French Open could be postponed because of increasing coronavirus cases
France’s sports minister Roxana Maracineanu says the French Open could be postponed because of a surge in coronavirus cases.
France’s sports minister Roxana Maracineanu says the French Open could be postponed because of a surge in coronavirus cases.
Jannik Sinner is the hottest young star in men’s tennis. On Sunday, the 19-year-old will have a chance to become the youngest champion in Miami Open presented by Itau history when he plays Hubert Hurkacz. To understand the teen’s rise, you must know that winning has not been his priority.
In September 2019, the #NextGenATP star was eating dinner a restaurant in Dolceacqua, Italy, less than an hour’s drive from Monte Carlo. Also at the table was his coach, Riccardo Piatti. More notable attendees were former World No. 1s Maria Sharapova and Marat Safin. Sharapova had recently started working with Piatti.
It was a night of friends sharing stories and simply enjoying the evening. But Sinner, who was two when Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2004, was in attendance by design according to Piatti.
“I wanted Jannik to understand the mentality of a No. 1. Maria has priorities,” Piatti told ATPTour.com. “When she is on the court, she is watching the ball, hitting the ball and doing everything perfect. When she plays points, she’s focussed to play the points. When she’s off the court, she’s focussed on the fitness part, physical part. When she finishes everything, she’s social.
“Maria is an example that she has a great mentality to be a champion.”
Up until that point, Sinner was still relatively unknown outside of hardcore fans. The teen had not yet cracked the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, nor had he competed in the Next Gen ATP Finals. But Piatti was desperate for his charge to spend as much time around champions as possible to learn even the smallest lessons from them.
“It’s not me explaining [a lesson], but another one like Nadal or Maria,” Piatti said. “He saw the mentality from these players. Maria was very, very important for me and for him.”
Less than two months later, Sinner captured the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy as a wild card and then won his third ATP Challenger Tour title the following week in Ortisei. Although he enjoys winning, that has never been his biggest focus. In nearly every press conference he participates in, Sinner tells reporters about how he is focussed on improving and the “long road” ahead of him.
That is why Piatti, who has worked with the likes of Ivan Ljubicic and Richard Gasquet, was so excited when he got a call from Carlos Moya ahead of this year’s trip to Australia. The Spaniard wanted to see if Sinner would be Nadal’s quarantine practice partner.
“Of course I was very happy, because you need to live with these guys. These guys are quite simple and focussed about what they are doing and Jannik likes [this] and he understands that Rafa is quite similar to him. The only difference is he won 20 Slams. Small difference,” Piatti said, cracking a laugh. “He understands, ‘Okay, if I do everything correct and I’m young and I need to continue like this, I can reach some of my dreams.’ It was in the perfect moment of his career.
“I think that these 14 days for Jannik were perfect to understand Rafa’s mind.”
However shocking it is, the Italian has only been fully focussed on tennis since he was 14. It wasn’t until then that he moved to Piatti’s academy in Bordighera from San Candido — which is near the Austrian border — and moved on from skiing.
“That was kind of a life-changer for me, because I never played tennis. I only played two times a week tennis. When I came there, I practised every day, morning and afternoon,” Sinner said. “For me, that was very tough in the beginning, so that’s what helped me, just working hard every day and [trying not to] lose energy on court, because [your day is] already tough. If you lose extra energy without any sense, it’s even tougher.”
Sinner is a sponge. If he wins, great. If he learns, even better. That is part of the reason Sinner has quickly become one of the calmest players on Tour, showing great maturity despite his age. Another reason behind this, according to Piatti, is his skiing background.
“If you ski or you make some race, you understand immediately that you need to be concentrated and if you make a mistake, you are out. In tennis, he was thinking that was the game,” Piatti said. “He liked tennis because he can make a mistake and then immediately come back and play again… he’s coming from a small village and his parents are good workers. He knows that everybody needs to work and if they want something, they need to do very well.”
Sinner comes from a humble family. Both of his parents work in a restaurant. His father Johann is a chef, and his mother Siglinde is a waitress.
