Tennis News

Norrie back in the rhythm: 'I'm ready to battle'

Cameron Norrie is no stranger to the highs and lows of professional tennis, but this summer presented a new kind of challenge.

After picking up a forearm injury just days out from his maiden Olympics appearance in Paris, which forced him out of the entire North American hard-court swing as well as the Davis Cup Finals group stage, the 29-year-old Briton is back in the mix on the ATP Tour this week.

Ready to compete with renewed vigour, Norrie faces Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round of the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm on Tuesday.

“It was obviously frustrating at the beginning to miss all those big tournaments, that was tough,” Norrie told ATPTour.com. “But it was a good chance to refresh the body.”

Norrie said that he “felt nothing” in the tournaments that led to the Olympics, but it ended up keeping him away from competition for more than two months.

“It was just one shot a few days before the Olympics,” said Norrie. “I had to stop and then I did scans and it wasn’t looking good. I trained a little bit more, trying to get myself ready for the US Open, but it wasn’t to be. It was a tough one.”

For Norrie, the former No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings and five-time ATP Tour titlist, it was the first real taste of life on the sidelines.

“It was an interesting period, I think it was a good realisation that it was a good time to rest,” added Norrie. “After six, seven years on the Tour, I didn’t really miss one week through injury. So, I definitely realised that was amazing. To enjoy time with my girlfriend and be a normal person for a little bit was something I haven’t done for a very long time, maybe since college.

“That was nice, for a bit, but then I realised I missed tennis a lot, I missed competing, the emotions of winning or losing. It’s a very steady life [when not competing]. I enjoyed it, but I feel ready to compete, ready to battle on the court.”

 

 

 

 

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The British No. 2 returned to action last week at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Roanne – his first tournament since the Nordea Open in July. Norrie secured two wins before a quarter-final defeat to Luca Van Assche, but the Briton was able to reflect constructively on his competitive return.

“It was a good week, we can take a lot of positives from it,” said Norrie, who owns a 17-15 tour-level record this season. “The arm felt great, so I couldn’t ask for much more. I didn’t play my best in the last match even though I was really close to winning, but, for me, it doesn‘t matter.

“I’ve been approaching practice with a great attitude and I feel like I am doing all the right things. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but I think it’s a good place to be in. It’s good to try and always be in this mindset regardless of whether I’ve been out for two months or if I have played six tournaments in a row and am a little bit tired.”

A man on a mission 🙌@cam_norrie storms back to defeat Travaglia 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 and reach the @openaraderoanne quarterfinals!#ATPChallenger | @the_LTA pic.twitter.com/su6vYxgamu

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 9, 2024

In 2021, Norrie clinch his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, helping him surge into the Top 10 for the first time the following year. After a two-month hiatus in 2024, Norrie is relishing being back on the Tour and back in Stockholm, where he made it to the quarter-finals in 2022.

“It’s so nice to be back in Stockholm, it’s an amazing city. It’s nice to be back on the Tour, and back in the rhythm,” said Norrie. “I just practised with Tommy Paul, one of my best friends, so it’s good to see him again. We had a good competitive match. I think the conditions here [suit me], the ball is quite slow so I think I feel good here. It’s a proper tennis club and there is a lot of history at this tournament, so it’s a great one to be back to.

“I want to go out, play free and compete as hard as I can. It’s been a tough year already, so I want to enjoy the rest and go out on a high.”

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#NextGenATP 17-year-old Engel makes history in Almaty

German wild card Justin Engel made history at the Almaty Open on Monday when he became the first player born in 2007 or later to record an ATP Tour win.

Engel, who turned 17 earlier this month, moved past #NextGenATP Hong Kong star Coleman Wong 7-5, 6-4 to clinch a historic victory on his tour-level debut at the ATP 250 event in Kazakhstan.

With his one-hour, 35-minute triumph, the German also became the youngest player to win a tour-level match since then-16-year-old Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the second round in Rio de Janeiro in 2020.

“This year has already been so good for me and now this, it is incredible,” Engel said. “At 17, to be able to win a main draw match is the best feeling I can ever have. I am lost for words.”

Engel saved nine of the 10 break points he faced against Wong according to Infosys ATP Stats, sealing victory on his second match point. Engel raised his arms aloft following his win and let out a beaming smile. Aiming to continue his journey, the No. 458 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will next play fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo.

“I have practised for a few days and am getting used to it but it is still very tough,” Engel said when asked about the high altitude conditions. “I love to play here. The facilities are great here.”

