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Indian Wells, London-Queen's Club, Bastad Named 2023 ATP Tournaments Of The Year

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2023

Indian Wells, London-Queen’s Club, Bastad Named 2023 ATP Tournaments Of The Year

Players select tournament winners in 2023 ATP Awards

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the cinch Championships at the Queen’s Club in London and the Nordea Open in Bastad continue to set the standard on the ATP Tour, winning Tournament of the Year honours in their respective categories in the 2023 ATP Awards.

For the ninth consecutive year, Indian Wells has been named the ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities; plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close; and unparalleled dining options.

“We’re honored to see the ATP players once again vote Indian Wells as their favourite 1000-level stop of the year,” said BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director Tommy Haas. “This award reflects the dedicated support from all of our wonderful tournament staff, volunteers, fans and so many others who bring the BNP Paribas Open to life every year and contribute to the sustained success of our one-of-a-kind event.”

Carlos Alcaraz claimed the third Masters 1000 title of his young career at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in March, and Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden teamed to take the doubles crown.

 
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Like the BNP Paribas Open, the cinch Championships is a repeat winner, having also been recognised in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2022. Alcaraz claimed the singles title at this year’s Queen’s Club-hosted event, with the duo of Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek taking the doubles.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have been voted ATP 500 Tournament of the Year by the players again this year,” said Chris Pollard, the tournament’s Digital, Technology and Events Director. “The LTA takes great pride in continuously improving the experience of the players who take part in the tournament, and this award is recognition of the hard work of the LTA event team and the collaborative way in which they work with The Queen’s Club, the ATP and a number of other sponsors and suppliers to deliver a world-class event.”

 
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Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, the Nordea Open was voted ATP 250 Tournament of the Year for 11 consecutive years between 2002 and 2012. The 2023 singles and doubles titles went to Andrey Rublev and Gonzalo Escobar/Aleksandr Nedovyesov, respectively.

“The whole team and all volunteers are, of course, extremely happy and proud to receive this award,” said Christer Hult, CEO and Managing Director of the Nordea Open. “Our ambition is to provide all players with the highest quality of service both on and off the court regardless of their ranking. We want all players to be treated as they are No. 1. This award is a proof that it has been appreciated by all the players who played the Nordea Open this year and I’d like to thank all the players for their appreciation and welcome everyone back to Båstad 2024.”

 
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On the ATP Challenger Tour, the Mextenis León Open was selected by players as Tournament of the Year.

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Alcaraz Honoured With 2023 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2023

Alcaraz Honoured With 2023 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award

Spaniard joins countrymen Higueras, Corretja, Nadal as Sportsmanship winners

A year after becoming the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Carlos Alcaraz has been selected by his fellow players as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, which recognises fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court.

“I’m so happy to win the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award,” said Alcaraz. “I’m especially happy that it’s an award chosen by my colleagues on the circuit. It means a lot to me, so thank you all very much.”

 
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Alcaraz becomes the fourth Spaniard to receive the prestigious ATP Awards honour, joining Jose Higueras (1983), Alex Corretja (1996, 1998) and five-time winner Rafael Nadal (2010, 2018-21).

The 20-year-old has now won three player-voted ATP Awards, receiving Newcomer of the Year in 2020 and Most Improved in 2022. 

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ATP Awards Honour Roll

Whether sending get-well-soon messages to injured opponents or sharing his umbrella with ballkids during a prolonged rain delay, the two-time major singles titlist has fast gained a reputation as one of the tour’s classiest players. When Fabio Fognini crashed to the court earlier this year in Rio de Janeiro, Alcaraz famously crossed the net and, much to the delight of the fans, helped return his foe to his feet.

Alcaraz captured six titles in 2023, his biggest coming via a five-set win over two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. He also prevailed in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona, Madrid and London (Queen’s Club). The baseliner was the World No. 1 heading into the US Open, bringing his total to 36 weeks atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner were also nominated in this category. Sportsmanship nominees are determined by an International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA) vote, and the winner is selected by players from the shortlist.

