Will the fresh mountain air power Zhang Zhizhen to an impressive debut this week at the Generali Open?

The World No. 53 will step on court against Dusan Lajovic on Tuesday as the first Chinese player to compete in the 79-year history of the Kitzbühel event. The ATP 250 takes place against the stunning backdrop of the Austrian Alps, and Zhang took a break in his preparations to visit the famous nearby Hahnenkamm mountain.

“It’s my first time here in Kitzbühel. They have very good views,” said Zhang. “For winter they have ski racing here. It’s impressive to see the ski jumping from here, which for me would be impossible.”

^{_{Photo Credit: Generali Open | Alexander Scheuber}}

A highlight of the Hahnenkamm is the famous Streif downhill course, one of the most demanding on the professional skiing circuit. Zhang expressed a desire to return to Kitzbühel in winter to see the area under snow.

“In China we don’t really have too many places for skiing. We have some, but I live in Shanghai and it is not really snowing. I would like to see big snow [one day].”

Zhang arrived for his historic appearance in Kitzbühel fresh from reaching his maiden ATP Tour semi-final at the Hamburg European Open. Now on the brink of becoming the first Chinese man to break the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, he is pleased to be leading a squad of emerging talents from his country that also includes Wu Yibing and Shang Juncheng.

“We are are playing more at ATP Tour level and improving our ranking,” said the 26-year-old. “So we try to play higher tournaments. I didn’t know I was the first one to come here [to Kitzbühel], but I am happy to be the first.”

John Isner held firm in the face of a late Rinky Hijikata comeback Monday to kick-start his 2023 campaign at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo with a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory in Los Cabos.

The big-serving Isner led Hijikata 6-2, 5-3 at the hard-court ATP 250 before the Australian ramped up the pressure by forcing a second-set tie-break in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. Hijikata then forged an immediate 3/0 lead to boost his chances of forcing a deciding set on the Mexican Pacific coast, but Isner claimed seven of the final eight points to pull through in one hour and 54 minutes.

“It’s a lot of relief. I felt like the match could have been a little bit easier at the end, but my opponent started to play a bit better,” said Isner in his on-court interview. “He made me play and I got a little tight. That’s what happens in tennis. I’m happy to win.”

It was a 350th tour-level hard-court victory for Isner, who hit 31 winners, including 19 aces. Now 8-11 for the 2023 season, the 16-time tour-level titlist will next face top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas at an event where he reached the semi-finals in 2021.

“We have played each other a bunch,” said Isner, when asked about the Tsitsipas clash. “I think I won the first couple of times and he’s won the last five, so I’m going to try to turn that around.

“He’s an incredible player, obviously. You don’t get to No. 3 in the world without being really good, so it’s going to be a big challenge. I will definitely have to play my best, because if I don’t I have no chance of winning.”

Isner’s countryman Aleksandar Kovacevic also sealed a straight-sets win Monday. The World No. 129 beat qualifier Omni Kumar 6-2, 7-5 to set a meeting with second seed Cameron Norrie. Third seed Tommy Paul’s opening opponent will be Felipe Meligeni Alves, after the Brazilian moved past Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-4.

Former World No. 6 Gael Monfils collected just his second tour-level win of the season and first since Roland Garros when he defeated American Bjorn Fratangelo 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Mubadala Citi DC Open Monday night in Washington, D.C.

Taking up residence deep behind the baseline, the 36-year-old Frenchman used his speed and athleticism to build a defensive wall that the 30-year-old Pittsburgh native was unable to penetrate on his 2023 main-draw tour-level debut. En route to his 527th match win, Monfils also delighted fans with two signature slam-dunk smashes.

Monfils, who at No. 323 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings needed a wild card into the main draw, withdrew from the second round of his home Grand Slam with a left wrist injury and played his first match since Roland Garros last week in Atlanta.

“It’s great to be back in Washington. I love the support here. I started strong and it’s another good match under my belt,” said Monfils, who received a post-match congratulatory kiss from wife, WTA Tour star Elina Svitolina, who also picked up a win Monday.

“It’s a good night for both of us and hopefully we can keep it going this week.”

