The ATP and WTA in April announced the launch of a new weekly show called Tennis United, to feature interviews with ATP and WTA players, as well as other influential figures from throughout the game, on a variety of topics. Ten episodes later, the show has enjoyed plenty of memorable moments.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, three-time Grand Slam finalist Dominic Thiem, 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev, as well as celebrities that include NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and former NBA star Steve Nash, have all joined the programme.
Watch Djokovic’s Appearance On Tennis United:
Tennis United, which has been co-hosted by Grand Slam champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Vasek Pospisil, has featured everything from an entertaining group chat between Canadian stars to a thought-provoking discussion about social change in sports between James Blake and Martina Navratilova. Former World No. 1 Andy Murray and football star Marcus Rashford surprised a healthcare hero, while American John Isner surprised a very special fan.
Click here to look back at all 10 episodes of Tennis United.
The new-look ATP Tour calendar intends to resume on Friday 14 August in Washington, D.C.
The ATP, in collaboration with the WTA, ITF, USTA and the FFT, has issued a revised provisional calendar that sets a pathway for the resumption of the Tour for the first time since the suspension of professional tennis in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new-look ATP Tour calendar intends to resume on Friday 14 August with the Citi Open, the ATP 500 event in Washington, D.C., followed by the Western & Southern Open, the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 event, to be hosted at Flushing Meadows, in the lead up to the US Open (31 August – 13 September).
Following New York, the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, ATP Masters 1000 events on clay in Madrid and Rome, respectively, will take place in September ahead of Roland Garros in Paris (27 September – 11 October), which will also feature a singles qualifying draw the week prior.
The calendar is subject to change and continued assessments will be made relating to health & safety, international travel policies, and governmental approval of sporting events. All events will be held under strict guidelines related to health & safety, social distancing, reduced or no fans on-site. The ATP continues to explore all options for additional ATP 500 and 250 events to be added to the schedule, should circumstances allow.
A further update on the intended schedule beyond Roland Garros, including a possible Asia swing ahead of the European indoor swing culminating with the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London, is expected in mid-July.
“Our objective has been to reschedule as many tournaments as possible and salvage as much of the season as we can,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “It has been a truly collaborative effort and we hope to add more events to the calendar as the situation evolves. I would like to recognise our tournaments’ efforts to operate during these challenging times, as well as our players who will be competing under different conditions. At every turn, ensuring that the resumption of the Tour takes place in a safe environment will be paramount.”
The ATP Challenger Tour will also resume from the week of 17 August, in parallel with the ITF World Tennis Tour.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULING
The revised calendar includes the Generali Open, an ATP 250 event in Kitzbühel, which coincides with the second week of the US Open. Top 10 singles players will not be eligible to compete in Kitzbühel unless they have played, and already lost, at the US Open.
FEDEX ATP RANKINGS The FedEx ATP Rankings have been frozen since 16 March 2020. The ATP continues to monitor all global travel restrictions and general access to playing opportunities ahead of the resumption of the Tour.
As the situation continues to evolve on a weekly basis, a determination will be made in the coming weeks with respect to the most appropriate and fair way for the rankings to resume in parallel with the resumption of the Tour.
Win A Signed Racquet From Dimitrov, Wawrinka Or Zverev
Jun172020
Funds raised in prize draw to support members of the ATP Coach Programme in most need due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Are you feeling lucky, tennis fans? This is your chance to win a signed racquet from Grigor Dimitrov, Stan Wawrinka or Alexander Zverev.
The ATP Coaches Committee is raising funds to support the members of the ATP Coach Programme in most need whose ability to work has been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For $10, you can purchase a prize draw ticket for your chance to win Dimitrov, Wawrinka or Zverev’s racquet. One thousand tickets are available for each player’s draw.
“Our sport owes a lot to coaches and I would not have become the player I did without their help over the years,” Wawrinka said. “I want to thank everyone involved for their support.”
The initial three-week bidding window will end on 29 June 2020, with future rounds and experiences to be announced. There are also silent auctions supporting the same cause, with the world’s leading coaches offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences to winning bidders.
Coaches offering private lessons as part of VIP packages include Ivan Lendl (2021 US Open), Boris Becker (2021 Fever-Tree Championships) and Goran Ivanisevic. (2021 Nitto ATP Finals). You can also enter prize draws to win tickets to the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals.
