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Brooksby & Nakashima Headline US Open Wild Cards

The USTA announced Wednesday that #NextGenATP Americans Jenson Brooksby, Brandon Nakashima and Emilio Nava as well as former World No. 8 Jack Sock and Ernesto Escobedo received main draw wild cards into the 2021 US Open, alongside NCAA singles champion Sam Riffice and USTA Boys’ 18s national champion Zachary Svajda.

Australian Max Purcell will receive a main draw wild card as part of a reciprocal agreement. The 2021 US Open will be played from 30 August through 12 September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows.

Brooksby, 20, of Sacramento, Calif., has enjoyed a breakout season in 2021 and recently broke into the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. He is currently at a career-best World No. 99. Brooksby has won three ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, reached his first ATP Tour final at the US Open Series’ Hall of Fame Open in Newport and reached the semi-finals of the Citi Open in Washington/

Nakashima, 20, of San Diego, also achieved his career-high ranking this week, coming in at World No. 86 after a remarkable summer that saw him reach back-to-back ATP Tour finals in Los Cabos and Atlanta. He qualified for the main draw of Wimbledon and added his second ATP Challenger Tour title earlier this year.

Nava, 19, of Los Angeles, is currently World No. 381, a career-best. He was the boys’ singles finalist at the 2019 US Open, the last time the junior competition was held. He also reached the boys’ singles final at the 2019 Australian Open and is a two-time junior Grand Slam doubles finalist. He earned his first professional title earlier this year at an ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in La Nucia, Spain.

Sock, 28, of Charlotte, N.C., is currently World No. 185 but has been ranked as high as World No. 8. Battling back after a number of injuries, Sock reached his first ATP Tour quarter-final since 2018 at the Hall of Fame Open. He also won an ATP Challenger Tour title in May.

Escobedo, 25, of Los Angeles, is currently World No. 179 and has been ranked as high as World No. 67. Recently, he qualified for the main draw of the ATP 250 event in Los Cabos, reaching the quarter-finals. Escobedo also advanced to the semif-inals at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Lexington, Ky. Earlier this year he qualified for the main draw of the Miami Open presented by Itau, reaching the second round.

Riffice, 22, of Orlando, Fla., is currently World No. 690. He won the NCAA men’s singles title in May representing the University of Florida after helping lead the Gators to the NCAA team national title as well. The following week, he reached the semi-finals of an ATP Challenger Tour event in his hometown of Orlando.

Svajda, 18, of San Diego, is currently World No. 716. He won the 2021 USTA Boys’ 18s national championship, defending his title from 2019 (the last time the event was held). He became the first player to win back-to-back boys’ 18s singles titles since Jack Sock did so in 2010 and 2011. Svajda memorably pushed ATP Tour veteran Paolo Lorenzi to five sets in the first round of the 2019 US Open at the age of 16.

Purcell, 23, of Sydney, Australia, is currently World No. 206 in singles. An accomplished doubles player, he will be making his US Open singles main draw debut.

The USTA also announced the men receiving wild cards into the US Open Qualifying tournament, held 24-27 August at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center:

Ulises Blanch (23; Orlando, Fla.), a former world No. 2-ranked junior and two-time ATP Challenger Tour winner; Christian Harrison (27; Shreveport, La.), who reached the semi-finals in Delray Beach in January and has improved his FedEx ATP Ranking by nearly 800 spots this year after returning from a number of injuries; Zane Khan (19; Houston), who has won three ITF World Tennis Tour titles this year; Aleks Kovacevic (22; New York), a former All-American at the University of Illinois and 2021 USTA Summer Collegiate Team member; Stefan Kozlov (23; Pembroke Pines, Fla.) a former World No. 115 who reached two junior Grand Slam finals and has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles; Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (24, New York) a former standout at the University of California, Santa Barbara who has won three ITF World Tennis Tour titles this year; Govind Nanda (20, Redlands, Calif.), a current UCLA star who competed in qualifying at the 2019 US Open after finishing runner-up at the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships and recent winner of a ITF World Tennis Tour M25 title; Ben Shelton (18, Gainesville, Fla.), this year’s USTA Boy’s 18s singles finalist and rising sophomore at the University of Florida; and Eliot Spizzirri (19, Greenwich, Conn.), the 2019 US Open boys’ doubles champion and current University of Texas standout who also recently won a ITF World Tennis Tour M25 title.