Monfils, who next meets fellow showman, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, has reached at least one ATP final for 18 straight seasons (2005-22) and has 11 titles to his name.

Former finalist Mackenzie McDonald picked up his first win in three career meetings with Diego Schwartzman when he defeated the World No. 95 6-3, 6-3. McDonald saved the lone break point he faced while converting three of nine opportunities on the 30-year-old’s serve.

The World No. 60 Californian defeated former champions Nick Kyrgios and Kei Nishikori en route to the 2021 title match, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.

Michael Mmoh turned his 2023 win-loss record into positive territory (8-7) with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of fellow American, qualifier Bradley Klahn, who was chasing his first tour-level win since the 2019 US Open.

China’s fast-rising 18-year-old lefty Shang Juncheng won his opening-round match for the second consecutive week (Atlanta) with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Ecuador’s Emilio Gomez. Shang was solid from the baseline, winning 60 per cent of points on his second serve.

Sebastian Korda remembers when he was a junior running around the grounds of the Mubadala Citi DC Open. His father, Petr Korda, coached Radek Stepanek, the 2011 champion

Now ‘Sebi’ is not running around the lounge and locker room, but attracting fans to the court with his powerful game. The 23-year-old is the eighth seed this week at the ATP 500 event.

“Washington has to be one of my favourite stops definitely on tour, just kind of being here as a 12, 13 and 14-year-old kid with my dad and Radek Stepanek,” Korda told ATPTour.com. “Just to kind of experience everything was really cool. Being in the locker room for the first time and just being around the players, I have a lot of great memories from this tournament. It’s definitely very special.”

On Sunday, the American was cooling down on a bike in the players’ gym when he noticed a photo of his mentor, former World No. 1 Andre Agassi, on signage outside.

“I sent him a selfie with me and him with the plaque in the back,” Korda said. “He’s just a very special person to me. He’s obviously kind of tennis royalty in a way and just to have someone like that in my corner, I think it’s pretty special.”

Agassi coincidentally played Korda’s father, Petr, in the 1991 Washington final. Agassi won the match 6-3, 6-4 for one of his five titles at the tournament.

“I’m pretty sure Andre was playing night matches every single day and my dad was playing first on at like one o’clock when it was really hot,” Korda said, cracking a laugh. “And I think Andre just smoked my dad in the final.”

 

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Agassi has become a valuable guide for Korda. The 60-time tour-level titlist often watches his mentee’s matches and provides feedback.

“He sees life in a different way than everyone else. He’s just a very positive, outgoing person, has a massive, massive heart. He’ll do absolutely anything for the people that he’s close with,” Korda said. “He’s just a really great human being. Just the way that he sees tennis in a way is very different. He thinks about different things from other people. Kind of what he can do to get a bigger advantage in tennis.”

This is the first tournament of Korda’s hard-court swing. The surface typically caters to the American’s powerful baseline game.

“I love playing on the hard courts, especially in the U.S.,” Korda said. “I think it’s so much fun to play around here. Everything’s super close. All the fans are great. It’s just really comfortable being here in a country you grew up in and everything’s just super easy.”

Korda began his season on a high by reaching an ATP 250 final in Adelaide, holding championship point against Novak Djokovic before falling short. He then advanced to the Australian Open quarter-finals with wins over Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz along the way.

After retiring in the quarter-finals due to an elbow injury, Korda did not play until April in Madrid. He is excited for the rest of the season.

“Started off great and there was kind of a speed bump in the middle, but there are things that you kind of have to go through as a tennis player,” Korda said. “You learn from them and you keep going. I’m grateful for my journey right now and I couldn’t be happier to be back playing to a high level again.”

Treat Huey was honoured Monday evening at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in recognition of his retirement from professional tennis. The eight-time ATP Tour doubles titlist’s career came to a close Saturday evening when he lost alongside Marcos Giron in qualifying at the ATP 500.

