Tennis News

Why Thiem Isn't Thinking About Avoiding The Big Three

Two-time Roland Garros finalist Dominic Thiem landed on the opposite half of the draw as the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. But the Austrian star is not paying much attention to that.

“Maybe two, three years ago I would have been happy if that would be the case, but I think the way I’m coming into that tournament, the way I also played the past weeks, the only thing I can focus on is the first round,” Thiem said. “I shouldn’t focus at all on who is in my quarter or even who is in my half.

“Of course, I know that Big Three are all in the [top] half and Roger and Novak are even in one quarter. But for myself, it doesn’t matter so much. I just basically focus now on the first round.”

Thiem has proven himself a clay-court stalwart throughout his career, lifting 10 ATP Tour trophies on the surface. But the World No. 4 has not been at his very best leading into the season’s second Grand Slam, going 4-3 on the red dirt this year. The Austrian aims to build up his form as the tournament goes on.

“That’s my hope. First of all, to work myself into that tournament, I definitely need to play better than I did last week in Lyon [where I lost in my opening match]. If I do that, I’m practising and working hard to give myself a chance to play well at least. I hope I can do that in the match as well,” Thiem said. “That’s also what’s necessary. It’s definitely a little advantage for me as I’m sometimes a little slow starter that I have at least three sets instead of two.”

The 27-year-old is still working to find his game after taking nearly two months off following an opening loss in Dubai in March to reset mentally and physically.

“You need time to recover a physical injury or issue; the same sometimes, if you are mentally not in your best shape, you also need time to recover for that,” Thiem said. “That’s why I think it’s pretty normal from time to time to take some time off and to feel fresher after, and that’s exactly what I did now before I came back in Madrid.”

Although Thiem cannot play a member of the Big Three until the championship match in Paris, he reflected on the challenges of facing them before playing Spaniard Pablo Andujar in the first round.

“I think that all of them are super tough to play, and all of them have their favourite surface, as well. But in my opinion, to play Rafa here on [Court Philippe] Chatrier, it’s still the toughest challenge,” Thiem said. “But I guess also outside of tennis, it’s probably one of the most difficult things ever in sports in general to beat him here on this court.”

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#NextGenATP Alcaraz Qualifies For Roland Garros: 'I Think I'm Ready'

If Carlos Alcaraz felt nerves during his final-round qualifying match at Roland Garros on Friday, the 18-year-old certainly did not show them. The #NextGenATP star defeated Chilean Alejandro Tabilo 6-1, 6-1 to reach the main draw on the Parisian clay for the first time.

“I’m really, really happy. It’s a great feeling to play here in my first main draw here in Roland Garros,” Alcaraz said. “Everyone is really hungry to qualify to the main draw, so for me it’s a great feeling. I am feeling really comfortable on court and let’s see who I play in the main draw.”

Alcaraz needed just 58 minutes to dispatch his 23-year-old opponent. The teen is carrying plenty of confidence after winning his fourth ATP Challenger Tour title last week in Oeiras, Portugal. This will be his second Grand Slam main draw after making his major debut earlier this year at the Australian Open, where he advanced to the second round.

“I got comfortable last week in Portugal winning the Challenger 125, then winning these three matches in qualifying,” Alcaraz said. “I’m getting comfortable playing here and it’s not easy to play best of five sets, but I think I am ready. It’s not my first main draw of a Grand Slam, so I am going to improve what I did in Australia. I think I’m more ready than [I was] in Australia.”

The second seed in qualifying, Daniel Elahi Galan, played three times as long as Alcaraz on Friday, but the Colombian also made the main draw with a 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory against Kimmer Coppejans after two hours and 54 minutes.

Denis Istomin is currently No. 203 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, but he will make his 11th appearance in the Roland Garros field after eliminating German Tobias Kamke 6-4, 7-6(5) after one hour and 52 minutes.

Eighth seed Mackenzie McDonald did not lose more than four games in a set in his three qualifying matches, completing his impressive run with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph against Argentine Marco Trungelliti.

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French Open 2021 preview: Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Williams, Osaka, Swiatek play in Paris

The French Open returns to its traditional spring setting as Rafael Nadal bids for a 14th title and Iga Swiatek defends her maiden Grand Slam.

