Tennis News

Djokovic Becomes Second Player To Reach 300 Weeks At No. 1

Novak Djokovic today begins his 300th week as the No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, becoming just the second player in history (Roger Federer, 310 weeks) to reach the milestone.

The Serbian, who climbed to tennis’ pinnacle for the first time on 4 July 2011, is in the middle of his fifth stint in the top spot. He leads World No. 2 Rafael Nadal by 2,180 FedEx ATP Rankings points.

ALL-TIME WEEKS AT NO. 1

MOVING UP THE NO. 1 LADDER – Djokovic has started his 300th week at No. 1 and now only record-holder Roger Federer is ahead of him for most weeks spent at No. 1. If Djokovic maintains his position, he will pass the Swiss star on 8 March 2021.

“This is one of my two biggest professional goals,” Djokovic said earlier this year. “To reach the record of, [and] surpass Roger’s record for longest [time at] No. 1 and win as many [Grand] Slams as possible. I have been saying that before, so I’m working towards that. I’m at a good place right now, in a good position. Hopefully I can stay healthy and continue to play well.”

DJOKOVIC AT NO. 1 – Take a closer look at Djokovic’s match wins, Top 10 and finals record during his five stints at No. 1.

Djokovic earned a fifth reign at the top spot after his win at this year’s Australian Open, where he claimed his 17th Grand Slam title. He also finished as the year-end World No. 1 for a sixth time, tying Pete Sampras’ record.

Read profiles on all 26 World No. 1s

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Battle of the Brits: Andy Murray beats Dan Evans in Roehampton

Andy Murray is in impressive form in his first match since October as he defeats British number one Dan Evans at Battle of the Brits.

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Season Portrait: Stefanos Tsitipas

Over the course of eight days, ATPTour.com is serving up a season snapshot of the eight players who qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals. The series is illustrated by intimate portraits shot by British photographer Simon Owen. So far, we have looked at Diego Schwartzman, Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev’s year. Today, we examine Stefanos Tsitsipas’ season.

Memorable Moment
Stefanos Tsitsipas matched his career-best Grand Slam result with a run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros. But to get there, he had to pull off a comeback unlike any other just to advance past the opening round. 

The Marseille champion arrived in Paris after narrowly missing out on winning the title in Vienna. Tsitsipas struggled to get going against Spain’s Jaume Munar and found himself trailing by two sets. The Greek player was forced to dig deep, and eventually prevailed 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, recording his first victory from two-sets-to-love down. 

Key Stat
One of Tsitsipas’ best weapons is his solid serve, and the Greek player proved that he’s not afraid to take big risks for big rewards. According to an Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis, Tsitsipas dominated the Deuce court against right-handers with his second serve out wide, winning 75 per cent (21/28) of points when he targetted his opponent’s forehand, instead of serving to the backhand return like conventional tennis wisdom dictates. It paid off, as Tsitsipas won 85 per cent of his service games in 2020.

Quotable
“I would like to tell you that I’m not a Next Gen player any more. I’m a proper adult… The Big Three have been there for a long time. I don’t feel like it’s going to be the same in five, six years’ time.”

The Road Ahead
Currently sitting at No. 6 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Tsitsipas will be fighting to close the 705-point gap between him and Roger Federer for a return to the Top 5. He is still looking for his first championship match appearance at a Grand Slam, having reached the semi-finals at the 2019 Australian Open and 2020 Roland Garros.

Photo: Simon Owen/Wonderhatch

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Read & Watch: Nadal Working Hard In Off-season Training

In the least surprising news of the day, Rafael Nadal is working hard.

The Spaniard has been conducting his off-season training at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, where he has been joined by other Top 100 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Among the players who are training at the facility are Felix Auger-Aliassime, Emil Ruusuvuori and Lorenzo Sonego. On Friday, the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar posted a clip of Nadal practising with Ruusuvori, which caught the attention of former players and well-known coaches, Darren Cahill and Brad Gilbert.

Intensity on every shot in practice. The normal by Rafa. Never a wasted second. https://t.co/9XpPAZcMdo

— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) December 19, 2020

The little recovery steps back to middle every time are phenomenal, no lite shoot around for Vamos-Rafa ????✅? @darren_cahill https://t.co/v21BbIgmpQ

— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) December 19, 2020

“Liking this yearly routine?. Always an honour to share the court with Rafael Nadal,” Ruusuvuori wrote on Instagram.

