Miomir Kecmanovic’s left Serbia for the United States at 13 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional tennis player. However, the #NextGenATP star keeps his home country close to his heart.

“It means everything. It gave me everything. It gave me a life,” Kecmanovic told ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot about Serbia. “I definitely don’t take it for granted. It’s exciting to just have this experience.”

Scattered throughout his family’s apartment are countless trophies he won at local junior events, international junior tournaments, and even the award he claimed for competing at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals. The apartment remains the way it was when he was growing up. Belgrade is still home.

“It was fun growing up in Serbia. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’m usually here during the summer, during the French Open, Wimbledon, when everything’s in Europe. My family is here and everybody I know is here. It’s always cool to come back here and have fun,” Kecmanovic said. “I think it’s beautiful, honestly. You have amazing food, amazing sights. You’ve got some pretty cool stuff here.”

Kecmanovic brought the ATP to a lakehouse his father built. Newspaper articles about the Serbian hang on the walls. His biggest accomplishments are written on a whiteboard. The most recent entries note his 2019 BNP Paribas Open quarter-final and runner-up finish at the Turkish Airlines Open Antalya later that year.

The 20-year-old rowed a boat through the water by the lakehouse, marvelling at the sights along the way.

“There are a bunch of places like this in Serbia,” said Kecmanovic, who this past off-season practised at the Kalemegdan Fortress for the first time. “Obviously the city is fun, but this is also exciting and calm.”

Kecmanovic’s grandfather, Jovan Pavlov, recalls taking a young ‘Misha’ to meet a coach for the first time. Kecmanovic and his family didn’t have a racquet or balls, but the coach provided them.

“[He] showed Misha how to play the forehand and backhand,” Pavlov said. “After that he showed a great desire to play every day. As soon as we woke up, he would immediately say, ‘Grandpa, let’s not be late for tennis!’”

Ivan Petkovic, one of Kecmanovic’s childhood coaches, remembers how professional the Serbian was at a young age.

“He was already at a very early age living and practising like a small pro. We think that these harsh conditions and difficult conditions to train and to work [under] only make you stronger,” Petkovic said. “If something manages to bloom in the desert, and you put it in the ideal situation, it will for sure bloom into what he is today.”

Kecmanovic, who moved to Florida to train at the IMG Academy, is the second-youngest player in the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings (trailing only Felix Auger-Aliassime). However, the World No. 47 maintains strong relationships in his native Belgrade, where his former coaches, including Veliko Barjaktarovic, are like family.

“For the coaches [and] for the kids who want to play tennis, now they know that they can achieve success,” Barjaktarovic said. “He inspired a lot of people.”

Ivo Karlovic is used to serving aces. He’s hit more of them than anyone else in history with 13,599. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 41-year-old Croatian has been serving something new: dessert.

Karlovic, who is in Florida with his wife and two children, has ventured into the kitchen for the first time in decades. His eight-year-old daughter Jada started showing him recipes, and it has snowballed from there.

“We’ve been cooking at home, which I never used to do,” Karlovic told ATPTour.com. “I was maybe cooking 20 years ago when I was living alone in Paris or somewhere at an academy.

“We cooked a lot of cakes: banana, chocolate cakes, raspberry cake. We made homemade ice cream, homemade yoghurt, chicken nuggets. Almost every day she would find another recipe and we would do it. At first it was really difficult for me mentally, to prepare all the ingredients and everything. But then once you get into it it’s fun, easy and delicious.”

Those experiences, like baking with his daughter, have been the highlight of Karlovic’s quarantine. In recent years he has greatly missed his family while travelling to tournaments, so spending an extended period of time at home has been nice.

“That was a little bit new for me, because usually we always travel. To be home for three months now, it’s been awesome,” Karlovic said. “I was spending a lot of time with my kids and with my wife, and it was great. I cannot say that I really miss travelling that much.”

Karlovic has even attempted to put his professor cap on, as his daughter finished her school year online due to the virus.

“It was fun. I was helping her out, especially in the beginning. I noticed the less I was helping her, the more she was into it. The more she was doing lessons that she wanted to do was when I was helping her less. I guess maybe she didn’t want to be told always also how to do it,” Karlovic said. “At first it was stressful a little bit because I wanted to do everything perfectly. I wanted to explain to her everything, but I am not a teacher, so I definitely realised how teaching in school is a difficult job. All those teachers that are working every day with the kids are amazing people. It’s definitely not easy.”

