Kyle Edmund owns two ATP Tour titles and reached a career-high No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in October 2018.

ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 25-year-old.

1) His Best Season Came In 2018
From start to finish, Edmund’s 2018 ATP Tour season was a story of success. Following a quarter-final run in Brisbane, the 6’2” right-hander beat Kevin Anderson and Grigor Dimitrov en route to his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open. On clay, Edmund reached his first ATP Tour final in Marrakech. In Madrid, he beat Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic and David Goffin in consecutive matches to reach his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Edmund also produced an impressive run of results at the end of the year, reaching the semi-finals in Beijing and the quarter-finals in Shanghai. In his next event, the European Open in Antwerp, the 23-year-old beat 2016 champion Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils in back-to-back matches to claim his first ATP Tour crown.

Edmund finished 2018 at a career-high World No. 14 with a 37-21 record.

2) He Loves ‘Anything With An Engine’
When Edmund isn’t competing on the ATP Tour, you may find him behind the wheel. Over the past decade, the 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist has developed a huge passion for motorsports. In fact, when Edmund ends his tennis career, he has his sights set on becoming a racing driver.

“In England, you can actually buy a car and then you are basically entered into a series around England which is 15 races [with] one race each weekend. You don’t have to be a professional driver,” said Edmund.

“It is just people who are lucky enough to have the money to buy the car that comes with all the equipment. The mechanics are at the event and you get to race. When I’m finished, I think that will be something I’m really interested in.”

3) He Is The Reigning New York Open Champion
Edmund doubled his ATP Tour trophy tally at this year’s New York Open. Sixteen months after his title run in Antwerp, the Yorkshireman dropped just one set in five matches at the ATP 250 event. Edmund survived a third-set tie-break during his quarter-final against Soonwoo Kwon before straight-sets victories against Miomir Kecmanovic and Andreas Seppi.

”There’s a lot hard work throughout the year, a lot of ups and downs that you don’t see behind the scenes. To win this title means a lot to me,” Edmund said.

4) He Enjoys Spending Time In The Kitchen
Edmund cooks two or three times a week when training at home and, occasionally, he enters the kitchen in tournament weeks. During last year’s grass-court season, the Brit treated one of his friends to his signature dish: chicken orzo.

“During Wimbledon, I always stay with a mate from Yorkshire, where I grew up. He always comes down during Queen’s [Club] and Wimbledon, and I cooked one day,” said Edmund.

“I made this chicken orzo dish, chopped some chicken breasts, some vegetables. It’s a soupy chicken orzo. It’s pretty healthy. I put as much vegetables in it as I could. It’s very easy to make. You just put it in and let it cook, simmer. I like to cook it because it’s the easiest one. People give me compliments.”

5) He Supports Liverpool Football Club
Edmund is a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club, who are currently on top of the Premier League in England. The Brit has admitted that he gets more nervous watching his favourite team than he does when playing matches on the ATP Tour.

Ahead of last year’s Fever-Tree Championships, Edmund visited a local pub in London to watch his team win its sixth Champions League title. Only Real Madrid and AC Milan have won the European club competition on more occasions.

“From being very young I just loved the kit, the crowd, the atmosphere. I had Liverpool bed sheets, curtains, everything. I would watch them whenever I could,” said Edmund.

Editor’s Note: Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien waited almost two months before meeting his baby daughter in Paraguay. He blogged about the experience for ATPTour.com during the agonising wait. The image above with his wife and daughter was provided to us on 20 June, four days after the family came together for the first time.

Because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, I haven’t been able to see my wife, Camila, since March, or our newborn daughter, Mila, who was born on 25 April. But at long last, I’ll soon get to see Camila and hold my daughter for the first time.

We had to appeal through the Bolivian Foreign Ministry and the Paraguayan government agreed to let me in since Camila is from there and our marriage took place in Paraguay. I’ll travel from my hometown of Trinidad to Santa Cruz and then to Paraguay. I’ll first have to be in quarantine for two weeks, but it’ll be an incredible thing to then be able to see my daughter.

These past few weeks have had so many emotions. It’s a new stage in our lives. Being able to simply see my baby on camera gives me enormous happiness and I can only imagine what it will be like when I have her in my arms.

This all began in March when I was at Indian Wells. We trained on the day that we arrived, which was also the day that the event was cancelled due to COVID-19. We spent a few more days waiting there to see if it was possible to play another event, either the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami or some ATP Challenger Tour events. Once it became clear this wouldn’t be possible, my team and I got on a plane to Buenos Aires. I’m based there along with my team and we thought about continuing to train, but never imagined this decision would be so important.

Four days later, the borders in Argentina were closed and I was no longer able to return to Paraguay to be with Camila. The borders in Paraguay were also closed. The only place that I could still go was Bolivia, so I decided to travel there and be with my family. Three months have passed since then and it remains difficult, but I continue to stay positive.

My emotions have been a rollercoaster. There are days that I am well and other days that are bad. The current situation has created more anxiety for me and a greater urge to leave the house, but I’ve accepted that I can’t do anything to change what is happening.