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ATP's & WTA's Newly Integrated Marketing Team Serves Up A Second Season Of Tennis United

The ATP and WTA have today announced Tennis United: CrossCourt, a continuation of the award-winning digital content series originally released during the 2020 suspended season. Back by popular demand, the reimagined project marks the first major co-branded initiative to debut since the two Tours integrated marketing operations earlier this year.

Tennis United: CrossCourt goes behind the scenes of life on Tour through a series of intimate one-on-one conversations between ATP and WTA stars. Spanning eight captivating, short-format episodes, players explore a range of largely untouched subjects from within and beyond sport, offering fans a raw perspective on the experiences, pressures and privileges that make up life in professional tennis.

From Dominic Thiem and Madison Keys opening up on mental health, to tennis’ newlywed star couple Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina finding love on Tour – and how their proposal nearly took a very different turn – the series gets up close and personal like never before. Other episodes take a deep dive into the game itself, from Andrey Rublev and Aryna Sabalenka shedding light on dealing with defeat, to Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jennifer Brady unpacking the discussion around on-court coaching.

The complete episode list:
• Episode 1: Relationships (Gael Monfils & Elina Svitolina)
• Episode 2: Coaching (Felix Auger-Aliassime & Jennifer Brady)
• Episode 3: Mental Health (Madison Keys & Dominic Thiem)
• Episode 4: Doubles (Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Jamie Murray)
• Episode 5: Parenthood (Fabio Fognini & Elena Vesnina)
• Episode 6: Travel (Belinda Bencic & Grigor Dimitrov)
• Episode 7: Discipline (Hubert Hurkacz & Iga Swiatek)
• Episode 8: Locker Room (Andrey Rublev & Aryna Sabalenka)

This past January, the ATP and WTA transitioned to an integrated marketing operation, building on unprecedented collaboration between the Tours over the past 18 months. Under the alignment, key leadership roles across social media, digital and branding are now responsible for maximising engagement through joint storytelling and creating efficiencies on key projects. Collaboration across commercial and communications over the same period has further leveraged the unique appeal of both Tours, highlighted by recent joint-brand partnerships with TopCourt and Tennis Clash.

Dan Ginger, the newly appointed SVP, Brand and Marketing, said: “Few professional sports have the opportunity that tennis does, to tell an authentic story of male and female athletes united. This has always been our vision for Tennis United. Creating a centralised marketing team across the Tours allows us to further reduce fragmentation within the sport and focus on positioning tennis as a leading global entertainment property.”

New episodes of Tennis United: CrossCourt will debut every Wednesday across YouTube and ATP/WTA digital channels, starting from 25 August. Ideation and creative direction for the new season was supported by Racquet Magazine, which serves as presenting partner of the series. The show’s distinctive new visual identity was developed by award-winning London-based agency MATTA, whose recent joint projects include the ATP’s and WTA’s ‘Tennis is Life’ campaign.

To watch the official trailer, click here.

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US Open: Defending champion Dominic Thiem will miss US Open and rest of 2021 season

Defending US Open champion Dominic Thiem will miss this year’s tournament and the rest of the 2021 season with a wrist injury.

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Krawietz/Tecau Lead Doubles Winners Tuesday In Cincinnati

On a rainy Tuesday at the Western & Southern Open, fifth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau advanced to the second round with a 7-5, 6-3 victory against Argentines Federico Delbonis and Diego Schwartzman.

The German-Romanian duo won 86 per cent of their first-serve points and earned three service breaks to advance after one hour and 15 minutes. They will next play Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Fabio Fognini of Italy for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Krawietz and Tecau teamed this year once Krawietz’s usual partner, Andreas Mies, underwent knee surgery early in the season. Krawietz and Tecau are seventh in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings as they try to secure a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held in Turin from 14-21 November.

