Tennis News

Tsitsipas, Rublev among chasing pack eyeing Live Race boost in North America

After seven months of the 2024 season, a seven-pronged battle for eighth place has emerged in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

The world’s top players are preparing for an ATP Masters 1000 doubleheader at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers in Montreal and the Cincinnati Open. Several members of the chasing pack will be keen to give a mid-season boost to their chances of booking a spot at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held in Turin from 10-17 November.

With plenty of points available across Montreal and Cincinnati, the Live Race may well look completely different in two weeks’ time. As things stand, just 575 points separate Stefanos Tsitsipas in eighth (the final qualification spot for the prestigious season finale) and 14th-placed Lorenzo Musetti.

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

The champion on his Nitto ATP Finals debut in 2019, Tsitsipas is chasing his sixth consecutive appearance at the season-ending showpiece. He lifted his third Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters crown in April but has not won a match at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers since 2021. He reached the final on event debut in Toronto in 2018, however, and is also a former Cincinnati finalist (2022). Tsitsipas knows that a big two weeks in North America could distance himself from the chasing pack.

In ninth and 10th, respectively, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul will hope that a return to familiar territory can help them make inroads towards Turin qualification. Fritz, who is 135 points behind Tsitsipas, has not been past the third round in five appearances at the Canadian Masters 1000, but he is a two-time Cincinnati quarter-finalist and has a habit of raising his game on home soil: the 26-year-old won his first Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells in 2022.

Paul defeated then-World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz en route to his maiden Masters 1000 semi-final in Toronto last year. Despite holding a moderate 5-5 record in Cincinnati, the three-time ATP Tour champion is playing some of the best tennis of his career and will view the return to hard courts as a big opportunity to push his claim for a Turin debut.

Like Tsitsipas, 11th-placed Andrey Rublev has established himself as a Nitto ATP Finals regular. The No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings has had a topsy-turvy 2024, but he remains in contention for a fifth consecutive appearance at the season finale. He will hope to build on his quarter-final run in Washington last week with a deep run in Montreal, where he has not won a match across two previous appearances.

Currently in 12th, former Cincinnati titlist Grigor Dimitrov is bidding to return to the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time since he triumphed on his only previous appearance in 2017. Just 185 points behind the Bulgarian in 13th is his good friend Hubert Hurkacz. Both players have enjoyed consistent seasons so far and have each won an ATP Tour title (Dimitrov in Brisbane, Hurkacz in Estoril).

Jannik Sinner, who is the top seed in Montreal, leads the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is in a strong position to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Could 14th-placed Musetti give home fans a second Italian contender to cheer on in November in Turin?

The 22-year-old Musetti has enjoyed a stellar summer and has won 22 of 28 matches since the start of Roland Garros in late May. He reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon in July and last week claimed bronze at Paris 2024, Italy’s first medal at the Olympic Tennis Event in 100 years. Although he is 7-9 on hard courts this year, Musetti’s recent surge will ensure he takes to court for his Montreal debut full of confidence.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Hurkacz's 'Iron Man' effort to return from meniscus surgery in three weeks

One of the most difficult moments to watch at Wimbledon was the end of Hubert Hurkacz’s second-round match against Arthur Fils. People say a picture is worth a thousand words and that was the case looking at the pain of the Polish star’s face.

The 27-year-old dove for a ball, giving his absolute maximum effort as he always does. When Hurkacz tried to get up from the awkward position he was in, he tore the meniscus in his right knee and retired late in the fourth set.

A video that Hurkacz later posted showed the eight-time ATP Tour titlist sitting on a bench next to ball kids in the immediate aftermath sporting a look of concern, with a hand on his knee.

“Right after I knew something happened because it was painful and we needed to figure out how bad it was and just get as much information [as we could],” Hurkacz told ATPTour.com. “It was difficult because after the scan I didn’t know when I was going to be back, if I was going to be playing this year or if I was going to reach my normal level. So it was definitely a challenging time.”

Hurkacz spoke to several doctors, almost all of whom said he would be out of competition until next year. Yet after undergoing surgery and working through an intensive rehab process with his physio Kuba and fitness coach Przemek, Hurkacz is ready to compete this week at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers in Montreal.

When Hurkacz hurt himself, coach Craig Boynton was not entirely sure of the extent of the injury.

“Initially, when it happened, I thought he was cramping. He was talking in Polish to the physio, and the physio said to me, ‘He needs to stop’. I was clueless as to what was going on,” Boynton said of the Montreal fourth seed. “As things unfolded, he got the MRI, found out it was the meniscus, and then going forward, what was the best plan of action?

