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Coco Gauff Becomes World No. 1 In Doubles

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Coco Gauff will become the new WTA World No.1 in doubles when the rankings are released on Monday, August 15, becoming the 46th WTA player to achieve this feat and the 11th American woman.

Gauff confirmed her ascent to the top spot by lifting the title at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers earlier today with compatriot Jessica Pegula. It was the team’s second title at a WTA 1000 tournament this season, having also won the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha in February.

Gauff has also enjoyed several other standout results over the last 12 months, including reaching two Grand Slam finals at the US Open in 2021 (with Caty McNally) and at Roland-Garros in 2022 (with Pegula), in addition to a further final appearance at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, partnering Zhang Shuai.

At 18 years and 154 days old on Monday, Gauff is the second-youngest player in WTA history to earn the doubles No.1 ranking (having been introduced on September 10, 1984) sitting behind Martina Hingis who was aged 17 and 251 days when she clinched the elite ranking position.

Click here to read more on Gauff’s rise to become the new WTA World No.1 in doubles.

Cori Gauff

Genie Bouchard Headlines Champions Series Tennis at The Greenbrier

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Genie Bouchard, Jack Sock, Leylah Fernandez and Sam Querrey make up the four-player field at the 2022 Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic at Center Court at Creekside Stadium on September 24 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

A women’s singles match, men’s singles match and a mixed doubles match make up the action at this unique, intimate event, hosted by Champions Series Tennis.

“We started this event in 2012, hoping to bring tennis back as a showcase sport at The Greenbrier, and we’ve had some of the top players to ever play the sport play on our courts,” said Dr. Jill Justice, President, The Greenbrier. “It’s extremely exciting to know we’ve kept this event going for a decade and continue to bring an entertaining product to tennis enthusiasts from around the area.”

The action begins with men’s singles at 2 p.m., pitting Sock against Querrey. The two have met only once before, with Sock coming out on top in Houston in 2015. That exciting men’s match will be followed by a women’s showcase, with Fernandez and Bouchard going head-to-head at approximately 3 p.m. The final match of the day, scheduled to begin around 4 p.m., is a mixed doubles match featuring Bouchard and Querrey teaming up against Fernandez and Sock.

Tickets can be purchased online by visiting Greenbrier.com/TennisClassic. Courtside seats are $100, Lower Level seats $75, Upper Level seats $35 and children 12-and-under are $10. VIP experiences — including opportunities to play with the pros, a player party and a backstage experience — are also available to enhance your visit to The Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic. They can be purchased at www.championsseriestennis.com.

Sock is a 29-year-old American player, who has won four career ATP single titles and 15 doubles titles. He’s been ranked as high as No. 8 in the world in singles and No. 2 in doubles. He won Wimbledon doubles titles in 2014 and 2018 and a U.S. Open doubles title in 2018. He won a gold medal (mixed doubles) and bronze medal (doubles) at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Bouchard is a 28-year-old Canadian player, who has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the world in singles, becoming the first Canadian to reach the top 5. She reached the finals at Wimbledon in 2014 and has reached the semifinals at both the French Open and Australian Open.

Querrey is a 34-year-old American player who has won 10 career ATP singles titles and been ranked as high as No. 11 in the world. He reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2017 after knocking off No. 1 Andy Murray. He became the first American to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in 8 years.

Fernandez is a 19-year-old Canadian player currently ranked No. 20 in the world. The left-hander has won two career singles titles and reached the finals of the U.S. Open in 2021. She received the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award by the Canadian Press as its choice for top Canadian female athlete that same year.

Built in 2015, Center Court at Creekside Stadium takes advantage of its unique Creekside location, featuring expansive views of Howard’s Creek, the iconic Old White golf course and the picturesque mountains beyond, while offering as many as 2,600 spectators an engaging viewing experience.

