Tennis News

‘One last dance!': Retiring Thiem honoured in special Sunday ceremony in Vienna

The celebration of Dominic Thiem’s storied career has begun at the Erste Bank Open.

The former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings was honoured on a special ‘Super Sunday’ at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 in Vienna. After Thiem played an exhibition set against Alexander Zverev — the man he defeated to win his only major title at the 2020 US Open — a host of tennis and other sporting icons gathered to pay tribute to the retiring star.

“It was an incredible journey. You were the most important ones, opponents and friends and it was always a pleasure to be with you,” said Thiem after walking through a guard of honour that included his ATP Tour rivals Frances Tiafoe, Matteo Berrettini and Jack Draper, as well as his former coach Nicolas Massu and Germans Boris Becker, Tommy Haas and Matthias Bachinger. “It means so much to me that you were there today.”

Things we love to see 🤗#DankeDomi | @ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/Rzvtm4RX51

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2024

Thiem is a huge star in Austria and has been a highly popular presence on the ATP Tour with fans and fellow players alike since he turned pro in 2011. He lifted 17 tour-level trophies before his career was disrupted by a serious wrist injury in 2021. Although he returned to competing in 2022, he was unable to rediscover his best form and announced in May that 2024 would be his final season on Tour.

Thiem still has one final ATP Tour event to play before he hangs up his racquet. The 31-year-old will take on Luciano Darderi in the first-round in Vienna, where he lifted the title in 2019.

“I couldn’t have imagined a better last Sunday in Vienna. I hope to see many of you again on Tuesday,” said Thiem to his home crowd. “It hurts incredibly that the journey is over, but it was a wonderful time.”

Former rivals of Thiem to pay tribute to the Austrian at the Wiener Stadthalle included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who appeared in a pre-recorded tribute video. Thiem is one of only two players (alongside Andy Murray) to have earned at least five Lexus ATP Head2Head victories against each of the ‘Big Three’.

“You were always a super guy, also off the court,” said Federer in German. “Always fair. Your friendship was important on the Tour. We always got on well, and it was great for me. All the best with the future, and huge congratulations on your unbelievable career, Dominic. I am sure we will see each other soon, but for now, have a great evening.”

Djokovic said: “Thank you very much for all that you have given to all of us, but particularly tennis. I’m glad that you have the opportunity to say goodbye in Vienna. One last dance. I wish you a great tournament, with all your family members present, and celebrate it, because you deserve it my friend. All the best.”

Zverev earlier also made his own tribute on court.

“First and foremost, I’m losing a friend on the Tour, but of course we also played the greatest matches together. But it’s goodbye, not goodbye,” said the German, expressing what many Thiem fans are thinking: ”I hope he gets bored in a year or two and comes back to the Tour again.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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What is the Vienna tennis schedule?

Top seed Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini are among the stars headlining action on Monday at the Erste Bank Open.

Zverev will be aiming to reignite the form that drove him to success in the Austrian capital in 2021 when he gets his 2024 campaign underway against #NextGenATP wild card Joel Schwaerzler. Berrettini eyes a fourth ATP Tour title of the year and faces qualifier Marton Fucsovics in his opener.

View the full Monday order of play below to see who is competing, on which court, and when they are scheduled.

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2024
Center Court – start at 2pm 
Flavio Cobolli (ITA) vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
[Q] Marton Fucsovics vs Matteo Berrettini (ITA)

Not Before 6pm
[1] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs [WC] Joel Schwaerzler (AUT)
[8] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) vs [Q] Jakub Mensik (CZE)

#Glaubandich – start 2pm
Rafael Matos (BRA) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) vs Neal Skupski (GBR) / Michael Venus (NZL)
[1] Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) / Mate Pavic (CRO) vs Luciano Darderi (ITA) / Mariano Navone (ARG)
Sander Gille (BEL) / Joran Vliegen (BEL) vs [4] Nathaniel Lammons (USA) / Jackson Withrow (USA)

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What is the Basel tennis schedule?

The Swiss Indoors Basel main draw begins Monday, with some of the world’s biggest stars in action. Among those on the order of player are top seed Andrey Rublev and surging #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils.