The Finn is one of six nominees for Newcomer of the Year in the 2020 ATP Awards. Ruusuvuori, who reached the Astana Open semi-finals, climbed to a career-high No. 84 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in November.

Sonego, who defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, hit with Nadal on Saturday. Auger-Aliassime has trained under the watchful eye of Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle.

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Season Portrait: Alexander Zverev

Over the course of eight days, ATPTour.com is serving up a season snapshot of the eight players who qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals. The series is illustrated by intimate portraits shot by British photographer Simon Owen. So far, we have looked at Diego Schwartzman and Andrey Rublev’s year. Today, we examine Alexander Zverev’s season.

Memorable Moment
The most memorable moment of Alexander Zverev’s season was also the most devastating. The 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open, and stormed to a two-sets lead as he tried to become the youngest major winner since Juan Martin del Potro at the same event in 2009. But Thiem’s shoulders began to loosen as the match wore on, better allowing him to unleash his powerful groundstrokes. And although Zverev did well to maintain his composure and take a 5-3 lead in the fifth set, he was unable to serve out the match and lift the trophy. Instead, Thiem became the first player to rally from two sets down in a US Open championship match. 

Key Stat
Zverev arrived in Cologne with two career titles on home soil. In two weeks, without leaving the city, he doubled that total. The German triumphed at both Cologne-1 and Cologne-2, ATP 250 events added to the 2020 calendar due to COVID-19. The 23-year-old went 8-0 at the indoor hard-court tournaments, earning impressive straight-sets victories against Felix Auger-Aliassime and Diego Schwartzman in the two finals, respectively.

Quotable
”Yeah, I mean, I’m 23 years old. I don’t think it’s my last chance. I do believe that I will be a Grand Slam champion at some point.”

The Road Ahead
Zverev has maintained his place inside the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings since July 2017. Now, the German will try to return to the Top 5 for the first time since July 2019. Zverev enjoyed the best results of his Grand Slam career in 2020, reaching his first semi-final at the Australian Open and coming desperately close at Flushing Meadows. The former Nitto ATP Finals titlist and three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion will try to use those experiences to claim his maiden major hardware.

Photo: Simon Owen/Wonderhatch

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Australian Open Set For Historic Start, Total Prize Pool Revealed

Australian Open 2021 will take place at Melbourne Park from 8 to 21 February. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 23 December.

“This will be an historic Australian Open on so many levels,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.

“For the first time in more than 100 years the Australian Open will start in February and we look forward to offering the players what we believe will be one of their best playing experiences in 2021.

“From the outset, ensuring players have the best possible preparation for the Australian Open, while at all times protecting the precious COVID-free environment that the Victorian community has built through incredible sacrifice and hard work over the past six months, has been paramount.

“It has taken eight months of working alongside government authorities, here in Victoria, nationally and interstate, to give us the opportunity to present an Australian Open that will play a major role in both the economic and psychological reinvigoration and rejuvenation of Melbourne and Victoria.

“AO 2021 is going to be all about supporting local businesses – our tennis coaches, the farmers, food and wine producers, chefs, artists and musicians – and celebrating everything that is great about our country, as well as providing opportunities to those who’ve been so hard hit during the pandemic, particularly in Melbourne and Victoria.”

Australian Open 2021 will feature singles, doubles and wheelchair competitions. AO qualifying will be held offshore, with the women’s event taking place in Dubai, and men’s qualifying in Doha from 10-13 January. The AO Junior Championships has been postponed until later in the year.

Players will compete for more than $80 million in prize money during their time in Australia, with the AO total prize pool remaining at the 2020 level of $71.5 million. Players exiting in the first round of the AO will take home AU $100,000, up 15 per cent from 2020. There have also been significant increases to prize money for qualifying and the early rounds, with the full breakdown to be provided in the coming weeks. 

The world’s top players have been eagerly awaiting final confirmation of the AO dates and details and can now prepare to arrive in Australia from 15 January and undertake mandatory quarantine for 14 days. All players and their teams arriving for the AO are above and beyond the numbers of returning Australians.