Part of the proceeds will be donated to a global COVID-19 relief fund. For more information on the prize draws, available experiences and merchandise, or to donate to the initiative, please visit the Givergy website.
#NextGenATP Canadian raising funds for children in Togo
Felix Auger-Aliassime is the youngest player in the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Although the #NextGenATP star is only 19, he is already serving as a role model for future generations.
The teen announced in February that he would donate $5 for every point he wins this season to EduChange, partnering with CARE to support the protection and education of children in Togo, from where his father hails. Auger-Aliassime revealed Tuesday in a video supporting International Day of the African Child that he is also counting the points he earned in 2019 towards the initiative.
“The points from last year are counting for this year’s support. I’m just above 3,000 points today,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I can’t wait for tournaments to resume in order to increase the total points so that my family and I can support the project even more.”
The World No. 20 believes that doing his part to support children today can make a massive difference in the future.
“Sport and school help to create values, help in education and contributes to create tomorrow’s leaders,” Auger-Aliassime said. “These are examples for future generations. I think that [when] you see people around you go to school [and] play sports, it’s a real motivation. It’s positive. “
Auger-Aliassime knew growing up that if he put himself in a position to give back, he would not hesitate.
“I would like to give this opportunity to as many kids as I can so that they have a chance to go to school, to play sports,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s the basics for me, and I would like for this to be global. I wanted Togo to be the first place where I can inject support and energy.”
When Nadal Beat Djokovic For Queen’s Club Title, Sending Wimbledon Warning
Jun162020
Relive the Spaniard’s run at The Queen’s Club in 2008
Rafael Nadal triumphed at 2008 Roland Garros, only losing four games against Roger Federer in the final. The Spaniard quickly crossed the English Channel to compete at the Fever-Tree Championships the following week to pursue personal history. The 22-year-old entered the event without a grass-court trophy.
Nadal hadn’t advanced past the quarter-finals in his first two appearances at The Queen’s Club. Riding a 12-match winning streak, the Spaniard cruised past Jonas Bjorkman and overcame 18-year-old Kei Nishikori in three sets to reach his third straight quarter-final in West London.
Nadal then faced big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic. Neither player broke serve, so all three sets went to a tie-break. A double fault cost Nadal the opening set, but the two-time Wimbledon runner-up fired crucial forehand winners in the second and third-set tie-breaks to claim victory after two hours and 24 minutes.
Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to win his first ATP Tour title on grass at The Queen’s Club in 2008.” />
Standing between Nadal and a spot in the championship match was four-time winner Andy Roddick. The stars were tied at 2-2 in their ATP Head2Head series, with Roddick winning their most recent encounter earlier that year in Dubai. But it was Nadal who played his best tennis in crucial moments, saving each of the four break points he faced and converting one against Roddick’s serve in each set to earn a 7-5, 6-4 win.
Bidding to win his first grass-court title, Nadal faced World No. 3 Novak Djokovic for the trophy. Djokovic entered the contest in peak form, having dropped a combined five games to beat four-time winner Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
Nadal recovered from break point down at 0-3 in the first set and ripped a forehand winner to save set point at 5/6 in the first-set tie-break en route to taking the opener. The World No. 2 faced further pressure in the second set as Djokovic served to force a decider at 5-4. However, Nadal raised his level and soon won three straight games to capture his maiden grass-court ATP Tour title 7-6(6), 7-5.
After what he called an “amazing week” at The Queen’s Club, Nadal quickly set his sights on going one step further at Wimbledon. Federer had beaten the Spaniard in the championship match in 2006 and 2007.
“Wimbledon is a very, very important tournament and the motivation is 100 per cent,” said Nadal.
Three weeks later, in one of the greatest matches of all-time, Nadal dethroned five-time defending champion Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 after four hours and 48 minutes to become Wimbledon champion for the first time. With the milestone victory, Nadal became the first man to complete the Queen’s Club-Wimbledon double since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 and the sixth player since 1981 to achieve the feat.
ATPTour.com looks back at his 10 title runs at the ATP 500 event
Roger Federer made history on Sunday, winning his 10th Halle trophy with a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory against David Goffin to triumph at the NOVENTI OPEN.
The 37-year-old is only the second man in the Open Era to win at least 10 titles at a single tournament, joining Rafael Nadal, who has accomplished the feat at three different events (12 at Roland Garros, 11 at Monte-Carlo and Barcelona).
