Tennis News

Advice from Alcaraz & more, Landaluce living Spanish teenage dream

The day before a 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz won his first major title at the 2022 US Open, there was another Spanish teenager who lifted the Flushing Meadows junior trophy in the shadows of Arthur Ashe Stadium. That was Martin Landaluce.

While Alcaraz would go on to triumph in the biggest tennis-only stadium in the world and assure his climb to World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Landaluce, then 16, became junior champion on a much smaller Court 11. Back home in Spain, the whole country was following Landaluce’s result and buzzing about the teenager’s potential.

How fast can Landaluce rise? Can he too reach the top of the game as a teen? Is he the next Spanish great?

With all of the the outside noise, Landaluce sought advice from Alcaraz following the US Open.

“I was asking him, ‘How do you manage to be with one million [followers], or all of your country above you, watching you, saying, ‘You have to be this, or you have to be this number’.’ It’s very difficult,” Landaluce told ATPTour.com.

“He was very nice because he managed that very naturally. That’s special and I try to be like him in that, because it’s very important.”

What was Alcaraz’s advice?

“‘Try to be part of Instagram, social media, only with your family and that will get rid of [a lot of] expectation,’” Landaluce recalled.

Less than two weeks after Landaluce won the US Open boys’ singles trophy, he met Felipe VI, King of Spain.

Landaluce, Alcaraz and Spanish wheelchair tennis player Martin de la Puente had the chance of a lifetime to step inside Zarzuela Palace and meet the Spanish king.

“Imagine a 16-year-old guy being there with a king. That was very, very nerve-racking for me,” Landaluce said. “I don’t get nervous for many things and that was very big. I enjoyed it a lot. He’s a really nice guy.”

If there is anybody living the Spanish teenage dream, it is Landaluce. Whether it is meeting the king or practising with 92-time tour-level titlist Rafael Nadal and World No. 3 Alcaraz.

“That’s one of the best things I’ve experienced in my career. The two big references for me,” Landaluce said. “Rafa, all of my life, watching him, trying to be like him. And now Carlos. They are very good people. I love playing with them. I try as much as I can to practise with them, to ask them questions, it’s a very good experience.”

 

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Landaluce grew up in a home full of tennis fanatics. His father, Alejandro, still competes on the ITF Seniors Tour. The #NextGenATP 18-year-old had a racquet in his hand even before he turned one. He would practise with his mother Elena in the doubles alley while his siblings, Lucas and Alejandra, would take lessons from their father. Afterwards, Martin would hit with his father for 10 to 15 minutes.

But it was Martin, the youngest of the three, who rose to junior No. 1 and is now beginning his pro career on the ATP Challenger Tour. Landaluce is based in Madrid, where he was born, and calls the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar his “second home”.

The ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid ignited Landaluce’s ambition to become a professional.

“I was there watching many times like, ‘I want to be there. I want to play there and win the tournament’. It’s a great goal to have in mind,” said Landaluce, who received a main draw wild card the past two years at the Mutua Madrid Open.

One vivid memory from the tournament sticks out to Landaluce.

“I remember watching [Nikoloz] Basilashvili… I remember that match thinking, ‘Wow, I want to play like this!’ He was doing amazing winners,” Landaluce said. “I think it is one of the matches that I remember that was [impactful].”

As fans begin to follow Landaluce, they will be drawn to the Spaniard’s own brand of fearless tennis.

“I don’t leave anything on court,” Landaluce said. “I like to be very brave in difficult moments.”

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Medvedev believes he has the key to pour water on Alcaraz fire

Daniil Medvedev has touched down in Beijing, yearning to go one better than he did in 2023 and lift the trophy, but has acknowledged the difficulty of the task that lies ahead at the China Open.

After coming unstuck by Jannik Sinner in last year’s final, Medvedev will have his work cut out with the defending champion and World No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings Carlos Alcaraz back to headline the stacked field in the Chinese capital.

“Whatever tournament I play, I want to win,” Medvedev said ahead of the China Open which starts on Thursday. “It’s a strong field in Beijing, like last year, so if I want to win the tournament, you need to play your best from the first to the last match. It’s not going to be easy, but that’s the goal.