“Melbourne is the home of the biggest sporting events and it’s fantastic that arrangements have been settled for Melbourne Park in February,” Acting Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Jaclyn Symes said.

“The 2021 Open will look a bit different and that’s necessary to ensure the safety of everyone, from players, ballkids and the wider community.”

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Best Of Charity: How The Stars Gave Back In 2020

The ATP Tour’s stars are known for their tennis. However, their philanthropic efforts off court are often just as impressive.

It was a challenging year in the world, from bushfires sweeping across Australia to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted countless lives. In the final installment of this year’s Best of 2020 series, ATPTour.com looks at how players, tournaments and others in the tennis world did their best to help their communities through the tough times.

Tackling Bushfires
At the start of the season, Australia was struggling with bushfires, with millions of acres of land being burned with countless consequences because of it. On 2 January, Nick Kyrgios started a movement that spread through the tennis world with a single tweet.

I’m kicking off the support for those affected by the fires. I’ll be donating $200 per ace that I hit across all the events I play this summer. #MoreToCome #StayTuned

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 2, 2020

Many other players jumped in with their own personal pledges, with the #Aces4BushfireRelief campaign quickly moving through social media to garner support for the cause. Following the final of the inaugural ATP Cup, the ATP announced an AU$ 725,000 (US$ 500,000) donation from ATP players towards the WWF’s Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts.

It created for emotional play in Australia. Kyrgios said, “When I’m playing, at the moment, I’m playing for a lot more than myself. I feel like I’m getting the best out of myself with that.”

Ahead of the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Kyrgios participated in the Rally For Relief alongside WTA stars, raising nearly AU $5 million for the Victorian Bushfire appeal.

Felix’s Pledge
Felix Auger-Aliassime won 4,904 points this season, and every one counted.

At the beginning of the season, the #NextGenATP Canadian announced his #FAAPointsForChange campaign, in which he would donate $5 for every point he won in 2020, with the money going to EduChange, partnering with CARE to support the protection and education of children in Togo. BNP Paribas pledged to donate $15 for every point Auger-Aliassime won.

“This year, more than ever, every point will matter,” Auger-Aliassime said at the campaign’s launch.

This year, @felixtennis launched #FAAPointsForChange with @CAREfrance and @BNPParibas: for each point Félix wins, 20$ is given to EduChange, contributing to the education and protection of children in Togo.

Here are all the actions undertaken thanks to the 4904 points scored ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5169e76KfX

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) November 27, 2020

Cabal Launches Campaign To Help Colombian Families Combat COVID-19
Juan Sebastian Cabal, the No. 2 player in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings, launched an initiative with his brother to help the most vulnerable people in his hometown of Cali, Colombia. Cabal promoted a campaign on social media to raise funds for buying food in local markets and delivering it to families in need.

Del Potro Donates ’13 Sneakers From SW19 To Support Battle Against Coronavirus
Juan Martin del Potro did his part to support those battling against COVID-19. Del Potro donated the shoes he wore during the 2013 Wimbledon semi-finals against Novak Djokovic to a charity auction in support of the Ramon Santamarina Hospital in Tandil, Argentina.

Dimitrov’s Ventilator Gift To Hometown Hospital
Grigor Dimitrov, the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion, donated ventilators to the hospital in his hometown of Haskovo in a bid to help those affected by COVID-19 in Bulgaria, his home country.

Djokovic Family’s €1 Million Donation Of Ventilators To Serbia
Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic announced a €1 million donation through the Novak Djokovic Foundation for the purchase of ventilators and medical equipment to support hospitals and other medical institutions in Serbia’s battle against COVID-19. 

Federer Makes Big Donation To Vulnerable Swiss Families
Roger Federer and his wife Mirka donated one million Swiss Francs (USD $1.02 million) to vulnerable families in Switzerland in the global fight against COVID-19.

Roger Federer Foundation Provided $1 Million For Meals In Africa
Federer announced that his foundation would donate $1 million to provide meals for young children and their families in Africa while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 103-time tour-level titlist took to Twitter to spread the message of the Roger Federer Foundation’s pledge, which was to feed 64,000 vulnerable people affected by the crisis.

