Emma Raducanu tests positive for Covid-19 and withdraws from Mubadala exhibition event
Emma Raducanu hopes to “get back soon” after testing positive for Covid-19 and withdrawing from the Mubadala World Tennis Championships.
Emma Raducanu hopes to “get back soon” after testing positive for Covid-19 and withdrawing from the Mubadala World Tennis Championships.
Chip Brooks, one of Nick Bollettieri’s original coaches at IMG Academy, passed away on Thursday aged 67. With a distinctive southern twang, he worked with 10 ATP and WTA No. 1-ranked players in Bradenton, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic.
Brooks began working alongside David Brewer, a future US Open Tournament Director (2012-19), at one of Bollettieri’s summer camps in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, as a sophomore for $60 per week. He would earn his college degree in General Studies in 1976 at Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee, close to the place of his birth.
Brooks and Brewer then joined Bollettieri at the Colony Beach Hotel, on Longboat Key in Sarasota, where they were part of a six-person team. For the next three years, Brooks didn’t have a day off as the academy dream became a reality, first at the DePalmer-Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1978 at West Bradenton. Thereafter, a tomato field became available in 1980 and Bollettieri’s operation fast expanded to become IMG Academy.
We lost one of the good ones today ? A passionate, warm hearted person, a fighter that loved his family and tennis. He has changed so many peoples life’s. Thank you for everything you’ve done! You will be greatly missed Chip ?? Rest In Peace ? #ChipBrooks pic.twitter.com/wavBCr8mFg
— Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki) December 10, 2021
Barring four years as Director at the Lexington Tennis Club in Kentucky, which provided a different perspective on business management, Brooks worked as one of Bollettieri’s finest coaches for 40 years as Director Of Tennis. He always had a kind and positive word to motivate junior players.
Courier told ATPTour.com, “Chip was one of the beloved originals at Nick’s academy and had a hugely positive impact on so many, myself included. He will be dearly missed.”
A USPTA Master Professional, Brooks worked with early boarder Jimmy Arias, the pioneer of the inside-out running forehand, then Agassi and Courier, assisted Reno Manne when Pete Sampras practised in Bradenton and spent a year with Becker before handing over the reins to Mike DePalmer Jr. He went on to train Marcelo Rios, Mary Pierce, Anna Kournikova, Filip Krajinovic, Jankovic, Sabine Lisicki and a number of other players. He was named the USPTA Kentucky Pro of the Year in 1988, and the USPTA Florida Pro of the Year in 1998 and 1999.
Brooks had been married to his wife, Patty, for 41 years, and they had four children, Jake, Lindsay, Jared and Lacey. He was a championship-winning fisherman and once ranked in the Top 5 in Florida. He also enjoyed hunting, held a real estate broker license since 1992 and had a home inspection business.
The funeral service will be held on Friday, 17 December in Bradenton, Florida.
Jack Alexander ‘Chip’ Brooks Jr., tennis coach, born 15 September 1954, died 9 December 2021
Manuel Santana was born on 10 May 1938 into a family home on the Madrid street Lopez de Hoyos. Years later he would become one of the biggest figures in Spanish tennis, a pioneer who paved the road to success in his sport. On Saturday 11 December 2021, he passed away at the age of 83.
Few could have imagined that a boy from such humble beginnings, living in a house where as many as 12 families shared one bathroom, would become a household name, not only in Spanish tennis, but around the world. His career forged the way for his compatriots to follow.
At just 10 years old, ‘Manolin’, as he was known by those close to him, was already completely besotted with tennis and worked as a ball boy to earn some extra money to help out at home. He often remembered how he would earn six pesetas at the Club de Tenis Velazquez, of which, according to Santana himself, ‘Four were for my mother and I kept two for myself’.
Then, 10 years after these youthful adventures, which he would combine with tennis training, he was crowned champion of Spain in Zaragoza, repaying the trust placed in him by siblings Aurora and Alvaro Romero-Giron, who were vital to his career, having covered all his sports and academic expenses.