“He handled all that in Poland with part of the team there, the physical team. He had the surgery done, and to say the boys worked diligently would be an understatement, to get him to where he is right now. He worked so hard, Iron Man hard. It was crazy how much he did just to get back here in three to four weeks, to get to the point where we’re actually competing.”

Hurkacz underwent surgery on 15 July. The next day he began rehab and within a week he was back on court doing movement work. On Monday, three weeks later, he was walking around Parc Jarry in Montreal with his trademark smile.

“It definitely makes you appreciate what you’re doing, not having a chance or a possibility to do it for a while,” Hurkacz said. “I knew I couldn’t really move on the court, so the Olympics was unfortunately out of the window. I was dreaming of playing there for the whole year, but I just knew that it just was not going to be possible. The wounds were still not healed. I just couldn’t be going there. It was too much of a risk and also I couldn’t move on the court, so it was just not going to work.”

Before undergoing surgery and throughout his rehab, Hurkacz has been in touch with medical professionals and other athletes from both inside and outside of tennis. One of them was Novak Djokovic, who tore his meniscus at Roland Garros, then made the Wimbledon final and claimed the Olympic singles gold medal in Paris.

“Definitely just really inspiring what he did, especially winning the gold medal,” Hurkacz said. “I also texted Novak. He was really, really supportive and helpful as well and it just was a different situation, it was a difficult situation trying to make the decision. At the end I knew I needed to have surgery.”

What was challenging for Hurkacz beyond the rehab itself was not knowing when he would be fit to compete. Now that he is ready for matches, his coach, Boynton, explained that is an evolving process to tinker with.

“You see what he can do, you see what maybe he is more limited in and you just deploy the weapons and the assets in a different mindset compared to if everything is 100 per cent,” Boynton said. “That’s where the practice gets involved. That’s where it is talking about where he is feeling that he can make improvements and where he thinks he wants to kind of stay away from, and that is just the management.”

Boynton added: “I’m happy for him that he can do the things that he loves, and we’re here. Now we just have to be smart about how we go forward and just see. The matches will dictate what needs work in every way.”

Hurkacz is known for his smile, and that has been the case more than ever since his arrival in Montreal. He has appreciated every moment on site, from seeing the fans to practising.

“It felt really long. It felt like so many things happened since the time I was on the court previously,” Hurkacz said. “There are so many things we went through as a team and many difficult decisions. It just really makes you appreciate what you’re doing daily and sometimes you might get lost because you’re just constantly pursuing to get better, to win matches, to try to win the tournaments and win the Grand Slams. You don’t really appreciate the moment at some point and now I really had a moment to pause and reflect.”

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Nishikori earns biggest win since ‘21, next faces Tsitsipas in Montreal

Kei Nishikori showed flashes of his vintage best Tuesday when he overcame #NextGenATP teen Alex Michelsen 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers.

By defeating the World No. 55 Michelsen, it marks the 34-year-old’s first win at ATP Masters 1000 level since 2021 Indian Wells and his highest-ranked victory since Washington that year.

“It’s been a long time,” Nishikori said with a smile in his on-court interview. “It means a lot, especially the way I played in the third set. First and second set, many ups and downs and I was missing a lot of balls. Third set, I was playing pretty good tennis I think, good defence and when I needed to, I was having good movement and playing aggressive. It was working really well.”

Nishikori consistently struck deep returns to pressure the 19-year-old American’s serve, converting four of his 12 break chances. The former World No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings earned a decisive break to clinch the second set and repeated that feat to close the match after two hours, 33 minutes. Competing in his fifth tournament this year across all levels, Nishikori crushed 22 forehand winners, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I just needed to keep believing in myself, that’s the only thing I can do. To be aggressive, start hitting more forehands and backhands [down the] line. I think that started working well in the second set,” said Nishikori, who has won 12 tour-level titles.

The 2016 finalist, making his ninth appearance at the Canadian Masters 1000 tournament, will next face eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. It will mark their third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. Nishikori won their first encounter in the 2018 Tokyo quarter-finals. The Greek earned revenge in Miami three years later.

In other Tuesday action, Lorenzo Sonego advanced with a 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-4 victory against Tallon Griekspoor.

Did You Know?
Among active players, Nishikori owns the highest deciding-set winning percentage (149-57, .723), according to the Infosys Win/Loss Index.

“It means a lot, especially the way I played in the 3rd set. 1st and 2nd, I was many up and downs, and I was missing a lot of balls, but 3rd set I was playing pretty good tennis, GOOD DEFENCE”.

Good defence indeed @keinishikori 👏 pic.twitter.com/fbRv3s9GjO

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) August 6, 2024

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Tabilo's 'crazy' ascent: Title town, beating Djokovic & a Montreal debut

Twenty-seven-year-old Alejandro Tabilo grew up in Toronto, where his parents Ricardo and Maria met. The Chilean moved from Canada to Florida when he was 13, but some of his earliest memories stick with him most. After stunning then-World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Rome earlier this year, Tabilo thought back to those early days.