Now more than ever we must come together to help families in need ? https://t.co/c8fhhyRBIi

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) May 6, 2020

How Krawietz & Mies Gave Back
Kevin Krawietz learned from a friend who manages grocery stores in Munich that they needed workers to help during the pandemic. Krawietz got up to start shifts as early as 5:30am at Lidl, a German supermarket chain. Krawietz did everything from stocking shelves to disinfecting shopping carts and working security at the front entrance to ensure there were no more than 40 customers inside.

His doubles partner, Andreas Mies, worked with German football player Bastian Oczipca to deliver fruit to essential workers and the special needs community. The two athletes, who currently serve as ambassadors for the Special Olympics, delivered apples to the employees and residents of Lebenshilfe, a non-profit organisation that enables people with intellectual disabilities to lead a more independent life.

Mahut Fundraises With FIFA Tournament
Frenchman Nicolas Mahut organised the #RestezChezVousTrophy to offer gamers the opportunity to compete in an online FIFA 20 tournament with entry fees being donated to hospital staff. Mahut took to his Instagram account to announce details of the event and invite French players, including Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, to join the fun and help save lives by staying at home and reducing the spread of the virus.

Murray Donated Virtual Madrid Winnings To NHS & Players In Need
After winning the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro final, Andy Murray announced that his €45,000 prize money would be split equally between the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) and the Player Relief Programme.

Nadal Offered Refuge To Juniors Stranded By Coronavirus
In response to the global outbreak of COVID-19, Nadal took measures to ensure the safety of players stranded at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar. While following orders and recommendations from authorities, the 19-time Grand Slam champion made arrangements for players at his facility who could not return home due to a variety of issues, including travel restrictions.

Nadal & Gasol Supported Red Cross In Fighting Coronavirus
Rafael Nadal and six-time NBA All-Star Pau Gasol launched the #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Best Victory) campaign to encourage donations from Spanish sportsmen and sportswomen in the fight against COVID-19. The initiative, which forms part of the #CruzRojaResponde (Red Cross Responds) project, aims to raise €11 million and help citizens in need during this health emergency.

Nadal Donated ‘Precious Object’ For Charity Auction
As part of his continuing efforts to support those in need during these tough times, Nadal donated one of his 2019 Roland Garros final match shirts to the ‘La Mejor Asistencia’ (The Best Assistance) auction, organised by Liga ACB, Spain’s top professional basketball division.

Nadal, Gasol Raise More Than €14m In Fight Against COVID-19
Nadal and Gasol confirmed in June that more than €14m was raised in the #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Best Victory) campaign, far surpassing the goal they had set at the beginning of the initiative.

Nishikori, Anderson, Fritz Joined Celebrity Nintendo Tennis Event For Charity
Kei Nishikori, Kevin Anderson and Taylor Fritz competed alongside a star-studded cast of celebrities in the Stay at Home Slam, a live virtual tennis tournament on Nintendo Switch’s Mario Tennis Aces.

Competitors played the video game from their homes and they each received $25,000, donated to the charity of their choice. The winners of the tournament, Fritz and Addison Rae, received an additional $1,000,000 to donate to No Kid Hungry, which works to end child hunger in the United States..

“I was more nervous there than in any of my real matches,” Fritz joked.

Qureshi Delivered For Families In Pakistan
Two-time Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year winner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi refused to allow Pakistan’s daily workers to be forgotten during this pandemic. Through his foundation Stop War Start Tennis, Qureshi committed to financially supporting ration bags for 1,000 families that were unable to work and earn their daily sustenance. He has since raised enough money to support thousands more. Each ration bag consists of flour, rice, oil, grains, tea, milk and soap, and can feed a family of five. Qureshi got out in the field himself, making deliveries to those families.

Roddick: ‘We Have To Serve Families That Put Their Faith In Us’
The Andy Roddick Foundation announced the creation of a Family Emergency Fund to help families in need in Austin, Texas. Roddick’s foundation largely revolves around after-school and summer programming for the children in those families, but it has pivoted to support them through this pandemic. Roddick says the closing of schools hurt childhood education, but that it causes other issues in that there are families in the area that rely on the two meals per day kids get at school.

