Tennis News

Alcaraz sends Spain to Davis Cup Final 8

Shaking off the disappointment of his modest U.S. hard court season, Carlos Alcaraz has led Spain to the 2024 Davis Cup Final 8 with a 6-3, 6-3 win Friday against France’s Ugo Humbert in Valencia.

“The level that I played from the beginning to the last ball, I was really focused, really intense. It was probably one of the best matches I have played this year and after my last month I need these kind of matches,” said the World No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Earlier in the day, Roberto Bautista Agut rallied to a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Arthur Fils, who served for the match at 5-4 in the second set.

Alcaraz said that the team atmosphere of Davis Cup was just what he needed to spark him out of a mini slump, which saw him lose to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open following an opening-round loss to Gael Monfils in Cincinnati.

“I need this week, being with the team, with all the players, all the staff from the Federation,” Alcaraz said. “Having them cheer me on in every point. Off the court we have a really good relationship. I need this atmosphere and these matches where I feel I am not playing alone. My energy is getting higher.”

Sit back & enjoy some @carlosalcaraz
MAGIC 🪄⚡️@DavisCup
| #DavisCup
pic.twitter.com/MEObspUWV3

—
ATP Tour (@atptour) September
13, 2024

Spain, the six-time Davis Cup champions registered a dominant 3-0 win over Czechia on Wednesday. A win over Australia on Sunday would see them finish at the top of the Group B table.

Australia, poised to make the Final 8 with Spain, also has two victories: a 3-0 win over Czechia and a 2-1 win over France.

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Turin Takeover: Tennis in Piemonte skyscraper shadows kickstarts season-finale lead-up

Less than two months remain until the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals begin in Turin, Italy, where on Friday and Saturday the city is holding its first of eight ‘Tennis in Città’ activities.

In the shadows of the Regione Piemonte skyscraper, fans are invited to play tennis on a mini court and receive instruction from local instructors. Tennis in Città brings the sport to some of the most important areas in Turin in the leadup of the year-end finale, during which the season’s best eight players — and as many doubles teams — aim to become the champion of champions. The Nitto ATP Finals runs 10-17 November at the Inalpi Arena.

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have secured their place among the eight. Sinner, first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, will aim to go one step further than last year’s runner-up finish to triumph on home soil. Zverev’s 56 match wins leads the ATP Tour this season. The German is a two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion (2018, 2021).

Two doubles teams have qualified: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic and Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Other Tennis in Città activities will take place in Piazza Castello from 20-22 September; 27-29 September in Piazza San Carlo; 4-6 October at Ruffini Park; 11-13 October at Peccei Park; 14-25 October at the Lingotto shopping centre; 18-20 October in Piazza Arbarello; 25-27 October at Parco Dora.

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Van Assche using platform to inspire the 'Next Gen'

Amid all the demands of professional tennis, Luca Van Assche still finds time to immerse himself in his mathematics studies at Paris Dauphine University. Upon returning to France from US Open qualifying, the 20-year-old was greeted not by rest, but by an awaiting exam. This balance of tennis and studying is highly important for Van Assche, whose mother is an Italian teacher.

“My mom always told me, ‘If you go to school, have good grades and finish well. Then you can go and play tennis, two hours, four hours, whatever you want. But first you have to finish your homework and everything,'” Van Assche told ATP Tour.com.

“When you are doing tennis the whole day, sometimes it’s good that your brain is working on something else. Of course I would like to have an incredible career and win a lot of matches. But after my tennis career, I also want to explore something different.”

The three-time ATP Challenger Tour champion is using his platform to speak with youth on his experience of being a professional athlete, yet continuing to study at the same time.

Fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, Van Assche is an ambassador for Yannick Noah’s foundation, Association Fête le Mur, which strives for ‘Tennis against exclusion’. The Belgian-born player has been a part of Fête le Mur initiatives at multiple events this year, including at Roland Garros, the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo and two French ATP Challenger Tour tournaments.

More than 100 children have had a chance to meet the #NextGenATP star through Fête le Mur.

“This association is helping young people who are living in an atmosphere that is not very good, so they are helping them a lot,” Van Assche said. “I’ve been working with them since March of last year. It’s something that I like to see, young people who like to do sports and everything. And if I can help them, of course I will do it.”

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/14/16/48/vanassche-montecarlo-2024-kids.jpg?w=100%25&hash=B16B33A38F8403C373A1F33E7F4459F9″ style=”width:100%;” alt=”Luca Van Assche at the 2024 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.” />
^{Luca Van Assche at a Fête le Mur initiative in Monte-Carlo. Credit: Fête le Mur}

Fête le Mur, founded in 1996, was born out of a vision from Noah, former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who was discovered by the late Arthur Ashe at a tennis clinic in Cameroon.

