Less than two months before the Nitto ATP Finals, tennis is already in the spotlight in Turin. In preparation for the year-end event, to be held at the Pala Alpitour stadium from 13-20 November, six parks and iconic locations will be the venues for “Tennis in Piazza” during September and October.

Organised by the Italian Tennis Federation in collaboration with the Municipality of Turin and the Piedmont Regional Schools Directorate, this activation will span across six different events and invites members of the public to familiarise themselves with a sport that is experiencing a moment of extraordinary popularity in Italy.

Following the success of the 2021 edition of “Tennis in Piazza”, this year’s event returns with an avant-garde setup, keeping with the style of the Nitto ATP Finals. Each venue will have a 10×16-metre court, with teachers and supervisors from the Istituto Superiore di Formazione “Roberto Lombardi” (ISF) on hand to assist children and young aspiring players as well as adolescents and adults who want to take the first step toward learning the sport of tennis. Thanks to the collaboration between the ISF, the City of Turin and the Schools Directorate of Piedmont, this initiative has already seen 30 schools confirm their participation.

This year, “Tennis in Piazza” will also offer participants the opportunity to practise another racket sport: table tennis. Next to each tennis court, a further four playing areas will be set up with reduced-size tables specially designed for players in the preliminary stages of the sport. This activation was made possible by the support of technical experts of the Federation and in collaboration with the Piedmont Regional Committee and the Italian Table Tennis Federation.

Each of the six events of the 2022 edition of “Tennis in Piazza” will be organised over three days, from Friday through Sunday. The first day will be dedicated to children from primary schools, the second day to secondary-school students, and the third day to adolescents and adults of any age.

The series, with the patronage of the Municipality of Turin, will start the week 16 September at Parco del Valentino and will continue with the following calendar:

23 – 25 September: Parco Ruffini
30 September – 2 October: Piazza d’Armi 
7 – 9 October: Parco della Confluenza
14 – 16 October: Parco Dora
28 – 30 October: Piazza Castello

Botic van de Zandschulp and Tallon Griekspoor earned singles wins for the Netherlands against the United States on Saturday to secure the Dutch team the top spot in Group D with a perfect 3-0 record.

Competing in Glasgow, van de Zandschulp scored his third singles win in as many ties with a 6-4, 7-6(3) result against World No. 13 Taylor Fritz. The Dutchman broke in the ninth game of the opening set before serving it out and breaking to open set two. Fritz would level in the second, but his comeback bid ended in the tie-break.

“We’ve had an amazing week together,” Van de Zandschulp said post-match. “Not everyone expected we would be No. 1, but we played some great tennis. I played to a really good level this week. The last couple of months I’ve had difficulty finding my level and I think it’s coming back.”

The 26-year-old’s victory clinched the tie for the Netherlands after Griekspoor’s 7-5, 7-6(3) win against Tommy Paul opened Saturday’s play. Griekspoor recorded two singles wins in three matches in Group D. In the dead doubles rubber, Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock put Team USA on the board with a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 win against Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop.

Despite the defeat, the United States advances to the quarter-final stage with a 2-1 record, good enough for second place in the group.

Coric, Gojo Keep Croatian Hopes Alive With Victory Against Argentina
Borna Coric and Borna Gojo notched Saturday singles wins against Argentina to finalise Croatia’s record at 2-1 with one more Group A tie to play on Sunday. After Gojo downed Sebastian Baez 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, Cincinnati champ Coric scored a 6-4, 7-6(6) win against Francisco Cerundolo to clinch victory. 

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic made it a clean sweep for the Croatians with a 6-2, 7-5 doubles win against Maximo Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos.

Croatia now sits second in Group A at 2-1, with a 5-4 match record. If Sweden (currently 1-1, with a 3-3 match record) defeats group-leaders Italy (2-0, 5-1) on Sunday, it would lead to a three-way tie atop the group, forcing tiebreak scenarios to determine which two teams advance to the quarter-finals.

Canada Clinches Progress Despite Defeat Against Serbia
One day after defeating world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in a victory for Team Canada against Spain, Felix Auger-Aliassime clinched his nation’s place in the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Miomir Kecmanovic.

Serbia’s Laslo Djere defeated Gabriel Diallo in the opening singles match, before Serbia claimed the doubles point — and the tie — via an early retirement. 

Both Canada and Serbia finish Group B play at 2-1, but Canada’s superior 5-4 match record ensures a top-two finish in Valencia. A victory for Spain on Sunday against South Korea would see the host nation advance as group-winners, knocking Serbia out of the Finals. Spain would be eliminated with a loss.

