Tennis News

Tien, Fearnley continue red-hot form with Challenger titles

American teen Learner Tien and Briton Jacob Fearnley are two of the most dominant players on the ATP Challenger Tour right now.

The #NextGenATP Tien added his name to elite company in American tennis history Sunday when he won his second Challenger title at the Las Vegas Tennis Open. Fearnley, 23, lifted his third trophy in just his fourth appearance at that level this year.

Tien, seeded third, overcame Tristan Boyer 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 in the Las Vegas Challenger final, during which Tien won 65 per cent of his second-serve return points, compared to Boyer’s 37 per cent.

“I put a lot more importance on return points. I know how much pressure winning a couple points in someone’s service games can make them feel,” Tien told commentator Bryan Fenley.

By triumphing on the Las Vegas hard courts, Tien became the fifth-youngest American to win multiple Challenger titles, only behind Taylor Fritz, Andy Roddick, Frances Tiafoe, and Sam Querrey.

Youngest Americans To Win A Second Challenger Title

“I’m happy I was able to get through this week,” Tien said. “Tougher conditions here with the altitude and wind. Some moments I wasn’t playing as well as I wanted to, but I’m happy I was able to problem solve and make it through the week.”

In May, Tien was No. 432 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but the 18-year-old has since propelled to a career-high No. 151. The teenager claimed his maiden Challenger title in Bloomfield Hills in June amidst his 28-match winning streak — including four ITF World Tennis Tour titles — across all levels.

Tien is seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. He is aiming for his maiden trip to the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which runs from 18-22 December.

The Briton Fearnley beat three of the Top 4 seeds at the Open Blot Rennes, including fourth seed and home favourite Quentin Halys in the final, which Fearnley won 0-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 after saving 12 of the 15 break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Fearnley completed his standout five-year collegiate career at Texas Christian University this year and has since made a rapid rise on the ATP Challenger Tour, boasting an 18-1 season record at that level. Up to a career-high No. 129 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Fearnley won his first major main-draw match at Wimbledon, where he then pushed Novak Djokovic to four sets in the second round.

Trophy time in Rennes 🏆#ATPChallenger | @jakefearnley01 | @OpenBlotRennes pic.twitter.com/27GrrhAYL5

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 15, 2024

In other Challenger action, Vit Kopriva went one step further than last year’s runner-up finish at the Invest In Szczecin Open to claim his fourth title. The Czech avenged last year’s final loss against Federico Coria in dramatic fashion, fending off five match points in the semi-finals to survive the Argentine. Kopriva raced past Andrea Pellegrino 7-5, 6-2 in the final.

“The whole week was very special. Very tough for me coming back after last year’s final,” Kopriva said. “I’m really happy for the whole week. Today’s final was up and down. It was windy. We both struggled a little bit at the beginning, losing service games. The first set was the deciding one and luckily I made it.” 

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/17/17/15/kopriva-szczecinch-2024.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Vit Kopriva wins the Szczecin Challenger.” />
^{Vit Kopriva wins the Challenger 125 event in Szczecin, Poland. Credit: Invest In Szczecin Open}

Guy Den Ouden did not drop a set all week at the IZIDA Cup in Dobrich, Bulgaria, where the 22-year-old beat Jelle Sels 6-2, 6-3 in the final. Following the Dutchman’s maiden Challenger title, Den Ouden is up to a career-high No. 277 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Christopher O’Connell won his sixth Challenger title and first of this season at the Guangzhou Huangpu International Tennis Open. The 30-year-old Australian, who has won a trophy on Asian hard courts each of the past three seasons, downed Sho Shimabukuro 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) in the championship match. O’Connell was competing in his first tournament since reaching the third round of the US Open and falling to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/17/17/00/oconnell-guangzhouch-2024.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Christopher O’Connell in action at the Guangzhou Challenger.” />
^{Christopher O’Connell in action at the Guangzhou Challenger. Credit: Guangzhou Huangpu International Tennis Open}

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Raducanu battles to win over Stearns at Korea Open

Briton’s Emma Raducanu earns a hard-fought win in a “tough” match against Peyton Stearns in the first round of the Korea Open.

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ATP Coach Spotlight: Craig Boynton

Returning to the London apartment he was sharing with coach Craig Boynton after finally closing out his epic 11-hour Wimbledon victory over Nicolas Mahut in 2010, John Isner was feeling good about life.

“I actually felt okay physically, not knowing I was going to feel awful the next day,” Isner recounted to ATPTour.com this week. “So I told CB, ‘I feel like a million dollars’.”

“Yeah, in quarters,” Boynton quipped back, knowing full well that the 70-68 fifth-set victory would take a toll.

“And he was right. I did feel like a million dollars in quarters the next day, just awful,” Isner laughed. “He is so witty; he is one of the wittiest guys I know. He always has a quick quip to come back at you with. Ask anyone, the guy is hilarious.”

