Tennis News

The joy & motivation of Kei Nishikori

The smile on Kei Nishikori’s face said it all Tuesday afternoon in Montreal. The former No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings had just crushed a forehand winner past #NextGenATP American Alex Michelsen to seal his place in the second round of the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers.

More importantly, it was a flash of the Japanese star’s best tennis. The 34-year-old enjoyed finding that form to battle on at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

“In the end, yes, but first and second sets, no, because I still struggled with how I played,” Nishikori told ATPTour.com, cracking a laugh. “I think that’s because I haven’t played many matches and I don’t have confidence, and especially [since] I lost easily last week. I didn’t play good last week. That’s why I was also worried coming into today.

“But in the end, I was playing much better, like I wanted to play, so I have to be happy with how I played today.”

Nishikori has hit the highest of highs in the sport, earning 435 tour-level wins, 12 ATP Tour titles, competing in four Nitto ATP Finals and reaching a major final at the 2014 US Open. Competing in just his ninth tournament since October 2021, he is beginning his journey back towards the top of the tennis world.

By his side is 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, who began coaching Nishikori earlier this year.

“He’s such a nice guy. He’s doing everything he can to be able to come back. And I think I have to say he’s one of, if not the most talented player I’ve ever worked with because everything comes very easy for him,” said Johansson, who has coached the likes of David Goffin, Maria Sakkari and Sorana Cirstea. “He’s also very light in his body, so his movement is quite effortless. So it’s been a lot of fun, but of course, we had some setbacks with some injuries here and there, and that I think could be the only thing that is holding him back, because I feel like the tennis is improving week by week, but we need to be able to keep his body in shape.”

Nishikori is also clearly enjoying his time on the court and with the fans. After his match point against Michelsen, he looked at his team nearly laughing from how well he closed out the match. “I surprise myself too sometimes,” he joked.

“It was different when I was young. I feel like I’m trying to enjoy it a little more because I really appreciate where I am right now. I cannot compare to those top four players, but I still am in good position and I think I showed good tennis today, so that gives me a little more motivation coming in this summer. I’m always looking forward to playing.”

The World No. 576 explained that it has not always been easy, especially at the Paris Olympics, where he lost in straight sets in the first round to Jack Draper. But he believes that the more matches he plays, the quicker his confidence will build.

“I think I just need a couple more matches, good matches, even if I lose,” Nishikori said. “I think that gives me a little bit more confidence every week. And I hope I can play [more] good tennis next round.”

Since arriving in Montreal, Nishikori has benefitted from training with the game’s biggest stars, including World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev.

“This is also what he needs,” Johansson said. “He needs to feel how they play, how they move, how they serve, how they return. He’s such a smart player, so he will pick it up.”

Nishikori added: “I’ve been practising with Jannik a lot in Monaco and here too. I think that’s helping a lot, because they are a little bit different than other Top 10 players. The Top 10 players give me good rhythm, and you have to be ready every point, and they don’t give you free points. So I always enjoy it, and it’s good for me. I don’t know if it’s good for them, but it’s obviously helping me to get back to my level.”

The good thing for Nishikori is that he has the tools to find his best game. Johansson raved about the Japanese player’s ball-striking ability.

“For me, the contact that he has [with] the ball is just insane. And you can tell him in practice, ‘Try to do this, try to do that’, and he does it like that,” Johansson said, snapping his fingers. “And this, I think, is a gift. But also he sees things very clear on the court. So for example, when he plays a match, and then after we discuss, we see pretty much the same things. So he’s very aware of what happens on the court. And I think that’s his biggest gift.”

Nishikori will try to show that on Court Rogers Thursday, when he plays eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Montreal second round. They have split their two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, the most recent of which came three years ago in Miami.

“I think I have to enjoy, keep my motivation ready every week,” Nishikori said. “Right now, I cannot expect to be playing good tennis 100 per cent yet. So I just need to enjoy every match, and hopefully sometimes my tennis will be back.”

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Thompson breaking new ground: 'I've been working my whole life'

Jordan Thompson made history Monday when he cracked the Top 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time aged 30. Only three players in the 21st century have accomplished the feat for the first time at an older age: Gilles Muller (33), Jan-Lennard Struff (30) and Michael Llodra (30).

“It’s pretty special. Thirty on 30,” Thompson told ATPTour.com after advancing to the second round of the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers. “I’ve been working my whole life to keep pushing forward. So hopefully I can keep going. Top 30 is a good milestone for me, but hopefully I can keep pushing on.”