“I just started thinking about [when I was] here in Canada, where in the mornings I would go with my mom to practise,” Tabilo told ATPTour.com. “Or after coming back from school, my dad would be waiting right outside the bus and we would go straight to a park and play a little bit of tennis… All those little memories when I was a little kid and [not it has] come to this, which is what we worked for our entire lives.”

Tabilo is living his dream. The energetic lefty has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the ATP Tour, reaching a career-high No. 19 in the PIF ATP Rankings last month. Before 2024, he had never ranked high than No. 64.

But on Tuesday evening, the 15th seed will walk onto Court Central in Montreal to compete in the Omnium Banque Nationale Presente par Rogers for the first time. His match against Frances Tiafoe is a moment that he has waited for since before becoming a teenager.

Tabilo cannot remember exactly when he trained at Parc Jarry, the venue for the tournament, but he believes he was between eight and 10 years old. The Chilean practised at the home of the Montreal ATP Masters 1000 event for “maybe a month”, staying at a friend’s house while in town.

Now he will face Tiafoe in front of thousands of Canadian fans in primetime. Already a star, he will make a memorable debut at the country’s most prestigious tournament in front of family and friends.

“Just being able to live all of this with [my family] has been nice. I think that’s why this week especially I’ve been thinking about everything we’ve done a lot more,” Tabilo said. “I’ve talked about it with my dad. For him it’s also so emotional, all of this. He says that just walking on these grounds after everything we’ve been through — and being here with me also when I was a little kid — and being able to live all this together, it’s really nice.

“In Canada, I won nationals in all the categories. I never got a wild card for this event, so I never got a chance to play it. I never had that ranking to get in by myself.”

Tabilo began his season at World No. 85, with the goal of cracking the Top 50 by the end of the season. It took him one week.

The lefty claimed his first ATP Tour title in Auckland, where as a qualifier he defeated #NextGenATP star Arthur Fils in the semi-finals en route to the trophy. He pointed to that victory as an important one.

“I started believing more in myself. I think that was something I struggled with before,” Tabilo said. “I knew I could play well, I just didn’t know to what point. I never really believed when I played with the bigger guys that I could beat them.

“I think that gave me a little bit of confidence that I can be there and just winning the title gave me much more confidence.”

That was a crucial week for the Chilean. After reaching the final on home soil in Santiago, his biggest moment of the year came in Rome. Like with Montreal, Tabilo had never previously competed at the Foro Italico.

That did not seem to bother him. The six-time ATP Challenger Tour champion advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final without losing a set. In the third round, he stunned Djokovic 6-2, 6-3.

Watch Highlights:

What would he have said if a couple of years ago someone told him that would happen?

“I would have said, ‘You’re crazy’. I would have not even believed it. I still don’t even believe everything that’s happened, especially [beating] Djokovic,” Tabilo said. “You always work for that, you always dream of that moment, but just when that opportunity shows up, it’s always tough to do it and I’ve just been so thankful for that. I’ve been playing well, I’ve been staying healthy and hopefully I can just keep doing that. I’m living now with that experience and I’ll just try and use it for the future.”

These standout victories have helped unlock the confidence in Tabilo, and it shows on the court. The Chilean wears his heart on his sleeve and is a gritty competitor. His countryman, Nicolas Jarry, walked over to say hello and made sure to point that out.

“He’s the guy that expresses the most [passion] of the tennis players,” Jarry said.

Tabilo won his second ATP Tour title on grass in Mallorca and has continued his charge forward.

“After that [win against Djokovic], it’s been just playing, just swinging and not really thinking about it much, which was always one of the struggles, the mental side,” Tabilo said. “I’ve been much more focused on that.”

Now Tabilo has a chance to show the Canadian fans how far he has come since growing up in the country. He is certainly excited for the opportunity under the Montreal lights.

“Everything has been going pretty fast this year. I think I still haven’t been able to really just stop and process everything. But this week actually has made me just stop and think because I’m here with all my family,” Tabilo said. “Just coming here, being main draw, even seeded, it’s crazy for me. This week has been a bit of reality check of where we are right now.”

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Medvedev hungry for a 'big title', to begin his chase in Montreal

A lot of the attention during the 2024 season has gone to Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Sinner won his first major at the Australian Open and completed his ascent to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz triumphed at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and Djokovic just earned his maiden gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

But quietly, Daniil Medvedev has enjoyed a consistent season. The former World No. 1 is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is now entering the part of the season that has historically been when he performs best.

Seeded third at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers, this year’s Australian Open finalist and Wimbledon semi-finalist will try to claim his first title of the year.

