Boulter beats Raducanu to make final
Katie Boulter beats Emma Raducanu to reach Nottingham Open final
Katie Boulter beats Emma Raducanu to reach Nottingham Open final
It was “third time lucky” for Jack Draper on Sunday, when he won his first ATP Tour title in his third tour-level final. The 22-year-old beat Matteo Berrettini to triumph at the BOSS OPEN in Stuttgart, a result that also set him up for a debut as British No. 1 and a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 30.
The sixth seed’s 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory against two-time Stuttgart champ Berrettini provided the perfect start to his grass-court campaign. Draper will next bid to carry that momentum forward to home events on the lawns of The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon — the latter of which he will likely be seeded at thanks to his rise in the PIF ATP Rankings.
ATPTour.com caught up with Draper to discuss his title breakthrough, those who helped him reach that milestone, and more.
What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
Honestly it means the world to me. I’ve been working for this moment for a very long time. Lots of ups and downs, lots of injuries, lots of setbacks. To come through today and win, and the way I’ve been playing, I’m really, really proud of myself. Hopefully it’s a testament to all my hard work and I can keep going.
How did your previous ATP Tour finals in Sofia and Adelaide help you today?
I don’t know. I think third time lucky, really. In those matches I think I was a little defensive and allowed them to win the match. Today against Matteo I had to be aggressive, I had to win the game on my own terms. I think the experiences of losing a lot of matches where the opponent has taken it from me, I think that helped me a lot.
Not only did you win the title, but you’re now the British No. 1. How special is that for you?
I’ve never thought of it really in the last few years. But it’s obviously a huge honour for me. I want to be a Top 20, Top 10 player and win big titles. If there’s someone ahead of me or not, they’re obviously doing a great job too. But if I am to be British No. 1, I’m obviously incredibly proud of that and incredibly honoured to be in that position, and hopefully I can carry the flag forward.
You have had some great moments early in your career and also pushed through adversity when necessary. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in these past few years?
I think just to keep at it, keep going, keep present. I’ve had a lot of tough moments but I’ve always tried to stay strong. I think it shows my love for tennis and the amazing people I have around me to push me to keep on persevering and keep on moving forward. I think those moments have made me stronger and made me a better person and a better player.
Growing up you always had your brother Ben, who played college tennis, to look up to. How important was that and do any memories of your childhood growing up together stick out?
My brother’s an amazing boy. He’s one of my best friends. We used to argue a lot when we were younger when we used to compete against each other in any different sport. I actually remember him beating me in an ITF Grade 5, 6-4, 6-2. I really thought that I was going to win the match because it was supposed to be on an outdoor, wet clay court. And obviously, in London, it rained, and we went on indoor slick fast courts. I was 5-foot-6 and he was 6-foot-4. I think the gods came together that day and didn’t let me take the win from him. He’s an amazing big brother and I look up to him so much.
Could you take a moment to acknowledge some of the other key figures in your life and career who have helped you to reach this milestone?
No. 1 is my mom, Nicky. She’s my rock, she’s everything to me. She’s been through thick and thin with me. She’s had to deal with a lot of ups and downs and lots of roller coasters, being the way I am. I think any parent who’s in sport, they obviously know how tough it is. Also my grandparents, my nana, who’s had dementia for 10 years. She was a key part of my tennis growing up and the one who introduced tennis to me when I was young.
I’d also say I’ve had three coaches in my time. First off Justin Sherring, my coach for 10 years. Secondly, Ryan Jones, my coach of four or five years. And currently James Trotman, who I’ve been with for three years now, and we’ve just added Wayne Ferreira on board as well. All of those people, they’ve taught me so much. They’ve been all about me becoming a better person and a better player. So I owe everything to them and all their perseverance and everything they’ve given me.
[ATP APP]What is your newest off-court hobby and what do you like about it?
I suppose I live in London now, I’m able to go out and explore the city and just take my mind off tennis when I’m not on court. I like being with my dog, I like just doing normal things. I’m a normal 22-year-old guy.
What’s the most interesting thing people might not know about you?
Just that I’m pretty normal, to be honest. I think people think that being an athlete, being a tennis player, being a sportsperson, that you’re very different. I’m all about values and family time and just hard work. I suppose there’s nothing major that’s interesting to know about me apart from the fact that I’m just a normal guy doing what I love.
This is a big period of the season for you playing at home on a surface you play well on. What will be the biggest key for you to excel for the rest of the grass season?
I think the biggest key now is just to keep my head down. Obviously there might be a lot of noise coming into Queen’s and Wimbledon, potentially Eastbourne. But I’ve just got to keep my head down, keep on listening to the people around me who are trying to help me, my team, keep on trying to do all the right things on the tennis court and off the tennis court. I think if I’m able to do that, it will give me the best chance of having a successful summer on the grass courts.
Katie Boulter remains on track to defend her Nottingham Open title after beating fellow Briton Emma Raducanu to reach the final.
