Will jealousy and rash acts tear everything apart?
Dive into the adventure drama film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio
Dive into the adventure drama film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio
Tennis gets underway at the Paris 2024 Olympics this Saturday and all eyes will be on the doubles pairing of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, dubbed ‘Nadalcaraz’, playing in Spanish colours.
“It’s an iconic image that could define an era,” explained Carlos Moyà, Nadal’s coach. “I watched the two training sessions they’ve had from the courtside and I had a great time. You see Rafa with his experience and charisma. And then you see Carlos, kind of like Rafa was aged 20 or 21, very expressive and effusive… Hopefully they can keep going because it’s a partnership that tennis fans can fall in love with.”
[ATP APP]Nadal and Alcaraz go into their first-round match against the Argentines Máximo González and Andrés Molteni after completing two doubles training sessions together: on Wednesday they won 6-4, 3-0 against Marcel Granollers and Pablo Carreño Busta and on Friday they were victorious again against the other Spanish pair by 6-3.
“It’s not just about understanding each other,” Nadal stressed. “We need to play doubles well individually. We’ve played very little doubles: Carlos hasn’t played for a long time and I played for two days last week, in Bastad. We have to make the doubles movements automatic, they’re completely different to those of a singles match,” the two-time Olympic medallist added.
“We have to know where to return, select the right shot in each situation… With each game, we’ve felt better and better, more comfortable all-round. We’ll make mistakes from time to time. I doubt our opponents will: they know their roles, and we’ll have to face that from the start. We’re very excited and very focused on giving ourselves the best chance.”
From Centre Court to Centre Stage 💫
In a city that has been so special to him, all eyes are on you Rafa… what a moment ❤️
@RafaelNadal | @olympics pic.twitter.com/erAnKzpVP6— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 26, 2024
Nadal knows what it means to win a gold medal solo (Beijing 2008) and also in company, which he did with Marc López at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The challenge now is to do it again with a 21-year-old partner who has taken the circuit by storm, winning four Grand Slam titles and becoming the youngest No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“Carlos is a brilliant player all-round,” Nadal said in praise of him. “His fitness sets him apart: when you reach the ball in good time and with power, because you move quickly, it allows the talent in your hand to shine much more. Right now, because of his youth and physical power, he has the time to do it in situations in which I can’t get there anymore, and that sets him apart.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all because I know him and I’ve seen him play,” Nadal continued. “I think he’s a player destined to be one of the all-time greats. That’s what I sense when I see him play. You don’t know what will happen in life, but in terms of tennis and talent he has everything he needs to stay at the top.”
The time has come: ‘Nadalcaraz’ is set for its much-anticipated debut in Paris.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]ATPTour.com continues it series paying tribute to Andy Murray as the former World No. 1 readies for his final tournament, the Olympic Tennis Event.
There was rarely a dull moment when Andy Murray stepped onto a tennis court.
The Briton will be remembered as one of the most resilient and defiant fighters the ATP Tour has ever seen. A natural competitor who also possessed one of the most effective counter-punching games in the world, the emotions Murray conveyed as he played encouraged millions of fans to live every shot, every rally, and every match with him.
To celebrate the end of his esteemed career, ATPTour.com looks back on 10 of Murray’s most memorable on-court moments.
[ATP APP] 1. San Jose, 2006: Teenage Murray beats former No. 1s for first Tour title
Murray announced himself as one of the world’s most promising teenagers in 2005. He reached the third round at both the Queen’s Club and Wimbledon, his second and third tour-level events, respectively, before reaching his first ATP Tour final later that year in Bangkok, where he fell to World No. 1 Roger Federer.
Despite starting 2006, his first full season on the ATP Tour, with just two wins in his first six matches, Murray soon gave a reminder of his potential with a milestone performance in February at an indoor ATP 250 event in San Jose, California. The then-18-year-old beat Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt, both Grand Slam champions and former World No. 1s, back-to-back to clinch his maiden ATP Tour trophy.
“Obviously I was pretty happy,” said Murray, who remains the youngest Briton to win a tour-level singles title, when asked about his reaction on championship point. “I was probably in a bit more shock when I won against Roddick, to be honest, because it was my first win against somebody of that standard. Then I had a little bit more confidence going into the final.”
