Tennis News

Cilic returns to winning ways in Belgrade, Lajovic triumphs at home

Marin Cilic returned to winning ways on the ATP Tour on Monday with an opening-round triumph at the Belgrade Open.

The 36-year-old saved each of the two break points he faced in a clinical second set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over Alexandre Muller. It was Cilic’s first tour-level win of 2024, outside of his run to the title in Hangzhou in September. 

“I felt good, but when you haven’t played for a while it’s [important] to find that intensity,” said Cilic, the former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I needed to find that balance today, and it took me a while to get used to the conditions and the balls.

“After 30 minutes, I started to feel great on the court, hitting, moving, serving. From there until the end of the match was fantastic, I felt really nice on the court.”

After powering past Muller, the World No. 68, and snapping his four-match losing streak, Cilic will face fourth seed Jiri Lehecka in the second round.

Elsewhere, Dusan Lajovic recorded his first tour-level win since reaching the quarter-finals in Umag in July. The 34-year-old, who has been recovering from an injury sustained at the Davis Cup, surged to a 6-0, 7-6(3) win to upset ninth seed Mariano Navone.

“I didn’t expect this kind of first set,” said Lajovic. “I didn’t think I was going to play until the end of the season. I’m not 100% yet, but I’m good enough to compete. I’m getting my groove back so I am happy to win the match.”

In the second round of his home tournament, the Serbian will take on Fabian Marozsan, who came from behind to defeat #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng on Sunday.

In a battle of two qualifiers, Denis Shapovalov rallied to move past Marton Fucsovics 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-1. After levelling the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 2-2, the former World No. 10 has set up a second-round clash against fifth seed Nuno Borges.

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Rybakina on brink of WTA Finals exit after Zheng loss

Elena Rybakina is on the cusp of becoming the first player to be eliminated from the WTA Finals after defeat by Zheng Qinwen.

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De Minaur in heat of Turin battle, Mover of Week

With the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin reaching its final week, the battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals will be finalised in Belgrade and Metz. Sixth-placed Novak Djokovic (3,910 points), seventh-placed Casper Ruud (3,855), eighth-placed Alex de Minaur (3,745) and ninth-placed Andrey Rublev (3,720) are battling for two spots.

Following the Rolex Paris Masters and ahead of the final week of the regular season, ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 4 November. 

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Casper Ruud – Seventh (3,855 points)
The Norwegian arrives in Metz with his Turin fate in his own hands. Ruud, who lost in his opening match in Paris, will qualify for the prestigious year-end event if he reaches the semi-finals at the ATP 250. Ruud is chasing his third appearance in Turin, having advanced to the final in 2022.

Alex de Minaur – Eighth (3,745 points)
The Aussie is in the final qualification spot after climbing one place following his run to the quarter-finals in Paris. De Minaur, who is hoping to make his debut in Turin, will qualify for the year-end event if he wins the title in Belgrade or matches Rublev’s result in Metz.

Andrey Rublev – Ninth (3,720 points)
Rublev is outside the qualification cut heading into the final week of the regular season. The 27-year-old, who has won two tour-level titles in 2024, trails De Minaur by 25 points. Rublev competes in Metz this week with Ruud.

Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 10-17 November.

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Croatia, Argentina complete 2025 United Cup field

Croatia and Argentina have qualified for the United Cup in 2025 and round out the top 18 countries set to compete across Perth and Sydney from 27 December to 5 January.

Croatia will be led by Paris Olympic Games singles silver medallist and Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic and former world No.12 Borna Coric for the third consecutive year.

Seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion Ivan Dodig will also star as part of the Croatian side.

“It’s honestly my favourite tournament of the year,” Vekic said.

“We have great energy in the team.  Borna has been my friend for more than 20 years. It feels like a little family. We are not a team, we are a family.

“To be pushing each other and supporting each other especially at the beginning of the year, it’s special.”

Team Croatia fall into Group A in Perth to set up some thrilling matches against top seeds Team USA and Canada during the group stage.

They play Team Canada in their opening tie from 10.00am Saturday 28 December at RAC Arena.

Twenty-eight-year-old Vekic will face Leylah Fernandez and Coco Gauff in her singles matches.

“It’s going to be two really tough matches to start the year. But that’s what we want, I think it’s great preparation for the Australian Open. I think I’ll have to train extra harder in the off season, which is great motivation as well.”

Argentina, led by world No.40 Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Nadia Podoroska, complete Group F.

