Two of the hottest young stars on the ATP Tour will look to cap breakout seasons in the perfect manner when they clash in Saturday’s title match of the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. Heading into their first ATP Head2Head meeting, other than age, little separates top seed Carlos Alcaraz and second seed Sebastian Korda, who both take unbeaten 4-0 records into the decider.
“The final is going to be really, really tough,” Alcaraz said after defeating Argentine Sebastian Baez in Fridays’ semi-finals. “Sebastian is playing great tennis and I am really excited to play against him for the first time. It would be amazing to win the title, but I am going to be facing a really good opponent, so we will see.”
How To Watch The Final (9pm CET/3pm ET)
Spain’s Alcaraz is looking to become the second consecutive 18-year-old (Jannik Sinner) to capture the 21-and-under event. Like his rival, 21-year-old Korda is chasing his second title of the season. Alcaraz had just one tour-level win coming into 2021; Korda had just three. Today, both players are chasing the 32nd win of their respective breakout seasons.
Win number 32 would match Alcaraz’s current career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 32, which has him as the highest-ranked player by age since former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt was No. 31 more than two decades ago in August 1999.
In earning his 30th win of the season in group play against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Alcaraz became the youngest player to notch 30 wins in a season since an 18-year-old Rafael Nadal went 30-17 in 2004. If he wins the title, Alcaraz will match Andrei Medvedev, 18, with 32 wins in 1992.
But Alcaraz is sure to not be thinking about milestones. His focus will be singular: beating World No. 39 Korda, who is pumped up for the challenge.
Speaking before Alcaraz had taken the court for the late semi-final, former junior World No. 1 Korda said that he hoped to get the chance to end his season with a showdown against the man with whom he could be about to forge a decade-long rivalry.
“I hope it’s Carlos. I’ve never practised with him, I’ve never played him in a match; it will be really exciting,” Korda said. “Hopefully we can have a lot of battles in the next coming years; he’s playing some incredible tennis, really aggressive player and really strong mentally, so, yeah, it will be a new challenge and I’m really looking forward to it if it happens.”
Note: The Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals does not count as an official tour-level title in a player’s record.
Robert Lindstedt won 23 tour-level doubles titles over an illustrious 23-year career. On Thursday, Lindstedt and countryman Andre Goransson lost in the quarter-finals of the Stockholm Open to mark the end of the Swedish star’s ATP Tour career.
An emotional Lindstedt was joined during the retirement ceremony by fellow Swedes Thomas Enqvist, Jonas Bjorkman, Robin Soderling and Simon Aspelin.
“It’s amazing. I don’t know if I’m going through some sort of shock or something, but it’s a big part of my life and some of these guys are my best friends,” Lindstedt said during a special ceremony on Friday. “It was really nice that the tournament and the ATP did something nice for me and it means a lot to me. I’m going to always remember that.”
The fans will always remember Lindstedt, too. Not only did the former No. 3 player in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings earn impressive achievements on the court, but he also endeared himself to fans with his quick wit and competitive spirit.
“Something that I am actually proud of is how I’ve managed to deal with setbacks, all the injuries I’ve had and that I’ve managed to find the energy to do rehab and just accepting that this is the situation,” Lindstedt said. “Every time I’ve gotten an injury, I’ve alway come back and kept winning. Not as much as I want, but just the fact that as my fitness coach Ali Ghelem tells me, he says I have most grit than most guys he’s ever worked with.”
Lindstedt still performed well late in his career, claiming his final title in 2019 aged 42. Some of his greatest accomplishments include lifting the Australian Open trophy in 2014 and helping lead Sweden to the World Team Cup title in 2008. But he also had some near misses, including losses in three consecutive Wimbledon finals alongside Horia Tecau from 2010-2012.
“I’m forever going to miss it, but it also hurts in the end when you lose more that you feel like you should. You feel like you deserve to win more than you are, which obviously, there’s no such thing as deserving in sports,” Lindstedt said. “There comes a time when all of these factors come into a decision and for me it’s been pretty clear that after this year, I’m done.”
The 44-year-old still hopes to play Davis Cup at the end of the year for his country, but this was his final ATP Tour event.