I’ve not been able to play tennis but have continued my training, although the motivation isn’t there on some days. I’ve set up a small gym at home and do two fitness sessions per day that my trainer sends me. The morning session focusses on strength and the afternoon session focusses more on cardio. I’m treating this almost like a preseason and trying to improve.

My family has also kept me in very high spirits. Sharing time with them after so long has been unique. I haven’t been with my family and in my house for more than a week at a time in at least 10 years. My brother, who lives in the United States, was also able to come home. It was very nice being together, but also strange, like going back in time.

Camila has also had good and bad days during this time, so it pains me to know that I can’t be there. She thought that raising a baby in this situation would be tough, but she adapted very quickly and quite well. We’re also lucky that Mila sleeps a lot and hasn’t gotten sick yet.

I have already prepared myself mentally for changing diapers and not sleeping much when I arrive home, but the most difficult stages of a new baby have already passed. It’s like I’ve arrived in the fifth set! Camila has endured the hardest parts and I’m very proud of her. We have video calls three or four times every day and she’s always sending photos of Mila, even if the baby is just sleeping.

Camila used to play professional tennis and we met because of the sport, so it will always be part of our lives, but I’ll definitely see things differently when the Tour resumes. Although I’m now having the best results of my career, nothing compares to being a parent.

Mila’s arrival puts everything else in the background. It’s the biggest trophy I could win. My family is a real success and I don’t need anything else if they’re stable, healthy, and living in harmony. We have achieved that and Mila is the icing on the cake.

As told to Marcos Zugasti

It is not a good thing when Novak Djokovic hits the net on a tennis court. But by hitting nothing but net on a basketball court Saturday, the Serbian scored a compliment from NBA superstar LeBron James.

Djokovic on his social media posted a video of himself taking a few dribbles before knocking down a mid-range jumpshot.

Am I ready for a 1:1 @KingJames? ?? pic.twitter.com/78MwBZaAiS

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) June 20, 2020

“Am I ready for a 1:1 @KingJames?” Djokovic asked James.

Ha! I’m going to say I think you are!! Beautiful follow-thru on that shot buddy! ????? https://t.co/fMUocbVMRL

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 20, 2020

“Ha! I’m going to say I think you are!! Beautiful follow-thru on that shot buddy!” the basketball star responded on Twitter.

James is no stranger to the ATP Tour, joining former teammate Dwyane Wade for a picture with Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori before their match at the 2011 Miami Open presented by Itau.

The most-liked comment on Djokovic’s Instagram post came from 6’11” Ivo Karlovic, the former World No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The Croatian responded to Djokovic’s challenge to James by saying, “You’re ready to get dunked on. ?”

The Fever-Tree Championships will always remain close to Feliciano Lopez’s heart.

In 2017, the Spaniard won what was the biggest singles title of his career at The Queen’s Club. Lopez went a step further last year, taking home both the singles and doubles trophies at the Fever-Tree Championships.

“I thought the best moment of my career was when I won this tournament in 2017,” Lopez said. “But it’s right now.”

Lopez became the first player since Matteo Berrettini (2018 Gstaad) to win the singles and doubles titles at the same event. The Spaniard also became the first man since Mark Philippoussis (1997) to win both titles in the same year at The Queen’s Club. Lopez partnered Andy Murray to doubles glory.

“This happens maybe only once in a lifetime. I can’t believe it,” Lopez said.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray and Manchester United star Marcus Rashford recently surprised a British healthcare hero on Tennis United, discussing the differences between tennis and football. Perhaps most importantly, they shared their admiration for female athletes.

“I think in tennis we’re pretty lucky. The men and women are competing at the same venues all of the time and… at the biggest events. I think that’s one of the things that makes us unique and special as a sport,” Murray said. “We’ve got the men and women competing on the same courts at the same tournaments for the same prize money, and I think that’s quite attractive for fans of tennis.”

Murray is a big football fan, and just like he loves watching women’s tennis, he’s enjoyed following women’s football, too.

“I think in football it’s certainly improving as well. There’s a lot more visibility around the women’s game and I know the World Cup was great for that,” Murray said. “Hopefully it keeps pushing forward.”

Rashford was able to watch bits of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Brit was impressed, but by no means surprised.

“It’s always entertaining for me especially because growing up I used to play street football. All of the time me and my friends would play anywhere. We used to play in abandoned houses, abandoned car parks and there used to be 15 or 20 of us who would go. Other than me the other best player was a female,” Rashford said. “She used to play every single type of street football that we used to do. I’ve always been interested in watching that and trying to follow people’s journeys and stuff like that.

“I think it’s important that that keeps trying to rise and more people should watch it.”

Have you ever been intrigued by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Naomi Osaka’s interactions on social media? If so, this is the Tennis United episode for you!

Tsitsipas and Osaka joined co-hosts Vasek Pospisil and Bethanie Mattek-Sands on the show’s 11th episode, which will premiere Friday on the ATP Tour’s Facebook page, to chat about the origins of their friendship and how they have developed an understanding of one another.

“I think it was February 2018,” Tsitsipas recalled.

“That’s very precise!” Osaka replied.