This is Argentina’s second appearance at the United Cup. Podoroska – a Roland Garros semifinalist in 2020 – and Etcheverry return to represent their country after doing so at the inaugural event in 2023.

They face host country Australia on the opening night of play in Sydney from 5.30pm on Saturday 28 December at Ken Rosewall Arena followed by Great Britain two days later.

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Medjedovic upsets Nakashima in Belgrade as Djokovic watches on

Hamad Medjedovic found a fitting way to register his first tour-level hard-court win of 2024 on Sunday at the Belgrade Open.

With countryman Novak Djokovic watching from the stands, the Serbian wild card edged past sixth seed Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the second round. Medjedovic had his work cut out against the No. 35 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but he stood firm to record a two-hour triumph.

“It was a tough match, he was a better player in the first, and in the second I was trying to keep my nerves and find my game,” said Medjedovic, who improved to 8-6 over Top 50 opponents. “Slowly, step by step, I found my game and I was back on track.”

In a battle of the two previous Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champions, Medjedovic shook off a sluggish start to dial in on serve in the second, during which he won 86 per cent (19/22) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Nakashima carved out two break opportunities in the third game of the decider, but Medjedovic held his nerve to seal victory. The World No. 158 will next face qualifier Branko Djuric or Aleksander Kovacevic in the second round.

On a day of comebacks in Belgrade, Fabian Marozsan rallied to defeat #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-5.

Marozsan was defiant in the face of a fast start from Shang, who raced to win the first set in just 23 minutes. The Hungarian bided his time before pouncing at 5/5 in the second-set tie-break.

Shang, who is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, was unable to weather the momentum shift in the deciding set as Marozsan claimed his first indoor win of the season (1-4). The 25-year-old will face either Dusan Lajovic or ninth seed Mariano Navone in the second round.

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Champions of October: Sinner, Zverev win Masters 1000s, Draper & Mpetshi Perricard clinch maiden ATP 500 crowns

An action-packed October on the ATP Tour saw Jannik Sinner continue his standout season by clinching his third ATP Masters 1000 trophy of 2024 in Shanghai. On European indoor hard courts, Jack Draper and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard achieved their most significant titles to date by triumphing in Vienna and Basel, respectively, before Alexander Zverev notched his second Masters 1000 success of the season in Paris.

ATPTour.com reflects on the champions of October.

Rolex Shanghai Masters, Shanghai – Jannik Sinner
After becoming the first Italian to win the US Open in September, Sinner carved more history in October. The 23-year-old downed Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in the Rolex Shanghai Masters final to become the youngest champion in tournament history. By denying Djokovic a 100th tour-level title, the World No. 1 Sinner clinched his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024 and levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 4-4.

Sinner’s final triumph in China was his personal-best 65th win of the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss index. Throughout the tournament, Sinner demonstrated solid form and dropped his only set against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round. Following his semi-final win against Tomas Machac, the 23-year-old clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, becoming the first Italian to achieve the feat.

Rolex Paris Masters, Paris – Alexander Zverev
Zverev joined Sinner in claiming a late-season Masters 1000 crown with a similarly dominant run at the Rolex Paris Masters. The German dropped one set all week at Paris-Bercy, where he raced past home favourite Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 in the championship match.

The 27-year-old Zverev’s title run in Paris took him clear of Sinner at the top of the match wins leaderboard for 2024 with 66 tour-level victories. It also ensured his return to No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings ahead of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

From Paris, with love 😘#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters | @AlexZverev pic.twitter.com/rnk6WJRrbj

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 3, 2024

Erste Bank Open, Vienna – Jack Draper
After reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open in September, Jack Draper unlocked more success in October. The 22-year-old clinched his maiden ATP 500 crown and second tour-level title overall at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, a triumph that helped him ascend to a career-high No. 15 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The Briton defeated snapped Karen Khachanov’s eight-match winning streak with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph in the final. Draper found some of his best tennis to complete a near-perfect week during which he dropped his only set against Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals. He also became the first player to win Vienna on his debut since countryman Andy Murray achieved the feat in 2014.

Swiss Indoors Basel, Basel – Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
It was a dream week for rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who clinched his second tour-level title and maiden ATP 500 crown at the Swiss Indoors Basel. The Frenchman ousted Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6(4) in the final, denying the American a third tour-level title. The 21-year-old Mpetshi Perricard remained unbroken all week and fired 109 aces in five matches, demonstrating why he is seen as one of the most exciting talents on Tour. After beginning the season at No. 205 and steadily climbing the rankings through the year, the Basel triumph lifted him to a career-high No. 31 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Mpetshi Perricard stunned two-time defending Basel champion Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round and fourth seed Holger Rune in the semi-finals. With the title, the 6’8” Frenchman became the lowest-ranked champion since the Swiss Indoors Basel became a tour-level event in 1975.