In May, Engel won his first ITF World Tennis Tour singles title at M15 Villach in Austria. Aged just 16 years and 231 days, Engel became the youngest German man to win a professional title at any level since Mischa Zverev triumphed at the Italy 7 Satellite event in November 2003. Engel has since won a further three ITF trophies in 2024 and reached the quarter-finals at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Spain earlier in October.

Wong is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah and is trying to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF for the first time. The 20-year-old won his first tour-level match in Hangzhou last month.

In other action at the hard-court event, Germany’s Maximilian Marterer defeated Damir Dzumhur 7-5, 6-4. The 29-year-old will face second seed Alejandro Tabilo in the second round.

Did You Know?
Engel is the third player born in 2007 to play on the ATP Tour this year. India’s Manas Dhamne competed in Pune, while American Darwin Blanch took to court in Miami and Madrid. Blanch lost to Rafael Nadal in the Spanish capital.

More On Engel, by Ravi Ubha…

Engel earned a wildcard after bagging his first four professional titles, all at lower levels.

He was the lone wildcard recipient not stemming from host nation Kazakhstan.

“We got the message that I got the wildcard. I looked at my father and my father looked at me, and we were just like, ‘Is this real now?’” said Engel. “So it was a little bit of shock but at the same time I was really excited to play and very happy I got this news.”

Engel entered Almaty at a career high 458 and that is set to be eclipsed given his victory against fellow Next Genner Wong.

He reached a high of 56 in the junior rankings, only competing in one junior Grand Slam tournament. Along with dad Horst, the pair decided to contest pro tournaments early.

Engel collected his maiden Challenger match win against former world No. 36 Pierre Hugues-Herbert in July and reached his first Challenger quarterfinal in Villena — where Alcaraz honed his skills — earlier this month.

According to Engel, dad Horst played regularly until he was 17 before focusing on his education. After establishing his business, Horst returned to the tennis world in earnest by guiding women’s pro Anca Barna inside the Top 50.

“So that’s why I’m playing tennis now because my father thought, ‘Come on, now I have a kid, let’s try this again,’” said Engel.

He started playing at the age of three yet admitted to not always liking tennis. He persisted and now dreams of becoming the world No. 1.

Engel saved nine of 10 break points against the 20-year-old Wong, who himself won his first ATP match just last month in Hangzhou.

He often showed ferocious baseline hitting although it turns out that Engel also packs a punch elsewhere.

“I also did kick boxing, was very good at it,” said Engel. “I almost did it professionally but it was too dangerous for my tennis and so I stopped it.”

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'Planet's best youngster' to Man City's 'magic' man – the rise of Viana

Hugo Viana will become Manchester City’s director of football next season – BBC Sport’s Marcus Alves looks at his rise and friendship with manager Ruben Amorim.

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Vienna victory!: A flashback to Thiem's 2019 'dream week' at home

Nostalgic feelings often arise from memories of home, drawing us back to cherished moments — some that feel like yesterday and others that seem like a lifetime ago. For Dominic Thiem, such fond recollections in his home country Austria are woven throughout his standout 13-year career.

The 31-year-old will bid farewell to professional tennis this week at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, where he won his first tour-level match as a teenager and later lifted the trophy in front of his home fans in 2019. It has been a key tournament filled with unforgettable moments for Thiem.

Prior to Thiem’s title run, he had not surpassed the quarter-finals at the ATP 500, but he arrived in Vienna in 2019 having already won four ATP Tour crowns for the year including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells. If his excellent form had created any extra pressure to perform in front of his home fans, the top seed handled it flawlessly.

Thiem eased past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his opening match and then recovered after dropping the opening set to Fernando Verdasco in the second round, before Pablo Carreno Busta retired when 0-5 down to give the Austrian a semi-final spot. From there Thiem fought off two Top 15 stars in the semi-finals and final, respectively, rallying from a set down in both matches to eventually be crowned champion.

He overcame Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the last four, avenging his Shanghai loss to the Italian from just two weeks earlier.

“The match was on a very high level from the first to the last point,” Thiem. “With all the support and home advantage, I was able to pull through.”

Then, a nervous night of sleep. One match would determine if Thiem would claim the biggest tennis tournament on Austrian soil. He shook off a slow start to earn a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory against Diego Schwartzman, with whom he had teamed earlier that year to reach the Madrid and Buenos Aires doubles finals.

On championship point, the buzz throughout the stadium could be heard mid-rally. Thiem struck a fierce forehand that put Schwartzman on defence and the crowd already began to celebrate the all-but-guaranteed victory.

When Thiem hammered a forehand winner to close the match, he fell on his back in relief, while his adoring fans rose to their feet in unison.

