French Open: Rafael Nadal says he must improve to beat Novak Djokovic in final
Rafael Nadal says he must improve his level if he is to beat top seed Novak Djokovic and win a record-extending 13th French Open crown.
Rafael Nadal says he must improve his level if he is to beat top seed Novak Djokovic and win a record-extending 13th French Open crown.
Teenager Iga Swiatek says she “was not expecting” her French Open win after a journey from schoolwork to Grand Slam champion.
Polish teenager Iga Swiatek becomes the lowest-ranked woman to win the French Open with a stunning victory over Sofia Kenin.
Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies captured their second straight Roland Garros doubles title on Saturday, beating US Open champions Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares 6-3, 7-5.
The German pair extended their unbeaten record at the clay-court Grand Slam championship to 12-0, saving all five break points they faced to triumph in 89 minutes. On their tournament debut last year, Krawietz and Mies became the first all-German team in the Open Era to capture a Grand Slam men’s doubles trophy.
“It is hard to describe what is going through our heads right now. It is unbelievable,” said Mies. “I think this achievement is even bigger than winning last year. To win a Grand Slam title is always big, but to defend it is even more difficult. It is incredible that we did and we are unbelievably happy right now. We cannot believe it.
“It took a while last year to let it sink in, it took probably until coming back here at the beginning of the tournament to realise it. Now to win it again is unbelievable.”
Krawietz and Mies returned with aggression throughout the championship match. The eighth seeds earned a single break in each set, with Krawietz notably mixing pace and precision on his forehand to break through Pavic and Soares at the net. The Germans dropped to the clay after Soares netted a forehand on their second championship point.
“In the moment we won the match point, it was a such a big relief,” said Mies. “It was such a close game. I wish I could have served it out easier, but it was difficult. Of course, you have some nerves in the end, but we are super happy to win it again and [I am] super proud of us as a team and proud of everyone involved.”
Krawietz and Mies are only the fourth team in the Open Era to win back-to-back Roland Garros crowns. The four-time tour-level titlists are the first pair to achieve the feat since Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor in 2012.
Back-To-Back Roland Garros Men’s Doubles Champions
| Team | Years |
| Yevgeny Kafelnikov/Daniel Vacek | 1996-97 |
| Jonas Bjorkman/Max Mirnyi | 2005-06 |
| Max Mirnyi/Daniel Nestor | 2011-12 |
| Kevin Krawietz/Andreas Mies | 2019-20 |
Krawietz and Mies dropped just one set en route to the title. The two-time Roland Garros titlists earned three consecutive victories against seeded opposition from the quarter-final stage, having beaten 13th seeds Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski and ninth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic to reach the championship match. The pair has lost a combined three sets across their 12 victories on the Parisian terre battue.
“To be a part of the history is always a bonus point,” said Krawietz. “Of course, we like to hear that we wrote history today… We are super proud of it. No losses here at Roland Garros is crazy.”
Just six months ago, the Germans could not have imagined they would be standing in Paris with their second major crown. During the ATP Tour suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mies helped deliver fruit to at-risk communities through his association with the Special Olympics. Krawietz woke up at 5 a.m. to stack shelves at a local supermarket in Munich.
Pavic and Soares were also attempting to clinch their second Grand Slam title as a team. Last month, the Croatian-Brazilian tandem earned their maiden major title as a pair at the US Open.
Pavic and Soares beat two of the top three seeded teams en route to the final. The seventh seeds overcame Australian Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the quarter-finals and top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the semi-finals.
“[It was] another great run,” said Soares on court. “Hopefully we get a chance next year to go one further.”
With their victory against Pavic and Soares, Krawietz and Mies become only the third and fourth German players to win multiple major doubles titles. The team joins Claudia Kohde-Kilsch and Philipp Petzschner in the exclusive club.
German Multiple Grand Slam Doubles Champions
| Player | Titles | Events |
| Claudia Kohde-Kilsch | 2 | 1985 US Open, 1987 Wimbledon |
| Philipp Petzschner | 2 | 2010 Wimbledon, 2011 US Open |
| Kevin Krawietz | 2 | 2019-20 Roland Garros |
| Andreas Mies | 2 | 2019-20 Roland Garros |
Krawietz and Mies earn 2,000 FedEx ATP Doubles Ranking points and split €319,652 in prize money. Pavic and Soares collect 1,200 points and share €188,030.
The first installment of what has evolved into one of sport’s great rivalries is better remembered for what happened after the match.