View the full Monday order of play below to see who is competing, on which court, and when they are scheduled.

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2024

Centre Court – start 2 p.m.
[5] Ugo Humbert (FRA) vs [Q] Jerome Kym (SUI)
[Q] Daniel Altmaier (GER) vs [7] Arthur Fils (FRA)

Starts At 6:30 p.m.
Opening Ceremony

Not Before 8 p.m.
[1] Andrey Rublev vs Nuno Borges (POR)

IWB Court 1 – start 12 p.m.
Sebastian Baez (ARG) / Alexander Bublik (KAZ) vs [2] Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) / Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
[1] Wesley Koolhof (NED) / Nikola Mektic (CRO) vs Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) / Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)
Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) vs Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
[Q] James Duckworth (AUS) vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA)

Not Before 9:15 p.m.
[WC] Henry Bernet (SUI) / Jerome Kym (SUI) vs Nicolas Jarry (CHI) / Alejandro Tabilo (CHI)

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An emotional goodbye from Uncle Toni to Rafael Nadal

“Thank you”, Toni Nadal wrote on Instagram when his nephew Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from professional tennis on 10 October. One week later, the Spanish coach provided a more in-depth reaction with a three-page post full of emotional messages for the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

“There are athletes who, thanks to their huge ability, have managed to become greats in their discipline. Some of them have managed to grow or even transcend their sport, and just a few, because of their attitude and the way they operate, have transcended sport itself and become role models for society,” said Toni in the post.

“I think, without fear of speaking out of turn, and openly accepting any criticism that may come my way after saying this as his uncle, that my nephew, just like his biggest rival for many years, Roger Federer, forms part of the latter category.”

Toni, who coached Rafa from childhood and on the ATP Tour until 2017, is in no doubt about his reasons for his statement. The main one is that his 38-year-old nephew, apart from so much sporting success, has inspired millions of people to never give up, no matter the obstacles in the way.

“Today I can emphatically state that Rafael has fulfilled his promise to me a few years ago in a conversation we had at a club,” said Toni. “I told him that a well-known ex-player had admitted to me how unsatisfied he was with his tennis career. What he sincerely regretted, rather than not winning more titles, was his lack of perseverance.

“Because of my own fears, I urged my nephew never to make that mistake and, with more assurance than I anticipated, Rafael answered: ‘Don’t worry, Toni. When my time comes, I will have the peace of mind that I gave my all’.”

The numbers he leaves in his wake show just how true he was to his word. As well as currently being the male player with the second-most Grand Slam titles (only behind Novak Djokovic’s 24), Nadal was No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for 209 weeks and won 92 tour-level titles, as well as 1,092 matches, all despite a long list of injuries.

“Something else happened that allowed him to delay his farewell. He learned for many years to live with pain, he overcame it on many occasions and, despite the doubts and uncertainty, sometimes he was able to come through it not only victoriously, but even stronger,” added Toni in his post.

“In difficult times, I would repeat something to him that I have now written here: ‘Rafael, life has treated us better than we expected and much better than we deserved.’ Rafael’s career has been very successful, far exceeding my expectations, as much as I always had an unwavering faith in him.”

Rafael Nadal most recently compared at the Paris Olympics, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the second round; and on the ATP Tour at the ATP 250 in Bastad, where he lost to Nuno Borges in the final. His last appearance will be at the Davis Cup in November, when he plays in Malaga for Spain.

There, he will put the icing on a stunning career that he began to prepare for with his uncle during his childhood in Manacor.

“Today my mind was filled with nostalgic images, memories, moments I experienced and shared beside Rafael,” Toni also said.

“Everything that has happened between those long-gone years and this end point, from his first wins at the Under-12 and Under-14 tournaments, which gave us a glimpse of what was to come, to his final great triumphs in Melbourne and Paris, is the manifestation of an almost perfect dream.”

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Emotional Bautista Agut wins Antwerp title: 'I deserved a week like this'

Roberto Bautista Agut returned to the winner’s circle on the ATP Tour for the first time since 2022 with a ruthless showing in Sunday’s championship match at the European Open in Antwerp.

