India’s Rohan Bopanna has returned to the US Open final 13 years after his first appearance in the title match, teaming with Australian Matthew Ebden to defeat Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in Thursday’s semi-finals.

The duo saved a break point on Ebden’s serve at 2-4 to avoid going down a double break in the first set, which they eventually captured in a tie-break. They claimed two breaks in the final set to close out the match 7-6(3), 6-2, hitting 36 winners to 19 from the Frenchmen.

“When we held after saving a break point to avoid going down a double break in the first set, that was really important,” Bopanna said. “We got some great energy from the crowd. Back in the final 13 years later for me, so I’m very happy.”

A winner of 24 tour-level doubles titles, Bopanna is looking for his first Grand Slam title at the age of 43. In 2010 he and Pakistani partner Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi finished runners-up to Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in the US Open final.

Ebden won the 2022 Wimbledon doubles title with Max Purcell, with whom he also reached the 2022 Australian Open doubles final.

Bopanna and Ebden, who won the Indian Wells title in March and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, improved to 32-15 since teaming at Adelaide-1 in the first week of the season.

They are third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and seem likely to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin from 12-19 November.

“Rohan beat me here [in 2018] so I thought we should partner up,” Ebden quipped post match. “We were both looking for partners at the end of last year so we decided to have a crack and we’ve been really enjoying it. Probably from the second month we’ve been going really well.”

In Friday’s final Bopanna and Ebden will play the winner of two-time defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury and Roland Garros champions Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.

Remember the name Daniel Rincon.

For tennis fans that are tuned into junior Slam results, they will already be familiar with Rincon, who won the 2021 US Open boys’ singles title. Now the 20-year-old is rising on the ATP Challenger Tour, having reached four semi-finals in his past six events.

Three months before Rincon won the junior crown at Flushing Meadows, he was walking across the stage at the Rafa Nadal Academy as a graduate of the 2021 class. Throughout his time in Mallorca, Rincon soaked in valuable lessons, perhaps no experience more memorable than training with fellow lefty, 22-time major champion Nadal.

“He gives a lot of importance to footwork, going in and back the whole time, not just staying in the same place,” Rincon told the ATP Challenger Tour media team last week. “I think during the four, five years that I got the chance to practice with him being at the academy, that’s the most important thing that he says to me almost every day, so I take it very seriously and I try to improve it a lot.

“It’s great that the academy brings the players this opportunity. Playing with one of the greatest of all time is such an advantage and I tried to take the most out of it every day. He’s such a good guy, such a nice person and he always tries to help all the players. He gave me so many tips during practices when we go to drink water. We talk about my game, what I should develop and improve. It’s Rafa, so I tried to take the most out of it.”

While at the Academy, Rincon would also find time to enjoy golfing around the Spanish island, stating, “I tried to go with my friends almost every weekend we can.” When asked who would win between him and Nadal in golf, Rincon cracked a laugh, “Rafa for sure.”

Rincon is just the latest star from the Nadal Academy to be making waves on the Challenger circuit. His roommate at ‘RNA’, 19-year-old Abdullah Shelbayh, last year became the first player from Jordan to win a match in Challenger history at the Mallorca Challenger. In February, Shelbayh became the youngest Arab to reach a Challenger final in Manama. The two left-handers, who often partner in doubles, are climbing the Pepperstone ATP Rankings together.

Since the start of July, Rincon has won 15 of 22 Challenger matches, including a semi-final run last week at the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar, which is held at the luxurious academy. At a career-high No. 198 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, the Madrid native hopes this is a sign of things to come.

“I started having a really good summer, I reached three semi-finals in a row. Then another quarter-finals. And Mallorca [was] my fifth quarter,” Rincon said. “It’s been an amazing summer and I hope to continue this way.

“Playing challengers is a big difference to the ITF and junior level. Players are better and it also shows when you have to practice with them. I think it also helped a lot in my development. Because maybe you finish a tournament, you lost in the first round, you still get the chance to practise with great players. Also they give you a lot of facilities to practice, where other circuits you don’t have many chances. So it’s great for the players and for our practices.”

One of the major storylines of the 2023 season has been the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Alexander Zverev has had a taste of both players excellent form across the American hard-court swing.

Having fallen in two tight sets to eventual Djokovic at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last month, the German was beaten in straight sets by Alcaraz on Wednesday as his promising US Open run was ended at the quarter-final stage. Zverev was unable to identify a clear leader in terms of level within Alcaraz and Djokovic’s Lexus ATP Heaf2Head rivalry but is in no doubt that the chasing pack has some work to do to catch the pair up.

“I played Novak in Cincinnati, I played Carlos here. I think they are very, very similar from the level of the game,” said Zverev in his post-match press conference at Flushing Meadows. “There are some things that Novak does better; there are some things that Carlos does better.