“It’s both a natural process and the body eventually giving up on you. There comes a time when you just can’t take the pain anymore,” Lindstedt said. “There just comes a time when you weight your options and you feel like, ‘Yeah, I don’t really have this in me’.
“Looking back at my career, I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished. I went a different way obviously than most guys, but it was the only way I knew how to.”
Hubert Hurkacz did not expect to be at the Nitto ATP Finals at the start of 2021, but nearly 11 months later he has made history.
Hurkacz is just the second Polish singles player to reach the season finale, joining Wojtek Fibak. The 24-year-old has been soaking it all in since arriving in Turin this week.
“It’s emotional. It’s super cool to be here. I’m very excited to play in the Finals,” Hurkacz said. “It’s such a small group of people playing here and so much fun. That atmosphere is going to be amazing with the Italian fans.”
At the beginning of the season, Hurkacz was outside the Top 30 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itau changed everything for the Pole.
“The beginning of the year, probably not. I didn’t think about it. Then later in the year after winning the Miami title, obviously that put me higher in the Race and then suddenly you think yeah, you might have a chance to qualify,” Hurkacz said. “Probably since then maybe I was thinking a little bit I would have a chance.”
Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ATP Hurkacz was the last player to earn his place at the Pala Alpitour, but he is now in alongside the likes of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Daniil Medvedev. It is a special moment for Polish tennis, since Iga Swiatek is competing in the WTA Finals this week.
“I think it’s amazing. Iga has been playing pretty amazing tennis,” Hurkacz said. “She won a Grand Slam, so that’s so special for the whole country and for tennis in our country. Now that we both have qualified this year for the Finals, it’s great. It’s going to grow the sport in Poland and it’s just something really, really amazing.”
The seventh seed mentioned that the court is “quite fast” and that the balls are “also quite fast”, which he will try to take advantage of with his big serve. He is in the Red Group with Medvedev, 2018 winner Alexander Zverev and home favourite Matteo Berrettini.
“Both of the groups are super tough. Just eight guys qualified here,” Hurkacz said. “We will see [what happens].”
Denis Shapovalov is one victory away from retaining the Stockholm Open title. Friendship was cast aside Friday when the third-seeded Canadian Shapovalov broke a two-match losing streak against second-seeded compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime in a 6-4, 7-5 victory over one hour and 58 minutes.
“I am very happy to have played exceptional tennis today,” said Shapovalov. “Felix is an incredible player, so I knew I had to come out and play big. We know each other well. It definitely means a lot to reach the final.”
[FOLLOW ACTION]
With his 30th match win of the season, Shapovalov will meet American Tommy Paul in Saturday’s final at the Kungliga Tennishallen. The pair has not met before.
“It’s crazy that it’s our first meeting ever,” said Shapovalov. “We grew up in juniors together, he was a couple of years older. I am a big fan of his game and it was only a matter of time before he came up with a week like this. We’re big shot-makers, so it should be fun.”
Shapovalov was full of energy in the first set, earning breaks of serve in the first game and at 2-4. Shapovalov, who barely missed a backhand in the opening exchanges, wobbled momentarily and was forced to recover from 15/40 when serving at 5-4.
Auger-Aliassime appeared to gain the momentum in the pair’s sixth ATP Head2Head meeting by breaking for a 3-1 advantage in the second set, but a reliance on his second serve soon cost the 21-year-old in the next game. At 5-5, a game of brutal ball-striking, Shapovalov decisively broke to love and later closed out the encounter with his seventh ace.
World No. 53 Paul beat fellow American Frances Tiafoe, the eighth seed, earlier in the day.
This week, South American tennis celebrates a historic milestone on the ATP Challenger Tour. For the first time, a tournament on the continent is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Welcome to the Uruguay Open in Montevideo, where they have been perfecting the ‘world-class tennis plus premier entertainment’ formula since the tournament’s inception in 1998.
In addition to the action between the lines, an integral aspect of many successful Challengers involves entertainment beyond the courts. It is the notion that premier tennis and off-court entertainment create a first-rate experience with a festive atmosphere. In the smaller, more intimate settings on the Challenger circuit, this is especially effective in building popularity for the tournaments and creating buzz throughout the city.