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A teenage Murray in action against Andy Roddick during his 2006 San Jose title run. Photo Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
2. Cincinnati, 2008: Masters 1000 breakthrough
Murray had reached four ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals but was made to wait until August 2008 for his first championship-match appearance at that level. After beating Ivo Karlovic in the last four at the Cincinnati Open, the Scot did not let his chance go to waste as he overcame his rival Novak Djokovic in a pair of tie-breaks to claim the biggest title of his career at that point.
“It’s huge to win your first sort of major tournament, and to do it in a match like today makes it more special,” reflected Murray after his 7-6(4), 7-6(5) triumph. “I’ve been in semi-finals four times before this week and lost every time against tough players. This week I played well the whole week… I put in a lot of work off the court to be able to win these sorts of tournaments, and it makes it all worthwhile.”
It was the first of 14 Masters 1000 titles for Murray, a tally which places him fifth on the all-time list behind only Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Federer and Andre Agassi. He won the title at seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments, with only the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters missing from his resume.
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Murray celebrates after winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati in 2008. Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
3. London Olympics, 2012: Mastering Federer on grass
London 2012 offered Murray the rarest of opportunities — to compete at a home Olympics in the prime of his career — and the then-World No. 4 grabbed it with both hands on the lawns of the All England Club. The 25-year-old dropped just two sets across six matches as he charged to the Olympic title in style.
The scenes were in stark contrast to those at the same venue just over a month earlier, when Murray had fallen agonisingly short of Wimbledon glory with a four-set final defeat to Federer. Murray’s tears during his runner’s up speech that day only endeared him further to a British public desperate for an end to its 35-year wait for a Grand Slam singles champion.
Murray appeared to have all-but-forgotten that disappointment by the time the Olympics came around. In the best-of-five-sets gold medal match, Murray dismantled Federer, by then already a seven-time Wimbledon champion, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. He hammered an ace down the T on match point to complete a remarkable victory and send the Centre Court crowd into raptures.
“You see how much it means to all of the athletes when they do it, how much work goes into it,” said Murray, who later defended his title in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 to become the only player with two men’s singles Olympic gold medals, after his emotional win in London. “The atmosphere in all of the stadiums, when everyone’s won gold medals in all of the sports, everyone’s just been so happy and pumped. I’m just glad I’ve been able to contribute to that.”
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Murray wins the first of his two Olympic gold medals men’s singles at London 2012. Photo Credit: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
4. US Open, 2012: Murray’s maiden major
The US Open was the setting for Murray’s first Grand Slam final appearance. He fell to Federer in the 2008 final, a loss that began four years of heartache that included three championship-match losses and six semi-final defeats at the majors.
It was also at Flushing Meadows where Murray, a man long dubbed by many as ‘too good not to win a major’, finally got over the line on the biggest stage. The addition of ATP Tour great Ivan Lendl to his team at the start of 2012 appeared to have installed an extra mental edge in the Briton, and that was on full display as he outlasted Djokovic for an epic 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 victory across four hours and 54 minutes in New York.
“I was obviously very emotional. I cried a little bit on the court,” said Murray when asked what winning a Grand Slam had felt like. “You’re not sad, you’re incredibly happy. You’re in a little bit of disbelief, because when I have been in that position many times before and not won, you do think, is it ever going to happen? Then when it finally does, you’re obviously very, very excited. [I’m] mainly relieved to have got over that, that last hurdle.”
Murray was the first British major winner since Virigina Wade at Wimbledon in 1977 and the first men’s singles winner from his country since Fred Perry won the US Open 76 years earlier in 1936. The Scot never made the championship match in New York again but remained a consistent performer at the Slams — his 11 finals were spread across all four majors, including five at the Australian Open.
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Murray became the first British major singles champion in 35 years at the 2012 US Open. Photo Credit: Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images
5. Wimbledon, 2013: Breaking Britain’s duck
An entire nation was glued to its TV screens on a sunny July afternoon in 2013 as Murray finally ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men’s singles champion. He did it with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory against World No. 1 Djokovic, although what was ultimately a commanding straight-sets win may have felt more like a trademark Murray nailbiter for many home fans.