About The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier is a distinct and spectacular luxury mountain resort situated in the Allegheny Mountains in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It is best known as “America’s Resort” and is synonymous with world-class, authentic, southern hospitality. The Greenbrier experience began in 1778 and offers a luxurious respite to discerning guests from around the world. The grand scale architecture, Dorothy Draper décor, immaculate attention to detail and legendary gracious service set The Greenbrier apart from all others. Guests walk in the footsteps of presidents, celebrities and generations of families who regard The Greenbrier as a “one of one” destination. The 710 perfectly appointed Signature Resort Rooms, Classic and Historic Suites, Legacy Cottages and Estate Homes are situated on The Greenbrier’s breathtaking 11,000-acre playground. Play championship golf courses or experience more than 55 activities, including professional indoor and outdoor tennis, off-road driving and falconry. America’s only private casino features table games, slot machines and the FanDuel Sportsbook. The Greenbrier’s full-service, 40,000-square-foot world-renowned spa is widely recognized as one of the most luxurious mineral spas in the world, and the Retail Collection is comprised of more than 35 boutiques, shops and hand-crafted works of art. In addition to The Main Dining Room, The Greenbrier Restaurant Collection is comprised of 19 restaurants, cafés and lounges, featuring traditional, award–winning southern-inspired cuisine. The Greenbrier Clinic has been practicing diagnostic medicine since 1948. The Greenbrier Sporting Club and The Greenbrier Legacy Club offer the pinnacle of luxury real estate with exclusive home sites within distinctive neighborhoods across The Greenbrier estate. Follow The Greenbrier on Facebook at The Greenbrier, on Twitter at @the_greenbrier or on Instagram at the_greenbrier.

About InsideOut Sports + Entertainment

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 

Genie Bouchard
Genie Bouchard

Novak Djokovic Tops Tennis Prize Money List With $158 Million!

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The tennis experts at The Sports Daily compiled a list of the top-150 players in all-time career earnings on both the ATP and WTA tours.

Over the last 20 years, men’s tennis has been dominated by three players: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. This is also reflected in career earnings, as the trio tops the list of highest-paid tennis players by a wide margin.

Djokovic leads all tennis players in career earnings at $158M. Nadal is right behind him at $131M and recently surpassed Federer, who once led the group with $130M in ATP earnings.

To no surprise, Venus and Serena Williams lead all women’s tennis players on the prize money list. Venus ranks seventh in all-time earnings at over $42M and trails only her sister, Serena, in WTA earnings.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams has earned over $92M on the WTA tour, good for fourth all-time and the most of any female tennis player. The full story, information and salary data for all tennis players can be found here: https://thesportsdaily.com/news/with-158m-in-career-earnings-djokovic-tops-tennis-prize-money-list/

Novak Djokovic (photo by Justin Cohen Photography)

Althea Gibson’s Legacy To Be Honored In Harlem

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New York City will honor the legacy of International Tennis Hall of Fame champion and pioneering sports hero Althea Gibson by renaming West 143rd Street in Harlem, where she lived with her family, in her honor as “Althea Gibson Way.”

The renaming ceremony will be conducted on the late tennis icon’s 95th birthday on August 25th from noon to 2 p.m. at West 143rd Street between Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevards. Gibson family members as well as former pro Leslie Allen and other VIPs from the world of tennis are scheduled to appear at the event.

Gibson broke the color barrier in tennis when she first played in the U.S. Championships at Forest Hills in 1950. She became the first black player to win a major title at the French Championships in 1956 and won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships in both 1957 and 1958.

Gibson is one of the most iconic and talented female athletes of all time, breaking the color barrier in tennis and becoming the first black player to play and win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships. After becoming the first black player to participate in the U.S. Championships (the modern-day U.S. Open) in 1950 (three years after Jackie Robinson integrated baseball), she won the first of her back-to-back titles there in 1957, also winning singles titles at Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958. After her tennis career, she also became the first black person on the LPGA Tour in golf. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971 and died in 2003. She was an athlete, coach, leader, activist, singer, actor and one of the most illustrious and celebrated tennis players in history.