The passing of time would establish Santana as a figurehead, an icon and an undisputed role model for any Spanish player of the future. The Madrid native began to compete far from his land of birth and to take on great players such as Australians Roy Emerson and Rod Laver. He would defeat them both at Roland Garros in 1961, where he would claim his first Grand Slam title.
The feat came just a few days after his 23rd birthday, after a memorable run in Paris. In the first round he saw off Adrian Bey, Hungarian player Istvan Gulyas would succumb to him in the second round, while William Alvarez and Michael Sangster were unable to do anything to prevent his march to the quarter-finals.
Victory in his clash with Emerson came after three sets, but his semi-final against Laver was even more spectacular, he would win it 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. His final against the Italian Nicola Pietrangeli produced a thrilling 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory to earn him his first Musketeers Cup, but not his last.
Following two years in which he failed to advance from the semi-finals, Santana was back in Paris in 1964 with a point to make; and it proved to be third time lucky as he made a return to the winners’ circle at Roland Garros. In the first round he defeated Franz Hainka, the second round saw him beat Stepan Koudelka and in the third round he cruised past Jean-Noel Grinda in straight sets.
In the fourth round he saw off Bob Hewitt, while it was Ron Barnes who was on the receiving end of his dominance in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, he would meet his executioner in the same round from the previous year, this time though he would beat Pierre Darmon 8-6, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4. In the championship match he clashed with Pietrangeli once again, this time winning 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. Two finals, two Grand Slam titles.
He was the first Spaniard to win on the clay of Roland Garros. Later, Andres Gimeno, Sergi Bruguera, Carlos Moya, Albert Costa, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Rafael Nadal would follow in his footsteps, but it was Santana who showed them the way. He would go on to do the same on a surface that seemed out of reach for the Spaniards at the time; the grass of Wimbledon.
In 1965, he travelled to America to play in the US Open (then the US Championships). The tournament had previously left him with just two wins and two defeats, but this year was different. After a close start against Don Fontana, he beat Marcelo Lara, Jim Osborne, Marty Riessen and Antonio Palafox in three sets. In the semi-finals, he would square off against Arthur Ashe.
The legendary American took the first set, but Santana took the next three to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. In the final he outplayed Cliff Drysdale to win 6-2, 7-9, 7-5, 6-1 and claim the third major title of his career. It was the first time a European had won in New York since Frenchman Henri Cochet did so in 1928.
His story would still produce one more grand moment. In his eighth appearance at Wimbledon, he started his campaign with victory over Isao Watanabe, before defeating Mike Belkin, Marty Riessen and Bobby Wilson to reach the quarter-finals without dropping a set. His best performance in London was a run to the semi-finals the year before, but this time he reached the same stage by beating Ken Fletcher 6-2, 3-6, 8-6, 4-6, 7-5, before advancing to the final by sending Owen Davidson packing, 6-2, 4-6, 9-7, 3-6, 7-5.
Acabo de recibir la terrible noticia del fallecimiento de nuestro gran Manolo Santana. Como he dicho muchas veces en el pasado: mil gracias por lo que hiciste por nuestro país y por marcar el camino de tantos. Siempre fuiste un referente, un amigo y una persona cercana a todos.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 11, 2021
Far from testing his fitness, so many hours on court only served to bolster Santana’s confidence, enabling him to beat Dennis Ralston 6-4, 11-9, 6-4 and become the first Spanish champion of Wimbledon and the only one until Nadal joined him in 2008 (also in 2010).
That historic win left us with a memorable image: Santana collecting the trophy with the Real Madrid shield on his shirt, thanks to Santiago Bernabeu’s appearance in Sydney the previous year, where he was visiting with his wife, Maria, to see for himself the skill of the player from Madrid whom everyone was talking about. There were also other unforgettable anecdotes, such as his trip from Southfields underground station to the legendary club, carrying his three racquets before playing in the final. Or the £10 cheque for Lillywhites sports retailer that he received as a prize and a Rolex watch that he still has today.