Wonderful contribution,
way to go @andyroddick ? @theARFoundation https://t.co/3iMlFlyJnq

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) April 13, 2020

Schwartzman: ‘We’ve Done Something To Help Entertain People In Their Homes’
Diego Schwartzman planned #LaChamplay — two FIFA 20 knock-out competitions including the participation of the two organisers and 14 celebrities — with his footballer friend Paulo Dybala. All money raised was for Red Cross Argentina, with World No. 3 Dominic Thiem among the stars competing.

Sinner Sets Pizza Challenge To Raise Funds
Sinner launched the #SinnerPizzaChallenge, which went viral. He promised to donate €10 alongside his management company StarWing Sports for every photo he receives of a pizza that resembles himself or any past or present Italian figure. The money raised will be used to fund vital medical supplies in Italy during the pandemic. 

Sinner & Team Made Donation In Support Of Coronavirus Battle
Sinner announced on his social media that in conjunction with his management company, StarWing Sports, and coach, Riccardo Piatti, he is donating €12,500 to Cesvi, a humanitarian organisation, to aid with medical emergencies in Bergamo. 

Trapped In India, Moldovan Baskov Fed The Masses
Moldovan Dmitrii Baskov visited India for the first time after the ATP Cup, stopping there to train before returning home. But with COVID-19 spreading, Baskov opted to remain in India.

Baskov did everything he could for the community, helping package 2,000 to 3,000 meals daily for those in need.

Tsitsipas Gave Back Through Charity Auction
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion, found a new way to give back during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Greek launched ‘Beyond 100 Support’, an auction for which any money raised would go towards the Player Relief Programme, which will provide much-needed assistance to the players who are particularly affected during this time of the coronavirus crisis.

Tsonga, Gasquet Joined French Fundraising Efforts For Hospitals
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet led a list of French tennis stars in the fight against COVID-19, with the support of the French Tennis Federation, by donating personal items to a charity auction aimed at raising funds for Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP).

Ymer Brothers Featured In Tennis Against Corona
Mikael Ymer and Elias Ymer played a one-time exhibition match with each other at Tennis Against Corona, a new initiative created by the Stockholm Open and the Ymer brothers together to contribute to the Red Cross’ Global COVID-19 Emergency Relief.

Tournaments 

Mutua Madrid Open Donated To Madrid’s Food Bank
With the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid not held as scheduled, the organisation put on the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro, with 16 ATP and 16 WTA players participating. On top of the prize money given to players — champion Andy Murray donated all €45,000 he won — the tournament donated €50,000 to Madrid’s Food Bank.

Truist Atlanta Open Fed Frontline Healthcare Workers
The Truist Atlanta Open joined with partner, CIGNA, to feed some of Metro Atlanta’s frontline healthcare workers at Northside Hospital Cherokee on behalf of GF Sports, the Truist Atlanta Open, CIGNA and Waffle House.
The Waffle House Food Truck visited Northside Hospital Cherokee to feed the workers.

Stay At Home Gala Benefitted Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund
On Friday, 8 May, the inaugural Stay at Home Gala – Houston was held to support the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund, with Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey and Brad Gilbert among the stars in attendance.
The Stay at Home Gala – Houston is being organised by the tournament staff of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, an ATP Tour tennis tournament that is normally held in April at River Oaks Country Club.

US Open Site Converted Into Temporary Hospital, Number Of Beds Was Increased
A temporary hospital was constructed at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open. The hospital was housed inside the Indoor Training Center at the NTC, which has 12 courts with about 100,000 square feet of space.
Additionally, teams utilised Louis Armstrong Stadium, the facility’s second-largest stadium, to fulfill meal packages to be sent to patients, workers and school children. There were 25,000 packages being produced per day, with those consisting of two days’ worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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Kyrgios Helped Feed Those In Need
Old El Paso tapped Nick Kyrgios to take part in the launch of their new Tortilla Pockets in Australia. Little did the Aussie know his effort would help thousands of people in need.

