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Alexander Zverev Wins Chengdu Open In China

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In a thrilling final match played out in front of a capacity crowd, tournament number one seed and world No. 10 Alexander Zverev survived a robust challenge from Roman Safiullin to win 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in two hours and 59 minutes and lift the 21st ATP Tour-level title of his career.

The German was made to work hard for the win, with Safiullin showing incredible composure and grit to save break points in vital moments to keep the former world No. 3 at bay in the first set. The world No. 55 Safiullin then got an early mini-break to race to a 3-0 lead in the tie-break, before securing two more mini-breaks in the final two points to take a one set lead.

In the second set, the two players exchanged breaks in the second and third games, before holding serve strongly until a pulsating tie-break, in which neither player could capitalise on their service points. Three mini-breaks each were traded before Zverev scored the telling mini-break at 6-5 up to force a deciding set.

The German’s far greater experience of playing big finals began to show in the third set, as the 26-year-old appeared more relaxed while mistakes began creeping into Safiullin’s game, allowing Zverev to secure the necessary break in the fourth game that would seal his first Chengdu Open crown.

“He’s playing the best tennis of his life and he’s beaten a lot of great players this week, so I knew he was playing well. I’m happy to have been able to come back and win this title. This week has been amazing and it’s even better that I won the title,” said Zverev, who paid tribute to the throngs of fans that turned up throughout the week to watch him play.

“I feel like I always have a lot of fans in China and I feel Chinese people are very giving, they always bring gifts and give something in return for pictures and autographs, so that is very nice of them. I have never been here before so I didn’t know what to expect coming here, but it has surprised me in a nice way to see so many fans,” added the 26-year-old German, who will solidify his position at No. 7 in the Race to Turin with the 250 points picked up here today.

In a similarly electrifying finale to the doubles, top seeded French tandem Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul reversed a one set deficit to overcome second seeded Portuguese-Brazilian duo Francisco Cabral and Rafael Matos 4-6, 7-5, 10-7 in one hour and 51 minutes.

Cabral and Matos notched four points in a row against serve in the ninth game to secure the first break of the encounter, going 5-4 up and securing the first set in the next game. However, Doumbia and Reboul returned the favour in the second set, taking four points on the trot at 6-5 up against serve to force a super tiebreaker.

In the super tiebreaker, the Portuguese-Brazilian twosome seemed to have the upper hand when they went one mini-break up to take a 7-5 lead, but the French pair rallied instantly, upping their game to take five points on the trot and secure the unforgettable victory.

The pair have won 15 challenger titles and nine ITF Tour titles since teaming up in 2015, but the Chengdu Open title is their maiden Tour-level triumph as a pair, as well as individuals.

“We have been waiting for this moment for such a long time. We have won Challengers before, but it was a big goal for us to win an ATP Tour event. To do it here in China is special – it’s amazing for us,” said the 33-year-old Doumbia.

“I’m very happy to share this title with Sadio. We started playing doubles full time two or three years ago and we have been working hard every day to win these kinds of matches. We are very happy and hopefully we will win a lot of titles,” said the 28-year-old Reboul.

The duo credited their strong performance this week to feeling comfortable and at home in Chengdu, with Reboul adding: “I would say what is important is to feel good in a place. We have always felt very good here because the people are very nice. We were very excited to come back to China. I think when you feel at home, you can play your best tennis.”

The tournament is owned by IMG and is organised by the Chinese Tennis Association and Chengdu Municipal Government, is co-organised by Chengdu Sports Bureau, Shuangliu District Government and Chengdu Culture Tourism Group, and is promoted by Sichuan Investment International Tennis Centre Development Co., Ltd., CCTV IMG (Beijing) Sports Management Co. Ltd. and WME IMG China Culture Development Co. Ltd.

The Chengdu Open is also very proud to have the support of our distinguished partners, including the ATP Tour’s Premier Partner Emirates, the official ball and stringer Yonex, the official car FAW-Volkswagen, the Sichuan Tennis International Hotel, which is conveniently located adjacent to the courts and provides efficient services to the tournament, the official timer Luminox, the official player hotel Intercontinental Chengdu Global Center, the official coffee provider Wood & Coffee, the official gym equipment Impulse and the official water Su Lao Quan. The official tournament website www.ChengduOpenTennis.com has additional information about the tournament

Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev Continues Return To The Top After Hamburg Victory

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Alexander Zverev defeated Laslo Djere of Serbia 7-5, 6-3 to win the European Open tennis title in Hamburg to become the first men’s champion from Germany at the Rothenbaum Tennis Complex since Michael Stich in 1993.