It has been a long time coming for the Sydneysider. His father, Stephen, is a tennis coach and has mentored ‘Thommo’ since the age of four.

“I remember my dad putting in a lot of hours on the court that I probably never thanked him for, and my mom a lot of time driving in the car with me,” Thompson recalled. “I remember I spent so many hours just driving all around — well, my mom spent all those hours driving around Sydney — and I probably never thanked her either. So it’s a lot of sacrifice that goes into any professional athlete. I have a lot to thank them for.”

The Australian has fond memories of those early days. He worked hard to steadily improve, reaching a career-high No. 18 in the juniors and cracking the Top 100 in 2016 aged 22. He credits it all to his family and the coaches who helped him along the way.

“It is odd for a father and son, but we never really had an argument, and we never really do on the court. I remember one time, I thought I was right, but I was wrong. And then when I found out, I just let it go, and never did it again,” Thompson said. “He was always trying to make sure my technique was in order. Pretty much every shot that I have is owed to my dad.

“[I was] hitting kick serves before 10 years old and working on forehand technique, backhand technique, slice, everything. He always told me, ‘If you want to be a good player, you’ve got to do everything well’. So hopefully I’m doing that.”

Thompson’s father still helps Jordan today, training him when they’re together during the preseason and traveling for a few weeks in the middle of the year. “I’m pretty lucky,” Thompson said.

The 30-year-old is one of the most gritty players on the ATP Tour, using his fighting spirit and all the tools in his bag. Whether a heavy kick serve out wide, a defensive slice, or angles off the forehand wing, Thompson employs it all to find ways past his opponent.

In February, the Australian won his first ATP Tour title in Los Cabos. In the quarter-finals, Alex Michelsen led him 6-0, 4-1, 15/40 on Thompson’s serve. The rugby fan rallied, then defeated Alexander Zverev in a final-set tie-break and Casper Ruud to lift the trophy. What is next for the World No. 30?

“The real goal is to be a seed at the Grand Slams for me. So I’m getting close. Hopefully I can do that,” Thompson said. “But also it’s about trying to keep getting better and keep improving, so hopefully I can do that for a few more years, while my career is still going.”

When a young Thompson was training with his father in Sydney, he did not spend all his time dreaming of winning titles. But this year he checked that box off and is now a Top 30 player seemingly still in position to break new ground.

“I just wanted to win matches, and if the title came with it, unreal. But I think everyone wants to win titles. The way I see it is it’s one point at a time, not really looking too far ahead,” Thompson said. “Of course I want to win a title, but at the start of the week, I’m not thinking, ‘I want to win this title’. I’m obviously there to win it, but I’m taking it point by point and taking it opponent by opponent. So I think it’s more the fact that I don’t look ahead to too much.

Fourteen months ago, Thompson fell from the Top 100 for a week. Ever since, he has soared towards the top of the sport.

“For nearly the last 10 years, I’ve finished inside the Top 100. A couple of weeks I fell out in two separate years, I think,” Thompson said, before reflecting on his return to form. “I’ve got to put that down to the coaching, my dad and [coach] Marinko [Matosevic] getting me back on track there.

“I just got straight back out… There’s always work to be done.”

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Berrettini, Opelka headline Cincinnati wild cards

Former World No. 6 Matteo Berrettini, Reilly Opelka, Marcos Giron and Max Purcell have been awarded wild cards for the Cincinnati Open, the tournament announced Wednesday.

The Italian Berrettini will bring his 10-match winning streak to the ATP Masters 1000 event, having won back-to-back titles in Gstaad and Kitzbühel. It will mark the 28-year-old’s sixth Cincinnati appearance.

Opelka’s next stop in his comeback trail is a familiar one. The 6’11” American first played in Cincinnati as an 18-year-old wild card in 2016 and reached the quarter-finals four years later. Opelka has competed in three tournaments in the past month following a 23-month injury layoff.

Giron looks to continue his standout season. The 31-year-old won his maiden tour-level title in Newport and is currently at a career-high No. 34 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Purcell aims to defend quarter-final points from last year’s run as a qualifier.

Qualifying wild cards were awarded to Cincinnati-native J.J. Wolf, Mackenzie McDonald, Zachary Svajda and Brandon Holt. The Cincinnati Open runs from 12-19 August.

