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Luka Doncic, Matthew McConaughey, Roddick congratulate Djokovic on Olympic gold

  • Posted: Aug 04, 2024

Novak Djokovic completed his wish list on Sunday when he finally claimed an Olympic gold medal for the first time with his win against Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Paris Olympics.

Stars from inside and outside the tennis world quickly congratulated the Serbian. NBA star Luka Doncic, actor Matthew McConaughey, Juan Martin del Potro, Martina Navratilova and plenty more were among those who took to social media after the match ended.

ATPTour.com looks at some of those posts below.

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Djokovic edges Alcaraz to complete career Golden Grand Slam

  • Posted: Aug 04, 2024

Novak Djokovic added some last-gasp gold plating to his all-time great career in spectacular style on Sunday afternoon in Paris. By battling past his great rival Carlos Alcaraz with his finest display of the 2024 season, the 37-year-old Serbian completed his emotional final step to the ‘Golden Slam’ of winning all four majors and an Olympic gold medal.

Djokovic overcame the in-form Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2) on Court Philippe-Chatrier to become champion, at what is likely to be his final Olympic games, just eight and a half weeks after undergoing meniscus surgery on his right leg. The top seed pulled through a pair of tie-breaks, including in an epic 94-minute first set, to close out victory against his great rival in a match of the highest quality.

“We almost played three hours for two sets. It was an incredible battle, incredible fight,” said Djokovic, who was comprehensively outplayed by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final only last month. “When the last shot went past him, that was the only moment I actually thought I could win the match. I mean I believed that I could win, but to actually win it, because he keeps on coming back. He keeps on asking me to play my best tennis.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m still in shock, honestly. I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, my everything on the line to win Olympic gold at age 37. I finally did it.”

With his victory on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Djokovic fulfilled a long-held objective of clinching the one significant prize in singles tennis that has eluded him for so long. The record 24-time Grand Slam champion was visibly emotional and tearful after firing a forehand winner past Alcaraz to seal his spot at the top of the podium.

“Everything [about this is special], but most of all it is my country,” said Djokovic. “It’s my pride to play for Serbia. I know Carlos and Rafa [Nadal], they love to play for Spain. Andy [Murray] loved to play for Great Britain. Roger [Federer] for Switzerland. Alex Zverev won in Tokyo for Germany. You saw the reactions of all these guys when they win. It’s something special.”

Djokovic had not won a tour-level title in 2024 prior to arriving in Paris, but after claiming gold in the French capital he has become just the fifth player — after Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams — to complete the ‘Golden Slam’ of winning all four major titles and an Olympic gold medal in singles.

Players To Complete ‘Golden Slam’ Of Winning All Four Majors & Olympic Gold

Player Year Completed
Steffi Graf  1988
Andre Agassi  1999
Rafael Nadal  2010
Serena Williams  2012
Novak Djokovic  2024

Both Djokovic and his great rival Alcaraz showcased remarkable resilience under pressure as a first set featuring 13 break points (Djokovic 5, Alcaraz 8) somehow reached a tie-break without a break of serve. The highlights included Alcaraz rallying from 0/40 to hold in the fourth game, while Djokovic pulled through a see-saw ninth game, packed with scintillating tennis from both players, having faced five break points.

Djokovic’s final break point of the set doubled as a set point at 6-5, 30/40. Although he could not convert, the Serbian retained his composure to reel off four straight points from 3/3 in the tie-break and move ahead on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

In contrast to the opening set, there were few chances on return for both players in the second set. Yet that was not a reflection of any drop in level from two of the world’s top players. Djokovic continued to use variations of pace to keep Alcaraz moving around the court, while the Spaniard, who fended off the only break point of the set in the third game, responded with some trademark moments of shotmaking magic.

Djokovic consistently found a way to force errors from his powerful opponent, however, and also produced his fair share of high-class winners. A rasping, cross-court forehand winner at 2/2 in the second-set tie-break was illustrative of just how dialled in the Serbian was, and he did not blink as he reeled off the next four points to clinch the match.

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Alcaraz was aiming to add an Olympic title to his already-stellar summer, during which he won his third and fourth Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, respectively. However, the 21-year-old Spaniard could not forge a breakthrough on return against Djokovic, who saved all eight break points he faced and won 78 per cent (53/68) of points behind his first serve.

“It is painful to lose the way that I lost this match,” said Alcaraz, who was the youngest man to contest a singles gold-medal match since the Olympic Tennis Event returned in 1988. “I had my opportunities… I couldn’t take them. Novak is playing great, he really settled in his position, in the difficult moments he increased his level, he played unbelievable.

“I’m really disappointed but honestly, I’m going to leave the court with my head really high. I gave everything that I had fighting for Spain. It was everything to me so I’m proud the way that I played today.”

Sunday’s encounter was the second on Court Philippe-Chatrier between the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings Djokovic and No. 3 Alcaraz after Djokovic triumphed in the 2022 Roland Garros semi-finals. The Serbian now leads the pair’s overall Lexus ATP Head2Head series 4-3.

