Roger Federer is not just one of the most recognisable tennis players in the world, but a global icon who has resonated far beyond the sport. Getting into Wimbledon should not be a problem for the eight-time champion, right?

Wrong.

Two weeks ago, Federer was in London. The Swiss star had two hours to kill before his flight, so he decided to pay the All England Club a visit.

Little did the 20-time Grand Slam champion know he would struggle to get into the facility. Federer recounted the hilarious story Wednesday evening on The Daily Show with friend and comedian Trevor Noah.

That time Wimbledon security wouldn’t let @rogerfederer in 😂 pic.twitter.com/mcREy62E13

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) December 8, 2022

“I have not really been at Wimbledon when the tournament is not on, so I drive up to the gate, where usually guests come in, where you would arrive and then you go up,” Federer recalled. “I get out and tell my coach who was with me at the time, Severin, I tell him I’ll quickly go out and speak to the security lady, I got this. I did not.

“So then I get out and I’m like, ‘Yes, hello, I was just wondering how I can get in to Wimbledon? Where is the door? Where is the gate?’` She [says], ‘Do you have a membership card?’ I’m like, ‘Uh, we have one?'”

Federer long ago earned his Wimbledon membership by winning the tournament, but he did not have his card with him and did not notify SW19 in advance in case he would be unable to make it. The 41-year-old told the security agent he did not have it, but that he is a member and was just looking for where he could enter.

“I tell her normally when I’m here i’m playing and there’s loads of people and I come in in a different way and it’s the first time I’m here while the tournament’s not on and I don’t know where to get in so, ‘I’m just asking you again, where can I get in?’” Federer said. “She’s like, ‘Well at the side, but you have to be a member.’ So I look at her one last time and I’m in a panic now. I’m so sorry, I still can’t believe I said that, I still feel bad about it, and I look at her and I was like, ‘I have won this tournament eight times. Please believe me, I am a member and where do I get in?’”

Even that did not work, so Federer returned to the car and they pulled around the side. Luckily, a fan in a walkway spotted Federer.

“I get out of the car and a random person walks in the walkway and said, ‘Oh Mr. Federer I can’t believe you’re here at Wimbledon! Can we take a selfie?’ I’m like, ‘Yes! Let’s take a picture!’ And the security guards that are there are like, ‘Oh my God Mr. Federer, what are you doing here? Do you have your membership card?’” Federer recalled. “I’m like, ‘No I don’t, but is it possible to get in?’ ‘Of course we’ll open the door, let me organise it.’

As soon as Federer entered he spoke to the chairman and enjoyed himself at the All England Club. He even paid a visit to an old friend: the Wimbledon trophy he lifted eight times. “Nice to see you again 🫠,” Federer posted on Instagram.

 

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All is well that ends well.

Agnieszka Radwanska, Tim Henman and Gisela Dulko are among the high-profile names to join an all-star line-up of past and current tennis champions to captain teams at the inaugural United Cup.

The United Cup is a new annual mixed team event, played across three Australian cities – Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, set to launch the global tennis season from Thursday 29 December.

In Brisbane, former World No. 2 Radwanska will captain Team Poland in Group B, led by World No.1 Iga Swiatek and World No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz.

In Perth, former World No. 1 doubles player and Australian Open 2011 doubles champion Dulko will lead Team Argentina, who are drawn against Croatia and France in Group F.

Former World No. 4 and Roland Garros champion Iva Majoli will captain Croatia, with players Borna Coric and Donna Vekic to fly the flag for their country.

In Sydney, Tim Henman, who inspired a British tennis revival in the 1990s by becoming the first Briton to reach the men’s semi-finals at Wimbledon in 25 years, will captain Team Great Britain, which includes World No. 14 Cameron Norrie, Daniel Evans and Harriet Dart.

Former World No. 3 doubles player Marc Lopez will oversee Spain, a team featuring Rafael Nadal and Paula Badosa.

Home favourites Australia will also be in Sydney, and will be captained by former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt and former World No. 4 and multiple Grand Slam champion Sam Stosur in Group D.

Stosur is one of several high-profile “playing captains” to feature at the United Cup.

Others include Stan Wawrinka as captain of Team Switzerland, and Alexander Bublik overseeing Kazakhstan in the same group in Brisbane.

World No. 28 Grigor Dimitrov will captain Bulgaria while Kirsten Flipkens will captain Belgium and Grand Slam doubles champion Edouard Roger-Vasselin will captain France.

