Tennis News

Stan Smith On Djokovic's Pursuit Of History: 'He's A Heavy Favourite'

The last man who completed a Grand Slam was Rod Laver in 1969. Stan Smith, whom Laver defeated twice at majors that year, is eager to see if Novak Djokovic can replicate the Aussie’s feat at the US Open.

“It’s hard. It’s going to be hard for Djokovic. He’s a heavy favourite, he’s committed to do it. He’s not saying, ‘Well, maybe…’,” Smith told ATPTour.com. “He’s really committed to do it. Unless he gets hurt, he’s the heavy favourite.”

^{Photo Credit: Kris Connor/Getty Images for International Tennis Hall of Fame}
The American legend, who is the president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, is surprised that no man has replicated the feat since. Djokovic can become the first man or woman to win a Grand Slam since Stefanie Graf in 1988.

“Nadal and Federer are certainly capable and they’ve won three [in a year],” Smith said. “I am surprised that one of those guys hasn’t been in that position.”

Djokovic, however, is now seven victories away from his fourth major trophy of 2021. The Serbian star will be confident on the New York hard courts, where he has emerged victorious three times.

“Hard courts might be Djokovic’s favourite surface, and so someone is going to have to play really well,” Smith said. “Having said that, he played a terrible couple of sets at the French, where he just played the first two sets in the final really badly, but came back and played great.

“I don’t know what it was, but he was really bad for him and I thought he was done. The fact that he came back there and played great tennis, it just shows he’s got the confidence that if things go bad, he’s not going to panic. A lot of people do [panic].”

^{Photo Credit: Pete Staples/USTA}
Smith was referring to the Roland Garros final, in which Djokovic had to rally from two sets down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Hall of Famer saw the World No. 1 up close at Wimbledon, where he defeated Matteo Berrettini for the trophy.

“When I saw him after the match at Wimbledon, the only thing I said to him is, ‘You’re really volleying a lot.’ He was volleying pretty well because if there was any chink in his armour, he’s missed a lot of backhand volleys that have been relatively routine,” Smith said. “But he served and volleyed a lot against Denis Shapovalov in [the semi-finals] and against Berrettini he didn’t miss many volleys either.

“It was a good indication that he’s gotten a little more confident coming to the net and he’s figured it out that that is the right play against certain players and therefore it makes him more of a complete player.”

What makes Djokovic’s game so special? According to the 1971 US Open champion, the Serbian is not just solid all-around, but his backhand is “unbelievable”.

“When I see him miss a backhand, I’m sort of surprised because he’s usually in great balance and in that match he’d maybe be out of balance one out of 15 times,” Smith said. “The rest of the time he is on balance and when he’s on balance, he doesn’t miss too much. If he misses, he doesn’t miss by much.”

Will that be enough for Djokovic to make history in New York? The World No. 1 begins his pursuit of history Tuesday against #NextGenATP Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune.

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Tsitsipas Faces Former Champ Murray In US Open Day 1 Blockbuster

Arthur Ashe Stadium is a fitting stage for a first-time showdown between World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas and three-time major champion Andy Murray. Among a string of generational clashes, the pair headlines Day 1 of the 2021 US Open, which also features second seed Daniil Medvedev and eighth seed Casper Ruud against French veterans Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, respectively.

The last time Tsitsipas squared off against a Grand Slam champion at a major he came up agonisingly short, having led Novak Djokovic two sets to love at Roland Garros in June. That defeat lingered as the Greek fell to Frances Tiafoe in the first round at Wimbledon a fortnight later, but has since rediscovered his form on North American hard courts, with back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati.

“He’s someone that has been putting a lot of work to get back and has been playing very good tennis to be standing where he’s at right now. I think I’m going to go for it, try my chances against him,” Tsitsipas said of Murray. “He’s someone that won’t give up. I’ll have to bring some good tennis from my side.”

Murray, having contested only seven tour-level singles events this year on his road back from hip surgery, tested Hubert Hurkacz and Tiafoe in respective second-round meetings in Cincinnati and Winston-Salem leading in. Nine years since his first major triumph in New York, the 34-year-old World No. 112 would love nothing more than to ride the crowd to a huge upset on Day 1.