In 2019, the United States Tennis Association honored Gibson with a statue in her honor on the grounds of the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open is played. In 2022, Althea Gibson’s autobiography “I Always Wanted To Be Somebody” was re-released and can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559971/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_9QYX67JWHF6F6Z50TGQD

“I Always Wanted To Be Somebody” is the intimate and candid story of a girl who grew up in the asphalt environs of Harlem, skipping school, drinking hard liquor, stealing and fist-fighting, but went on to break the color barrier in tennis and achieving the pinnacle of the sport by winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships and becoming an inspiration for many future champions.

Hall of Fame tennis legend and pioneer Billie Jean King, who said she used to sleep with “I Always Wanted To Be Somebody” under her pillow as a girl, contributed the foreword to the new edition, writing, “Althea was our Jackie Robinson of tennis, and the barriers show broke down and the doors she opened have paved the way for generations of tennis players. Her contributions to our sport and to our world are many. Without Althea, there may not have been an Arthur Ashe, Leslie Allen, Zina Garrison, James Blake, Chanda Rubin, Mal Washington, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe or Naomi Osaka.”

Althea Gibson

Lorenzo Musetti Upsets Carlos Alcaraz To Win Maiden ATP Title In Hamburg

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Lorenzo Musetti captured his maiden title on the ATP Tour by winning the 2022 Hamburg European Open. The 20-year-old Italian battled past top seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 on Sunday.

As reported by Florian Heer from Hamburg, Musetti was more mature and smarter in the opening set, as he dominated most of the rallies from the baseline and used the drop shot a lot to secure the set with a cross-court forehand winner after 43 minutes.

Musetti also set the tone early in the second set by gaining a break in the first game, but the World No. 62 couldn’t serve it out it the 10th game after missing two match points. Alcaraz saved three more match points in the tie-break and pushed the encounter the distance. The atmosphere heated up in the decider, but Musetti kept his cool. He showed his mental fortitude and finally converted his sixth match point when the 19-year-old Spaniard missed a backhand after two hours and 46 minutes.

“You inspire me a lot,” Musetti told Alcaraz during the trophy ceremony. “I work harder. The ATP uploaded our videos from two years ago, when we were still kids playing Challengers. We are still young but we both played better.”

The Carrara native added later in his press conference: “It was a rollercoaster, one of my best matches and it was maybe even more emotional than winning 6-4, 6-4. I think we both played three hours of fantastic tennis. We showed our best. I had so many opportunities, but he came back. When I lost the second set, I thought it was over but then I found my last energy and, in the end, hard work pays off. I am really happy to be the champion.”

The first-time ATP Tour champion collected €331,125 in prize money as well as 500 valuable ATP Ranking points.

“Physically I feel good but there is still some adrenaline left in my body and for sure I will not sleep tonight. But that’s not a problem,” Musetti said with a smile. He will try to continue his run in Umag next week.

“He deserved the win today,” said Alcaraz, who attempted to complete a clean sweep of this season’s clay-court ATP 500 events after lifting trophies in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona in addition to his ATP Masters 1000 triumphs in Miami and Madrid. “He played better than me, more aggressive all the time. I fought until the last ball, and I am happy.”

The teenager from Murcia pocketed €178,170 in prize money as well as 300 ATP Ranking points, which will help him to crack the Top 5 for the first time on Monday.

“It means a lot, as I work hard every day. Top 5 is pretty amazing and I will keep going to reach my dream, becoming World No. 1,” said Alcaraz after his Hamburg debut.

“It is an amazing city with amazing people, I enjoyed every single second here,” he added and told the Hamburg crowd: “See you soon!”

Glasspool/Heliovaara earn doubles title

Earlier in the day, Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara claimed the Hamburg European Open doubles crown without dropping a set. The British-Finnish combination defeated No. 4 seeds Rohan Bopanna of India and Dutchman Matwe Middelkoop 6-2, 6-4 in 63 minutes.

By lifting their second team title on the ATP Tour following their triumph in Marseille last year, Glasspool and Heliovaara split €108,770 in prize money and collected 500 ATP Doubles Ranking points.

“We were playing really well all week. Harri’s serve made a big difference in this match today. This helped us,” said Glasspool.