United Cup 2023 Team Captains

View Draw & Schedule

Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, RAC Arena in Perth and Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney will host the United Cup group stage from Thursday 29 December to Wednesday 4 January 2023.

Each host city will feature two groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format.

Each tie will comprise two men’s and two women’s singles matches and one mixed doubles match to be played across two days.

Group winners in each city will play off for one of three semi-final spots.

Three City Champions will advance to the United Cup Final Four in Sydney to be played at Ken Rosewall Arena from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 January. The next best performing team from the group stage will complete the quartet.

Group stage tickets for adults start from $40 and from $20 for children 14 years and under. Family passes (two adults and two children) start from $100.

The United Cup, an ATP-WTA event presented in partnership with Tennis Australia, offers USD $15 million in prize money as well as up to 500 Pepperstone ATP and 500 WTA rankings points.

Visit UnitedCup.com/tickets to purchase tickets and follow @UnitedCupTennis on social media for all the latest tournament news.

Progress is rarely linear, in life or in sport. With the right mindset, a setback can provide an opportunity to come back stronger.

That is exactly what the four nominees for Comeback Player Of The Year in the 2022 ATP Awards have worked so hard to do this season. Borna Coric, Stan Wawrinka, Wu Yibing and Dominic Thiem are all on the shortlist for the award, which goes to a player who has overcome injury to re-establish himself as one of the top players on Tour.

The winner, as selected by the players, will be announced during Awards week, starting 12 December.

Borna Coric
SInce undergoing surgery in May 2021, Coric has had to spend between 30 and 90 minutes a day working on his right shoulder to maintain it. Considerable off-court commitment is necessary for the Croatian to even make it onto court, let alone to start winning matches on the ATP Tour.

That hasn’t stopped the 26-year-old from surging back up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this year. Having dropped as low as No. 278 in May, Coric ended the season at No. 26, an inspirational return following 12 months out due to his injury.

After making his comeback at Indian Wells in March, Coric was understandably rusty. Yet an ATP Challenger Tour title won in Italy in June was a sign that he was starting to find his feet again, and the former World No. 12 then charged back into the ATP Tour winners’ circle in style at the Western & Southern Open in August.

“I have no words, to be honest,” said Coric after taking out five Top 20 players in a row, including Rafael Nadal, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas, to claim a stunning maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling… I thought I could play well. I was training hard, and I knew I could play good tennis, but that I could play this level tennis, I was just not aware. I’m just super happy.”

Stan Wawrinka
“[It is] not a miracle, I wouldn’t say that, but it was very long and difficult… I thought I would be [out] only a few weeks. It lasted a whole year, with many moments of doubts.”

Wawrinka had good reason to be cautious prior to his tour-level singles return at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April. The former World No. 3 had been kept out of action for more than a year by a foot injury.

The 16-time tour-level titlist did not take long to dispel any doubts about his ability to compete against the best in the world, however. Wawrinka sealed wins against Reilly Opelka and Laslo Djere in just his second tour-level tournament back, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. Later in the year, the 37-year-old also claimed a pair of notable Top 5 wins on European indoor hard courts, against Daniil Medvedev in Metz and Casper Ruud in Basel.

“This is one of the main reasons why I keep on playing,” said Wawrinka after taking out World No. 3 Casper Ruud in straight sets. “I’m getting old, that’s for sure. I had to fight the last two years with the injury, surgery. Coming back was not easy… So to be able to produce that tonight here in Switzerland is of course something really special.”

Wu Yibing
After two seasons away from the ATP Tour, Wu returned to play his part in history in 2022.

In August, he and his countryman Zhang Zhizhen both came through qualifying to become the first Chinese men to compete in the US Open main draw in the Open Era. It represented a milestone moment on a long road for Wu, who did not compete on the ATP Tour from March 2019 until January 2022 due to several injuries, including issues with his elbow, lower back, shoulder and wrist.

“I’m happy I’m still playing tennis and enjoying tennis,” said the 2017 US Open boys’ singles champion Wu after going on to reach the third round in New York, where he was beaten by defending champion Daniil Medvedev. “I think this is really good I can keep my passion for tennis even though I was hurting bad. I think this [is] not easy to do, but I’m glad I made it.”

That run at Flushing Meadows came off the back of a red-hot streak on the ATP Challenger Tour for Wu, who won three consecutive titles at that level in June and July. After playing exclusively on a domestic circuit in China in 2020-21 following elbow surgery, the 23-year-old’s exploits this season helped him rise to a career-high No. 113 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in early November, having started the year at No. 1122.