Boynton, one of the most respected voices in the game who is also known for his Santa Claus beard and congenial personality, is the subject of ATPTour.com’s ATP Coach Spotlight this month.

Boynton’s life has been intertwined with tennis since his collegiate days at Clemson University. After a brief professional playing career, Boynton found his true
calling in coaching — a path he’s been on for more than 30 years —  while working with some of the biggest names in the sport.

Boynton has built a decorated career, mentoring players such as Jim Courier, Mardy Fish, and Isner.

Most recently, the American coach spent five-and-a-half years working with Hubert Hurkacz before the two amicably parted ways a few weeks ago.

“It’s been a labour of love — if that, not even a labour. It’s just been a lot of joy, getting to know these great people and helping these great players,” Boynton reflected of his coaching journey.

Boynton’s first real coaching break came in 1993, when he started working with Courier.

“With Jim, I was the traveling coach, and he brought a whole different level to the Tour,” Boynton said of working with the former World No. 1.

Boynton was particularly impressed by the American’s fitness and drive.

“I can remember Jim saying at the time: ‘Anybody can win a five-set match,’” Boynton said. “I’m the only one that can win the same five-set match tomorrow. I was able to see that firsthand, and he was an amazing competitor, an amazing worker.”

After a few years coaching Courier, Boynton moved to Tampa Bay, Florida, in 2007 to head the tennis programme at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy.

At Saddlebrook, Boynton crossed paths with Isner, a 22-year-old American just beginning to make a name for himself. By March 2009, Isner sought out help from Boynton, who eagerly accepted.

“I had the luxury of knowing John for about two years before we started working together,” Boynton said. “I was able to watch him, see his game develop. I knew him, and we got along well. It was really fun watching him impose his presence and come into his own in 2009 and 2010.”

Isner was well outside the Top 100 when the two began.

By the end of the year, he had surged more than 100 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings and made his first Round of 16 appearance at the US Open.

“He can adapt with the player for sure,” Isner said of Boynton’s coaching. “He was so instrumental in my success, getting me from outside the Top 100 to the Top 20, where I never left for a long time. I started working with CB and made my jump to the top tier of the game.”

Boynton’s jovial attitude and holistic coaching approach, which balances who the player is both on and off the court, was beneficial for Isner.

“For me in particular, he would know when to push me and when to scale back,” said Isner, who in his post-career activities co-hosts the Nothing Major podcast with Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey and Jack Sock. “He knew me, he listened to me. His work ethic is incredible, and he loves being on the court and always makes practice fun.”

Under Boynton’s three-year tenure, Isner reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final, made an ATP Masters 1000 final, and cracked the Top 10 for the first time in his career.

After his time with Isner, Boynton took on a role as a USTA Player Development coach, working with players like Donald Young and Sock.

Then, in 2019, Boynton began coaching Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

When the two began working together, Hurkacz was just inside the Top 100. Under Boynton’s guidance, he reached his first Grand Slam semi-final, won two ATP Masters 1000 titles, and in August of this year, hit a career-high World No. 6.

“Hubi and I had five and a half great years. It was a wonderful ride,” Boynton said. “I understand these professional relationships will come to an end, but I’m proud of how close I still am with the players I’ve coached.

“I think one thing I’ll take away from my time with Hubi is how meaningful it was to work with a European player for five and a half years as an American coach. That doesn’t happen often, and I’m proud of both the relationship we built and the success we had together.”

Hurkacz shared the same sentiment as his former coach.

“One-of-a-kind ride! Grateful for all we have achieved as a team! Thank you, CB,” Hurkacz wrote on his Instagram story with a candid photo of the two sharing smiles on the court.

Boynton continues to love coaching and takes pride in knowing he’s making a positive impact on his players both on and off the court.

While he doesn’t envision himself stepping away from coaching, he’s looking forward to spending more time with family and travelling to the places he hasn’t already covered as part of his coaching journey.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Lehecka splits with Berdych

Jiri Lehecka has parted with coach Tomas Berdych after 18 months. The 22-year-old Czech announced the news on social media on Monday.

Lehecka started with countryman Berdych at Monte-Carlo last year, with the former No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings helping guide Lehecka to his maiden tour-level title in Adelaide in January.

As of today, by mutual agreement, I have ended my cooperation with Tomas Berdych, with whom I have been working since the Monte-Carlo 2023 tournament. Our paths are not diverging, though. We will continue to work with Tomáš within the Davis Cup team.

— Jiří Lehečka (@jirilehecka) September 16, 2024

“As of today, by mutual agreement, I have ended my cooperation with Tomas Berdych, with whom I have been working since the Monte-Carlo 2023 tournament,” Lehecka wrote in Czech on social media. “Our paths are not diverging, though. We will continue to work with Tomas within the Davis Cup team. I wish him much success and many victories in his new role as the Davis Cup team captain.