“I saw that he was playing well, but what took my attention was outside the court. He was a 14-year-old kid, but he controlled the mind of a young man of 17, 18, 19,” Piatti said. “Immediately you see these kinds of kids. Jannik was like that. He has the personality to stay with everybody, so he was quite mature. I was focussed on that and after that I tried to help build his game.”
During professional tennis’ five-month suspension last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Piatti would choose at least two matches per week for Sinner to watch. He didn’t want his charge to want the world’s best playing well, though.
“I showed not when Novak was playing well, but when Novak was playing badly. That was important for me,” Piatti said.
It was about figuring out how champions manage their tough moments and still win. Sinner has already learned from some of his own experiences. At last year’s US Open, the Italian let slip a two-set lead against Karen Khachanov, falling in a fifth-set tie-break. In the second half of that clash, he was clearly cramping. Afterwards, he called Piatti to ask what went wrong and if he wasn’t fit enough. Piatti believes it was the mental stress and hydration — or lack thereof — that led him to cramp, not his fitness. Sinner still managed to find a way to nearly win the match, and he learned from that.
A similar situation happened in Miami when he played Khachanov again. After losing a physically gruelling first set in the Florida heat, Sinner appeared headed out of the tournament. Instead, he found a way to win. Now, he is on the verge of becoming just the sixth teen to lift a Masters 1000 trophy. Win or lose, though, Piatti’s goals are much bigger.
“Of course, winning Slams and becoming No. 1. I spoke with him already that I already had two players, Milos Raonic and Ivan Ljubicic No. 3. Now the goal is different,” Piatti said. “I want someone [to accomplish] more and this project started many years ago. It is not just what is going to [happen] tomorrow [in Miami].”
Sinner is beginning to lose the element of surprise on Tour. Although he clearly has the game to compete against the world’s best — in last year’s Roland Garros quarter-finals, the Italian even went blow for blow in many rallies against Nadal before losing in straight sets — opponents will begin to learn his tendencies.
“Roger Federer when he won Milan the first time is not the Roger Federer playing now and it’s the same for Djokovic and Rafa. They’re improving a lot and they are changing a lot,” Piatti said. “I think Jannik has this kind of potential.”
Tomorrow, the world will see if Sinner is ready for Masters 1000 glory. But only time will tell just how many titles the Italian will rack up. For now, Piatti just wants his player to continue learning everything he can, even if it’s just by sitting at a dinner table.
“[This final is] an important moment, but not the last moment. It’s part of what he needs to do,” Piatti said. “I’m very happy that it came now, but the season is long and the process is long.”
Hubert Hurkacz is making waves in Poland during the Miami Open presented by Itau, where the 24-year-old is into his first ATP Masters 1000 final. That means Wojtek Fibak, a Pole who cracked the world’s Top 10 in singles and doubles, is a busy man.
Fibak, the only other player from their country to win an ATP Tour singles title, has been getting 100 calls a day with requests to speak about Hurkacz. While talking to ATPTour.com on Saturday, the 67-time tour-level titlist (singles and doubles) said his two phones buzzed 10 times with calls from newspapers, radio bookers and TV stations.
“The whole of Poland is living his adventure,” Fibak said. “It’s thrilling for Poland.”
It’s been an exciting time for tennis in the country, and not just because of Hurkacz’s dream run in Florida. Last year, Polish WTA Tour star Iga Swiatek lifted the trophy at Roland Garros.
“Each time when we were talking about Iga last year, I always mentioned Hubert in all the interviews. I always said Hubert is equally talented,” Fibak said. “He moves like Iga on the court. He’s the fastest, he’s the best mover. He has a great forehand, great backhand. All the characteristics of Iga fit Hubert. I’ve always said Hubert has the same potential as Iga, so it doesn’t come as a big surprise.”
This is not the first time Hurkacz has shown his skills. He competed in the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals and has won two ATP Tour titles — at Winston Salem in 2019 and Delray Beach earlier this year. But Fibak first saw him play as a junior at Roland Garros.