The final was played on the two-year anniversary of one of Zverev’s greatest career wins, a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 semifinal win over Novak Djokovic, also from Serbia, at the Tokyo Olympics, clinching a media, which turned into gold.

In Hamburg, under a closed roof and in front of a sold-out-crowd of 10,000, Zverev continued to show his improved  form after coming back from his serious ankle injury suffered at Roland Garros in 2022.

“This title means a lot to me, winning the tournament, where I was born,” said Zverev. “ It’s a very emotional moment for me as well as for my family. It’s also emotional because of the last year and a half that I had. It wasn’t easy. I can’t describe it in words. I’m just super happy right now.”

Lifting his 20th tour-level career trophy has boosted Zverev’s hopes of qualifying for the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals. “Being number nine in the race, that’s great. If I am able to play in Turin this year, that’ll be a great achievement after the injury,” Zverev said.

The World No. 19 Zverev pocketed €342,500 in prize money as well as 500 ATP Ranking points.

Alexander Zverev (Deutschland) Hamburg, 26.07.2023, Tennis, Hamburg European Open 2023, Combined, Herren Einzel

Wimbledon Day Three Picks – Will Daria Kasatkina Be 2023 Wimbledon’s Elena Rybakina?

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Daria Kasatkina vs. Jodie Burrage

Daria Katatkina could be one of the darkest of dark horses at Wimbledon in 2023. The Russian, who has publicly repudiated Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, may see karma on her side in this year after Russians were banned from playing Wimbledon. She’s got a crafty game with a slice that plays well on the grass, not unlike 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. She’s been ranked as high as No. 8 (seeded No. 11 this event), reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2018 and the semis at Roland Garros in 2022, so she is used to big-time matches. She’s in good form having reached the final at Eastbourne leading into Wimbledon. She will take out British wild card Jodie Burrage in the second round and will probably go deep at this event.

Jannik Sinner vs. Diego Schwartzman

Making predictions is all about being right. Sure you can take a flyer and call a big upset, but isn’t it better to be safe and not lose? That’s why we will go with Jannik Sinner over Diego Schwartzman. Sinner is also a good outside pick to win it all. He has yet to reach a Grand Slam semifinal, having lost in the quarterfinal hurdle at all four. He could do so this year and get to the semifinals against Novak Djokovic. The two played in the quarterfinals last year and Sinner actually led two sets to love in that match before losing, so he would be itching to make amends for that loss.

Alexander Zverev vs. Gijs Brouwer

Picking is about picking a sure-thing winner, right? Alexander Zverev will win this match, unless he has an injury like his famous one against Rafael Nadal at the French Open which kept him off tour for many months last year. Some people may tip to Zverev to win Wimbledon, but there are just too many players to get through for him to go all the way. He could get to the fourth round to face Carlos Alcaraz and he could even win that match, but to get through passed Holger Rune or Daniil Medvedev could be a larger hurdle and then, of course, the final against maybe Djokovic. We are sure, however, that he will be this Dutch player in the first round.

Daria Kasatkina

Roland Garros Day 13 Picks – Who Will Win Between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz?

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Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic

Sergi Bruguera, the two-time French Open champion, called the much anticipated Roland Garros semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic as the “match of the year.”

https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/article/rg2023-bruguera-alcaraz-djokovic-semi-most-exciting-match-of-the-year

This could be a generational battle talked about for years, not unlike the Roger Federer vs. Pete Sampras clash at Wimbledon in 2001. Alcaraz is 20 and Djokovic is 36, which is about as big as an age difference as you can have in pro tennis these days. Alcaraz won their only previous meeting in Madrid on clay in altitude, but beating Djokovic in a best-of-five set match at a Grand Slam tournament is about as difficult a task as there is in sports. You could flip a coin on this one, but we are leaning towards the youth of Alcaraz and the fact that Djokovic has seemed to struggle more getting to this round than Alcaraz. May the better man on this day win!

Alexander Zverev vs. Casper Ruud

Alexander Zverev has exercised a lot of ghosts this year at Roland Garros from his previous appearance at the French Championships where he severely injured his ankle while in a titanic battle with Rafael Nadal in the semifinals in 2022. Zverev, we hope, will not get injured again this year and will have greater fortune with an upset over Casper Ruud, the defending French runner-up. Zverev has a slightly higher UTR (15.97 to 15.92) and he seems to be trending upward and eager make amends for unfinished business from 2022.

