Rafael Nadal welcomed a new addition to his Mallorca academy this week. After his peers selected him for the 2021 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in December, the newly crowned Australian Open champion has now received the hardware in Spain.

The 2021 trophy has been given pride of place in the academy’s Rafa Nadal Museum, alongside his four previous sportsmanship awards. First receiving the accolade in 2010, the 21-time Grand Slam champion has now been selected for the honour in four consecutive years.

“I can’t be happier to receive one more time the Sportsmanship Award from my colleagues on the Tour,” Nadal said when the 2021 ATP Awards were announced. “It means a lot to me, so thanks a lot to every player that thinks that I am the right one to receive this award.”

The Melbourne ATP 250 title Nadal won in January has also gone on display in the museum.

Traditionally one of the most hectic months on the ATP Tour, there has never been a shortage of hot shots in February to delight fans. Join us as we look back on 10 of the very best February hot shots from the past five years.

Among the highlights are a lasered forehand pass from Rafael Nadal on the run in Acapulco (2017), a sumptuous Roger Federer pass on the half-volley in Rotterdam (2018) and a magnificent display of court coverage as Novak Djokovic turns defense to offense in Doha (2019).

The full list of players making the cut includes (in order of appearance): Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti, Jannik Sinner, Diego Schwartzman, Djokovic, Radu Albot, Borna Coric, Fabio Fognini, Federer and Nadal.

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The common perception is that Rafael Nadal engages in significantly longer points in his matches than the rest of the Tour.

Not so Down Under.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of rally length from the 2022 Australian Open uncovered that Nadal – who won the tournament – averaged a rally length of 4.4 shots through seven matches. The tournament average was 4.2 shots per rally.

Imperceptible.

Nadal averaged right at 4.2 shots per rally to the final, but a bruising five-set epic against Daniil Medvedev yielded an average rally length of 5.6 shots in the final. Nadal’s match with the shortest average rally length was 3.1 shots per point against Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals. Average rally length data is only collected on the main show courts at the Australian Open, with 78 men’s matches and 84 women’s matches included in the data set.

Nadal has consistently averaged 4.4 shots per rally in Melbourne for the last three seasons and was below that at 3.9 shots in 2018 and 2019.

Australian Open – Average Rally Length
• 2022 = 4.4 shots
• 2021 = 4.4 shots
• 2020 = 4.4 shots
• 2019 = 3.9 shots
• 2018 = 3.9 shots

Nadal played two matches at the 2022 Australian Open in the three-shot rally range, four in the four-shot range, and just one averaging five shots or longer.

2022 Australian Open: Rafael Nadal Average Rally Length

• Rd 1 vs. M. Giron = 4.75 shots
• Rd 2 vs. Y. Hanfmann = 4.87 shots
• Rd 3 vs. K. Khachanov = 4.16 shots
• Rd 4 vs. A. Mannarino = 3.53 shots
• Q vs. D. Shapovalov = 3.11 shots
• S vs. M. Berrettini = 4.51 shots
• F vs. D. Medvedev = 5.56 shots
• Average = 4.36 shots

Nadal’s forehand was the prime-mover from the back of the court in Melbourne this year, producing more winners, and also more errors than his backhand wing. When you factor in winners minus errors, the forehand side shined the brightest.

• Nadal Forehands: 127 winners / 225 errors = -98
• Nadal Backhands: 50 winners / 173 errors = -123

What’s fascinating is that the women’s average rally length at the 2022 Australian Open was slightly shorter than the men this year.

• Women’s Average Rally Length = 4.09 shots
• Men’s Average Rally Length = 4.12 shots

Ash Barty won her first home Slam title, averaging a brisk 3.44 shots through her seven matches.