Djokovic reeled off four games in a row from 0-2 in the third set, before Murray responded with a four-game streak of his own to close out his win. Djokovic netted a backhand on the Briton’s fourth championship point to send Centre Court into ecstasy and immediately etch Murray’s name into British sporting folklore. Some of Murray’s post-match words reflected the sheer scale of expectation he had met by becoming a home champion at the grass-court Grand Slam.
“For the past four or five years, it’s been very, very tough, very stressful, a lot of pressure,” said Murray. “ It’s just kind of everywhere you go. It’s so hard to avoid everything because of how big this event is, but also because of the history and no Brit having won. I think now it will become easier.”
Three years later, Murray certainly made it appear so. He dropped just two sets the entire fortnight as he overcame Milos Raonic for the 2016 title at the All England Club, where he ultimately finished his career with a 61-13 singles record.
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Murray reacts to ending Britain’s 77-year wait for a WImbledon men’s singles champion in 2013. Photo Credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
6. Davis Cup, 2015: Guiding GB to glory
Murray also helped Britain break another of its sporting ducks in 2015, when he spearheaded the country’s charge to its first Davis Cup crown in 79 years. The 28-year-old won all three rubbers he played in the final against Belgium in Ghent, including a doubles victory alongside his brother Jamie Murray.
“I’ve been pretty upset having lost matches before, but I’d say that’s probably the most emotional I’ve been after a win,” said Murray after dispatching David Goffin in straight sets to seal Britain’s 3-1 final win. “It’s incredible that we managed to win this competition. I didn’t know that would ever be possible. It’s great.”
Murray went a perfect 8-0 across his Davis Cup singles matches in 2015, the most in a single year by any player in competition history alongside John McEnroe (the American was 8-0 in 1983). He finished his Davis Cup career with a 33-3 singles record, the third-most wins for any Briton behind only 1930s stars Bunny Austin and Fred Perry, while he was 9-7 in doubles rubbers.
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Murray in doubles action alongside his brother Jamie during the 2015 Davis Cup final. Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images
7. Nitto ATP Finals, 2016: Murray tops the tennis mountain
The years of hard work and battling to keep up with the ‘Big 3’ of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic came to fruition in 2016 for Murray, who put together a stunning late-season charge to rise to World No. 1 for the first time and finish as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF.
As it turned out, Murray needed every single one of the 24 consecutive wins with which he concluded his season to deny Djokovic top spot before 2016 was done. Murray won five of his nine titles for the year back-to-back across October and November, with his victories in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris ensuring he rose to World No. 1 for the first time ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals.
Murray knew he had to lift the trophy with a perfect 5-0 record at the prestigious season finale in London to prevent Djokovic from reclaiming World No. 1 status. He did just that, defeating Djokovic with a dazzling performance in a championship match that marked the first time in ATP Tour history that the year-end No. 1 honour was on the line in the last match of the season.
Djokovic had been bidding for his fifth straight Nitto ATP Finals title but proved no match for Murray, who delivered a near-flawless display in his 6-3, 6-4 victory to finish the year as the world’s top player. The Briton went on to hold the World No. 1 spot for 41 consecutive weeks.
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Andy Murray ends 2016 as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images
8. Australian Open, 2019: A false farewell
Murray’s time as World No. 1 was cut cruelly short by a hip injury, and the Briton did not compete for nearly a year after Wimbledon in 2017. After undergoing surgery on the problem, he played six tournaments in 2018, but he was still playing through pain by the time he arrived in Melbourne for the 2019 Australian Open.
The three-time major winner stunned fans in an emotional pre-tournament press conference, where he suggested he could be about to play the final event of his career. With uncertainty surrounding whether it could be his last tour-level match, or at the very least his final appearance in Australia, Murray took to John Cain Arena for a first-round clash with Roberto Bautista Agut.