_{^{Wu celebrates at the US Open. Photo Credit: Dustin Satloff/USTA.}}

Dominic Thiem
Returning to competitive action in March after missing nine months due to a wrist injury was always going to be a challenge for Thiem. The former World No. 3 lost his first six tour-level matches upon returning to the ATP Tour in April as he sought to regain confidence in his body and his game.

“The key is just to be patient, continue being patient, work on the stuff which is not working and then it will come back, but it will take time,” said Thiem after the sixth of those losses, a first-round defeat to Hugo Dellien at Roland Garros. At his very next tour-level event, Thiem’s no-panic approach began to pay off. Hard-fought wins against Emil Ruusuvuori and Roberto Bautista Agut in Bastad began a sequence of nine ATP Tour events in which he won at least one match.

After dropping as low as No. 352 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in June, Thiem ended 2022 at No. 105, having reached three ATP Tour semi-finals, with the Austrian showing plenty of signs that he is on the way back to finding his best level. Tommy Paul, Grigor Dimitrov and Hubert Hurkacz were among the players beaten by the rejuvenated 17-time tour-level titlist.

“This victory especially is unbelievable because it’s my first victory over an almost-Top 10 guy in my comeback process,” said Thiem after saving three match points to down World No. 11 Hurkacz in Antwerp in October. “The match could easily have been gone, but it’s like that at the highest level and I’m very happy in general to even get to those close situations again.”

Frances Tiafoe has long admired NBA legend LeBron James, who has supported ‘Big Foe’ from afar. That made their meeting on Sunday evening a Slam Dunk.

During warmups for the game between Tiafoe’s hometown Washington Wizards and James’ Los Angeles Lakers, James visited Tiafoe courtside, where they shared a quick embrace.

“Nothing but love OG,” Tiafoe wrote on Instagram.

 

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It was a special moment for Tiafoe, who was thrilled to have the all-time great’s support during the US Open. After the 24-year-old upset Rafael Nadal en route to the semi-finals, James tweeted his congratulations.

CONGRATS Young King!!! You earned it! @FTiafoe 🙏🏾✊🏾🤎👑 https://t.co/QQ0Jn7Lotp

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 5, 2022

“Man, I was losing it in the locker room. Bro, I was going crazy,” Tiafoe said at the time. “That’s my guy. So to see him post that, I was like, ‘Do I retweet it as soon as he sent it?’ I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to be cool and act like I didn’t see it and then retweet it three hours later.’” 

It has been a basketball-filled offseason for Tiafoe. Last week, the American spent time in New York, where he visited the NBA offices and met Commissioner Adam Silver. He also took in the Wizards’ game against the Brooklyn Nets. The No. 19 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings joked on social media he would be entering the next NBA Draft.

 

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Editor’s Note: In the featured image for this story, Tiafoe wears a LeBron James Lakers jersey while shooting hoops at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco. Since that image was taken, James switched jersey numbers from No. 23 to No. 6. Photo Credit: ImagenShop/Mextenis.

A host of stars will open their 2023 ATP Tour seasons in Adelaide and Pune in January, with the Adelaide International 1 and the Tata Open Maharashtra set to begin on 2 January.

Four players who competed at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals will be back in action in Adelaide, including Turin champion Novak Djokovic, who leads the field as World No. 5. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev will also compete at the ATP 250, along with Turin alternate Holger Rune.

Former Nitto ATP Finals champion Andy Murray and 2021 debutant Jannik Sinner (who played in Turin as an alternate) are also among the 25 direct entrants, a list which also includes 2023 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion Brandon Nakashima and fellow Milan competitors Jack Draper and Lorenzo Sonego.

Last year’s Adelaide-1 finalist Karen Khachanov will return as he bids to complete unfinished business at the event, while Sebastian Korda and Maxime Cressy lead a group of five Americans in the field.

Cilic Leads Pune Field
World No. 17 Marin Cilic headlines the draw in Pune, with returning finalist Emil Ruusuvuori also among the direct entrants. Botic van de Zandschulp, Sebastian Baez, Jenson Brooksby and Alex Molcan round out the Top 50 representation at the ATP 250.

Other notable names among the initial 21 confirmed players include World No. 59 Aslan Karatsev and 2022 Milan competitor Chun-Hsin Tseng and Dutchman Tim van Rijthoven.

Following the successful launch of LOVE last month, the ATP has announced Tuesday that the limited collection of NFTs is now on sale.