“The positive thing in the past few months is that I haven’t been held back really from what I can do on the practice court,” Murray said. “It is the matches where you need to ultimately go out there and perform. That’s what’s been frustrating the past few weeks.”

Second seed Daniil Medvedev opens his campaign on Monday against former No. 7 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Gasquet, in the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Two years ago, the Russian surged back from two sets down and pushed Rafael Nadal to a fifth set in his maiden Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows.

NYC pic.twitter.com/NTlH53gR5z

— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) August 29, 2021

While he ultimately came up short, Medvedev reaffirmed his hard-court credentials when he ploughed through 15 straight sets to reach the semi-finals last year. Eventual champion Dominic Thiem ended his run there, however he reached a second major final at this year’s Australian Open (l. to Djokovic). Medvedev found form leading into this year’s US Open with his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto and a semi-final appearance in Cincinnati.

“Now I have two finals, [I] need to win, to make a better result at a Slam,” Medvedev said. “I was playing well in both Toronto and Cincinnati, quite similar conditions, hot, humid. I just want to continue [at] this level. When I play well, I know that I can cause trouble to my opponents. That’s the most important.”

The first player seeded in the Top 2 outside Djokovic, Roger Federer, Nadal or Murray in New York, Medvedev has split two ATP Head2Head meetings with Gasquet. Each prevailed on home soil – Gasquet in Montepllier in 2018 and Medvedev in St Petersburg last year – and both with a bagel set to boot.

Since he reached his 32^nd tour-level final in Umag last month on clay, the 35-year-old Gasquet – a semi-finalist in New York eight years ago – qualified in Cincinnati (l. to Murray) and reached the quarter-finals in Winston-Salem last week, a run which included a win over third seed Daniel Evans.

In the popcorn first-round match of Day 1, 18^th seed Roberto Bautista Agut squares off against arguably the most dangerous floater in the draw, Nick Kyrgios. In the ultimate contrast of styles and on-court dispositions, the ever-consistent Spaniard and the mercurial Australian split two previous ATP Head2Head encounters, with Bautista Agut having claimed their most recent clash at last year’s ATP Cup in Melbourne.

FULL ORDER OF PLAY: DAY 1, US OPEN 2021

Bautista Agut, who twice reached the fourth round in New York, saved three match points to beat Diego Schwartzman for a quarter-final showing in Toronto earlier this month, while Kyrgios managed a 1-3 record on hard courts leading in, with his lone win against former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson in Atlanta.

Having completed a hat-trick of clay-court titles with victory in Kitzbüel, eighth seed Ruud notched back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finals on hard courts in Toronto and Cincinnati leading in. The Norwegian meets 36-year-old former World No. 5 Tsonga for the first time, in what will be the Frenchman’s first event since a first-round exit at Wimbledon (l. to Ymer).

Croatian Ivo Karlovic ensured his 17th main draw appearance in New York when he won through three rounds of qualifying. The 42-year-old takes on fifth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev, who fell in his second ATP Masters 1000 final of the season earlier this month (l. to Zverev) in Cincinnati.

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Fashion Court: Dimitrov 'Goes With The Flow'

Grigor Dimitrov is widely considered by his peers as one of the most fashionable guys on the ATP Tour.

Ahead of the US Open — and New York Fashion Week (8-12 September) — ATPTour.com spoke to the Bulgarian about his fashion inspirations, the cities on Tour with the best shopping, one thing he would never wear and more.

Off court, who is your fashion inspiration?
I think throughout the years, I’ve always felt like I’ve changed my style a little bit. I always try to wear something that doesn’t necessarily match me or doesn’t necessarily go with my personality. I go with whatever the flow is.

One of my favourite designers throughout the years has been Rick Owens. [He makes] very simple, very Bohemian-style, very-loose outfits. I’ve always drawn inspiration from him in a sense because in Europe, we have different weather. Winter is a little bit long at times and [you have] the fall, so you need to wear a little bit more layers. Through the years, I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration and ideas from him to layer things up. I don’t necessarily do it just like him, but I like that sort of vibe.

