Juan Martin del Potro and Kei Nishikori won their team debut on Monday at the Mutua Madrid Open, defeating Monte-Carlo singles champion Fabio Fognini and Swede Robert Lindstedt 5-7, 6-4, 10-4 in one hour and 34 minutes.

Del Potro’s lone doubles title came at 2007 Indianapolis with Travis Parrott and Nishikori has not been victorious on the doubles court, but they will try to continue their run against third seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares or Moldovan Radu Albot and Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili. 

Five-time Madrid champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan were upset in the first round, as 2016 titlists Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau saved two match points to beat the American twins 4-6, 7-6(2), 12-10. The Bryan brothers led by a set and a break and had two chances to go up a double-break in the second set, but they were unable to finish it off. They bounced back to take a 7-3 lead in the Match Tie-break, but Rojer and Tecau prevailed after one hour and 45 minutes.

Second seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, the 2017 Madrid champions, were made to battle past Japanese Ben McLachlan and German Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 5-7, 10-6. The Polish-Brazilian duo is now 6-2 in Match Tie-breaks this season, and will move on to play German brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev or Dutchman Robin Haase and South African Raven Klaasen.

Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos, who triumphed in Buenos Aires, advanced to the final in Cordoba and reached the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo earlier this year, got off to a good start in Madrid with a 7-5, 2-6, 11-9 victory against American Rajeev Ram and Brit Joe Salisbury.

Gonzalez and Zeballos let slip a 7-2 lead in the Match Tie-break, but stayed the course to advance after one hour and 31 minutes. They will next play sixth seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who they beat in Monte-Carlo, or veterans Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Also through to the second round are Argentine Guido Pella and Portuguese Joao Sousa, who ousted Indian Rohan Bopanna and Brit Dominic Inglot 7-6(4), 6-3 in 68 minutes.

No. 33 (Career-High) Cristian Garin, +14
The 22-year-old Chilean rose 14 places to a career-high of No. 33 in the ATP Rankings on the back of lifting his second ATP Tour trophy of 2019 at the BMW Open by FWU (d. Berrettini) on Sunday. Having started the year at World No. 84, with one tour-level match win, Garin secured his first title at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston (d. Ruud) last month. Read More & Watch Munich Final Highlights

No. 1 Novak Djokovic, No Change
The 31-year-old Serbian today celebrates his 250th week at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. Only four players since 1973 have been ranked more weeks at the summit of men’s professional tennis, and now the marks of Jimmy Connors (268) and Ivan Lendl (270) are coming into view for the Serbian, who began his fourth stint in the top spot on 5 November 2018. If Djokovic remains at No. 1, the total number of weeks of Pete Sampras (286) may be ticked off within the first month of 2020. Read Tribute

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No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas, +1
The 20-year-old #NextGenATP star also picked up his second ATP Tour crown, moving to within one spot of his career-high first attained on 1 April this year. Tsitsipas beat Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-6(4) for the Millennium Estoril Open crown on Sunday to add to his first trophy in February at the Open 13 Provence (d. Kukushkin). The first Greek player in the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, who began the year at No. 15, also advanced to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (l. to Federer) final. Read More & Watch Estoril Final Highlights

No. 28 Lucas Pouille, +4
The 25-year-old Frenchman, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals (l. to Djokovic) in January, earned his first ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Primrose Bordeaux (d. Mikael Ymer) to rise four spots to No. 28 in the ATP Rankings. Pouille is the first player to win his first Challenger title after his first tour-level crown since Kei Nishikori and Sergiy Stakhovsky both did it in 2008. Interestingly, it now leaves Milos Raonic as the only current Top 50 player without a Challenger trophy.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 3 Roger Federer, +1
No. 23 David Goffin, +2
No. 31 (Career High) Matteo Berrettini, +6
No. 50 Philipp Kohlschreiber, -9
No. 51 Pablo Cuevas, +16
No. 66 Yoshihito Nishioka, +5
No. 75 Joao Sousa, -24
No. 87 (Career High) Lloyd Harris, +7
No. 90 Malek Jaziri, -15
No. 93 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, +8
No. 94 (Career High) Alexander Bublik, +2
No. 95 Ricardas Berankis, +7
No. 97 Ivo Karlovic, +6

Novak Djokovic is today celebrating his 250th week at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings.

Only four players since 1973 have been ranked more weeks at the summit of men’s professional tennis, and now the marks of Jimmy Connors (268) and Ivan Lendl (270) are coming into view for the Serbian, who began his fourth stint in the top spot on 5 November 2018. If Djokovic remains at No. 1, the total number of weeks of Pete Sampras (286) and all-time record-holder Roger Federer (310) may be ticked off within the first four months of 2020.

ALL-TIME WEEKS AT NO. 1

MOVING UP THE NO. 1 LADDER – If Djokovic remains at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, he will pass Connors on 16 September 2019 and move to fourth place in the all-time list for most weeks spent at No. 1.