If this was to be the end, Murray ensured it would be a memorable finish. Despite being visibly hindered in his movement, he rallied from two sets down to force Bautista Agut into a deciding set, a valiant reminder of the Briton’s resilience and desire to compete. The in-form Spaniard ultimately proved too strong and prevailed 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-2 but, as ever, Murray had left everything he had on the court.
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A tearful Murray reveals he is contemplating retirement at the 2019 Australian Open. Photo Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
9. Antwerp, 2019: Another Murray miracle
Just 10 months after that sombre press conference in Melbourne, Murray was remarkably back in the winners’ circle on the ATP Tour after he beat Stan Wawrinka to win an indoor ATP 250 in Antwerp. The Briton was competing in just his sixth tour-level event since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, an operation that had enabled him to return to competing at the top level.
“This is one of the biggest wins I’ve had, after everything,” said Murray after his battling 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 final win in Belgium. “[The] last few years have been extremely difficult. Me and Stan have had a lot of injury problems in the last couple of years. Amazing to be back playing against him in a final like that.”
It was Murray’s 46th and final tour-level singles title, a tally that places the Briton in 15th on the all-time list (in the Open Era). He won the most trophies at the Queen’s Club, where he is a record five-time champion and where he also lifted one of his three ATP Tour doubles crowns.
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Murray with Stan Wawrinka in 2019 after claiming his 46th and final tour-level title in Antwerp. Photo Credit: John Thys/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
10. Australian Open, 2023: Comeback king
Has the ATP Tour ever seen a more determined competitor, no matter the situation, than Murray? Renowned for his ability to dig deep and forge victories from the most unlikely of positions, the Briton seemed determined to consistently keep fans on the edge of their seats.
His penchant for a comeback on the big stage is reflected in one of Murray’s most impressive records. He came back from two-sets-to-love down to win a record 11 times during his career — 10 of those victories came at Grand Slams, and one in the Davis Cup.
He saved arguably the most miraculous recovery of all for last. At the 2023 Australian Open, Murray trailed home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis by two sets and 3-5 before pulling off a 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5 win at 4:05 a.m. in Melbourne. At five hours and 45 minutes it was his longest professional match and was made all the more remarkable by the fact he had also outlasted Matteo Berrettini in five sets just two days earlier.
“I have done it before. I have experience of it. I just rely on that experience and drive,” said Murray, who finished his career with a 28-14 record in five-set matches, after beating Kokkinakis. “That fight and love for the game and competing, and my respect for this event and the competition, that is why I kept going.”
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Murray pumps himself up during his epic 2023 Australian Open win against Thansi Kokkinakis. Photo Credit: William West/AFP via Getty Images
Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams were centre stage for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron Friday night in Paris, as the world’s eyes turned to the City of Lights for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.
Nadal, who has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slams titles in Paris at Roland Garros, received the Olympic flame from French football legend Zinedine Zidane before boarding a boat on the Seine, where he was joined by Williams, nine-time gold medallist Carl Lewis and five-time gold medallist Nadia Comaneci.
[atp app]The quartet then handed off to French tennis great and Roland Garros tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, who carried the torch to the Louvre. French judoka Teddy Riner and former French track and field star Marie-Josée Pérec had the honour of lighting the unique cauldron, which resmbled an ascending balloon in tribute to the first ‘aerostatic’ flight by the Montgolfier brothers at Versailles in 1783.
Nadal a former Olympic gold medallist in singles (2008) and doubles (2016 w/ Marc Lopez) and former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is in action on day one of the Olympic Tennis Event Saturday, partnering Carlos Alcaraz in doubles.
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Zinedine Zidane hands the Olympic Torch to Rafael Nadal during Friday evening’s Opening Ceremony in Paris. Photo: Getty Images
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Hugo Gaston and Sebastian Ofner entered the week having played one another three times in professional matches. In Kitzbühel, they clashed in a Lexus ATP Head2Head Challenge for the first time.
Which player was able to hit the most targets in the 60 seconds allotted?
“This one will be very special. It will have a special place at my home,” the winner said as he looked at his trophy.
[ATP APP]Watch the full video above to find out who emerged victorious.
