No. 33 (Career High) Felix Auger-Aliassime, +24
The 18-year-old Canadian continued his impressive start to the 2019 ATP Tour season by reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final at the Miami Open presented by Itau. Auger-Aliassime, who now owns a 14-7 tour-level record this season, defeated three seeded opponents en route to the last four in Florida.

The #NextGenATP Canadian overcame 29th seed Marton Fucsovics in the second round and also beat 17th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili and 11th-seeded Borna Coric in back-to-back matches, before falling to defending champion John Isner in straight sets. Auger-Aliassime rises 24 places to a career-high No. 33 in the ATP Rankings.

No. 4 Roger Federer, +1
After a run to the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells (l. to Thiem), Roger Federer completed a successful month by lifting his 101st tour-level trophy at the Miami Open presented by Itau. After recovering from a set down to beat Radu Albot in his opening match, Federer completed straight-sets wins over Filip Krajinovic, Daniil Medvedev, Kevin Anderson, Denis Shapovalov and John Isner to triumph in Miami for the fourth time. Federer leapfrogs Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem into the No. 4 position in the ATP Rankings. Read More & Watch Miami Highlights.

No. 8 (Career High) Stefanos Tsitsipas, +2
Following his second-round loss to Auger-Aliassime at the BNP Paribas Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas picked up wins over Mackenzie McDonald and Leonardo Mayer to reach the Miami Open presented by Itau fourth round for the first time. Despite a final-set tie-break loss to Denis Shapovalov in the Round of 16, Tsitsipas jumps two spots to a career-high No. 8 in the ATP Rankings.

No. 20 (Career High) Denis Shapovalov, +3
The 19-year-old Canadian has now reached a Masters 1000 semi-final in each of the past three ATP Tour seasons, following runs to the last four in Canada (2017) and Madrid (2018). At the Miami Open presented by Itau, Shapovalov defeated Daniel Evans, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe to join countryman Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals. A straight-sets loss to eventual champion Roger Federer followed, but Shapovalov’s semi-final run confirmed his place inside the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time.

Other Notable Movers

No. 17 (Career High) Nikoloz Basilashvili, +2
No. 28 Pablo Carreno Busta, -7
No. 30 Frances Tiafoe, +4
No. 66 Malek Jaziri, -7
No. 67 Jordan Thompson, +10
No. 70 Pablo Andujar, +18
No. 74 Federico Delbonis, +9
No. 80 Marius Copil, -7
No. 84 Denis Kudla, -13
No. 85 Nicolas Jarry, -6
No. 86 Guido Andreozzi, -6
No. 88 (Career High) Miomir Kecmanovic, +7
No. 89 Daniel Evans, +8
No. 90 Andrey Rublev, +9
No. 97 Tomas Berdych, -8
No. 98 Ricardas Berankis, -16

The season is only three months old, but there’s already a plethora of storylines to track. Here are the top seven stories of 2019 so far:

1. Federer Starts With A Bang (Again)
Roger Federer is proving age is just a number in 2019 after yet another impressive start to the season. So far in 2019, the Swiss superstar has become the second player in the Open Era to claim 100 career titles and also captured his 28th ATP Masters 1000 crown.

The 37-year-old has won 15 of his past 16 matches including a seventh trophy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (d. Tsitsipas), which saw him follow in the footsteps of American Jimmy Connors (109 titles), a runner-up finish at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (l. to Thiem) and a fourth Miami Open presented by Itau title (d. Isner). Read & Watch Miami Final Highlights

Federer, with an 18-2 record this year, got off to a 17-2 start after three minutes in 2018, with the Australian Open and ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament crowns, which helped him rise to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, and went 19-1 in 2017, including trophies in Melbourne, Indian Wells and Miami.

Having entered Indian Wells with 680 points in the ATP Race To London, he now leads the year-to-date standings with 2,280 points — 55 points ahead of second-placed Serbian Novak Djokovic (2,225). After three months of the season, the Swiss leads the battle for a place at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November.