“I remember just the way he walked, like a basketball player a little bit. I thought of Andy Murray and I thought he had great defence and great hands, but he wasn’t as consistent then,” Fibak said. “It’s difficult to be consistent with his tennis because he hits so flat, he doesn’t have any reserves. He doesn’t use topspin.
“With time, he became more consistent and then he became really dangerous.”
Fibak admitted that he doesn’t “pretend to do anything” officially for Hurkacz, but he keeps in touch with his countryman. Last December, he invited “Hubi” to his home in Poland.
“We spoke for a couple of hours and I told him to be more aggressive, more offensive and slightly cocky,” Fibak said. “He will never be cocky, but to have that nerve. Maybe that was what he was lacking and now he is a bit tougher. Not all the way, but that helps a lot.”
Fibak did not mean that in a negative way. Hurkacz is known for always smiling regardless of the situation, and the Polish legend loves that about him. But he noticed the rising star was “slightly shy, slightly not so sure of himself”.
“He didn’t have the tough side. He didn’t have what McEnroe and Connors succeeded with. He was almost too nice of a guy over the past two, three years and I think he didn’t have that killer instinct,” Fibak said. “Of course he’s been winning, he beat many good players. But I thought his potential is higher, that he has more potential to win tournaments and not only to be in the quarter-finals.”
The former singles World No. 10 and doubles World No. 2 believes Hurkacz is one of the most talented players on the ATP Tour. His career-high FedEx ATP Ranking is World No. 28, and he is projected to crack the Top 20 with a victory against Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final.
“He should be in the Top 10 if not the Top 5, and now he’s proving it,” Fibak said. “He’s an all-around player, he doesn’t have any weaknesses. A lot of players these days don’t know how to react at the net and he’s a great net player.”
Recently, Fibak has started thinking of another comparison for Hurkacz besides Murray: former World No. 4 Miloslav Mecir, who is affectionately known as the “Big Cat”.
“He was so subtle, moved so well, he had great hands and he would hit flat shots always and now the speed everybody is playing faster, but he was playing in Hubert’s way,” Fibak said. “It was tennis that was full of imagination, innovation, very precise. We all admired it.”
That is a lofty comparison for Hurkacz. Mecir won the singles gold medal at the 1988 Olympics and reached two Grand Slam singles finals. But the Pole is making steady progress under the tutelage of Craig Boynton, for whom Fibak has much praise.
“He has done a wonderful job with Hubert in terms of his composure, that he is so patient. They never rushed,” Fibak explained. “Obviously he did have a lot of success. Considering his talent and the shots he has and the way he moves, he could have achieved some more success a bit faster.
“It has to be recognised that Craig was always so patient, tolerant and forgiving in a way and always stood by Hubert in the good moments and disappointing moments and now it’s all glory, they can celebrate being in the final.”
Hurkacz can take it one step further on Sunday when he plays for the biggest trophy of his career. But to Fibak, this is just the beginning, and he is proud to have Hurkacz represent Poland.
“My dream is he will become Top 5 and possibly even higher, Top 3, maybe a leader, and he will stay the way he is [in terms of his personality]. That’s what I would like,” Hurkacz said. “Some people proved it [is possible], like Federer, Raonic is a gentleman, he always loses the same way he wins. He’s playing another gentleman, Sinner, tomorrow. They are two young people who are excellent players for their sport and their followers the way they behave on the court and off the court.”
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic have been on fire to begin their new partnership in 2021, and they showed it on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski to win the Miami Open presented by Itau.
Mektic and Pavic have already won four tournaments this year (also Antalya, Melbourne-2 and Rotterdam). With their five victories in Florida, they are now 25-3 on the season.
The champions became the second all-Croatian team to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, and the first duo from their country to triumph in Miami. The second seeds did not lose a set en route to the trophy. The only other all-Croatian pair to claim glory at this level was Mektic and Franko Skugor at the 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
“As long as I’m a part of those teams, I’m good,” Mektic said, cracking a laugh. “It’s incredible. Like I said on the court, it means a lot to win with a friend, with a fellow Croatian, to win such a big tournament.