The 36-year-old defeated Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-1 to become the second-oldest tour-level champion this year (Djokovic, 37, Paris Olympics). Bautista Agut produced an imperious display of serving in the first set and showed his trademark grit to outlast the Czech in many of the longer exchanges in the second, sealing victory in one hour, 15 minutes.

“This one is very special,” said Bautista Agut, who improved to 12-11 in tour-level finals. “I broke my foot last year and I had to fight so hard this year. I went back to 120 in the world, but I was still going to practice with a smile on my face, trying to be a better player, to fight until the end of my career. I think I deserved a week like this.”

The moment @BautistaAgut captured the title 🏆✨@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/P1gjzFik8R

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2024

Having been forced to go through qualifying at nine tournaments this year, Bautista Agut struggled to make many inroads in tournaments. However, this week in Antwerp, the Spaniard ignited some of his most steely tennis to claim a first indoor title since 2016.

Bautista Agut improved to 4-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, having lost their most recent battle in the second round of the China Open last month. With his title-winning week, the Spaniard will return to the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in 12 months.

Lehecka, who was bidding to clinch his second ATP Tour title of the year, came unstuck by the physicality required to go toe-to-toe with Bautista Agut, who dominated from both wings.

In a near-flawless first set, Bautista Agut won 86 per cent (24/28) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Lehecka did claw back a break of serve in the tenth game but it was to little avail as he lost serve to love in the 12th to hand his opponent the lead.

Bautista Agut kept his foot on the gas to pull clear in the early stages of the second set and, once he had dismantled Lehecka’s serve for a fourth time, he served out the match with ease.

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Paul produces perfect performance to become Stockholm champion again

Tommy Paul won his first ATP Tour title in Stockholm in 2021 and on Sunday the American became a champion at the ATP 250 event again.

Fourth seed Paul defeated third seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in the BNP Paribas Nordic Open final to claim his third ATP Tour title of the season. The American did not lose a set all week and lifted the trophy after one hour and 25 minutes.

“I feel like every match I played a little bit better and better,” Paul said. “Today I came out playing amazing, so I was definitely happy with the performance.”

2X CHAMPION IN STOCKHOLM 🏆🏆@TommyPaul | @sthlm_open | #bnpparibasnordicopen pic.twitter.com/RKH0KYIbDt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2024

It was a critical win for the 27-year-old’s Nitto ATP Finals dreams. The American is trying to qualify for the season finale for the first time and by claiming the crown in Stockholm ascended to 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, passing Dimitrov by beating the Bulgarian in the championship match.

Paul now trails eighth-placed Andrey Rublev by 495 points in the Live Race. He will try to further narrow the deficit next week in Vienna.

The American put himself in that position with a flawless performance in Stockholm, where he played two tie-breaks and the next-closest set he played was 6-4. He won five of his eight sets by a margin of 6-3 or greater.

Paul won only 65 per cent of his first-serve points against Dimitrov according to Infosys ATP Stats, but it proved inconsequential. The two-time Stockholm champion masterfully handled the Bulgarian’s tricky backhand slice and changed directions at the most opportune times to control rallies.

The American crushed an inside-out backhand return winner from the deuce court to secure the critical break at 4-3 in the second set and held without trouble to secure the title. He has also lifted trophies in Dallas and Queen’s Club in 2024.

“It’s a very special place for me,” Paul said during the trophy ceremony. “This is where I got my first title a few years ago and to come out and play the level of tennis I did this week, it’s been a dream.”

Paul is the fourth player to win at least three tour-level titles this season, joining Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini. His win against Dimitrov was his fourth Top 10 victory of the season (4-5).

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Heliovaara/Patten bolster Turin hopes with Stockholm triumph

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten took a strong step towards securing their qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals after capturing their fourth tour-level title of the season at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open.

The top seeds exuded confidence throughout the week in Stockholm, underpinned by a commanding 7-5, 6-3 triumph against Czechs Patrik Rikl and Petr Nouza in Sunday’s championship match.

“For me, it’s pretty much a home tournament, it’s the closest one we can come to,” said Heliovaara, who is from Finland. “It also felt special because I got to share it with my three-year-old daughter, who has been here all week.”