Rafael Nadal, then a baby-faced, Capri-pant wearing 20-year-old with shoulder length locks, was leading a brash youngster named Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 at Roland Garros before the Serbian retired with back pain. Nadal, the No. 2 seed and defending champion that year, won 58 per cent of the points, but Djokovic remained undaunted in the post-match press conference.
“I think I was in control, everything was depending on me,” said Djokovic. “Even with the sore back, I think I played an equal match with him… He’s not unbeatable, he’s beatable.”
Reporters later asked Nadal if he agreed with Djokovic’s contention that he was in control of the match, and he smiled and shyly replied with his trademark chin shrug, “Oh yes, I don’t know, if he say that, it’s okay, I don’t need to answer then.”
The room erupted in laughter, half in response to Nadal’s shy insouciance and half to the impertinence of this still obscure 19-year-old, ranked No. 63 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. It wasn’t the first or last time the world underestimated the audacious Belgrade native. Perhaps only he knew that he’d evolve into one of Nadal’s great rivals and the defeat served to motivate him.
Born 11 months and three frontiers apart, the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 players return to the same court Sunday — where their rivalry began 14 years ago — with history on the line. Nadal and Djokovic have evolved and changed over the years.
The boyish prankster who used to impersonate Rafa (and plenty of others) is now a family man, while Nadal has grown up too, shedding the pirate pants, if not his superstitions. So too has their rivalry evolved, with Djokovic taking the upper hand of late. After a rocky start, the 33-year-old has won 10 of their 13 most recent meetings since 2015 and 29 out of 55 overall.
They last met just nine months ago at the ATP Cup, but that feels like years ago with all that’s transpired this year. Sunday’s final is one for the ages, with enormous consequences for the history of the sport. A Nadal victory would give him 20 majors at the age of 34 and a share of the sport’s most coveted record with his other storied rival, Roger Federer, who earned his 20th Grand Slam title aged 36 at the 2018 Australian Open.
But a win for the proud Serb would give him 18 majors, putting him in touching distance of his two rivals heading into his favorite major: the Australian Open. Djokovic has won that event on a record eight occasions, including four of the past six years.
With a win, the World No. 1 would also complete the double Career Grand Slam, an achievement that’s eluded one-time Roland Garros winner Federer and one-time Australian Open champion Nadal. The desert? Let’s liken the fact that a win would extend Djokovic’s near-perfect season to the kind of palačinke, or Serbian crepe, his parents used to serve up at their snack bar in Kopaonik when Novak was a boy.
But for all the gaudy milestones at stake, a win for Djokovic wouldn’t just be about numbers. Despite taking a 37-1 match record on the season into the final, victory would be the ultimate vindication after a tumultuous year that included his disqualification from the US Open for accidentally hitting a lineswoman with a ball.
The Serb, who has won just one of seven meetings with Nadal at Roland Garros, has a large, fanatical following, particularly in the Balkans, where he is revered. But because he emerged after Federer and Nadal, and because he’s played so well against these two incredibly popular athletes, he has, at times, found himself fighting not just his opponents but also the crowds in some arenas.
The fact that he’s been underestimated at times, particularly earlier in his career, still propels him and he’s well aware that unless he wins more majors than Federer and Nadal, he likely won’t be considered the greatest of all time, even if he maintains his winning ATP Head2Head records against them both. A win Sunday brings him much closer to staking his claim to being the sport’s GOAT, a title he clearly covets.
The stakes for the ferocious Mallorcan are no less important. Court Philippe-Chatrier is Nadal’s court. He has to hold serve. Djokovic acknowledged as much after his victory over Tsitsipas Friday.
“It’s his ‘maison’,” Djokovic said of Nadal, referring to the French word for house. “I will have to be at my best. Playing Nadal at Roland Garros is the biggest challenge in our sport.”
For his part, Nadal characteristically tried to downplay talk of the historic occasion Friday.
“I understand these things, and it’s good for tennis that people talk about this,” said Nadal. “But I am living my own reality, and when it’s finished and it’s achieved or not, it will be talked about.”
It is indeed his own reality, but for a ferociously competitive warrior like Nadal—who’s afraid of animals, including dogs, but little else—watching his Serbian rival hoist La Coupe des Mousquetaires in his ‘maison’ would no doubt feel like walking into his home only to find Novak wearing his slippers and bathrobe, relaxing on his favourite recliner, sipping a fine Serbian rakija.
The Spaniard has beaten Djokovic twice in the Roland Garros final – in 2012 and 2014 — but he denies that those encounters will help him Sunday.
“Different circumstances, different kind of tournament and different situation,” said Nadal, who is going for his 100th win at Roland Garros Sunday. “I can’t predict the future. The only thing I know is to play against Novak, I need to play my best. Without playing my best tennis, [the] situation is very difficult.”