But lately, honestly, it’s been whatever I feel like wearing. We can’t go to the restaurants that much or anything, so it’s been very basic, very simple… We have an amazing guy Jerry Lorenzo who has a brand Fear of God, and I think they’re getting into it amazingly well. They have a lot of Earth colours and things that you can match with bright colours. I love the simplicity of it, I love the sporty look, but it is sophisticated at the same time. I think it’s really nice to wear something that also shows your character a little bit.

 

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During normal times, what is the go-to Grigor outfit?
Honestly, it depends where I go and who I go with. It varies a little bit. That’s a good question. I’ve always been a fan of sneakers, so I’ll start from the bottom and go with a very plain sneaker, depending on the colours I wear. I’ll go with jeans and a simple oversized t-shirt.

It also depends where I’m going and how I like things to be done. But lately, since I live in Monaco and it’s a little bit more sophisticated out there, I’ve been wearing a little bit more Bruno Cucinelli, very different summer-y vibes, clothes that are very nice with loose pants and a very nice colour-coordinated shirt with buttons and short sleeves. I love hats as well, so I’ve also been wearing some of them. Very mixed and matched, actually.

What kind of hats?
I have a couple of friends who do hats. They do very cool hats with different elements on them, whether they are feathers, some quotes or things that I really like, numbers. I always go with whatever I feel like at that particular moment and I try to take it out of me and put it into some sort of inspiration that I have.

 

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On Tour, what is the best city to go shopping for clothes in?
I’ve done great damage in London. It’s always been a place where I know that even if I don’t look for something, I know I’ll find something. Los Angeles has always been my weak spot. I have a bunch of places there where even if I don’t want to buy anything, even if I just want to go and have a look, you’re always going to buy something. That’s just how it is. The limit there is completely different.

I would say London and Los Angeles for sure. New York has been a very interesting one for me as well. I know my go-to spots so to speak, but I always try to keep it more casual and not extravagant. It’s more different [in New York] and I think that contemporary look is very important for me. It’s not really to go on one side and the other side. It’s creating your own path.

What’s one thing you would never wear and why?
I’d probably never wear slippers with socks. It’s a trend. I’ve seen it so many times, I just don’t think I would want to wear it. I see it and I’m like, ‘Okay, cool.’ I just don’t get it enough, I don’t think. I think it’s kind of funny. That’s probably why I like that contemporary look more and when I see something I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m never going to do that.’ I probably won’t do it.

Is it almost like a basketball-player look?
Yeah, yeah. Nothing against them at all. On them and on athletes in general it looks fine, whatever. You [wear] your socks, you want to rest your feet. But I’m not sure I’ll wear this to a major event.

^{Grigor Dimitrov enjoyed wearing a “fun” tracksuit at the 2020 Australian Open. Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images}
What’s the worst fashion mistake you’ve made?
Once I had a shoot many years ago, I still have some pictures. I’m not going to say for who, what and where, but I had one of the most horrendous outfits I’ve ever had to be taken pictures with. I think that was very disturbing.

At the time I didn’t think to that extent and I thought I’d get it over with and I’m just going to do what I have to do. But I would never wear this again. There were so many different colours and nothing was matching with the other and I had all of a sudden a blue blazer with yellow pants and a green tie. I painted a picture for you. Here and there to do this once, it’s fine. But not for a shoot.

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Cabal/Farah Aiming To Stop Mektic/Pavic At US Open

In a stacked US Open draw, the world’s leading doubles teams are out to stop top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic from capturing their 10th tour-level title of the season.

Leading the charge in New York will be the 2019 US Open champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. The fifth seeds, who reached the semi-finals in Cincinnati earlier this month, are aiming to clinch their third major crown, having also triumphed at Wimbledon in 2019. Cabal and Farah will begin their US Open campaign against Polish team Hubert Hurkacz and Szymon Walkow.

View Doubles Draw

The favourites for the title at the Flushing Meadows are Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic. The pair has won nine tour-level trophies this season in their first year together, including three ATP Masters 1000 crowns, Wimbledon and an Olympic gold medal. They will face American wild cards Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow in the first round.

Spanish-Argentine tandem Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos arrive in form. The second seeds won their fourth Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati after advancing to the Wimbledon final in July. Granollers and Zeballos, who start against Argentine duo Facundo Bagnis and Federico Delbonis, have fond memories at the US Open, where they enjoyed a run to the championship match in 2019.

Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert have a strong pedigree at majors, triumphing once at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open and twice at Roland Garros. The third seeds, who won the title in New York in 2015, will be aiming to capture their third tour-level trophy of the season in the next fortnight.

Fourth seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury advanced to the last four at the US Open last year and enter with momentum. The American-British tandem clinched their maiden Masters 1000 title as a team in Toronto in August and will be targeting a second major trophy in the next fortnight, after winning the Australian Open in 2020.

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How Casper Ruud Is Surprising His Father

Christian Ruud enjoyed a successful career on the ATP Tour, winning 115 tour-level singles matches and climbing as high as No. 39 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Now, the Norwegian is helping his son, Casper Ruud, surge past his own accomplishments. ATPTour.com recently spoke to the elder Ruud about watching his son grow on and off the court, who has the better golf game, Casper’s artistic side and hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals.

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How much are you enjoying the experience of watching Casper grow?
I am enjoying it a lot. Everyone has compared him to me when he beat my records. I was in one ATP Tour final, and I was sad I didn’t win, but he is a lot better than I was. It is great to see him win titles and see him be the last man standing is special. Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbühel were unbelievable and something he won’t forget for the rest of his life. I am super proud he was able to do so well this summer.

It must be cool to see him from first coming onto the Tour to then winning and now being in the Top 20?
It is super fun. He always seems to do small steps, which I know is difficult. He is going one way in the [FedEx ATP] Rankings. I am surprised he hasn’t had many setbacks. He is steadily going in the right way and I know his goal is to stay up there. I think he is surprising me with how comfortable he is in his position.

We know Casper loves golf. Who is better at golf, you or Casper?
I would say he is better, but I did beat him in Cincinnati, so it is not that big of a difference! It is nice we can go out, even though I am his coach and father, but we are at a similar level at golf. I was always into golf, I have been playing for 30 years. When he was younger I took him to the golf course and taught him the correct technique, so he can thank me for that! I took him to soccer and skiing and he is really enjoying golf the most. He is very competitive on the course.

^{Photo Credit: Generali Open/Alexander Scheuber}
What else do you like to do together outside of tennis?
We both follow hockey. We are both big Tampa Bay Lightning fans because we used to have a house in Tampa. I have been there to watch matches. Hockey is a big sport in Norway and Casper played when he was young, so he knows a bit about it.

When he is at home, he is trying to stay away from me! When we are on the Tour, we play golf and discuss sports, so I am happy about that.

What is the one thing people might not know about Casper?
He is a little bit artistic, good at drawing, always good when he was young. He is generally just a really nice and humble guy and I am proud.

It has been a busy summer on the court, and Casper recently won three titles in as many weeks in Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbühel. How has everything gone in your mind?
Casper has done really well on the clay, having some good results. We were a little nervous because he got injured in Acapulco and had to pull out of Miami and we did not get many practice days on clay before he started playing. He played Mallorca and we were a little bit nervous about that, but then he had some really good results in Monte-Carlo and Madrid and also winning in Geneva.

It was then just amazing winning three titles in a row. He wanted to take the opportunity to do well because they were the last three tournaments on clay. To win all three is a little bit more than we expected. Of course, we are happy.

What was the situation in Acapulco?
In Acapulco he actually won in his second round against Tallon Griekspoor in a final-set tie-break and in that tie-break he had an awkward smash and felt something in his wrist. It was only the last five minutes of the match, so he didn’t think too much about it.

The next day, he woke up with it swollen and in pain and we were not sure what it was. He couldn’t hold a racquet. Luckily it healed quickly and we were able to make it for the clay-court season.

What is the biggest difference between Casper now and the Casper of two years ago when he was in Milan at the Next Gen ATP Finals?
He has matured and understands the game better. He is also managing to improve the forehand, and that is why he is winning matches. He is also playing smart with the backhand and the serve has improved as well. Overall everything is a little bit better year by year. He is confident going onto the court playing matches, especially since he has now won some titles. He is able to deliver a lot of wins.