During a violent general strike in France in 1995, protesters were in the streets, discontent with the government’s policies. The 1983 Roland Garros champion began to act at an important time. He partnered Severine Thieffry, events manager at IMG, to reach underprivileged neighbourhoods and offer them — through the sport of tennis — a path of education, integration and all around civic and sporting values.

Collaborations with professionals such as Van Assche and former WTA No. 12 Tatiana Golovin helps Fête le Mur achieve its goal of leaving a lasting legacy by establishing self esteem within the disadvantaged youth. Van Assche last year appeared at the inauguration of a playground in Roubaix, where he met and interacted with students.

“When I see them, it’s little kids. I speak with them, they ask me some things,” Van Assche said. “Also with my brands, we receive a lot of gifts, so I can give it to them as a present. They are happy.”

Luca Van Assche, nouvel ambassadeur Fête le Mur 🥰
Vainqueur de Roland-Garros junior en 2021 et récemment de son 2ème Challenger à Pau, il rejoint la famille FLM 😁
Il sera notamment le parrain de nos 2 équipes de jeunes compétiteurs : la Team BNP Paribas Kids et la Team Avenir🎾 pic.twitter.com/scJKANbVP5

— Fête le Mur (@FeteleMur) March 15, 2023

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Watch: Cerundolo's 'jaw-dropping' drop shot against Draper

Watch Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo as he hits an “incredible” drop shot against Great Britain’s Jack Draper at the Davis Cup in Manchester.

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Dominant USA books Davis Cup quarter-final spot in Zhuhai

The USA continued to give a reminder of the strength in depth of its talent pool on Friday in Zhuhai, where it defeated Slovakia 3-0 to seal its passage to the 2024 Davis Cup Final 8.

The record-32-time Davis Cup champion headed to China without any of its five players currently in the Top 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings. Yet Brandon Nakashima, Reilly Opelka and Mackenzie McDonald have all notched singles victories this week to ensure a perfect start to their country’s Davis Cup Finals Group Stage campaign.

On Friday, McDonald defeated Lukas Klein 6-4, 6-3 and Nakashima overcame Jozef Kovalik 6-3, 6-3 to confirm the USA’s place in the Final 8. Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram then won 15 of the final 16 points to rally past Norbert Gombos and Klein 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 10-1 in the doubles rubber.

“It means a lot,” said Nakashima, when asked about his country reaching just its second quarter-final since the Davis Cup Finals format was introduced in 2019. “I know last year the guys missed out on that spot just by a little bit. To be able to be in this position right now, to be clinching that spot, it’s very important for us and I’m just proud of all the guys on the team.”

McDonald added: “I’m actually really proud of myself for performing well today and putting the team on the board. It means a lot to me. I love it in China, I feel like the fans treat me so well. I love Chinese food. My grandparents on my mum’s side are actually from this region so yeah… it’s kinda home.”

Friday’s triumph for the USA simultaneously guaranteed Germany its own Final 8 spot. The two teams will face off on Saturday to determine who will win Group C and therefore be seeded at November’s Davis Cup Finals knockout stage, to be held in Malaga from 19-24 November.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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'I've never heard a net booed before' – Fluke winner dashes Evans' hopes

An untimely net-cord winner sets Tomas Martin Etcheverry on his way to victory against Dan Evans in Great Britain’s opening match against Argentina at the Davis Cup in Manchester.

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Evans loses as Britain trail in Davis Cup tie

Great Britain must fight back to reach the Davis Cup last eight at the earliest opportunity after Dan Evans loses the opening match against Argentina.

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Watch: Evans wins 'unbelievable' point in Davis Cup

Great Britain’s Dan Evans wins a “ridiculous” point after an extraordinary rally against Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Davis Cup in Manchester.

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How Alcaraz is 'pushing opponents to the limit'

Carlos Alcaraz produces fearless ballstriking and thrilling shotmaking that makes him one of the most exciting players to watch on the ATP Tour. Still at the youthful age of 21, the Spaniard may dabble in his fair share of high-risk, high-reward plays, but key metrics confirm that Alcaraz’s electrifying groundstrokes are what have anchored his strong 2024 season, which has him on the cusp on qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Alcaraz is second in both forehand (8.62) and backhand shot quality (8.24) this season, according to Tennis Data Innovations, in partnership with TennisViz. Shot Quality is calculated in real-time by analysing each shot’s speed, spin, depth, width, and the impact it has on the opponent.