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From MP saves to final: Korda, Cobolli set Washington title match

  • Posted: Aug 04, 2024

After saving a combined seven match points earlier this week at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, Sebastian Korda and Flavio Cobolli advanced to the final at the Washington ATP 500. After rain delayed the start of both Saturday evening semi-finals, Korda knocked off Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-4 on the stadium court and Cobolli beat Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on the grandstand.

Korda, who saved two match points against Thanasi Kokkinakis in the third round, is bidding to match father Petr Korda (1992) by winning the Washington title. He will play for his second tour-level crown in his seventh final.

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In an all-American semi-final, he fired 12 aces and saved the lone break point against him, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He hit 25 winners and made just five unforced errors in a clean performance against local favourite Tiafoe.

“It was pretty good today. Frances plays some of his best tennis here. I just tried to take care of my side of the court,” said Korda. “I think I played really well today and I served really well, so that was probably the key for today.”

After beating Italy’s Cobolli in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting earlier this season in Rome, the American will hope to repeat that result on his own home soil.

“We’ve never played each other on a hard court, but we played on clay in Rome, and it’s very tricky to play against him there,” he said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully a good crowd and some support for me, and we’ll see what happens.”

Cobolli used his biggest career win by PIF ATP Ranking to advance to his first tour-level final, knocking out World No. 14 Shelton. The 22-year-old saved five match points against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round and notched his third consecutive three-set win on Saturday night.

“I’m shaking, I’m so happy,” an emotional Cobolli said post-match. “I can’t describe my emotions right now. I’m so proud of myself. It’s my first final… I really enjoyed the match today. This week is unbelievable. I think it’s my week. Every day I woke up and I just want to play my tennis. This is maybe the reason that I’m here.”

 

The Italian, who competed in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF last November, is up 15 places to No. 33 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings this week, setting himself up for a career high. Korda is also set for a new career high after rising three places to No. 19 this week in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

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Matos/Melo advance to Washington doubles final

  • Posted: Aug 04, 2024

Brazilians Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo advanced to the Mubadala Citi DC Open final with a 7-6(1), 6-4 victory against Sadio Doumbia and Hugo Nys on Saturday. The eighth seeds are seeking their second tour-level title as a duo in 2024, after winning Stuttgart in June.

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Matos/Melo have won all three of their matches in straight sets this week at the ATP 500, with one tie-break win in each match. In the semi-final, they claimed 84 per cent (16 of 19) of their second-serve points and were broken just once on one break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow await in Sunday’s final. The American sixth seeds advanced past Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson after Purcell was forced to withdraw due to fatigue.

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Dimitrov, Tsitsipas & Fritz can score big in Montreal: Predictor Picks

  • Posted: Aug 04, 2024

The stars of the ATP Tour have a big opportunity to earn PIF ATP Rankings points this week at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal, where Jannik Sinner is the defending champion.

The champion will leave Canada with a whopping 1,000 points. If the winner suffered an early exit in 2023, that will earn players of the PIF ATP Rankings Predictor a huge sum of net points.

Who will you select this week? ATPTour.com looks at stars to watch for this week in Montreal.

Make Your Picks Now!

Grigor Dimitrov – defending 0 points
When a player the calibre of Dimitrov enters such a big event without any points to defend, there is huge room for scoring by PIF ATP Rankings Predictor players

The seventh seed will play a qualifier in the second round and the first seeded opponent he could face is 11th seed Ben Shelton, who will have to adjust quickly to conditions in Montreal when he arrives from Washington.

Dimitrov has also enjoyed a big season at hard-court ATP Masters 1000 events, making the Round of 16 at Indian Wells and the final in Miami, where he claimed three consecutive Top 10 wins.

Taylor Fritz – defending 90 points
Fritz has enjoyed a consistent season, tallying a 37-14 record so far. He lost a tight match in the third round of the Paris Olympics to eventual bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti and will be confident after earning bronze in men’s doubles with longtime friend Tommy Paul.

The ninth seed opens his Montreal run against Argentine Mariano Navone, who has never played a tour-level match on a hard court. Fritz has won five of his eight ATP Tour titles on hard courts, including his lone Masters 1000 triumph at Indian Wells. Sixth seed Casper Ruud is a potential third-round opponent.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas – replacing 15 points
The Greek star has proven he can succeed in Canada before. While he has not yet made a deep run in Montreal, he advanced to the Toronto final in 2018 and the semi-finals in 2021.

Tsitsipas showed good form at the Paris Olympics, where he reached the quarter-finals before falling to top seed Novak Djokovic. This year’s Monte-Carlo champion is 35-14 for the season and hungry for more.

The 25-year-old stands to gain plenty of net points if he moves through the Montreal draw. He will focus on his opening opponent: #NextGenATP American Alex Michelsen or former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori.

Bonus Ball – Grigor Dimitrov
In the PIF ATP Rankings Predictor, net points are key. If a player is not defending any points, he at worst will break even, leaving plenty of room to claim a positive number of net points.

That is why it is a good idea to double your points by placing your Bonus Ball on Dimitrov. The Bulgarian is not dropping any points and as the 33-year-old showed in Miami this year, the 33-year-old is still capable of catching fire at the world’s biggest tournaments.