The stunning generative digital artworks created in collaboration with Art Blocks Engine and renowned artist Martin Grasser introduces new ways for fans to celebrate, admire and own 300 impactful moments from the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals.

As a first-of-its kind generative art project in tennis, LOVE generates artwork entirely from official tennis data, provided by Tennis Data Innovations. There are more than 30 colour palettes, 114 camera angles and many zoom levels working in collaboration with the lines on the court and bright yellow ball to create endless possibilities.

^{Test outputs generated from 2021 Nitto ATP Finals match data.}

Collectors are able to order a high-quality physical print of their artwork via Level Frames. Fans are also able to trade their LOVE NFT on the secondary market, with one per cent of secondary sales to be donated directly to the Giving Block’s Mental Health Impact Fund. To learn more about the project, and to purchase your NFT, visit www.art.tennis.

^{Test outputs generated from 2021 Nitto ATP Finals match data.}

The creative force behind LOVE is Martin Grasser, a leading artist and designer based in the Bay Area, supported by leading generative art house, ARTXCODE.

The collection is being delivered in collaboration with Art Blocks Engine, the world’s leading platform for generative digital art. It marks Art Blocks Engine’s first partnership in the sports world and ATP’s first venture in the web3 space.

This week, ATPTour.com continues its annual season-in-review series, looking back at 2022’s best matches, biggest upsets, most dramatic comebacks and more. In this installment, we look back at the best Grand Slam comebacks of the season, featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. On Wednesday we will focus on Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ rivalry.

5) Roland Garros, R2, Alexander Zverev d. Sebastian Baez 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5
Sebastian Baez first showed fans a glimpse of his potential at the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals when he advanced to the semi-finals in Milan. The Argentine then started the 2022 season impressively, clinching his maiden tour-level title in Estoril. However, few gave him a chance when he stepped onto court against Alexander Zverev in the second round at Roland Garros.

The German arrived in Paris following runs to the final in Madrid and the last four in Rome, where he defeated Baez in straight sets. Sport rarely follows a simple script, though, and this proved the case in a rollercoaster clash at the clay-court major. Baez flew out of the blocks as he troubled Zverev in the blustery conditions, breaking Zverev’s serve in the opening game to set the tone for the first two sets. The 21-year-old dictated play with his huge forehand, also deploying his drop shot to good effect.

After Zverev fended off three break points to hold for 1-4 in the second set, however, the momentum in the match changed. Although it came too late to prevent the Argentine from clinching the second set, renewed purpose from Zverev powered him to the third and fourth sets for the loss of just three games combined as he found some consistency in his groundstrokes.

Baez refused to roll over as the players exchanged breaks in a tense deciding set, though, and the Argentine had an opportunity to seal his upset win with a match point at 4-5, 30/40. However, he was unable to return a big serve down the middle from Zverev, who then held his nerve to break himself and claim victory.

“This is the worst he [Baez] will probably ever feel on a tennis court right now, this moment,” Zverev said after his three-hour, 36-minute win. “It was such an incredible match, and I know it just too well because I lost the US Open final from being two sets to love up.”

Photo Credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

4) Wimbledon, QFs, Novak Djokovic d. Jannik Sinner 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
In recent years, Novak Djokovic has proven to be unbeatable at Wimbledon, with the Serbian capturing four consecutive titles at the grass-court major from 2018 to 2022. Few have come closer to toppling the 21-time Grand Slam champion in southwest London than Jannik Sinner, though, who provided Djokovic with a major scare in the quarter-finals this year.

In a high-quality clash, Sinner successfully targeted Djokovic’s serve early, breaking it four times on the way to a two-sets-to-love-lead. The Italian fired his groundstrokes through the court and looked to trouble the Serbian, who looked to be struggling physically.

On the brink of his first defeat at Wimbledon since 2017, Djokovic rallied. He showcased his big-match mentality by playing consistently to outlast Sinner in heavy-hitting exchanges, engineering a mid-match turnaround. The top seed sealed the sole break of the third set before he raced into an unassailable 4-0 lead in the fourth to force a decider.

All the momentum was with Djokovic, and he made it count with an impressive final-set performance. He offered Sinner few free points and pulled off some spectacular winners, most notably a backhand on the slide to bring up break point in the seventh game that had an enraptured Centre Court crowd on their feet. The top seed then served out to love to seal a 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 three-hour, 35-minute win.