France Tops Belgium For Consolation Victory
In a decisive doubles rubber, Nicolas Mahut and Arthur Rinderknech defeated Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, 6-3, 7-6(6) to give France its first tie victory following tight defeats against Germany and Australia. Richard Gasquet earned France a singles point with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Michael Geerts, before David Goffin put Belgium on the board with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 decision against Benjamin Bonzi. 

The result sees France finish in third place in Group C, with undefeated nations Australia and Germany set to compete on Sunday for the top spot. Both Australia and Germany have already clnched progress to the quarter-final stage.

What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals will take place across four cities — Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia — from 13-18 September. The 16 nations will compete in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage will take place in Malaga from 22-27 November.

Three events will make for a busy week on the ATP Tour, with ATP 250s in Metz and San Diego on the schedule in addition to the weekend’s Laver Cup, the final event of Roger Federer’s legendary career.

Debutant Daniil Medvedev leads the field at the Moselle Open in Metz, while Daniel Evans and Jenson Brooksby are the top seeds at the San Diego Open. The Laver Cup, which will be held from Friday to Sunday, will feature each of the Big Four — Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — for the first time.  

ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch from each event.

View Draws: Metz | San Diego

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN METZ
1) Medvedev’s Debut: Medvedev will make his debut in ‘The Green City’ as he bids for his second ATP Tour title of 2022 (Los Cabos). The 26-year-old will be eager for a bounce-back week after his fourth-round US Open exit ultimately cost him his No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking. He enters the Metz hard courts as the World No. 4 for his first competitive action since competing in New York.

2) Returning Champ Hurkacz: World No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz did not drop a set on his way to the 2021 Metz title, including wins against Andy Murray in the quarter-finals and Pablo Carreno Busta in the final. That trophy was his third of 2021. Already a title-winner in Halle this season, Hurkacz — who also won the Metz doubles crown last year with Jan Zielinski — will hope to secure his second multiple-trophy campaign in France. After reaching the Montreal final, he went 1-2 at Cincinnati and the US Open.

3) Home Hopes: Eighth seed Adrian Mannarino leads seven Frenchman in the main draw, not including potential qualifiers. Also among the local favourites in action are Ugo Humbert, Gilles Simon, Arthur Rinderknech and Richard Gasquet. Nine of the past 12 Metz champion were French, including five straight French champions from 2009-13.

4) Musetti, Rune, Thiem Add Intrigue: #NextGenATP stars Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune are seeded third and fourth, separated by just one place in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at World No. 30 and 31, respectively. They also occupy third and fourth place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Milan. Musetti is making his Metz debut, while Rune returns after reaching the quarter-finals as a qualifier one year ago. Wild card Dominic Thiem is set for his second Metz appearance after a run to the 2016 final (l. to Lucas Pouille).

5) Puetz/Venus Lead Doubles Draw: Tim Puetz and Michael Venus are the top seeds in the doubles competition, with Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara seeded second. Third seeds Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin are one of four all-French duos in the draw.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN SAN DIEGO
1) Evans Returns As Top Seed: Great Britain’s Daniel Evans fell to countryman Cameron Norrie in the San Diego second round last year, but the World No. 25 is the lone representative from the United Kingdom in this year’s singles draw.

2) Americans Dot The Draw: Jenson Brooksby, Marcos Giron, Brandon Nakashima and J.J. Wolf are all seeded in San Diego, with six other Americans also in the draw, not including potential qualifiers. Brandon Holt received a wild card after his stunning progress through qualifying and into the second round on his US Open debut.

3) Spain’s Martinez Seeded Fourth: Pedro Martinez leads a host of Spanish and South American players in the field, including sixth seed Alejandro Tabilo of Chile and Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan. Galan will look to continue his strong form after reaching the third round of the US Open as a qualifier, stunning Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round along the way.

4) All-Aussie Openers: Two all-Australian matchups are set for the opening round. Seventh seed James Duckworth will meet Alexei Popyrin, while Jason Kubler takes on Christopher O’Connell.

5) Lammons/Withrow Seeded Second In Doubles Draw: The pairing of Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow are one of four all-American teams in the San Diego doubles draw. One of those teams — Evan King and Denis Kudla — will face top seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in the opening round.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH AT LAVER CUP
1) Federer’s Farwell: Federer announced on Thursday that this Laver Cup would be the last competitive event of his tennis career. It is a fitting finale, as the Swiss is set to team with many of his storied rivals for Team Europe, including Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. 

2) Top 10 Talent: In addition to having home-court advantage at London’s O2 Arena, Team Europe boasts four Top 10 players: US Open finalist and World No. 2 Casper Ruud, No. 3 Nadal, No. 6 Tsitsipas and No. 7 Djokovic.

