The ability to watch world-class tennis in a smaller, more intimate setting is one of the core pillars of tennis on the ATP Challenger Tour. That is, witnessing a player’s journey as he fights to establish a career away from the big cities and the bright lights.

It is precisely what makes the Challenger circuit so special to these communities and regions in all corners of the globe. And when that tournament is the lone professional tennis event in the entire country, it provides an additional unique layer to its charm that is unmatched. This is where the city of Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina, has carved its own identity on the ATP Challenger Tour for the last two decades.

This week, the Srpska Open was honoured for 20 years on the ATP Challenger Tour. Not only is it the longest-running men’s professional tennis tournament in all of Bosnia & Herzegovina, but also the entire Balkan region in southeast Europe. With a population centre of just 138,000, Banja Luka is also one of the smallest cities to host a Challenger tournament for 20 or more years.

It was in 2002 that Milan Radakovic had a vision for the future of tennis in his native Banja Luka. Never before did his city or his country host a tournament of this caliber on the ATP Challenger Tour. But this was Milan’s dream. To bring elite tennis to Bosnia & Herzegovina. Not only did he achieve that very goal, but here we are more than two decades later, and his dream is still being realized.

In 2017, Radakovic passed away at the age of 61, and while he is no longer with us, the light behind his vision burns brighter than ever. He would be proud to witness this moment, as the very tournament he founded celebrates its 20th anniversary on the ATP Challenger Tour. The Srpska Open was honoured on Thursday, with a special ceremony in front of the Bosnian faithful on Center Court at the National Tennis Center.

Radakovic poses with Viktor Troicki and Albert Ramos-Vinolas during the 2014 trophy ceremony.

Situated along the banks of the Vrbas River, with tree-lined fields surrounding the city, Banja Luka is an important cultural and sporting hub in the Balkans. This week, fans have flocked to the National Tennis Center to see local legend Damir Dzumhur sprint into the semi-finals. They blared horns and waved flags in support of Dzumhur, as well as countrymen Mirza Basic and Nerman Fatic. But regardless of where you hail from, Banja Luka feels like home.

“I really enjoyed my time in Banja Luka,” said reigning champion Juan Manuel Cerundolo. “For me, the tournament is very nice, the conditions are similar to Buenos Aires, so I liked it a lot. The people there are also very warm and welcoming and a lot of fans come to watch the tennis. To win there was very significant because it put me very close to the Top 100. But I also feel this tournament gave me the momentum to get to the Top 100 a few weeks later. Congratulations to them for this 20th anniversary.”

Cerundolo celebrates his 2021 Banja Luka title.

Banja Luka has a rich sporting culture, with the Srpska Open comprising its tennis identity. The local government in the Republic of Srpska plays a central role in providing funding for the tournament, recognizing its great impact on the sporting landscape in the region. In 2017, the city was awarded the title of European City of Sport, as one of just 23 European cities to receive this honour.

Times change and several factors result in the ebb and flow of tournaments’ longevity over the years. To withstand this precise test of time and remain a symbol of durability deserves to be applauded. Currently led by tournament director Drasko Milinovic, along with a dedicated team of full-time club workers and part-time volunteers, the tournament has become a beacon on the Challenger Tour and a summer staple in Bosnia & Herzegovina for these 20 years.

The old Srpska Open site at Tenis Klud Mladost.

In Banja Luka, this moment would not be possible without the hard work and commitment of all the tournament staff, volunteers and sponsors. And the players who have been provided opportunities to take the next step in their careers, acknowledge the tournament’s dedication and commitment to the sport and the Tour.

The ATP Challenger Tour is the springboard to success for the stars of tomorrow and this tournament has been precisely that in the decorated careers of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Schwartzman, Fabio Fognini and Janko Tipsarevic. All competed in Banja Luka, before rising to the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

From the ATP to the Srpska Open, here’s to another 20 years as part of the Challenger family.

Five players — Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud — have an opportunity to finish the US Open as the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

With the release of the draw Thursday, the scenarios have become clearer. There are four situations in which both US Open finalists would be competing for both the season’s final major trophy and World No. 1.