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The Last Time: Tommy Paul’s Italian Laundry Job Gone Wrong

Tommy Paul is having a run to remember at the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma, where he is into his first ATP Tour semi-final of the year. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the No. 55-ranked American in Italy – especially when laundry has been involved. 

In the latest installment of our popular series, Paul reveals the last time…

I met a childhood idol?
Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick were my childhood idols in tennis. I got to do a practice week with both of them. I did one practice week in Las Vegas with Agassi and a practice week in Austin, Texas with Roddick. That was really amazing for me. 

I strung a tennis racquet?
Oh man, I had to have been 15 or 16. Actually, when I was really young I used to string all my racquets. But once I turned 14 or 15, I completely stopped doing that. Could I string my racquet now? Yeah, I think so. 

I made my debut at a Tour event?
This week. I’ve never been to Parma, but I actually really like it here. It’s really cool vibes, kind of like a farm town in a way but with a lot of cool restaurants in the city. I’m really enjoying it here so far. 

Visited a new city for the first time for non-tennis reasons?
I went to Cabo [San Lucas, Mexico] a while back for a vacation. I don’t travel too much unless it’s for tennis, but that was probably the last new city I visited. I usually go home every time, but that’s not a new city. I like the beach and tropical vibes, so anywhere with a beach is where I go if it’s not tennis-related.

Shared a hotel room with another player?
It’s been a while… I’ve shared so many rooms, but it’s got to be at least two years now. Me and Reilly [Opelka] or me and [Taylor] Fritz or me and [Alex] Rybakov, we would always share rooms at every tournament that we went to [as juniors], but it’s been a while. 

Usually it’s just a lot of fun. We always have a good time. One time with Rybakov – this was actually in Italy – we were staying at a little bed and breakfast. I remember we were washing our clothes and we put our clothes out to dry on the balcony. But overnight, the wind blew them all off the balcony and when we woke up in the morning our clothes were all over the street! We had to go out and pick them up. 

Being famous helped me?
I never really drop my name anywhere, and I don’t think it would really help too much. Maybe just for getting into restaurants. It helps a little bit in Europe, for example, if you say you’re with the tennis tournament in that city. That can get you a reservation a little easier. In the States? Not so much… that doesn’t get you too far. 

I achieved a personal or professional goal?
Last year, I had my goal of reaching the Top 50. I think I only got to No. 54 [last year], but I came close. I had a pretty good year and I was happy with it. 

I paid money to rent a court or buy tennis balls?
I think back during the off-season. I paid to practise at Delray Beach Tennis Center, actually where the Delray Beach Open is. I’ve definitely rented a court there a few times.

I cooked for myself or others?
I probably cooked breakfast a couple of months ago, but I don’t cook much at all. I’m pretty much eating out for every single meal. [Last year] during [COVID-19] lockdown, we tried a little bit. I think we got some pre-made meals that you heat up – that was our ‘cooking’. I will do breakfast, but other than that I’m not too skilled in the kitchen.

Watched a new TV series?
I’ve started many series since, but I remember at the beginning [of the pandemic] during March or April last year, I started watching Dave. I’m pretty pumped for Season Two to come out, it’s one of my favourite shows right now. It’s about a rapper, and it’s kind of a parody. It’s funny. 

I went to a concert?
Honestly, I’ve never been huge on going to concerts. I went to a music festival in Tampa one time called Sunset Music Festival. I went there at least three years ago. That was a good time. I’m a big music fan, but I don’t know… it sounds better in the headphones for me.

I attended a live sporting event other than tennis?
I have to say it was probably some NBA game. It’s been a while… This is a good question, because I used to go to a lot of NBA games, NFL games, sometimes hockey. Hockey is fun to watch live, even though I don’t really follow it too much. I know playoff hockey is going on right now, but on TV I don’t watch it too much. 

In basketball I’m a Philadelphia 76ers fan and in football I’m an Eagles fan. I love college basketball though. March Madness is my favourite time of the year. I’m a big [University of North Carolina] Tar Heels fan. Those are my three big teams.

