Jannik Sinner over the past two days has announced he has split with longtime coach Riccardo Piatti and hired Simone Vagnozzi.

“Happy to announce I’ll be working with Simone Vagnozzi as my coach moving forward and he will be heading up my team,” Sinner wrote Thursday. “Currently we have no plans to add any more team members at this time but we will review the situation as we go. Excited to get started on this new chapter, forza.”

Vagnozzi has previously worked with Italians Marco Cecchinato — who in 2018 reached the Roland Garros semi-finals — and Stefano Travaglia.

Sinner had worked with Piatti since his early teens. He moved from San Candido, near the Austrian border, to train at Piatti’s academy. Since then he has climbed as high as No. 9 in the ATP Rankings.

“After many successful years together, my coaching team and I have decided to part ways. I’d like to thank Riccardo, Dalibor, Claudio, Andrea, Cristian, and Gaia for everything they have done for me from the beginning of my career until now,” Sinner wrote Wednesday. “Riccardo especially, he taught me many things that will forever remain a part of my tennis.

“Many special memories were made and I’ll always look back on the time we spent together fondly.”

Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva played the final match of his 19-year career on Wednesday, when the 38-year-old and countryman Orlando Luz lost against doubles stars Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the first round of the Rio Open presented by Claro.

“I feel great. It was a perfect way to end my ATP career, with the crowd full,” Dutra Silva said. “Everybody is here, family, friends and [I was able] to play against one of my best friends on Tour, so it was the best scenario to end my career.”

^{Photo Credit: fotojump}
Dutra Silva reached a career-high No. 63 in the ATP Rankings in 2017 and a career-best No. 84 in the ATP Doubles Rankings in 2018. He is a four-time ATP Tour singles quarter-finalist.

The Brazilian found some of his best tennis later in his career, winning his only tour-level title in doubles in 2017, when he lifted the Sao Paulo trophy alongside Andre Sa. Dutra Silva also made the 2012 Hamburg championship match with Daniel Munoz de la Nava and the 2019 Rio de Janeiro final with Thomaz Bellucci.

“I’m such a lucky guy to have a lot of really good moments,” Dutra Silva said. “I think the Olympic games here in Rio were really awesome. When I made the final here as well a few years ago was very good.”

The 38-year-old was always a fighter on court, earning two of his five major main draw singles wins from two sets down. The Brazilian said this might not be the last he sees of the ATP Tour.

“Now it’s some time off, but I want to be a coach on the ATP Tour,” Dutra Silva said. “Let’s see in a few years if I can come back and still work at ATP tournaments.”

Rafael Nadal welcomed a new addition to his Mallorca academy this week. After his peers selected him for the 2021 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in December, the newly crowned Australian Open champion has now received the hardware in Spain.

The 2021 trophy has been given pride of place in the academy’s Rafa Nadal Museum, alongside his four previous sportsmanship awards. First receiving the accolade in 2010, the 21-time Grand Slam champion has now been selected for the honour in four consecutive years.

“I can’t be happier to receive one more time the Sportsmanship Award from my colleagues on the Tour,” Nadal said when the 2021 ATP Awards were announced. “It means a lot to me, so thanks a lot to every player that thinks that I am the right one to receive this award.”

The Melbourne ATP 250 title Nadal won in January has also gone on display in the museum.

Traditionally one of the most hectic months on the ATP Tour, there has never been a shortage of hot shots in February to delight fans. Join us as we look back on 10 of the very best February hot shots from the past five years.

Among the highlights are a lasered forehand pass from Rafael Nadal on the run in Acapulco (2017), a sumptuous Roger Federer pass on the half-volley in Rotterdam (2018) and a magnificent display of court coverage as Novak Djokovic turns defense to offense in Doha (2019).

The full list of players making the cut includes (in order of appearance): Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti, Jannik Sinner, Diego Schwartzman, Djokovic, Radu Albot, Borna Coric, Fabio Fognini, Federer and Nadal.

Video not available in U.S.A., Canada, Japan, Argentina.

The common perception is that Rafael Nadal engages in significantly longer points in his matches than the rest of the Tour.

Not so Down Under.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of rally length from the 2022 Australian Open uncovered that Nadal – who won the tournament – averaged a rally length of 4.4 shots through seven matches. The tournament average was 4.2 shots per rally.

Imperceptible.

Nadal averaged right at 4.2 shots per rally to the final, but a bruising five-set epic against Daniil Medvedev yielded an average rally length of 5.6 shots in the final. Nadal’s match with the shortest average rally length was 3.1 shots per point against Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals. Average rally length data is only collected on the main show courts at the Australian Open, with 78 men’s matches and 84 women’s matches included in the data set.

Nadal has consistently averaged 4.4 shots per rally in Melbourne for the last three seasons and was below that at 3.9 shots in 2018 and 2019.

Australian Open – Average Rally Length
• 2022 = 4.4 shots
• 2021 = 4.4 shots
• 2020 = 4.4 shots
• 2019 = 3.9 shots
• 2018 = 3.9 shots

Nadal played two matches at the 2022 Australian Open in the three-shot rally range, four in the four-shot range, and just one averaging five shots or longer.