There was still plenty of room in his trophy cabinet for more glory. After taking the spoils in Philadelphia, Tampa, Berlin, Bastad, Kitzbühel and New York, his final masterpiece would come in Barcelona at the legendary Trofeo Conde de Godo. In the same venue where he had won in 1962, he produced yet more evidence of his quality in 1970, beating Laver in the final.
My thoughts are with good friend Manolo Santana, who has passed away. A clay court maestro, Manolo famously said grass was for cows, but still managed to win Wimbledon in 1966, and inspired generations of Spanish players with his renowned heavy topspin and fighting spirit. pic.twitter.com/6GzSbzDcPT
— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) December 11, 2021
In 1968 he competed in the Olympic Games in Mexico, the first time tennis was included as a demonstration sport. Santana contributed to his country’s medal haul, picking up a gold medal in the singles and silver with Juan Gisbert in the doubles. After a legendary career, Santana brought his playing days to an end in 1980. But his ties with the sport lived on.
Santana would captain the Spanish Davis Cup team before taking the reins of the Mutua Madrid Open in 2002 to consolidate it as one of the most important tournaments on the calendar in the ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Mandatory categories (as from 2009). He enjoyed 20 years of close involvement at the tournament, where he was first director (until 2019) and later Honorary President.
These great achievements are testament to the figure of Santana, who will live on eternally in Spanish tennis as a pioneer whose achievements marked a turning point in the sport.
The brilliant aspect of the tennis scoring system means you always have to win the last point to claim victory. Until you do that, your opponent is always in with a chance, even if they are heavily trailing.
With the margins in the sport so small, the tempo of matches can quickly change, especially in front of a raucous crowd, who can drag a player back into a clash when all seems lost.
The past week, ATPTour.com has looked at the best ATP Tour rivalries of the season. Now, continuing our review of the 2021 season, we will reflect on the most memorable ATP Tour match comebacks of 2021, before turning attention to the best Grand Slam comebacks of 2021 from Wednesday.
5) Miami Open presented by Itau, QF, Hubert Hurkacz d. Stefanos Tsitsipas 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Earlier this season, Hubert Hurkacz captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itau, soaring past Jannik Sinner in the final.
However, just three days earlier, the Pole looked down and out as he trailed Stefanos Tsitsipas 2-6, 0-2, 15/40 in the quarter-finals, struggling to find consistency from the baseline against the Greek, who had won seven of his past eight matches.
Hurkacz entered the clash trailing Tsitsipas 1-6 in their ATP Head2Head series and seemed on the verge of yet another defeat against the World No. 4. However, the 24-year-old crucially fended off two break points to hold at 0-2 in the second set as he served with more power and closed the net effectively to halt Tsitsipas’ momentum.
The Pole then began to return with greater aggression, forcing Tsitsipas back and into errors, winning six of seven games to level the match. With renewed confidence and belief, Hurkacz continued to go on the attack in the decider and broke at 2-2 after firing multiple passing shots past Tsitsipas. Hurkacz then sealed his two-hour, 20-minute victory with an ace.
“I was trying to keep fighting and that’s what I did,” Hurkacz said. “[I am] super pumped and happy that I was able to turn this match around.”
4) Rolex Paris Masters, Round of 16, Hugo Gaston d. Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 7-6
Hugo Gaston and Paris is a match made in heaven. The Frenchman enjoyed a sensational run to the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2020 as a wild card and entered his third-round match against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters high on confidence, after coming through qualifying and defeating Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
The 21-year-old made an impressive start in front of a raucous Paris crowd, clinching the first set 6-4. However, Alcaraz, who has defeated Top 10 stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini this year, quickly shook off his setback and began to impose his aggressive game on Gaston.
Alcaraz raced 5-0 ahead and looked set to force a decider. But Gaston produced a jaw-dropping comeback to advance in straight sets, winning 20 of the last 21 points of the match to stun the Spaniard, who the following week would win the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. The lefty used his flamboyant game to disrupt Alcaraz, deploying his trademark drop shots and slow balling the Spaniard to force errors to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
“I was drifting off at that point [0-5], and he started to have a letdown, as well,” Gaston said. “He made a lot of mistakes, because I managed to have fast balls, slow balls, to have high balls. He started to lose his groove, and I stayed focused. This is why I managed to turn the match in my favour.”
3) Rolex Paris Masters, First Round, Dominik Koepfer d. Andy Murray 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(9)
Dominik Kopefer was handed a lifeline in Paris when he received a lucky loser spot, having fallen in the final round of qualifying, and the 27-year-old certainly made the most of it. In an epic clash, Koepfer continued to live on the edge as he saved not one, but seven match points against Andy Murray, before eventually overcoming the former World No. 1 in three hours and one minute.
The German had looked in control of the match at 6-4, 5-3, but was broken to love when serving for the match and from there the clash was a rollercoaster. Murray clinched the second set 7-5 and then had two match points on Koepfer’s serve at 5-4 in the decider. But the German played consistently to fend off the Scot, with the pair moving to a third-set tie-break.
In an epic tie-break, Murray had five further chances to close out the match and he threw everything at Koepfer, hammering his groundstrokes and throwing in lobs and drop shots. However, the 27-year-old refused to cave, producing his best tennis under pressure to find the answers and eventually advance, converting his first match point.
“It was unbelievable. I thought I had it in my hands in the second set serving for it at 5-4. He just made a lot of balls, I didn’t make a lot of balls. That was the difference, and it was just a great fight in the third set,” Koepfer said. “I just tried to stay in the moment and tried to play every point.”
Coming Tuesday: The top two ATP Tour comebacks of 2021
Coming Wednesday: The best Grand Slam comebacks of 2021 – Part 1
Manuel Santana, one of Spain’s greatest sporting heroes, passed away aged 83 on Saturday in Marbella. The four-time major singles champion had been Tournament Director of the Mutua Madrid Open until 2019, when he became the ATP Masters 1000 tournament’s Honorary President.
Upon hearing the news, Felipe VI, the King of Spain, posted on Twitter, “There are people who become legends and make a country great. Manolo Santana was and will always be one of them.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, “He won Roland Garros, the US Open and Wimbledon, a total of 72 tournaments and an Olympic gold to make him a tennis legend and one of the best athletes our country has seen.”
Rafael Nadal, a 20-time major champion and five-time winner of the Mutua Madrid Open, paid tribute on Twitter, writing, “You will always be one of a kind and special. As I have said many times in the past: a thousand thanks for what you did for our country and for opening the way for others. You were always my role model, a friend and someone who was close to all of us.”
At the height of his fame, when Santana could barely leave his house, he took Spain to the World Group final in the 1965 and 1967 Davis Cup campaigns (l. to Australia both times). He was able to mix in the elite of Spanish society and government.
Manuel Santana plays against Nicola Pietrangeli en route to his first Roland Garros title on 28 May 1961. Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Santana’s father, Braulio, moved from Valladolid in northwest Spain, to Chamatin, on the outskirts of Madrid, but died when his son was 16. ‘Manolo’, as he was known throughout the tennis world, was born in the middle of the civil war and was one of four sons. The family shared a single bathroom with an entire building.
He quietly abandoned his local school aged 10, when he realised that he could pick up tips as a ball boy at Club Tenis de Velasquez, bringing in welcome money for his mother, Mercedes, and two years later he carved his first tennis racquet out of wood. Santana, who travelled into the city centre by street car, won the club’s ball boys’ tournament aged 13 and became a club member.