I missed a flight?
I actually don’t know if I’ve ever missed a flight in my life. I’m pretty last-second with it, but I don’t think I’ve ever missed one.

I lost something important?
Another one where I’m pretty lucky with that. I always check my tennis bag and I never lose anything. I’ve never lost my racquets, my bags, nothing. I’m pretty good about that. I’ve definitely misplaced my phone a few times or my wallet, but it always works out and I haven’t really lost too much. 

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Erlich/Vasilevski Reach Belgrade Final

Jonathan Erlich reached his first ATP Tour doubles final in Newport 21 years ago. On Thursday in Belgrade, the 44-year-old Israeli made his 44th tour-level championship match.

Erlich and Andrei Vasilevski defeated Serbia Open winners Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov 6-3, 3-6, 13-11 to reach the final of the Belgrade Open at the Novak Tennis Center. The duo will compete in their third ATP Tour final together (also 2020 Pune, 2021 Montpellier).

Erlich and Vasilevski will play Andre Goransson and Rafael Matos for the trophy. The Swedish-Brazilian team battled past Britons Luke Bambridge and Dominic Inglot 7-6(3), 1-6, 10-4.

Arneodo/Paire Beat Fourth Seeds
Romain Arneodo and Benoit Paire advanced to the semi-finals of the Emilia-Romagna Open on Thursday with a 6-2, 7-5 victory against fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Matwe Middelkoop.

The unseeded team will play Oliver Marach and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi for a place in the final. Marach and Qureshi defeated Matt Reid and Michael Venus 6-3, 6-4. In the other doubles match in Parma, Simone Bolelli and Maximo Gonzalez ousted 2020 Australian Open finalists Max Purcell and Luke Saville 6-3, 6-3.

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French Open: Will Naomi Osaka's decision not to speak to media prompt change?

Naomi Osaka is not speaking to the media at the French Open to protect her mental health – will her move change anything?

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Taberner Steamrolls Into Roland Garros Main Draw

With a decisive 6-1, 6-0 win over Joao Menezes, Carlos Taberner moved into the main draw of Roland Garros on Thursday. Taberner has lost just six games across three matches to qualify, spending a total of three hours and 16 minutes on court. 

The 23-year-old Spaniard beat Martin Klizan 6-1, 6-2 and Thomas Fabbiano 6-2, 6-0 before taking out Brazil’s Menezes. The World No. 137 has appeared in the main draw of a Grand Slam once before, at Roland Garros in 2018. Earlier this year, he picked up his second ATP Challenger Tour title in Antalya. 

Bjorn Fratangelo became one of eight men to qualify on Thursday when he topped Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic 6-2, 7-6(3). 

Paris is a special place for the 27-year-old American. He won the junior event in 2011 and five years later, after reaching the second round, he cracked the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time. Aside from Delray Beach and Miami, Fratangelo has played on the ITF and ATP Challenger Tour for most of the season, winning the title in Cleveland (d. Brooksby) and reaching the final in Tallahassee (l. to Brooksby). 

Fifth seed Taro Daniel booked his place in the main draw with a 7-6(7), 6-1 win over France’s Quentin Halys. Japan’s Daniel has reached the second round in Paris on two occasions (2016 and 2017). 

Germany’s Maximilian Marterer dismissed Brazil’s Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves 6-2, 6-1. Marterer made a run to the fourth round of Roland Garros in 2018 (l. to Nadal). Oscar Otte, a 27-year-old from Germany, had little trouble ousting No. 12 seed Hugo Dellien 6-2, 6-0. At Roland Garros in 2019, Otte reached the second round for his best major performance (l. to Federer). 

The final day of qualifying is Friday with Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz facing Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, American Jenson Brooksby taking on France’s Evan Furness and both Cerundolo brothers in action: Juan Manuel Cerundolo faces Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen and Francisco Cerundolo plays Italy’s Alessandro Giannessi.

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Roland Garros: Six First-Round Matches To Watch

With Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal all landing in the same half of the Roland Garros draw, the second Grand Slam of the year is already bringing plenty of drama and promising epic clashes. 