3) Team Europe Puts Perfection On The Line: In addition to the pageantry surrounding Federer’s farwell, Team Europe will also be focussed on extending its perfect record in the competition. They have not lost the Laver Cup since its inception in 2017, winning the title on all four previous occasions.

4) Americans Lead Team World: In addition to World No. 12 Taylor Fritz, the highest-ranked player on captain John McEnroe’s team, Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock will also play important roles for Team World. The roster also includes Felix Auger-Aliassime, Diego Schwartzman and Alex de Minaur.

5) Unique Format: The Laver Cup will be played over three days, from 23-25 September, across five sessions. Each match win is worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on a high-stakes Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points (put of a possible 24) wins the Laver Cup.

Felix Auger-Aliassime earned one of the biggest wins of his career on Friday when he defeated new World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 in Davis Cup action.

The World No. 13 saved all seven break points he faced to level Canada’s tie against Spain at 1-1 after two hours and 50 minutes. Auger-Aliassime took the initiative in the match to put the recent US Open champion on the back foot, especially in the critical moments.

This was Alcaraz’s first match as the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The 19-year-old fought valiantly, but was unable to close out the tie.

Roberto Bautista Agut had made a good start for Spain when he rallied past Vasek Pospisil 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. There will be a deciding doubles match in Valencia.

Berrettini & Sinner Power Italy Past Argentina
Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner, both of whom competed in the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, showed their strength on Friday to help Italy defeat Argentina.

Berrettini powered past Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-3 to give Italy the advantage before Sinner took the court in Bologna, where he delivered a 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 victory against Miami semi-finalist Francisco Cerundolo.

Germany Squeaks By Belgium
The Belgians put forth a commendable effort, but Germany moved to 2-0 in Group C action with a 2-1 win in their tie. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz sealed their country’s triumph with a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) victory against Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.

German Jan-Lennard Struff claimed the opening rubber against Zizou Bergs 6-4, 7-6(9) to put his country in a winning position before 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin clawed past Oscar Otte 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-3 to set the deciding doubles.

What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals will take place across four cities – Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia – from 13-18 September. The 16 nations will compete in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage will take place in Malaga from 22-27 November.

Following Roger Federer’s retirement announcement on Thursday, many tennis stars of the past and present took to social media to pay tribute to the Swiss.

But Federer’s announcement reverberated far beyond the tennis world. Celebrities including Bill Gates, football player Lionel Messi, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Formula 1 legend Fernando Alonso also shared their well-wishes for the former World No. 1.

You’ve been an incredible friend to me and an inspiration to an entire generation of tennis players. I’m lucky to have seen you work your magic on the court many times. And I’m excited to watch your philanthropic work grow in this next phase of your life. https://t.co/lAWC14Ho1B

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) September 15, 2022

 

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

What a career, @rogerfederer. We fell in love with your brand of tennis. Slowly, your tennis became a habit. And habits never retire, they become a part of us.

Thank you for all the wonderful memories. pic.twitter.com/FFEFWGLxKR

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 15, 2022

😢. Gracias @rogerfederer https://t.co/5o2HpdxUc8

— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) September 15, 2022

Roger, congratulations on a remarkable career! It’s been an honour to watch you on court. Enjoy retirement, and I look forward to seeing you at a few more F1 races in the future! pic.twitter.com/4zG1AVhkeg

— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) September 15, 2022

Congratulations, @RogerFederer, on an incredible 24 year run. You’re now ready for podcasting.

— Conan O’Brien (@ConanOBrien) September 15, 2022

I remember this day like it was yesterday, it was a real privilege to be in the presence of two greats.

What a career @rogerfederer 24 years at the top 👏🏽 I wish you all the best in whatever you choose to do next. #RForever pic.twitter.com/iX6D7ylgvX

— Theo Walcott (@theowalcott) September 15, 2022

End of an era! Congratulations @rogerfederer on making so many fall in love with the sport and a truly remarkable career 👏 pic.twitter.com/nJjteiN2TT

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) September 15, 2022

Farewell to the GOAT!
Congratulations on an immense career @rogerfederer 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5RfAGINvPR

— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) September 15, 2022

Elegance is the only beauty that never fades & u defined it each time u stepped on to the court. A #Legend in every sense, you’re the reason billions followed tennis. Congrats on a brilliant career! Wishing you the very best! Thank you @rogerfederer ❤️ #GOAT #ThankYouRoger pic.twitter.com/uZesROr4SO

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) September 15, 2022

Roger, thanks for countless goosebump moments on the court and congratulations on an incredible career. One last dance! pic.twitter.com/EwwCqYi4Fu

— Nico Hülkenberg (@HulkHulkenberg) September 15, 2022

Thank you for inspiring us and setting a great example for all of us, @rogerfederer! 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/W0sfav1Hzw

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) September 15, 2022

They were born only 49 days apart, though in vastly different corners of the world.