“Regarding the draw, when Sinner, Alcaraz play, you know you’re not the top two seed, you know it’s going to be tough. In the semi-finals you’re going to have to play one of them if they get there. [I will] take it step by step, try to improve my level step by step, and hopefully I can show some good tennis.”

One of Medvedev’s potential semi-final opponents is Alcaraz, his Laver Cup teammate who holds a commanding 5-2 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The Spaniard was able to shake off his shock US Open second-round exit to Botic van de Zandschulp to play a pivotal role in Team Europe’s thrilling comeback over Team World on Sunday.

“If we both meet [in the semi-final], to play against Carlos is not easy, especially when he’s on fire,” Medvedev said of the four-time Grand Slam titlist. “I could see it when we played in the Laver Cup. He was playing good there. The guys had no chance. You need to try to put him under pressure all the time. That’s where maybe you can get the chance, that’s the most important: to play your best tennis.

“Honestly [the Laver Cup] was a very great experience. I know I was the only one on the team to get zero points, but it’s okay, that’s why it’s a team competition. My team won, so it’s okay. I’m happy that the team got my back.”

Medvedev gets his Beijing campaign underway with a first-round clash against veteran Gael Monfils, the No. 46 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Their Lexus ATP Head2Head series is level at 2-2, with the most recent encounter going the way of Medvedev in a comprehensive win at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo in April.

However, the 38-year-old Frenchman rolled back the years with an impressive win over Alcaraz in the second round of the Cincinnati Open last month, demonstrating the threat he still poses for any opponent.

“I think it will be different,” Medvedev said ahead of his clash with Monfils. “I’m different. He’s different. It’s normal, every year, everything changes. [It’s] actually interesting to see how it goes. It’s always interesting to play [against Monfils]. Some great points, some great rallies, [I’m] looking forward to it.”

Medvedev is currently fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, bidding to strengthen his chances of qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals over the course of the Asian swing. The 28-year-old clinched the trophy in 2020, having qualified for each of the past five editions.

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My Influences: Gaubas opens up on 'amazing' Alcaraz experience

A smile appeared across the face of #NextGenATP Lithuanian Vilius Gaubas in New York, where the 19-year-old recalled the memorable time he has spent with World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.

The Lithuanian has practised with the Spaniard on various occasions in the past year and after time, mustered up the confidence to ask the four-time major winner for advice.

Speaking to ATPTour.com as part of our Next Gen Influences Series, Gaubas discusses his conversations with the former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Alcaraz and opens up on his biggest idols in tennis, including countryman Ricardas Berankis, who reached a career-high No. 50 in 2016.

Which former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion do you identify with?
I like Carlos Alcaraz. I practised this year with him a few times, and seeing him doing so well and getting a chance to practice with him was cool. He is so humble. So that’s the way it will be for me

Did you get to have any conversations with him? Where were you when you practised with him?
We practised in Spain at the start of the season. I think it was January and we had a few practice sessions and it was really high intensity, and was really, really fun.

Did you ask him any questions?
I was a little bit too shy, but he was really humble. He asked me a few questions, so we had a few conversations that was really fun. He asked me, ‘What’s my next tournament?, How am I doing’, and all those kinds of things. He was, at that time, World No. 1. It was amazing and to be able to speak with him like a normal conversation meant a lot.

Who were your first tennis idols when growing up?
My idols since I was young were Dominic Thiem and Casper Ruud. It was their style, how they play, especially the intensity on the forehand. They have really big shots and that’s what amazed me. When I saw Dominic, when he entered the Top 10, he was doing really well. I saw his matches and every practise, I tried to copy what he did. I remember the US Open final where there were no people watching as it was during Covid and the match was incredible, five sets, and the intensity of the match was incredible.

How much influence did Ricardas Berankis have on you?
He has a really big influence on all the younger kids in Lithuania who play tennis. I think he really motivated us. We had a photo when I was seven years old. I was a ball boy for him in a Davis Cup match. And it was one year ago that I showed him a photo and it was really funny, because now we’re on the same team, playing, so that’s really, really nice.