Day Seven Roland Garros Picks – Casper Ruud Coming Into Form

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Alexander Zverev vs. Frances Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe is the higher seed here at No. 12 against Alexander Zverev at No. 22, but Zverev has the better current UTR at 15.81 against 15.76 for Tiafoe. Zverev is certainly the better clay court player with the better clay court resume and getting back into form after his devastating injury in the semifinals of Roland Garros last year. We give the edge to Zverev here to get through.

Zie Zhang vs. Casper Ruud

Zie Zhang has received a lot of buzz of late and making history for Chinese men’s tennis. Ruud, by contrast, has struggled of late after his stellar 2022 season where he was runner-up at the French and U.S. Opens and was on the cusp of world No. 1.  There’s an astonishing gap in the UTRs of these two players with Zie Zhang at a 14.69 and Casper Ruud is a 15.95. That’s over one point, which is huge at this level. With that, we are going with Ruud to be the easy winner here.

Lesia Tsurenko vs. Bianca Andreescu

Sticking with our UTR picking style, Tsurenko has a UTR of 12.64 and the much more accomplished and recognizable Bianca Andreescu, the former U.S. Open champion, has a slightly lower UTR of 12.61. Clay is not the best surface for Andreescu, who is just getting into match shape again after her ankle injury at the Miami Open. Tsurenko is not just playing for herself, but her country Ukraine, so we will go with Tsurenko to win here.

ATP Investigation Finds Insufficient Evidence In Alexander Zverev Abuse Allegation Case

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A major independent investigation into Alexander Zverev has found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse. As a result, no disciplinary action will be taken by ATP.

Commissioned by ATP in October 2021, the investigation looked into allegations of domestic abuse made by Zverev’s former girlfriend, Olya Sharypova. While the primary focus of the investigation related to alleged abuses taking place at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai in 2019, its scope also included purported misconduct in other locations, including Monaco, New York and Geneva, as referenced in public reporting.

The investigation was carried out by The Lake Forest Group (LFG), a third-party investigator, led by founder and chief executive G. Michael Verden and Jennifer Mackovjak. Both Verden and Mackovjak are licensed private investigators with more than 60 years of combined experience in the field, including in professional sports. LFG was directed to conduct the investigation in a fully independent manner, with ATP’s outside legal counsel, Smith Hulsey & Busey, serving as an intermediary. ATP assisted with access to information and witnesses as requested.

LFG conducted extensive interviews with both Sharypova and Zverev, and 24 other individuals including family and friends, tennis players, and other parties involved with the ATP Tour. The investigation reviewed submissions by both Sharypova and Zverev, including text messages, audio files, and photos. This included materials voluntarily extracted from Zverev’s electronic devices via a third-party forensic expert. LFG also reviewed operational records related to the Shanghai tournament, documents submitted by third-party witnesses, and public records including social media posts and press reports.

Following an exhaustive 15-month process, LFG submitted its full report to ATP. Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness reports, in addition to conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev and other interviewees, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse, or determine that violations of ATP’s On-Site Offenses or Player Major Offenses rules took place.

As a result, no disciplinary action against Zverev will be taken by ATP. This determination may however be reevaluated should new evidence come to light, or should any legal proceedings reveal violations of ATP rules. Zverev has consistently denied all allegations and supported ATP’s investigation.

Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO: “The seriousness and complexity of these allegations required an extremely thorough investigative process and considerable resources. It also required us to turn to specialist investigators, which was new ground for ATP. We ultimately believe the exhaustive process was necessary to reach an informed judgement. It has also shown the need for us to be more responsive on safeguarding matters. It is the reason we’ve taken steps in that direction, with a lot of important work still ahead.”

In October 2021, ATP commissioned an Independent Safeguarding Report, to ensure all adults and minors involved in men’s professional tennis are safe and protected from abuse. A hiring process has recently been completed to appoint a dedicated head of Safeguarding, who will oversee implementation of the report’s recommendations.

Alexander Zverev

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

A Summary of Olympic Tennis From Tokyo – Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev Are Champs

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Alexander Zverev of Germany follows up his semifinal upset of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic by winning the Olympic gold medal in men’s singles at the Tokyo Olympic Games, defeating Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-3, 6-1 in the Gold Medal match.

“There is nothing better than this,” says Zverev, the world No. 5 and whose previous best career result was a runner-up finish at the 2020 U.S. Open. “A gold medal at the Olympics, for me, the value is incredible because you’re not only playing for yourself, you’re playing for your whole country.”