2. Tsitsipas Backs Up Next Gen ATP Finals Success
Stefanos Tsitsipas continues his surge as one of the sport’s youngest and most charismatic stars. Four months on from capturing the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals title, the 20-year-old has become the first Greek to break into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings — and this week moved up to a career-high No. 8. Read Latest ATP Rankings Movers Of The Week

In starting 2019 at No. 15, Tsitsipas recorded the biggest win of his career over Roger Federer en route to the Australian Open semi-finals (l. to Nadal) — the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since 20-year-old Djokovic at the 2007 US Open — and the following month he clinched his second ATP Tour title at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille (d. Kukushkin).

The YouTube vlogger, with 140,000 followers, also advanced to the Dubai final (l. to Federer), dropping to 2-3 in title matches, but at No. 4 in the ATP Race To London (145 points behind third-placed Rafael Nadal), Tsitsipas is well-placed for a first qualification to the eight-man season finale in November.

3. Felix’s Meteoric Rise
Ever since Felix Auger-Aliassime became the youngest player to win a main draw match on the ATP Challenger Tour at the age of 14, the Canadian has been on the global radar. Over the past three months, the 18-year-old has soared from No. 108 in the ATP Rankings to his current career-high of No. 33.

His confidence has grown as a result of reaching his first ATP Tour final at the Rio Open presented by Claro (l. to Djere) on 24 February. He went on to record his first Top 10 victory against then No. 10-ranked Tsitsipas in the BNP Paribas Open second round, then qualified for Miami and became the ATP Masters 1000 tournament’s youngest semi-finalist for 35 years (l. to Isner).

He’s in second position, behind Tsitsipas, in the ATP Race To Milan for a place at the 21-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and, one of three Canadians — also Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov — in the Top 14 of the ATP Race To London. After Shapovalov also reached the Miami semi-finals, the Canadians are pushing each other to new heights.

Read Feature – Felix’s Philosophy: ‘I’m Not Scared Of Losing’ 

4. Thiem Expands His Horizons
Dominic Thiem has forged a reputation in recent years as a clay-court ironman, befitting the reputation of his Austrian predecessor Thomas Muster. But after having gotten off a 3-4 start to the year — including appearances at two clay-court tournaments — heading into Indian Wells, the 25-year-old needed a confidence boost.

In the space of 10 days, and with former World No. 9 Nicolas Massu as a part of his team alongside long-time coach Gunter Bresnik, Thiem won six straight matches — including three-set victories over Raonic and No. 4-ranked Federer — for the biggest title of his career, his first ATP Masters 1000 crown.

Read Feature: Massu On Thiem: “Ask Dom To Do Something And He’ll Do It – Just Better”

World No. 5 Thiem now has 1,990 ATP Rankings points to defend on the upcoming European clay-court swing, which includes 1,200 points from a 2018 runner-up finish at Roland Garros.

5. Silverware Gets Spread Out
When Federer defeated Isner in the final of the Miami Open presented by Itau on Sunday, he ended a record-breaking ATP Tour streak of 19 tournaments in a row that had until then produced 19 different singles winners.

He was the season’s first repeat winner in the most competitive season to date in ATP Tour history. Never before had it taken so long to produce a multiple champion. The remarkable diversity in winners, with players aged from 20 to 37, is a dramatic indication of the continuing rapidly growing depth in the men’s professional tennis.

6. Djokovic Extends ATP Rankings Lead, Now For Clay Bid
Djokovic started the year in imperial form with a record seventh Australian Open crown, but for a second straight year left March’s two Masters 1000 tournaments with little to show. After a BNP Paribas Open third-round exit (l. to Kohlschreiber) and a Last 16 loss in Miami (l. to Bautista Agut), fans are wondering what to expect for the clay-court swing.

The Serbian has a 2,345-point lead over second-placed Nadal (2,345), the player he beat in the Melbourne final, in the ATP Rankings. Djokovic started 2019 with 9,135 points and now has 11,070 points, in comparison to Nadal’s current tally of 8,725 points.

View Latest ATP Rankings

Nadal, who has not competed since 15 March, is scheduled to return at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters that begins on 14 April. The Spaniard has 4,680 ATP Ranking points to defend after triumphing in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Paris last year, while Djokovic, who has finished as the year-end No. 1 in 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2018, has a total of 855 points to defend on red dirt.