Kyrgios posted a video of himself playing tennis one-handed while eating an Old El Paso Tortilla Pocket. Through his NK Foundation, he donated 10,000 Mexican meal kits to Food Bank Australia, with each share of his video on Instagram adding one extra meal kit. Kyrgios then challenged other legends to take on the challenge and things took off from there, with 100,000 Old El Paso Mexican meal products and meals being donated to help local food banks and disadvantaged families across Australia, UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, UAE, Canada and the United States.

Tiafoe Made A Difference
American Frances Tiafoe made an off-court impact in more ways than one in 2020. The rising star, who supports ThanksUSA and the USTA’s National Junior Tennis and Learning Network (NJTL), auctioned off signed memorabilia to Athletes for COVID-19 Relief, with the funds benefitting the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. But he also did things to raise awareness for injustices in society.

Alongside girlfriend and fellow player Ayan Broomfield, Tiafoe posted ‘Racquets Down, Hands Up’, an impactful video that united the Black tennis community in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, featuring cameos from Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, James Blake, Gael Monfils, and more. Tiafoe also wore a Black Lives Matter mask at the US Open.

Supporting Coaches
The ATP Coach & Player Fan Experience raised more than US$225,000 in support of members of the ATP Coach programme affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The auction, which ran across a six-week period, saw players, coaches and tournaments combine to create some unique fan experiences. Star players and coaches from present and past who contributed included Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Ivan Lendl, Darren Cahill, Paul Annacone and more.

Champions Against Cancer
The ATP, in collaboration with ATP players, launched an Ultimate Prize Draw in aid of Cancer Research UK, the official charity partner of the Nitto ATP Finals. The initiative gave tennis fans the chance to win exclusive signed memorabilia, a once-in-a-lifetime Nitto ATP Finals experience in 2021 in Turin, and a private serving masterclass with John Isner, passionate supporter of cancer charities.

Once the four winners of the prize draw were selected, they were surprised by Daniil Medvedev ahead of his second participation in the season finale. The Russian happily answered their questions and thanked them for their support of the campaign. One week later, he claimed the biggest title of his career. 

Looking Ahead…

Novak’s Season Of Giving
The Novak Djokovic Foundation has launched a Season of Giving campaign for the third consecutive year in the hopes of raising €100,000 to help open a preschool in both Vajska and Ljubis, two villages in Serbia. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and his wife, Jelena Djokovic, will match all donations.

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Fognini's New Coach: 'He’s Motivated And Wants To Aim High'

Fabio Fognini is one of the most talented players on the ATP Tour. His baseline shots are not only powerful, they are also often unreadable. But, at the age of 33, the Italian’s skills and game were in need of new guidance, and when better than the pre-season to form a new team that can help him continue progressing?

What is Fognini’s plan? The starting point of the process was to build a new team with former World No. 8 Alberto Mancini and fitness coach Alejandro Lacour.

“The opportunity came up after his manager, Ugo Colombini, contacted me. He told me that Fabio was looking for a new team and my name came up as the first choice,” Mancini told ATPTour.com.

What is the most appealing thing about working with the No. 17 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings?

“His tennis, his talent, his natural ability… and he told me how excited and committed he is right now,” Mancini said. “He wants to really hit the final years of his career hard. He’s motivated and wants to aim high.”

Mancini has previously coached other top players including Argentine Guillermo Coria, Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas — his last pupil — and Ecuadorian Nicolás Lapentti. This new opportunity has come at a special time, after several months without competition that forced everyone to rethink their plans and goals.

“The pandemic gave us time to reconsider and put ourselves in a different place. I think Fabio realised that he still has a lot to give. If he can maintain a level of fitness throughout the year that gives him peace of mind, with his game he can aim high, and he wants to,” Mancini explained. “Fognini is not working to stay on Tour and just make it quietly through his final years… He’s motivated to aim high”.

Mancini has no doubt about his new player’s strengths, saying, “[He has] great vision, he’s very fast… that ability to read the game and the opponent is important. Then he plays aggressive tennis. When he’s playing well, he’s a player who, although he’s not ‘super powerful’, he generates a lot of ball speed and he breaks his opponent’s rhythm.”

Physical fitness will be a priority for Fognini.