“We really clicked this week. We had some good results this year. At the beginning of the year we didn’t feel that comfortable on clay but it has become our best surface. We serve well and give big pressure to our opponents with our aggressive return game. We feel very good on court, great chemistry and we enjoy playing together,” Heliovaara added.

“We lost three finals this year and definitely didn’t want to lose a fourth. It’s about learning how to handle the nerves but we found our rhythm and gained confidence for the upcoming weeks,” said Glasspool.

Heliovaara, who became the second champion from Finland in the long history of the prestigious tournament after Henri Kontinen (in 2016 with John Peers), added: “They say Hamburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I have to agree.”

Hamburg European Open to return in 2023

About 55,000 spectators attended Hamburg’s first combined event since 1978. The 2023 Hamburg European Open is scheduled from July 22 to 30.

Lorenzo Musetti (Italien) Hamburg, 24.07.2022, Tennis, Hamburg European Open 2022, Combined, Herren, Einzel, Finale

Bernarda Pera Wins Hamburg For Second WTA Title In A Row

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Make it two in a row for Bernarda Pera. Following her maiden triumph in Budapest last week, the 81st-ranked Croatian-born American remained unstoppable on the WTA Tour after winning the 2022 Hamburg European Open title. Pera upset the tournament’s top seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday afternoon.

As reported by Florian Heer from Hamburg, in a great atmosphere inside packed Rothenbaum Tennis Stadium, Pera was the dominant player in most of the rallies. The 27-year-old left-hander broke Kontaveit’s serve four times to extend her winning streak to 12 matches. 

“I expected a good fight and I played well. I was able to dominate the points and able to win,” said Pera, who didn’t drop a set during the last two weeks and lost just 39 games. Prior to this month, Pera never reached a final on the WTA Tour although she was runner-up at WTA 125 level for the first time in Karlsruhe in May. Pera earned €26,770 as well as 280 WTA Rankings points. She will attain a new career-high of World No. 54 on Monday.

During the trophy ceremony, Pera dedicated her Hamburg trophy to her ex-coach Kristijan Schneider, who passed away in April. “I was lucky enough to be coached by him,” she said. “I hope that I can bring at least a little bit of his shine, passion and drive into the world.”

Kontaveit collected €15,922 for finishing runner up and earned 180 WTA Rankings points.

“Bernarda played a really good match. She was really aggressive from the first point, was very solid and took initiatives right away. She made my life really difficult today and played a great match,” the World No. 2 said.

Kontaveit added she would leave with some positives from the past seven days in northern Germany. “I had a really nice week here in Hamburg. The city is beautiful, and the tournament was organized super well. I am definitely leaving with my head held high,” she said and will next compete in Prague.

Chang & Kulikov earn maiden title in doubles

Earlier in the day, Sophie Chang and Angela Kulikov capped their dream week in Hamburg by lifting their first WTA Tour doubles trophy as a team. The US-Americans, both ranked outside the Top 100, upset No. 3 seeds Miyu Kato from Japan and Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 in one hour and 26 minutes.

“The biggest obstacle was managing ourselves in this moment. This was so exciting, as this was my first big tour-level match. We stayed focused, stuck to our plan and we knew that when we do our job, the result is coming to us,” said Kulikov.

Following five team title wins on the ITF World Tennis Tour, four of them this season, the pair made their debut at a WTA 250 event. “It was a wonderful experience here in Hamburg. These are the things you’re dreaming about when you’re a little kid,” Chang said.

“When I got here, I wasn’t a ‘WTA member’. Everything was like ‘wow,'” Kulikov added. “I didn’t even know that it was a combined ATP/WTA event. When I saw that Carlitos (Alcaraz) was here, I called my sister, and everything was so exciting for us. I still felt like a little kid in so many moments. Now, I feel a bit better, as we have this title under our belts, but I hope that I can stay this tennis nerd that I am.

“This season has been great. We played very well together, and we have something special on court as tennis players but we are also very good friends. We have a lot of fun.”

And how will their celebration look like tonight? “Das Bier (the beer),” Chang responded in German. “A lot of dreams came true in a very short period, like in the last 20 minutes. Hamburg will remain an unforgettable place for us.”