“I think the thing always about my seasons is that a lot of times when I come to this stage, which is Canada, whatever happened before doesn’t matter too much because that’s really usually the best part of the season for me,” Medvedev told ATPTour.com. “So to be honest, I’m pretty happy with my season. I had some good results and good runs, some actually good wins. What I’m not happy [with] in a way is I don’t have a title, but I’m playing [well at] the biggest tournaments and I lost to some great guys.”

It is not that Medvedev has failed to advance deep into tournaments. The 28-year-old is 35-11 for the season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index and reached finals in Melbourne and Indian Wells.

Medvedev will take confidence knowing that Montreal is where he advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 final in 2019. That year, Medvedev enjoyed a memorable second half of his season, winning 29 of 32 matches. It started in Washington, where he made the final before sprinting to Canada.

“You need to hustle, you need to pack. The next day you need to prepare the match already. I played Kyle Edmund who at the time was playing very well and I knew that the first match was not going to be easy,” Medvedev said. “But straightaway I felt really, really well and managed to beat him with an easy score. Everything just stuck together and I managed to play pretty well.”

Medvedev did not lose a set en route to the final, defeating Edmund, Cristian Garin, Dominic Thiem and Karen Khachanov. Only one of the eight sets he played against the quartet went past 6-3. His run ultimately came to an end in the title match against Rafael Nadal, who triumphed 6-3, 6-0.

“I played Rafa and unfortunately at the time it was way too much for me and way too strong,” Medvedev said. “I do remember every match was different in a way but I was playing great tennis and feeling great in my game and it was the first time I made it to the final of a Masters 1000, so it was a great boost of confidence.”

When Medvedev arrived in Canada five years ago, he was the No. 9 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. By the end of that stretch, it was clear he was on his way to the top, and he sees that upon reflection.

“One hundred per cent, because before this I knew I could play well, but I still never really made any huge result and that was the stretch where I made the first Masters 1000 final, won the next one in Cincinnati and made the final of US Open, which was amazing,” Medvedev said. “That was kind of the first tournament — together with Washington, where I also played well — where I started to know even more what I have to do on the court to beat guys on the top.”

Medvedev is excited to be back in Montreal and on hard courts and begin his pursuit of a title. The third seed, who has a bye, will play doubles partner Roman Safiullin or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round. To the 20-time tour-level titlist, this is the beginning of his effort to finish the season on a high note.

“I’m going to try to make it ’til the end of the year for sure, try to get a big title and try to get more points because it’s always important,” Medvedev said. “The higher you finish in the end, the more it shows how great your season was. So I’m pretty happy with the season, but I definitely want more than that.”

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Carreno Busta: 'I didn't know if it would be possible to continue'

Two years ago when Pablo Carreno Busta watched the draw for the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers, he was in disbelief. The Spaniard, then No. 23 in the PIF ATP Rankings, had drawn Matteo Berrettini, who earlier that year had reached World No. 6, in the first round.

“I wrote to my friends on WhatsApp and I said, ‘Come on, this is crazy, the Masters 1000s. I am 23rd in the world and I play in the first round against Berrettini’,” Carreno Busta told ATPTour.com. “Come on, in the first round? I’m 23rd in the world and I have to play against Matteo?”

That week proved to be the best of Carreno Busta’s career. The mild-mannered Gijon-native not only defeated Berrettini, but went on to claim his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy, making memories for a lifetime in Montreal.

When Carreno Busta returned to Jarry Park a few days ago for the first time since that glorious week, his mindset was nowhere near the same. The 33-year-old has not played for most of the past year and a half due to elbow tendonitis.

“It’s very special, of course, because I won two years ago here in Montreal, my first ATP Masters 1000. But also it’s very special because the last year and a half, I was out of the Tour because of an injury,” Carreno Busta said. “To be here again is very important to me. To be on the Tour again after this long time, I didn’t know if would be possible to continue playing tennis or not.”

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2022/08/14/04/45/carreno-busta-montreal-2022-sf-2.jpeg?w=100%25&hash=26D2C2FFA7861E002AF82C054DDB645D” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Pablo Carreno Busta” />
^{Carreno Busta triumphed in Montreal in 2022. Photo: Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour}
Now Carreno Busta is confident he can push forward, but that was not always the case.

“Sometimes I just feel the pain when I play tennis. But there were other moments that I felt the pain all the time when I was sleeping, when I was trying to swim on the beach,” Carreno Busta said. “It was crazy because it’s very uncomfortable all the time thinking if there is going to be pain or not.”

There were moments when the Spaniard, who reached a career-high World No. 10, wondered if he would need to retire.