“I think they are at a level of their own at the moment. The other guys gotta catch up. That’s as simple as that.”

Alcaraz delivered a top-class quarter-final display in New York to continue his US Open title defence in style, but Zverev’s challenge to the Spaniard was hampered from the second set onwards by a problem with his left glute.

“I was in the match the first set. I could have broken, it could have gone my way, it didn’t,” reflected Zverev. “Then the second set I felt something in my hamstring glute, left side. I couldn’t push off on my serve anymore. My serve speed was down quite a lot compared to the other days. Against him especially I needed a good serving day otherwise it would have been difficult.

“I think my biggest weapon was kind of taken away after the first set and it’s difficult to even compete if you don’t have that.”

Zverev said that his physical struggle was not related to his lung-busting four-hour, 41-minute fourth-round triumph against Jannik Sinner. Despite his exit to Alcaraz in the last eight, the 26-year-old can reflect on another solid fortnight in a season during which he has made an increasingly impressive recovery following a serious ankle injury in 2022.

“I think we were both physically done after that match,” said Zverev, who leaves New York with a 42-21 record for the year, of the Sinner clash. “I thought I recovered quite well. Just looking at the facts, I think we finished at 1:30 at night. We played 4 hours, 40 minutes. For that I think I recovered quite okay. But today wasn’t enough to be competitive.”

The pressure of competing as defending champion at a Grand Slam for the first time has done little to throw Carlos Alcaraz off course this US Open.

The Spaniard eased to a straight-sets quarter-final victory against 12th seed Alexander Zverev on Wednesday night, a stark contrast to his five hour, 15-minute triumph against Jannik Sinner at the same stage at Flushing Meadows a year ago. Yet it is not just the manner of his win against Zverev that has the top seed feeling confident as he prepares to meet Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.

“I’m more mature now. I grew up a lot since last year,” said Alcaraz in his post-match press conference. “Last year I was facing my first semi-final of a Grand Slam. Now I’m facing my fourth one. I feel like I’m a totally different player.

“It doesn’t matter that last year I got my first Grand Slam, that I won my first semi-final and final of a Grand Slam. I feel like I’m more mature. I deal better with the pressure in those kinds of moments. I feel like I’m different, a different person and a different player.”

Alcaraz’s mental approach of treating the majors like he does any other tournament has helped him handle the hype this fortnight in New York. His form at Flushing Meadows, where he has dropped just one set en route to the last four, has been a continuation of a scintillating 2023 season for the 20-year-old, who is now the owner of a Tour-leading 58-6 record.

“I’m doing the same things,” said Alcaraz. “Before matches I’m doing the same things. Mentally it can change a little bit going into tournaments that are the best-of-five, but I try to do the same things.

“I’m doing well during the season. Why do I have to change it? I just do the same things.”

The @carlosalcaraz show rolls on in New York 🤩@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/vhQHd92qmY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 7, 2023

The Spaniard’s ability to stay clutch at key moments played a crucial role early in his win against Zverev. He saved two break points at 3-4 in the first set against the German before claiming a decisive break of his own in the next game to kick-start his march to victory.

“Obviously watching the level Sascha was playing in the first set, being able to win it, it was great for me, to give me more confidence,” said Alcaraz. “Probably he got down a little bit in the second set and I took my chances.

“So it was great. Coming to the third set, knowing that I’m up, playing a great level, for him it was really, really tough. Obviously, he was struggling a little bit physically in the third set, but it was great to be able to win in straight sets.”

Alcaraz now turns to his third Lexus ATP Head2Head clash of 2023 with Medvedev. He claimed dominant victories against the 2021 US Open champion at Indian Wells in March and Wimbledon in July, and the Spaniard will try to emulate his gameplan from those triumphs when he steps onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.

“The last matches that I played against Daniil, I played a perfect tactical game,” said Alcaraz. “I did all the things that I had to do against him pretty well. I think my game suits pretty well against that type of opponent like Daniil.

“So I’m going to try to do the same things that I did, for example, in Indian Wells and in Wimbledon, and hopefully get the win and play the same level that I played in those matches.”

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz has moved to within two wins of successfully defending his US Open title after winning a heavy-hitting quarter-final battle 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 with top-ranked German Alexander Zverev Wednesday night in New York.

Looking to claim the prized Wimbledon-US Open double in the same season, the 20-year-old will face 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in Friday’s semi-finals, with a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 final showdown with Novak Djokovic remaining a distinct possibility.

“I’m very, very comfortable playing in this court, playing here in New York. I am showing my best level here,” Alcaraz said.

“Last year was very tough, since the fourth round I played five sets [to get to the final]. Here I’ve played just one match that has gone to four sets. I feel great physically and I’m ready to play a great battle with Medvedev in the semi-finals.”