Also watch Saturday not before 1 p.m. local time when Gaston tries to secure his first ATP Tour title in the final of the Generali Open. Competing in his second tour-level final (2021 Gstaad), the lefty will face former No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings Matteo Berrettini for the ATP 250 crown. It will be the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The competition for PIF ATP Rankings points will be fierce at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington next week, where Andrey Rublev, Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov will be the top three seeds.
Since there are no points up for grabs at the Paris Olympics, the Washington competitors have an opportunity to make a move with a deep run.
Before each tournament week, ATPTour.com looks at three players who might be good selections for fans in the PIF ATP Rankings Predictor.
Make Your Picks Now!
Ben Shelton — replacing 0 points
Shelton lost his opening match of the American summer on Thursday in Atlanta, but there is reason to believe the lefty is positioned well for a bounceback week in Washington.
Firstly, Shelton is on the opposite half of the ATP 500 draw as #NextGenATP lefty Shang Juncheng, who has defeated him in the past two years in Atlanta and last year in Washington. The second-seeded Shelton will face Facundo Diaz Acosta or a qualifier in his opening match.
Despite his early exit in Atlanta, the 21-year-old will still be confident after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon and pushing World No. 1 Jannik Sinner to a tie-break in the final set of their clash. Shelton’s booming lefty serve should help him hold serve on the quick Washington courts and find his match rhythm as he tries to pick up steam on home soil.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard — replacing 0 points
One of the biggest stories of Wimbledon was the emergence of 21-year-old Mpetshi Perricard, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser and took advantage by advancing to the fourth round.
The Frenchman, who claimed his first ATP Tour title in May in Lyon, showed that his serve is already one of the most dangerous weapons on the Tour. He crushed 51 aces to defeat Sebastian Korda in the first round of The Championships.
Already No. 47 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Mpetshi Perricard has room to continue pushing forward because he is replacing a zero-point tournament in his rankings breakdown.
[ATP APP]Alex Michelsen — replacing 16 points
Michelsen will be one of the most confident players in Washington on the back of his run to the Newport final.
Last year, the #NextGenATP American did not compete in the United States’ capital. The 19-year-old is the 15th seed and will play countryman Mackenzie McDonald or a qualifier in his opening match.
Michelsen has earned 16 of his 23 tour-level wins this season and will try to add to his tally.
Bonus Ball — Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
One year ago, Mpetshi Perricard had not yet cracked the Top 200 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now he is Top 50 and signs point towards a continued ascent.
The Frenchman will face a tough test in his opening match against former Top 10 player Borna Coric or big-hitting Finn Emil Ruusuvuori. But if the ninth seed brings the same level to Washington he did to Wimbledon, he will be a difficult man to beat at the ATP 500 event.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Lorenzo Musetti has successfully adapted his all-court game from the grass of Wimbledon to the clay of Umag, charging into the final of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag with a dominant win over Czech teen Jakub Mensik Friday night.
In his first appearance since reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this month, the 22-year-old Italian led from start to finish against the #NextGenATP star, converting all five break point chances that came his way, according to Infosys Stats.
[ATP APP]In Saturday’s final the World No. 16 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings will face Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, who upset top seed Andrey Rublev 7-6(6), 6-4.
“Jakub is a really great player, I saw a lot of myself when I was in his position, making the first results in the ATP Tour,” said Musetti, who has won 15 of his past 18 matches. “He was playing really great tennis but I think tonight I played at my best level and it was a convincing game from my side.
“Of course it is a positive period for me, but I try not to forget what there is behind it. There have been so many up and downs in my career; in the last three years a lot of things changed in my life. Whenever you don’t expect something, it happens, so you have to be ready to take the chances and I think I’m taking all the chances that life and tennis is giving me.”
Musetti has dropped just three matches dating back to the start of the grass season. He is chasing his third title and first since defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the Hamburg final in 2022.
Cerundolo saved five of six break points faced against Rublev to advance to his fifth tour-level final. He seeks his first title since winning Eastbourne more than a year ago. He improved to 9-11 against Top 10 players.
“I’m super happy of course, Andrey’s an incredible player, Top 10,” Cerundolo said.