Twelve months ago, few would have predicted Djokovic’s return to No. 1. He’d missed six months of 2017, undergone right elbow surgery after the 2018 Australian Open and on the eve of Roland Garros was at No. 22 in the ATP Rankings with a 6-6 match record.

In a complete turnaround in fortunes by 5 November 2018, the 31-year-old had become the first player to be ranked outside the Top 20 then climb to No. 1 in the same season since Russia’s Marat Safin in 2000. In reuniting with his long-time coach Marian Vajda, Djokovic compiled a 44-6 match record, including a 35-3 mark from the start of Wimbledon until the end of the year.

Today, Djokovic is the current holder of three straight Grand Slam championship crowns and he is the only player to win titles at all nine ATP Masters 1000s in the tournament series history (since 1990). His discipline, dedication and passion has seen him soar among the sport’s giants and in his four combined stints in the top spot, Djokovic has compiled a 311-43 (.879) match record; gone 102-25 against Top 10 rivals and won 31 tour-level crowns from 43 finals.

As he begins his 250th week at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, the relentless, superbly conditioned competitor has 11,160 points – 3,395 points ahead of No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal. Even with a whopping 7,755 points to defend the rest of 2019, Djokovic will be aiming to finish as the year-end No. 1 for the sixth time (2011-12, 2014-15, 2018) in the past nine years.

DJOKOVIC AT NO. 1 – Take a closer look at Djokovic’s match wins, Top 10 and finals record during his four stints at No. 1.

Statistical assistance by Joshua Rey and Greg Sharko

Lucky loser Pablo Cuevas might have fallen short in the Millennium Estoril Open final against Stefanos Tsitsipas. But the Uruguayan did not go down without showing some flair. With the #NextGenATP Greek up a set and a break, Cuevas pulled off a no-look forward-facing tweener half volley drop shot for a winner.

It’s not the first time that Cuevas sent the crowd in Portugal into a frenzy this week. In the semi-finals, the veteran was left scrambling against #NextGenATP Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but he hit a behind-the-back forehand lob to stay in the rally, eventually winning the point to break serve.

The ‘Uruguayan Magician’ has long been renowned for his hot show prowess, and he joined ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot last year to break down some of his all-time best shots, from his sensational no-look passing shot against Alexander Zverev in Madrid two years ago to his forward-facing tweener winner against Rafael Nadal in Paris, also in 2017.

Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem may be known for their efforts on the singles court, but they got off to a good start in doubles on Sunday when they pulled away from Spanish wild cards David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-3, 10-3 to reach the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open.

It is the fourth time the Argentine and Austrian have competed together, and it is their first ATP Masters 1000 tournament as a team. Schwartzman and Thiem made the Argentina Open final in February. Against home favourites Marrero and Verdasco, they won 84 per cent of their first-serve points en route to an 80-minute victory.

In the next round, Schwartzman and Thiem will face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Russian Karen Khachanov, who upset fourth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-2, 7-5. Cabal and Farah, 2018 Nitto ATP Finals semi-finalists, have made the Madrid semi-finals twice, but Dimitrov and Khachanov broke serve four times to advance after 80 minutes, just like Schwartzman and Thiem. 

Juan Martin del Potro and Kei Nishikori will be in doubles action on Monday against Fabio Fognini and Robert Lindstedt, with five-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan facing 2016 titlists Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau.

Best friend in the first round, best clay-court player ever in the second.

Felix Auger-Aliassime evened his friendly FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry (1-1) against fellow #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov on Sunday at the Mutua Madrid Open, dismissing the 20-year-old 6-2, 7-6(7).

The 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime converted three of his nine break points and clinched his fourth match point when Shapovalov sprayed a forehand wide during their tense second-set tie-break. Shapovalov beat Auger-Aliassime at last year’s US Open during their only prior tour-level meeting.

Auger-Aliassime improves to 17-9 on the season and continues to excel on clay. The teenager reached his first ATP Tour final at the Rio Open presented by Claro (l. to Djere) in February.

Auger-Aliassime, however, will face his toughest clay-court test yet in the second round when he meets five-time champion Rafael Nadal, the top seed who is 49-11 in Madrid. Nadal will be especially hungry for a deep run in the Spanish capital. He’s coming off of semi-final finishes at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

In the only other main-draw match on Sunday, German Jan-Lennard Struff knocked out 2016 quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios 7-6(4), 6-4 and will next meet ninth seed Marin Cilic or qualifier Martin Klizan of Slovakia.

A LOOK BACK
BNP Paribas Primrose Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France): It’s not often that a player reaches a Grand Slam semi-final and follows that with an ATP Challenger Tour appearance just months later. But such was the case for World No. 32 Lucas Pouille this week in Bordeaux. Pouille streaked to the semis at the Australian Open in January, but a subsequent six-match losing streak had him seeking confidence and momentum entering the ATP Masters 1000 stops in Madrid and Rome.