“It’s definitely pretty emotional. Saturday night when we lost, coming off the court I had a tear or two. But yeah, it was something I absolutely enjoyed, and had the greatest time ever playing on Tour,” Huey said. “Growing up as a kid, I was like, ‘I’d love to be good enough to play this tournament one time’, and ended up playing it a couple times, winning it once. So it was an absolute dream come true.

“It was amazing I played for 14, 15 years, so I had an amazing time.”

Treat Huey” />
^{Photo: ATP Tour}
Huey, a Filipino from Washington who played college tennis at the University of Virginia, was joined on Stadium Court by several colleagues and staff members from the ATP Tour and the tournament, including tournament chairman Mark Ein.

“That’s what I loved about being on the Tour, making a tonne of friends from all over the world and really enjoying that part of travelling together [to] different tournaments and experiencing different parts of the world and playing tennis everywhere,” Huey said. “Competing against everybody, you might not like each other here on the court sometimes, but we all understand it. So it’s a good competitive sport.

“The people that I get along with we’ll get along the rest of our lives. We’ll definitely stay in touch.”

Former World No. 1 Rajeev Ram, who is a year and a half older than Huey, has known the lefty since their junior days.

“He made the [Nitto] ATP Finals one year and obviously did pretty well at Wimbledon and won a bunch of titles out here,” Ram said. “So I think for someone to come out and have made a real impact on the Tour, especially representing the Philippines and making a great living out here playing, I thought it was an incredible achievement for him. I certainly wish him the best in the future.”

Among Huey’s accolades are his eight tour-level trophies, competing in the 2016 Nitto ATP Finals alongside Max Mirnyi, reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals with Mirnyi that same year and winning the Washington title in 2012 .

“Making year-end finals was probably the biggest. That was always one of my biggest goals even the first couple of years,” Huey said. “Once you get to the US Open and see the points race, see everybody going into it, I was always like God, I’ve always loved to be on that race on the board…

“To make it in 2016, it was a dream come true and everything I put all that hard work into doing and had a great year there and it worked out, so it was something that was absolutely incredible.”

Huey will take his experience to the college level as he serves as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia.

Shang Juncheng began his season in the best possible fashion. Then 17, the Chinese #NextGenATP star qualified for his first major at the Australian Open and then won a match in the main draw. The dynamic lefty was charging up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings like a freight train.

But in the weeks following the tournament, the Shang train came to a screeching halt. The teen suffered from mononucleosis.

“You’re doing something you love every day, and all of a sudden, you don’t get to do it. I think that’s not the best feeling for three or four months,” Shang, who is competing this week in the Mubadala Citi DC Open, told ATPTour.com. “But I got through it, I pushed myself, my team and [those] around me helped me, and we got through that. Now we’re here, back on Tour again.”

After his big breakthrough in Melbourne, Shang won just one match at any level until Roland Garros. From the second week in April until the clay-court major, he did not compete at all, leaving him plenty of downtime in Florida as he recovered.

“Most of the time, [I was] very bored. I was on TV watching those guys compete. It was fun. I learned a lot of stuff,” Shang said. “Mostly, I was going to the golf course almost every day. That’s probably one of the best moments to play golf, in the time off.”

Above all, Shang missed tennis. The competitive fire to return to action burned within. Veteran coach Dante Bottini, who has worked with stars including Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov, began mentoring Shang last offseason. According to the Argentine, he has quickly learned how much the teen loves the sport

“He cannot stay still. I tell him many times, ‘Okay, take some days off, don’t do anything.’ He still goes and plays golf or hits some balls with his dad or mom,” Bottini said. “He loves tennis, you can tell he loves tennis. He follows the scores, follows the players. And obviously, he loves to play. That’s why he was eager to come back pretty soon after his sickness.”

Shang was flying higher than ever in January. Despite the mono roadblock, his mindset never faltered. He made the most of his time at home by working with his team to best prepare for when he would return to the ATP Tour.

“After Australia, I was playing very good, playing very confident on the court. I know what I’m capable of doing on the court,” Shang said. “So in the time off, there was never a doubt that I would play like that again.”

A big win for Shang both mentally and physically was being able to return for Roland Garros, where he qualified for the main draw. He led Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas two sets to love. Although the lefty let slip his advantage, his level was clearly there.