Chang and Kulikov split €9,680 in prize money and earned 280 WTA Doubles Rankings points.

Siegerin Bernarda Pera (USA) mit Pokal Hamburg, 23.07.2022, Tennis, Hamburg European Open 2022, Combined, Finale, Damen, Einzel

FILA Signs Young American Upstart Bruno Kuzuhara

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FILA announced today the signing of 18-year-old sensation Bruno Kuzuhara, one of the brightest young stars climbing through the global tennis ranks. Fresh off of winning the 2022 Australian Open Junior singles and doubles titles in January, Kuzuhara is currently the No. 3 ranked junior tennis player in the world as he joins FILA’s roster of high-profile ATP and WTA Tour players.

Kuzuhara burst onto the scene earlier this year, with a dream run to the Boys Singles title in Melbourne as the top seed in the draw. Kuzuhara’s win at the Australian Open made him just the fourth American man to win the title in the Open era, joining elite company in Andy Roddick, Sebastian Korda and Donald Young. The American complemented his singles title with a win in the doubles event as well, becoming the first player to sweep both victories since 2011.

“I am honored to join the FILA family of sponsored ATP and WTA Tour athletes,” said Kuzuhara. “This stage of my tennis career is especially exciting, as I work towards going pro. I am grateful for FILA’s support on this journey and I look forward to working with the brand for the rest of this season and beyond.”

While his two Grand Slam junior titles in January marked the highlight of his young career thus far, Kuzuhara is no stranger to success, with six total ITF World Tennis Tour titles already to his name. The phenom scored his first career title on the ITF Junior Circuit when he was just 13 years old. His early success has been defined by his ability to thrive on clay, as three of his first four titles prior to the Australian Open breakthrough came on the surface.

“FILA is thrilled to welcome Bruno to our roster of global tennis athletes,” said Gene Yoon, Global Chairman at FILA. “Bruno is a hard worker with an immense passion for the sport, and he is well poised for continued success. After a stellar start to the season, we are excited to see what the future holds and we are proud to support him every step of the way.”

About FILA

FILA has a long and distinguished history in the world of tennis that includes endorsements of ATP Tour and WTA athletes, tennis tournaments and organizations. FILA is a sponsor of the BNP Paribas Open, the Infosys Hall of Fame Open, National Bank Open & Omnium Banque Nationale, the Western & Southern Open, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the Argentina Open, the Cordoba Open, the Rio Open, the Rakuten Japan Open, the China Open, the FILA Easter Bowl and the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship. In addition to event partnerships, FILA is an official supplier to Tennis Canada, the Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) Junior Tennis Champions Center, Van der Meer Tennis and John Newcombe Tennis Ranch.

FILA® is now a leading sport and leisure footwear and apparel brand that is distributed worldwide. FILA has achieved world-class recognition in tennis by marketing high design and style content products that are endorsed by professional athletes from around the world.

No ATP Events In China In 2022 For Third Year In A Row

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ATP has today confirmed the Rolex Shanghai Masters, China Open (Beijing), Chengdu Open, and Zhuhai Championships will not take place in 2022 due to ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19. This marks the third year of cancellation for the ATP’s China swing, typically hosted in September and October and last staged in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

In parallel, ATP has announced six ATP 250 tournaments, issued as single-year event licenses for the 2022 season:

  • Week 38 (19-25 Sep): San Diego, USA (Hard)
  • Week 39 (26 Sep-2 Oct): Seoul, KOR (Hard); Tel Aviv, ISR (Indoor Hard)
  • Week 41 (10-16 Oct): Florence, ITA (Indoor Hard); Gijon, ESP (Indoor Hard)
  • Week 42 (17-23 Oct): Naples, ITA (Hard)

View the updated 2022 ATP Tour calendar here.

Single-year event licenses were first issued by ATP in 2020, in response to pandemic-related event cancellations, to maintain playing opportunities and also enable tennis to explore new markets.

In addition, the Astana Open in Nur-Sultan, an ATP 250 event, will this year be staged as an ATP 500 alongside the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo. The Astana Open became a permanent ATP Tour member this season following two editions as a single-year event in 2020 and 2021, through the transfer and relocation of the St. Petersburg tournament.