What was it about him that inspired you when you were a kid?
How serious he is on court and off court as well. He is still really focused on the things that he’s doing. So that’s an inspiration.

Who are your other biggest influences?
I would say my mother. She’s a really strong person. She fights for everything and she really works hard. That is a big inspiration too. Our family was always involved in sport. Especially my father, he was really sporty and I think that is where I got it from.

Ahead of this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, ATPTour.com is running an Influences series with the #NextGenATP stars in contention to qualify for the 20-and-under event in Jeddah. Look out for next week’s feature with Chengdu champion Shang Juncheng…

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Fearnley not obsessed about breaking into top 100

Jake Fearnley will not obsess about cracking the world tennis top 100 but is happy to linger on the fright he gave Novak Djokovic.

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Why Hurkacz's aces will mean more than ever the rest of 2024

Hubert Hurkacz’s efforts on court will mean more than ever for the rest of the season.

The No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is giving back to his home country, Poland, which has recently dealt with devastating flooding.

“Starting today and until the end of the season, I will be donating €100 for every ace I hit to support those affected by the devastating floods in Poland,” Hurkacz wrote on social media. “For me, sport is not just a competition, but also a platform to drive impact.”

pic.twitter.com/ZMN13e6nC4

— Hubert Hurkacz (@HubertHurkacz) September 24, 2024

Hurkacz enters the week leading the ATP Tour in aces with 702 in 55 matches according to Infosys ATP Stats. That is nearly 13 aces per match.

The 27-year-old is the second seed at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo. He will begin his run at the ATP 500 event on Wednesday against Marcos Giron.

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Backhand abundance: Medvedev's knuckleball in an era of fastballs

Nobody loves their backhand more than Daniil Medvedev.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers groundstroke analysis from the 2024 season identifies Medvedev as the only player in the Top 20 who hits more backhands than forehands. The data set is from ATP matches on Hawk-Eye courts. Medvedev is the king of the “backhand cage” strategy, where he locks opponents into a sharp-angle backhand ad-court exchange, daring them to take on more risk by attempting to escape his clutches down the line.

It’s a damned if you do, and damned if you don’t predicament for Medvedev’s opponents. They have little chance of outlasting him backhand to backhand, while at the same time hitting down the line to escape the backhand lockdown pattern also comes with elevated risk.

The six players in the Top 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings who hit the highest percentage of backhands are:

1) Daniil Medvedev 53.1%
2) Alex de Minaur 49.4%
3) Taylor Fritz 49%
4) Sebastian Korda 48.9%
5) Novak Djokovic 48.9%
6) Frances Tiafoe 48.2%

What is fascinating is that Medvedev is also the leader in the Top 20 putting the most backhands in the court. He was the only player in the data set who put north of 90 per cent of his backhands in play.

The six players who put at least 87 per cent of their backhands in the court are:

1) Daniil Medvedev 90.2%
2) Novak Djokovic 88.3%
3) Jack Draper 88%
4) Casper Ruud 87.8%
5) Alexander Zverev 87.3%
6) Alex de Minaur 87%

Medvedev hit 3,253 backhands in the data set. He only missed 319. The ATP Tour average for backhand speed is 68 mph. Medvedev’s backhand is precisely that. He is not over-cooking this shot by trying to play through opponents, but he is also not just pushing it in either.

Medvedev rarely uses slice off his backhand wing. The Tour average is 21 per cent backhand slice in 2024. Medvedev is only at nine percent. He would much rather contort his body into an unorthodox position to shovel the ball back flat and deep, almost always giving his opponents nothing to work with.

Medvedev hits his backhand flatter than most. The Tour average for backhand topspin is 1,775 rpm. Medvedev averages just 1,496 rpm. Flatter equals lower. The Tour average for backhand height over the net is 0.73 metres. Medvedev is at 0.69 metres. Opponents are used to a higher ball with topspin. All Medvedev cares about is making his opponents uncomfortable.

Medvedev’s backhand is simply a different animal.