Almaty Open, Almaty – Karen Khachanov
Third seed Karen Khachanov edged Gabriel Diallo at the Almaty Open to clinch his seventh tour-level title. The 28-year-old registered a thrilling 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win over the Canadian to end his title drought on indoor hard courts. It was Khachanov’s first trophy indoors since he defeated Djokovic to capture the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters.

BNP Paribas Nordic Open, Stockholm – Tommy Paul
Tommy Paul delivered a high-quality performance to outclass Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 and reclaim the trophy at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm. Paul, who also won in Stockholm in 2021, did not drop a set en route to his third title of the season. He became the fourth player to win at least three tour-level titles in 2024 alongside Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Matteo Berrettini.

European Open, Antwerp – Roberto Bautista Agut
Roberto Bautista Agut rediscovered some of his best form to edge fifth seed Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-1 in Antwerp and clinch his 12th tour-level title. It was the Spaniard’s first title since he triumphed in Kitzbühel in July 2022. Bautista Agut dropped his only set of the week in his quarter-final victory over Felix Auger Aliassime, against whom he rallied from a one-set deficit.

With his Antwerp title, the 36-year-old Bautista Agut became the second-oldest tour-level champion this season after Djokovic (37) clinched the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

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#NextGenATP Michelsen fires past Mayot in Metz opener

Alex Michelsen wasted little time in getting his debut campaign at the Moselle Open underway on Sunday.

The eighth seed at the indoor ATP 250 in Metz produced a clinical performance to breeze past French wild card Harold Mayot in 76 minutes. Michelsen saved all nine of the break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a 6-3, 6-1 triumph.

“I think my backhand was the determining factor,” Michelsen said, when asked about the key to his victory. “I feel like I was just painting the lines with my backhand today, and that doesn’t always happen, but when it does it feels pretty good. My forehand return felt unbelievable as well, so that’s always a plus.”

Michelsen, who is second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, is seeded at an ATP Tour event this week for the fourth time in his career, having reached two finals as a seeded player in 2024 (Newport, Winston-Salem).

Metz-native Mayot applied pressure in the early stages but was unable to convert any of the eight break points he carved out in the third game. From there, Michelsen dialled in to race across the line and improve to 29-28 at tour-level in 2024.

The 20-year-old #NextGenATP star will next face either Richard Gasquet or Thiago Monteiro for a spot in the third round.

Earlier, home hope Corentin Moutet snapped his six-match winning streak after Sumit Nagal was forced to retire with the Frenchman leading 7-5, 4-0. Moutet held his nerve in a tight first set, then his trademark trickery and touch came to the fore in a dominant display in the early stages of the second.

After securing his first indoor win since 2022, Moutet will face Alexander Shevchenko or seventh seed Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round.

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Nitto ATP Finals: Prize money tops $15 million for 2024 event

There will be $15,250,000 prize money on offer at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, which is to be held at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, from 10-17 November.

If the champion at this year’s season finale clinches the title with a perfect record, he will earn $4,881,500. This is an increase on last year’s $4,801,500.

Following on from previous years, three matches at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals will be worth more than $1 million. Each semi-final will yield the winner more than $1 million, and the winner of the championship match will receive $2,237,200.

*Singles Participation Fee Schedule (2024)
1 match: $165,500
2 matches: $248,250
3 matches: $331,000

If a doubles team lifts the trophy with a perfect record, it will split $959,300.

*Doubles Participation Fee Schedule (2024)
1 match: $67,100
2 matches: $100,650
3 matches: $134,200

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How Zverev ‘having the feeling’ left Humbert reeling in Paris

Did Alexander Zverev surprise even himself with the quality of his championship-match display Sunday at the Rolex Paris Masters?

Ugo Humbert had delivered a series of classy performances that channelled his stirring home support en route to the final at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris-Bercy, including against Carlos Alcaraz in the third round. The Frenchman could do nothing to counter Zverev’s charge in the title showdown, however, and Zverev raced to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph in just 75 minutes.