Playing games like UNO and running around with the kids in the backyard has provided plenty of fun moments

“It’s definitely nice. It’s a lot more calm life, less stress,” Karlovic said. “Almost no stress compared to travelling and matches and the competition and everything that goes with tennis. Definitely a lot easier life.”

Karlovic has recently returned to training, and he’s waiting for news on when play might resume to gear his efforts towards that. At 41, he is still No. 124 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, and the Croatian feels that he still has the game to return to the Top 100.

“I am not that far away. I’m No. 124. To be in the main draw of a Grand Slam, you need to be around 100, 104, so I don’t think I’m that far,” Karlovic said. “Maybe not for this year… but I can get my ranking up and then we’ll see from there. Either way I’m pretty okay with continuing or not continuing. Either way is good. I’m set up good either way.”

Rafael Nadal is a two-time Wimbledon champion, lifting the trophy at The Championships in 2008 and 2010. But the Spaniard’s most recent grass-court title came at the 2015 MercedesCup in Stuttgart.

It was an important event for the Spaniard, who entered the tournament without winning a European clay-court title for the first year since 2004. The lefty was World No. 10, his lowest standing in the FedEx ATP Rankings since 2005.

But after a tough first two matches, Nadal rounded into form to win his fourth tour-level grass-court crown.

“My level has always been there, I’ve not forgotten how to play tennis,” Nadal said. “But now things are coming together for me.”

In his first two matches, Nadal rallied from second-set hiccups to overcome tricky grass-court opponents Marcos Baghdatis and Bernard Tomic. Then the top seed beat fourth seed Gael Monfils in 79 minutes to earn a shot at glory.

“Thanks for coming to Stuttgart!”

That was a sign one fan waved in the stands as Nadal took the court to face big-serving Serbian Viktor Troicki for the trophy. The Spaniard received plenty of support from the German fans throughout the week, and he used that to his advantage in a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory.

“All the titles are emotional. All the titles are important. At the end of your career, what’s still there is the number of titles that you have,” Nadal said. “To add another one is very important for me, especially to confirm that I am playing better and better the past couple of months. It’s important to have victories, important to have titles for the confidence, for calm, for everything.”

Nadal struck 11 aces against Troicki, winning 86 per cent of his first-serve points. He was not broken in the final. 

It was Nadal’s third Stuttgart title. The 2015 tournament was the event’s first on grass after switching from clay. He emerged victorious on clay in Stuttgart in 2005 and 2007.

“The tournament has been great,” Nadal said. “On clay it used to be a fantastic event and now on grass it’s a fantastic event, too.”

Roger Federer announced Wednesday that he recently underwent a “quick arthroscopic procedure” on his right knee, and he will not play until 2021.

“A few weeks ago, having experienced a setback during my initial rehabilitation, I had to have an additional quick arthroscopic procedure on my right knee,” Federer tweeted. “Now, much like I did leading up to the 2017 season, I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 per cent ready to play at my highest level. I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly. But, I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season.”

pic.twitter.com/zXnR7gAZQA

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) June 10, 2020

Federer underwent surgery on the same knee in February. The Swiss’ initial plan following that surgery was to return during the grass-court season.

The 38-year-old’s lone tournament of 2020 came at the Australian Open, where he reached the semi-finals. Eventual champion Novak Djokovic defeated him in straight sets.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer sprung a special surprise on 34 Rafa Nadal International School students at their graduation Tuesday. The superstars imparted life lessons the kids won’t soon forget, with Federer revealing how he feels the legendary rivals have stood apart from the rest of the ATP Tour.

“Never forget to have fun. I think that’s the most important and that’s what has separated maybe Rafa and myself, that we never lost our passion for what we are doing every single day,” Federer told the students. “There are going to be rainy days, it’s going to be tough [some] days, but there is always a silver lining. There is always going to be the sun that’s going to come back around. Just make sure you keep on working really hard.”

^{Photo Credit: Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar}
Nadal complimented the students’ efforts during these tough times, and urged them to pursue their dreams.

“We’re very proud of you at the Academy. I would like to thank all the parents for the trust they have placed in us, particularly in the times we are going through. We have tried to meet expectations, we have tried to do things as well as possible given everything that is occurring,” Nadal said. “We have been through very difficult and complicated times. I hope it has been a period of learning for all of you. Life, most of the time, is not easy. Hopefully this period of time has helped you to gain strength and experience for the challenges you may face in the future.