But further down the draw, there are plenty of popcorn matches in the early rounds as heavyweights are set to meet rising stars and top players clash with unseeded threats. 

Here are the top six first-round matches to watch at Roland Garros – and a few potential second-round meetings to keep an eye on this fortnight in Paris. 

Six First-Round Matches To Watch

Alexander Bublik vs [2] Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev already shook up the draw by claiming the second seed position, but he’ll have his work cut out for him as he seeks his first victory at Roland Garros (0-4). The Russian got one of the toughest first-round challenges in the field as he will start against an unseeded Alexander Bublik.

Tennis fans will enjoy the clash between two talented players with unorthodox styles. Bublik will arrive in Paris at a career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of World No. 37, and has claimed wins over Matteo Berrettini, Alexander Zverev and Aslan Karatsev in 2021. 

Australian Open finalist Medvedev owns the 1-0 advantage in ATP Head2Head, but their lone meeting was back in 2016 at St. Petersburg, an indoor hard-court event. The Russian won comfortably 6-4, 6-0 on home turf, but could be in for a bigger battle in Paris.

[3] Rafael Nadal vs Alexei Popyrin
Defending champion Rafael Nadal will start his quest for a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title against Aussie Alexei Popyrin. The Spaniard will pit the weight of his 100-2 record at this event against Popyrin, who has reached the second round once in two appearances. 

But 21-year-old Popyrin has shot up the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2021, peaking at World No. 61 after claiming his maiden tour-level title in Singapore. Nadal, who was pushed to five sets in his opening match against John Isner in 2011, will be aiming to neutralise the Aussie’s own big serve to avoid a repeat in their first-round battle.

Nadal has a 1-0 ATP Head2Head lead, and will be contesting his second match of the season against Popyrin. The third seed claimed a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory last month at the Mutua Madrid Open on his way to the quarter-finals. 

Lorenzo Musetti vs [13] David Goffin
The 2016 Roland Garros quarter-finalist David Goffin will get his first look at the fast-rising #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the first round. 

The 19-year-old will make his Roland Garros debut after turning heads elsewhere on French soil. He will arrive in Paris with momentum on his side after reaching the Lyon semi-finals (l. Tsitsipas). It was the third tour-level semi-final of Musetti’s career, and his second on clay (also 2020 Sardinia). 

Goffin won his fifth ATP Tour title on the indoor hard-courts of Montpellier earlier in the season, but has struggled to get going during this clay season. He reached the quarter-finals in Monte-Carlo (l. Evans) with a win over Alexander Zverev along the way.

[15] Casper Ruud vs Benoit Paire
Casper Ruud will arrive in Paris at a new career-high World No. 16 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after capturing his second ATP Tour title in Geneva. As a result, the Norwegian will enjoy his highest seeding yet at a Grand Slam, but he could have his work cut out for him in the first round as he faces the mercurial Benoit Paire. 

Ruud has the 1-0 lead in their ATP Head2Head record after defeating the Frenchman last year in Hamburg 6-3, 2-0 (ret). Like his father, Christian Ruud, Casper has reached the third round at Roland Garros twice. But he’ll be looking to go one step further and book a place into the second week at a Grand Slam for the second time in a row (also 2021 Australian Open).

[18] Jannik Sinner vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert
#NextGenATP Jannik Sinner has done anything but slow down since reaching his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami. The 19-year-old Italian posted a semi-final run in Barcelona (l. Tsitsipas) and it took Djokovic and Nadal to defeat him in the second rounds of Monte-Carlo and Rome, respectively. 

Sinner, who reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals last year (l. Nadal), will face home favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert in his opening match. It will be the pair’s second tour-level meeting, with the Italian prevailing comfortably on the indoor hard-courts of Cologne a year ago. 

Jan-Lennard Struff vs [7] Andrey Rublev
Seventh seed Andrey Rublev has taken great strides on clay this year after reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Monte-Carlo (l. Tsitsipas) and backing it up with quarter-final appearances in Rome and Barcelona. Last year, in only his second appearance at Roland Garros, Rublev powered his way into the quarter-finals before falling to Tsitsipas. 