But like we said, we just started, so I hope we are going to have much more to celebrate.”
Pavic, who is one of the biggest doubles servers on the ATP Tour, double faulted to give the Brits an early break. But the favourites remained undeterred, breaking back in the next game when Pavic crushed a return at deuce.
That became the trend of the match. Although the Brits battled hard throughout, the Croatians had too big of a combined game, often forcing net errors with their big groundstrokes and overwhelming aggression. Evans and Skupski struggled to go on the offensive, and their opponents surged to their win after one hour and 16 minutes.
“I think they played a very good match, very solid. They started off very well. They were also returning great from the beginning of the match… They played some great games,” Pavic said. “They are a tough team, and they proved that also with a few big wins this week to get to the final.
I think we were just very solid, very confident with all these matches that we won from before and we played a great match.”
Mektic and Pavic overcame 2020 Australian Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, the seventh seeds, in the semi-finals. They depart Miami with 1,000 FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings points.
Evans and Skupski enjoyed a dream run in their team debut. They became just the third all-British duo to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final. Although they were unable to lift the trophy, the Brits add 600 points each to their tally. Two weeks ago, Skupski won the Acapulco crown with his brother, Ken Skupski.
Did You Know?
Pavic will ascend to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings on Monday. The Croatian, who first reached the pinnacle in May 2018, will surge past Colombian Robert Farah.
World number one Ashleigh Barty retains her Miami Open title after Bianca Andreescu is forced to retire through injury.
It’s safe to say that few predicted Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner would meet in the final of the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. But both men have a massive opportunity in Sunday’s Miami Open presented by Itau championship clash and the big question is, who will take advantage of the moment?
Two of the nicest guys on Tour will step on Grandstand in South Florida for the biggest match of their young careers Sunday, but only one can walk off as the winner. Hurkacz and Sinner have never competed against one another, nor has either player previously reached a Masters 1000 final. But the two-time doubles partners will turn into rivals, at least for a day.
“Jannik is a great person. I think like it’s super, super calm and super chill, and also he’s good person. He’s a really nice guy and he really wants it hard, [he] competes to win,” Hurkacz said. “He’s a really, really great guy. The results that he has [are] obviously because of his hard work.”
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
The Miami opponents count each other as friends. But they have to put their friendship aside and focus on the task at hand. A win on Sunday will be the biggest of the champion’s career. Although Hurkacz and Sinner have both enjoyed incredible runs thus far, there is still plenty at stake.
Sinner is just the fourth teen to reach the Miami final. The other three who have accomplished the feat — Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — have all climbed to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. A victory would make the #NextGenATP Italian the youngest titlist in tournament history.
“It’s a great result here,” Sinner said. “But first, I have one more match in front of me.”
The 19-year-old is the youngest Masters 1000 finalist since Nadal triumphed at the 2005 Mutua Madrid Open. He isn’t allowing himself to get wrapped up in the attention he is receiving, though. While the teen is happy that his achievements are putting him in elite company, Sinner is fully focussed on beating Hurkacz.
“We came here I think with the right mentality, with the right mindset. We always go to every tournament to win, trying to win as many matches as possible,” Sinner said. “Some weeks you do better and some weeks you do a little bit worse, but I think I have a good team behind me who can show me many, many things.”
Teenage ATP Masters 1000 Champions
| Player | Masters 1000 Titles As Teen |
| Rafael Nadal | 6 |
| Andrei Medvedev | 2 |
| Novak Djokovic | 1 |
| Michael Chang | 1 |
| Andre Agassi | 1 |
Sinner knows Hurkacz will be a difficult opponent, telling Tennis Channel on Friday that, “Hurkacz has [had] a very good run here. He can play very, very good.”
The Polish No. 1 has dismissed back-to-back Top 10 opponents, eliminating World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and World No. 8 Andrey Rublev. It has been an impressive road to the final considering he began the week having lost five of his previous seven matches.