Shortly after his father’s passing in 1954, Santana came under the guidance of the Romero Giron family, who changed the outlook of his life. Giron’s widow, Gloria, and two of her children, Alvaro and Aurora, provided the young Santana with a structured daily routine. There was weightlifting at the gym before breakfast with the Giron family, followed by tennis lessons, a daily trip for lunch with his mother and siblings, then back for afternoon study with a tutor. It was hard, having missed school for almost five years, but Santana eventually earned a high school diploma in the United States.
Santana, who won the Spanish junior championships in 1955 and 1956, was not permitted to travel alone internationally until 1959, when the Giron family felt he was both mature and socially adept. He completed his military service in 1960 and, the following year, with improved English, he beat two-time champion Nicola Pietrangeli, who’d later become Santana’s great friend, 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 in the 1961 Roland Garros final. Santana, who extended rallies to make Pietrangeli fight for every point, wept for one hour afterwards.
Santana, who enjoyed his early success on clay, possessed terrific hand-eye coordination, a potent forehand and could disguise his drop shot. He reclaimed the Roland Garros crown in 1964, when he beat Pietrangeli again, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, in the final.
Having once said that “Grass is for cows”, a statement echoed by dozens of players in the future, Santana’s confidence and game matured on the surface, centred largely on his speed, anticipation and willingness to switch-up his style. He played at the US Nationals [now named US Open] on six occasions, losing twice in the 1960 and 1964 first round, but Santana became the first European to lift the trophy since Henri Cochet in 1928. He beat Cliff Drysdale, who would go onto become the first ATP President, 6-2, 7-9, 7-5, 6-1 in the 1965 final.
Santana’s greatest singles triumph came on 1 July 1966, when he captured the Wimbledon trophy over Dennis Ralston 6-4, 11-9, 6-4 and kissed the hand of Princes Marina of Kent upon receiving the famous trophy, which went against royal protocol. He was the first European to win the Wimbledon title since France’s Yvon Petra in 1946. Later in 1966, Santana, adjudged to be the amateur World No. 1, underwent a right ankle operation, which left him tentative in his movement.
Santana played doubles sparingly, but won the 1963 Roland Garros doubles title with Roy Emerson. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Santana won a singles gold medal and a silver medal in doubles (with Juan Gisbert), where tennis was a demonstration/exhibition sport.
In playing retirement, Santana was captain of Spain’s Davis Cup team between 1980 and 1985, then again from 1995 to 1999. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1984, he managed the Manolo Santana Racquets Club in Marbella and also the Sport Center Manolo Santana in Madrid. The main court at the Caja Magica, venue of the Mutua Madrid Open, is named in his honour.
He received numerous awards, including the Gold Medal for Sporting Merit (1965), the Great Cross of Isabel la Católica (1966), the Gold Medal of the Villa de Madrid (1970), the Medal for Sporting Merit of the Madrid City Council (1996), the Great Cross for Sporting Merit (2000), the Great Cross of the Dos de Mayo of the Community of Madrid (2008) and the 2010 Francisco Fernández Ochoa Award from the National Sports Awards.
Married four times, Santana fathered five children: Manuel, Beatriz, Borja, Barbara and Alba. He lived with his last wife, Claudia, in Marbella, and in recent years had suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
Manuel Martinez Santana, tennis player and tournament director, born 10 May 1938, died 11 December 2021
The Tennis World Pays Tribute
Acabo de recibir la terrible noticia del fallecimiento de nuestro gran Manolo Santana. Como he dicho muchas veces en el pasado: mil gracias por lo que hiciste por nuestro país y por marcar el camino de tantos. Siempre fuiste un referente, un amigo y una persona cercana a todos.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 11, 2021
The great Manolo Santana has passed away.
He & I won our 1st #Wimbledon singles titles in 1966 (he was the first Spanish man to win the title). We danced the 1st dance at the Ball.
He loved the sport, & we shared many conversations over the years.
Condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/spGkz300m1
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) December 11, 2021
Una triste noticia para el mundo del tenis. Gracias por haber abierto el camino para que muchos después hayamos podido recorrerlo.
DEP Manolo Santana pic.twitter.com/U9PzDORNTE— Paula Badosa (@paulabadosa) December 11, 2021
We lost a tennis legend and a great, kind man today. Rest In Peace Manolo Santana ? pic.twitter.com/Gy7vHjfpt8
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) December 11, 2021
We’re sad to learn of the death of 1965 US Open champion Manolo Santana.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/7dS1svROyM
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) December 11, 2021
? Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Manolo Santana, who has passed away today at the age of 83 ? pic.twitter.com/qvWgt5XZYh
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) December 11, 2021
Rafael Nadal leads the tributes to four-time Grand Slam winner Manolo Santana, who has died at the age of 83.
Benjamin Bonzi enjoyed a standout 2021 season, capturing six ATP Challenger Tour titles, which saw him rise from No. 165 in the FedEx ATP Rankings to a career-high No. 60 at the start of November.
The Frenchman, who had never earned a Challenger trophy before this year, went 57-27 at all levels in 2021, winning tour-level matches in Montpellier and at Wimbledon.
The 25-year-old caught up with ATPTour.com to discuss his impressive season, his route into the sport, his interests away from the court and more.
You won six ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, what was the key behind your success?
I think it was to do with my confidence. I am more consistent now and playing the big points better, which I think was the big difference for my year. My coach and I talk every day on the courts and discuss technique, tactics and how to play points day after day. There is no specific thing, just working hard.
You started playing tennis when you were six years old. How quickly did you start to fall in love with the game and what role did your cousin play as you two hit together?
I grew up near the tennis club, it was about 500 metres from my home. I was walking there and going two or three times a week when I was very young and not playing. I was used to being there and then one day because my parents were already playing, I wanted to as well and that is how everything began for me.
My cousin stopped very quickly when I started getting better! It was a new thing for me and I enjoyed it, so I started matches and then I won a few and then you are in the game after that. I then started to play tournaments and travelled with my parents by car and now I am here today. It was only ever tennis.
Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
How do you like to spend your time off the court? What are your interests?
I love video games. I play a lot when I am home. I don’t take the PS4 with me on Tour, but when I am home I play a lot. I also spend time with my girlfriend because when you are at tournaments, she is not always there, so I try to spend time with my close friends and family.
I like to chill with my girlfriend because she is working a lot in France and I am travelling a lot, so when we are both at home, that is our relaxation time. We live in Marseille, so there is the sea and a beautiful landscape. We spend time out walking and enjoy it.
I also listen to music. I like to go to football and rugby in France as well. The football team I support is Marseille. I went to a match just after the US Open. I came home on Saturday morning and there was a match in the evening, so I went. It was my first time in the stadium and it was crazy there and they won!
Do you enjoy the travelling aspect of being a professional tennis player and is there a particular destination you like the most on Tour?
I like travelling. The United States is great. It is very nice to fly to the United States. My favourite places are probably Canada and the United States, so I will try and go there more in the future. Toronto was very nice this year, it was my first time there.
What are you aims over the next year now you are on the verge of the Top 50?
I need to stay focussed and try to stay the same. I need to get some experience on the ATP Tour and at [ATP] 250 events. I need to play matches at this level. I need to gain experience and try to win some matches if I can.
I started the year at No. 165 and wanted to try and win one Challenger title during the season and get closer to the Top 100, but now I am No. 64 and have won six Challengers, so it is all unexpected and all new for me.
Coach of the Year in the ATP Awards goes to the ATP coach who helped guide their player to a higher level of performance during the year. The honour is nominated and voted on by fellow ATP coach members.
This year’s nominees are:
Craig Boynton (Hubert Hurkacz)
Craig Boynton began working with Hubert Hurkacz at the BNP Paribas Open in 2019, and the Polish star has steadily climbed since. But this year, Hurkacz reached new heights.