“I must say huge congratulations for a big fight today to Jannik,” said Djokovic. “I’m sure there are going to be a lot of opportunities on the big stage. He is so mature for his age, he has been established now as a Top 10, Top 15 player for the past few years.”

Djokovic would go on to win the title at SW19, defeating Cameron Norrie in the semi-finals and Nick Kyrgios in the championship match.

Photo Credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

3) Roland Garros, R1, Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Lorenzo Musetti 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
Lorenzo Musetti demonstrated his clay-court pedigree at Roland Garros in 2021 when he pushed Novak Djokovic to five sets in the fourth round on his debut in Paris.

Fast forward 12 months and the Italian was at it again at the second major of the year, racing into a two-sets-to-love lead against 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. In a late-night encounter on Court Philippe Chatrier, Musetti troubled the Greek with his magical shotmaking.

Tsitsipas led 4-1 and held two break points at 15/40 in the opening set before Musetti went on a scintillating run, winning 10 of 11 games to lead by a set and 4-0. As the Italian found himself in the zone, his opponent could not find the court and struggled with a first-serve percentage below 50 per cent for much of the second set.

However, the Greek started to tighten up his game and began to hit his spots with renewed power and consistency to quickly move ahead in the third set. With renewed confidence, Tsitsipas dug deep, finding rhythm on serve to fly through the fourth and five sets, earning his third win from two-sets-to-love down.

“Things don’t come easy. I refuse to give up. That’s simply how it works with me,” Tsitsipas said. “You never really think about getting back after being two sets to love. You just play it point after point. You just wish that your efforts will pay off on a longer scale, longer run. Being in that situation… it’s a mountain that you have to climb, and I was able to climb it and regain the momentum steadily, but consistently.”

It was the second time in less than two years that Tsitsipas produced a great escape in the opening round in Paris. He also came back from two sets down against Jaume Munar in September 2020 in the rescheduled edition of the clay-court Grand Slam.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

2) Roland Garros, R2, Carlos Alcaraz d. Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-7(7), 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4
Carlos Alcaraz walked onto court against Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas at Roland Garros with confidence at an all-time high. The 19-year-old arrived at the second major of the year on a 10-match winning streak, having captured titles on clay in Barcelona and Madrid.

However, despite defeating Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev during that run, no one pushed him quite as hard as Ramos-Vinolas did during their four-hour, 34-minute second-round meeting in Paris. With the pressure on, Alcaraz saved a match point in the fourth set and rallied from 0-3 in the fifth set to defeat his countryman 6-1, 6-7(7), 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4.

For much of the match, Alcaraz was frustrated by his 34-year-old left-handed opponent and struggled to find solutions, which has been a rarity this season. The 19-year-old converted just seven of his 31 break points, putting him in a deep hole.

The Spaniard refused to crumble, though, saving a match point at 4-5 in the fourth set to break back, before he played a nearly flawless fourth-set tie-break to force a fifth set. After a slow start saw him fall behind, Alcaraz never gave up, showcasing more jaw-dropping defence to turn the tables again and seal victory.

“I feel tired,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview, cracking a laugh. “It has been a great battle against Albert. I knew that it was going to be a great match, tough match. We fought until the last point.”

Photo Credit: Adam Pretty/Getty Images

1) Australian Open, QFs, Daniil Medvedev d. Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4
Following his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2021, Daniil Medvedev was aiming to become the first player to follow his first major trophy with his second at the next Grand Slam event when he competed at the Australian Open.

After soaring through his opening four rounds in Melbourne, the 26-year-old faced his biggest test yet in the shape of Felix Auger-Aliassime, who had helped guide Canada to ATP Cup glory earlier in January.

In a four-hour, 41-minute thriller, Medvedev survived a major scare, saving one match point as he rallied from two-sets-to-love down for just the second time in his career to overcome the Canadian 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4.

Auger-Aliassime had a glint of determination in his eye from the outset against Medvedev, crushing winners from all angles during the first two sets to hit through the 26-year-old. After clinching the third set to gain a foothold, Medvedev then faced more adversity in the fourth set. However, he came up with the answers, saving one match point with a powerful serve at 4-5, 30/40, before he turned the tables on the Canadian to break. After holding to level, the World No. 2 further showcased his big-game mindset in the decider, saving all six break points he faced as he upped his power to advance.

“I was not playing my best and Felix was playing unbelievably,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “[He was] serving unbelievably, he was all over me. I did not really know what to do, but I told myself, I am going to make him work and fight until the last point. I managed to raise my level. When they closed the roof I felt the momentum change, that I could hit through the court better.”