Shang won seven times in a nine-match stretch ahead of Wimbledon at grass-court ATP Challenger Tour events, before losing a tight qualifying match at The Championships to World No. 80 Matteo Arnaldi.

He then advanced to the semi-finals of a Challenger in Chicago, losing to red-hot American Alex Michelsen in three sets. Last week, Shang upset Ben Shelton in his first ATP 250 main draw, at the Atlanta Open, before falling to former World No. 4 Nishikori, with whom he has trained in Bradenton.

“I played Ben in the first round. We were basically playing juniors together since we were 12 years old, 13 years old, so that was a good match. Ben is an amazing person and obviously amazing player,” Shang said. “Not to mention playing, Kei Nishikori in the second round of my first [ATP] 250 event was unreal. And Kei has taught me so much stuff in practice as well. He’s an amazing person. So I’m just happy that he’s back on tour again, and I got to play him.”

Bottini added of Shang’s recent success: “We haven’t had that much time to practise and to do fitness, which I would like to do. But it’s a good problem to have. That means that he’s winning matches, so let’s keep going.”

Shang is thankful to be competing at some of the world’s biggest tournaments. This week, he has won three matches in as many days to qualify for the Washington ATP 500 and then make the second round of the main draw, setting a rematch with Shelton.

“It’s always good to stay healthy and play tournaments. Not to mention these 250s, 500s, they’re very good tournaments, as well. [I am] also very excited to play my first US Open in the pros,” Shang said. “And obviously, [later this year], the most exciting part is I get to play in China in front of a home crowd again.”

For now, at a career-high World No. 149, Shang is focussed on staying in the present and taking it all in, from his efforts on the court to the process of trying to improve off it.

“I think he’s soaking it all in, all the information that I give him and some of the stories, moments that I went through with these players on certain occasions,” Bottini said. “I think he’s excited, I can tell when I tell him some stories, he opens his eyes and is eager to listen. It’s fun and hopefully one day we can tell our own stories.”

Daniel Evans and Andy Murray thrilled a packed Grandstand Monday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where they ousted doubles stars Austin Krajicek and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-4.

The wild cards were cool under the intense sun, saving three of the four break points they faced against the second seeds to advance after one hour and 17 minutes.

Evans and Murray last competed together at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. This is Murray’s first doubles appearance of the season.

In other action, Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe eliminated Christopher Eubanks and Sebastian Korda 2-6, 7-6(9), 10-7. The Polish-American duo saved one match point, at 8/9 in the second-set tie-break, when Hurkacz put away a forehand volley.

Roberto Carballes Baena made a confident start to his bid for a second clay-court crown of the season on Monday at the Generali Open, where the Spaniard downed Guido Pella 6-2, 6-4 to advance in Kitzbühel.

Carballes Baena assumed control early of the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting since 2019, reeling off five games in a row from 1-2 to claim the first set. A solitary break in the second set proved enough for the World No. 59 to complete a 71-minute victory and reach the second round for the third time in four appearances at the ATP 250 in the Austrian Alps.

“I think I played a really good match,” said the sixth-seeded Spaniard in his on-court interview. “It was not easy for me because I only practised yesterday, but I think I served very well and I played very aggressively.”

SUPER impressive 😤

No. 6 seed @Robertocarba93 takes a commanding 6-2 lead over Pella.#GeneraliOpen pic.twitter.com/FNbZ8f7EZG

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 31, 2023

Carballes Baena rose to a career-high No. 49 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in April after claiming his second tour-level title in Marrakech. The 30-year-old is now 18-18 for the year and feeling confident as he looks to forge a deep run on the clay of Kitzbühel.

“I think I played my best tennis this year,” said Carballes Baena. “I played more aggressive and with confidence. I like these conditions, I like the altitude, so I hope to have a good tournament.”