“Sometimes I thought about it. I didn’t want to do it. But when you stop for one and a half years, it’s normal that you think a lot of things,” Carreno Busta said. “I didn’t know [how] my life [would] continue after retiring.

“Look at Novak for example. He is 37 and continuing to play at this level. So I hope to be here on the Tour for the next few years.”

In his worst moments, Carreno Busta tried his best to enjoy time with his family and friends, especially his wife. Their support helped him remain as positive as possible.

Last October, Carreno Busta attempted to play two ATP Challenger Tour events after eight months away. But the pain was too difficult to deal with and he underwent an operation.

As tough as it was to spend so much time away from the sport he loves, it provided him a new perspective.

“I tried to work a lot to come back. I got treatments with the physios, with the doctors, I did a lot of fitness. I tried to play tennis. There were [tough] moments. But it’s true that I had a lot of time,” Carreno Busta said. “In a year and a half I had a lot of time to enjoy with my family also, to do things that normally I couldn’t do. For example, last summer, I went on holidays. Normally in summertime, I’m here in the U.S. or in Canada playing these tournaments. So it was different. But I think that in this moment I prefer to be here playing tennis.”

Carreno Busta played his first tournament of the year at Roland Garros, where he lost in the first round. After competing in three more events — two on clay and one on grass — the Spaniard was hurt again and unable to take the court at Wimbledon.

But now he is excited to be in Montreal, where two years ago he created one of the happiest moments of his career. He defeated Berrettini, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Daniel Evans and Hubert Hurkacz to earn the biggest title of his career.

“It was probably the best week of my life, winning a Masters 1000,” Carreno Busta said.

“I would like just to enjoy these moments, get the extra confidence to be here and try to make a good week. I know that probably my level is not the same level of two years ago. But for me, it’s very important to be here. I know I’m not 100 per cent again in this moment, but we’ll see what happens. I think the most important thing is that I’m healthy, continue to be healthy and don’t get injured again.”

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What 6’8” Diallo has learned from Eubanks, Raonic

Montreal native Gabriel Diallo grew up watching countryman Milos Raonic hammer aces and crush monstrous forehands. The eight-time tour-level titlist’s explosive service motion and winding forehand assisted Raonic in becoming Canada’s highest-ranked player in history, climbing to No. 3 in 2016. Eight years on, the 22-year-old Diallo likes to study the 2016 Wimbledon finalist.

Though the six-foot-eight Diallo’s technique is uniquely different than Raonic’s, the principle remains the same: big man, first-strike tennis. The former University of Kentucky standout, who turned pro in December 2022, has found inspiration from watching the success of players such as fellow former collegiate player, 6’7” Christopher Eubanks, and 6’5” Raonic.

“Chris [Eubanks] is someone I’ve been compared to a lot, especially in college because I was very tall, very lanky,” Diallo told commentator Mike Cation at the Chicago Men’s Challenger. “Chris and I are both big servers and we look for our forehands.

“For me, the greatest to ever do it in terms of serve plus-one is Milos Raonic. I watched a lot of Milos growing up. I still watch a lot of matches from before, from now. I think watching those types of players is a real eye-opener for me.”

Diallo eight days ago won the ATP Challenger Tour 75 event in Chicago, where he fired 17 aces in the final to remain unbroken across five matches en route to lifting his third title at that level.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/29/13/29/diallo-chicagoch-2024.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Gabriel Diallo is crowned champion at the Chicago Men’s Challenger.” />
^{Gabriel Diallo is crowned champion at the Chicago Men’s Challenger. Credit: Eduardo Cantu}

The Canadian remembers having a lightbulb moment last year. It was not his Davis Cup win against Lorenzo Musetti or upset over Daniel Evans in Toronto. Instead, Diallo learned valuable lessons in a three-set loss to Eubanks at the hard-court Gwangju Challenger.

Eubanks arrived at the three-week South Korean Challenger swing following a quarter-final run at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami, where the American secured his place in the Top 100. Two months after competing in intimate stadium courts in South Korea, the former Georgia Tech University star was competing on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.

Eubanks captured his maiden tour-level title in Mallorca and reached the quarter-finals at the grass-court major.

“I don’t think people realise the hard work he put in before,” said Diallo, the youngest Canadian in the Top 150 of the PIF ATP Rankings. “I remember when he had that run at Wimbledon, when I saw it, it made me think of three Challengers we played on hard courts in South Korea.

“I told my coach [Martin Laurendeau] after the match, ‘Boy, when he started to serve and hit his plus-one, there’s not much I could’ve done.’ It kind of also opened my eyes to where I could potentially be at his age, 25, 26. It’s a learning curve and I still have to dip my toes in the water. I’ve been on Tour for a year-and-a-half now.”