There is absolutely nothing about Medvedev’s backhand that opponents look forward to. He puts a ridiculous amount of backhands in play. It comes at you almost dead flat at the bottom of your strike zone. Opponents don’t know what to do with it except shovel it back cross court. That’s the first mistake. Trying to attack Medvedev’s backhand encourages overhitting. That’s the second mistake.

Medvedev is a throwback in an age of more forehands and more raw groundstroke power. His backhand confuses and disorientates. It’s a knuckleball in an era of fastballs. As the Tour migrates back to outdoor hard courts in Asia and indoor hard courts in Europe to finish the year, Medvedev will be right at home on his favourite surface doing Medvedev things that completely confound opponents.

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First-Time Winner Spotlight: Shang dishes on teddy bears & tiramisu

#NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title on home soil at the Chengdu Open.

The 19-year-old also became the first player born in 2005 or later to triumph on the ATP Tour. Entering the week, he had not made a tour-level championship match.

ATPTour.com caught up with Shang to discuss his maiden moment, an important mindset change, his lucky charms and more.

What does it mean to win your first ATP Tour title?
It’s been a tough week, tough matches, tough opponents, and I think it’s special to overcome that, and I feel very grateful to play in [front of] my my home crowd, and they were amazing this week. All the energies were great. My team, they helped me so much. My family that’s supporting me all the way throughout the week. Just super, super happy.

This is a historic moment not only winning your first title, but making more history for Chinese tennis. How much more special does that make this and what should people know about your friendship with the rest of the Chinese stars?
It’s always special to play at home, not mentioning to win a title. I’ve never thought that I would do it this early in my career, but I’m grateful for this one. Just a super special week. I was going match by match, not knowing what will happen in the next one.

All of [the other Chinese players], they support me, and we support each other. We’re kind of competing against each other, the Chinese players. I play one next week in Beijing, actually, and I think it’s going to be a good tournament, good battle, and super excited for what’s coming next.

What have been the key moments of your career that helped you get to this point?
To be honest there are a lot of key moments, but I think what changed is the attitude towards tennis. I think I’ve been trying to place tennis in the number two spot. It’s not the most important thing. It doesn’t matter how many titles you win. At the end, it [is about] the people, the people around you and the family around you. That’s more important. So I think I’ve been focusing on myself, my friends, family, a little bit more than tennis. So when I’m on court, I enjoy it. When I’m off the court, it’s not always about tennis.

Could you take a moment to acknowledge some of the key figures in your life and career who have helped you to reach this milestone?
My parents, they’ve always been supporting me since day one. My grandparents, they’re always really helpful, really supporting me all the time. And my coach, Martin and the IMG Academy family, they’ve been so helpful in my career. When I was 14, practising with all the professionals, it’s really an amazing place to practise, at IMG, and I’m grateful for all the people around me.

First time feeling at home 🇨🇳🏆

Shang becomes the first player born in 2005 or later to win an ATP Tour title after taking down Musetti 7-6(4) 6-1!@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen pic.twitter.com/9w8t4Alnlp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 24, 2024

Both of your parents are athletes. What is one lesson in particular you have learned from each of them?
I think to not show emotions and to be grateful for what you have because when you’re successful, it doesn’t mean that you really deserve it, maybe because you’re lucky. And when others fail, it doesn’t mean that they’re just bad at something. Maybe they’re unlucky.

You don’t judge people by what you see in the first place. So I think that’s something really, really important in our family, that we try to not judge, to always appreciate and to always learn to become our better selves.

You are only 19 years old, and you are here as an ATP Tour champion. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in the past couple of years since you’ve started this journey as a professional?
Some people say that one career can be really, really long, but I think the past two years, they went by like a flash. And I think you don’t get to play that many years. All of a sudden, maybe I’ll be 30, 35, years old. So you have to enjoy what you have, and you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. So enjoy, enjoy the moment. Whatever you have, try to live 100 per cent, try to enjoy it.