“Obviously I was just trying to work on my game and play my best tennis,” Hurkacz said. “Luckily and happily, I’m here in the finals now.”
Stats Entering The Final
| Stats | Jannik Sinner | Hubert Hurkacz |
| Aces | 14 | 51 |
| First-Serve Pts Won | 69% | 77% |
| Second-Serve Pts Won | 57% | 53% |
| Break Points Saved | 74% (25/34) | 78% (21/27) |
| Break Points Converted | 44% (18/41) | 31% (10/32) |
It should be an interesting tactical match. Sinner is one of the cleanest hitters on the ATP Tour and although Hurkacz is 6’5” and can play aggressively — as he showed against Rublev and Tsitsipas — he excels with his movement. Some have compared the Pole to former World No. 1 Andy Murray. Wojtek Fibak, the only other Polish ATP Tour titlist, who reached the Top 10 in singles and doubles, expects a good match on Sunday.
“They are very similar. They have all the same characteristics: serve, backhand, forehand, movement, tall guys, big serves. Maybe the second serve of Hubert is a bit better, more consistent. And I think Hubert has more experience, because he’s been on the Tour longer,” Fibak told ATPTour.com. “Tomorrow I think will be a bit closer because of all the weapons Sinner has. He has the same weapons as Hubert. He knows how to play at the net… he has the same talent and he’s working hard, but he’s only 19.”
The battle could come down to who is more clutch in the big moments. Hurkacz and Sinner have saved 78 and 74 per cent of the break points they have faced this tournament, respectively. Will the Pole shine for his country, or will Sinner continue his rapid rise?
“I’m happy about what I was able to do this week,” Sinner said. “There is one more match in front of me, so I’m trying to play my tennis.”
Gael Monfils and WTA Tour star Elina Svitolina announced their engagement Saturday on social media.
“She said YES ♥️ Madame Monfils @ElinaSvitolina,” Monfils wrote on Twitter, accompanied by a photo of a ring on the Ukrainian’s finger.
She said YES ❤️ Madame MONFILS @ElinaSvitolina #July2021 (XV)(III) pic.twitter.com/opDybiPTjt
— Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils) April 3, 2021
Svitolina posted a picture of the couple at the base of snowy mountains with her ring on. She wrote: “YES!!! To the beginning of our forever?? .”
YES !!! to the beginning of our forever ?? @Gael_Monfils #July2021 (XV) (III) pic.twitter.com/RnHBFl9w2M
— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) April 3, 2021
The couple had already become fan favourites with their G.E.M.S. Life Instagram account and fun social media posts. G.E.M.S. stands for their combined initials: Gael Elina Monfils Svitolina.
Gael Monfils and WTA Tour star Elina Svitolina announced their engagement Saturday on social media.
“She said YES ♥️ Madame Monfils @ElinaSvitolina,” Monfils wrote on Twitter, accompanied by a photo of a ring on the Ukrainian’s finger.
She said YES ❤️ Madame MONFILS @ElinaSvitolina #July2021 (XV)(III) pic.twitter.com/opDybiPTjt
— Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils) April 3, 2021
Svitolina posted a picture of the couple at the base of snowy mountains with her ring on. She wrote: “YES!!! To the beginning of our forever?? .”
YES !!! to the beginning of our forever ?? @Gael_Monfils #July2021 (XV) (III) pic.twitter.com/RnHBFl9w2M
— Elina Svitolina (@ElinaSvitolina) April 3, 2021
The couple had already become fan favourites with their G.E.M.S. Life Instagram account and fun social media posts. G.E.M.S. stands for their combined initials: Gael Elina Monfils Svitolina.
In a battle between two first-time ATP Masters 1000 finalists, 26th seed Hubert Hurkacz knows that he will have to put friendship and camaraderie aside for a shot at the Miami Open presented by Itau title.
After enjoying an under-the-radar run in Miami, Hurkacz burst into the spotlight on Friday with a stunner over fourth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets. It was the first time the 24-year-old Pole has won back-to-back matches against Top 10 players in the same tournament, after defeating second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-final.