2022 Australian Open: Ash Barty Average Rally Length
• Rd 1 vs. L. Tsurenko = 4.40 shots
• Rd 2 vs. L. Bronzetti = 4.08 shots
• Rd 3 vs. C. Giorgi = 2.78 shots
• Rd 4 vs. A. Anisimova = 3.07 shots
• Qtr’s vs. J. Pegula = 4.17 shots
• Semi’s vs. M. Keys = 3.41 shots
• Final vs. D. Collins = 3.44 shots
• Average = 3.62 shots

There is no “ideal” average rally length for players on tour, as we see victory and defeat existing at both ends of the rally length spectrum. Variables such as temperature, weather conditions, court speed, type of ball, and even day versus evening matches are all factors to consider to develop the right game style and average rally length.

But this specific metric does serve as a solid guide to pinpoint if players are being patient or aggressive or employing the right strategy against an opponent who you already know thrives at a specific rally length.

Felix Auger-Aliassime extended his winning streak to six matches on Thursday at the Open 13 Provence, moving past French wild card Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(2), 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals in Marseille.

The Canadian captured his maiden tour-level title in Rotterdam last week and backed up that impressive run with a solid display against the former World No. 5. Auger-Aliassime fired seven aces and won 83 per cent (33/40) of his first-serve points to triumph after one hour and 45 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“I had three days to rest and recover and is a situation we are used to,” Auger-Aliassime said in his on-court interview. “I am confident, so I can not complain. It is better to play more matches than less but it was definitely [important] to refocus and I try and get this first win today.”

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The third seed, currently at a career-high No. 9 in the ATP Rankings, is now 13-3 on the season, after also advancing to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January. The 21-year-old helped guide Canada to the ATP Cup title and has earned Top 10 wins against Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2022.

Auger-Aliassime reached the final in Marseille in 2020 (l. to Tsitsipas) and will next face World No. 49 Ilya Ivashka.

In other action, Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who clinched six ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2021, advanced to the last eight at a tour-level event for the first time. The 25-year-old downed Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-3 in 87 minutes. Fourth seed Aslan Karatsev awaits next.

Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin also booked his spot in the quarter-finals, clawing past Czech qualifier Tomas Machac 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(4) after two hours and 45 minutes. Safiullin clinched ATP Cup victories over Arthur Rinderknech and James Duckworth at the start of the season.

One month after a lopsided defeat to Sebastian Korda at the Australian Open, Cameron Norrie gets his chance for revenge in Delray.

After Korda opened the Wednesday evening session with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi, Norrie closed out the night with a 6-3, 7-5 decision over Oscar Otte to set up a Friday quarter-final showdown. 

The top seed at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, Norrie is 0-2 against the Florida native in their ATP Head2Head history. He’s won just 15 games in their five sets, including a loss in Delray one year ago.

“Hopefully I can get some revenge, but he’s a great up-and-coming player, hits the ball clean off both sides,” the Briton said in an on-court interview. “I’m looking forward to playing. That’s the beauty of this sport, I get another crack at him so early.”

On another windy night in Delray, Norrie better managed the conditions as he went ahead by a set and a break against Otte. The German levelled the second frame at 4-4 on his fourth break point of the set, but the World No. 13 created an opening in each of his next two return games. Norrie seized back control with a break for 6-5, then served out the match to love.

“It was messy tennis and I had to dig out a few tough balls,” he said of the windy conditions. “Not easy at all.”

Korda saved eight of 10 break points in his win over Seppi, including all seven he faced in the second set. He was twice down a break in the opening set, including when the Italian served for it at 5-4, but managed an immediate reply both times.

Despite facing a break point in four straight service games, Korda never trailed in set two after opening up a 3-0 lead. He clinched victory on his fourth match point after saving one last break point in a four-deuce game.

Korda was one of three Americans to advance to the Delray quarter-finals on Wednesday. Fourth seed Tommy Paul was a 6-2, 6-0 winner over Denis Istomin, while Stefan Kozlov defeated compatriot Steve Johnson, 6-3, 6-1.

Paul and Kozlov will meet Friday in their first ATP Tour meeting.

‘Tis the season for Fabio Fognini. The Italian called the South American clay-court swing his “favourite place to be” after extending his stay in Rio de Janeiro with a battling three-hour victory over fourth seed Pablo Carreno Busta.