All other events for the remainder of the ATP Tour season are currently set to proceed as scheduled, culminating at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “As a global sport we continue to manage the impacts of the pandemic. Event cancellations are an unfortunate reality, and we wish our affected tournament members and fans well. At the same time, it’s incredibly encouraging to have many great cities step up to host ATP Tour tennis this season. This shows the strong international interest in our product and validates the agile approach we’ve taken in responding to fast-changing circumstances. We would like to thank all stakeholders involved in this process and look forward to an exciting second half of the season.”

Shanghai

Americans Wins Wimbledon Titles! Dana Mathewson Becomes First American Woman to Win a Grand Slam Wheelchair Title

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Americans clinched multiple titles over the course of the final days at Wimbledon, highlighted by Dana Mathewson becoming the first American woman to win a Grand Slam wheelchair title as she and Japan’s Yui Kamiji won the women’s doubles championship. 

Mathewson and Kamiji knocked off the top-seeded Dutch pair of Diede de Groot and Aniek van Koot, 6-1, 7-5. 

Desirae Krawczyk began the run of titles on Friday as she partnered with Britain’s Neal Skupski to win their second consecutive Wimbledon mixed doubles title. Krawczyk, a former college standout at Arizona State, has now won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles and is the reigning US Open mixed doubles champion. 

Sixteen-year-old Liv Hovde became the second American in the past 30 years to win the girls’ singles title. The McKinney, Texas native, who was the top seed in the girls’ singles draw, defeated Luca Udvardy of Hungary, 6-3, 6-4, in the final. 

The final championship was won by Sebastian Gorzny (18; Fountain Valley, Calif.) and Alex Michelsen (17; Aliso Viejo, Calif.), who took home the boys’ doubles crown. 

Other notable results included Michael Zheng (18; Montville, N.J.) reaching the boys’ singles final and Carel Ngounoue (13; Washington, D.C.) reaching the boys’ final of the inaugural 14&U Championships.

Novak Djokovic Beats Nick Kyrgios For Seventh Wimbledon Title

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Novak Djokovic continues to be the King of Wimbledon

The top seed from Serbia beat the mercurial and unseeded Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) to win his seventh Wimbledon title and his 21st career major singles title.

The seventh title draws Djokovic even with his idol Pete Sampras, who also won seven titles at the All England Club, and one behind the pro tennis era leader Roger Federer, who won eight titles. It also marked Djokovic’s fourth straight title and his 39th straight match wins on Centre Court, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.

Djokovic is one major title away from Rafael Nadal’s men’s record of 22 majors and one clear of Roger Federer, who now is in third place with 20 majors.

“I’m at a loss for words for what this tournament and this trophy means to me,” said Djokovic in his post-match trophy ceremony comments. “It always has been and will be the most special one in my heart.”

Entering the final, Djokovic held an 0-2 career record against the No  40-ranked Kyrgios and had not even won a set against the Australian. Kyrgios kept that trend going by taking the first set and appeared to perhaps be poised to post on the great upsets in Wimbledon final history. Djokovic, however, clamped down and continued his aggressive and error-free play, making only 17 unforced errors the entire match.

The win is especially important for Djokovic who encountered much disappointment (by his standards!) in the last 12 months since he last won a major tournament at Wimbledon 12 months earlier. Djokovic won Wimbledon a year ago beating Matteo Berrettini of Italy in the final to give him a third leg of a potential “Golden Grand Slam.” However, Djokovic finished a disappointing fourth at the Olympic Games in Toyko (also finishing fourth in mixed doubles, having to default the bronze medal match), then falling one match short of the Grand Slam, losing to Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the final. He was not able to defend his Australian Open title in January of this year, being deported due to his unvaccinated status against the COVID-19 virus. He was limited to where he can play events due to his unvaccinated status, not being allowed to play in the United States. He lost in the fourth round of the French Open to Nadal and now faces the prospect of not being able to play the U.S. Open and the Australian Open in 2023 due to his vaccine status.

Novak Djokovic