“We can learn from all of this that we need to be surrounded by good people, those who give us positive things so that life is more positive. It is vital to make the right decisions at key times in our lives.”

Federer, who connected to the ceremony by video, wished the students well no matter where their lives lead, on or off the court.

“I’m sure you had a great learning experience at the Academy in school. But also away [from the classroom], I hope you learned from Rafa. He is a champion in so many ways. He is very humble,” Federer said. “Always remember to be kind. Remember to be kind to others. You are only as strong as your team and I hope you go on and have a successful and a wonderful career in whatever you are doing, and when you look back at these days in the Academy, [you remember them] as some of the best days of your life.”

The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, where the Grade 12 students train on court, set up its facilities to allow social distancing at the graduation ceremony. The event included a minute of silence in the memory of COVID-19 victims.

Former WTA World No. 1 Maria Sharapova also sent the students a video message before the end of the ceremony, when Nadal helped award the students their diplomas.

Last June, the Marin Cilic Foundation organised Game Set Croatia to raise funds to build a multi-functional sports playground for children from Tordinci Elementary School, which had neither an indoor gymnasium nor an outdoor playground.

On Saturday, several Croatian tennis stars returned to the school to join 120 of its schoolchildren for a football match on the playground constructed with those funds. Cilic, Borna Coric, Ivan Dodig, Nikola Mektic, Mate Pavic, Franko Skugor, Ana Konjuh and Donna Vekic were among the players in attendance.

“I had a great time with the kids and I think my fellow tennis players feel the same,” Cilic said. “It was fun to swap out tennis for some football.” 

^{Mate Pavic and Borna Coric enjoy playing football with schoolchildren at Tordinci Elementary School. Photo Credit: Zlatko Mesic.}
This playground was the first funded by the Marin Cilic Foundation. The Croatian and his foundation’s team plan to continue to work on similar projects. The Marin Cilic Foundation’s core beliefs are that every child has access to sport and play facilities.

“I hope this new playground will provide healthy, fun and wonderful memories for the kids from this area,” Cilic said. “Hopefully many of them will discover their love for sport here.”

Since its founding, the Marin Cilic Foundation has impacted more than 1,000 children through its projects. It has awarded 37 scholarships to talented young athletes and classical musicians, provided funding for the renovation of four school laboratories in Croatia, and helped organise a free annual tennis camp for children in the area of Vukovar.

The 2001 ‘s-Hertogenbosch semi-final between Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt was a glimpse of the future. 

Hewitt was already entrenched in the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings and fresh off a triumph at Queen’s Club. Nineteen-year-old Federer, six months younger than the 20-year-old Aussie, won his first ATP Tour title earlier that year in Milan. That day was the pair’s fifth of 27 ATP Head2Head meetings, and it would be the most lopsided in Hewitt’s favour. The Australian only needed 75 minutes to dispatch Federer 6-4, 6-2.

“I’ve come to know the grass-court surface very well,” Hewitt said that week.

Federer has gone on to win 19 grass-court tour-level titles, including eight Wimbledon trophies. But that day in The Netherlands, Hewitt broke the Swiss’ serve five times, and Federer was only able to win 57 per cent of his first-serve points.

“I’m learning to play better and better on [the grass] all the time,” Hewitt said.

Federer has played 214 tour-level grass-court matches, and that first-serve winning percentage is his second-lowest. The Swiss only won 45 per cent of his first-serve points in a straight-sets loss against Byron Black at 1999 Queen’s Club, Federer’s first ATP Tour event on grass.

Hewitt vs. Federer Stats – 2001 ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Hewitt went on to lift the ‘s-Hertogenbosch trophy, defeating Guillermo Canas in the final. Although Nicolas Escude upset the Aussie in the fourth round at Wimbledon, Hewitt enjoyed the best season of his career. 

The 20-year-old won his first Grand Slam title at the 2001 US Open, triumphed at the Tennis Masters Cup, and reached World No. 1 for the first time. Hewitt won 80 matches that season, and he claimed the Wimbledon title the next year.

Federer was not put off by his loss in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. He earned the biggest win of his early career one week later at Wimbledon, where he upset Pete Sampras in the fourth round to snap the American’s 31-match winning streak at The Championships.

“This is my biggest win in my life,” Federer said. 