You have long collected teddy bears and they have become your lucky charms. Would you mind telling fans about your current lucky charm(s), where you got it/them and why it’s important to you?
I think to have the bear sitting on the court, you really can’t get mad at a teddy bear. If you get mad at a teddy bear, there’s something wrong with you. So I try to keep calm. Whenever he falls down, I pick him up so [it] can have a good positioning watching the match. It’s really a mental thing. There’s not really any secrets to it, just to have a good attitude.

How would you describe yourself as a player, and how would you describe yourself off the court?
I think I’m really transparent. On and off the court. I’m about the same. Maybe a little crazier off. On court, I’m a little more calm, I’m more focused, and I think overall, I’m a really positive guy, always happy.

What do you consider to be your biggest passion outside of tennis and can you tell us a little bit about that interest?
I would say golf. I think that that’s helped me a lot with my patience. It’s a four-hour sport. You need basically the whole day to play through. And sometimes the conditions are tough, windy, kind of just like tennis. So if you’re patient in that, something off the court, I believe it’s a little like training, you have fun at the same time.

This is a milestone moment in your career. How will you celebrate this victory?
I think by eating tiramisu!

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Injury-hit Cilic creates ATP history with comeback title

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic becomes the lowest-ranked player to win an ATP Tour title with an emotional victory at the Hangzhou Open.

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Alcaraz qualifies for Nitto ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz is the third player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held at Inalpi Arena in Turin from 10-17 November.

The Spaniard joins Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev in the field, leaving five singles spots remaining at the prestigious season finale. The 21-year-old has earned his place at the event for the third consecutive year. He did not compete in 2022, the year he claimed ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, due to injury.

Alcaraz doubled his major titles count this season, emerging victorious at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The Spaniard became just the sixth man in the Open Era to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year, joining Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz also lifted the fifth ATP Masters 1000 trophy of his career at Indian Wells and earned a silver medal in singles at the Paris Olympics. He owns a 43-9 record for the season.

Last year, Alcaraz made his Nitto ATP Finals debut by reaching the semi-finals. He defeated Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in group play to advance to the last four, where he fell to eventual champion Djokovic.

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Cilic becomes lowest-ranked champion in ATP Tour history, triumphs in Hangzhou

Marin Cilic is an ATP Tour champion once again. The Croatian overcame Chinese star Zhang Zhizhen 7-6(5), 7-6(5) on Tuesday at the Hangzhou Open to clinch his first tour-level title since 2021.

The 35-year-old wild card was competing in his first tour-level event since Buenos Aires in February and arrived in Chengdu at No. 777 in the PIF ATP Rankings. However, Cilic looked sharp throughout his run at the ATP 250, dropping just two sets to become the lowest-ranked champion in the ATP Tour history (since 1990).

“Thank you to my family, my boys, my wife. Everyone who has been with me in this difficult period,” Cilic said during the trophy ceremony. “Working with me day by day, pushing me and giving me strength and spirit. I am so happy and proud to make this victory not only for me but for them too.”

Mar-in the winner’s circle 🤩@marincilic’s comeback is complete with his first title since 2021!@HangzhouOpen | #HangzhouOpen pic.twitter.com/6Sq0UIJ7Qf

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 24, 2024

In the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, there was little to separate Cilic and home favourite Zhang, with both players saving both break points they faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The former World No. 3 Cilic played more aggressively in the two tie-breaks and fired 34 winners in the match compared to 26 from Zhang to triumph on the ATP Tour for the first time since he won St. Petersburg in 2021.

Cilic, who missed several months of 2024 due to a knee injury, has now won 21 tour-level crowns and enjoyed title success in 13 different seasons. He is up to No. 212 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his 16th hard-court title.

“It has been a difficult period for me in the past few months. I lost my ranking and I didn’t play too much,” Cilic said. “So a big thank you to the organising team for giving me the opportunity [with the wild card].”

Lowest-ranked champions in ATP Tour history (since 1990)

Zhang was competing in his first tour-level final and was trying to become just the third Chinese man to win an ATP Tour title. Wu Yibing lifted the trophy in Dallas last year and Shang Juncheng won in Chengdu on Tuesday.

“It was a great week for you Zhizhen,” Cilic said, praising Zhang. “I hope you continue to play great tennis in China, in Beijing and Shanghai.”

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