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Draper & Sinner down Bublik & Shelton, reach Montreal QFs

In a second-round showdown between four Top 30 singles players in the PIF ATP Rankings, Jack Draper and Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Bublik and Ben Shelton 7-6(2), 6-1 at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers.

The British-Italian duo won 81 per cent of their serves and saved all three break points they faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to reach the quarter-finals. They will next face second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden or 14th seeds Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski.

Bublik and Shelton were competing just hours after playing each other in a first-round singles match, won by the American.

As part of the ATP doubles trial, teams of singles players are pitted against doubles specialist teams in the first round and Wednesday’s action featured a handful of such matches, with the results evenly split.

Miomir Kecmanovic and Casper Ruud ousted the seventh-seeded Argentine duo Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6(4), 6-3.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/07/22/45/kecmanovic-ruud-montreal-2024-wednesday.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Miomir Kecmanovic and Casper Ruud in Montreal.” />
^{Miomir Kecmanovic and Casper Ruud in Montreal. Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}

Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Alejandro Tabilo ended the seven-match winning streak of 13th seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow with a 1-6, 6-4, 10-4 victory. The American pair arrived in Montreal after back-to-back titles in Atlanta and Washington.

Nys and Zielinski and 15th seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Nikola Mektic scored wins for the doubles specialists. The Monegasque-Polish duo overcame Arthur Fils and Nicolas Jarry 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 while Glasspool and Mektic raced past Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/07/23/10/mektic-glasspool-montreal-2024-wednesday.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Nikola Mektic and Lloyd Glasspool advance in straight sets.” />
^{Nikola Mektic and Lloyd Glasspool advance in straight sets. Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}

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Nadal 'not 100%' as he pulls out of US Open

Rafael Nadal pulls out of this month’s US Open, saying he would not “be able to give my 100% at this time”.

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Nadal withdraws from US Open

Rafael Nadal announced on social media Wednesday that he will not compete at the US Open. The 38-year-old Spaniard shared that his next event will be the Laver Cup in Berlin.

“Hi all, writing today to let you guys know that I have decided not to compete at this year’s US Open, a place where I have amazing memories,” Nadal wrote. “I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe, but I don’t think I would be able to give my 100 per cent this time.

“Thanks to all my US Fans in particular, will miss you all and will see you another time. Best of luck to all for the always amazing US Open! My next event will be the Laver Cup in Berlin.”

Hi all, writing today to let you guys know that I have decided not to compete at this year’s US Open a place where I have amazing memories.
I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe, but I don’t think I would be able to give my 100% this time.
Thanks… pic.twitter.com/FluGRWUzIp

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 7, 2024

A four-time champion at Flushing Meadows, the lefty has earned a 12-7 season record across seven appearances. In the past month, Nadal reached the final of the ATP 250 event in Bastad and made the second round of the Paris Olympics, where he lost to longtime rival and eventual gold medalist Novak Djokovic. Nadal and countryman Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals in doubles.

Nadal, a part of Team Europe in the Laver Cup, will compete alongside Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Laver Cup will be held from 20-22 September.

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Shelton wins hilarious match point to beat Bublik in Montreal

Ben Shelton defeated doubles partner Alexander Bublik 7-6(4), 6-2 in a first-round match that ended in hilarious fashion Wednesday at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers.

The 11th-seeded American hit a backhand drop shot while holding three match points at 5-2 in the second set. Bublik darted towards the net and in a last-second effort, threw his racquet at the ball, making perfect contact. Though the shot did not count due to the racquet leaving Bublik’s hand, the ball landed on Shelton’s side, leaving the 21-year-old stunned. The pair of Top 25 players in the PIF ATP Rankings shared a laugh during a warm embrace at net.

Shelton, who will team the Kazakhstani later Wednesday in a second-round doubles showdown against Jack Draper and Jannik Sinner, overcame early forehand errors to record his first win in three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Bublik. The two-time tour-level titlist raised his level when Bublik served for the opening set at 5-4 and rarely looked back to earn his career-best 27th match win of the season.

“I think the consistency in my tennis is improving every week,” Shelton said of his 8-0 first-round season record at ATP Masters 1000 level and higher. “I’m feeling more and more comfortable. I’m starting to feel more comfortable on the court against guys that I’ve had a lot of trouble with before. I think that my game is evolving every day. Surely not the player that I want to be in the future, but I think I’m moving the right way with a lot of things and finding identity on court.”