“I’ve been loving this country so far, I’ve played nine matches [including matches on the Challenger Tour] and won them all, so hopefully I can end my week tomorrow with another win and another title in Croatia – a second of two [Challenger Tour title in Split, 2020], so hopefully I can get it.”
Doubles Final
Fourth seeds Guido Andreozzi of Argentina and Miguel Reyes-Varela from Mexico claimed their first team title when they defeated Frenchmen Manuel Guinard and Gregoire Jacq 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag Friday night.
Appearing in their first tour-level final as a team, Andreozzi and Reyes-Varela topped their previous best result of a semi-final showing in Marrakech earlier this year.
Winner of ATP Challenger Tour titles in Naples and Perugia this season, the duo last week fell in the first round of Bastad to Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud.
Andreozzi, 32, was playing in his first ATP Tour final, after saving two match points to defeat Eysseric/Luz in the quarter-finals. He owns 36 Challenger doubles titles, including three this season.
Reyes-Varela, 37, improved to 2-3 in ATP Tour doubles finals, capturing his first title at 2018 Los Cabos (w/Arevalo) and reaching finals of 2018-19 Newport (w/Arevalo) and 2022 Seoul (w/Barrientos).
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Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur will make his Olympics debut in Paris. The 25-year-old is enjoying a career-best season in which he has risen to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
ATPTour.com sat down with the Sydney native to learn his favourite Olympic athlete and which sport De Minaur did not inherit from his Aussie upbringing.
[ATP APP]Which Olympic sport would you like to watch the most?
I would love to watch basketball. Obviously football. Swimming has always been a very strong sport for Australia and I guess probably athletics as well.
Is there an Olympic sport you think you would not be well suited to compete in?
Swimming. Anything to do with swimming, I struggled. I’ve tried to do it in a couple of preseasons in the past and it’s something I did not enjoy. I found it very, very hard.
Who is your favourite Olympic athlete who is not a tennis player?
I’m going to go with [Australian basketballer] Patty Mills.
What Olympic sport do you think defines Australia?
I think it’s got to be swimming. I think we’ve had a lot of success in the past in swimming.
Do you have an earliest memory watching the Olympics?
I was at the Sydney Olympics, but I don’t really recall that because I was quite young. I’ve got photos of me being there. So that’s my earliest recollection.
How excited are you to play in the Olympics and represent your country?
Super excited. Always been a dream. And I’m looking forward to doing it.
Let there be no doubt: Matteo Berrettini is back!
The 28-year-old Italian, who in March was floundering outside the Top 150 of the PIF ATP Rankings, advanced to his second ATP 250 final in as many weeks Friday when he defeated Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 6-4 in the Generali Open semi-finals in Kitzbuhel.
[ATP APP]Berrettini dropped just four points on his first serve and saved the lone break point he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats.
“I feel really good. Obviously I feel tired in the way that I have had a lot of matches on my shoulders, but it’s a good feeling,” Berrettini said. “It’s not tired that I cannot play anymore, it’s tired that I’m pushing myself and this is what I was looking to before the tournament, hoping to have as many matches as possible.
“It’s been a great two weeks and hopefully tomorrow’s going to be another title; that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Chasing his 10th final and third of the season, the former World No. 6 faces a first-time Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in Saturday’s championship match (1 p.m. CEST) with Frenchman Hugo Gaston. The crafty left-hander was leading Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-1, 2-0 when the Argentine retired with a right knee injury.
Berrettini, who has won five career titles on clay, has surged to No. 46 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings this week and could rise to No. 40 with the title.
Gaston came into the tournament with just five match wins on the year but has risen 31 spots to No. 60 in the live standings. He will chase his first ATP Tour title in his second final (Gstaad, 2021).
The former World No. 2 junior saved two match points against top seed Sebastian Baez in the semi-finals.
”I feel pretty good on court, physically, mentally, my game and my shots and everything are feeling really good and really strong, so I’ve got really got confidence,” Gaston said. “But you have to win every point and you have to win the last one if you want to drink the champagne so I try to leave my best on court and for the moment this week it’s not bad.”
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Novak Djokovic praises Andy Murray as the British tennis star prepares to retire after competing at the Paris Olympics.