If Nadal plays Medvedev in the championship match or Medvedev, Tsitsipas or Ruud face Alcaraz for the title, the winner will leave New York as World No. 1. Medvedev currently holds top spot, while Nadal is trying to regain it for the first time since February 2020 and Alcaraz is attempting to reach the pinnacle for the first time. With Medvedev defending 2000 points, Nadal will hold a healthy lead over the 26-year-old in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings Monday.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings Points (as of 29 August)

There are also several potential matches that could happen earlier in the tournament that would have major implications on the battle for No. 1.

If Alcaraz eliminates Nadal in the last four, he would give himself a chance to become the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings (since 1973) by winning the title. If Medvedev, Tsitsipas or Ruud are still in the draw, an Alcaraz win against Nadal would guarantee that the 22-time major winner would not leave New York as World No. 1.

Depending on other results in the tournament, a Tsitsipas-Ruud quarter-final could be pivotal. Not only would the winner still have a chance to claim World No. 1, but the victor could also potentially become World No. 2 depending on other tournament results. Tsitsipas has climbed as high as World No. 3 and Ruud has ascended as high as World No. 5.

It is key to note that even if Nadal loses in the first round, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Alcaraz or Ruud must advance to at least the final to prevent the 36-year-old from leaving the US Open as World No. 1. The Spaniard will finish the tournament no lower than World No. 3. If Nadal reaches the semi-finals, one of the other four players in contention must win the title to finish on top after the Open.

Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Ruud are all on the top half of the draw, while Nadal and Alcaraz are on the bottom half. View Men’s Singles Draw

The winner of the US Open will receive 2,000 Pepperstone ATP Rankings points, the finalist will leave with 1,200 points and the semi-finalists 720 points.

By the end of the US Open, Medvedev will have held World No. 1 for 16 weeks, 13 of which have come during his current stint.

Adrian Mannarino has done it the hard way this week. After saving four match points in his opening-round victory at the Winston-Salem Open, he has defeated four seeded players to advance to his first tour-level final since 2020.

The 34-year-old Frenchman raced past second seed Botic van de Zandschulp on Friday night, earning a 6-0, 6-4 win in one hour, 15 minutes. With victory in Saturday’s final against Laslo Djere, Mannarino would become the oldest champion in the ATP 250 event’s history.

“I’m old!” he joked in his on-court interview. “My body is not responding as well as when I was 20, but obviously I’m still up and running well.”

Taking full advantage of 29 unforced errors from van de Zandschulp, including four as he broke in the ninth game of set two, Mannarino was in control from the start but had to fight off a strong charge from the Dutchman in set two.

“I think Botic didn’t start the match so well but then in the second set it was really tight,” said Mannarino, who did not face a break point. “He was serving well, putting a lot of pressure and I was able to keep my nerve and serve well in the key moments. I’m really happy with that.”

Now a 10-time singles finalist on the ATP Tour, the Frenchman last competed in a title match in Nur-Sultan nearly two years ago. His lone tour-level singles trophy came in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2019.

Mannarino has moved up 13 places this week to No. 52 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, and would rise to No. 45 with the title.

In the evening’s second semi-final, Djere needed nine match points against Swiss qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler to seal a 7-6(3), 7-6(5) victory. The Croatian lost out on six match points on return in a marathon eight-deuce game at 4-5, then another at 5-6.

When he finally had a chance on his own delivery in the tie-break, he made no mistake as he advanced after two hours, 17 minutes.

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Djere, who saved two match points to edge Richard Gasquet in the quarter-finals, is now 5-1 in tie-breaks this week. His victory against Huesler was the first of his five Winston-Salem matches to be decided in straight sets.

The 27-year-old will seek his third tour-level title in his first final of 2022. Saturday’s match will also be his first career hard-court final on the ATP Tour.

Entering this US Open, no Chinese man had competed in the main draw in the Open Era. This year, there will be two.

Wu Yibing and Zhang Zhizhen battled through qualifying, both earning their way into the main draw on Friday with victories on a rainy day at Flushing Meadows.

Wu, the 2017 US Open boys’ singles champion, was the first to advance when he defeated Frenchman Corentin Moutet 7-6(5), 6-2. This was the 22-year-old’s first attempt to qualify for a major.