“My team otherwise remains the same, with coach Michal Navratil, fitness coach Radek Stepanek, and physiotherapist Carlos Manuel Baptista Carvalho. The general manager of the team is Roman Vik and the agent is Pierre Christen.”

Berdych was announced on Sunday as the new Davis Cup captain for Czechia.

Lehecka was sidelined from April until August this year due to a stress fracture in his vertebra but returned to reach the third round in Cincinnati and at the US Open.

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Scouting Report: Musetti, Rune compete in Chengdu, Hangzhou; Top 10 stars at Laver Cup

The Asian swing commences on the ATP Tour from Wednesday, with 250 hard-court events at the Chengdu Open and the Hangzhou Open. In Berlin, the seventh edition of the Laver Cup will take place from 20-22 September in Germany.

Italian Lorenzo Musetti is the top seed in Chengdu, where Nicolas Jarry and Alexander Bublik compete, while Holger Rune leads the field in Hangzhou. Chinese stars Zhizhen Zhang, Shang Juncheng, Wu Yibing and Bu Yunchaokete lead home hopes across the two events.

Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev will lead Team Europe’s quest for glory at the Laver Cup against Team World.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at all three events.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN CHENGDU
Can Musetti boost slim Turin hopes? Lorenzo Musetti arrives at the hard-court event in Chengdu with an outside chance of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. The Italian is 15th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, the highest-ranked player in action this week, but is 1080 points behind eighth-placed Alex de Minaur, who occupies the final qualification spot. If Musetti is to make his move, he will need to start with a deep run in Chengdu, where he reached the semi-finals last year.

Home hope Shang & wild card Nishikori: #NextGenATP Chinese lefty Shang Juncheng has enjoyed a standout season, highlighted by semi-finals in Hong Kong and Atlanta. The 19-year-old hopes to perform well in front of his home fans and consolidate his third-place position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. Shang, who is currently one spot off his career-high at No. 67, is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December.

Japanese star Kei Nishikori will also take to court in Chengdu after receiving a wild card. The 34-year-old enjoyed his best result of the season last month in Montreal, where he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final since 2019. Nishikori will face Shang in a popcorn first-round clash.

Bublik aims to add to titles: Second seed Alexander Bublik returns to Chengdu for the third time, having reached the final on debut in 2019. The 27-year-old has captured three of his four titles on hard courts, including earlier this year in Montpellier.

Can Jarry snap losing run? Nicolas Jarry has endured a tough time in recent months, losing his past seven matches. Chasing his first win since advancing to the final in Rome in May, the Chilean will play Australian Adam Walton or Slovakian Lukas Klein in his first match.

Doumbia/Reboul lead doubles draw: Defending champions Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul return to Chengdu as the top seeds and are chasing their third title of the season together. Ivan Dodig and Rafael Matos team as the second seeds.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN HANGZHOU
1) Rune top seed: Holger Rune returns to action for the first time since his disappointing first-round exit at the US Open, aiming to rediscover his best form to keep alive his slim hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. The Dane, currently 16th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, is 15-8 on hard courts this year, highlighted by his semi-final showing in Cincinnati and final run in Brisbane.

2) Seeded threats Khachanov & Etcheverry: Second seed Karen Khachanov lifted the trophy at the ATP 250 event in Zhuhai, where the tournament was held last year before relocating to Hangzhou for 2024. The 28-year-old is seeking his second title of the season, having triumphed on hard courts in Doha. Third seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry arrives having helped Argentina advance to the Davis Cup Final 8. The 25-year-old is in the same half of the draw as Khachanov.

3) Can Nakashima maintain form? Former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Brandon Nakashima impressed during the North American hard-court swing, earning victories against Top 20 stars Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti across three events. The American, who advanced to the fourth round at the US Open, also won all three of his Davis Cup Group stage matches last week and will be eager to add to his one tour-level crown (San Diego 2022). He is at a career-high No. 39 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

4) Chinese hopes: Sixth seed Zhizhen Zhang and wild cards Wu Yibing and Bu Yunchaokete will all aim for deep runs to delight home support. Zhang, who starts against a qualifier, was forced to retire during his first-round loss to Jack Draper at the US Open but is fit and firing again. His best result this year on hard courts came in Marseille, where he advanced to the quarters.

Wu became China’s first ATP Tour titlist when he won the Dallas Open in 2023 but has struggled with injuries since. The Hangzhou native returned from injury last month in China, where he won an ATP Challenger Tour event. Bu, 22, has won two Challenger Tour titles in 2024 and qualified for the US Open last month (l. to Casper Ruud).