Britain’s Jack Draper comes from a set down to beat Italy’s Matteo Berrettini and seal a maiden ATP Tour title at the Stuttgart Open.
Jack Draper is an ATP Tour champion.
The British lefty overcame Italian Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 on Sunday to win the BOSS OPEN title.
“It’s incredible. Just thank you so much for the support,” Draper said. “It was a really, really tough match. But I’m really happy to win my first title. It means so much to me.”
An unforgettable week for @jackdraper0 ✨@boss__open | #BOSSOPEN pic.twitter.com/AqYqujh6HN
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 16, 2024
Draper, who was competing in his third tour-level final, battled hard against Berrettini in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The sixth was two points from defeat in the second-set tie-break, but rallied to level the match and then won 89 per cent (17/19) of his first-serve points in the third set according to Infosys ATP Stats to triumph at the ATP 250 grass-court event in Stuttgart.
Draper climbed 10 spots to No. 30 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The 22-year-old will rise to a career-high on Monday, when he will become the new British No. 1.
[ATP APP]Last season, Draper did not compete on grass at all due to a shoulder injury. The lefty dropped outside of the world’s Top 100 in August, falling as low as No. 123.
But that appears long behind him now. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF competitor is back to being a dangerous opponent for anyone across the net.
“I think [it is] just a lot of hard work. A lot of tough moments the last year or so,” Draper said. “It’s been up and down, but I’m really, really glad with the way I played and I think it’s a testament to the work I’ve been doing.”
Berrettini was competing in his first tournament since Monte-Carlo and trying to claim his third Stuttgart crown.
“Congrats to Jack. Unbelievable week. Unbelievable match. I was so close,” Berrettini said. “This one is going to hurt for a little bit, but that’s tennis. I’ve won matches like this, I’ve lost matches like this. I’m sure this guy is going to lift more trophies.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Alex de Minaur added a second title to his stellar 2024 season on Sunday, when the top-seeded Australian dispatched Sebastian Korda 6-2, 6-4 to triumph at the Libema Open.
De Minaur produced some trademark elite defence and counterpunching to nullify Korda’s power on the ‘s-Hertogenbosch grass. With his ninth ATP Tour title, the 25-year-old on Monday will rise two spots to a career-high No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“It achieves a new career-high for me, so that’s always a great little bonus,” said De Minaur in his on-court interview. “My first week on grass couldn’t have gone any better, so I’m looking forward to next week at Queen’s and the whole grass-court season with a smile on my face. I’m glad I was able to get a win here in Holland.”
𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄 💼 ✅@alexdeminaur is taking home the 🏆 after a 6-2 6-4 victory over Korda.@LibemaOpen | #LibemaOpen pic.twitter.com/w9egm2K4jl
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 16, 2024
Competing as the top seed at an ATP Tour event for the first time this week, De Minaur did not drop a set en route to the title at the Dutch grass-court ATP 250. Against Korda, he reeled off six straight games from 2-2 to seize control of the match. De Minaur ultimately prevailed after breaking his opponent’s serve three times in the second set. </p
“Obviously it was a great match. Tricky conditions, and Seb is a hell of a player,” said De Minaur. “I’m looking forward to playing doubles with him next week at Queen’s. I’m super happy with the week. It’s been great. Happy days.”
De Minaur converted five of 14 break points he earned in the final, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and the Australian now holds a 33-11 record for the year. Having also defended his title at the ATP 500 in Acapulco in February, this year marks the third time he has won multiple tour-level crowns in one season.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
Emma Raducanu turns down the chance to play for Great Britain at the 2024 Olympics – but two-time gold medallist Andy Murray is set to compete.
In June 2019, a 17-year-old Jannik Sinner was walking around the players’ on-site hotel at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, where he was competing as a wild card in qualifying. Suddenly he was intercepted by Severin Luthi, the coach of then nine-time Halle champion Roger Federer.
“I remember Luthi stopping me on the on the stairs of the hotel and asking me if I could warm [Federer ] up for his match,” Sinner told ATPTour.com on Saturday prior to this year’s edition of the grass-court ATP 500. “I said, ‘Of course, yes.’ It was a very good feeling, a special feeling.”
Swiss legend Federer went on to lift his 10th and final title in Halle that year. Sinner this year competes as the top seed and, for the first time in his career, as the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Even if the pair never got to face off in a competitive match, the 22-year-old Italian still retains the advice passed down to him by Federer.
“I didn’t have the chance to play against Roger in an official match, and this is something that I will always miss, but I do remember the practice sessions with him,” reflected Sinner. “I didn’t have many, so I do remember every single one, more or less. He gave me just kind of mental advice: Try to enjoy it and keep looking forward to working hard. That’s the only thing he told me, and it was very nice to share a court with him.”
Sinner arrives in Halle having racked up a 33-3 record the season, a tally that includes his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Having cracked the major code at this year’s Australian Open and now become the first Italian World No. 1 in history, could winning a maiden tour-level grass-court title be the next milestone the 22-year-old hits in 2024?