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Tickets On Sale For 2024 Nitto ATP Finals

  • Posted: Dec 15, 2023

Tickets On Sale For 2024 Nitto ATP Finals

The 2024 edition will be played from 10-17 November

Tickets for the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 10-17 November at the Palaolimpico, are now on sale.

Fans can buy their tickets for the season finale, where the season’s top eight singles players and doubles teams will compete for the ultimate prize. Turin will host the prestigious event for the third consecutive year.

In the 2023 edition there were 15 sold-out sessions and more than 174,000 fans attended. Fans can now guarantee their 2024 tickets just in time for the holiday season.

Last month, Novak Djokovic captured his seventh Nitto ATP Finals crown in a thrilling week in which he avenged his round-robin loss to Jannik Sinner in the championship match.

Home hero Sinner enjoyed a standout run, surviving three consecutive deciding-set matches against Djokovic, Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev to make the final.

Buy your Turin tickets now to watch as champions try to become champion at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals.

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Here Comes Fils: #NextGenATP Frenchman Wins 2023 Newcomer Of The Year Award

  • Posted: Dec 14, 2023

Here Comes Fils: #NextGenATP Frenchman Wins 2023 Newcomer Of The Year Award

19-year-old was youngest tour-level champion in 2023

Many fans would not have heard of Arthur Fils 12 months ago. Today the 19-year-old Frenchman is regarded as one of the sports’ most promising talents and he has capped his breakthrough year in style, being named the Newcomer of the Year in the 2023 ATP Awards.

“I’m really happy to win the ATP Newcomer of the Year,” said Fils. “It’s been an amazing year for me with a lot of good memories. I hope next year is going to be better, but thanks for the support all around the world.”

Fils started the season outside the Top 250 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings but peaked at a career-high No. 36 in October after reaching the final in Antwerp. The Frenchman’s standout highlight came on home soil in Lyon in May, when he won his first tour-level title. He was the youngest champion on the ATP Tour in 2023.

Fils’ breakthrough season started from day one. He won his first nine matches of the year on the ATP Challenger Tour, including a title run in Oeiras. In February, he made the most of opportunities to play at home, reaching the tour-level semi-finals in Montpellier and Marseille.

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He finished the season as strongly as he started, reaching the title match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM in the first ATP-sanctioned event in Saudi Arabia.

“It was a nice year for sure. I started at 250 but finished at 36, so that’s pretty good,” Fils said. “It still could have been better. I lost some close matches, but it’s just experience and I will try to do better next year.”

Fils fended off competition from fellow nominees Flavio Cobolli, Alex Michelsen, Dominic Stricker and Luca Van Assche to win the Award. The 19-year-old joins Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as recent Newcomer of the Year winners.

Selected by players, the award goes to the #NextGenATP player who entered the Top 100 for the first time and made the biggest impact on the ATP Tour during the season.

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Sinner Claims Most Improved Player Of The Year Honours For 2023

  • Posted: Dec 14, 2023

Sinner Claims Most Improved Player Of The Year Honours For 2023

Italian earned 13 Top 10 wins in 2023

Jannik Sinner has been selected by peers as the Most Improved Player of the Year. It is the Italian’s second ATP Award of 2023 after he won the Fans’ Favourite Award earlier this week.

The Italian entered the 2023 season at No. 15 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, having clinched six tour-level trophies. With hype surrounding the 22-year-old, Sinner went from strength to strength in 2023, meeting and even exceeding lofty expectations.

The 22-year-old claimed four tour-level titles, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto, and reached the Nitto ATP Finals championship match. He also won the Davis Cup title with Italy, rose to a career-high No. 4 and advanced to his first major semi-final at Wimbledon.

By going 64-15, he set an Open Era record for most wins by an Italian player in a single season.