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Washington SFs delayed by rain

  • Posted: Aug 04, 2024

Saturday night’s men’s singles semi-finals at the Mubadala Citi DC Open have been delayed by rain and lightning. 

Ben Shelton and 22-year-old Italian Flavio Cobolli are scheduled to open the evening session, followed by an all-American matchup between local hero Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda. It marks the first time since 2001 that three American men have advanced to the Washington semis.

Shelton, Tiafoe and Korda are hoping to snap a 17-year wait for a home champion by becoming the first American to win the D.C. title since Andy Roddick in 2007. Cobolli, who competed in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF last November, is seeking his first tour-level final.

Before the nighttime men’s action can begin on the Washington stadium court, the women’s semi-final between Aryna Sabalenka and Marie Bouzkova still needs to be completed. Sabalenka led 4-6, 6-3, 2-1 when lightning suspended play.

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Musetti ends Italy's 100-year wait, defeats Auger-Aliassime in Paris battle for bronze

  • Posted: Aug 03, 2024

Lorenzo Musetti maintained his excellent form on Saturday with a hard-earned victory against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the bronze-medal match at the Paris Olympics.

The 22-year-old Italian regained his composure after a mid-match lapse to seal a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 triumph in the bronze-medal clash on Court Philippe Chatrier. Musetti clinched a decisive break in the eighth game of the deciding set to prevail in a match of fine margins and become the first Italian tennis player to win an Olympic medal since Uberto de Morpugo at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Musetti was less clinical than Auger-Aliassime with his chances — the Italian converted three of 12 break points he earned, while the Canadian won three of four — but he stayed mentally composed to pull clear in the final stages of the match. With his two-hour, 17-minute win, he levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Auger-Aliassime at 3-3.

The two-time ATP Tour champion Musetti defeated home favourite Gael Monfils, Mariano Navone, Taylor Fritz and defending Olympic champion Alexander Zverev in Paris, before falling to top seed Novak Djokovic in the last four and entering the bronze-medal match against Auger-Aliassime.

The No. 16 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Musetti has won 22 of 28 matches since the start of Roland Garros in late May. That tally includes runs to the championship match at ATP Tour events at the Queen’s Club and in Umag, and he also reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon last month.

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Ebden/Peers dig deep for gold in Paris Olympic final

  • Posted: Aug 03, 2024

Matthew Ebden and John Peers pulled off a stirring comeback and fended off some Match Tie-break tension on Saturday afternoon in Paris. Now, they are Olympic champions.

The unseeded Australian pair defeated Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 10-8 in the gold-medal match. After recovering from a set and a break down, Ebden and Peers produced some of their best tennis of the teams’ maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter to clinch victory and spark joyous celebrations on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“It’s trippy. It’s more than a dream. I didn’t even dream of winning a gold medal growing up or whatever,” said two-time Grand Slam champion Ebden. “The last few years, I had great success on the doubles court. It gave a lot of belief and confidence coming in here.”

Peers was asked about the reaction of his two young daughters, who were in the crowd: “They’re going to be talking about this one until we’re 100.”

Neither team had dropped a set en route to the final and the fourth-seeded Krajicek and Ram were on track to complete a perfect week in the French capital when they led by a set and a break. Yet just as they had in the opening set, Ebden and Peers rallied from 2-4 to force a tie-break in the second. This time they won it, and they then produced a masterful Match Tie-break display.

The Australians charged into a 9/5 lead in the decider, but they were made to sweat as Krajicek and Ram saved the first three of their opponents’ four gold-medal points. Ebden and Peers kept their cool to convert the fourth, however, and claim the gold medal in just their fifth event as a team.

With their two-hour, four-minute triumph, the two 36-year-olds won Australia’s second gold medal in Olympic Tennis Event history. The No. 3 and No. 59 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, respectively, Ebden and Peers join ATP Tour greats Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who triumphed at Atlanta 1996, as Australian Olympic tennis champions.

“It’s an absolute honour anytime I get mentioned in the same breath as those two, they paved the way for us,” said Peers of Woodbridge and Woodforde. “They’ve always been there for us.”

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In the bronze-medal match, Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul earned their spot on an Olympic podium for the first time by overcoming Czech duo Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek 6-3, 6-4.

The power of Top 20 singles players Fritz and Paul proved decisive in the 70-minute match. The third seeds fired 23 winners and converted three of 11 break points they earned to ensure that the United States leaves Paris 2024 with two men’s tennis medals.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/03/14/01/fritz-paul-paris-olympics-2024-bronze-celebration.jpg” style=”width: 100%;” alt=”Taylor Fritz/Tommy Paul” />

Long-time friends Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul celebrate after winning bronze at the Paris Olympics. Photo Credit: Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images

Olympic debutant Fritz and his partner Paul were contesting their second tour-level semi-final as a pair, having also reached that stage on the Queen’s Club grass in 2022. After Krajicek and Ram earlier claimed silver, Fritz and Paul are the sixth American team to win a men’s doubles medal since the Olympic Tennis Event returned in 1988.

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