Diallo grew up a multi-sport athlete and though a handful of people told him that he should play basketball, drawing upon his height as an advantage, the World No. 141 enjoyed tennis the most. He ran track, did gymnastics and played handball, which his mother excelled in for the Ukrainian national team.

But the sport which Diallo began at age six now has him competing on a big stage in his home city. Diallo faces 16th seed Karen Khachanov in the Montreal opening round Tuesday.

Gabriel Diallo won’t be answering any questions about his blind rankings 😂#ATPChallenger | @TennisCanada pic.twitter.com/xddFtisUIa

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) January 25, 2024

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Sinner on Djokovic-Alcaraz Olympic clash: 'We don't see this level every day’

Jannik Sinner may be in Montreal focusing on preparations for this week’s Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers, but that did not stop the World No. 1 from taking some time on Sunday to tune into one of the most gripping finals in Olympic Tennis Event history.

Despite his disappointment at missing Paris 2024 due to tonsilitis, Sinner joined millions of fans around the world in enjoying the latest Lexus ATP Head2Head clash between two of his biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.

“It was a very high-level match, I think everyone agrees with that,” said Sinner on Monday, when asked for his key takeaways from Djokovic’s victory after two tie-break sets. “It was a very physical match. When two of the best players in the world face each other at the moment, they produce something very special, so it was a pleasure to watch this kind of match and I think everyone really enjoyed. We don’t see this level every day, so it was an amazing match.”

As a 14-time tour-level champion, Sinner has become increasingly accustomed to the feeling of clinching a title. The 22-year-old ended his wait for a maiden Grand Slam title at January’s Australian Open, but he was quick to recognise the unique circumstances of Djokovic’s Olympic gold, a prize that had until Sunday eluded the Serbian across a career spanning nearly two decades.

“Of course I understand [his reaction], but I think he understands it more than anyone else,” said Sinner, when asked about Djokovic’s highly emotional celebrations after clinching the Career ‘Golden Slam’ in Paris. “He tried so hard to get this medal, which was the last thing he needed to accomplish. He knew this in his mind.

“He was close couple of times, making bronze or fourth a couple of times. This year was his year, and it was just a very nice scene, to see how much this means to him. Also, the reaction of Carlos after. It is the same reaction, but the opposite way. We work for these kinds of things, success. Obviously, Novak has many more years of expectations also. It’s very nice to see.”

Events in Paris have not distracted Sinner from his own task at hand — defending the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers title he won in Toronto in 2023. Sinner confirmed he is fully recovered from his recent illness as he prepares for an opening-round against Pedro Martinez or a qualifier.

“It feels great. I arrived here quite early,” said Sinner. “Firstly, to get rid of the jetlag. Secondly, to recover here from the last part of what I had. For sure the first couple of days were very slow days, with not a lot of practise, trying to get the body used to it again. Now I’m practising really hard again. I feel my body fighting. Honestly, it’s really good and I’m ready to compete again.”

“It’s a while since the last match I played at Wimbledon. So, let’s see. I’m very excited to be here and hopefully I can show some good tennis.”

We’re in Canada this week 🇨🇦

Here’s all you need to know about the sixth ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year! 👇
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— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 5, 2024

With Alcaraz not competing in Montreal, Sinner has the opportunity to extend his lead from the second-placed Spaniard in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. He is looking forward to competing on hard courts for the first time since March in Miami, where he surged to his second Masters 1000 crown.

“It’s for sure my favourite surface, but every situation is different,” said Sinner, when asked about his 22-1 tour-level record on hard courts this year. “Here, for example, the ball is flying quite a lot, so you have to feel the ball a little bit more and just try to play with a good mindset against every opponent that you have to face.

“[I will take it] day by day. Tomorrow, I play doubles [with Jack Draper], which is a good start for me to prepare the best possible way, and then the singles.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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How Agassi, Rafter, Roddick & Nadal sealed the 'Summer Sweep' in Cincy

Winning in sport is tough, but when you get on a roll it can become a habit. In years gone by, winning became exactly that for Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal across the North American hard-court swing.

During their careers, those four greats all completed one of the ATP Tour’s unique accomplishments at the Cincinnati Open. Since the ATP Masters 1000 series began in 1990, they are the only players to have backed up a title run at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers by claiming the trophy at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Ohio that same season.

Cracking the winning code consecutively in Canada and Cincinnati has proven tough even for some of the ATP Tour’s most iconic stars. Yet former World No. 1s Agassi (1995), Rafter (1998), Roddick (2003) and Nadal (2013) all dug deep win both hard-court events in the same season. All except Agassi also went on to win the US Open in the same year.

Ahead of the 2024 edition of the Cincinnati Open, which begins on Monday in Mason, Ohio, ATPTour.com looks back at the four champions who have tasted back-to-back Masters 1000 success in North America.