7. Motivated Monfils On Comeback Trail
One of the sport’s greatest sights is watching the athletic and flexible Gael Monfils play at his best level and produce sublime Hot Shots, with a smile on his face. After a series of injury woes, Monfils has made a significant effort in the first quarter of 2019 to return to his peak performance days and his career-high of No. 6 in the ATP Rankings (7 November 2016).

The 32-year-old is up to World No. 19 on the back of his eighth ATP Tour title in Rotterdam (d. Wawrinka) and semi-final exits at the Sofia Open (l. to Medvedev) and Dubai (l. to Tsitsipas).

A LOOK BACK
Casino Admiral Trophy (Marbella, Spain): In 2018, the comeback quest of Pablo Andujar was well-documented. It was one of the most captivating storylines of the year, as the former World No. 32 battled back from three elbow surgeries to compete at the highest level once again. The Spaniard capped a resurgent campaign in extraordinary fashion, rising a total of 1,619 spots to No. 82 in the year-end ATP Rankings. It was the biggest jump among players to finish in the Top 100 since 2004, as Andujar reaped the rewards of three ATP Challenger Tour titles and an ATP Tour crown in Marrakesh.

He wasn’t done there. The 33-year-old continues to make great strides in 2019, and on Sunday he notched yet another title with his victory on home soil in Marbella. Andujar produced one of the greatest comebacks of the year in the final, rallying from a set and a break down to defeat World No. 67 Benoit Paire 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 in two hours and 25 minutes.

Sound on ??@AndujarPablo reacts to his victory in Marbella, taking the ? @casinoadmiralt pic.twitter.com/TcAS8eYu84

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) March 31, 2019

Not only did Andujar find his back against the wall at 4-6, 2-5, but the home favourite was forced to save a match point while serving to stay in the championship. The match was a microcosm of the guile, grit and determination that Andujar has displayed throughout his year-long comeback. Now 5-0 in finals upon returning to the tour, he adds to Challenger victories in Alicante, Florence and Buenos Aires and an ATP Tour crown at the Grand Prix Hassan II.

Having sat outside the Top 1,700 less than 14 months ago, Andujar has risen to No. 70 in the ATP Rankings with his triumph in Marbella.

“This victory is very important for me given that I barely competed in February due to my son’s birth,” said Andujar. “Also, during the Australian swing I didn’t win a match and I needed that to get my confidence back and find my game. It is very special to do it at home and this will help me for the upcoming tournaments. Now I have to try and defend a lot of points.

“This part of my career is an extra. A moment that wasn’t in my mind after being sidelined for so long because of my elbow and I’m trying to enjoy every minute to the limit. Having my family by my side makes me very, very happy. If I’m able to enjoy tennis as well, what else can I ask for?”

Meanwhile, on the doubles court, New York Open champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies added yet another crown as a team. In fact, Krawietz has been a force in the past year, claiming a total of 10 titles with three different partners. Seven of those victories have come with Mies.

Open Harmonie Mutuelle (Saint-Brieuc, France): Kamil Majchrzak became the 12th first-time winner of the 2019 season, streaking to the title in Saint-Brieuc. The 23-year-old Pole found his game on the indoor hard courts of the Tennis Club Saint Brieuc, ousting a red-hot Gregoire Barrere in the quarter-finals, defending champion Ricardas Berankis in the semis and home hope Maxime Janvier for the title. He down the Frenchman 6-3, 7-6(1) on Sunday afternoon.

Majchrzak, who rises 24 spots to a career-high No. 130, was competing in his fourth Challenger final. He previously fell in Mohammedia, Morocco in 2015, and twice in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, finishing runner-up in 2017 and 2018.

Poland is on the rise in 2019, with Majchrzak and Hubert Hurkacz the only players from the European nation in the Top 500 of the ATP Rankings. Hurkacz is coming off a quarter-final result at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells and signature win over Dominic Thiem in Miami.

A LOOK AHEAD
The Mexican swing kicks off with the Abierto GNP Seguros, which took home Tournament of the Year honours in 2015. It is one of two combined ATP Challenger and WTA events on the calendar, along with the grass-court stop in Nottingham. Tennys Sandgren and Bradley Klahn lead the pack, with Feliciano Lopez and Casper Ruud seeded third and fourth. Ernesto Escobedo, champion in 2015, is an unseeded threat.