“It would be very special, because you don’t have so many grass-court tournaments throughout the year,” said Sinner. “It’s only here and Wimbledon where I am playing, so I have only two chances [this year]. But in general, it’s great to be back on grass.
“It’s different. The first day you have to go through the movements on the surface and it’s difficult, especially when you play the first rounds against players who played already on grass. They have a little bit of feeling, but this is a place where they believed in me, they gave me a wild card in qualies back in the day. So I’m happy to come back here and hopefully I can show some good tennis early on.”
Jannik with the footwork 👟@ATPHalle | #TerraWortmannOpen pic.twitter.com/rn3e42UmhL
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 15, 2024
Sinner is not likely to be given long to settle on the German grass by his first-round opponent Tallon Griekspoor. The Dutch World No. 23 reached the semi-finals this week on home soil in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where he won the trophy in 2023. Sinner will enter their Halle clash with a 4-0 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“It will be very difficult. In general he plays well on grass,” said Sinner in German of Griekspoor at his pre-tournament press conference. “He does a lot of serve and volley. He volleys very, very well. It will be a very difficult match, but I’m looking forward to playing on grass.
“It will be a good test for me, for my first match on grass, to see where my level is. I will give everything, and I’m looking forward to the crowd here. The atmosphere is good and I will simply try to enjoy it.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
The grass-court season continues with ATP 500 events at Halle and Queen’s Club. Many of the sport’s biggest stars, including World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will be in action.
There is plenty at stake at the Terra Wortmann Open and the Cinch Championships. Who will battle through the loaded fields?
ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each tournament.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN HALLE
1) Sinner Makes Debut As No. 1: For the first time, Sinner will compete as the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Italian is the top seed in Halle, where he played in qualifying in 2019 as a 17-year-old and trained with Roger Federer. Sinner, who made the quarter-finals at the ATP 500 event last year, will begin his grass-court season against Tallon Griekspoor.
2) Zverev At Home: One week ago, Alexander Zverev was a set from winning the Roland Garros title. How will he bounce back as his grass season begins? The German made back-to-back Halle finals in 2016 and 2017 and the semi-finals last year. A semi-finalist in 2023, the second-seeded Zverev will try to make a good start against a qualifier.
3) Medvedev Seeks First Title Of 2024: Daniil Medvedev is a 20-time tour-level titlist who will try to add to his trophy cabinet for the first time this year in Halle. The 28-year-old owns a 6-3 record at the ATP 500 event, where he advanced to the final in 2022. The third seed will play Nuno Borges in the first round.
4) Past Champions: Two former Halle titlists are in the field: defending champion Alexander Bublik and 2022 winner Hubert Hurkacz. According to Infosys ATP Stats, they have both led the ATP Tour in aces for a season (Bublik in 2021, Hurkacz in 2023) and are dangerous opponents on grass. Bublik, the seventh seed, opens against a qualifier. Hurkacz, the fifth seed, plays Flavio Cobolli in the first round and could meet #NextGenATP Brazilian Joao Fonseca in the second round. The 17-year-old is making his tour-level grass-court debut.
5) Sinner Doubles Up: Sinner is among several singles stars competing in the doubles field. The Italian is partnering Hubert Hurkacz, while Andrey Rublev plays with Zverev. The top seeds are Roland Garros finalists Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
[ATP APP]FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN QUEEN’S CLUB
1) Alcaraz Defending Champion: Last year, the Cinch Championships was just the third grass-court event of Alcaraz’s professional career. Not only is he the defending champion this time around, but also a Wimbledon titlist. Alcaraz carries a 12-match grass-court winning streak into London’s ATP 500 event and will try to retain the momentum from his triumph at Roland Garros.
2) In-Form De Minaur: Of the Top 12 players in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, only seventh-placed Alex de Minaur — who will climb to sixth with a title Sunday in ‘s-Hertogenbosch — has never competed in the Nitto ATP Finals. The Australian is on course to make his debut at the season finale this year and will try to maintain his form at Queen’s Club. The defending finalist, seeded second this edition, will face a tricky opening test against Lorenzo Musetti.
3) Murray Back For More: Former World No. 1 Andy Murray owns the record for Queen’s Club titles with five. Will he roll back the years over the next week to add a sixth singles trophy from the event to his resume? The last time the Scot claimed the crown in singles was in 2016. He opens his tournament against a qualifier.
4) American Contingent: With qualifying still to be completed, there are sixth Americans in the main draw: Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima. Fritz, Paul and Shelton are seeded fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. Korda has shown good form by reaching the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final (to be played Sunday) and Nakashima, who began his season at World No. 134, is up to No. 63 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
5) Queen’s Club Doubles Trial: Queen’s Club is the second tournament participating in the 2024 ATP Doubles Trial. The top four seeds are all major champions, including first seeds Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden (2024 Australian Open) and third seeds Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic (2024 Roland Garros). Twelve of the Top 35 players in the PIF ATP Rankings are competing in the doubles draw as well as Murray, who won the title in 2019 with Feliciano Lopez. Murray and Daniel Evans open against defending champions Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]