The Spaniard’s second-round opponent will be Sebastian Baez, after the Argentine enjoyed a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Hamad Medjedovic on his Kitzbühel debut. The 22-year-old Baez, who is chasing his third clay-court ATP 250 title this week, stayed rock-solid from the baseline for an 83-minute win against #NextGenATP Medjedovic in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

Alex Molcan and Guido Andreozzi were also first-round winners on Monday. Molcan downed the in-form #NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche 6-4, 6-3 to improve his career record on clay to 29-16. The Slovakian, who reached tour-level finals on the surface in Belgrade in 2021 and Marrakech and Lyon in 2022, converted three of 11 break points he earned against Van Assche to book a second-round meeting with fourth seed Sebastian Ofner.

The Argentine qualifier Andreozzi notched his first tour-level win since 2019 with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 triumph against 2022 finalist Filip Misolic. Andreozzi kept his cool in the decider to accelerate to victory against home favourite Misolic and set a second-round meeting with top seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Since the creation of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in August 1973, 28 men’s singles players have owned the No. 1 spot. From Ilie Nastase in the very first edition to Carlos Alcaraz today, these unique superstars from across the world are forever linked, part of the elite fraternity to reign over the men’s game.

ATPTour.com is celebrating the coming 50th anniversary of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings with a five-part series looking at the legendary players, their epic battles, the inspiring comebacks, the jaw-dropping milestones and statistics and other narratives that showcase one of the most talked-about elements of our sport.

Leading tennis author and historian Richard Evans, who knows better than most all of the players to reach World No. 1, kicks us off with his personal reflections on the most notable among this elite group to have reached the pinnacle of tennis.

Novak Djokovic” />
Photo by Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

Novak Djokovic

As the game gets more powerful, so the stress of playing pro tennis becomes more demanding. As a result, staying fit is now a major factor. With a body almost perfectly sculpted for tennis, Djokovic, despite an early health problem remedied by a strict diet, has managed to stay fitter than most. Along with his innate talent for striking a ball from any position on the court, this has enabled the 6-foot-2 Serb to start piling up statistics and pull away from his rivals. Well clear of Roger Federer now with 389 weeks at No. 1, the 94-time tour-level titlist seems set to become an undisputed GOAT.

Chance came his way at the age of five when Jelena Gencic, who had coached Monica Seles, spent a summer coaching at public courts right opposite the Djokovic family pizzeria. Gencic was inspired to work with him because he listened so intently to everything she said.

Born in Belgrade in 1987, Novak was ready, by the age of 20, to win two ATP Masters 1000 titles at Miami and in Canada and, in 2008, set off on the run that has so far brought him a record 23 Grand Slams by winning the first of 10 Australian Opens. He had to wait a bit before fulfilling the childhood dream of winning the first of what, so far, is seven Wimbledons in 2011.

With two children and a wife actively involved in his charities, family life absorbs much of Novak’s time away from tennis and, as he goes on winning, there is nothing to suggest he will not remain Serbia’s greatest global ambassador. 

Weeks at No. 1: 389 … Consecutive weeks at No. 1: 122 … Year-end No. 1: 7 times

Roger Federer” />
Photo by Peter Staples/ATP Tour

Roger Federer

It is not every sports star who ends their career sitting on a courtside bench, holding hands with Rafael Nadal, his greatest rival, both in tears, while 17,000 people at the Laver Cup in London cheered and cried. It was an emotional climax to an extraordinary career. Very few have accumulated as much love and admiration as this elegant Swiss, whom many fans will continue to view as ‘The Greatest’ no matter what the stats say.

It was the way he played the game, the smoothest mover and sweetest hitter of a ball you ever saw; the fiercest competitor, rarely showing the stress that broiled inside an almost disdainfully calm exterior; the sportsman always showing respect for his rivals.

Perfect is a silly word to use about any human being but Roger seems to have come closer than most. When his Slovak-born wife Mirka, a former player herself, produced two sets of twins — two girls and then two boys — someone in the locker room was heard to say, “Oh, Roger! You even do that perfectly!” It was near perfection on court that concerned his rivals most as he collected a total of 103 titles, 20 of them Slams and six at the Nitto ATP Finals.