Federer now owns 68 wins in Halle, the sixth-most victories he has tallied at any tournament. This was his 13th final (10-3) at the ATP 500 tournament. ATPTour.com takes a look at his 10 victories in Halle…
2019 def. David Goffin 7-6(2), 6-1 Federer was fresh off of his first clay-court campaign since 2016. But the Swiss had no problem transitioning to the grass, battling through three-setters in two of his first three matches before sprinting away for his 10th title after a 7-6(2), 6-1 triumph against Goffin in the championship match.
The 37-year-old won 95 per cent of his service games during the week, and he did not lose his serve in the final against Goffin. Federer dominated with his first serve — winning 83 per cent of those points — and broke the Belgian three times in the second set to finish off his run to the title.
2017 def. Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-3 Following his magical run to the 2017 Australian Open title after returning from injury, as well as trophies in Indian Wells and Miami that followed, Federer elected to skip the clay-court season for the first time. However, upon his return in Stuttgart, he lost in the first round, putting pressure on the Swiss to find his form in Halle.
Federer alleviated any concerns by winning his ninth title at the ATP 500 tournament, rolling through the field without dropping a set. In the final, he won 93 per cent of first-serve points in a straightforward victory against then-World No. 12 Alexander Zverev. Federer went on to capture his eighth Wimbledon title.
2015 def. Andreas Seppi 7-6(1), 6-4 Earlier in the 2015, Federer was upset by Andreas Seppi in the third round of the Australian Open, his earliest exit in Melbourne since 2001. But not only did the Swiss get his revenge in Indian Wells, he also defeated the Italian in straight sets in the Halle final.
His toughest test came in the first round, overcoming home favourite Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(8), 3-6, 7-6(5). That second set was the only set Federer dropped in the tournament.
2014 def. Alejandro Falla 7-6(2), 7-6(3) Federer’s first tournament after suffering a surprising fourth-round loss at 2014 Roland Garros came in Halle. Although he lost his first set of the week against Joao Sousa, the Swiss won his next six sets to lift the trophy.
It proved to be good Wimbledon preparation for Federer, who lost only one set on his way to the final in London. But he ultimately fell short in a five-set thriller against Novak Djokovic.
2013 def. Mikhail Youzhny 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 Federer claimed his lone 6-0, 6-0 victory in 75 matches in Halle in the 2013 quarter-finals against Mischa Zverev. But from there it got tougher, needing three sets in both the semi-finals and final. Nevertheless, Federer prevailed, saving the two break points he faced to beat Mikhail Youzhny in the championship match. The title did not lead to Wimbledon success, though, as Federer lost in the second round to Sergiy Stakhovsky.
2008 def. Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-4 The Swiss put on a serving clinic to claim his fifth Halle trophy, winning the title without losing his serve or a set throughout the week. Federer’s closest set was 7-5, and that came in the second round against Jan Vacek.
Federer rode that momentum to the Wimbledon final, which he reached without losing a set. But he would fall in the final against Rafael Nadal, 7-9 in the fifth set, in what was one of the greatest matches in tennis history.
2006 def. Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-7(4), 6-2 Federer has had no more difficult run to a Halle title than his path in 2006. He won four consecutive three-setters, including a 6-0, 6-7(4), 6-2 victory in the final against Tomas Berdych, who had beaten him two years earlier at the Athen Olympics. Federer saved four match points in a 6-7(2), 7-6(9), 7-6(5) quarter-final triumph against Olivier Rochus.
It turned out to be one of the 12 titles Federer won in 2006, which remains a personal record for the Swiss. He tallied a 92-5 record that year.
2005 def. Marat Safin 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 Federer came within two points of losing in the first round against Robin Soderling, but went on to capture his third consecutive Halle title. The 23-year-old saved five of the six break points he faced and won an impressive 74 per cent of his second-serve points against Marat Safin in the two-hour, five-minute final.
The Swiss’ Halle run began a streak of 35 consecutive matches won, lasting until the final of the Tennis Masters Cup in November.
Watch Federer’s Best Shots In Halle:
2004 def. Mardy Fish 6-0, 6-3 This was Federer’s most dominant run to a Halle victory, dropping only 26 games in five matches. It was also his most lopsided championship triumph, losing just three games against then-World No. 23 Mardy Fish. Federer would go on to win his next three tournaments as well, including his second Wimbledon trophy.