“You have to be consistent throughout the year in competition [and] avoid spikes, as that is what can lead to some injuries,” Mancini said. “That’s why, at this point of his career, it’s essential to be in peak physical condition. That’s why we’re working very hard to for him to reach a high level and maintain it. Then he can avoid injuries.

“Also, Fognini isn’t a player who’ll be there for hours and hours. He’d rather spend quality [practice] time than quantity… We have to keep him motivated.”

Interestingly, neither the player or his team have set out specific goals for 2021. “We prefer to take things day by day, to try and feel better and stronger every day. He’s just had an ankle operation and we’re focussing on that, making sure it feels good so that he can start to progress.”

The Nitto ATP Finals will take place in Turin for the first time next year. Could this provide extra motivation for Fognini?

“Without a doubt. His desire is to stay at that level and feel that, if he’s well, he can compete on par with that group of players,” Mancini said.

“We haven’t set Turin as a goal, but it undoubtedly must be in his mind. We’re taking it step by step… We’ve only just started and it’s coming along nicely.”

Mancini will travel around 20 to 25 weeks per year. The rest of the time a second coach, fellow Argentine German Gaich, will accompany Fognini. Mancini doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, but his words carry great promise.

“[Fabio is] a player who can compete on par with anyone and that makes him a player you can aim high with,” Mancini said. “We can face anyone on any surface… It’s a wonderful challenge and we’ll see where it takes us.”

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Forehands Hunting Backhands Through A Federer Lens

Forehands hunt backhands.

It begins with the return of serve and gets more fervent as baseline skirmishes unfold. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of 20 matches featuring Roger Federer from the 2018 and 2019 seasons identifies how both the Swiss star and his opponents focus their energy on stalking the backhand.

The analysis uses Hawk-Eye data and graphics to expose a hidden layer of directional warfare between forehands and backhands. The data set only contains right-handed players, with the court cut into thirds in the following fashion:
• Deuce-Court Third = to the opponent’s forehand.
• Middle Third = to the opponent’s forehand and backhand.
• Ad-Court Third = to the opponent’s backhand.

This analysis focusses on how often Federer and his opponents target the Ad-court third of the court, prowling their opponent’s backhand wing.

Return Of Serve = Straight To The Backhand
Roger Federer’s backhand-focussed strategy is immediately recognisable once the court is dissected into thirds. Federer’s primary target to direct returns is to the Ad-court third, where he hit 46 per cent of all returns. His opponents’ primary location was returning down the middle of the court (44%), which gave Federer more opportunities to hit a preferred Serve +1 forehand. Federer’s record in the 20 matches was 14 wins, six losses.

Return Of Serve Direction: Federer vs. Opponents

What also becomes apparent is how Federer and his opponents avoid the Deuce-court third when returning, which is straight to their opponent’s forehand. Federer hit only 14 per cent of his returns there, while his opponent’s were in the same ballpark at 17 per cent. The match that Federer hit most to the Ad-court third was a 2018 three-set Miami Open presented by Itau victory against Radu Albot. The Hawk-Eye graphic below identifies that only three first-serve returns went to Albot’s forehand in the Deuce-court third.

Rally Forehands
Federer and his opponents’ primary direction to hit their forehands was through the Ad-court third to the backhand. Federer hit 46 per cent of his forehands to this target, while his opponents dialed it up even more, hitting 49 per cent of their forehands at Federer’s backhand.

When Andrey Rublev upset Federer 6-3, 6-4 in Cincinnati in 2019, he relentlessly hit more than two out of three (68%) forehands at the Ad-court third, pounding away at Federer’s backhand like a stone-cutter. Rublev hit 59 rally forehands and just 32 rally backhands in the match, but his targetting of Federer’s backhand forced Federer to hit 48 forehands and 47 backhands. Having Federer’s baseline groundstroke count basically even between forehands and backhands was a huge advantage for the Russian.

Rally Backhands
The match metrics identify that Federer’s opponents clearly wanted to get into backhand-to-backhand exchanges with the Swiss, while Federer was more likely to try and escape the Ad-court pattern by redirecting backhands down the line. Federer’s opponents hit 55 per cent of their backhands cross court, while Federer was considerably lower at 47 per cent. Federer did change direction with his backhand 29 per cent of the time and went down the line, which was higher than the 24 per cent from his opponents.