I’m done being shy. It’s really a waste of my time. I could’ve shared so many ideas by now, I could’ve had convos with so many different people. All the things I could’ve learned ??‍♀️ but no I’m over here actually putting my own limiter on myself.

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 5, 2020

In May, Osaka tweeted that, “I’m done being shy”, which Tsitsipas retweeted.

“I get it, and I saw a lot of realism and pragmatism to that. I thought to myself, ‘That’s really pure. That’s real,’” Tsitsipas said. “I would like to retweet it for the world to see because coming out of your shell and expressing yourself and just sharing your ideas and whatever you feel in that given moment, I found it quite inspiring, to be honest.”

Tsitsipas and Osaka later answer the big questions, like whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza.

Also in this episode, new fathers Mike Bryan, Jeremy Chardy, Marius Copil and Sam Querrey reflect on becoming a parent ahead of their first Father’s Day. WTA players Greet Minnen and Alison Van Uytvanck discuss their relationship during Pride Month, and Alex de Minaur does a Crossfit workout.

Any way that you want to slice it – titles, matches, sets, games, or points – Roger Federer has no peer on a grass court.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the best performers on grass courts from 1991-2019 identifies that the Swiss Maestro sits alone at the top of the mountain with peak performance in all five facets of the game. The data set is comprised of 277 players who played a minimum of 20 grass court matches from 1991, when official ATP statistics were first recorded. The only exception is grass court titles, which includes tournaments in the Open Era since 1968.

1. Grass Court Titles = 19

Federer has amassed an unparalleled 19 titles on grass, including a record eight Wimbledon titles, 10 in Halle, and one in Stuttgart. It’s jaw-dropping to know that Federer has won more grass-court titles than Pete Sampras (10) and John McEnroe (8) combined.

Federer’s first Wimbledon title came in 2003, defeating Mark Philippoussis 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-6(3) in the final. Serve-and-volley tennis was a key to Federer’s run as he won a dominant 68.1 per cent (213/313) of points rushing straight to the net after a serve. Federer served and volleyed 313 times out of 545 first and second-serve points, good for a head-turning 57 per cent.

Those tactical metrics are in stark contrast to his run to the Wimbledon final in 2019, where he served and volleyed just 72 times from 643 first and second-serve points, which was just 11 per cent of total serve points.

The leading players with the most grass court titles in the Open era are:

1. Roger Federer = 19
2. Pete Sampras = 10
3. Jimmy Connors = 9
T4. John McEnroe = 8
T4. Andy Murray = 8
T4. Ken Rosewall = 8
T4. Stan Smith = 8
T4. Lleyton Hewitt = 8

2. Grass-Court Matches = 87.3%

Federer has won 87.3 per cent (185/212) of his grass-court matches, including 41 straight at Wimbledon from 2003 to the 2008 final, where Rafael Nadal snapped the streak by defeating Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. During that six-year period, Federer won 66 straight matches on grass at Halle and Wimbledon combined.

The leading five players who have won the highest percentage of grass-court matches are:

1. Roger Federer = 87.4% (185/212)
2. Pete Sampras = 85.7% (90/105)
3. Novak Djokovic = 84.1% (95/113)
4. Andy Murray = 82.6% (100/121)
5. Michael Stich = 81.0% (47/58)

3. Grass-Court Sets = 80.1%

Federer is the only player in the data set to win at least eight grass-court sets out of every 10 played. Only three times at Halle (2017, 2008, 2004) and once at Wimbledon (2017) did Federer win the title without dropping a set, signifying just how difficult it is to be always on your game.

The leading five players with grass-court sets won are:

1. Roger Federer = 80.1% (494/617)
2. Pete Sampras = 77.5% (248/320)
3. Andy Murray = 76.0% (269/354)
4. Novak Djokovic = 75.9% (271/357)
5. Andy Roddick = 72.3% (214/296)

4. Grass-Court Games = 58.9%

Federer boasts a slight lead of less than one percentage point in this area over arch-rival Djokovic. Head-to-head at Wimbledon, Djokovic has won three finals (2019, 2015 & 2014) against Federer, while the Swiss triumphed in 2012 in the semi-finals against the Serbian.

The leading five players with grass-court games won are:

1. Roger Federer = 58.9% (3679/6248)
2. Novak Djokovic = 58.1% (2046/3251)
3. Andy Murray = 57.9% (2013/3476)
4. Pete Sampras = 57.7% (1856/3216)
5. Rafael Nadal = 56.8% (1677/2953)

5. Grass-Court Points (54.7%)

Federer played more than twice the amount of grass-court matches (212-105) than Sampras, but when the focus shifts from big picture to small, Federer leads Sampras by just one-tenth of a percentage point with points won. Overall, Federer has played by far the most points on grass at 37,968, while Hewitt sits in second place at 26,178.

The leading five players with percentage of points won on grass are:

1. Roger Federer = 54.7% (20,775/37,968)
2. Pete Sampras = 54.6% (11,693/21,402)
3. Novak Djokovic = 54.0% (11,864/21,964)
4. Richard Krajicek = 54.0% (9163/16/981)
5. Andy Murray = 53.8% (11609/21,565)

We will have to wait until the next grass-court season to see how Federer adds to his prodigious grass court legacy.