What are you guys doing to focus on the hard-court part of the season to adapt his game?
I think his hard-court game has improved a lot in the past three years. He reached the fourth round in Australia, which I thought was a decent result. In Acapulco he was in the quarter-finals and was due to play Alexander Zverev. He was meant to play Miami, but hasn’t played much on hard courts this year due to injuries. I think he did well on the clay, so people say he likes to play on clay courts.

But the hard-court results this year were good. The goal is to try and reach the semi-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 event or win a smaller tour-level title on hard. I think he is good enough to do it, powerful enough to win on hard. His forehand and serve will work quite well on hard courts when he is playing well, so I am confident.

How comfortable is he with getting uncomfortable?
He likes to play well in practice and win, so it is a challenge for him to do things that he does not do that well. On hard courts you have to stay inside the baseline more and take the ball on the rise. He has improved that a lot, especially on the backhand side. He has beaten some good guys on hard courts this year and previously. While his favourite surface may always be clay, I think he can do well in the future on hard courts.

What are your goals for the rest of the year?
It is to reach Turin and finish in the Top 10. He is focused on getting to the [Nitto] ATP Finals. Without clay, it may be a little bit tougher, but he can play well on hard courts, and mentally he is prepared. There are six big events left this season and we will try to do well in all these events.

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US Open 2021: Novak Djokovic goes for calendar Grand Slam in New York

After 20 Grand Slam wins and multiple records, Novak Djokovic is aiming for his ‘greatest achievement’ at the US Open – completing the calendar Grand Slam.

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First-Time Winner Spotlight: Ilya Ivashka

Belarusian Ilya Ivashka dropped just one set all week en route to this first ATP Tour title at the Winston-Salem Open.

The 27-year-old was in dominant form in North Carolina, dropping a total of just five games in his semi-final and championship match, after surviving a second-round scare against Marin Cilic.

ATPTour.com caught up with Ivashka after he lifted his maiden trophy in Winston-Salem

What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
It means everything for me because this is something that I have dreamed of as a kid, and it doesn’t matter which event it was, it was just to win an ATP title, so I am super happy with this. I have been working for this for many years and I am happy this happened this week.

You have recently earned victories over Top 20 players Gael Monfils (Tokyo), Grigor Dimitrov (Washington) and now Pablo Carreno Busta here in Winston-Salem. How much confidence did these wins give you heading into the tournament and the final today?
It was coming from the beginning of the year, that I had a lot of good matches with the top guys. Sometimes I was winning, sometimes I was losing. But every week I was there fighting with them, which gave me a lot of confidence. The more you have these matches, the more I feel strong in the tournaments.

Currently at a career-high No. 63 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and set to climb further, how happy are you with where your game is at the moment?
I am very happy about my game. In previous tournaments, I thought the results were okay, but I was not happy with my game. This week, I really implemented what I had worked on with my coach. I had a really good statistic with my serve in the last four matches. The work is paying off.

Before your run here, you had never reached the final at an ATP Tour event. Having dropped just one set en route to the championship match in Winston-Salem, what do you think was the key behind your breakthrough this week?
The key was the second match. I was almost flying to New York because I was losing 3-5, 0/30 in the second set, and I was trying to fight to stay in. After this, things changed dramatically. I then started to play better after I got that break I didn’t lose my serve once again in the whole tournament.

Before winning the title this week, your first semi-final appearance at a tour-level event came in Marseille in 2018. How much have you grown as a player and a person since then?
A lot of things have happened. I came through at qualifying, but my tennis was not good. I had many many injuries that happened to me, but I think I am more mature In the game now.

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 coach Jose Checa Calvo, my wife, my fitness coach and of course my family, my dad, my mum and my brother. There is also one person in Belarus, a sponsor for the tennis federation for many years. I think without him it wouldn’t be possible because he helped in all of the parts of my career since I was 17. He provided a lot of financial help, which was a big moment in Belarus for tennis.

How would you describe yourself as a player, and how would you describe yourself off the court? Does your on-court attitude extend off the tennis court as well?
I try to be different on court. Off court I am quite calm whereas on court I am trying to be more aggressive to fight for every point. When I am outside the court I am more relaxed and calm.

What do you consider to be your biggest passions outside of tennis and can you tell us a little bit about those interests?
I love to watch football, enjoy watching the Premier League. My favourite team is Arsenal, but I don’t want to speak about them now as they are doing badly. I really loved them many years ago when they were fighting for trophies, but something went wrong with the management.