“I think now I’m in the moment,” Hurkacz said in his post-match press conference. “I’m just trying, and obviously super happy to be where I am now, but now we try to prepare as best as we can with [coach Craig Boynton] for that final match on Sunday.”
He will meet a familiar face in that championship match – but it’s one that Hurkacz will be more used to seeing on his side of the net, as the Pole is set to take on 19-year-old Jannik Sinner for the first time.
Good friends, frequent practice partners and occasionally a doubles team, Hurkacz and Sinner have already shared the court at two tournaments since the start of the year, racking up a 3-2 record on the season.
[WATCH LIVE 1]“We played doubles together last week in Dubai,” Hurkacz said, grinning in an on-court interview. “Now we’re playing in the final of a Masters 1000 event, so it’s going to be a fun match.”
The #NextGenATP Italian has called Hurkacz one of his best friends on court, and the Pole had some kind words of his own for the fast-rising teen ahead of their battle.
“Jannik is a great person. I think like [he’s] super, super calm and super chill, and also he’s a good person,” Hurkacz said. “We joke around. We are good friends, so I wish him well.”
Hurkacz is looking for his third ATP Tour title and the biggest of his career in Miami. The Pole began the season on a tear, triumphing at the Delray Beach presented by VITACOST.com. But he hit a ‘skid’ in the weeks that followed, and had struggled to return to his best tennis heading into the first Masters 1000 event of the year.
Even after a milestone fortnight in South Florida – where he’s racked up a nine-match winning streak, including his run in Delray Beach – the most important moment for Hurkacz came early in the tournament. After a tough battle in the opening round, the Pole sealed more than just a confidence-boosting win over Denis Shapovalov in the second: it was the first time he closed out back-to-back victories in four tournaments.
Jeszcze jeden krok w @MiamiOpen do zrobienia ???
Dzięki za wsparcie?
***
Just one more step to take in #MiamiOpen2021 ???
Thx for all your support ?#MiamiOpen #jazda #Hubi pic.twitter.com/DUOmzjQ616— Hubert Hurkacz (@HubertHurkacz) April 3, 2021
“In the first round I beat Denis Kudla, but [it was] obviously… [a] close match [that] I won in the tie-breaker the first set,” he reflected. “But after that, Denis Shapovalov – [he] beat me the week before in Dubai.
“I think every single match was very tough. [I am] super pumped I was able to come through all of those matches.”
Andrey Rublev suffered a tough loss on Friday evening against Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau, but the Russian star looked at the positives of his run rather than dwelling on his defeat.
“It’s [been a] great week for me. I did my first semis [at an ATP Masters 1000]. I’m playing really consistent. Every week I go deep in the tournament,” Rublev said. “Today was not my day. Hurkacz played really well and he deserved to win. That’s it. Not much to say more. Now it’s time to go back to work hard to be ready for the clay season.”
The World No. 8 has been one of the hottest players on the ATP Tour, leading all players with 20 tour-level victories. But entering the week, he had only made one ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
That’s why it looked like destiny was aligning for the 23-year-old when he bludgeoned his way to the semi-finals and was the only Top 10 player remaining. But Hurkacz broke Rublev’s serve immediately, and the Russian was never able to find his aggressive best.
“It’s just maybe I couldn’t handle a bit [of] pressure that well and he was playing quite well,” Rublev admitted. “That’s it.”
[WATCH LIVE 1]The fourth seed battled hard until the end, earning three break points as the Polish No. 1 served for the match. But he was never able to get into his typically dominant position in any of those rallies.
“I still was close. I almost come back, but it was not enough. I was not playing that aggressive like normally I’m playing. I was a bit more defensive,” Rublev said. “I didn’t probably handle pressure, emotions well, and that was the key.”
Rublev only pointed the blame at himself. Although the eight-time ATP Tour champion was unable to reach his first Masters 1000 final, he gave all the credit to Hurkacz, who accomplished that same feat. The Pole will play Jannik Sinner for the title.
“He was better today, and that’s why he deserved to win,” Rublev said. “Simple.”