After a one-year hiatus, the circuit returns to the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Sophia Antipolis, France. Home hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert is the top seed and is accompanied by fellow Top 100 players Robin Haase, Benoit Paire and Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

And at the second edition of Juan Carlos Ferrero’s tournament in Alicante, Spain, it will be Andujar looking to retain his title. The top seed took the first step in his comeback here last year, lifting the trophy as an unseeded wild card.

Roger Federer extended his ‘Big Titles’ lead over Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on Sunday by capturing his fourth Miami Open presented by Itau title.

If Djokovic won a record seventh trophy in Miami, he would have tied the Swiss’ top mark. But instead Federer, at 37 years old, earned his 54th Big Title – a combination of Grand Slam, Nitto ATP Finals and Masters 1000 crowns — to give himself breathing room ahead of Djokovic (52) and Rafael Nadal (50).

Federer’s form got better throughout his run in Miami, as he ultimately beat 2018 champion John Isner 6-1, 6-4 in the final. It is Federer’s 28th Masters 1000 victory, trailing only Djokovic (33) and Nadal (32). The father of four’s win marks the 16th season in which he has captured a Big Title.

While Federer has not competed on clay the past two seasons, he will have a chance to add to his Big Title total on the red dirt. The No. 1 player in the ATP Race To London is currently slated to compete at the Mutua Madrid Open and Roland Garros. The Swiss has emerged victorious in Madrid three times (twice on clay, once on hard), and he also won the Roland Garros title in 2009.

“I think what this [Miami] win does for me, it just takes even more pressure off from the clay court season,” Federer said. “I’m very excited. It’s a good challenge, good test.”

The Big Titles race will heat up on the clay as Federer, Djokovic and Nadal will all battle for the top spot. World No. 1 Djokovic will be keen to get back on track after third round and fourth round exits in Indian Wells and Miami, respectively. He has not captured a Big Title on clay courts since 2016 Roland Garros.

Nadal will be able to tie Federer’s mark if he wins all four Big Titles on clay for the second time. In 2010 the lefty triumphed at Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros. Nadal has earned 33 of his 50 Big Titles on clay.

Did You Know?
With his victory in Miami, Federer also passed Djokovic for the lead in the ATP Race To London. It is the third straight year Federer has topped the Race upon leaving Miami. Read More

Current and Former Champions’ Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990)

* Becker’s four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg’s three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.

Age is just a number, right?

It certainly seems that way for  37-year-old Roger Federer. Thanks to his victory at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Federer now leads the ATP Race To London, taking a 55-point lead over second-placed Novak Djokovic.

Entering the ‘Sunshine Double’ — the first two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments of the year in Indian Wells and Miami — Federer sat in ninth place in the Race with 680 points, having just moved up 39 spots thanks to his triumph at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, an ATP 500 event. The Swiss star has made a giant leap since, first earning 600 points for his runner-up showing in the California desert and then adding 1,000 points on Sunday after lifting his 28th Masters 1000 title in Miami.

ATP Race To London – 1 April 2019

It is the third consecutive year that Federer has led the Race after the ‘Sunshine Double’. Prior to accomplishing the feat in 2017, he had not done so since 2007.

The 101-time tour-level champion holds an 18-2 record so far this year, earning more wins than anyone else on the ATP Tour. He is trying to qualify for the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals for the 17th time. 

“These Masters 1000s are hard to win. They are really a test for me, especially later in my career,” Federer said. “I know these guys don’t come around very often, so when they do, it’s a bit of a surprise for me. That’s why this one feels really cool in many ways.”

Australian Open champion and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is second in the Race with 2,225 points. Rafael Nadal is third with 1,605 points thanks to making the final in Melbourne and the semi-finals in Indian Wells.

But perhaps the biggest standout in the Race thus far has been reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek star was 76th in the Race this time last year, but he leaves Miami this season in fourth position.

Tsitsipas has 1,460 points, 1,231 more than he had on 2 April 2018. The 20-year-old is trying to reach The O2 in London for the first time, striving to compete at the season finale from 10-17 November. He remains eligible to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan for the second time.