Andre Agassi – 1995
In 1995, Agassi arrived in Montreal seeking to consolidate his position as World No. 1 at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers. Two weeks and 10 wins later, the American stood on centre court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center having become the first man to win the Canada-Cincinnati Masters 1000 double.

The American had already captured hard-court titles earlier that year at the Australian Open and in San Jose, Miami and Washington. The fact he prevailed from the Montreal and Cincinnati fields was therefore not a huge surprise, yet the way Agassi clinched his back-to-back Masters 1000 crowns was almost as impressive as the novel achievement itself.

The 25-year-old dropped just two sets across 10 matches in Montreal and Cincinnati, and he defeated Top 10 opponents in both finals. After notching his third victory of the year against World No. 2 Pete Sampras to successfully defend his title in Canada, Agassi brought some of his best tennis to his homeland with a dominant run in Cincinnati.

With a week between the events, Agassi arrived in Ohio rested and refreshed. His only moment of peril came when he was forced to recover from being bagelled in the second set of his second-round clash against former World No. 12 Alberto Berasategui. Agassi did so, and eventually overcome two-time defending champ and World No. 5 Michael Chang 7-5, 6-2 in the final.

Agassi notched another ATP Tour crown in New Haven before his 26-match winning streak came to and end against Sampras in the US Open final. Despite that disappointment in New York, he could look back on a stunning summer in which he had picked up his sixth and seventh Masters 1000 crowns, respectively, en route to securing a slice of ATP Tour history.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/30/12/15/agassi-canada-1995-bespoke.jpg” alt=”Andre Agassi” style=”width: 100%;” />
^{_{Andre Agassi was the first man to complete the Canada-Cincinnati ‘Summer Sweep’. Photo Credit: Getty Images}}

Patrick Rafter – 1998
Rafter climbed to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in July 1999, famously holding the position for just one week. Rewind a year and it was his standout results in the 1998 North American summer that built the foundations for his rise to the top.

The way Rafter flipped the script within two of his tougher Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalries was key to his double triumph in North America. After notching just his second win in eight tour-level meetings against Richard Krajicek to become the first man in 10 years to win the Canadian Masters 1000 event without dropping a set, he breezed into the Cincinnati final for the loss of just one set. Awaiting the Australian was Pete Sampras, who had triumphed in the pair’s eight previous encounters.

Even if he was full of confidence from claiming his maiden Masters 1000 crown in Toronto, Rafter may have quickly felt in familiar territory against Sampras after the American charged to the first set for the loss of one game. Yet the calm and collected Australian retained his composure to battle back for a 1-6, 7-6(2) 6-4 victory and ensure he emulated Agassi’s historic ‘Summer Sweep’.

“Well, winning becomes a habit,” said Rafter, who beat Sampras again a month later en route to the title at the US Open, after his Cincinnati win. “You just go out and play and things work for you. Every decision you make comes off. But then, you know, you can lose it very quickly as well. At this stage, the decisions I made are working. You can ask Andre that. You can ask Pete that, he’ll probably say the same thing.”

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/30/12/08/rafter-canada-1998-bespoke.jpg” alt=”Patrick Rafter” style=”width: 100%;” />
_{^{Patrick Rafter’s 1998 form paved the way for his rise to World No. 1. Photo Credit: Getty Images}}

Andy Roddick – 2003
An all-American final between two good friends had home fans gripped at the 2003 Cincinnati Open.

Enjoying the summer of his career until that point, the fast-rising 21-year-old Andy Roddick powered into the championship match in Ohio without losing a set. The World No. 7 deployed his huge serve and powerful all-around game with all the confidence of a man who had arrived in Ohio fresh from downing Roger Federer and David Nalbandian to clinch his maiden Masters 1000 title in Montreal.

On the other side of the net was Roddick’s long-time friend Mardy Fish, who had spent his junior days living with the Roddick family in Boca Raton, Florida, where the pair trained together. Although Roddick later acknowledged he found it tough competing against a good friend in such a big match, he eventually cut through the tension after saving two championship points to pull off a 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(4) triumph.

“It’s tough,” reflected Roddick after outlasting Fish across two hours and 29 minutes. “I wouldn’t have wanted this to end any other way, but definitely as he was walking off, I felt for him. I’d have no problem if I didn’t really know the guy or if I just said ‘Hi’ in passing sometimes, but to know someone pretty well and know what they’re thinking and what they’re going through, it sucked, I guess.”