Although Zverev attempted to match Alcaraz’s power from the baseline, the Spaniard’s variety, speed and fresh legs gave him the edge over the German, who two days earlier toiled for four hours, 41 minutes to defeat Jannik Sinner in five sets, which marked just his second victory over a Top 10 player in Grand Slam play. In contrast, Alcaraz spent less than two hours on court in a straight-sets win over Matteo Arnaldi.

Alcaraz threw in a number of serve/volley plays, was an impressive 28 of 35 overall in net approaches and mixed in his usual quota of drop shots to keep his opponent off balance. He hit 29 winners to Zverev’s 22 and saved all five break points he faced while converting all four break chances on his opponent’s serve.

Zverev had a good night on first serve, putting 68 per cent of first serves into play and winning 73 per cent, but he won just seven of 25 points on his second serve.

Alcaraz improved to 24-1 in his past four Grand Slams played, going back to his title run at Flushing Meadows last year. (He missed this year’s Australian Open through injury.) Already a winner of six titles this year, Alcaraz improved to a Tour-best 58-6 match record on the season.

By reaching the quarter-finals Zverev has broken back into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings for the first time since last November. The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion has also risen to eighth place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, inside the cut for this year’s season finale, to be held 12-19 November.

BEST 50-MATCH GRAND SLAM STARTS
(among World No. 1s)

* Plays 50th match on Friday
Note: Novak Djokovic 38-12, Roger Federer 34-16

Ben Shelton in his first full season on the ATP Tour has shown countless time he loves engaging with fans and harnessing their energy on the court. When at his best, he holds the crowd in the palm of his hand and not only competes, but entertains.

According to his father and coach, former World No. 55 Bryan Shelton, a key has been learning how to identify when to flip on his intensity.

“We always talk about switching it on and switching it off, and the ability to do those two things is really important. You think about Tiger Woods and he makes this amazing shot and then he kind of just glides down the fairway. He switches off until he has to get to the ball and assess the situation and then he switches back on and gets into his routine,” Shelton said. “For Ben, it’s like he’s so playful and he has all this personality, that he’s pretty good at switching on and switching off. It’s getting better and better.

“He’s able to relax and just be himself, and then when it’s time to really focus and turn it on, he’s able to do that a lot better right now.”

Even in pressure moments, Shelton has shown the ability to find the right mix. After two devastating double faults in the third-set tie-break of his quarter-final against Frances Tiafoe, the 20-year-old maintained his aggression and crushed a forehand return winner to avoid going down two sets to one.

“With Ben and his personality and just the way that he attacks life and tennis and everything, it’s always been about trying to rein him in, never about trying to get him to play outside,” Shelton said. “For me, it’s kind of the opposite. And I’d always prefer that it be this way, because it’s hard to get someone to want to step up when they’re naturally timid or shy or just not aggressive. For us, that’s never been a problem, not with Ben.”

After Shelton reached the Australian Open quarter-finals at the beginning of the season, he did not win consecutive tour-level matches until this fortnight in New York. But where he struggled to string together wins, Shelton added something else.

“I think experience. Experience can be a wonderful thing, right?” Shelton said. “He’s gained a lot of great experience. He’s had to play on clay courts for a couple of months at a time, and so he’s learned a little bit more patience. He’s learned a little bit more about how to play defence. He’s learned his offence has to be really good on that type of surface in order to execute against the best players in the world.

“So he’s been able to work on those things. He’s understood that his return of serve wasn’t up to par. It’s a part of his game that he’s going to have to continue to improve and he’s worked really hard on that aspect of his game.”

For the Shelton family, it is not all about wins and losses, either. Before departing for his first trip of the season the former college tennis star at the University of Florida had never left the country, nor had he competed on red clay or grass. It has been a year of new experiences.

“Ben’s mom and I, [we are] super proud that he’s just handling himself so well. First off the court and then on the court. Our hope for him was that he would just continue to grow as a person and as a player out here on the Tour over the last year, and I think he’s done that,” Shelton said. “You learn a lot about yourself through the losses, probably more than the wins. So this season for him has been just a great learning experience. Travelling around the globe and going to places and playing on surfaces and just doing things he’s never done before.

“So for him, the education has been unbelievable. Along the way he’s been taking classes. So we’re proud of that, too.”

No matter what happens when Shelton walks onto the court inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday against 23-time major champion Novak Djokovic, he knows there will be plenty to learn and room to grow.

“I think he’s got amazing examples over this last 20-year stretch with Roger and Rafa and Novak, of guys that continually look to get better,” Shelton said. “So if those guys can look to get better every single day and they’re the standard of excellence at the very top of the game for a long period of time, like you’re talking about, that’s a good example for him to follow.”