<img alt=”Dominic Thiem celebrates his 2019 Vienna triumph.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/27/19/50/thiem-vienna-2019-celebration.jpg” />

_{^{Thiem celebrates his 2019 Vienna triumph. Photo Credit: Hans Punz/APA/AFP via Getty Images}}

“I wanted to play my best tennis for this amazing crowd,” said Thiem, the third Austrian to win Vienna (Horst Skoff in 1988, Jurgen Melzer in 2009-10). “It’s unreal to me. Three times this week I came back from a set down… It’s been a dream week.”

The Austrian recorded five tour-level titles in 2019 alone, including two at home (he also triumphed in Kitzbühel). Thiem, whose Indian Wells triumph that year would prove to be his lone Masters 1000 crown, and Novak Djokovic were the only players to win five trophies that season.

Triumphing in Vienna was a full-circle moment for Thiem. As an 18-year-old in 2011 then-ranked World No. 1,890 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he earned his maiden tour-level win in Vienna against countryman Thomas Muster, the only Austrian to reach World No. 1. It was the genesis of a distinguished career for Thiem, who has claimed 17 tour-level trophies, including the 2020 US Open.

Highly regarded as having one of the best one-handed backhands in the history of the sport, the five-time Nitto ATP Finals qualifier Thiem has amassed more than 300 tour-level match wins. Celebrating the five-year anniversary of his Vienna victory this week, Thiem won’t soon forget that career highlight as he heads into retirement.

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Felix on fire! How Auger-Aliassime went back to back in Basel

Felix Auger-Aliassime, who has won the past two editions of the Swiss Indoors Basel, will this year try to become just the second player in tournament history to win the ATP 500 trophy three times in a row after Roger Federer (2006-08 and 2017-19).

The Swiss event is a happy hunting ground for Auger-Aliassime, who has won two of his five ATP Tour titles there. Ahead of the 2024 edition of the indoor hard-court tournament, ATP Tour.com reflects on his title runs in 2022 and 2023.

2022: Flying Felix hits a late-season hat-trick
Enjoying the best season of his career, Auger-Aliassime arrived at the 2022 Swiss Indoors Basel full of confidence from his back-to-back title runs in Florence and Antwerp. He dropped only one set en route to the trophy at each of those indoor ATP 250 tournaments.

The Canadian then pulled off a similarly dominant run at ATP 500 level in Basel, where he dropped his only set of the tournament in his opening-round match against Marc-Andrea Huesler. After next easing past Miomir Kecmanovic and Alexander Bublik, Auger-Aliassime set a semi-final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz.

Continuing his red-hot form, Auger-Aliassime lost only five games to the then-World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who had just won his first major title at the US Open. It was his third consecutive Lexus ATP Head2Head victory against Alcaraz.

In the final, Auger-Aliassime toppled another in-form rival in Holger Rune, who had lifted an ATP 250 trophy in Stockholm the previous week. Yet the Canadian did not flinch en route to a 6-3, 7-5 triumph that earned him his third-consecutive trophy and the joint-biggest title of his career.

“It’s been an amazing week,” said Auger-Aliassime after the match. “Once again in the final, not getting broken all week… [It’s been] a long year, a long stretch of wins, and it’s not over. So hopefully I can keep going, but right now I’m feeling all the good emotions that come with winning a tournament. It’s amazing.”

It was Auger-Aliassime’s 13th consecutive tour-level win, a streak that he extended to 16 with a semi-final run at the Rolex Paris Masters. His late-season surge helped him qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in his career, and he later capped off his stellar 2022 season by leading Canada to its maiden Davis Cup title.

<img alt=”Felix Auger-Aliassime” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2022/10/30/16/40/auger-aliassime-basel-2022-sunday-emotion.jpg” />

_{^{Auger-Aliassime celebrates after defeating Holger Rune to claim the 2022 title in Basel. Photo Credit: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images}}

2023: Back on form in Basel
Auger-Aliassime arrived in Basel in 2023 hoping to shake off a disappointing season plagued by injuries and struggles for his best form. He entered the tournament with a 17-18 win-loss record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and just one semi-final showing for the season (Doha).

Yet once again the Canadian found his form in Switzerland. Dialled in all week, he dropped only one set, against Alexander Shevchenko in the quarter-finals. In a rematch of the previous year’s final, Auger-Aliassime defeated Rune in the semi-finals, and he then downed Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in the championship match to successfully defend his Basel title.

With the win, Auger-Aliassime clinched his fifth tour-level title and became the first Canadian to successfully defend an ATP Tour crown since Milos Raonic won the San Jose title in 2011 and 2012.