“No, I didn’t have a feeling it was going to be two and two, but actually from the start and from the rallies in the first games, even when I lost the rallies, I felt like the ball was [feeling good] on my racquet,” reflected Zverev in his post-match press conference. “When I have this feeling, I feel well on the court. I feel comfortable and confident, maybe being a bit more aggressive, going for more shots than I usually do.

“Against him, it was important. I think he’s one of the best players when he’s aggressive. I think he maybe struggles a bit still when he has to defend, so when I put him in a position where he has to defend, I think that’s a position where I’m comfortable and he’s not. I felt great off the back of the court, and I think against him that was the key today.”

From Paris, with love 😘#RolexParisMasters | @RolexPMasters | @AlexZverev pic.twitter.com/rnk6WJRrbj

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 3, 2024

Victory in Paris was the perfect confidence-builder for Zverev ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals. The 27-year-old will now head to Turin for the prestigious season finale, where he is bidding to become a three-time titlist after his victories in 2018 in London and 2021 in Turin.

“I think for Turin, everybody becomes motivated,” said Zverev, when asked about his record at the Nitto ATP Finals. “It’s such a special tournament. It’s such a special atmosphere and feeling when you’re there and only eight players in the world are there.

“You feel special already playing there, so I think everybody is motivated. Everybody wants to win this title and play good tennis… You’re fighting all year to make the cut there, so I think once you’re there, you’re going to give it your best, and everybody else will as well. At the end of the day, you’re only playing the best eight players in the world. So there are no easy matches, and you have to play your best tennis from the first match on.”

After lifting his seventh Masters 1000 trophy, Zverev will on Monday return to his career high of No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings. While reaching No. 1 for the first time is high on the German’s list of goals, he believes he will only get there by fulfilling another long-held ambition, one that he will again push towards in 2025 — to become a major champion.

“I think now when everybody is playing and everybody is playing at full strength and everybody is healthy, you have to win Grand Slams to become World No. 1,” said Zverev. “I’m World No. 2 now, but I’m 3,000 points away from Jannik, more or less. I think without the Grand Slams and without the points of the Grand Slams, it’s not possible anymore.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Humbert : 'I gave it my all, I have no regrets'

Entering the Rolex Paris Masters, Ugo Humbert had never reached an ATP Masters 1000 final. So despite falling short Sunday in the championship clash to Alexander Zverev, the lefty was in good spirits.

“It was a beautiful week, despite my defeat today. My feeling is that I gave it my all, I have no regrets,” Humbert said. “He was stronger than me in every aspect of tennis. I couldn’t recover from yesterday’s match enough, but congrats to him.”

Zverev firmly took hold of the match early on and never let go, dominating the action from the outset in his 6-2, 6-2 victory. But Humbert battled until the end to try to thrill his home crowd.

“It was tough. I tried until the end to be faithful to myself, to my values, to put up a battle until the end. When it’s not over, there’s still hope, and with this public, it’s crazy,” Humbert said. “He missed two points only, the first two shots. And then he never missed afterwards. I believed in it until the end. I hoped that I would level the scores, but ultimately the scores were quite painful for me. So I fought until the end, and this is what I want to keep in mind.”

On Saturday, Humbert earned one of the biggest wins of his career against Karen Khachanov to make his maiden Masters 1000 final. But the 26-year-old was unable to produce his aggressive best on Sunday against Zverev.

“Physically, when I woke up this morning during the warmup it was not easy. I was tired. But I accepted that it was the way it was. Mentally, I also felt that I was less composed,” Humbert said. “As for him, his serve was amazing during the first set. I had no free points during the second set. Sometimes I could have some free points, but also, his forehand I thought that I could try to get something, but he gave me nothing. The only point I could get is when he had a crosscourt backhand. Otherwise nothing.”

After a tournament in which Humbert upset four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz and broke new ground, he explained that he is not surprised by his performance.

“I felt that I was capable, so I’m not surprised that I reached that level, that I beat Alcaraz, to have reached the finals of a Masters 1000 tournament.” Humbert said. “I’m working hard. I have a great team around me to help me and guide me.

“So all in all, I’m glad that it paid off this week, but I’m not surprised to have reached that level.”

It was a thrilling week for the No. 14 player in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. He came within two sets of becoming the first French Rolex Paris Masters champion since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008.

“This tournament is amazing. The history, the track record of this tournament, with all the players who won this tournament, it’s crazy,” Humbert said. “I would have liked to etch my name on the trophy, but I did my utmost. I wanted to live this tournament intensively. This is what happened. Every match was riveting. I’m delighted that I could go through this experience with my team, my family, my friends, and the French public.”

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