Fifth-placed Dominic Thiem has put himself in good position early on in the Race, leaving South Florida with 1,145 points. The Austrian gave himself a major boost in Indian Wells, where he captured his maiden Masters 1000 title to earn 1,000 points.

Fan favourite Gael Monfils has made an early case to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second time (2016), using an impressive start to the year to stand in seventh place with 995 points. Daniil Medvedev, who like Tsitsipas is a Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus, is currently on the bubble with 895 points.

The two #NextGenATP Canadians who made waves in Miami — Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime — are also in good position. Both semi-finalists in South Florida, Auger-Aliassime is No. 12 with 786 points, and Shapovalov is No. 14 with 675 points. It’s an impressive effort by the teenagers, as Felix and Shapovalov were two and three years old, respectively, when Federer qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

They aren’t the only Canadians who got off to a hot start in 2019, though. Former World No. 3 Milos Raonic is in 11th place with 855 points. Raonic competed at The O2 in 2014 and 2016.

Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev will look to ascend the Race standings during the clay-court season. The German currently is No. 22 with 535 points. Zverev is trying to qualify for the third consecutive year. Right behind him in 23rd place, also with 535 points, is former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss made The O2 four straight times from 2013-16.

New venue, same drama under the Florida sun. The move to the Hard Rock Stadium was welcomed with plenty of riveting storylines and pulsating moments over the past fortnight in Miami. From an eight match point saving performance in the first round to Roger Federer adding to his trophy haul, relive the best moments of the 2019 Miami Open presented by Itau…

Roger Romps For Fourth Miami Title: Federer dropped his first set of the tournament, against Radu Albot, but the Swiss was in cruise control from there. He did not drop another frame all week, dominating the field en route to his 101st title, 28th at the ATP Masters 1000 level and fourth in Miami.

It all culminated with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win over John Isner in the final. Federer has not only reached three straight finals, posting a 15-1 record in that span, but he adds a Miami crown to his 2019 championship silverware in Dubai.

Read Final Match Report

Metal Hip For The Championship: Less than three months after kicking off his comeback from hip surgery, Bob Bryan returned to the Masters 1000 winners’ circle with brother Mike Bryan. Bob was diving on his metal hip in a thrilling semi-final win, which saw the Americans save four match points, and he and Mike would clinch their sixth Miami crown a day later.

The Bryans defeated Wesley Koolhof and Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-6(6) for their 118th tour-level title and 39th at the Masters 1000 level.

“A doctor was cutting me open eight months ago and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it back on court,” said Bob. “To win this title is a dream and certainly wasn’t possible eight months ago. This is huge for us.”

Read Final Match Report

Isner’s Miami Mastery: One year ago, the 6’10” American celebrated his first ATP Masters 1000 title on home soil in Miami. Despite falling one win short of retaining his crown, Isner produced a dominant display all fortnight in South Florida.

Not only did the World No. 9 refuse to drop a set en route to the championship match, but he went 9-0 in tie-breaks, topping the likes of Kyle Edmund, Roberto Bautista Agut and an inspired Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semis. It was his 27th tour-level final in total.

Read Final Match Report

Hard Rock Stadium Debuts To Rave Reviews: After 32 years, the Miami Open presented by Itau made the move from Crandon Park to Hard Rock Stadium, with 2019 marking the first year at the new venue. With a 14,000 person capacity stadium and expansive grounds that include 28 additional courts, needless to say the state-of-the-art facility has been a stirring success from first ball to last. Players and fans soaked in the energy and excitement throughout the fortnight at the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Read Feature

Canadian Teens Shine: It was a tournament to remember for Canadian tennis. Not one, but two #NextGenATP stars surged into the spotlight, with Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime both reaching the semi-finals. The teens announced their arrival on one of the ATP Tour’s biggest stages and added their names to the record books along the way.

It marked the first time since 2007 that multiple teenagers reached the semis of a Masters 1000 event. The teens created such a buzz that even Federer took note and was full of praise for the future standard bearers of the sport.