“Of course I’m happy. I’m happy to be back here playing here in a major event since 2017, when I won here. It’s pretty special for me, but I’m just trying to play my tennis, show the people or myself that I still can play,” Wu said. “It’s been a tough few years for me. I really suffered from injuries and Covid in China. It seems like I can still play a little bit of tennis.

“I’m happy about what I did here. I love the people here, the crowd. Many Chinese people came to support, I love it.”

Wu would return to the court as a spectator to watch his friend, Zhang, oust Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-4.

“For him it’s easy because he won the juniors here. Five years he didn’t lose a match at the US Open!” Zhang said, cracking a laugh. “For me, I was surprised I passed the qualies because it’s my first time here of course. I was playing quite good on clay courts after grass. I didn’t expect that I can pass here.”

Before the Open Era, the only Chinese men who competed in the US Open main draw were Kong Paul in 1924, Cheng Guy in 1935 and Choy Wai-Chuen in 1940 and 1941. This is the first time two Chinese men will compete in the tournament’s main draw in the same year.

German Maximilian Marterer extended his US Open qualifying winning streak to nine earlier in the day when he needed just 68 minutes to take down Italian Riccardo Bonadio 6-4, 6-3 and earn a spot in the main draw. Marterer, 27, also qualified for the year’s final major in 2017 and 2021. Now, he sets his sights on getting past the first round at Flushing Meadows for the first time. The lefty also advanced through qualifying to reach the Australian Open and Wimbledon main draws this season. 

Norbert Gombos had to wait patiently for his chance to reach the main draw after rain halted his attempt to serve out his final qualifying round match with Frenchman Hugo Grenier at 5-3 in the final set. When play resumed the Slovakian, who had failed in four previous attempts to win through qualifying in New York, held his nerve to qualify for his third major of the season, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Gombos was a direct entrant in the main draw in 2017, 2020 and 2021. 

Home favourite Christopher Eubanks qualified for the second consecutive year after rallying from a set down to beat Italian Raul Brancaccio 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The former Georgia Tech standout advances to his first Grand Slam main draw of 2022 (sixth overall).

Another American, Brandon Holt, defeated Dimitar Kuzmanov 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to qualify for his first major main draw. Holt, the son of WTA legend Tracy Austin, let slip three match points before the second rain delay of his match, but returned to Court 11 to finish the job on his fifth match point.

Former World No. 33 Argentine Federico Delbonis needed three sets in back-to-back days to reach the main draw, including a third-round victory Friday over Dutchman Jesper De Jong 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4.

Daniil Medvedev has had a love-hate relationship with the US Open crowds — but not in that order. The World No. 1 drew the ire of the New York fans at the start of his 2019 title run, but won them over with his tennis and his wit by the time he pushed Rafael Nadal to five sets in an epic final.

As he returns to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as the defending champion, Medvedev was asked to describe what endears him to fans. The honesty of his reply provided an answer in itself.

“It’s going to be a little bit harsh on myself, but I’m going to say [it],” he began, speaking at Friday’s US Open Media Day. “I do think if you look at Daniil Medvedev only on the tennis court, only as a tennis player, maybe it’s not that easy to like him or me as much because, I mean, my technique is a little bit odd.

“My game style is probably not the most flashiest, but that’s because I want to win. When I was young, when I was 18, I was hitting the ball as hard as I can. Maybe people would love it more, but I probably would not win a Grand Slam.”

Instead, Medvedev feels his popularity stems more from his off-court personality.

“But I do feel like when I interact with my fans, if they know a little bit more of who I am in real life, they start to like me more,” he continued. “I would think my personality together with what I am on the tennis court, what I am straight afterwards in interviews or my personal life, is what makes some people a fan of Daniil Medvedev.”

After his breakthrough during the 2019 North American hard-court swing finished with a runner-up trophy in New York, Medvedev reached the 2020 US Open semi-finals before winning his maiden Grand Slam title with a straight-sets win over Novak Djokovic in last year’s final. Across those three years, he’s posted a 18-2 record.

“I love being back here,” he said. “I always loved the tournament itself, loved being here, loved the energy. Then for sure starting with 2019, I started also playing good here, which is important. I love coming back here. I feel straightaway at home in a way. I’m looking forward to playing next week. Really happy to be here.”