Zverev needs only 79 minutes for the one-sided win over his 25th-ranked opponent to join 1988 Olympic gold medalist Steffi Graf as the only Germans to win Olympic singles gold. Boris Becker and Michael Stich of Germany paired to win Olympic gold in doubles in 1992.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach watched his fellow German win the title in a stadium only filled with officials and team delegation members due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The ban on fans attending any Olympic events allowed for a group of about 10 anti-Olympic protesters across the street from the Ariake Tennis Park to be heard inside center court during the first set of the final, but did not interrupt play.

Team Russia, branded the Russian Olympic Committee or “ROC” at the Tokyo Olympics due to the doping sanctions, however is able to secure a gold medal in mixed doubles in an all-Russian final, Andrey Rublev and Anastasia Pavlyvuchenkova beating Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-7 (5), (13-11) for the Gold Medal.

“We are winning gold for …. the ROC,” says Rublev, playing in his first ever mixed doubles tournament.
In the women’s doubles gold medal match, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Sinaikova beat Belinda Bencic, the Olympic gold medal winner in singles, and Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland 7-5, 6-1.

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland achieves something that her two fellow Swiss who ranked No. 1 world could not do in their career, winning Olympic gold in singles. The No. 12-ranked Bencic beats No. 42-ranked Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to win an unpredictable women’s singles event.

Federer lost the 2012 Olympic final to Andy Murray but did pair with Stan Wawrinka to win gold in men’s doubles in 2008. Hingis did not compete in the Olympics in 2000, 2004, 2008 or 2012 but won silver in women’s doubles in 2016 with Timea Bacsinszky.

“I think I accomplished it for them,” Bencic said. “They did so much in their careers. I don’t think I will ever be able to accomplish what they did. So it’s for Martina and Roger.”

Marc Rosset was the only previous Swiss player to win gold in Olympic singles when he was the surprise winner at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Bencic’s previous best career result prior to the Olympics was reaching the semifinals of the 2019 U.S. Open.

Bencic took a medical timeout midway through the third set to have the big toe on her right foot treated for an apparent blister. But she came back out and didn’t appear troubled.

“I really don’t know how it worked out for me,” Bencic said. “I really had a lot of belief in myself.”

In the bronze-medal playoff, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine defeated Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to win Ukraine’s first ever medal in tennis in the Olympic Games. Svitolina was competing in his first event since marrying fellow pro Gael Monfils, a member of France’s Olympic tennis team.

In the men’s bronze medal match, dominant world No. 1 is not able to shake off his upset loss in the semifinals the previous night to Alexander Zverev and surprisingly falls to Pable Carreno Busta of Spain 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3.
Djokovic then withdraws from the mixed doubles bronze medal match with partner Nina Stojanovic, handing the walkover victory to Ash Barty and John Peers in what have been an interest match featuring the world No. 1 woman against the world No. 1 man.

Croatia’s Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic defeated countrymen Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig to win men’s doubles gold 6-4, 3-6 (10-6). The bronze medal went to Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus as they defeated Americans Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren 7-6(3), 6-2 to capture an historic first Olympic tennis medal for New Zealand.

Belinda Bencic
Belinda Bencic

Top Tennis Players to Watch in 2020

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There are many tennis players that are now household names. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the tennis players you should pay attention to going into 2020.

Besides watching matches and following highlights, it’s helpful to pay attention to the types of wagers that are available for matches because this will show you which players and matches the top analysts are focusing on. And they’re likely only focusing on the best of the best, because who wants to wager on a player that’s unlikely to get far?

Here are the players you should pay attention to going into 2020:

New Comers
Dominic Thiem is an Austrian-based tennis player who reached number four in the world for the first time in 2017. He’s made it to the final at the 2018 and 2019 French Opens only to lose to Rafael Nadal both times.

Alexander Zverev, a German professional tennis player, is one of the youngest players to reach the top 10 ranking by the Association of Tennis Professionals. He has been referred to as the future number one player by some of the long-standing tennis champions.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is the youngest professional player ranked by the Association of Tennis Professionals. He is the highest-ranking Green player in history. He was also the youngest player to defeat four of the top ten opponents in a single tournament last year.

Karen Khachanov is a Russian tennis player who achieved a ranking of number nine this year. He landed in a major quarterfinal during the French Open in 2019.

Daniil Medvedev, a tennis professional from Russia, reached a singles career high ranking of number four in 2019. He stood out as a breakthrough player in 2019 and has won two Masters titles.

Roger Federer is a well-known Swiss professional tennis player that has made history for holding the most Grand Slam singles Titles at 20. The one thing Roger Federer is still after is that Olympic Gold. It’s likely that 2020 could be his year to achieve just that.