The Frenchman would rediscover his mojo and then some, blasting to the title in front of the home faithful in Bordeaux. The allure of competing in front of the French fans at his country’s oldest tennis club – the 122-year-old Villa Primrose – was too strong and Pouille would eventually take the title 6-3, 6-3 over Mikael Ymer on Sunday.

For the five-time ATP Tour champion, this is not only his first title of 2019, but ironically his first at the Challenger level in his career. Pouille is the first player to win his maiden Challenger title after his first tour-level crown since Kei Nishikori and Sergiy Stakhovsky both did it in 2008. It leaves Milos Raonic as the only current Top 50 player without a Challenger trophy.

It also marks the fourth time in just two years that a player inside the Top 40 of the ATP Rankings has lifted a Challenger trophy. Richard Gasquet (Szczecin 2017), Nishikori (Dallas 2018), Kyle Edmund (Indian Wells 2019) and Pouille have all descended to the Challenger level in search of match wins and confidence.

The ?? tradition continues in Bordeaux @BNPPprimrose. Another former Top 10 Frenchman lifts the ?.

2019 @la_pouille
2013 @Gael_Monfils
2010 @richardgasquet1 pic.twitter.com/HdwH8lKWed

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 5, 2019

Vitro Seoul Open Challenger (Seoul, South Korea): For the first time in four years, Korea has a home grown Challenger champion. On Sunday, 21-year-old Soonwoo Kwon lifted the trophy in his home capital of Seoul, defeating Max Purcell 7-5, 7-5 in one hour and 37 minutes. The Sangju native is the first player from his country to win on home soil since Hyeon Chung prevailed in nearby Busan in 2015. It was his second ATP Challenger Tour title, adding to his victory in in Yokohama, Japan in March. The top Korean, Kwon is projected to rise to a career-high No. 134 on Monday.

“I’m happy to win the Challenger title at home,” said Kwon, who admits he was not feeling well during the match, struggling with a runny nose and dizziness. “The crowd came out to support me. Seoul was harder to win than the title in Yokohama. The burden was greater.”

Meanwhile, Purcell capped a dominant week on the hard courts of Seoul with his first singles final since 2016. The #NextGenATP Aussie also notched the doubles title alongside countryman Luke Saville. The duo own a tour-leading five trophies in 2019.

Prosperita Open by Moneta (Ostrava, Czech Republic): Fourth seed Kamil Majchrzak earned one of the more convincing final victories of the year, dominating Jannik Sinner 6-1, 6-0 in Ostrava. The Pole completed the win in just 61 minutes on the Czech clay, capping an impressive week that saw him refuse to drop a set. It was the 23-year-old’s second title of the year, having also won on the hard courts of St. Brieuc, France.

Not only is Majchrzak the seventh player to win multiple titles this year, but he is just the second to triumph on both clay and hard (also Gianluca Mager). He is up to a career-high No. 115 in the ATP Rankings on Monday.

Notably, both Kwon and Majchrzak now sit atop the 2019 win-loss percentage leaders. Both own a record of 22-6 (.786) this year.

Puerto Vallarta Open presentado por La Afición (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico): The 2018 ATP Challenger of the Year returned for a second edition and it was a party all week in Puerto Vallarta. In the end, Sebastian Ofner was the last man standing, taking a 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-3 final over John-Patrick Smith on Sunday. The Austrian was ruthless in reaching the championship, reeling off eight consecutive sets before fighting past Smith for the title. It was the second victory of the 22-year-old’s career, adding to his maiden crown in Astana, Kazakhstan last year.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Savannah Challenger (Savannah, Georgia, USA): Federico Coria entered the week in Savannah having never reached an ATP Challenger Tour final, but the Argentine would make his mark on the green clay. Coria dominated the field, not dropping a set en route to the championship, where he stunned second seed Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

The 27-year-old is the 17th first-time winner on the circuit this year. Moreover, his big breakthrough sees him soar to a career-high No. 216 in the ATP Rankings. Following in the footsteps of older brother and former World No. 3 Guillermo Coria, Federico is beginning to put it all together in his ninth season as a pro.

A LOOK AHEAD
Top seed Pablo Cuevas leads the charge at the prestigious Open du Pays d’Aix in Aix-en-Provence, France. Cuevas is coming off a final appearance at the ATP 250 event in Estoril on Sunday. Fifth seed Thiago Monteiro lifted the trophy in 2016.

The second leg of the three-week Korean swing moves to Busan, where Ricardas Berankis leads the field. Sergiy Stakhovsky and Brayden Schnur are also in action, with Kwon looking to go back-to-back on home soil. Meanwhile, on the clay of Rome, the prelude to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia is held at the Roma Garden Open. Reigning champ Adam Pavlasek is seeded 14th, with Maximilian Marterer the top seed.

In Braga, the first of a two-week Portuguese swing features Bjorn Fratangelo as the top seed, with Facundo Bagnis and Mitchell Krueger second and third. And on the clay of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, top seed Egor Gerasimov is joined by #NextGenATP stars Jay Clarke and Jurij Rodionov.