5) Cilic returns: Marin Cilic is set to play his first tour-level event since Buenos Aires in February. The 35-year-old Croatian, who has won 15 of his 20 tour-level crowns on hard, faces American Zachary Svajda in the first round.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH AT LAVER CUP
1) Top 10 talent: Team Europe will be spearheaded by Top 10 stars Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov, while World No. 7 Taylor Fritz is the lone Top 10 representative in Team World.

2) Two-time defending champion Team World: Team World lifted the trophy for the second consecutive year in 2023 after winning for the first time in 2022. The two-time defending champ will aim to add to its haul in Berlin.

3) Laver Cup debutants: Alcaraz, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alejandro Tabilo are the three men set to make their debuts at the event in Berlin. Kokkinakis was in the Team World squad in 2017 but did not play.

4) Borg & McEnroe lead teams for final time: Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe will lead the teams for the seventh and final time. Team Europe captain Borg has overseen four victories in the past, while McEnroe was at the helm for Team World in 2022 and 2023. It was announced in May this year that Yannick Noah would lead Team Europe and Andre Agassi Team World from 2025.

5) Unique Format: The Laver Cup will be played over three days, from 20-22 September, across five sessions. Each match win is worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on a high-stakes Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points (out of a possible 24) wins the Laver Cup.

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Boulter & Raducanu in GB team for Billie Jean King Cup

Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu are named in the British team for November’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

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Sinner adds Panichi & Badio to team

Jannik Sinner has added fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio to his team ahead of the Asian swing. The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who won his second major title at the US Open earlier this month, broke the news on social media on Monday.

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A post shared by Jannik Sinner (@janniksin)

Panichi and Badio had their first session with Sinner on Monday in Monte-Carlo, where the Italian is practising. They will then travel with Sinner to the ATP 500 event in Beijing (which begins 26 September) and the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai next month. The 23-year-old will continue to work with osteopath Andrea Cipolla during the upcoming Asian swing.

Sinner holds a 55-5 record on the year according to Infosys Win/Loss Index, having won a Tour-leading six titles. The 23-year-old Italian, who climbed to World No. 1 in June, became the first player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals earlier this year.

Panichi and Badio both join the Sinner camp having worked with 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the past.

Panichi worked with Djokovic from 2017 until May this year, when the Serbian ended his partnership with the Italian. Badio left the Djokovic camp at the end of 2022 after more than five years together.

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Britain 'looking to bright future' in post-Murray era

With British tennis now in the post-Andy Murray era, BBC Sport analyses the mood as the next generation look to take over.

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Who will make their move in Asia, where the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin heats up?

With less than two months to go until the Nitto ATP Finals, all eyes will be on Asia during the next four weeks when the battle for Turin qualification will take further shape.

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have already booked their spots at the prestigious year-end event, to be played from 10-17 November, while Carlos Alcaraz (6,010 points) is close to joining them.

Behind that trio, five spaces are left to be filled, with many stars aiming to gain points in Asia to boost their hopes. Taylor Fritz (3,890) is fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after he reached his maiden major final at the US Open and is now in strong contention to qualify for the second time after reaching the semi-finals in 2022.

Fourth-placed Medvedev (4,420), sixth-placed Casper Ruud (3,795) and seventh-placed Andrey Rublev (3,480) have all competed in Turin on more than one occasion, with Medvedev lifting the trophy in 2020. Medvedev and Rublev will take to court at the ATP 500 in Beijing, starting in nine days time, with none of the Top 14 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin in action this week at ATP 250 events in Chengdu and Hangzhou.

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Alex de Minaur (3,305) reached major quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open in recent months but struggled with injuries during the latter stages of both Slams. The Australian occupies the final qualification spot in eighth and is the only player in the Top 10 in the Live Race To Turin who has not competed at the Nitto ATP Finals before.

De Minaur plays at the ATP 500 in Tokyo next week alongside Ruud and Fritz. Novak Djokovic (3,260) is just 45 points behind De Minaur in ninth place but is not returning to action until October, when he will aim to win his 100th tour-level title at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai.

Former champion Grigor Dimitrov (2,835), Tommy Paul (2,735), 2019 winner Stefanos Tsitsipas (2,735), Hubert Hurkacz (2,590) and Frances Tiafoe (2,460) all remain within sight of De Minaur but will need deep runs at several events during the Asian swing to put themselves in the driving seat when the Tour returns to Europe in mid-October.

Behind them, Lorenzo Musetti (2,225) and Holger Rune (2,185) are the only two players in the Top 16 in the Live Race To Turin to play this week and both will seek to clinch titles at ATP 250s in Chengdu and Hangzhou, respectively.

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place from 10-17 November.

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Watson makes winning start at Korea Open

Former British number one Heather Watson beats Jia-Jing Lu in the opening round of the Korea Open.

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