In Montevideo, they have been doing exactly that since 1998. Led by tournament director and former World No. 27 Diego Perez, nightly concerts, food trucks, a premier VIP area and activities for fans of all ages have contributed to the vibrant soul and identity of the event.
This week, the Uruguay Open is in the spotlight, as Perez and his dedicated team welcome players and fans for the tournament’s 20th edition. It is an unprecedented milestone anniversary, marking the first time a tournament in South America has reached two decades on the ATP Challenger Tour.
The tournament is the pride of professional tennis in Uruguay and was its lone ATP Challenger event for many years, prior to the recent arrival of the Punta Open in Punta del Este. It is a party all week at the famous Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club, with the adjacent Arocena Street a vibrant scene with food trucks, live music and games in the sponsor village, accompanying the world-class tennis on the courts.
“I had very beautiful moments there, winning the tournament,” said World No. 13 Diego Schwartzman. “It’s always a pleasure to play in Uruguay. Every moment I was there I enjoyed it to the fullest. Many people in the organization I have a great relationship with. Despite not having gone in recent years because I am playing other tournaments, I always enjoy it from a distance. I hope they continue to enjoy it there and celebrate many more anniversaries.”
Schwartzman, the champion in Montevideo in 2016, is one of many past winners and finalists that would go on to the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Former World No. 3 Guillermo Coria won the title in 2000 and was followed by another eventual No. 3 in David Nalbandian in 2001. Nalbandian defeated future World No. 5 Fernando Gonzalez in that final. Also, Juan Martin del Potro launched his career with his maiden ATP Challenger title in Montevideo in 2005.
The Uruguay Open is held at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club, a historic facility founded in 1943. Located in the residential neighborhood of Carrasco, the award-winning club has been recognized internationally for its excellence in hosting world-class sporting events. It consists of 22 clay courts, two football fields, one hockey field, four Olympic-sized swimming pools, three gyms and a cultural and social centre featuring a theatre room and art space.
Former World No. 27 Diego Perez has run the tournament since he retired in the late 1990s. The Uruguayan won his lone ATP Tour title in Bordeaux in 1985 and earned more than 200 match wins at the tour-level. He is one of many former players who have become Challenger tournament directors, especially in South America, along with Luis Horna (Lima), Andres Gomez (Guayaquil) and Nicolas Lapentti (Ambato).
Perez spoke with ATPTour.com during the Uruguay Open’s 20th anniversary celebration…
Diego, congrats on 20 years. How proud are you to reach this milestone?
I’m really proud and happy. I really love my job. I love doing what I do. Last year was tough not to have the tournament. I missed it a lot. Since we knew that it was going to happen this year, it was a big satisfaction. My team is not big, but we are many good ones. In terms of, they really do the best work and they always do what’s best for the tournament. Every year we try to do it better. The copy-and-paste is only for things that really works. If it doesn’t, we change it. If something isn’t our best, we try it another way. We always try to improve, especially the little details.
You’ve been a part of this tournament for all 20 years. Not many directors stay for that long. What has this experience been like for you?
For a long time, Uruguay didn’t have any other tournament. We were the only one. Now, in recent years we’ve also had the Punta Open in Punta del Este, but this is still a big event for our country. What keeps me going is that this is an important event for Uruguay. We’re the Uruguay Open. It’s the No. 1 tournament in this country with the ATP. The site is beautiful and we try to make this an ATP Tour event on the Challenger Tour. I always say that in order to make a tour event here, you only need money, because the rest is already there. It’s the main event in Uruguay and that’s what keeps me going.
Speaking of that, how rewarding is it to give back to tennis in your country?
That’s what it’s all about. That’s my side of helping tennis in Uruguay. I don’t like to be in the court anymore and I haven’t been playing much since I retired 25 years ago, but I’ve wanted to stay in tennis. That is, outside the court. I’m really happy with what I do and the kids are really happy to see these players coming every year. We’ve had really well known players these last 20 years.