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“This Award Means A Lot To Me”: Sinner Voted Fans’ Favourite In 2023 ATP Awards

Sinner earned a personal-best 13 Top 10 wins in 2023, including two victories against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and two wins against Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. He had clinched nine Top 10 wins across the preceding three seasons.

“I think, especially the second half of the year, mentally I was much, much stronger,” said Sinner. “I was not complaining so much on court when things were going in the wrong way. I think these kind of things, they make difference sometimes…

“One of the things where I can be really happy is that I played many, many important matches in the biggest stadiums we have throughout the whole year. This is something [that] hopefully can help for the next season.”

Earlier this week, Sinner’s coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi won the Coach of the Year award for their work with the Italian.

Matteo Arnaldi, Christopher Eubanks and Ben Shelton were also nominated for Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2023 ATP Awards.

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2024 ATP Calendar Update: Gijon Returns, Astana Relocates to Almaty

  • Posted: Dec 14, 2023

2024 ATP Calendar Update: Gijon Returns, Astana Relocates to Almaty

Dates revealed for 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM

The ATP 250 event in Gijon, Spain, which was held in 2022, will return to the ATP Tour calendar in 2024 as the Watergen Gijon Open. The indoor hard-court tournament will be played in Week 45 alongside the Moselle Open in Metz, from 3-9 November. 

Andrey Rublev triumphed in Gijon in 2022, when the field featured stars including Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem, Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta. Rublev defeated Sebastian Korda in the final.

Promoted by Watergen in collaboration with the city of Gijon and the Spanish Tennis Federation, the venue for the tournament will be the same as in 2022, the Palacio de Deportes la Gijon.

With Gijon slotting into Week 45, the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm will return to Week 42. The ATP 250 event will be played from 14-20 October.

In the same week, the ATP 250 event previously held in Astana will relocate to Almaty. The tournament will be held at Almaty Arena, the largest sports facility in Kazakhstan. The city served as the country’s capital for almost 70 years and is the financial, scientific, cultural, economic, historical and industrial centre of Kazakhstan. 

The Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM in 2024 will be held from 18-22 December. It will be the event’s second edition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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Medjedovic & Fils Among #NextGenATP Stars in 2023

  • Posted: Dec 14, 2023

Medjedovic & Fils Among #NextGenATP Stars in 2023

Van Assche, Stricker feature

The 2023 season was a breakthrough year for a host of #NextGenATP stars, with Arthur Fils and Hamad Medjedovic earning standout wins at tour-level events.

From Top 10 victories, to career-high Pepperstone ATP Rankings, ATPTour.com looks back at the brightest young prospects of 2022.


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Arthur Fils, 19 years old
Arthur Fils started the season outside the Top 250 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings but peaked at a career-high No. 36 in October after reaching the final in Antwerp, where he defeated Top 10 star Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Frenchman’s standout highlight came on home soil in Lyon in May, when he won his first tour-level title. He was the youngest champion on the ATP Tour in 2023.

“I will remember this forever,” Fils said after triumphing in Lyon. “It has been amazing. I am happy with the win and now I want more.”

Fils’ breakthrough season started from day one. He won his first nine matches of the year on the ATP Challenger Tour, including a title run in Oeiras. In February, he made the most of opportunities to play at home, reaching the tour-level semi-finals in Montpellier and Marseille.

He finished the season as strongly as he started, reaching the title match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM in the first ATP-sanctioned event in Saudi Arabia.

Hamad Medjedovic, 20 years old
Twelve months ago, not many fans would have heard of Hamad Medjedovic. Today his name will be on many people’s radar after he ended his season by becoming the sixth champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM. The Serbian blitzed through the field in Jeddah to become an undefeated champion in Saudi Arabia, taking home a tournament-record $514,000 in prize money.

The 20-year-old, who is coached by former World No. 12 Viktor Troicki, received messages of support from Novak Djokovic throughout the event. The World No. 1 has financially supported Medjedovic through the early stages of his blossoming career.