Consider the catalogues of Serena Williams and Roger Federer as a portrait of contrasting forces. Stylistically different, but in terms of sheer substance, they are two of the most decorated players of the Open Era, almost without rivals.

It feels appropriate they chose to depart from professional tennis within a span of five weeks. Williams’ retirement news arrived in a Vogue magazine essay on 9 August, the day after Federer turned 41. His announcement came Thursday, 11 days before her 41st birthday.

“This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me,” Federer wrote in his retirement letter. “But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”

Williams earlier had expressed similar sentiments when saying goodbye to fans.

“I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst,” she wrote. “But please know that I am more grateful for you than I can ever express in words. You have carried me to so many wins and so many trophies. I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. And I’m going to miss you.”

While parting is bittersweet – at best – it might be wise to adopt Williams’ mindset and see this as an inevitable evolution. Certainly, these two will always be in and around tennis. Going forward, their love of the game will keep them engaged.

But what of the sport itself? At times like these, there are always questions about how the void will be filled. When Stefanie Graf retired in 1999, winning at Roland Garros and reaching the final at Wimbledon, coincidentally or not, that was the year Williams won her first major. When Pete Sampras walked away after the 2002 US Open, he had already lost to Federer at Wimbledon the year before – one year before the Swiss champion would produce his first major win in the same venue.

As it turns out, just as those void questions are resurfacing, your freshly minted US Open champions might be a good place to start.

Iga Swiatek, 20, is the youngest Hologic WTA Tour player to collect three major titles since Maria Sharapova in 2008. Players such as Ons Jabeur and 18-year-old Coco Gauff have elevated themselves into mainstream sports spotlight. Currently four of the Top 10 players in the world are under 25 years old.

Carlos Alcaraz, at 19, is the youngest No.1 player in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history (since 1973). And in case you forgot, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the two most successful players of all time on the Grand Slam stage, walked away with three of the four majors this year.

It wasn’t long ago, Williams and Federer were the faces of the game’s future.

Williams grew up on the public courts of Compton, California; Federer was a ball boy at the tournament in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland. Their disparate environments would shape the way they played the game. Williams was in-your-face raw power and speed and blatant desire. Federer was more fluid, a sleight–of–hand artist who beat you with finesse – and an astonishing hand–eye coordination.

She got on the Grand Slam board first, winning the US Open at the age of 17. Federer broke through at Wimbledon in 2003 and would win three of the four majors three times in four years, from 2004-07. Williams’ career was more dispersed, marked by injuries and lengthy sabbaticals. The two times she won three majors in a single season, remarkably, came in 2002 – and 13 years later in 2015.

Federer won 16 of his 20 major titles before the age of 30; Williams managed 10 of her 23 after turning 30. Both of them were masterful on grass: Federer won eight titles at Wimbledon, while Williams had seven. In Melbourne and New York, it was Williams with a 7-6 and 6-5 edge, respectively. On clay, which was less conducive to their skill sets, Williams won three and Federer one.

On six occasions – the number somehow seems low – they won the same Grand Slam event. The first was in 2003, and the photo from Wimbledon’s Winners’ Ball mirrors their on–court emotions.

Williams, wearing a strappy black dress, hair pulled back, is grinning broadly. Federer, long brown hair scooped behind and well below his ears, is wearing a black tuxedo and a red bow tie.

More than 14 years later, it happened for the last time, in Australia. Williams, already pregnant with daughter Olympia, defeated sister Venus for her final major triumph, at the age of 35. Federer, hair considerably shorter, was a five-set winner in 2017 against rival Rafael Nadal. One year later, he would capture his final major in Melbourne, at the age of 36.

Even considering Federer played nearly 500 more matches, their career achievements are cut from the same cloth. Federer won 103 titles, 30 more than Serena. But Williams won more Slams and held the four major titles simultaneously twice, in 2002-03 and 2014-15. She won four Olympic gold medals, three in doubles, versus Federer’s silver and bronze in singles and a gold in doubles.

Williams’ winning percentage (858-156, .846) is slightly better than Federer’s (1,251-275, .820). Perhaps the statistic that best captures their consistent, unrelenting brilliance is the relationship with the No.1 ranking. Williams was on top for 319 weeks, nine more than Federer. Her first ascension to the throne came in 2002, the last some 15 years later. Federer’s first (2004) and last (2018) were no less impressive.
It might be some time before tennis aficionados wonder how Williams and Federer will be replaced. They came into the tennis world at the same time, dominated for close to two decades and now leave together.
It’s only fitting.