Shot Quality Update 🚨

The latest top 5⃣ leaderboards below👀

See the thread for serve, return and backhand…

Context: Tour Avg.
Serve 7.9
Return 6.5
Forehand 7.5
Backhand 7.1#TennisInsights | @atptour pic.twitter.com/NrGNOOSyNh

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) September 12, 2024

“I think I’m always pushing my opponents to the limit. I’m trying to be aggressive all the time, just to play different shots,” Alcaraz recently said. “I think that I’m going to say the worst thing for my opponent, they are not going to know what’s going to be next. They have to be aggressive. They have to defend well if they want to be alive in the point.”

The data and on-court results go hand in hand. Alcaraz has won two of the season’s four majors and this year’s ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells. The only player ahead of Alcaraz in forehand and backhand shot quality is rival and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who captured both hard-court Slams this season. [Click here to read our feature on Sinner’s baseline domination in 2024].

Forehand Shot Quality (2024)

Backhand Shot Quality (2024)

Alcaraz’s firepower rarely drops off, no matter which wing or where he is placed in the court. His topspin forehand speed of 78 mph is 3 mph above the Tour average and his forehand rpms of 3208 vs. the Tour average of 2708 rpms reflects his weight of shot. His topspin backhand speed of 73 mph is 5 mph faster than the Tour average and his topspin backhand rpms is 2005, well above the Tour average of 1775.

On return, the 15-time tour-level titlist is third in return shot quality (7.78), behind second-placed Daniil Medvedev (7.78) and Sinner (8.04).

Narrowly trailing the Spaniard in all three categories is the same man directly below him in the PIF ATP Rankings: Novak Djokovic, who has claimed 99 tour-level trophies throughout his illustrious career.

The Serbian defeated Alcaraz in the Paris Olympics gold-medal match to capture his career ‘Golden Slam’ — winning all four majors and an Olympic gold medal. In a hard-fought battle, Djokovic produced arguably his best performance of the season just weeks after falling to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year.

Return Shot Quality (2024)

Traditional thinking may be that this far into the season, the game’s best servers would also be among the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, in good position for a spot at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals. But in TDI’s shot quality serve leaders, only one of the Top 5 players is also Top 10 in the Race: the 6’6″ Zverev.

In fact, this year’s Rome champion is the only player featured on all four shot quality lists. 

Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, towering at 6’8″, stands above the rest with his serve shot quality (9.38). The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season, having won his maiden tour-level title in Lyon and later reaching the Wimbledon fourth round. At the All England Club, he upset 20th seed Sebastian Korda in the first round, during which Mpetshi Perricard hammered 51 aces.

Also among the serve quality leaders is Milos Raonic, not far behind (9.32) Mpetshi Perricard. Reilly Opelka and Hubert Hurkacz are among the Top 5.

Serve Shot Quality (2024)

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Alcaraz’s motivation to bounce back from his US Open defeat

To say Carlos Alcaraz was disappointed with his US Open elimination would be an understatement. The Spaniard, No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, took a few days off after bowing out prematurely from the season’s final Grand Slam before heading to Valencia to join the Spanish team for the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage. By Wednesday, Alcaraz was back to winning ways with two victories in the match against Czechia, beating Tomas Machac in his singles encounter and then joining Marcel Granollers to see off Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek.

“I needed it after the last few matches, as it wasn’t feeling very positive,” explained the Murcia native at the end of the day. “I felt the extra pressure of being number one the first set, I wasn’t comfortable, but I had to stay positive,” added Alcaraz. “The Davis Cup is special and you always want to do well.”

Alcaraz endured an intense day of tennis on Wednesday, taking to the court twice, doubling his normal matchday workload.

“It was a day with a lot of hard work, but I’m happy to have had the opportunity to play singles and doubles,” said Alcaraz. “I’m trying to take the positives from my time in the US and use them so I don’t make the same mistakes again, trying to progress on the mental side and to become increasingly mature,” he continued. “I was very motivated to be here, I’m looking forward to helping the team go as far as possible.”

It was with this mentality that Alcaraz approached his first Davis Cup match of 2024, which turned out to be a tough encounter. He would lose the first set and fight back to level the scores before his Czech opponent withdrew injured.

“Of course, on the North American swing I didn’t feel great during the matches and that’s why I started off a little nervous,” admitted the Spaniard. “I had chances, even though I didn’t take them. I knew that I’d get more if I stayed strong mentally. After a very tough first set, I managed to keep my head up and put him in difficulty so that he would feel the pressure. Despite everything, this isn’t the way I’d like to win matches, but that’s the way it went.”

Alcaraz will be back on court on Friday, when Spain face France in the second match of the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage.

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