“It’s probably my second favourite place to play in,” added Patten. “I came to Stockholm for the first time last year and I was desperate to come back, it’s such a pleasure to play here.”

With titles in Marrakech, Lyon, Wimbledon, and Stockholm, Patten/Heliovaara currently occupy eighth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, 592 points ahead of ninth-placed Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow. After joining forces in April, the British-Finnish duo is aiming to make its debut appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Erler/Miedler reign in Antwerp
At the European Open in Antwerp, Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler clinched their first ATP Tour title of the season. The Austrians held their nerve to edge Robert Galloway and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-4, 1-6, 10-8, prevailing in their second Match Tie-break of the week.

The champions won just four points on return throughout the second set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, but seized their moment to seal victory on their first match point. It marks the first title the pair have clinched on indoor hard courts since their fairytale run at their home tournament in Vienna in 2022.

With the triumph, Erler and Miedler are up to 23rd in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, now with six career titles as a pair.

<img alt=”Lucas Miedler and Alexander Erler ” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/20/15/37/erler-miedler-antwerp-2024-sunday.jpg” />
^{Photo Credit: BelgaImage}
Kadhe/Bollipalli triumph in Almaty
Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and Arjun Kadhe saved five match points in a thrilling Almaty Open final to clinch their maiden ATP Tour title.

The Indians came back from the brink to defeat Nicolas Barrientos and Skander Mansouri 3-6, 7-6(3), 14-12 in one hour, 41 minutes.

<img alt=”Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and Arjun Kadhe” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/20/15/33/kadhe-bollipalli.jpg” />
^{Photo Credit: KTF.kz}

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Thiem's farewell, pivotal week in Live Race: Basel & Vienna Scouting Report

The season is coming to a thrilling climax, with the best players in the world trying to earn their place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. The chase continues this week at ATP 500 events in Basel and Vienna, where plenty of points are up for grabs.

Andrey Rublev is the top seed at the Swiss Indoors Basel and Alexander Zverev is the top seed at the Erste Bank Open. It will be an emotional week in Vienna, where home hero Dominic Thiem will retire after a standout career in which he reached No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and won the 2020 US Open.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each tournament. 

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BASEL
1) Rublev Leads The Way: The top seed in Basel is Andrey Rublev, who is competing in the tournament for the first time. Every match, beginning with his opener against Portuguese Nuno Borges, is key for the 26-year-old. Rublev is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and attempting to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive season.

2) Felix Two-Time Defending Champion: Felix Auger-Aliassime joined an elite list last year when he won his second consecutive Basel title. The only other players to accomplish the feat are Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro, Stefan Edberg and Ivan Lendl. The Canadian’s two most recent triumphs have come at the ATP 500 and he will try to make it three in a row, beginning with his first-round clash against Argentine Sebastian Baez.

3) Stan At Home: Swiss great Stan Wawrinka headlines the wild cards on home soil. The 39-year-old enjoyed his best tournament of the year in Stockholm, where he advanced to the semi-finals, and will try to carry that momentum to Basel, where he seeks his first crown. Fellow Swiss Dominic Stricker and former Top 10 player Denis Shapovalov also are in the field as wild cards.

4) Ruud & Tsitsipas Players To Watch: There is plenty of more starpower in Basel. Second seed Casper Ruud, who is seventh in the Live Race, faces a tricky opening test against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas seeks his second title of the year and will begin his quest against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo. Sixth seed Ben Shelton is bringing his booming serve to Basel for the first time.

5) Koolhof & Mektic’s Turin Pursuit: The top seeds in the doubles draw are Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic. The 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champions are seventh in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and are trying to return to the season finale. They surged to their current standing by winning the ATP Masters 1000 title in Shanghai.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN VIENNA
1) Thiem’s Farewell: Thiem, one of the best players of his generation, is retiring after his efforts this coming week on home soil in Vienna. The 31-year-old won the title at the tournament in 2019 and owns a 16-11 record there, where he played his first ATP Tour event in 2010. That year, he competed in qualifying as a 17-year-old. Thiem will begin his event against Argentine Mariano Navone on Tuesday evening.