Novak Djokovic is currently ranked number two in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals. This tennis professional is the first male player hailing from Serbia to win a Grand Slam Singles title. He also is considered an Olympic hopeful for 2020.

Rafael Nadal, a Spanish tennis professional, is currently ranked number one in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals. He follows Federer with 19 Grand Slam wins. Nadal has a reputation to maintain in the upcoming Olympics and his G.O.A.T. status.

Serena Williams is an American professional tennis player holding 23 major singles titles by any man or woman in the Open Era. She has been ranked number one by the Women’s Tennis Association on more than eight occasions. She also holds 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus. She will be defending her prior gold medal achievements during this upcoming 2020 Olympics run.
Upcoming Challengers

Felix Auger-Aliassime is a young Canadian professional tennis player that reached a career high juniors ranking of number two in 2016. He has made his way through open matches only to be defeated by high ranking professionals.
Dennis Shapovalov is an Israeli-born Canadian professional that was the youngest player to break the top 30 in the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings since 2005. In the past couple years he has risen to the top while making appearances in major finals.

Frances Tiafoe is the youngest American to be ranked in the top 50 of the Association of Tennis Professionals. His success during his youth career made him a stand out player as a professional to watch. Many believe he will be one of the next top ranking professionals for American players.

Cristian Garin is a Chilean professional tennis player who has been climbing up the ranks of the Association of Tennis Professionals. Winning a high level Association of Tennis Professionals match has earned him the ranking of the first Chilean player to reach this achievement. In 2019, he created a name for himself reaching more three finals in five tournaments.

Bianca Andreescu came to fame when she defeated favorite, Serena Williams, in both the US Open and Canadian Open. Winning her Grand Slam singles title earned her the ranking of the first Canadian tennis player to achieve this ranking.

Belinda Bencic has been playing tennis since the age of two. She has risen to high rankings in her recent achievements, winning four singles and two doubles titles in the Women’s Tennis Association. In 2019, she initially reached the top 20, finishing the season in the top 10 after her semifinal in the US Open.

While this list is composed of many newcomers in the tennis profession, there are also many well-known players reaching for important titles and achievements. As analysts watch these upcoming players, wagers will pay off on any of these professionals in 2020

Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem of Austria

Zverev Has to Live Up to Potential

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Alexander Zverev proved his talent in London at the end of 2018, defeating Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Finals. The German now faces the challenge of replicating his form a few miles down the road in SW19 to make his Grand Slam breakthrough at Wimbledon.

Zverev has produced quality results in isolation, although he has not managed to progress further than the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam in his 16 attempts. The 22-year-old has reached the last eight in his last two appearances at the French Open. However, his best performance at Wimbledon was his fourth-round berth achieved in 2017.

It would take a significant improvement for Zverev to challenge for the crown at the All England Club, although he is backed behind the big three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer as the next best option in the Wimbledon winner odds at 18/1. The German does have the star potential, but whether he can put it all together with a surge to the latter stages of the competition is another matter given the quality of the top three players.

He was extremely underwhelming last season, failing to emerge beyond the first week of Wimbledon. Zverev’s form on the ATP Tour earned him the fourth seed for the competition, and he brushed aside James Duckworth with ease in the first round. However, American Taylor Fritz took him all the way to five sets, forcing the German to battle back to win the final two to advance to the third round. His exploits against Fritz took their toll in his next outing, resulting in a five-set defeat at the hands of Ernests Gulbis, losing the final two sets 6-3 6-0.

It was the same story at the US Open, failing to progress beyond the third round after being beaten by his compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber. Zverev put that disappointment behind him to end the year on a high note in the ATP Tour Finals. In his group, the German was defeated by Djokovic, but overcame John Isner and Marin Cilic to book his place in the semi-finals. Zverev put forward arguably the best performance of his career to beat Federer before topping that display by winning in straights sets in his revenge match against Djokovic.

The results proved that the German is more than capable of beating the elite players, although he could not carry that forward into the Australian Open. Milos Raonic saw him off with ease in the first Grand Slam of 2019 in the fourth round. He improved his performance at the French Open, earning a quarter-final berth for the second year on the bounce. The presence of Djokovic ended his charge, dumping him out in straight sets.

Zverev has impressed in short stints, but has not managed to make a strong impression over two weeks of a major competition. He has bogged down in the early rounds, which has resulted in fatigue and his eventual premature exit. The 22-year-old has to become more clinical in the early rounds of Grand Slams to prepare himself for the challenge of the big three in the latter stages. Zverev has the quality, but needs to deliver on his potential.

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev