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The Tennis Channel broadcasts the Rod Laver Tournament in full

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 Tennis Channel will have complete, live coverage of the fourth edition of Laver Cup this weekend in Boston, underway Sept. 24-26. The event, postponed last year due to COVID-19, pits a team of Europe’s top tennis players against the rest of the world’s finest. Tennis Channel has been the exclusive U.S. television home of the competition since its inception in 2017.

The first match takes place Friday, Sept. 24, at 12:30 p.m. ET (complete schedule below). The network plans to show approximately 25 hours of live Laver Cup tennis this year, with another 20 hours dedicated to same-day encores each evening. Steve Weissman (@Steve_Weissman) will host daily lead-in show Tennis Channel Live at the Laver Cup, which runs ahead of each of the five Laver Cup sessions across three days. Announcers Brett Haber (@BrettHaber) and Noah Eagle (@NoahEagle15) handle play-by-play during the matches, with former players Paul Annacone (@paul_annacone) and Chanda Rubin (@Chanda_Rubin) offering analysis. U.S. doubles player Nick Monroe (@nickmonroe10s) will also comment for the network.

Hall of Famers John McEnroe of Team World and Bjorn Borg of Team Europe resume their playing-days rivalry at Laver Cup for the fourth time as captains of their respective squads. So far, the edge is entirely Europe’s, with Borg’s group taking the first three cups: 15-9 in 2017, 13-8 in 2018 and 13-11 in 2019. Laver Cup is an annual team-tennis event in late September that features six top-ranked players on each side and rotates between a European and non-European city each autumn. This year’s competition is based in Boston’s TD Garden, home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics and NHL’s Boston Bruins. Previous hosts were Prague (2017); Chicago (2018); and Geneva (2019).

Each day of Laver Cup competition features three singles matches and one doubles match, with the points value of winning each match escalating as the tournament progresses: one point per match on Friday, two on Saturday, three on Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points wins the Laver Cup. Friday and Saturday are separated into day and night sessions, with a single, four-match session on Sunday.

Team World has an American flavor again with John Isner (World No. 22) and Reilly Opelka (No. 19). Isner, who won the prestigious Miami Open title in 2018, was crowned champion in Atlanta this summer before reaching the semifinals at the Canadian Open in Toronto. This year Opelka – America’s top-ranked player and the tallest on Team World – reached the final in Toronto and semifinal in Rome, two of the tour’s prominent Masters events.

Their teammates include Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 11), who reached the US Open semifinals in New York this month, and Denis Shapovalov (No. 12), who was a major semifinalist as well this year, at Wimbledon. Also on the team, Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman (No. 15) won the title in his native Buenos Aires this year and reached the French Open quarterfinals. Australia’s Nick Kyrgios (No. 95) rounds out the roster and, while not traveling to many events during the pandemic, has won six tour singles championships in his career and been ranked as high as No. 13.

 Russia’s newly minted US Open-champion Daniil Medvedev (No. 2) is at the front of a Team Europe lineup that includes four of the five top-ranked singles players and six of the top 10. Medvedev’s exceptional season includes reaching the Australian Open final and winning the title in Toronto. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 3) won Masters championships in Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Lyon, France; and reached the French Open semifinals this year. German Alexander Zverev (No. 4) won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year, and Masters titles in Cincinnati and Madrid, in addition to reaching the French Open and US Open semifinals. 

Andrey Rublev (No. 5) won the ATP Cup for Russia in February along with Medvedev, and was a finalist in Cincinnati and Monte Carlo this season. Also on Team Europe, Italy’s Matteo Berrettini (No. 7) reached the quarterfinals at all four majors in 2021, and advanced to the final at Wimbledon. Norway’s Casper Ruud (No. 10) completes the field and has won four ATP titles this year while also reaching the semifinals in Madrid and Monte Carlo.

McEnroe’s younger brother Patrick, who captained the U.S. national tennis team to Davis Cup glory in 2007, serves as Team World’s vice captain. Similarly, Thomas Enqvist was captain of Sweden’s 1997 and 1998 Davis Cup championships, and will be Team Europe’s vice captain this year. Both were Laver Cup vice captains in 2019.

Tennis Channel’s Live 2021 Laver Cup Schedule

Date Time (ET)                                                                    

Friday, Sept. 24                      

12:30 p.m.-5 p.m.                 

 Day Session (Two Singles)                                               

6 p.m.-11 p.m.                       

Night Session (Singles, Doubles)Saturday, Sept. 25                  

12:30 p.m.-5 p.m.                  

Day Session (Two Singles)                                               

6 p.m.-5 p.m.                        

Night Session (Singles, Doubles)Sunday, Sept. 26               

11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.                  

Day Session (Doubles, Three Singles)

Naomi Osaka joins HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted this Friday

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The Sports Emmy®Award winning series THE SHOP: UNINTERRUPTED returns with a new episode FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

Naomi Osaka on HBO's the shop

Joining Maverick Carter are four-time Grand Slam tennis singles champion Naomi Osaka; actor, comedian and writer Wanda Sykes; NBA All-Star from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love; multi-platinum hip-hop artist Jadakiss;and the SpringHill Company’s chief marketing officer, Paul Rivera.

THE SHOP: UNINTERRUPTED, staged periodically throughout the year, offers conversation and debate between a unique ensemble of some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment. Past guests include Tom Brady, Jay-Z, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Lena Waithe, Diddy, Jimmy Kimmel, Patrick Mahomes, Lil Nas X, Will Smith, Megan Rapinoe, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Rob Gronkowski, Stacey Abrams and former President Barack Obama.

THE SHOP: UNINTERRUPTEDis presented by HBO Sports and UNINTERRUPTED; executive producers, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, Devin Johnson and Philip Byron; directed by Robert Alexander; produced by Kevin McGrail, Brandon Riley and Rob Roediger; co-executive producer, Camille Maratchi; created by Paul Rivera and Randy Mims.

Daniil Medvedev wins the US Open 2021

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Daniil Medvedev has won the US Open 2021. In two hours and 15 minutes Medvedev defeated ambitious Serb Novak Djokovic in straight sets:  6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Medvedev is nine years younger than the 33 year old multiple Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic.

First Grand Slam for Daniil Medvedev

With his win, Medvedev has finally won his first Grand Slam tournament. Medvedev reached the Australian Open finals earlier in 2021 but lost to Novak Djokovic. Two years ago Medvedev also reached the finals of the US Open but lost in a thrilling five set match versus Spaniard Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic, one match short of Calendar Slam

Novak Djokovic had great ambitions for 2021 and he doesn’t go home empty handed either. Djokovic won the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. His goal however was to win the Golden Slam which consists of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic Gold. Something that hasn’t been done since Steffi Graf won it in 1988. So his ambitions incredibly high. However, Djokovic lost to Zverev at the Olympics in Tokyo and now to Medvedev.

Djokovic had the chance to become only the sixth person to win that rare Calendar Slam.  Don Budge (1938), Maureen Connolly (1953), Rod Laver (1962 and 1969), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) went before him. Unfortunately for Djokovic, Medvedev played the match of his life. Wheelchair tennis players Diede de Groot and Dylan Alcott managed to get their Golden Slam. For wheelchair players the Golden Slam consists of all the Grand Slam tournaments + paralympic Gold.

Daniil Medvedev at the US Open 2021

Medvedev’s explosive start at the US Open 2021 finale

Daniil Medvedev’s win was not unexpected if you looked at the start he has had. He immediately broke Djokovic’ serve and managed to take advantage of Djokovic sloppiness but also forced his opponent into defense.

Djokovic never managed to break Medvedev’s serve and thus after 37 minutes Medvedev took the first set.

Djokovic got visibly frustrated after failing to cash in on two breakpoints in the second set and failed to do so again two games later. Medvedev held his composure at those crucial moments and cashed in on one of the breakpoints and took the second set.

Djokovic fights to hold back his tears

Medvedev only lost one set to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open 2021 managed to keep his serve in the third act of the match but didn’t shy away to show Djokovic who is king of the hill at the moment on the ATP Tour.

With the loss of the second set, Djokovic resistance appeared broken because Medvedev hit 4-0 at warpspeed. At 5-2 , the Russian got his first Matchpoint of the match but failed to cash it in due to a double fault and lost his service game.

During the changeover Djokovic fought to hold back his tears but in the ninth game after a few beautiful rallies, Medvedev cashed in on his third matchpoint and won the US Open 2021 which is also his first Grand Slam tournament title.

Medvedev apologizes to Djoker fans for taking away his dream

Medvedev showed true sportsmanship after he took the US Open title by apologizing to the fans for getting in the way of Djokovic’ ambitions of winning the Calendar Slam.

“I want to say sorry for you, the fans, and Novak because we all know what he was going for today,” he said on court after winning the championship. “Today maybe you were a little bit more for Novak, but it’s completely understandable.”

But before the match he also commented on the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“I don’t feel the change of the energy,” said Medvedev. “I don’t care if Roger or Rafa is here. I want to win the tournament. It’s going to be tougher if they were here, and of course it would be tougher if they would be 30 years old. But I just want to do my best, so I don’t care if they are here or not.” 

Botic van de Zandschulp is the revelation of the US Open 2021

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Botic van de Zandschulp has become the tournament revelation of the US Open 2021. Van de Zandschulp defeated world number 14 Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round of the US Open 2021 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1 and thus continues his fairy tale run.

And noone is more surprised than van de Zandschulp is himself. If you had told him a month ago that he would reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam then he would have gladly said “I’ll take it!” while shaking your hand.

After he defeated Schwartzman, he said he got a little nervous but after three and a half hours he still managed to pull in the win that was needed to set up a clash with Daniil Medvedev.

Van de Zandschulp is happy with his overall performance at the US Open 2021 so far. His serve is working well and his rally’s are constant. But most of all , his mental game is great. Van de Zandschulp has managed to deal with lost matchpoints in that fourth set of the match versus Schwartzman. A line he hopes to continue in the upcoming match versus Daniil Medvedev.

Botic van de Zandschulp

Former dutch greats praise van de Zandschulp

Former dutch great Marcella Mesker praises van de Zandschulp’s advancements at the US Open 2021. Mesker finds his tennis phenomenal and praises his core qualities: ability to score, stamina, light footwork and all the power of a man his size.

Next to that Mesker observes that van de Zandschulp’s tennis instinct is what makes his game so great. Volleys at the net, lobs, stop volleys and dropshots. And then another forehand or an ace. His game is so complete, she said.

Coach Schapers praises but remains critical of his pupil

Michiel Schapers praises his pupil’s recent performances but remains critical of his game. There are a lot of areas where his protege can improve himself. For instance his first serve is one of the areas that could use some improvement. It needs a little more slice, coach Schapers said. When his first serve fails then van de Zandschulp loses his cool. Calming him down is tough sometimes for van de Zandschulp’s team. But he managed regain his composure versus Schwartzman. Which is impressive.

When asked where he got his game from Schapers said that the best move the 25 year old made was rejoining the KNLTB, the dutch Tennis Association. From there on out his game improved over the past two years since rejoining.

But Meskers is of the opinion that he managed to flip the switch when he was quarantined at the Australian Open 2021. He was in solitary confinement because he was on a coronaflight. She is of the opinion that van de Zandschulp had confidence booster at that time and thought to himself: I can do this, I can beat players from the top 10 and top 20.

Read more: Novak Djokovic declared heavy favorite US Open 2021

The US Open means you made it big, financially

And that is exactly the case for van de Zandschulp. He reached the quarterfinals which means that he has won $425,000 USD so far. A great amount of money because with that money you can sit back and make a plan of action to see where to go after the US Open ends. Whereever that is.

On top of that, reaching the quarterfinals at the US Open also means that your marketability goes up and van de Zandschulp will probably get a few endorsements.

What does he think of all this?  “I have to say I think before the tournament no one expected me to reach the quarterfinals,” he said. “I think they’re amazed and, hopefully, proud.”

Novak Djokovic declared heavy favorite US Open 2021

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Novak Djokovic is declared heavy favorite US Open 2021

Novak Djokovic may have missed out on the Golden Slam when he lost at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 but he has not given up on his dream to win the final Grand Slam tournament 2021. And if he wins then he will have a the rare and thus very prestigious calendar Slam. Despite the withdraws from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and more top players, there are still a lot of adversaries to go round. Despite that, you can still declare Djokovic a clear favorite.

In a press conference at the US Open 2021 Djokovic said he was inspired and incredibly motivated.

“I’m very inspired to play my best tennis here. I don’t want to say it’s now or never for me because I think I’m going to have more opportunities in my life to win Slams. I don’t know if I’m going to be having more opportunities to win Calendar Slams.”

“That’s why it’s a very unique opportunity. At the same time, I don’t need to put any additional pressure to what I already have, which is pretty big from my own self and from of course people around me.”

What do you think? Will Djokovic win the prestigious Calendar Slam? Let us know in the comments!

Vaccinated Sofia Kenin skips US Open 2021 due to corona infection

Sofia Kenin is forced to watch the US Open 2021 from the sidelines after being infected by the coronavirus. Luckily Kenin has been vaccinated so the symptoms won’t be so severe she tells.

“Fortunately I am vaccinated and thus my symptoms have been fairly mild,” Kenin wrote. “However I have continued to test positive and thus will not be able to compete at the U.S. Open next week.”

“I plan to spend the next several weeks getting healthy and preparing to play well this fall,” Kenin posted Wednesday. “Thank you all for supporting me.”

This year’s US Open will have 100% attendency again after 2020’s edition of the US Open was played behind closed doors due to the coronapandemic.

Naomi Osaka releases powerful statement ahead of US Open

It has been a tough year for Naomi Osaka. She has been dealing with mental health issues and issued a media blackout during that period. She took to Twitter to release a powerful statement ahead of the US Open of 2021. She indicated that she is her own architect of her own failing. Naomi Osaka ended her media boycott at the Cincinatti Open.

“I’ve been reflecting over the past year. So grateful for the people around me because the support I feel is completely unparalleled,” Osaka posted.

“Recently I‘ve been asking myself why do I feel the way I do, and I realise one of the reasons is because internally I think I’m never good enough.

“I‘ve never told myself that I’ve done a good job but I do know I constantly tell myself that I suck or I could do better.

“I know in the past some people have called me humble but if I really consider it I think I’m really self deprecating. Every time a new opportunity arises my first thought is, ‘Wow, why me?’

“I guess what I‘m trying to say is that I’m gonna try to celebrate myself and my accomplishments more, I think we all should.

“Your life is your own and you shouldn‘t value yourself on other people’s standards.

“I know I give my heart to everything I can and if that‘s not good enough for some then my apologies, but I can’t burden myself with those expectations anymore.

Naomi Osaka at the US Open 2021

“Seeing everything that’s going on in the world I feel like if I wake up in the morning that’s a win. That’s how I’m coming.”

The 23-year-old Japanese star lit the flame in the Olympic cauldron at the Tokyo Games, but has played only two matches since Japan ahead of the Open.

“I know I haven’t played that many matches. I know that I haven’t even gotten to a quarter-final,” Osaka said.

“Actually I feel pretty happy with how I’m playing… I feel pretty confident with where I am right now. Of course I’m not declaring that I’ll do amazing here. I’m the one-match-at-a-time like person.

“Hopefully it will work out in the end.”

What do you make of Naomi’s powerful statement? Is it something that resonates with you? Let us know in the comments.

Patrick Mouratoglou gives explanation on why Serena Williams withdrew

Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou has given an explanation on why Serena Williams withdrew from the US Open 2021. In an interview Mouratoglou with CBS Sports stated that while Serena was very motivated mentally, her body just wasn’t ready to compete yet at the highest level.

“[Serena] got injured at Wimbledon and we knew we had a very tight schedule to put her back on track and be able to play this US Open,” Mouratoglou told CBS Sports. “We knew that any setback during this period would be a no-go. So, at the start, it went well. She started from not being able to walk to being able to be finally on a tennis court, without moving but playing tennis.”

“We did exams [MRI] and we realized that there was still a tear on the tendon that was not completely back to normal,” Mouratoglou told CBS Sports. “Even though we tried, with one week until the US Open, we realized finally that there was a big risk with playing. The risk of a much worse injury which was really there because if you play with a tear in the tendon and you go too far, the tendon can completely break and it’s something you don’t want to risk.”

And it is too bad because Serena Williams and her team did everything they could to compete at this year’s US Open:

“It’s sad because it’s only a question of maybe having two more weeks and she would’ve been fine but we didn’t have those two extra weeks. She’ll be completely fine [to play again] in two to three weeks but the risk was too big to take,” he said.

Meanwhile Serena took to Instagram to issue a statement on backing out of the US Open 2021.

“After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring,” Serena Williams wrote on Instagram. “New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favorite places to play — I’ll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon.”

US Open 2021 reaches record height in prize money

The US Open had to play without a crowd in the 2020 edition due to the corona pandemic but the US Open organisation has more than made up for that. With a $57,5 million USD there is a lot to play for.

“Last year was a very difficult year for all of us, and the pandemic had a profound impact on the USTA’s financial health,” said Mike Dowse, USTA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. “Yet we worked—and continue to work—extremely hard to ensure that tennis would continue to thrive for the long-term at every level, and that work led to more than 4 million new and returning players participating in tennis in 2020. Our support of tennis is very broad, and touches every level of the game. The US Open is an unparalleled showcase for all that is so wonderful about our sport, and the players are an integral part of that. We are proud to return our player compensation to pre-pandemic levels.”

Added to that Stacey Allaster said the following about the US Open series and investing at the very roots that has attracted more people to the sport of tennis during the corona 2020 pandemic and created a lot of momentum with a 22% increase of new players.

Stacey Allaster added to it that the US Open has invested a lot of money at the roots of the game. Tennis has gained a lot of momentum during the 2020 pandemic and saw a 22% increase in sales and participation and it is still growing.

“With the US Open’s greatest return—fans on-site and full draws across all competitions—we know that 2021 will be an historic year for this great tournament,” said Stacey Allaster, Chief Executive, Professional Tennis and US Open Tournament Director. “We determined our round-by-round prize money allocations by engaging in an open dialogue with the players and the management of both tours. We applaud their collective leadership in directing the 2021 US Open prize money to benefit the maximum number of players.”

Round-by-round individual prize money for the US Open is as follows:

Singles:
Winner: $2,500,000
Runner-Up: $1,250,000
Semifinalist: $675,000
Quarterfinalist: $425,000
Round of 16: $265,000
Round of 32: $180,000
Round of 64: $115,000
Round of 128: $75,000

Doubles (each team):
Winner: $660,000
Runner-Up: $330,000
Semifinalist: $164,000
Quarterfinalist: $93,000
Round of 16: $54,000
Round of 32: $34,000
Round of 64: $20,000

The Tennis Channel live starts US Open at August 30

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Tennis Channel’s coverage of the 2021 US Open will feature daily lead-in show Tennis Channel Live at the US Open and more than 150 hours of encore matches during the two-week event. The action gets underway Monday, Aug. 30, the first day of play at tennis’ fourth and final major of the season. Tennis Channel Live at the US Open begins at 10 a.m. ET, an hour before matches start, with match encores airing at 12 a.m. ET Tuesday, Aug. 31. This 10 a.m. live-show/12 a.m. encore-matches schedule will be in place most days of the event.


Tennis Channel Live at the US Open is an hourlong lead in to each day’s play. In addition to highlights from the day before and previews of the matches ahead, the program offers analysis, interviews and special reports. Hall of Famer Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76) is part of the team and won the 1998 singles and 1997 doubles titles at the event during her playing days. Award-winning announcer Steve Weissman (@Steve_Weissman) will host Tennis Channel Live at the US Open. Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim), of Sports Illustrated and CBS 60 Minutes, will offer his thoughts and provide feature stories during the tournament.


The show will run at 10 a.m. ET from Monday, Aug. 30, through Wednesday, Sept. 8. A championship-weekend edition will take place at 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 12, prior to the network’s encore coverage of the women’s and men’s singles finals, respectively.


Matches on Tennis Channel will be called by decorated, longtime network play-by-play voice Brett Haber (@BrettHaber). He will be joined by former player and coach Paul Annacone (@paul_annacone), who reached the US Open doubles final in 1990. Same-day encores begin at 12 a.m. and run up to the 10 a.m. live show from Tuesday, Aug. 31, through Thursday, Sept. 9. Later that same Thursday, at 11 p.m. ET, Tennis Channel will show encores of both women’s singles semifinals. Friday, Sept. 10, at 10 p.m. ET, will see encores of the men’s singles semifinals and doubles final. The women’s singles final will premier on the channel at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, with the men’s singles championship at that same time Sunday, Sept. 12.

Following the conclusion of the women’s and men’s singles finals the network will immediately show each a second time.

Digital Coverage

Tennis Channel’s US Open telecast is available on mobile devices through authenticated streaming on the network’s app. Tennis Channel Plus – the channel’s digital-subscription streaming service – will offer a playlist of “Americans in Action,” as well as matches from this tennis season and classic matches from others.


The recently relaunched Tennis.com website and app will offer highlights, scores, updated tournament information, daily orders of play, live blogs, statistics and stories from the network’s Tennis Magazine reporters. It will also host “FanSlam,” the network’s free US Open fantasy game. Fans can access the new site/app at http://tnns.co/app. Tennis Channel’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts will keep viewers up to date with content throughout the event.

Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem withdraw from US Open 2021

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Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal have both withdrawn from the US Open and ended their 2021 campaign citing injuries.

Dominic Thiem wrist injury reason to withdraw from US Open 2021

Defending US Open champion and Austrian Dominic Thiem has withdrawn from the US Open 2021 with a wrist injury. The injury has already been worsening as of late and that was reason for Thiem to call it quits on both the US Open 2021 and the 2021 season.

“For the last six-seven weeks, I was following all the advice, wearing the splint and starting slowly to mobilize and strengthen the wrist again,” he explained in a video statement posted to Instagram. “But last week, I played one forehand and felt a similar pain, like when it happened back in Mallorca.

“After long talks and explanations [with my doctors], we decided to have a very long career ahead, to give it another chance with conservative therapy and have my wrist in a splint for another couple of weeks and then try to regain strength and mobility before getting back on court.”

Dominic Thiem’s withdrawal from the US Open series and the rest of the 2021 season falls in line with a long list of top ATP players who are forced to do the same. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have both called it on their US Open 2021 participation and the 2021 season. Nadal cited a foot injury while Federer has undergone knee surgery that will keep him out.

Rafael Nadal withdraws from US Open 2021 and ends 2021 season

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the US Open 2021 and has ended his 2021 campaign citing a foot injury. In previous weeks he has mentioned his foot injury several times and hoped that the injury wouldn’t worsen. However losing at the Citi Open as well as withdrawing from the Rogers Cup in Toronto were serious indicators that Rafael Nadal’s foot wasn’t holding the big stress that comes with topsport.

On Nadal’s social media, Rafa explains his withdrawal from the US Open and ending his 2021 season in great detail.

Hello everyone: I wanted to let you know that unfortunately I have to end the season 2021.Honestly I’ve been suffering a lot more than I should with my foot and I need to take some time. Having talked to the team and family this decision has been made and I think it’s the way to go to try to recover and recover well.

It is a year that I have missed things that matter very much to me, like Wimbledon, as the Olympics are, as it will now be the US Open, like many other events that are also important to me and in view of that during the latter year I have not had the ability to be able to train and prepare and compete in the way I really like to do it because I finally come to the conclusion that what I need is a time to recover.

Changing a series of things trying to understand what has been the evolution of the foot of these recent times is not a new injury is an injury I have since 2005 and has not prevented me from being able to develop my sports career during all of these years. If it’s true that I have a season that things don’t go as they should, as we all like, and it’s time to make decisions, seek a different kind of treatment to find a solution to this problem or at least improve to be able to continue having options for the next few years.

I’m with the maximum illusion and predisposition to do whatever it takes to recover the best way possible, to continue competing for the things that really motivate me and the things that you’ve done all these years. I am convinced that with foot recovery and evidently a very important daily effort as this can be achieved. I will work as long as I can to make it so.

Thank you in advance for all the support, understanding and all your affection that are very important and more in complicated times like these.

I promise I’ll do is work hard to try to keep enjoying this sport for a while longer.A big hug to all.

And thus this adds Rafael Nadal on a long list of withdraws from top ATP players such as Dominic Thiem, Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka who is recovering from a foot injury.