In other action, sixth seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek beat Matwe Middelkoop and Luke Saville 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 10-6 and Filip Krajinovic and Fabrice Martin ousted Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig 1-6, 6-4, 10-7.

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Berrettini Battles Back In Cincinnati Behind 25 Aces

Matteo Berrettini did not get an easy welcome back to action on Tuesday in his first match since Wimbledon, but the fifth seed found a way to reach the third round at the Western & Southern Open.

The Italian star rallied past Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 after two hours and 20 minutes to advance in Cincinnati. The 25-year-old had not played since the final of The Championships due to a thigh injury.

Berrettini has now won 15 of his past 17 matches and is 33-7 on the season. This year’s Belgrade and Queen’s Club champion will next play 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, one of his best friends on Tour, or Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Karen Khachanov.

The players did not begin their clash until just shy of 8 p.m due to more than four hours of rain. Berrettini, a 2019 Nitto ATP Finals competitor, was in trouble against Ramos-Vinolas, who proved a tricky foe for his first match in more than a month.

The lefty uses heavy spin on his forehand and rarely makes unforced errors, and that seemed to bother Berrettini, who was searching for rhythm. The Italian hit 25 aces in the match to stay in contact and escape difficult service games.

But in the deciding moments of the final set, the script flipped. Berrettini, who is known for his hammer-like forehand, used his backhand slice to force Ramos-Vinolas to play extra balls. And at 5-5 in the third set, the Spaniard made mistakes off those floating shots, missing an inside-out forehand to lose serve.

Berrettini closed out the match in the next game with a forehand drop shot, turning to his team and yelling “Vamos!” to celebrate. It was the World No. 8’s first victory in Cincinnati.

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Isner Makes History In Cincinnati, Joins 13,000-Ace Club

John Isner felled Cameron Norrie and yet another serving milestone on Tuesday evening at the Western & Southern Open.

The 36-year-old American defeated the British lefty 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 to reach the second round in Cincinnati. In doing so, Isner hit 26 aces to reach 13,004 for his career. He is just the second player in history to reach the 13,000-ace milestone, joining Ivo Karlovic (13,709).

Isner has found good form during the North American hard-court swing, winning his 16th ATP Tour title in Atlanta and advancing to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in more than two years last week in Toronto.

The home favourite will next play #NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner, the 11th seed, who eliminated Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-2, 7-5 on Monday. This will be the pair’s first ATP Head2Head clash.

Isner found himself down a set when play resumed after a rain delay that lasted more than four hours. But he successfully navigated a tricky tie-break and broke immediately in the third set to put himself in a strong position. Isner fittingly hit three aces in the final game of the match to triumph after exactly two hours.

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My Masters 1000: Daniil Medvedev

Fresh off winning his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto, Daniil Medvedev is set for his fourth appearance at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

The 25-year-old captured the title in 2019, and will lead the field as the top seed, beginning against Mackenzie McDonald.

Medvedev recently spoke to ATPTour.com about his favourite Masters 1000 venues, memories and matches.

Which ATP Masters 1000 host city is your favourite and why?
My favourite Masters 1000 is Shanghai, because I have good memories from there. I played a Challenger there first. It was my best result [at a] Challenger [at the time], [I reached] the semi-finals. I really liked the city. I was enjoying the city and life there and then I won my Masters 1000 there. It made it even better. I think I stayed in probably the best hotel in my life in Shanghai. Everything there is perfect.

What was the highlight of the hotel?
I would say the lobby and the details of everything. You can see it in the elevator, coming to your room, all the ceilings, all the lighting, everything. It was just perfect. There was not one thing that I saw that was not perfect.

Which Masters 1000 would you most like to win and why?
I would say Miami. I really like the tournament, maybe it is my second favourite Masters 1000. I am not sure. I really like the city and I really like the tournament, so I would say this one. The first time I [went to Miami], I really liked how it is located. There is ocean all over the place. You can go from island to island through the bridges. [There are] beaches everywhere. I really enjoyed it from the first time.

Do you remember your Masters 1000 debut?
I definitely remember it. It was in Indian Wells and I got mononucleosis and angina. I was not feeling good. I lost to Mikhail Youzhny and I was feeling like hell. After [that event], I didn’t play for two months because I was recovering.

What do you consider to be your best Masters 1000 win?
Of course there are a lot, but I would say the win over Novak in Cincinnati [in 2019] because that allowed me to go into the final and to win the tournament. I lost the first set and I was crazy tired after everything that was going on in that summer of 2019. I managed to step up and beat him in a good way. I felt like that was maybe one of the best two sets that I had played, at that time especially. That was a really great match.

What is your favourite off-court memory or activity at a Masters 1000?
This one is so funny. In Cincinnati, there is this park of attractions. Kings Island. Me and my wife, who at the time was my girlfriend, we went there after I lost my match in Cincinnati. I think I lost in the first round. I am quite scared. I like aqua centres but, at [amusement] parks, I am quite scared.

I thought, ‘Okay, now I am a grown up. It will be easy’. I went there and the first thing we did was where they hold you so your legs are in the air. It was a hell of a ride. I had my wallet and my phone inside my tennis shorts, so I was super lucky to still have my wallet because I was not holding my tennis shorts. I didn’t know this thing was going to go that crazy. That was probably the scariest ride of my life. One hundred per cent.

I lost my phone. I didn’t have a phone for one month after because I didn’t want to buy a new one and I was super lucky to still have my wallet with my ID, licenses and credit cards. Otherwise, I don’t know how I would have come back. Then, we went on the second ride and after this one — it was just a rollercoaster — my wife said, ‘You will never go on this again.’ I was almost losing consciousness. I was white. That was a really funny story.

What is your dream match at a Masters 1000?
I would like to play Rafa at one of the clay-court tournaments. I probably would not have many chances, but it is a great challenge to play Rafa on clay. I didn’t have this moment so far, so it would be a great match. I want the challenge that is almost impossible to make, but there are people who made it — people of my age — so I want to try.

Toughest match you’ve played at a Masters 1000?
There were a lot, but straight away I remember one in Toronto against Felix. At the time he was young and up-and-coming, outside the Top 100. I was actually not feeling well at this tournament, but it was the [second] time I made the third round at a Masters 1000. I won 9/7 in the [final-set] tie-break. It was a hell of a match and really tough.

Greatest match you’ve ever seen at a Masters 1000 event?
I was young, so I’m not sure I saw it all, but it was in Rome [in 2006] where Rafa played Roger and they played this crazy five-set final. I was so young that I don’t even remember who won, I would [guess] Rafa, but saving match points. This match was crazy. [Editor: Nadal won 7/6 in the fifth.]

What is your favourite court at any of the Masters 1000 events?
I would go with Paris, because it is really huge. It is indoors. It reminds me of The O2 and it has a special atmosphere. Even without a crowd, it was really special to win there [last year].

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The Nomadic Life With… Pablo Carreno Busta

Spanish World No. 11 Pablo Carreno Busta speaks to ATPTour.com about his life as a tennis player; the nomadic lifestyle that sees him pack his bags every week to travel to a new destination with the hope of bettering himself on the ATP Tour.

Which non-sporting items do you always take travelling?
Until a few months ago, I always travelled with my PlayStation, but now I’m stopping that. I’m maturing a bit more (laughs). In recent tournaments I’ve tended to take a book, my headphones and my computer to watch a few series or do the odd thing that always crops up. Little else.

Have you ever forgotten anything that has stressed you out?
I have a pretty good memory, because I normally do the same thing when I get on the plane. I have my routine, and that helps me not forget essential things. The odd time, I’ve forgotten my tablet or a charger, but it hasn’t really stressed me out.