Wednesday’s 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 result improves Fognini’s record to 13-6 at the Rio Open presented by Claro, including final (2015) and semi-final (2018) appearances.

“For sure I’m happy because of the feeling that I worked,” the World No. 38 said post-match. “I’m really happy of course about my victory and my performance, especially because I was fighting until the end.

“In Rio I have really good memories. This South American swing has always been my favourite place to be, so I’m really happy to be back in the quarter-finals here in Rio.”

Fognini won the first seven points of the match as he took an early 2-0 lead and cut a relaxed figure as he pushed it to 5-3 with free hitting off both baseline wings. But things got tense as he failed to serve out the set at 5-4, squandering two set points on a pair of forehand miscues.

In a six-deuce 12th game, Carreno Busta broke to finish a 63-minute set.

The Spaniard looked on course for victory as he created three break points across two games midway through the second, but Fognini hung in and eventually made his own breakthrough on his fourth break point of the set.

The decider opened with a trade of breaks, and after Carreno Busta edged in front at 3-2, the Italian raised his level to win the last four games and advance. Fognini will face unseeded Argentine Federico Coria in Friday’s quarter-finals.

Coria backed up his dominant dismissal of fifth seed Cristian Garin with his own hard-fought victory over Fernando Verdasco, 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4

There were a total of 30 break points in the three-hour match, with each man converting on four. Coria secured an early break in each set, but Verdasco instantly broke back on all three occasions. When the Argentine broke again in the ninth game of the deciding set, he was able to buck the trend — but only just. 

From 0/40 down, he won five straight points to serve out the match.

Pablo Andujar also went the distance for a Wednesday win, taking out eighth seed and recent Cordoba champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. 

He awaits the winner of third seed Diego Schwartzman’s evening matchup against Spain’s Pedro Martinez. The Argentine is looking to get back to winning ways after a run to the Buenos Aires final last week.

Longtime doubles partners Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov reached their second ATP Tour semi-final in the past five months with a victory at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Wednesday.

Frequent partners since 2019, the unseeded duo also reached the semi-finals in St. Petersburg in October. In Doha, they got back to that stage with an efficient 7-6(7), 6-4 win over Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen. Finalists in Stuttgart in 2019, the Indian/Canadian duo is seeking a first tour-level title.

Bopanna/Shapovalov converted their only two break points of the match — one in each set — and recovered after failing to serve out the opening stanza. They took a tight tie-break on their third set point, then saw home an early advantage in the second.

Across the net in the semi-finals will be Mackenzie McDonald and Botic van de Zandschulp, who took out top seeds (and the Top 2 doubles players in the world) Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7.

Fourth seeds Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof are the only seeded pair in the semis; they advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nikoloz Basilashvili and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Their semi-final opponents will be Andrey Golubev and Fabrice Martin, 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 winners over Alexander Bublik and Marton Fucsovics.

Gaston/Rune upset Herbert/Mahut in Marseille
There will be no home trophy for the top-seeded pair at the Open 13 Provence, after France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut were turned back in the opening round by Hugo Gaston and Holger Rune, 6-4, 6-4. The 2021 Nitto ATP Finals doubles champions recovered an early break in the second set, but were immediately broken back as their French/Danish opponents advanced to the quarter-finals.

The other two seeded teams in Wednesday’s Marseille action did advance. Second seeds Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan got their week off to a strong start, as did third seeds Matwe Middelkoop and Andreas Mies, who went the distance in a win over 6-1, 6-7(1), 10-8 win over Hunter Reese and Sem Verbeek.

Top seeds Arevalo/Rojer start strong in Delray

Fresh off their Dallas Open title, Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer kept rolling at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com. The Salvadoran/Dutch duo did not drop a set in four Dallas wins, and they extended the streak to 10 straight sets won with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela and Max Schnur in their Delray opener.

The Delray second seeds also advanced in straights, as Austin Krajicek and Hugo Nys beat Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara, 7-6(11), 7-5. After saving five set points in the marathon tie-break, the American/Monegasque duo won it on their fourth set point, including one on the return at 5-6.