2) Zverev Top Seed: Zverev is atop the ATP 500 draw. The German has tallied a 9-2 mark in Vienna, where he lifted the trophy in 2021. With Nitto ATP Finals qualification already set, Zverev will try to add to his Rome triumph with a second 2024 victory. He plays wild card Joel Schwaerzler, an 18-year-old Austrian, in the first round.

3) Race Chase: Several players in contention for the Nitto ATP Finals will jockey for position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin in Vienna. Alex de Minaur is ninth in the Live Race, 275 points behind eighth-placed Andrey Rublev for the final qualification spot. With 500 points up for grabs this week, the Australian will try to make his move towards a debut in Turin. Grigor Dimitrov, the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion, and Tommy Paul, who are meeting in the Stockholm final, are right behind De Minaur, trying to move closer to a qualifying spot.

4) Tantalising First-Round Matchups: There are several intriguing first-round matches to watch. Seventh seed Jack Draper will take on former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori, fifth seed Frances Tiafoe will play former Top 10 star Cameron Norrie and fourth seed Paul will try to defeat countryman Brandon Nakashima, the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion.

What on earth are we up to in Vienna? 👀 @jackdraper0 x @whatwillycook pic.twitter.com/x1qUyL5RPC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 19, 2024

Other openers to watch include a battle of Italians between sixth seed Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego, as well as a rematch of this year’s Newport final between Marcos Giron and #NextGenATP Alex Michelsen.

5) Arevalo/Pavic & Bopanna/Ebden lead the way: The top two seeds in the doubles field are reigning Roland Garros champions Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic & Australian Open winners Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden. Bopanna/Ebden face a tricky opening test against Robin Haase and Zverev, who received a wild card. Another team that won a major this year, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, will try to claim ATP 500 glory in Vienna as the third seeds.

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Khachanov resists Diallo in dramatic Almaty final

Karen Khachanov was forced to take the scenic route on Sunday, but did so in dramatic fashion to clinch his seventh ATP Tour title at the Almaty Open.

In a pendulum-swinging contest, the third seed resisted a late fightback to defeat Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Khachanov appeared to have one hand on the trophy when he led by a set and a break, but Diallo mustered some gutsy tennis to level the contest from the brink of defeat and ignite hopes of a comeback.

“A lot of emotions, now I’m relieved and super happy,” said Khachanov, who improved to 7-2 in tour-level finals. “You can’t expect a final to be easy, without tension, but it was until 6-2, 4-2. Then he started to relax, go for his shots a little bit more, and he suddenly turned the match around.”

Almighty in Almaty 👑@ktf_kz | #AlmatyOpen | @karenkhachanov pic.twitter.com/yvrsyK2XUx

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2024

Diallo, who was bidding to win his maiden ATP Tour title, is up to a career-high of No. 87 in the Live PIF ATP Rankings after a career-best week in Almaty. The 23-year-old showed grit to go toe-to-toe with the World No. 26, but ultimately faltered in a one-sided decider.

Despite going the distance in both his semi-final against Aleksandar Vukic and the championship match, Khachanov was relentless in his approach. He was particularly dialled in on return in the showdown, creating 19 break point opportunities against the explosive serving of Diallo.

Khachanov won 92 per cent (11/12) of points behind his first serve in a lights-out first set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He then kept his foot on the gas to dismantle Diallo’s serve in the third game of the second set to earn a commanding lead.

However, trailing by a set and 2-4, Diallo showed resilience to save five break points in a 15-minute game, shifting the momentum firmly in his favour. Buoyed by the crowd, both players raised their levels, but it was Khachanov who stood firm to seal victory in two hours, 23 minutes.

With the triumph in Almaty, Khachanov secured his first ATP Tour title on indoor hard courts since defeating Novak Djokovic to claim the 2018 ATP Masters 1000 Paris title. It is also the second time that the 28-year-old has clinched multiple titles in a season, after succeeding in Doha in February.

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Kasatkina battles past Andreeva to win Ningbo Open

Daria Kasatkina overcomes a stirring comeback from fellow Russian Mirra Andreeva to win 6-0 4-6 6-4 in the final of the Ningbo Open in China.

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