Federer Full Of Praise For #NextGenATP Canadians

Bautista Agut Digs Deep: Comeback of the tournament? How about comeback of the year? Roberto Bautista Agut reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out a stunning 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Novak Djokovic in the fourth round. The Spaniard had dropped seven of the first eight games, falling behind by a set and a break, before storming back to upset the World No. 1 and six-time champion. Djokovic was previously 39-0 in Miami when winning the first set.

Not to be outdone, earlier in the tournament, Mischa Zverev rallied from eight match points down to defeat Nicola Kuhn.

Read Bautista Agut Feature

Why Is This Guy Retiring?: David Ferrer turned in a vintage display under the lights at Hard Rock Stadium, exhibiting his trademark grit and determination to upset Alexander Zverev from a set down. The 36-year-old, who is retiring from professional tennis next month, gave fans plenty to cheer for. It was his first win over a Top 5 opponent since 2015.

Read Ferrer Feature

Hubi’s Heroics: One week after reaching his first Masters 1000 quarter-final at the BNP Paribas Open, Hubert Hurkacz made his mark in Miami. He earned the first Top 5 win of his career with a straight-set defeat of Indian Wells champ Dominic Thiem. The Pole’s new partnership with coach Craig Boynton is already paying dividends.

Read Hurkacz Feature

Roger & Rafa, 15 Years On: Fifteen years ago, a straight-set result in the Miami third round marked the beginning of tennis’ most legendary rivalry. Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal was born.

Kevin Had Roger’s Attention: Prior to Federer’s quarter-final encounter against Kevin Anderson, the Swiss provided an early candidate for quote of the year, exclaiming, “If you beat me at Wimbledon, you’ve got my attention.”

Safe to say, Federer was dialed-in for their seventh FedEx ATP Head2Head clash, producing a 6-0, 6-4 masterclass.

Read QF Preview

Shapo’s Rallying Cry: Shapovalov is set to make his Top 20 debut in the ATP Rankings after a stirring semi-final run in Miami. Perhaps his most impressive achievement of the fortnight was his trio of comebacks from a set down, exhibiting great poise under pressure. The 19-year-old rallied past Daniel Evans in the first round, followed by comeback wins over fellow #NextGenATP stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe.

Read Shapovalov Feature

Felix Not Scared Of Losing: Like his countryman, Auger-Aliassime is also ready for an ATP Rankings milestone, breaking into the Top 50 for the first time. Earlier in the tournament, the youngest semi-finalist in Miami history admitted he is not scared of losing. In fact, he embraced his defeat to Isner with a solo practice session immediately following the match. Immense talent and the work ethic to go with it.

Read Felix Feature

Nick At Night: Underarm serve? Check. No-look volley? Check. Radar-busting forehands? Check. Nick Kyrgios pulled out all the tricks in his bag in a blistering, yet entertaining, third-round win over Dusan Lajovic.

Say What? Kyrgios Says HE Was The Disciplined One

Shot Of The Tournament: And the Aussie wasn’t done there. In his next match, against Borna Coric, Kyrgios hit the shot of the tournament, firing a jaw-dropping tweener that brought the Miami faithful to its feet.

Kecmanovic Takes Over Media Day: One week after reaching his first Masters 1000 quarter-final in Indian Wells, Miomir Kecmanovic was put to the test on Miami media day. The Serbian teen played Next Gen reporter for the day, asking the tough questions to Federer, Djokovic and others.

Mackie Marooned On I-95: It takes a lot to deflate a lucky loser who has just toughed out a first-round third-set tie-break win. But standing on the side of Interstate 95, just north of Miami, at close to three o’clock in the morning is enough to dampen any man’s mood.

Learn More

The Newest Member Of ‘Team Zverev’: Alexander Zverev went all in during a visit to the Humane Society of Greater Miami, prior to the tournament. A scheduled half-hour promotional visit to the dog and cat adoption facility turned into a significantly longer commitment when he left with a two-month-old terrier mix.

Zverev Adopts Puppy: “Love At First Sight

Tipsy Turns Back The Clock: Janko Tipsarevic went 570 days without a tour-level match win before advancing to the second round in Miami. After struggling with a litany of lower-body injuries over the years, the former World No. 8 has found a new inspiration to continue fighting: five-year-old daughter, Emili.