One man or the other will lift La Coupe des Mousquetaires Sunday, but when these warriors square off, it isn’t just the victor who triumphs, the whole sport wins. The level of tennis is always sublime and each man competes like a hungry pit bull fighting for a meal, pushing each other to dig just a bit further than they knew possible. There will be just one victor in Nadal Djokovic LVI, but it’ll be a win for the ages we can all savour.
Britain’s Alfie Hewett wins his second title of the 2020 French Open by beating Belgium’s Joachim Gerard in the wheelchair singles final.
Britain’s Andy Lapthorne says he will take a break from tennis because of mental health issues after finishing runner-up in the French Open men’s quad singles.
Following in the footsteps of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka is a tall task for the next generation of Swiss stars, but tennis fans were given a glimpse into the future on Saturday at Roland Garros.
In the first all-Swiss Grand Slam junior singles final, Dominic Stephan Stricker overcame countryman Leandro Riedi 6-2, 6-4 to capture his first junior major crown. The seventh seed converted five of 10 break points to lift the trophy in just over an hour.
“[Roger] actually said I should improve my serve. That’s what I did actually,” said Stricker. “I think my serve is pretty good now. It helped me a lot here.”
Stricker is just the second Swiss player to lift the boys’ singles trophy in Paris. Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 men’s singles titlist, claimed the boys’ singles title in 2003.
“I want to congratulate Leandro, he played a pretty good week,” said Stricker on court. “You guys are doing a great job, I hope we will be playing in some more finals soon.”
View this post on InstagramAmazing days here???. Thanks to @rogerfederer @severinluthi for the opportunity to practice with you.??❤️ Now looking forward to Australian open juniors with these two guys ?@leandro_00014 @jeromekyym ??❤️ ??
Stricker entered the contest seeking his first victory against Riedi. The junior No. 10 had lost each of his past three contests against his countryman across the junior and professional levels without claiming a set.
“He was too good for me today, basically. All the best for the future, I hope we will soon have big battles again in the final,” said Riedi.
Stricker’s triumph was just the beginning of a memorable day for the Swiss. Later on, the 18-year-old claimed the junior boys’ doubles title alongside partner Flavio Cobelli.
Stricker and Cobelli needed just 59 minutes to defeat Bruno Oliveira and Natan Rodrigues 6-2, 6-4. Stricker is the first player to claim the boys’ singles and doubles trophies in the same year since Fernando Gonzalez in 1998.
“Winning singles and winning doubles, it’s just amazing,” said Stricker. “I really enjoyed this day. I will enjoy every minute of this evening for sure… It was a great tournament for me, for sure. It’s perfect.”
After the US Open Final saw none of the Big Four compete in it for the first slam final since US Open 2014, things are back to…
Casper Ruud looks to finish his 2020 clay campaign on a high note at the Forte Village Sardegna Open, an ATP 250 tournament in Sardinia, Italy. The 21-year-old Norwegian leads the ATP Tour with a 17-5 mark on clay this season, highlighted by his first title in February at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires (d. Pedro Sousa).
Ruud, who was also a runner-up in Santiago during the Golden Swing, continued his clay success upon the ATP Tour’s return from suspension. He reached the semi-finals last month at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome and the Hamburg European Open, respectively losing to eventual champions Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev.
In addition to Ruud, the Sardinia field includes Dusan Lajovic, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Lorenzo Sonego, Pablo Andujar, Tommy Paul, Pablo Cuevas and Frances Tiafoe.
Here’s all you need to know about the Sardinia tennis tournament: what is the schedule, where to watch and more.
Established: 2020
Tournament Dates: 12-18 October 2020
Tournament Director: Giorgio Di Palermo
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Schedule
* Qualifying: Saturday – Sunday
* Main Draw: Monday – Sunday at 10:00am
* Doubles Final: Saturday, 17 October
* Singles Final: Sunday, 18 October at 12:00pm
How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule
Venue: Forte Village Resort
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €271,345 (Total Financial Commitment: €271,345)
View Who Is Playing, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
Did You Know… The ATP has announced the addition of four new ATP 250 events to the 2020 provisional schedule. In addition to Sardinia, the calendar also features back-to-back tournaments in Cologne, Germany, and the Astana Open in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Save the date: from October 12th to 18th, Forte Village will host one of the most prestigious national and international events, organised by the FIT – the #ATP250 tournament.
Are you ready? Let’s start the countdown to Forte Village Sardegna Open together.#ForteVillage pic.twitter.com/iXGZTqWAY8— Forte Village Resort (@Forte_Village) September 11, 2020