“I’m definitely back. I let my racquet talk. That’s always been the motto of my career. I’ve had the conviction that I can be a top player since I’m a kid, but there were many doubts this year about my performances and why,” Auger-Aliassime said in his on-court interview. “I’m happy that I was able to prove to everybody that I still belong among the best players in the world, that I can play this level. I never doubted it, but it’s good to confirm it on the court.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah Update: Mensik stars in Shanghai, Tien makes move

Jakub Mensik continued to impress on the ATP Tour at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he advanced to the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.

The big-hitting 19-year-old Czech fired past Top 10 stars Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov and also earned victories against Pedro Martinez and Alexander Shevchenko at the hard-court event. Mensik then took the first set against Novak Djokovic before falling in three.

Mensik’s result at the ATP Masters 1000 event consolidated his fourth-placed position (995 points) in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The Doha finalist is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, to be held from 18-22 December.

Alongside his matchday success, Mensik practised in the pouring rain in Shanghai. Watch the video below of the teen hitting with countryman and former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF finalist Jiri Lehecka.

PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah

Fifth-placed Luca Van Assche (458 points) and sixth-placed Learner Tien (427 points) gave their chances of playing in Jeddah a major boost with impressive results on the ATP Challenger Tour. Frenchman Van Assche defeated Cameron Norrie en route to the semi-finals in Roanne, while American Tien dispatched Bernard Tomic 6-0, 6-1 in the Fairfield final. Tien has won 14 of his past 16 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Second-placed Alex Michelsen (1,145 points) and third-placed Shang Juncheng (1,075 points) both earned first-round wins in Shanghai. American Michelsen beat Buyunchaokete, while Chinese lefty Shang overcame Coleman Wong. Wong is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah and competes at the ATP 250 in Almaty this week.

American Nishesh Basavareddy has jumped to 10th after two strong weeks on the Challenger Tour. The 19-year-old reached the final in Charleston before he won his maiden title at that level in Tiburon earlier this month.

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Djokovic increases Turin chances, Mover of Week

The eighth ATP Masters 1000 event of the season led to Jannik Sinner lifting the trophy at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. While the Italian grabbed the headlines, the battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals intensified.

Record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic boosted his hopes by reaching the final and Taylor Fritz consolidated his position in the Live Race after advancing to the last four. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 14 October.

Novak Djokovic – Sixth (3,910 points)
The Serbian climbed three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after he reached the title match in Shanghai. The 37-year-old dropped just one set en route to his record-extending 59th ATP Masters 1000 final and first in 2024. However, Djokovic was unable to overcome Sinner, who captured his seventh crown of the year.

Having arrived in Shanghai outside the qualification cut, Djokovic leaves China with a 17th appearance at the prestigious year-end event in sight.

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Daniil Medvedev – Fourth (4,820 ponts)
Medvedev moved to the brink of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals following a quarter-final run in Shanghai. The 28-year-old earned wins against Thiago Seyboth Wild, Matteo Arnaldi and Stefanos Tsitsipas before Sinner stopped him in the last eight. Medvedev, who leads Tsitsipas 10-4 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, lifted the trophy at the year-end event in 2020.

Taylor Fritz – Fifth (4,290 points)
The 26-year-old consolidated his fifth-placed position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after becoming just the second American semi-finalist in Shanghai tournament history (Sebastian Korda 2023). Fritz, who is 49-20 on the season, is chasing a second appearance in Turin, having reached the last four on debut in 2022.

Grigor Dimitrov – 10th (2,935 points)
Dimitrov kept alive his slim hopes of competing in Turin by outperforming seventh-placed Casper Ruud (3,805 points) and eighth-placed Andrey Rublev (3,580 points) in Shanghai. Dimitrov battled to the fourth round but lost to #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik, who also beat Rublev and went on to win a set against Djokovic.

Dimitrov will chase precious points this week at the ATP 250 in Stockholm, where he competes with Andrey Rublev. Ruud and ninth-placed Alex de Minaur (3,305 points) take to court at the ATP 250 in Antwerp. De Minaur has been sidelined since the US Open due to injury.

Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place from 10-17 November.

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What happens next in Sinner doping case?

News that Jannik Sinner, the men’s world number one, had failed two doping tests stunned tennis. While initially exonerated, his case is still rumbling on.

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Kyrgios wants Grand Slam title to 'shut up' doubters

Australian Nick Kyrgios says he wants to “shut up” those who doubt him and win a Grand Slam title on his return to the sport.

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Players’ association calls for legal aid fund for suspected dopers

As Jannik Sinner wonders whether he could still be banned for failing two doping tests, a players’ association is asking the Grand Slams and two main tours to pay for a legal defence fund for athletes.

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