You’re the first Belarusian ATP Tour singles titlist since 2003, so how important is it to you to represent your country and inspire future generations as Max Mirnyi did for your generation?
It is a special feeling. I remember when I was watching him play in the Davis Cup, in big matches in Russia, he was playing five sets and battling. He was also a role model, so professional outside of the court, so he was an inspiration for many kids at the time.

This is a milestone moment in your career. How will you celebrate this victory?
I may grab some beers, but nothing special as I am going to play in New York on Tuesday. I think we will celebrate after that.

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History-Making Karlovic: 'I Really Have Nothing To Lose'

Ivo Karlovic might be 42, but the Croatian is still going strong. The former World No. 14 proved that in US Open qualifying this week by winning three matches in three days to earn a spot in the Flushing Meadows main draw for the 17th time.

According to the ATP database, Karlovic is the second-oldest major qualifier in the Open Era, only trailing Mal Anderson, who was 42 when he qualified for the Australian Open that was held in December of 1977.

“It’s a huge confidence boost because the last time that I won three matches in a row was two years ago. Last year I didn’t really compete,” Karlovic told ATPTour.com. “After two years, to be able to win three matches in a row in three days without any days off, it is really good for me because I know I have the tennis level and the physical level to do it.”

Karlovic had not won consecutive matches at any level since reaching the final of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Houston in November 2019. But competing in four tournaments over the past two months gave the eight-time ATP Tour titlist the confidence he needed to battle through a tough qualifying field.

“It is really difficult. All the guys are really good. Today’s competition is big and everybody knows how to play at a high level,” Karlovic said. “You cannot have more than 100 guys in the Top 100. All of those guys, even at No. 200 or No. 300, it’s not a really big difference in the level. It’s difficult, definitely.”

Now the 42-year-old will face a stiff test in the first round against Cincinnati finalist Andrey Rublev, the fifth seed. Although it will be a challenge, Karlovic is excited for the opportunity.

“It’s amazing because he’s been doing really well, but I still feel I will have a chance if I do everything right,” Karlovic said. “I know he probably doesn’t like my style of the game, so I feel like I will have chances. But I really have nothing to lose. I’ll just try to enjoy every moment out there and we will see what will happen.”

According to the Croatian, there are “little things” he has to focus on in his opponent’s game, like his serving patterns and where he hits his passing shots. But Karlovic believes that a majority of the focus is on himself because of the weapons he brings to the court.

“It was always like that. I always felt like I had control. If my mind is in the right place, if I feel motivated and relaxed in my head, I always felt like I can beat anybody,” Karlovic said. “As you get older, it’s not always easy to enjoy on the court. But I had time off from competition and on court I feel really good now.”

Karlovic is also excited to compete in front of fans. Last year, there were no spectators at the US Open.

“It’s always nice when there is a big crowd, especially now with what was happening last year and the beginning of this year,” Karlovic said. “We learned to appreciate that even more, because there were a lot of tournaments where there was no audience. Even during qualifying, there was no audience and that feels strange.”

The World No. 223 is fully focused on the US Open, but wanted to clear up rumours about his playing future. The father of two has not yet decided if this will be his final tournament. Karlovic knows he would have to play ATP Challenger Tour events to attempt to rebuild his FedEx ATP Ranking, and will wait to make a decision until after the year’s final major.

“This week I did really well and I enjoyed being on the court,” Karlovic said. “But going back to the Challengers, it is something I would have to decide if I want to do. I would say it’s 50-50.

“I don’t know yet, I have to decide after the US Open. I need to draw the line, see what my ranking is and what I want to do.”

For now, Karlovic is thrilled that he qualified in New York and will be able to take a crack at one of the tournament favourites. He might be 42, but the Croatian feels much younger than that. Karlovic cracked a laugh before declaring, “[I am] in my early 30s.”

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Coach Lugones On Norrie: 'He's A Completely Different Animal'

When Facundo Lugones completed his studies at Texas Christian University, he was prepared to work in the finance industry. Instead, after serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the team, he got an opportunity to travel with Cameron Norrie, who was leaving school in 2017 to turn professional.