What are those routines on the plane?
I sit down, take my tablet or my book with me, and try to get as comfortable as possible. I also leave my wallet and my passport in the compartment so that I don’t forget them. I always do the same thing. Then, I watch a film or a series, or read my book to pass the time. But I also sleep easily. And sometimes when I get on a plane my body tells me I need to rest immediately.

Do you enjoy travelling around the world or do you simply consider it to be something you have to do to be a professional tennis player?
It’s true that you don’t always feel like travelling, and that sometimes you’d rather stay at home. But the truth is that I really enjoy playing tennis and everything that comes with it. It’s my life, my passion, and I’m very comfortable travelling.

What do you like most about travelling?
The best thing is that you visit different countries, discover their culture and, above all, their food. It’s true that sometimes we can’t enjoy everything we’d like to. Now, because of the COVID-19 bubbles. And because, at the end of the day, you’re at a tournament and you can’t visit all the things you’d like to. But discovering another country’s culture and gastronomy is something you can do. I love that.

How do you try and overcome the time difference and acclimatise to the local time zone?
Honestly, I don’t tend to have too much difficulty. But there is work behind that. I calculate when I take my flights. I try to sleep if I’m travelling at night. I also make an effort not to sleep if I’m going to sleep when I arrive. I pass the time watching films and reading books. I try to get used to the time zone of the country I’m going to be in a little earlier.

Can you talk about a time when you decided to play in a tournament partly because you wanted to visit the city?
I don’t look so much at where I’m travelling to, more at the schedule that suits me best. The cities have never defined my calendar, it’s more the sporting side. And if I miss a city on the calendar, I know I will probably be able to visit it the following year.

Which is your favourite tournament city to visit and why?
Many. Right now I can tell you it’s Hamburg. It’s a beautiful city, there are a lot of places to visit. My last time there, I visited many beautiful places with my girlfriend and we shared a lot of good times. I can also say that I’m happy going to play in Australia. Melbourne is also beautiful. And I loved Perth.

What is your favourite holiday destination?
I was recently lucky enough to visit Tanzania, and I really liked it. We went for one week, I was resting there, disconnecting on very beautiful beaches. We went on the odd excursion. I had a great time. I wouldn’t say I want to go back because I always want to go to new places, but I’d recommend it.

What’s your craziest travel story?
Once, to go to Cincinnati we had three layovers, and on the second one we missed the flight and got stuck in Dallas. There were no flights the next day, so we had to go on a road trip. It was a real ordeal. I think it was the only long journey I have missed. I’ve also missed short flights. In Valencia, in Paris… But it wasn’t much of an issue because there you’re closer to home.

As a tennis player, looking after your body is essential. How do you do that on long journeys?
We do a lot of treatments with the physios. And for long flights, I try to hydrate a lot and use compression socks.

Do you normally arrive at the airport with a lot of time to spare?
If I’m familiar with the airport, I don’t. If they’re new, I go with a lot of time to spare. I’m organised with time, I’m very punctual, it’s one of the things that characterises me, I’m really careful about that. I really don’t like waiting for other people at all. That’s why I try to be the first to arrive.

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Cincinnati Honours 2-Time Winner Trabert

The Western & Southern Open honored the memory of two-time winner and Cincinnati native Tony Trabert on Monday, which would have been his 91st birthday.

Both the City of Cincinnati and the City of Mason proclaimed Aug. 16 Tony Trabert Day and members of his family were presented with the official proclamations between matches Monday evening.

Trabert was a three-time high school state champion at Walnut Hills and the 1951 collegiate national champion for the University of Cincinnati. He won five major singles titles in his career, including three in 1955 alone, along with five major doubles titles. A Davis Cup champion both as a player and a captain for the United States, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970.

Trabert passed away in February and is survived by his wife, Vickie, five children, 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Read more about Trabert, his Cincinnati upbringing and remarkable career here.

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Cincinnati Open: Johanna Konta knocked out in first round by Karolina Muchova

British number one Johanna Konta loses in the first round of the Cincinnati Open to Karolina Muchova.

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