I remember when it started as the Copa Ericsson, the winners were David Nalbandian and Guillermo Coria and we had Fernando Gonzalez reach the final. Gaston Gaudio was playing here and also Juan Ignacio Chela and Nicolas Massu. We’ve had very big names. And of course the very first tournament won by Juan Martin del Potro was here. And after that we had guys like Pablo Cuevas and Diego Schwartzman winning, not too long ago. And of course, the fans want them to come back, but you have to wait until they retire for them to stop by Montevideo again.
For you, how important is it to grow the game in South America?
In Uruguay, it’s a small number of people playing the game. We’ve been trying to work on that for a long time. In the region, I’m sure having these Challengers has helped a lot. In Argentina and Chile there are very good players and the same with Ecuador now. In Peru too with Juan Pablo Varillas coming up. I’m sure these tournaments have helped a lot in the region. In Uruguay, you have to be really lucky to make it to the Top 200. That’s what’s missing here. We are missing more tennis players to inspire the others, but that’s why this tournament is so important.
How has the tournament grown and evolved over the years? What is the biggest change and improvement?
We try to grow and improve the event every year. You know, it’s the VIP area that is so important for us. It’s important to have a nice place for the people to come and have dinner, a few drinks, a DJ playing some nice music and make a nice atmosphere. We spend a lot of money on that. We make that money back. Over the years, we started to make it a better experience. Do you like champagne? Sure. Do you like paella? Do you like tennis? Ok, come on over. We have a very nice VIP area and every year it’s getting better. I think that helps raise the money. We sell it to different companies and they bring their clients. For my Challenger, this is the formula to keep on going and get more sponsors.
That said, the Uruguay Open has an incredible fan experience. It really seems like a party every day. How important is that?
We try to help the fans also. What we’ve done in the past few years is to close off the street that is next to the club and have food trucks and live music and some kind of games for the people to play around. For tennis, either you live in a country like Argentina where there are 2 million people that play the game, or you live in Uruguay where tennis is very small. People want to see Nadal and Federer come here, but you have to make them understand that having 13 or 14 players in the Top 150 in the draw is really good. We’ve also had many Top 100 players in the draw. We do all this with a lot of passion.
Being a former player gives you a unique perspective. How has that helped you in this role?
I would love to do more for the players. I would love to raise the prize money. But I know they enjoy the transport, the hotel, the food, the club is really wide open for them. The area is really nice and friendly. You have the beach that is really close. The hotel is nearby. I think all that helps to make the players feel more comfortable. As a former player, I know there are a few things to provide a better service and that’s what I’m looking to do.
What are your memories competing on the Challenger Tour? How important was that part of your career?
It was always important, but my career was not conventional. I won my first [FedEx ATP Rankings] points in Rome, at the Masters 1000 event. I was playing a junior event there and I got to the semi-finals. The top four juniors got wild cards for the qualifying. That’s how I qualified and won my first points there. I was always mixing my time between tour events and Challengers. I have the biggest respect for Challengers. I think it really helps the players as they move up the rankings.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest player competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals this week. But the 18-year-old continued to impress Friday as he cruised into the final in Milan.
The Spaniard went 3-0 in the round-robin stage and produced another ruthless performance, soaring past Argentine Sebastian Baez 4-2, 4-1, 4-2 to advance after 62 minutes in their first tour-level meeting.
“It was a really good match from my side,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “I knew I had to play really well and aggressively. He is playing at a great level and had a great week. I always think in the tough moments I have to be aggressive and have no nerves in that moment. If I lose that point in the tough moments it is because I have gone for it.”
Alcaraz imposed his aggressive heavy-hitting game on the World No. 111 from the outset at the Allianz Cloud. The Spaniard demonstrated great footwork, which allowed him to run around and dictate on his forehand, striking with vast amounts of power to outmanoeuvre Baez.
The World No. 32, who has just dropped one set en route to the championship match, will face second seed Sebastian Korda in the final after the American defeated countryman Brandon Nakashima 4-3(3), 2-4, 1-4, 4-2, 4-2. If Alcaraz wins the title, he will become the youngest player since Andrei Medvedev, 18, to record 32 wins in a season, after the Ukrainian went 32-11 in 1992.
“The final is going to be really, really tough,” Alcaraz said. “Sebastian is playing great tennis and I am really excited to play against him for the first time. It would be amazing to win the title, but I am going to be facing a really good opponent, so we will see.”