Although Hewitt’s victory against Federer in ‘s-Hertogenbosch wasn’t the most gripping of their rivalry, it was an early look at two future legends.

Fabio Fognini underwent arthroscopic surgery on both his ankles less than two weeks ago. But for the Italian, this is still one of the best moments of his life. In the past three years Fognini and his wife, former WTA professional Flavia Pennetta, have welcomed their first two children.

“It’s really nice. It’s the most beautiful thing that could happen in my life at the moment,” Fognini told ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot. “It is the best dream probably for people when they get married.”

Their son, Federico, was born in May 2017, and their daughter, Farah, was born last December. It’s difficult to be away from home when he is competing on the ATP Tour, but Fognini has loved every minute of fatherhood.

“I think I’m unlucky and lucky, because of course when I’m home I enjoy [being with my family] as best I can. But when I’m away, I’m lucky, because Flavia told me that the first one started to be unstoppable, running everywhere,” Fognini said, cracking a laugh. “[He] started talking, he started to be jealous with the second one. It’s a tough [situation].

“I’m lucky because my wife was playing tennis, so she understands every situation that can happen during the tournament when you travel. We are happy. We are really happy.”

The Italian’s off-court happiness has gone hand in hand with on-court success. Last season was the best of Fognini’s career. At the 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, he became the first Italian ATP Masters 1000 champion. 

“I dreamed for it for sure,” Fognini said. “Since when I was 14, I’ve lived really [close to] Monte Carlo. It’s just 40 minutes away. I will keep this moment [in my memory] for sure.”

In June 2019, then 32, Fognini became the oldest player to crack the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time since 1973. He also became just the third Italian to break into the Top 10 (Matteo Berrettini joined him later in the season).

“I’m in the best period of my career. I won many matches and I try to keep pushing myself every week as much as I can,” Fognini said. “I stay competitive with the best guys on Tour, so until I don’t have energy to practise and to wake up with a different goal, I’m going to push myself.”

Fogna is back ?? pic.twitter.com/YkfJJrOGQE

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) June 6, 2020

For now, Fognini, who has already revealed on social media signs of progress since his ankle surgeries, is focussing his time on family, much to Pennetta’s delight.

“For the moment, we cannot do anything. We just practise at home, play with the baby, clean the house,” Pennetta said of what they’ve been doing during the pandemic, before cracking a smile. “He’s really good. He helps me a lot. I’m really happy about that.”

Mission accomplished. On 27 March, Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol joined forces to launch the #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Best Victory) campaign, which they hoped would encourage Spanish sport to donate money to the fight against COVID-19. In an initiative that formed part of the #CruzRojaResponde (Red Cross Responds) project, the goal was to raise €11m and help citizens who were in need during the pandemic.

Last Saturday, during an Instagram Live chat, Nadal and Gasol confirmed that the money raised exceeded €14m, far surpassing the goal they had set at the beginning of the initiative.

“Between us all, we have managed to do something important and beautiful,” said Nadal. “Not only the money raised, which exceeded €14m, but also the solidarity and teamwork shown during difficult times. What you and I did between us was light the flame and contribute our grain of sand. Thank you to all those who wanted to be part of this beautiful and important initiative”.

As well as the whole of Spanish sport, the #NuestraMejorVictoria campaign enjoyed the support of other athletes — such as World No. 1 Novak Djokovic — who wanted to help during these complicated times.

“We value things when we can’t have them,” said Nadal. “From this crisis, what we should learn is not to get so annoyed or frustrated about things that are really relatively unimportant. Personally, I found it hard, we’ve been on pause for two and a half months. I was with my sister, my wife… For people who are still working at home on their computers I think it has been a little less difficult, because they killed at lot of time doing what they’re used to. In my case, it is different, moving from one place to another non-stop, travelling, and suddenly it was such a complete shutdown that I needed time to take it in.”

“I’m going through a process of recovery and rehabilitation, I didn’t have that hunger to play and compete,” said Gasol. “I was used to moving a lot, it gave me good times and bad.”

Finally, Nadal and Gasol enjoyed a moment of fun when they remembered how they met, many years ago now, before going on to forge a great friendship.

“It was at a Nike event in Barcelona where we were judges,” said Gasol. “They were doing tricks and juggling, you were just starting out, a 16 or 17-year-old young gun. I remember that you were a very young boy. You were very quiet, very shy.”

”At the time, I was a nobody and you were the star that appeared on television. I was the little one,” said Nadal.