2022 Australian Open: Rafael Nadal Average Rally Length

• Rd 1 vs. M. Giron = 4.75 shots
• Rd 2 vs. Y. Hanfmann = 4.87 shots
• Rd 3 vs. K. Khachanov = 4.16 shots
• Rd 4 vs. A. Mannarino = 3.53 shots
• Q vs. D. Shapovalov = 3.11 shots
• S vs. M. Berrettini = 4.51 shots
• F vs. D. Medvedev = 5.56 shots
• Average = 4.36 shots

Nadal’s forehand was the prime-mover from the back of the court in Melbourne this year, producing more winners, and also more errors than his backhand wing. When you factor in winners minus errors, the forehand side shined the brightest.

• Nadal Forehands: 127 winners / 225 errors = -98
• Nadal Backhands: 50 winners / 173 errors = -123

What’s fascinating is that the women’s average rally length at the 2022 Australian Open was slightly shorter than the men this year.

• Women’s Average Rally Length = 4.09 shots
• Men’s Average Rally Length = 4.12 shots

Ash Barty won her first home Slam title, averaging a brisk 3.44 shots through her seven matches.

2022 Australian Open: Ash Barty Average Rally Length
• Rd 1 vs. L. Tsurenko = 4.40 shots
• Rd 2 vs. L. Bronzetti = 4.08 shots
• Rd 3 vs. C. Giorgi = 2.78 shots
• Rd 4 vs. A. Anisimova = 3.07 shots
• Qtr’s vs. J. Pegula = 4.17 shots
• Semi’s vs. M. Keys = 3.41 shots
• Final vs. D. Collins = 3.44 shots
• Average = 3.62 shots

There is no “ideal” average rally length for players on tour, as we see victory and defeat existing at both ends of the rally length spectrum. Variables such as temperature, weather conditions, court speed, type of ball, and even day versus evening matches are all factors to consider to develop the right game style and average rally length.

But this specific metric does serve as a solid guide to pinpoint if players are being patient or aggressive or employing the right strategy against an opponent who you already know thrives at a specific rally length.

Felix Auger-Aliassime extended his winning streak to six matches on Thursday at the Open 13 Provence, moving past French wild card Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(2), 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals in Marseille.

The Canadian captured his maiden tour-level title in Rotterdam last week and backed up that impressive run with a solid display against the former World No. 5. Auger-Aliassime fired seven aces and won 83 per cent (33/40) of his first-serve points to triumph after one hour and 45 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“I had three days to rest and recover and is a situation we are used to,” Auger-Aliassime said in his on-court interview. “I am confident, so I can not complain. It is better to play more matches than less but it was definitely [important] to refocus and I try and get this first win today.”

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The third seed, currently at a career-high No. 9 in the ATP Rankings, is now 13-3 on the season, after also advancing to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January. The 21-year-old helped guide Canada to the ATP Cup title and has earned Top 10 wins against Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2022.

Auger-Aliassime reached the final in Marseille in 2020 (l. to Tsitsipas) and will next face World No. 49 Ilya Ivashka.

In other action, Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who clinched six ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2021, advanced to the last eight at a tour-level event for the first time. The 25-year-old downed Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-3 in 87 minutes. Fourth seed Aslan Karatsev awaits next.

Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin also booked his spot in the quarter-finals, clawing past Czech qualifier Tomas Machac 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(4) after two hours and 45 minutes. Safiullin clinched ATP Cup victories over Arthur Rinderknech and James Duckworth at the start of the season.

One month after a lopsided defeat to Sebastian Korda at the Australian Open, Cameron Norrie gets his chance for revenge in Delray.

After Korda opened the Wednesday evening session with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi, Norrie closed out the night with a 6-3, 7-5 decision over Oscar Otte to set up a Friday quarter-final showdown. 

The top seed at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, Norrie is 0-2 against the Florida native in their ATP Head2Head history. He’s won just 15 games in their five sets, including a loss in Delray one year ago.

“Hopefully I can get some revenge, but he’s a great up-and-coming player, hits the ball clean off both sides,” the Briton said in an on-court interview. “I’m looking forward to playing. That’s the beauty of this sport, I get another crack at him so early.”

On another windy night in Delray, Norrie better managed the conditions as he went ahead by a set and a break against Otte. The German levelled the second frame at 4-4 on his fourth break point of the set, but the World No. 13 created an opening in each of his next two return games. Norrie seized back control with a break for 6-5, then served out the match to love.

“It was messy tennis and I had to dig out a few tough balls,” he said of the windy conditions. “Not easy at all.”

Korda saved eight of 10 break points in his win over Seppi, including all seven he faced in the second set. He was twice down a break in the opening set, including when the Italian served for it at 5-4, but managed an immediate reply both times.

Despite facing a break point in four straight service games, Korda never trailed in set two after opening up a 3-0 lead. He clinched victory on his fourth match point after saving one last break point in a four-deuce game.

Korda was one of three Americans to advance to the Delray quarter-finals on Wednesday. Fourth seed Tommy Paul was a 6-2, 6-0 winner over Denis Istomin, while Stefan Kozlov defeated compatriot Steve Johnson, 6-3, 6-1.

Paul and Kozlov will meet Friday in their first ATP Tour meeting.