In a strong serving display against Baez, Alcaraz won 32 of 37 of points behind his first delivery and saved all three break points he faced. The Spaniard hit 16 winners and committed just 11 unforced errors to end Baez’s hopes.
Earlier this year, under the guidance of coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz made headlines when he upset World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the quarter-finals at the US Open. The Spaniard also captured his maiden tour-level title in Umag and recorded Top 10 wins against Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner in recent weeks.
Baez had never played a tour-level hard-court match before this week. But the 20-year-old, who won five ATP Challenger Tour titles on clay this year, overcame home favourite Lorenzo Musetti and Hugo Gaston to reach the semi-finals at the 21-and-under event.
Tommy Paul booked a place in his first ATP Tour final on Friday at the Stockholm Open, snapping a three-match losing streak against Frances Tiafoe with his first victory over his fellow American since playing juniors.
One day after beating Andy Murray, the American backed up the performance with a high-quality performance to overcome eighth-seed Tiafoe 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-4 in two hours and 30 minutes.
“I haven’t got a win over Frances since juniors, so that was a big win for me,” said Paul. “That was the best level I’ve played all year long. He was playing amazing tennis for the first two sets, and I played my highest level in the third set.
“It wasn’t fun to be broken at 5-5 in the second set, again, but I knew if I stayed tough he may give me a couple of looks. I tried to have fun, and I ended up playing my best tennis. The more matches I’ve played, the more comfortable I’ve played in pressure situations. I’ve enjoyed playing in front of the big crowds.”
Paul will now prepare to challenge a Canadian, second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or third seed and 2019 defending champion Denis Shapovalov, on Saturday at the Kungliga Tennishallen in Stockholm.
Tiafoe’s movement up the court put Paul under pressure in the latter stages of the 50-minute first set, which turned at 5-5. Paul jumped to a 2-0 lead, courtesy of a lapse in concentration from Tiafoe in the second set, but the World No. 53 was soon pinned back. The pair again exchanged service breaks prior to a high quality tie-break with Paul striking a forehand winner down the line at 5/5 on Tiafoe’s serve.
Paul’s patience was rewarded in the third game of the decider, when he chased down a drop shot for a winner on his fourth break point at 1-1. Paul remained focused and lost just two of his next 16 service points.
Tiafoe, who reached the Erste Bank Open final (l. to Tiafoe) two weeks ago, drops to 32-24 on the season. He’d beaten Paul in February 2020 at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com and in two other matches on the ITF Futures and ATP Challenger Tour in 2015 and 2016.
[FOLLOW ACTION]
Stockholm Doubles Final Set
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer booked their places in a 10th team final (4-5 record) on Friday with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Swedish wild cards Markus Eriksson and Elias Ymer. They will face Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, winners of the Astana Open in September, who defeated Emil Ruusuvuori and Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6(2), 6-2.
In a battle between two of America’s brightest prospects, Sebastian Korda came out on top Friday at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, overcoming Brandon Nakashima 4-3(3), 2-4, 1-4, 4-2, 4-2 to reach the final in Milan.
The 21-year-old finished the round-robin stage with a perfect 3-0 record and played with such confidence against Nakashima, thundering serves and crushing forehands to advance after one hour and 54 minutes.
“Brandon was playing some unbelievable tennis but I stayed with him and had some chances in the fourth and five sets and took them and ran,” Korda said in his on-court interview. “I got more aggressive. I tried coming into the net more and placing my serves more, and that opened up the court for me.”
The pressure has been on Korda this week as the second seed at the 21-and-under event. However, under high expectations, he has coped well, adjusting to the first-to-four, best-of-five set format to secure his place in the final, where he will either face World No. 32 Carlos Alcaraz or Argentine Sebastian Baez.
In their first ATPHead2Head meeting, Korda quickly found his rhythm from the baseline and on serve in front of a lively crowd at the Allianz Cloud, hitting five aces in the first set. But Nakashima grew into the match as it went on as he targeted Korda’s backhand to pin the American behind the baseline. The World No. 63 won all nine of his first-serve points in the second set and committed just one unforced error in the third set.