Ashleigh Barty wins Western & Southern Open

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty wins the Western & Southen Open in Cincinnatti with a win over Jil Teichmann in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. Teichmann is ranked number 76 in the world but is sure to move up a few spots after reaching the finale of the Western & Southern Open tournament.

Barty’s win marks the first time in decades that an Aussie takes home the title since 1973 when Evonne Goolagong took home the win at the Cincinnatti tournament. A fact that Barty was delighted to learn:

“It’s obviously very special that we are becoming more and more connected throughout tennis history, and not just our heritage,” the Aussie said. “But it’s really cool to be able to almost bring our stories together a little bit.”

Despite what the scoreboard says, Barty was made to fight for the win versus Teichmann but nevertheless prevailed:

“Today against Jil, I feel like I was able to really trust myself and play with confidence,” said Barty, “get after the ball, be aggressive and get a bit of a run on, which was going to be important in a big final.”

Teichmann had something to say as well about her finale versus Ashleigh Barty:

“She made me move a lot like inside the court,” said Teichmann, “outside the court with different kind of spins and slices, everything.”

Alexander Zverev takes home Western & Southern Open title

Alexander Zverev takes home the Western & Southern Open title with a win over Andrey Rublev in straight sets 6-2, 6-3.

Zverev has been on a roll since winning Olympic Gold at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. And pundits are touting him as a front runner for the US Open title. And when asked about the change of guard of the old and the new Zverev answers diplomatically.

“I think tennis is in a good spot, I would say, because the other guys are still there,” Zverev said after winning his 17th title. “Novak is still at top of his game, but the young guys all look quite strong. It’s going to be interesting to see who will do what in the next few years.”

When talking about his chances of winning the US Open 2021, Alexander Zverev had the following to say:

“I do think that he’s still the favorite,” Zverev said of Djokovic at the Open. “I do think he’s going to be playing incredible tennis there. He’s going to be fresh, and I think there is also other guys that are in very good form. I think Rublev is in very good form, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, all those guys are playing great tennis.”

“It’s definitely going to be an interesting US Open. But I’m also looking forward to it, because, yeah, I know where I stand, I know how I’m playing, and I hope I can continue the work and hopefully play even better in New York.”

Upcoming US Open series tennis tournaments

Winston-Salem Open, August 22 – August 28. Website: https://www.winstonsalemopen.com/ Social Media: Twitter

Roger Federer withdraws from Western & Southern Open and US Open

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Roger Federer withdraws from Western & Southern Open and US Open 2021 for surgery, says future is a little bit unclear

Roger Federer has withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open and the US Open 2021. The reason for that is a third knee surgery that is necessary to keep him playing longer. Unfortunately the news also means that Federer will be sidelined for the rest of 2021. In an Instagram post Federer explained his reasons why.

“I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors, as well, on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon,” the 40-year-old said in an Instagram post Sunday.”Unfortunately, they told me for the medium to long-term, to feel better, I will need surgery, so I decided to do it. I will be on crutches for many weeks and then also out of the game for many months.”

“I want to be healthy. I want to be running around later, as well, again, and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope, also, to return to the tour in some shape or form,” he added.”I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it.”

Naomi Osaka donates prize money to Haiti relief efforts

Multiple Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka has donated her prize money to support relief efforts after an earthquake hit Haiti. Osaka’s father is from Haiti and she has pledged to give whatever she earns at the Western & Southern Open to the Haiti relief efforts. The Western & Southern Open is played from August 14 until August 22.

Haiti was struck by a major earthquake that hit 7.2 on the scale of Richter. So far 1297 have been found dead according to the official reports at the time of writing.

“Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break,” Osaka said on Twitter.

“I’m about to play a tournament this week and I’ll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we’ll keep rising.”

Novak Djokovic cites fatigue and withdraws from Western & Southern Open

Novak Djokovic informed fans via Twitter that he will not be playing the Western & Southern Open due to heavy fatigue.