In 2021, Boynton helped his charge win his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itau, reach his maiden major semi-final at Wimbledon, crack the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings and earn a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
Boynton On Hurkacz’s Under-The-Radar Miami Run
Photo Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Gilles Cervara (Daniil Medvedev)
Gilles Cervara is the only 2021 nominee who was also nominated for Coach of the Year in 2020, when Fernando Vicente was bestowed with the honour. Cervara, who won this award in 2019, has continued helping Daniil Medvedev surge to the top of the tennis world.
The pair continued to break new ground this year. Medvedev led the ATP Tour with 63 tour-level wins, claimed his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto and notably earned his maiden major crown at the US Open, where he ended Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam dreams in the final.
Cervara On Medvedev: ‘Winning Doesn’t Change Anything For Us’
Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Juan Carlos Ferrero (Carlos Alcaraz)
Juan Carlos Ferrero is the most distinguished player on this list, having reached No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But he has also shown his coaching prowess in aiding the rapid rise of Carlos Alcaraz, whom he began working with at the age of 15.
Alcaraz ascended from World No. 141 at the start of the season to year-end No. 32. The youngest player in the Top 100 at 18, the Spaniard lifted his first ATP Tour trophy in Umag and completed his best season yet with a dominant run to the title in Milan at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals title, where he lost just one set.
Ferrero: The Art Of Building Alcaraz
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Facundo Lugones (Cameron Norrie)
Facundo Lugones has known Cameron Norrie since their days together at Texas Christian University when Lugones was a senior and Norrie was a freshman. Upon his graduation, Lugones had planned to work in finance. But after serving as a volunteer coach at TCU and teaching at a local tennis club, Norrie asked his former teammate to start traveling with him.
Norrie did not take long to establish himself as a professional after early success on the ATP Challenger Tour. But 2021 was his breakthrough season. The lefty claimed his first tour-level title in Los Cabos before battling to his maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells. Norrie was an alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he played two round-robin matches following the withdrawal of Stefanos Tsitsipas. He is at a career-high World No. 12.
Lugones On Norrie: ‘He’s A Completely Different Animal’
Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Christian Ruud (Casper Ruud)
Christian Ruud enjoyed a successful career, during which he ascended to No. 39 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. In 2020, he guided his son, Casper Ruud, past that mark. And this year, Casper soared to even greater heights.
The most accomplished player in Norwegian tennis history, Casper captured five ATP Tour titles in 2021. Ruud became the first player from his country to crack the Top 10 in September and he reached a career-high No. 8 in October. Casper completed his big campaign by competing at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he showed substantial improvement on hard courts by advancing to the semi-finals behind wins against Norrie and Rublev.
Christian: ‘I’m Very Happy [Casper] Has Beaten All My Records’
Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Alexander Zverev enjoyed a standout 2021 season, winning a tour-leading six titles, including the Nitto ATP Finals crown. Having joined TopCourt, the German is on hand to share his tips, focusing on his powerful groundstrokes.
Zverev shows fans the techniques and drills that have seen him rise to No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, stressing the importance of following through on shots. The 24-year-old also discusses the role his family had in shaping his development.
Technique: Zverev explains to viewers the importance of having technically strong shots if you want to have a solid and reliable baseline game. In detail, the 19-time tour-level titlist walks fans through the fundamental approach of the forehand, backhand and return of serve and explains how you can dominate with these three shots.
Drills: The 24-year-old focuses on five insightful drills and demonstrates on-court examples for TopCourt. Three drills focus on strategic skills, which are focused on neutralising points, transitioning in the court and using your weaker shot to set up your weapon. In the other two drills, Zverev looks at the backhand slice and how to volley effectively.
Follow Zverev’s Tutorials at TopCourt.com
Britain’s Andy Murray splits with long-time coach Jamie Delgado and is working with German Jan de Witt as he plans for the 2022 season.