However, Korda stormed ahead in the fourth set, winning 10 points in row as he struck with great depth to break and force a decider. He then demonstrated his grit in the fifth set as he played aggressively and bravely, closing the net effectively to secure victory.
In a standout season, Korda defeated then-World No. 9 Diego Schwartzman en route to the quarter-finals in Miami, before he captured his first tour-level title in Parma. The World No. 39 also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon.
With his victory against Nakashima, Korda has now earned 31 tour-level wins this season. He had just three at this level prior to 2021.
Nakashima earned a vital victory against Holger Rune as he went 2-1 in the round-robin stage to qualify for the semi-finals. Earlier this season, the 20-year-old became the youngest American since Andy Roddick in 2001-02 to reach back-to-back tour-level finals when he advanced to championship matches in Los Cabos and Atlanta.
Did You Know?
With 13 Americans inside the Top 100, Korda and Nakashima, aged 21 and 20 respectively are two of the youngest, alongside 21-year-old Jenson Brooksby.
Sebastian Korda began the season ranked No. 118 in the FedEx ATP Rankings having earned just three tour-level wins. Now the American – who has captured 30 victories at this level in 2021 – is inside the Top 40 and is set to face countryman Brandon Nakashima on Friday in the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.
This year, Korda lifted his maiden tour-level trophy in Parma and clinched his first Top 10 win in Miami when he overcame then-World No. 9 Diego Schwartzman en route to the quarter-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 event. These results helped Korda secure his place in Milan.
While the focus has been on the 21-year-old, the foundations that have been put in place for Korda have been a crucial factor behind his success. Czech coach Theodor Devoty is a prominent member of his team and has known the World No. 39 since he was 11 years old.
Devoty worked closely with the American’s father Petr Korda, who won the Australian Open in 1998, when the pair trained former World No. 8 Radek Stepanek. After joining Korda’s team in 2020, Devoty’s relationship with his charge has continued to flourish.
Ahead of Korda’s semi-final against Nakashima, Devoty spoke to ATPTour.com about the 21-and-under event in Milan, Korda’s development, his personality and more.
How have you found the tournament in Milan so far?
This tournament was a big goal for Sebi at the beginning of the season and we are here. It is our last tournament, and we are here all as a team except Petr and Dean [Goldfine]. We are enjoying it a lot as this has been a big goal. We are so proud of him and he deserved it. To make the semi-finals is a bonus for us. We have just taken it step by step this week and we are supporting him.
Korda is the second seed here in Milan, what has been the crucial factors behind his rise this year?
He is a big fighter. He played really good matches this season against the top players and beat them. It was key as it gave him the belief he could beat really good players on the Tour. Here he is the second seed and playing players who are around No. 60, 70 in the World, so he sees it as he has to win, and we are doing well so far. But no match is easy here.
He always seems very focused on court and keeps his emotions in check, is this something that comes naturally to him or have you instilled this in Korda over time?
We have been working on his mentality to stay calm. He used to be crying and screaming, but against Musetti on Thursday, I had never seen him so calm. In front of the Italian crowd also. With [Brandon] Nakashima, there are no emotions. Nothing. He has a poker face like Ivan Lendl used to. Sebi was similar on Thursday. I told him he was looking like Lendl. It helps a lot to have this front on court.
How have you found the courtside coaching rule in Milan?
Sebi is not a huge fan of courtside coaching because the whole season, you are fighting on court alone. He is a very smart player and a great player. We are helping him. I am just trying to give him a few small things during the matches. Little comments, but he does not want to talk too much during the matches. These players are gladiators, and it is good when they battle between them. For the fans it is interesting, though.
This year has been pretty special for Sebastian. What do you think of the whole experience considering you have known him since he was young?
I remember when I met him for the first time when he was 11 or 12 and I was working with Radek [Stepanek] and he was the ball kid for us! Now he is two meters tall and 80 kg, and he is where he is and it is an amazing story. It is the whole family. His parents are doing an amazing job and the children are all great.
Korda won his first tour-level title in Parma in May, how proud were you of him then and how important was that week and experience for you guys as a team?