“Dear fans, I wanted to share with you that I am taking a bit longer to recover and recuperate after quite a taxing journey from Australia to Tokyo,” Djokovic wrote. “Sadly, that means I won’t be ready to compete in Cincinnati this year, so I’ll turn my focus and attention to the US Open and spend some more time with family. See you in New York soon!” He will perhaps try his luck at Olybet Sports  

Rafael Nadal cancels Western & Southern Open with foot injury

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Rogers Cup and now the Western & Southern Open says that Rafael Nadal will not be able to compete in Cincinnati due to the foot injury that has been hounding him since the start of the US Open series. It started at the Citi Open in Washington where he already indicated in several interviews that his success largely depended on how well his foot would hold.

Next to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Milos Raonic was also forced to withdraw citing a heel injury.

Serena Williams withdraws from Western & Southern Open at the women’s

Serena Williams was among the high profile competitors to skip the Western & Southern Open and thus grows the list of high profile players who are forced to skip the Cincinnatti tournament in 2021. Sister Venus Williams also joined that list of absentees.

“Unfortunately, I will not be playing in the Western & Southern Open next week as I am still in recovery from my leg injury at Wimbledon,” said the two-time champion Serena. “I will miss all of my fans in Cincinnati whom I look forward to seeing every summer. I plan to be back on the court very soon.”

Sofia Kenin is the next in line to skip the Western & Southern tennis tournament in Cincinnatti.

“Unfortunately I had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open next week,” said Kenin. “I am rehabbing well in hopes to play the US Open later this month. I feel another week of recovery is necessary. I want to thank the USTA for all their efforts in holding the event during such challenging times. Best of luck to all the players.”

The field of the women’s part of the tournament is still going strong even with the withdraws.

2021 Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty as well as Naomi Osaka (2020 US Open, 2021 Australian Open), Barbora Krejcikova (2021 French Open) and Iga Swiatek (2020 French Open). And let’s not forget about the underdogs who won the Western & Southern Open in the past such as Victoria Azarenka, Madison Keys, Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova.

Camila Giorgi wins WTA Montreal

Italian Camila Giorgi wins the WTA tournament in Montreal by defeating Karolina Pliskova in straight sets 6-3 7-5. The WTA in Montreal title is the biggest tournament win for Giorgi ever in her career.

 “I really think I was very emotional inside,” said Giorgi. “Of course, I’m not the one that shows a lot. Of course, it’s just amazing. I’m very happy for what I did this week.” 

Karolina Pliskova had the following to say after her loss to Giorgi at the National Bank Open in Montreal:

 “I think I’m doing quite well now. Since actually the first final in Rome, I think my game really improved and I’m playing some good matches. Of course, it’s normal to lose sometimes. Of course, I would love to win all of my finals. It’s not like that it’s only in my hands. There is also somebody else. I’m playing really good players in the final.”

Despite having lost three key finals, Rome , Wimbledon and now the WTA Womens 1000 in Montreal. But proved herself to be a lovable loser in the end.

Said Pliskova: “I think she also played, like, super solid all week actually, not playing crazy like she can play sometimes. I think she played really well, serving well important moments. Yeah, just a bit better today.”

Camila Giorgi was sure to thank her father in her speech following her big win.

 “I think this comes with all the work I been doing with my father. Of course, he’s my coach. So I think all the work we’ve been putting together through all these years. I think one day I was sure and he was sure that can come in many period because I was playing very good actually. I was playing very high level already few months ago.” Though her father Sergio wasn’t in Montreal, she said they “talk a hundred times per day even FaceTime or calls.”

Daniil Medvedev takes ATP Toronto

Daniiel Medvedev has won the ATP Tournament of Toronto in this year’s edition of the Rogers Cup with a straight sets win over Reilly Opelka 6-4 6-3 thanks to Opelka’s failing serve.

Daniil Medvedev wins Rogers Cup Toronto and is now off to the Western & Southern Open

“When I played Reilly, I feel like I like to return it really far back, because otherwise it’s super tough to return,” Medvedev said earlier in the week, when he was asked about the prospect of facing the American’s serve. “At the same time, it’s obvious that if he starts making kicks and serve and volley, well, I’m not gonna have any chance by returning far back.”

Medvedev is now off to the Western & Southern tennis tournament in Cincinnatti following his great win in Toronto:

“I want to achieve more, I want to play better,” he said. “[In Canada and Cincinnati] the goal is to know where your game is.”