ATP

Alexander Zverev Wins Chengdu Open In China

September 26, 2023 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

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

Medvedev Challenges Alcaraz Dominance

April 3, 2023 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

BY JAMES BECK

Watch out men’s tennis.

Here comes Daniil Medvedev.

So, the men’s tour doesn’t belong to Carlos Alcaraz just yet.

Medvedev may not look that great as a tennis player, but just watch his tenacity and strategy. He plays to win, and he does just that most of the time.

He can be forgiven for losing to Alcaraz two weeks earlier in the Indian Wells final when you look at what he did in Miami.

DANIIL BEATS THE HEAT AND SINNER

Medvedev beat the heat all week and then withstood the bullets of Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final. He’s tennis’ hottest player right now with a 24-1 record in his last 25 matches.

Even Alcaraz can’t top that, although the Spanish Wonder’s ATP points total is right below No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic’s.

Medvedev double-faults his share of the time, but he blasts aces just about as often on second serves. The slender Russian hits winners almost at will while playing a cat-and-mouse rallying game with his opponents.

HELP FROM SINNER

Of course, Medvedev had some help from Sinner in Miami. Sinner wore out the acrobatic Acaraz in the semifinals, and wore out himself in the process.

So, not only are Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, along with Acaraz, Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas key players to watch in the European clay-court season, it may be time for the 27-year-old Medvedev to nail down a Grand Slam title other than the one he earned at the 2021 U.S. Open.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN ON RED CLAY

Another Alcaraz-like might even burst on the scene in Europe. Or maybe Americans Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul or Frances Tiafoe might make their mark on the red clay.

Anything seems to be possible, with Djokovic still a little unpredictable, and Nadal and Alcaraz sometimes one bad step away from an injury.

Who would have thought at the start of 2022 that a young man named Alcaraz would become the world-wide heart-throb of men’s tennis in such a short time.

YES, CARLOS ALCARAZ HAS FLAWS

Of course, Alcaraz has flaws.

He still has to learn that tennis isn’t soccer or football.

Diving for loose balls all over the court makes no sense at all. Except maybe on Wimbledon’s grass.

And certainly not on the hard courts of Miami.

He makes landing on two hands and his toes, or maybe two arms and two knees look spectacular. But the only thing that does is threaten his career. Of course, he doesn’t win many of those points.

The football fans among the crowd love Alcaraz for those stunts. Alcaraz still needs to grow up by the time he reaches 20 years old.

—

James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Carlos Alcaraz Wins Indian Wells To Return To No. 1

March 20, 2023 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Carlos Alcaraz made more history at the BNP Paribas Open, where he became the ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double. The 19-year-old was faultless throughout his run in Indian Wells, not dropping a set en route to his third ATP Masters 1000 crown.

The Spaniard, who defeated seeds Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, returned to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings following his title triumph in the Californian desert.

“It feels amazing to lift the trophy here, to recover the No. 1 [ranking]. I would say this has been the perfect tournament,” reflected Alcaraz, who reached the 100 match wins milestone earlier in the week. “It was good for me, [at] this tournament that I really wanted to win, and for me, it’s amazing.”

Alcaraz joins countryman Rafael Nadal as the only players to win at least three Masters 1000 titles as a teenager, with Nadal having won six before turning 20. Holding a 14-1 record on the season, Alcaraz will turn his attention to the Miami Open presented by Itaú, where he will aim to maintain his red-hot form. To remain No. 1, Alcaraz must successfully defend his Miami title. Top 5 stars Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev also make the journey from California to south Florida as they try to stop Alcaraz from becoming the eighth player to complete the calendar-year Sunshine Double. Ruud lost to the Spaniard in last year’s Miami final, while Medvedev will be aiming to start a new winning streak after Alcaraz ended his 19-match unbeaten run in the Indian Wells title match.

ATP Investigation Finds Insufficient Evidence In Alexander Zverev Abuse Allegation Case

January 31, 2023 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

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.

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

July 21, 2022 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

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.”

“Pioneers of the Game” Book By Marshall Happer Documents History of Men’s Pro Tennis Administration

January 18, 2022 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

“Pioneers of the Game: The Evolution of Men’s Professional Tennis,” the comprehensive tennis history book written by Marshall Happer, is now available for sale.

The book is the culmination of many years of research and work from Happer, who was the first and only “commissioner” of men’s professional tennis as the head of the Men’s Tennis Council, the first and last unified governing body of men’s tennis from 1974-1989.

“Pioneers of the Game” documents the saga and history of the inside struggles and conflicts of a surprisingly small group of international visionaries and activists who shaped the business, administration, and governance of men’s professional tennis from 1919 to 1990 and beyond. The book details the pioneer’s 40-year competition between amateur and professional tennis which eventually forced the approval of Open Tennis in 1968, followed by the creation and development of the business, administration, and governance of men’s tennis as a professional sport between 1968 and1990 and beyond, with the divided governance and the advent of the ATP Tour.

This historical volume profiles, honors, and ranks these administrative legends which include Jack Kramer, Phillippe Chatrier, Lamar Hunt, Herman David, Derek Hardwick, Robert Kelleher, Donald Dell, Mike Davies, Stan Malless, Tony Trabert, Arthur Ashe, and Cliff Drysdale, among others.

“I am proud that I had the opportunity to meet and work for and with many of the Pioneers of the Game,” said Happer. “I wish I had known all of this history when I was privileged to be involved in men’s professional tennis.”

Steve Flink, the Hall of Fame tennis writer and historian, contributed the Foreword to the book, writing, “In this compelling and immensely significant book, Marshall Happer—a central figure in the evolution of pro tennis and one of its most crucial citizens— writes the definitive historical account of how (men’s pro tennis) all transpired, of those who contributed most mightily to the growth and wellbeing of the sport, of why the many challenges confronted by the those in and around the establishment were ultimately successful in their quest to turn the men’s game into a place of growing prominence along the landscape of sports.”

The book, which has suffered through some supply chain delays but be ordered now here XXXX via Amazon.com, has also already captured the attention of some of biggest names from the board rooms to the courts over the last 50 years.

Said five-time U.S. Open champion Jimmy Connors, “This is about the development of men’s tennis from the beginning. The Pioneers molded the game, but did those involved have their own agendas? Marshall Happer had to deal with all the ‘players’ – those on the court and those behind the scenes. This is a story that needs to be told – to understand how tennis has gotten to where it is now. Many questions will be answered, and maybe, just maybe, a few more will be asked.”

Said three-time U.S. Open champion Ivan Lendl, “I was opposed to many of the rules that Marshall held us to and we fought all the time, but looking back he had an impossible job which he tried to manage in the fairest way possible.”

Said Craig Tiley, the CEO of Tennis Australia and the tournament director of the Australian Open, “Success is optimised by having respect and a better understanding of the past. Marshall’s book will help everyone in tennis reflect and gain greater knowledge of what came before them.”

Said Cliff Drysdale, the first President of the ATP, “There were so many moving parts to this interesting story. At that time tennis organizations and players in this drama were staking their claim to a place at the table. Marshall Happer was in the right place then, and he led the game thru its formative stage when there was no clear end in sight. He steered the discussion forcefully but gently through those turbulent times. Indeed, for a long while he was the lead pioneer. Marshall has done diligent research so this book is a definitive historical account. It is a great trip down memory lane and a fascinating tale of the birth of pro tennis.”

Said Miami Open Founder and Former ATP Executive Director Butch Buchholz, “Men’s professional tennis today owes a huge thank you to Marshall Happer who was the Administrator for the Men’s Tennis Council, the first and only unified governing body for men’s professional tennis. Professional tennis needed someone with Marshall’s passion for tennis and legal background to build the foundation for the sport we enjoy today.”

Said long-time Indian Wells tournament owner and tournament director Charlie Pasarell, “As a founding member of the ATP and later a member of the Men’s Tennis Council representing the North American Tournaments, I had the privilege of spending many hours in meeting rooms with Marshall….Much of the success that Tennis has achieved is due to some sound fundamentals that were established under Marshall’s leadership then. This book tells the accurate historical story of that period. It is a must read for Tennis fans, and should be mandatory reading for all players, tournament directors and tennis officials.”

Said Micky Den Tuinder Lawler, President of the WTA, “Pioneers of the Game provides the reader with a unique and inside personal insight into the fascinating world of tennis. This game is as competitive and intense behind the scenes as it is on the court. The thick plots that evolved on the international stage rival any adventure in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series.”

Said Tennis Channel President Ken Solomon, “Marshall Happer has written the definitive history of one of the most unlikely and least understood origin stories of any major sport, chronicling the tumultuous 40 year birth of men’s, and eventually all, professional tennis. Commissioner Happer’s meticulous, fascinating and thoroughly entertaining narrative has never before been told, and is a must read for any tennis fan or player seeking the unique origins of the professional game.”

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “Juan Martin del Potro: The Gentle Giant” by Sebastian Torok, “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All-Time” and “Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited” by Steve Flink, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Pros: The Forgotten Era Of Tennis” by Peter Underwood, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others” by Rick Macci with Jim Martz, “The Secrets of Spanish Tennis” by Chris Lewit, “Andy Murray, Wimbledon Champion: The Full Extraordinary Story” by Mark Hodgkinson, “Cattle To Courts: A History of Tennis In Texas” by Ken McAllister, “Sport of a Lifetime: Enduring Personal Stories From Tennis” by Judy Aydelott, “Trojan Tennis: A History of the Storied Men’s Tennis Program at the University of Southern California” by S. Mark Young, “Absolute Tennis: The Best And Next Way To Play The Game” by Marty Smith, “How To Permanently Erase Negative Self Talk So You Can Be Extraordinary” by Emily Filloramo, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Your Playbook For Beating Depression: Essential Strategies For Managing and Living with Depression” by Cliff Richey and Mary Garrison, “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Days of Roger Federer” by Randy Walker, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker, “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Court Confidential: Inside The World Of Tennis” by Neil Harman, “A Backhanded Gift” by Marshall Jon Fisher, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “Internet Dating 101: It’s Complicated, But It Doesn’t Have To Be” by Laura Schreffler, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “Bone Appetit: Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Suzan Anson, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin among others.

FanHub Expands Relationship With ATP By Launching ATP Cup Bracket Challenge Game

December 26, 2019 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

FanHub, the largest provider of casual, free to play sports-focused digital gaming platforms in the world, today announced that they have expanded their relationship with the ATP, building and launching the first-ever bracket challenge game for the inaugural ATP Cup, which will be held in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, Australia from January 3 through 12. The six winners of each group and the two best second-placed finishers will qualify for the quarterfinals.

“Tennis has long been one of the sports where fans have enjoyed competitive gaming and being able to work with the ATP in building this bracket challenge will be a great way to expose this unique, first-time event to a global audience,” said Andrew Cronyn, Managing Director FanHub. “The free to play game enables the ATP to engage with fans throughout the tournament, giving them a reason to keep coming back to ATP’s digital platform and bringing the sport of tennis to the forefront.. We believe this will help set a year-round standard for sports like tennis and golf to consistently grow their fanbase like never before.”

“We have always enjoyed the best in class work provided by FanHub, and we believe that this new project will help us elevate the ATP Cup and enhance the fan engagement around our major season launch event to a new level through casual gaming,” said Ross Hutchins, Managing Director, ATP Cup. “While our core fans will enjoy the competition, the ability to gamify the event leads us to a bigger goal, which is having casual fans more engaged, and this will be a solid step in helping reach that point.”

Users must select the group winners from six groups, consisting of four countries, as well as the two best second placed finishers across the groups to qualify for the quarterfinals. After that, the knockout rounds: quarterfinals, semi-finals and final. Using their pre-populated bracket based on their group stage predictions, users will pick the team to progress from each knockout match through to the final, the user who predicts the complete bracket will be eligible for tickets to the 2021 ATP Cup. There will also be daily matches for fans to follow every day throughout the ATP Cup.

The game can be found at https://www.atptour.com/en/atp-cup-bracket-challenge#/

About FanHub Media

Launched in 2012, FanHub was created in Australia by a group of disruptive entrepreneurs who had a passion for engagement in sport. Now with offices in New York City, London and Melbourne, FanHub builds and operates more than 100 products annually to provide commercial opportunities such as sponsorship revenue, conversion to paid products and most importantly, significant fan engagement. Originally launched with Australian Rules Football, we now work with partners that include the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, Turner, the ATP, NewsUK, Draftkings and others to engage in competitive, casual gaming for more than five million fans globally. Whether it’s fantasy sports, a bracket challenge, pick ‘em, trivia, polling or anything else our clients dream up, our platform provides industry-leading reliability, performance and stability. For more details go to http://fanhubmedia.com/.

About the ATP

The ATP is the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuits – the ATP Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. With 64 tournaments in 30 countries, the ATP Tour showcases the finest male athletes competing in the world’s most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia, the stars of the 2019 ATP Tour will battle for prestigious titles and ATP Rankings points at ATP Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, as well as Grand Slams (non-ATP events). The 2020 season will launch in January with the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia, and will culminate with only the world’s top 8 qualified singles players and doubles teams competing for the last title of the season at the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Held at The O2 in London, the event will officially crown the 2020 ATP World No. 1. For more information, please visit www.ATPTour.com.

Nitto ATP Finals Caps Record ATP Attendance For 2019

November 21, 2019 by tennisbloggers

LONDON — The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals, held for an 11th consecutive year at The O2 in London, provided a thrilling finale to the 2019 ATP Tour season, bringing attendance across the 63 ATP events throughout the year to a record 4.82 million fans, while online consumption of the season finale hit unprecedented heights. Stefanos Tsitsipas

21-year-old Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Austria’s Dominic Thiem in a memorable singles final, 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(4), to complete a remarkable week of matches at The O2. It was only the third time in the history of the tournament (since 1970) that the singles championship match came down to a final set tie-break (1988, Becker d. Lendl; 2005, Nalbandian d. Federer).

Tsitsipas, who had won the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan just one year earlier, captured the biggest title of his career, as well 1,300 ATP Rankings points and US$2,656,000 in prize money. At just 21 years, 3 months, the Greek became the youngest champion since 20-year-old Hewitt in 2001, and 6th-youngest champion in tournament history.

In doubles, the French pairing of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut captured the season-ending title for the first time in their careers, defeating Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus, 6-3, 6-4.

The season finale attracted 242,883 fans to The O2 across the eight days of competition, bringing the tournament’s cumulative attendance since 2009 to 2,803,967. This year’s attendance at The O2 elevated the attendance across the ATP Tour’s 63 events in 2019 to more than 4.82 million fans, an all-time record. The previous highest attendance had been set in 2017 (4.57 million).

The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals also attracted record audiences online, as the tournament generated unprecedented levels of fan engagement across social and digital media platforms. The event received almost 400m impressions on tournament related content – a 97% increase on 2018. And with 12.4m interactions generated across ATP and Tennis TV social media platforms, the 2019 event became the best performing ATP Tour tournament on social, a 145% increase on the previous year. Tennis TV received 41.24 million video views on social media throughout the tournament, taking the platform’s total views on social media in 2019 to more than 1 billion.

Away from the match action, the ATP’s new ATP Tour app was successfully launched, while a five-year renewal of the Tour’s premier partnership with Emirates was also announced.

The ATP’s crown jewel event is to be held at The O2 in London for a 12th consecutive and final time in 2020, before moving to Turin, Italy, in 2021. Fans are able to purchase pre-sale tickets for the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals from today, by visiting: https://www.axs.com/NittoATPFinals_presale

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 399,112,369 – number of impressions across all ATP digital platforms (ATPTour.com, NittoATPFinals.com, live scoring apps, and social media platforms, and Tennis TV) throughout the event, a YOY increase of 97%.
• 69,110,871 – number of video plays on ATP digital media platforms, including ATPTour.com, NittoATPFinals.com, ATP & Tennis TV social media platforms, a year-on-year increase of 88%.
• 41,240,000 – number of Tennis TV social media video views, taking the platform’s total views on social media in 2019 to more than 1 billion.
• 12,397,163 – number or interactions (likes, comments, retweets, replies etc.) on ATP and Tennis TV social media platforms throughout the event, a year-on-year increase of 145%.
• 9,000,000 – amount of prize money (US$) on offer at the 2019 season finale.
• 6,200,000 – viewership in the UK of the BBC Breakfast programme that featured an exclusive sit-down interview with all eight singles players ahead of the season finale. The clip was also viewed on social media more than a quarter of a million times.
• 4,823,370 – number of fans that attended the 63 tournaments ATP tournaments in 2019, an all-time record.
• 2,803,964– cumulative attendance at the season-ending tournament since it moved to London in 2009.
• 2,656,000 – amount of prize money (US$) that Stefanos Tsitsipas won by capturing the title.
• 1,570,000 – number of streams on Tennis TV, the ATP’s official live streaming service, with each viewer watching an average of 475 minutes each.
• 242,880 – attendance inside The O2 arena across the eight days.
• 60,000 – number of single use plastic cups removed from the waste stream through elimination of single use cups and use of tournament take-home cups.
• 3,410 – metres of string used by Tecnifibre, Official Stringers of the Nitto ATP Finals, during the tournament.
• 1,300 – ATP Rankings points won by Stefanos Tsitsipas.
• 310 – number of racquets strung by Tecnifibre during the tournament. No plastic bags were used in the delivery of newly strung racquets to players by the official tournament stringers.
• 11 – number of years the event has been held at The O2 in London. The only city to host the season finale longer is New York, which held the season finale for 13 years from 1977-1989.
• 8 – number of different nations represented in the singles field, for the fourth consecutive year.
• 5 – number of times Nadal, Djokovic and Federer have finished the season as year-end No.1.
• 4 – number of singles players 23-and-under in the field (Tsitsipas, Zverev, Berrettini, Medvedev), the most since 2009.
• 1 – number of continents (Europe) represented in the singles field, a first in the 50-year history of the event.

Top Tennis Players to Watch in 2020

November 8, 2019 by tennisbloggers

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

Ultimate Tennis Betting Tips Guide

September 20, 2019 by tennisbloggers

Thousands of enthusiastic bettors place tennis wagers every day. Bookmakers cover most competitions on the ATP and WTA tours. However, let’s not forget about Grand Slam events like the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Team tournaments such as the Fed and Davis Cups are also huge hits among punters.

If you’re not familiar with the sport, tennis can be extremely tricky to bet on. Unlike football, for instance, there’s no possibility of a draw. Occasionally, this can have a huge impact on the odds. Several factors need to be analyzed before you place any bets. We’ll break them down for you during this ultimate tennis betting tips guide.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned punter. Stay on this page, and we’ll share our expert knowledge with you. Don’t fall into the same old traps and waste your money on pointless wagers. It’s possible to win regularly if you set some time aside to study your bets. Here’s what we know.

Risk Versus Reward

When the top players are competing, it can be difficult to find value for money wagers. The top five players on both the men’s and women’s tours are usually heavy favourites. However, that doesn’t always mean that they always win. Evaluate risk versus reward before you make any decisions.

If one of your selections slips up, are your potential returns worth it? Try not to stake huge amounts of money on tricky games. You’d be surprised at the number of times the underdog wins. If you want to increase your odds, why not create a multiple? You could include Federer and Nadal as part of a treble, for example.

Research The Statistics

It’s incredibly important to analyze stats and results before placing a bet. Luckily, most of the top online bookmakers provide them. This allows you to study form and head-to-head results. What’s more, players can excel on different surfaces. Rafa Nadal at the French Open and Roger Federer at Wimbledon are two examples that spring to mind. Find out what your player’s strengths are and try to build your bets around them.

Furthermore, form is one of the most important metrics to consider. If a player is on a winning streak, their odds will shorten. However, if they’ve lost three out of their last five games, their odds will lengthen. Set a few minutes aside to research the statistics before you start.

Study The Markets

If you have a deep understanding of the markets, more betting opportunities will open up. For instance, if the odds on an outright win are low, you could bet on the correct score or the total number of games in a set.

Most modern online bookmakers also offer a live betting service. If you’re not sure about who’s going to win, you could wait and see which player makes the better start. However, be aware that the odds can fluctuate rapidly during a live match. If Serena Williams wins the first set, for instance, the odds will swing dramatically in her favour.