Despite debuting as World No. 1 in February, Medvedev has won just one title this season, earlier this month in Los Cabos. In order to hold onto the top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, he may need to defend his US Open title, depending on other results.

Medvedev has the honour of playing the opening match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, when he will take on American Stefan Kozlov. While he’s facing a home favourite, he’s sure to have plenty of support from the fans thanks to the rapport he’s built.

“I feel like in New York I have a special relationship with the crowd,” he said. “I have no idea how it’s going to go this year, but I’m happy to be here and happy to experience whatever’s going to happen.”

Mackenzie McDonald is not afraid of taking big decisions. On or off the court.

The 27-year-old American has established himself as a consistent performer on the ATP Tour since turning pro in 2016. A skilful and resourceful all-around talent, the World No. 77 has become adept at countering physically bigger, more powerful opponents with his adaptable counter-punching game.

Now a TopCourt ambassador, McDonald takes tennis fans back to where it all began, honing his rock-solid net game with his first coach, and explains how hard work on the practice court helped breed confidence in his ability when moving forward. The 2016 NCAA singles and doubles champion also reveals how his difficult decision to delay going pro and instead play college tennis at UCLA ultimately paid off, giving him perfect preparation for the rigours of life on the ATP Tour.

Technique: McDonald’s aggressive forehand is particularly effective at capitalising on attacking positions during a rally. The American demonstrates how he adapts his regular forehand technique for this unique shot, which is the perfect weapon to punish short balls from opponents and seal points from dominant situations.

Drills: Shot selection is a key skill for players of all levels, and McDonald’s “Full Court Movement” drill focusses on how to recognise your opponent’s ball as early as possible. A top-class mover around the court himself, McDonald then showcases how to move efficiently towards the ball once you have identified the most appropriate shot to play.

Follow McDonald’s Tutorials at TopCourt.com.

So much has changed for Carlos Alcaraz since he arrived at the US Open last year. Then outside the Top 50, he is now the No. 4 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings with two ATP Masters 1000 titles to his name.

The Spaniard does not see himself any differently as he enters the season’s final major, though.

“I [do not] feel at all the difference between last year, for example, and now,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just trying to be the same kid as always.”

Last year, the teen was chasing his dreams and still relatively unknown to casual fans. Now, Alcaraz is one of the most beloved tennis players in the world. But his attitude towards the spotlight has remained the same.

“It’s difficult, but that’s how I am. The same kid as always,” Alcaraz said. “[It is important] to be humble, and I always will be the same.”

Another difference for Alcaraz is that he is considered one of the favourites to lift the trophy at Flushing Meadows. The Spaniard is the only singles player who has won multiple Masters 1000 titles this season (Miami, Madrid) and he is seeded third in New York.

Alcaraz admitted in Montreal, where he lost his opening match against Tommy Paul, that he did start to feel the weight of expectations.

“I think in Montreal I felt the pressure and I tried to [not] think about that, just to enjoy. My pressure here is to enjoy every match, show my best game,” Alcaraz said. “Obviously, I want to do a good result here. It’s a really important tournament for me. But I know that if I don’t feel that pressure as a bad part, I will go forward.

“Obviously, my goal here is to enjoy. I think if I do that, I will do a good result.”

When the draw was released Thursday, it was revealed that Alcaraz could play Rafael Nadal in a blockbuster semi-final. Nadal leads their ATP Head2Head series 2-1, with all three of their clashes coming in the past 16 months at Masters 1000 events.

“Of course, it would be amazing for me to play a semi-final here against Rafa, but there are great matches ahead. There are a lot of days before going to a semi-final,” Alcaraz said. “Of course, Rafa has to win his matches, as well. So it’s a long process.”

Most importantly, Alcaraz knows he can succeed in New York. The teen showed no fear of the big stage last year, when he upset Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the quarter-finals.

“I feel stronger and more prepared than last year,” Alcaraz said. “I did quarter-finals in Roland Garros, as well. I have played long matches, of course, tough matches this year against the top players. I think I’m more ready in this tournament than the last year.”

Did You Know?
If Alcaraz wins the US Open, he will become the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings (since 1973).