After a stellar career of such free-flowing success, it’s sad that a back injury forced him into retirement before he was mentally prepared for it — even at the age of 41! Inspired by his South African mother, Federer will now spend even more time working on his pre-school education charities in countries like Malawi and Zimbabwe, recipients of a $1 million personal donation from Roger & Mirka when Covid struck. As he says: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”

Weeks at No. 1: 310 … Consecutive weeks at No. 1: 237 … Year-end No. 1: 5 times

Pete Sampras” />
Photo by Al Bello/Allsport

Pete Sampras

Being born with long arms is an advantage, but you need to know how to use them if you want to achieve what this Californian of Greek heritage achieved on a tennis court. The serve is considered one of the best to ever grace the game and Pete could reach anything at the net. The result? Seven Wimbledons!

Add a few more Grand Slams in New York (five) and Melbourne (two) — but never Paris — for a total of 14 and you are looking at a record that enabled him to finish the year as World No. 1 six times, second only to Djokovic. Sampras’ six came in succession from 1993-98, a record for consecutive years ended atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, and he navigated a gruelling late-year schedule in ’98 to finish the run in style. The 64-time tour-level champion was also the one-time ATP Masters 1000 title leader with 11 crowns.

Not a flamboyant performer, Pete rarely uttered a word on court — but then he didn’t say much off it, either, despite a warm, welcoming smile whenever he said hello. Although a man who kept to himself, Sampras was ready to step up for his country’s cause in Davis Cup, beating Andrei Chesnokov in five hard-fought sets in Moscow in 1995 and promptly collapsing with cramp. He needed to be carried off court.

Deeply affected by the death of his coach Tim Gullikson at the age of 44, Pete won his last nine Slams with Paul Annacone as his trusted coach.

In retirement, Pete did what most of us expected — stayed home with his actress wife, Bridgette Wilson, and two kids and played golf. Bridgette’s openly expressed desire to be a housewife rather than a movie star fit perfectly with Pete’s personality. Night life was not for him. Crushed one night at a Piccadilly disco in London, he struggled past me saying, “Can’t stand this. Gotta get out of here.” An open air kind of guy.

Weeks at No. 1: 286 … Consecutive weeks at No. 1: 102 … Year-end No. 1: 6 times

Ivan Lendl” />
Photo by STF/AFP via Getty Images

Ivan Lendl

The piercing gaze is still on view courtside as this Czech-born American watches Andy Murray, wearing his coaching cap, but it was no less piercing when he used to look at himself in the bathroom mirror before training every morning and say, “Now body, how much punishment am I going to put you through today?” Was that a masochistic streak in Lendl’s nature? If so, it drove him to extraordinary heights: eight Grand Slam titles and a run of success at the US Open which may never be repeated — eight consecutive appearances in the final between 1982 and 1989.

Until John McEnroe lost his concentration and let a two-set lead slip at Roland Garros in 1984, enabling Ivan to secure a remarkable win, Ivan had found a Grand Slam title elusive as defeat followed defeat in finals. But once he broke the barrier, the 94-time tour-level titlist became one of the great winners of his era with a pounding backcourt game anchored to the athleticism he burnished with that daily training routine — hours on court, hours in the gym, eight miles on his bike and then a playful hour wrestling with the five German Shepherds, reared as killers by the Czech Border Guards — at his Connecticut home.

When Tony Roche, his Australian coach, came to visit, Ivan told him, “Just so you know, they understand the word for ‘kill’ in Czech!” In contrast, Ivan proved to be a doting father to his five daughters, three of whom he used to drive around golf tournaments in Florida, helping their progress in the professional game.

Beyond his eighth Grand Slam singles titles, Lendl also owned the year-end Masters Grand Prix — now the Nitto ATP Finals — during its time at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. From 1980-88, he reached nine straight finals at the prestigious event, winning five titles.

Weeks at No. 1: 270 … Consecutive weeks at No. 1: 157 … Year-end No. 1: 4 times

Jimmy Connors” />
Photo by Allsport/UK

Jimmy Connors

Tennis is an individual sport and Jimmy Connors was an individual. He played Davis Cup for the United States but infrequently and reluctantly. Apart from a rollicking friendship with another maverick, Romania’s Ilie Nastase, Connors was a loner on the ATP Tour, intense, focused and driven.