“He’s been helping me out financially, giving me courts, coaches, whatever I need for my career. He’s helped me a lot for sure,” Medjedovic said earlier this season. “Anything a professional tennis player needs, he covered it all. He paid for it. It’s been helpful. He just helped me out when I needed it and he’s still helping me out in all types of ways. I’m glad he’s there for me.”

Earlier this season Medjedovic reached tour-level semi-finals in Gstaad and Astana, while he clinched three ATP Challenger Tour titles.

“The season together [with Troicki] has been good,” Medjedovic said in November. “The first four or three months I was struggling a little bit. It took time to start doing what we were working on during pre-season. After a couple of months, it all clicked. I played well in India in February. I made my first semis after a long time and then everything started going better. I also played in the semi-finals in Gstaad. It was a big thing for me, beating a couple of players from the Top 100.”

Luca Van Assche, 19 years old
Luca Van Assche joins Arthur Fils as one of France’s most promising talents. The 19-year-old is a clean ball striker and played with courageous determination on court throughout 2023 to earn standout results.

Van Assche, who reached the semi-finals at the Next Gen ATP Finals, won consecutive Challenger Tour crowns in February and captured the first tour-level win of his career in Estoril, where he beat Pedro Sousa. The Frenchman won a set against Novak Djokovic in Banja Luka and reached tour-level quarter-finals in Hamburg (ATP 500) and Metz (250). He also advanced to the second round at his home Slam, Roland Garros, where he won the 2021 boys’ singles crown.

“Two years ago, I was like 1,000-something so I don’t think I would’ve expected to be Top 100 now,” Van Assche said in April. “Last year, I was like 400. I was not expecting this maybe a year or two ago. It was very fast. Of course I was dreaming about it. I’m very proud and I just want to be even better now.”

He ended the season at No. 90, having reached a career-high No. 63 earlier this year.

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Dominic Stricker, 21 years old
Possessing a thunderous game, Dominic Stricker reached new heights in 2023.

Stricker, who is a two-time Next Gen ATP Finals competitor, enjoyed a consistent year up until September. He won two Challenger Tour events and earned his maiden major main draw win at Wimbledon. However, he hit the big time in ‘The Big Apple’, advancing to the fourth round at the US Open.

The Swiss stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas after firing 78 winners in a five-set, second-round thriller that lasted four hours, 10 minutes. It was the deep run at Flushing Meadows that propelled Stricker into the Top 100 for the first time on 11 September. The 21-year-old became the youngest Swiss to reach the milestone since 20-year-old Stan Wawrinka did so in 2005.

“I feel better on court than I did last year. I feel like my game has improved again,” Stricker told ATPTour.com in August. “I’m also getting fitter body-wise, so that helps for sure. I think off court everything got a bit more serious. I’m also working maybe a little bit harder than I did before. I think everything is more professional than it was and that helps me for sure.”

The lefty earned another Top 10 victory in October, with this triumph coming in front of Stricker’s home crowd, upsetting Casper Ruud in Basel. Stricker closed the season with a second consecutive semi-final appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM.

Read more of our Best of 2023 Series

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Rune Relives 'Crazy Roller Coaster' In Munich Final

  • Posted: Dec 14, 2023

Rune Relives ‘Crazy Roller Coaster’ In Munich Final

Dane completed his first successful title defense on the ATP Tour

As we continue to review the best moments of the 2023 ATP Tour season, we bring you a closer look at one of the year’s unforgettable moments, straight from the source.

Holger Rune might have been feeling extra pressure as defending champion at the BMW Open by American Express in Munich this April, but the Dane handled it in stride. After three dominant wins earned him a place in the final, he claimed the opening set against Botic van de Zandschulp to move to the brink of his first successful title defense on the ATP Tour.

But there would be more twists to come — both literally and figuratively.