Tipsarevic Still Digging, Seven Surgeries Later

Back From The Sofa: Last February, Andrey Rublev reached his career-high ATP Ranking of No. 31. Two months later, he was at home on the sofa, recoving from a stress fracture in his lower back. But the Russian rediscovered his form in a hurry in Miami, scoring one of his biggest victories over ninth seed Marin Cilic, en route to the third round as a qualifier.

Read Rublev Feature

What’s Your Florida Man?: Grigor Dimitrov, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Jeremy Chardy and Radu Albot take on the ‘Florida Man’ challenge.

The 2019 Miami Open presented by Itau was all about new beginnings, but in the end, some things never change.

On Sunday, Roger Federer became the first champion at the new Hard Rock Stadium, completing an impressive run to the title with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of John Isner. After conceding his opening set of the tournament to Radu Albot, he was nearly flawless from there, blitzing the field for his fourth tournament title.

One year after succumbing to Thanasi Kokkinakis in an opening-round stunner, Federer admits that he wasn’t entirely sure of his return to the ATP Masters 1000 event. Safe to say he’s happy with the decision to come back.

“It’s easy to say that last year didn’t work out, so I won’t come back this year,” said Federer. “And as I’m playing clay, maybe add rather another clay-court event. But I felt like let’s extend the hard court season. Let’s see the new venue. To be honest, I think that was something also I was excited to see… So I’m happy with the team we took the right decision.

“Of course you feel fortunate when you come all the way to the end of the event and you can sit here with the trophy. It’s definitely a moment you appreciate a lot, because you know it could have turned out very different.

“And also the secret was I was more positive this year after losing in Indian Wells over last year. Because last year I was, I don’t want to say frustrated, but I think I was down on myself. I think it cost me a little bit on confidence because I was so down. So maybe this year I didn’t feel that way. Let’s go to Miami and have a good tournament. And I did.”

Federer notched his 101st tour-level crown, 28th at the ATP Masters 1000 level and fourth in Miami. Previously the champion at the old site on Key Biscayne in 2005, 2006 and 2017, the Swiss has fond memories of his time in South Florida.

In his post-match speech, an elated Federer reflected on his experiences competing in the area. From his junior days competing at Flamingo Park and The Biltmore to his Miami Open debut in 1999, the region has a special place in the 37-year-old’s heart.

“The other three [Miami titles] were very special in many ways,” Federer added. “I felt like it reflected who I have become until that moment. These Masters 1000s are hard to win. They are really a test for me, especially later in my career. So I know these don’t come around very often, so when they do, it’s a bit of a surprise for me. That’s why this one feels really cool in many ways.

“Being able to fight back [vs. Nadal in the 2005 final] and find a way to win, I ended up playing unbelievable tennis. I really feel like it was a big moment for me in my life and in my career there. The final against Ivan [Ljubicic] was just during the time when I was dominating so much and I was thinking how many times could I beat Ivan in a row. All these things were happening. It was just a matter of extending whatever you can and for as long as you can.

“And then of course the win here two years ago, maybe as much as it didn’t come as a surprise for people, for me it still did, because I felt like the tank was empty. I had a tough week here against Berdych and Kyrgios, as well. And I also didn’t expect this one, to be honest. I lost in a very close final in Indian Wells and it was a new venue. I didn’t know what to expect.”

Federer will next compete at the Mutua Madrid Open, making his return to clay for the first time in three years. His last match on the surface came at the 2016 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. He did not compete on the surface in 2017-18 to give his body a break ahead of the grass season. And while the Swiss says he is ready to make his clay comeback, he admits his confidence is low in making the transition.

“I’m not very confident going into this clay court season, I can tell you that. I didn’t even remember how to slide anymore. I’m taking baby steps at this point. I didn’t play one point – not one shot – on clay last year. Two years ago I played two days. Three years ago I played not feeling great in Monte-Carlo and Rome and all that. It’s been so little that I really don’t know what to expect.

“What this win does for me is it just takes even more pressure off from the clay-court season. That’s what I’m looking at now the next four or five weeks, figuring out how we are going to go about it. I’m very excited. It’s a good challenge, a good test.”