When Federer lost 3-6, 7-6(11), 6-4 to Dominic Thiem in Madrid in 2019, he was doing all he could to avoid backhand-to-backhand exchanges with the Austrian. Federer hit 45 per cent of his backhands down the line, while Thiem’s backhand down the line total only reached 18 per cent of total backhands.

Overall in these 20 matches, 54 per cent of baseline rally shots were forehands and 46 per cent were backhands. The average forehand rally speed was 72 mph, while backhands were just 64 mph – an eight mph difference. The big picture summary clearly identifies the forehand as the apex baseline predator that cleverly targets the backhand as its prey.

Hawk-Eye Data Set = 20 Roger Federer Matches From 2018/2019 (14-6 W/L)

– Hawk-Eye graphics courtesy of ATP Media

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ATP University Goes Virtual!

The ATP University was not held alongside the Nitto ATP Finals this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop this year’s class from going to school.

Thirty-eight up-and-coming players attended two days of sessions covering a wide variety of topics to further improve the off-court skills and enhance the knowledge they need to succeed on the ATP Tour. ATP University is an educational workshop that offers presentations including an overview of the ATP, player relations, member services, rules and regulations, integrity – anti-corruption and anti-doping, and player health and wellness.

“It was a great experience. Of course seeing all the guys on Tour who I haven’t seen for a few weeks now, it was great seeing their familiar faces,” World No. 73 Marcos Giron said. “It was really interesting [attending] ATP University and seeing all the behind the scenes of what makes the ATP run.”

In addition to the program’s core competencies, players attended breakout sessions on nutrition and hydration, financial planning, strength and conditioning, and media training. Special guests included former World No. 1 Jim Courier, two-time Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling and two-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor Janko Tipsarevic, who used their experiences on the Tour to provide the players with special insights.

“My favorite part was Jim Courier,” Giron said. “He was the opener and I thought it was really interesting. I looked up to Jim Courier. He was a tremendous player and to hear from him his experience of life on Tour and after the Tour, not just the Xs and Os of tennis, but life that surrounds it and how he navigated it.”

Soderling, who earlier this year wrote an essay for ATPTour.com to help those struggling with their mental health, assisted ATP partner Sporting Chance with a presentation.

“It was great to be part of the Sporting Chance presentation. They are doing an extremely good job with helping players with their mental health. I wish that something like this was available during my career. It would for sure have helped me a lot,” Soderling said. “I hope that I helped the players that were listening to get a better understanding of what could happen in the worst case if they don’t take care of their mental health as carefully as they do their physical health. I hope that by telling my story I could help some of them. I know how helpful it can be just listening to someone that has gone through this.”

ATP University is typically held twice a year — alongside the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Nitto ATP Finals — but the programme was adapted this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In spite of not being able to meet in the traditional sense to deliver this important product, we’re very excited to have technology that allowed us to deliver key information to the players,”said Erika Kegler, the ATP’s Director, Player Development. “Current times call for innovation like never before and we are proud to have been able to conduct the ATP University virtually.” 

This year’s ATP University graduates were Filippo Baldi, Nikola Cacic, Kimmer Coppejans, Federico Coria, Enzo Couacaud, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Gonzalo Escobar, Daniel Elahi Galan, Robert Galloway, Marcos Giron, Emilio Gomez, Andre Goransson, Tallon Griekspoor, Andrew Harris, Cem Ilkel, Nicola Kuhn, Nathaniel Lammons, Gianluca Mager, Joao Menezes, Nikola Milojevic, Sumit Nagal, Christopher O’Connell, Danilo Petrovic, Max Purcell, Emil Ruusuvuori, Thiago Seyboth Wild, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Taberner, Alejandro Tabilo, Mikael Torpegaard, Botic Van de Zandschulp, Juan Pablo Varillas, Aleksander Vukic, Yosuke Watanuki, J.J. Wolf, Mikael Ymer, Bernabe Zapata Miralles and Zhizhen Zhang.

More than 1,000 past and present ATP Tour players have graduated from the program. Any player in his first year of ATP Tour Division I membership is required to attend ATP University. Players inside the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings and Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings are eligible for the membership.

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