Just as Rafter had in 1998, Roddick went on to win the US Open in September, defeating Nalbandian once again before he beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets to win the first and only major of his career.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/07/09/25/roddick-fish-cincinnati-2003-final.jpg” style=”width: 100%;” alt=”Andy Roddick/Mardy Fish” />

_{^{Andy Roddick defeated his good friend Mardy Fish in the 2003 Cincinnati championship match. Photo Credit: Brian Bahr/Getty Images}}

Rafael Nadal – 2013
Nadal’s 2013 season was one of the greatest of his historic career. The Spaniard won 10 tour-level trophies — bettered only by the 11 he collected in 2005 — while he tallied a staggering 75-7 win-loss record.

However, when the Spaniard arrived in Montreal in 2013 he was aiming to bounce back from a disappointing first-round Wimbledon exit to Belgian Steve Darcis. Nadal cruised through his first three matches in Quebec and then met Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. Two months after their five-set epic at Roland Garros, Nadal once again beat the Serbian, this time 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2). With his victory, Nadal recorded his first win against Djokovic on hard courts in three years and set himself up to down home favourite Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-2 in the final for his second Canadian Masters 1000 crown.

The following week in Cincinnati, Nadal set about ensuring that his Wimbledon disappointment quickly became an even more distant memory. He survived a three-set scare from then-22-year-old Grigor Dimitrov before he beat Federer 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarter-finals. It was the Spaniard’s third consecutive win against his great rival. Nadal then beat Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals and John Isner 7-6(8), 7-6(3) in the final to lift the trophy in Cincinnati for the first time.

“It means a lot, being able to win two straight titles, two Masters 1000 on hard, back to back, is just amazing for me,” said Nadal, who remains the most recent player to complete the ‘Summer Sweep’. “I never did something like this in all my career. So it was an emotional moment for so many different facts.”

Like Rafter and Roddick, Nadal went on to win the US Open in September, his 13th major crown and second at the US Open.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/30/12/08/nadal-montreal-2013-bespoke.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Rafael Nadal” />
^{_{Rafael Nadal won 10 tour-level titles overall in 2013. Photo Credit: Getty Images}}
[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Reliving Mic’d Up: Looking back at the historic innovation in Washington

Sebastian Korda lifted the Mubadala Citi DC Open trophy on Sunday evening for the biggest title of his career, marking the end of a history-making week for the American.

The 24-year-old claimed his first ATP 500 crown, joining father Petr Korda on the event’s champions’ list. But he also became one of the first four ATP Tour players to wear a live microphone during a match. The innovation was part of the 2024 ATP Tour Doubles Trial.

Korda, doubles partner Alex Michelsen, Harri Heliovaara and Jamie Murray all participated. Heliovaara, who last month won the Wimbledon doubles title with Henry Patten, became the first player to wear the live mic in his first-round match.

The Finnish player also wore in his second-round match, a loss alongside Patten. Heliovaara explained that he is always happy to do what he can to promote doubles and the players, so it was an easy decision to participate once he felt comfortable with the equipment.

“I think we need personalities, more stars in the doubles part of this game and the microphones are a great way to make that a little easier on court. I felt very comfortable with the microphone, it didn’t bother me at all, the technology. I didn’t have to think anything if I’m saying something stupid or not,” Heliovaara said. “I’m pretty open about my tennis career anyway so I felt very comfortable with wearing the microphone.”

After watching the trial throughout the week, the 35-year-old said he hopes that in the future there will be more instances of partners both wearing microphones. In Washington, Korda and Michelsen did it twice.

“I think we will get more discussion that way, but we had a couple of matches where we had both members of one team mic’d and I think that worked really well. It was interesting to hear,” Heliovaara said. “Some singles guys also playing like Korda, Michelsen, I think that was the most interesting for me. A lot of talking, a lot of jokes, sometimes a little bit more serious, but it’s a very good insight for the fans and I hope this trial continues.”

Murray lost his opening match alongside Michael Venus, but was happy that he participated in the trial and like Heliovaara, had no issues wearing the technology.

“I think it was a pretty cool innovation,” Murray said. “I think that it’s definitely something that is interesting for fans to see the communication within the team, the chemistry. I think that’s a cool thing to to get across for the viewers at home.

“I think if there’s more time between the points then the broadcasters will get more from it because the players will have time to communicate more to not just set plays and off you go. There will be proper communication in terms of potentially rescuing your partner, talking about what’s actually going on in the match, the ebbs and flows of the match, that sort of stuff.”

At the end of the week, when Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow emerged victorious with the title, Tournament Chairman Mark Ein made it a point to let the crowd know about the trial.

“This was the first tournament ever where we put live mics on doubles players. So if you watch it on TV, or you watch the stream, you could actually listen to the players talking to each other,” Ein said. “We’ve seen it in other sports. I think it’s an innovation that hopefully is going to get adopted around the tour. It brings the fans on the court into the action in a way I don’t think anything else does. So I want to thank the players and the ATP tour for sponsoring and supporting that initiative.”

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