One year after van de Zandschulp retired in the Munich final against Rune, the rematch at the ATP 250 overdelivered in both the quality of the tennis and the drama of the scoreline.  

“I knew the final was going to be the toughest match of the tournament,” Rune told ATP Uncovered, speaking ahead of his Nitto ATP Finals debut. “Botic played some of his best tennis in this kind of event, so I knew I had to be really ready. But I was feeling confident.”

Rune entered with clear tactics but was “a little bit confused about the game plan” in the second set, which his opponent dominated. The Dane dealt with several physical issues in the final set, including a twisted ankle, but continued to fight on the red clay despite what he felt was a “three, four per cent chance of winning”.

He trailed 2-5 in the third set and faced two match points in a match that was recognised in ATPTour.com’s Best Of 2023 series.

Watch the full feature above to relive the match — and the dramatic final set — through Rune’s eyes and find out how the exhausted Dane changed his tactics and his mindset to push through the finish.

Read all stories in our Best Of 2023 review.

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Rublev Heads Hong Kong Field To Open 2024

  • Posted: Dec 14, 2023

Rublev Heads Hong Kong Field To Open 2024

Tiafoe, China’s Shang also set to compete

Andrey Rublev is set to lead the field at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open in Week 1 of the new season.
 
The No. 5 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings enjoyed a standout 2023 campaign, winning titles at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and in Bastad to finish in the Top 5 for the first time. He will begin the 2024 season at the ATP 250 in Hong Kong, with the first edition of the tournament since 2002 to begin main-draw play on 1 January.


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Other notable names on the entry list include Frances Tiafoe, Marin Cilic, Mackenzie McDonald and Karen Khachanov. 

China’s Shang Juncheng will also compete in Hong Kong. The rising #NextGenATP star broke into the Top 150 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time in 2023 and will now look to hit new heights before his 19th birthday in February.

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The latest staging of the Hong Kong event will add to its rich history, with former champions including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi Michael Chang, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Jim Courier and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

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Cahill & Vagnozzi Win 2023 ATP Coach Of The Year Award

  • Posted: Dec 13, 2023

Cahill & Vagnozzi Win 2023 ATP Coach Of The Year Award

Pair has helped Sinner enjoy career-best season

Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi have been voted Coach of the Year in the 2023 ATP Awards for their work with Italian Jannik Sinner.

In 2023, the 22-year-old Sinner captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, reached the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals and became the first Italian man to end a season in the Top 5 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The World No. 4, who finished the year holding a 64-15 record, also reached his maiden major semi-final at Wimbledon under the guidance of Cahill and Vagnozzi. Sinner won four tour-level trophies in 2023 and received the Fans’ Favourite Award earlier this week.

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Vagnozzi has worked with Sinner since February 2022 but has been aware of Sinner’s potential for considerably longer.

“I’ve known Jannik from when he was 14. He played against one of my junior players, so I saw him for the first time there,” Vagnozzi told atptour.com earlier this year. “It’s really nice to coach him because he’s a really funny guy. He has a really good character. It’s easy to coach Jannik also because he wants to improve a lot and go on the court always with a smile and everything, so for a coach it’s really good.”

Cahill, who has coached former World No. 1s Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt, joined Team Sinner in June 2022. The Australian has focused on developing the Italian’s mental side.

“My role is more about the experience and how to help him mentally in these big moments, and to make sure that we’re working on the right stuff that eventually is going to get him to the place we want to be,” Cahill said earlier this season.

Cahill and Vagnozzi were nominated for Coach of the Year honours along with Craig Boynton (Hubert Hurkacz), 2022 winner Juan Carlos Ferrero (Carlos Alcaraz), Goran Ivanisevic (Novak Djokovic) and Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton). Fellow coaches vote on the nominees and winner in this category. 

Sinner has also been nominated two player-voted awards: Most Improved Player of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, The winners for those categories will be announced later this week.

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