already a really great season. I came here with zero expectations, just wanting to do my best. To try to fight every match. At the end, I am here in the semi-finals.” Anderson made the semifinals by accounting for Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 (7/5). It was 2018 champion Anderson’s first top 10 win in two years......»»
Nadal routs Djokovic for 13th French Open, record-equalling 20th Grand Slam
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Rafa uncle: French Open conditions favor Novak
Paris—Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, believes the rain and cold of Roland Garros in the autumn plays right into the hands of world number one Novak Djokovic......»»
Rafa is French Open favorite, says Novak
Rome—Rafael Nadal remains “number one favorite” for Roland Garros, rival Novak Djokovic said Monday, despite saying the Spaniard’s last-eight exit at the Italian Open showed he can be beaten on clay......»»