Up next for Shelton will be Australian Alexei Popyrin. The Australian downed Czech Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-4.

Shelton’s countrymen ninth seed Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, a semi-finalist last year at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event, and Brandon Nakashima also advanced. The 26-year-old Fritz defeated Mariano Navone 6-4, 6-1.

“It was a solid match. I feel like the level, probably from both of us, went up a bit in the second set. We started playing longer points,” said Fritz, who struck 19 winners to the Argentine’s three. “The conditions are tough. The balls feel so hard to control, so kind of a lot of errors coming out from both sides. I started getting into the movement — moving side to side — just feeling a bit more normal on the court in the second set.”

Fritz will next play Washington champion and countryman Sebastian Korda, who led Vasek Pospisil 2-1 when the Canadian retired due to a back injury.

Paul, 27, scored a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory against Luciano Darderi. Into the second round, the 10th seed will face Nakashima, who ousted home favourite Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 7-5.

Through the first round 🙌@OBNmontreal | @TommyPaul1 | #OBN24 pic.twitter.com/FRVMItE4hD

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 7, 2024

Flavio Cobolli spoiled Felix Auger-Aliassime’s return to his home city, defeating the 14th seed 6-3, 6-2 on the eve of the Canadian’s 24th birthday. Cobolli, 22, arrived in Montreal at a career-high World No. 33 in the PIF ATP Rankings following last week’s run to the Washington final.

Thanasi Kokkinakis overcame a nervy ending to beat last year’s quarter-finalist Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3. The Aussie dropped serve when serving for the match at 5-1, but kept his cool on his second attempt. Kokkinakis will face fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz on Thursday.

Ugo Humbert, seeded 12th, raced past fellow Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 to improve to 10-2 against his countrymen since the start of 2023. The 26-year-old has defeated #NextGenATP Fils three times in that same amount of time.

Croatian Borna Coric earned a 6-4, 6-4 win against Pedro Martinez, setting a second-round encounter against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. It will mark the qualifier’s second meeting with the Italian. Sinner beat Coric in three sets at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

The in-form Jordan Thompson, who this week cracked the Top 30 for the first time, defeated Jack Draper 7-5, 6-2. Matteo Arnaldi rallied past Mackenzie McDonald 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Roman Safiullin 6-2, 7-5.

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2024 US Open prize money

The US Open will offer a record $75 million in player compensation this year, with first-round prize money reaching $100,000 per player for the first time.

Early-round increases announced by the USTA cover both qualifying and the main draw of the hard-court Grand Slam in New York. The figure of $100,000 for reaching the first round is an increase of 72 per cent from five years ago, when it was $58,000. Those who lose in the final round of qualifying will this year take home $52,000, an increase of 63 per cent from when it was $32,000 in 2019.

There have also been increases in prize money for those players that go deep into the tournament. The men’s and women’s singles champions in New York will each receive $3.6 million, a 20 per cent increase from 2023. The singles finalists will earn $1,800,000.

The men’s doubles and women’s doubles championship teams will claim $750,000 per team. There has been a nine per cent increase in the total prize money for the men’s and women’s doubles draws from last year.

The year’s fourth and final major, the US Open will be played at Flushing Meadows from 26 August-8 September.

Men’s & Women’s Singles Prize Money

Men’s & Women’s Doubles Prize Money

Men’s & Women’s Singles Qualifying Prize Money

Mixed Doubles Prize Money

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Here's why Alcaraz & Sinner are second-serve standouts

Second serves are barely an asset.

The ATP Tour average is 51 per cent points won behind second serves. It’s only when you reach the rarified air at the top of the PIF ATP Rankings that you see the needle move in this all-important match metric.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of World No. 1, Jannik Sinner, and World No. 3, Carlos Alcaraz, identifies how they are able to create enough separation from their opponents to make a real difference behind their second serves. The data set is comprised of a minimum of 80 matches for each player over the past three seasons.

Second Serve Points Won

• Sinner = 54%
• Alcaraz = 55%

Sinner and Alcaraz only move three and four percentage points north of the tour average of 51%, but it’s enough to make a substantial difference to their careers. What’s fascinating is that Sinner and Alcaraz go about improving their average second-serve points won in different ways.

Deuce Court Second Serve Direction

Sinner
• Wide = 19%
• Body = 44%
• T = 37%

Sinner’s primary target is the body location, at 44 per cent. The majority of those serves go to the body-backhand slot, but a sizable total also test the returner’s body-forehand jam location as well.

Alcaraz
• Wide = 14%
• Body = 27%
• T = 59%

Alcaraz employs a vastly different strategy by taking almost six out of every 10 second serves right down the T to the right-hander’s backhand return, making them move sideways to the ball. On the other hand, Sinner’s second serve at the body is attempting to make the returner move away from the incoming serve directly at their body.

Ad Court Second Serve Direction

Sinner
• Wide = 19%
• Body = 63%
• T = 18%

Just like the Deuce court, Sinner prefers to go right at the body, with almost two out of three (63%) struck there. The big advantage of this location is that Sinner does not have to worry about the singles line or centre line on the sides of the service box.

Alcaraz
• Wide = 49%
• Body = 38%
• T = 13%

Alcaraz hits more than double (49% to 19%) the amount of second serves out wide in the Ad court compared to Sinner. The Spaniard prefers to hit a heavy kick that pulls his opponent outside the singles court. Alcaraz’s key locations in the Deuce and Ad court are all about getting the ball up high to the backhand return, while Sinner wants to immediately jam up his opponent and extract a weak return.

Unreturned Second Serves

In the Deuce court, both players have the most unreturned serves from their surprise second serves out wide to the right-hander’s forehand return. Alcaraz has 26 per cent unreturned from this specific spot, while Sinner was at 24 per cent.

That dynamic also played out in the Ad court, with both players forcing more return errors with the secondary serve down the T to the forehand. Alcaraz had a very healthy 29 per cent unreturned from the T in the Ad court, while Sinner was at 21 per cent.

Second Serve Win Percentages

Alcaraz won a head-turning 66 per cent second serves out wide in the Deuce court to lead all locations, while Sinner topped out at 62 per cent with his wide serve in the Ad court. At all six locations across the Deuce and Ad court service boxes, Sinner and Alcaraz were above the 50 per cent points won threshold.

Sinner and Alcaraz excel behind their second serves. It’s compelling to see the different serve locations they have mastered in their ascent to the pinnacle of our sport.

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Quick questions with Holger Rune: Special feelings & Montreal poutine

Many fans lined the exit of Court Central Tuesday evening in Montreal shouting Holger Rune’s name. Some wanted an autograph, others asked for a photo. There was enthusiastic support for the 21-year-old from Denmark, who had just defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the first round of the Omnium Banque National presente par Rogers.

Rune, who reached a career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings last year, is competing in Montreal for just the second time. But he felt like a crowd favourite when he battled into the second round.

ATPTour.com caught up with the 13th seed, who will next play another Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta, for a round of quick questions with the Dane.

It was pretty cool hearing when they were yelling ‘Holger! Holger! Holger!’ Do you remember the first time any fans were cheering your name?
Yeah, it was many years ago. And it’s great. It feels very good with the support. It’s a special feeling. Being able to travel all over the world and hearing my name, it’s really cool. Playing the first round here on centre court means a lot, and it was a special occasion. I’m just happy I could reveal good enough tennis to get through.

Did you ever watch a primetime match when you were a kid in the stands?
Millions, millions. Well, not so many in the stands, but definitely almost every primetime match on TV. Even the non-primetime matches, I still was watching. So I was watching almost from Court 14 to centre court, almost every tennis match.

But also, I was privileged enough to travel to a few tournaments with my family. I went to the Stockholm Open when I was a kid. It’s cool to have these memories in the bag, and now to be there as a player.

Leaping into Round 2 🕺@OBNmontreal | #OBN24 pic.twitter.com/8mAgdRVRkv

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 7, 2024

Does any match stick out from Stockholm?
Yeah, I was watching… I’m quite sure it was actually [Gael] Monfils against [Milos] Raonic, which is quite funny, because I was supposed to play Milos tonight. I’m very, very young, and they’re still on the Tour, so it’s pretty cool to be able to share those moments with these players.

You’re off tomorrow. What does a day off in Montreal look like for Holger Rune?
We’ll go and eat a poutine. It’s a Canadian specialty food, which is apparently very, very good. I’ve heard that I should definitely eat that, but not on the match day, it’s too heavy. But it’s the same, honestly. Wake up, eat breakfast, do some physio work, mobility, prevention, practise, cool down, get ready for the next day. So it’s boring, but cool.

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