Rublev will begin his Roland Garros campaign against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, and he’ll take a 2-1 ATP Head2Head lead into their third encounter of the year. The Russian triumphed on hard courts at the ATP Cup and on clay in Rome to improve his record against Struff, but both matches were battling, three-set marathons. 

Two Potential Second-Round Matches To Watch:

[8] Roger Federer vs Marin Cilic: Federer, who landed in the same quarter as top seed Novak Djokovic, will start his Roland Garros campaign against a qualifier, and could meet big-serving Marin Cilic in the second round should he navigate past local wild card Arthur Rinderknech. It would be Federer and Cilic’s sixth meeting at a Grand Slam, and a rematch of the 2017 Wimbledon final and 2018 Australian Open final (both won by Federer). 

[5] Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Sebastian Korda: Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who starts against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, has been one of the players to beat during the clay-court swing after lifting his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Monte-Carlo. He could meet Lyon semi-finalist Sebastian Korda for the first time in the second round, should the #NextGenATP American take down Pedro Martinez. 

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Cincinnati, Winston-Salem To Welcome Fans At Full Capacity

Two North American ATP Tour tournaments will welcome the colour and excitement of full crowds this summer following guidance from local and state health officials.

Both the Western & Southern Open (14-22 Aug.), an ATP Masters 1000, and the Winston-Salem Open (21-28 Aug.), the ATP 250 played the week before the US Open, have announced plans to allow full-capacity crowds. The development is in contrast to last year when due to COVID-19 the Winston-Salem Open was cancelled and the Western & Southern Open was played behind closed doors at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York in the week before the US Open.

“In keeping with the guidance from local government officials, we are eager to welcome fans back to the Western & Southern Open,” said Tournament Chief Operating Officer Katie Haas. “The fans bring so much energy and excitement to our event, and we dearly missed them last year. We look forward to returning to Cincinnati and welcoming our fans at this year’s tournament.”

Returning to its traditional home at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, the Western & Southern Open will open all ticket sales, including full series, mini-plans, single session and hospitality packages, next Thursday, 3 June at 10 a.m.

New in 2021, the event will move to a fully digital ticket operation which will allow for quick entry to the venue as well as easy transfer of tickets to family, friends and clients. In addition, the entire venue will be cashless, with on-site transactions to be made with credit or debit cards. Reverse ATMs, which allow cash to be loaded onto a gift card, will be available at the venue.

Western & Southern Open ticket information can be found at https://www.wsopen.com/tickets/buy-tickets/.

After postponing its 10th anniversary during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest University will return to the Piedmont Triad 21-28 August. The tournament will operate at full capacity, given that North Carolina’s government has lifted mass gathering restrictions. Tickets, including individual session tickets, packages, box seats, and group sales, will go on sale later this summer.

“We’re so excited to announce the 2021 Winston-Salem Open. It was disappointing for everyone to have to step aside last year, but we knew it was the right thing to do for tennis. We know, though, our fans have a long history of being incredibly loyal and supportive of the tournament, and we can’t wait for play to begin on August 21,” Winston-Salem Open Tournament Director Jeff Ryan said.

For ticket information, please visit http://winstonsalemopen.com/.

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Nadal Statue Revealed At Roland Garros

Roland Garros revealed a statue of 13-time champion Rafael Nadal on Thursday before the start of the season’s second Grand Slam championship.

Nadal was there for the unveiling with French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton, Tournament Director Guy Forget and Jordi Diez Fernandez, the statue’s sculptor. The piece of art is located next to the general public entrance and the Jardin des Mousquetaires.

A group effort to achieve greatness ?

Rafael Nadal, Jordi Díez Fernandez, Gilles Moretton & Guy Forget ?#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/LoloGKrnDZ

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2021

Diez Fernandez built the statue, which is made of steel, to stand three metres tall, nearly five metres wide and two metres deep. Nadal is pictured hitting his signature lefty forehand, which has helped him to a 100-2 record at the clay-court major.

The third seed will begin his pursuit of a 14th Coupe des Mousquetaires against Aussie Alexei Popyrin. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and eighth seed Roger Federer are also on Nadal’s half of the draw.

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