More than four years later, the pair is still going strong and Norrie is enjoying the best season of his career. The lefty just reached a career-high No. 29 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and will try to make a deep run at the US Open, where he plays #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the first round.

Lugones recently spoke to ATPTour.com about his time as Norrie’s teammate, how their relationship has developed, why Norrie is enjoying his best season yet and more.

You guys met at school. What do you remember of Cameron from when he was a freshman?
He was pretty casual, a very social kid. He got along well with everyone and was just very friendly, but pretty competitive. There was not much structure in his life, everything was kind of random. But he was really competitive, really fun to be around, a great friend. He was just like any other college kid… he was looking for fun more than anything.

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In college tennis the older kids always try to help the younger kids on the team on and off the court. How much did you do that with him?
I wouldn’t say I helped, but I tried to be a good role model and set a good example for him. He didn’t like to be told, but he really liked when people did the right things and he would copy that. He would copy good examples of good actions from teammates rather than being told what to do. I think that was the way to do it with him: rather than tell him, show him.

How different is your relationship now compared to when you met him years ago in college?
It’s a little more professional and mature now. When it comes to working, setting goals, having tough conversations and getting ready for tournaments, it’s very serious. When we’re off the court at the hotel and talking about any other aspect of life, it’s like friends. It’s about knowing what role we are in and when. In tennis, it’s very serious and focused. When it’s a life chat, it’s more relaxed.  

?@rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/ywbHAkfnQo

— Cameron Norrie (@cam_norrie) March 9, 2018

What’s the biggest difference between him now and when he first turned professional in 2017?
Now he’s a better tennis player and physically he’s a completely different animal. Back then he had a lot of endurance and was a great competitor, but didn’t have a lot of weapons. He would outlast you, make a lot of balls and be tougher than the other guy. Today he has a better serve, he’s stronger, he looks to dictate the point a lot more. He’s more physical and a more complete player.

People often speak about his fitness. Is there a way to describe just how physical his game is?
His main asset on the physical side is his endurance. He can play not only for a couple hours, but four hours and maintain the same level of physicality. Some players can be really physical, but only for two hours. I think he has the endurance to do it for many hours and consecutive days, back to back to back. He moves very well, is explosive, but I think the main thing is his endurance.

The tennis side is something that can always be improved, but not everyone has that physical element. How key is that?
He naturally has always been a good runner from a very young age. He would run long distances with his mom, so naturally he has endurance. He doesn’t really need to work much on that. He works a lot more on being a little stronger and moving better with some movement patterns, switching directions and speed.

But we never really work on endurance or outlasting someone, because he has that. I think it’s a good plus when you don’t need to worry about that. You just have to worry about the quality and explosiveness on the physical side.

Watch Highlights Of Norrie’s First Title Win In Los Cabos:

This has been a pretty good year for Cameron. How do you keep pushing for more?
You set new goals and expectations can change. But at the end of the day, his main goal is to keep getting better as a tennis player. Now at tournaments we’re not just happy with one or two wins, we want to go deep. You start setting new goals and set the bar higher and look for more. It’s about not staying satisfied. You need to enjoy the good moments quickly and get ready for the next challenge.

What are the next goals?
One of them at the beginning of the year was to finish Top 30, and we’re on track for that. Then we need to keep pushing those goals further and further. If he finishes Top 30, next year will be Top 20, Top 15 to then Top 10 and obviously No. 1. That’s the goal of every single tennis player.

What’s your favourite thing about Cameron outside of tennis?
The way he treats people all the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s Andy Murray or a friend of mine in Argentina. He will treat people the same and give them the same attention. He doesn’t care who you are, but in a good way. Also how fun he is. He’s a great guy to be around, always looking for fun, always up for anything. He’s a pretty normal guy.

Have you been able to teach him some Spanish?
I tried, but he’s not very good. That’s one thing he’s not very good at: languages. His best friend is from Chile and they lived together for three years, but he still doesn’t know much Spanish. He can order now and understand a little more, but he never really learned a lot of Spanish, which I kind of regret and I’m sure he does, too.

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Chicago Open: Elina Svitolina beats Alize Cornet to win 16th career title

World number six Elina Svitolina wins her 16th career title by beating Alize Cornet at the Chicago Open.

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