It was a complicated start to the season. We were in Belgrade, Munich and Madrid and he lost in the first round each time. Then we came to our base in Prague and we talked and did two weeks of practise and went to Parma. First round he played [Andreas] Seppi, a tough match. He won in three sets and then it started. That was the first tournament with his girlfriend and he lifted the trophy. He beat [Lorenzo] Sonego and in the final, he beat [Marco] Cecchinato. It was an amazing week and we enjoyed it a lot and it was great. It helped with his confidence.
Korda also enjoyed a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon, how was that for you?
If you asked Sebi, I don’t think he would say he was in shock, but I think he was. The fourth round at a major is amazing. During the match against Karen Khachanov, I was almost crying. In that fifth set, both players lost their serve about eight times. I don’t think this would have happened in history before. You can’t imagine how he was feeling after this defeat. He was very sad. He needed a few days to relax and reset. There is always next week and a new challenge.
Following such a strong season, they is a lot of expectation around him. How as a team are you dealing with this and how important is it to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead?
We are like a family. The fitness guy Marek [Vseticek] was working with Petr for 10 years, Radek for 13 years and now Sebi. I have known Marek for at least 10 years. I have known Petr and Sebi for more than 10 years. We are all friends and like a family together as a team. We have great respect for each other. You can’t focus even three months ahead. You need to focus and get him ready for the next week. He will lose one week and then he will start a new tournament on Monday, which is a new challenge. The short term has to be the focus.
Looking ahead to preseason, what are your plans?
During preseason we will be based in the United States. He wants to stay in Europe for one or two weeks and have some rest after Milan. Then he will come back and after Christmas, we will go to Australia. When Marek saw Sebi for the first time he didn’t have much muscle or anything. But he knows Sebi doesn’t like to spend much time at the gym. He is not that type of guy. Sebi prefers to be out of the gym, but to be able to fight against these top guys he has to do this work. He just has to work hard.
Next season, are there any main goals you have in mind for Sebastian and how will you go about achieving them?
We will talk as a team and then set some goals. We just have to see how he plays. The most important thing is that he is healthy. We will work hard and support him as always as a team, we will do everything. But it is up to him. I hope and believe he can be Top 10 in the future because he has the potential to be there, but we will see.
Novak Djokovic is a five-time Nitto ATP Finals titlist and Daniil Medvedev is the defending champion, but all eyes will be on another player at the season finale next week: Matteo Berrettini. The 25-year-old is the lone Italian competitor in Turin.
“I feel the pressure, but it’s a good pressure. It’s so nice to be here,” Berrettini said. “I know that the crowd is going to be on my side, and I really cannot wait to step on the court.”
When the sixth seed enters the Pala Alpitour on Sunday evening for his clash against 2018 champion Alexander Zverev, all of Italy will be with Berrettini. He is making his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, but his first on home soil.
But the five-time ATP Tour titlist is well aware that he will have not just the pressure of Italy on his shoulders, but the Tour’s toughest foes across the net.
“Obviously on the other side of the net there are going to be the best players in the world, so it’s not going to be easy. But I am one of them, so that helps,” Berrettini said. “I think it’s special. I think that the atmosphere is going to be special. The site and everything, how it’s organised is really nice. I think Italy deserved such an event. Hopefully it’s going to be also good on court.”
Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/Getty Images The crowd has been raucous all week at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. Expect the Italian fans to be even more excited in Turin, since this is the first time the year-end championships have been held in the country.
“It means a lot. I think it’s one of the best events that we have on Tour and to have the chance to have it in my home country is something unbelievable,” Berrettini said. “At the beginning of the year, it obviously was a big goal, but it was too soon to even think about it. And then match by match, I think I earned it and I’m really happy to be here.”
Berrettini is inspiring people throughout his country. One of the players following in his footsteps is Jannik Sinner, who is the first alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals.
“I think the more Italians there are on Tour, the better it is for everyone. For the crowd, for the fans and for us,” Berrettini said. “Between me and Jannik, there is a really good relationship. We push each other to get better and he’s five years younger, I’m sure he’s going to qualify in the next years.
“But he had an incredible year, so it was really a few points a way, but I think this experience this year is going to help him in the next years.”
We use technology such as cookies on our website, to provide functions and analysis of our visitor data. Click Accept to confirm that you agree to its use.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