2003 def. Nicolas Kiefer 6-1, 6-3 Making his fourth appearance in Halle, Federer came in looking for his first grass-court title. He twice rallied from a set down – against Fernando Vicente in the second round and Mikhail Youzhny in the semis – before conceding just four games to Nicolas Kiefer in the final, where he didn’t face a break point. Federer took that confidence into Wimbledon, where he claimed his first Grand Slam title.
Stars Against Hunger auction continues with signed memorabilia from Djokovic, Medvedev, Tsitsipas and more
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi’s foundation, Stop War Start Tennis, has supported more than 2,500 families in Pakistan with ration bags since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pakistani is nowhere near done helping his community, though.
The two-time Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year in May launched a charity auction, Stars Against Hunger, in conjunction with his foundation to raise funds to provide as many ration bags as possible for the Pakistani daily workers who have been unable to work during these tough times. Qureshi’s goal is to support 10,000 more families.
Items that remain available in the auction include an autographed shirt from Novak Djokovic and signed racquets from Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov.
“I’d like to make a huge request to all the tennis fans and the tennis fraternity to help me out with this cause,” Qureshi said. “All the proceedings, every single penny that is raised from this auction, will go to distributing ration bags among the poor and the needy and the daily wagers.”
Click Here To View The Auction & Bid
Some auction items already sold include a signed pair of Roger Federer’s shoes ($20,000) and an autographed shirt from Rafael Nadal (€10,000). The Stars Against Hunger campaign has so far raised enough money to provide rations for 2,000 families. Distribution of those rations begins Thursday.
Qureshi says that his hometown of Lahore, Pakistan is soon going into lockdown because of COVID-19, making the ration bags — which feed a family of five with flour, rice, oil, grains, tea, milk and soap — even more important.
“My city Lahore is going into a lockdown once again for 15 days,” Qureshi said. “We have a lot of people [who are] needy who are going to suffer from this. The rate of coronavirus is actually growing in Pakistan… it’s a really tough moment for us.”
Between 2003 and 2008, Roger Federer won 25 consecutive matches and five titles at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle. Following a final loss to Lleyton Hewitt in 2010, the Swiss returned to the German ATP 500 in 2012 seeking his sixth title at the event.
For the seventh straight appearance, the Swiss advanced to the championship match after wins against Florian Mayer, Milos Raonic and Mikhail Youzhny. Standing between Federer and the trophy was home favourite Tommy Haas.
Like Federer, Haas had dropped just one set en route to the final to book a third Halle meeting against the five-time champion. The pair had previously met at the event in the 2005 and 2006 semi-finals, with Federer winning both matches en route to the trophy.
But, since then, Haas had enjoyed success of his own in Halle. In 2009, the former World No. 2 beat Top 10 stars Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic to claim his maiden ATP Tour title on grass.
Federer made the perfect start to the championship match, striking a cross-court forehand winner to break serve in the opening game. But Haas quickly responded and edged the opening set in a tie-break with a powerful serve to Federer’s backhand.
The second set was decided by one of the points of the tournament. Facing break point at 4-4, Federer moved up the court to take time away from his opponent. Haas responded with a pinpoint backhand lob, before Federer neutralised the rally with a high, no-look forehand.
After coming to the net for a second time, Federer was punished as Haas fired a cross-court backhand passing shot winner to break serve. Haas held his next service game to clinch his second Halle crown 7-6(5), 6-4 after one hour and 35 minutes.
“If someone had said before that I was going to beat Roger Federer, probably the best player of all time, I would have thought they were mad,” said Haas.
The following year, Federer gained his revenge in a third semi-final between the pair in Halle with a three-set win. The Swiss then secured a comeback victory against Youzhny to lift his sixth title at the event.
Haas made two further appearances in Halle in 2015 and 2017, suffering first-round defeats on both occasions. His 2017 loss to Bernard Tomic was the final grass-court match of his career on German soil.
After that match, Haas was greeted on court by his daughter, Valentina. Waving to the crowd, the two-time champion walked off the court for the final time with his daughter in his arms.
“Walking with Valentina in my arms is always special, but leaving the court this way for the last time is icing on the cake,” said Haas.
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Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to win his first ATP Tour title on grass at The Queen’s Club in 2008.” />