That was clear when he was still only 18 and had just lost to Stan Smith in a tight match at the Los Angeles Tennis Club. I happened to be walking through and laughing about something completely separate with a friend and came close to where Jimmy, head in his hands, was sitting. Mistaking my mirth, he looked up and yelled, “It’s not funny, you know! I LOST! It’s not funny!” It was clear, right then, that we had an emerging champion.

Using a round, metal-framed racquet that required precision hitting, Connors went on to win eight Grand Slam titles and finish with a Grand Slam match record of 233-49, bettered only by Roger Federer (369-60) among retired players today. He also embarked on a stretch of 160 consecutive weeks as World No. 1 from 1974-77, shortly after the Pepperstone ATP Rankings were created in 1973. His 109 tour-level titles singles remain a men’s Open era record.

Connors’ grandmother, known as Two Mom, and his mother, Gloria Connors, lit his early path — two women from working class St. Louis who taught their boy that winning was just about everything. Later, the tennis professor Pancho Segura was allowed to teach him how to feed off bigger players’ power.

Bursting onto the major stages in 1972, Connors won three Slams and was denied the chance to play Roland Garros because of politics. His best performance came in beating arch-rival John McEnroe in the 1982 Wimbledon final, and his worst when Arthur Ashe soft-balled him to a shock defeat at Wimbledon in 1975. Such was the turmoil of the day that Connors, and his belligerent manager Bill Riordan, were actually in litigation against Ashe and the ATP Tour when he played Ashe in that Wimbledon final.

But above all, American crowds loved his feisty, battling style — the little guy against the world. New York adopted him and the US Open, which he won five times, was his home.

Weeks at No. 1: 268 … Consecutive weeks at No. 1: 160 … Year-end No. 1: 5 times

Rafael Nadal” />
Photo by Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

Rafael Nadal

‘King of Clay’ almost seems an inadequate title for a man who has dominated the clay-court game with such ruthless, relentless efficiency since he won Roland Garros for the first time in 2005 at the age of 19. Since then, winning in Paris has become routine, a total of 14 titles so far to go along with 12 crowns in Barcelona and 11 at Monte Carlo. Without foot and knee injuries, it could have been more.

How does he do it? The technical aspects of Nadal’s success are intriguing. Since his uncle Toni Nadal nurtured his hunger for the sport at the age of four, Rafa has combined a heavily muscled physique with a rare ability to impart heavy topspin on the ball. He can achieve an RPM of 3,200 rotations — far more than his rivals. The result is a ball that kicks and rises from a height and maintains its speed off the court when it lands. It was the shot that Roger Federer, who lost to Nadal 13 times, found most difficult to handle.

Triggered by injury, Rafa lost the ability to flick the wrist at the full extension of his arm in 2015, diminishing his effectiveness to such an extent that it became the only year between 2005 and 2019 that he did not win either a Grand Slam or ATP Masters 1000 title. Months of work back home at Manacor in Mallorca restored the weapon, and by 2017 he was able to win in Paris and New York while reaching the final in Melbourne. On of the all-time greats across all surfaces, Nadal has won a haul of 37 ATP Masters 1000 titles to go along with his 22 majors — all among 92 tour-level crowns.

It is an inbred willingness to work and improve that lies at the core of his success. After losing two finals to Federer, Nadal won Wimbledon in 2008 by upping the speed of his first serve. No Spaniard had managed to adapt to grass at that level since Manuel Santana in 1966.

The fierce on-court expressions melt into happy smiles when one meets Rafa in person. Charming and conscious of his powerful position as a hugely popular sporting icon, Rafa works generously for his foundation, which contributes to feeding the poor in Mallorca. During bad floods, Rafa opened the doors of his luxurious academy in Manacor to offer temporary shelter. In 2019, he married his childhood sweetheart, Maria, and they had a son last November.

Weeks at No. 1: 209 … Consecutive weeks at No. 1: 56 … Year-end No. 1: 5 times

Read Part 2 of the Notable No. 1s series.

View all 28 No. 1s in the 50-year history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.