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Rafael Nadal Is Now The Oldest Roland Garros Champ In Addition To Being Most Dominant

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Seventeen years to the day when he won his first Roland Garros title and his first major title, Rafael Nadal won his 14th Roland Garros title and his 22nd major title.

He defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in a tension-less final that increased Nadal’s career record at Roland Garros to an incredible 112-3.

With a win, Nadal, two days past his 36th birthday, passes fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno as the oldest Roland Garros men’s singles champion in history. Gimeno, at age 35 years and 10 months, set the record exactly 50 years and one day earlier in 1973 when he defeated Patrick Proisy of France in the 1972 final.

It was also on June 5, back in 2005, when Nadal won Roland Garros for the first time for his first major title, as documented in the “On This Day In Tennis History” book and excerpted here:

2005 – Nineteen-year-old Rafael Nadal of Spain fends off a charge from unseeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina to win his first major singles title at the French Open. Nadal wins the title and his 24th consecutive match with a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1 7-5 decision over the No. 37-ranked Puerta to become the fourth youngest men’s singles champion at Roland Garros. Nadal joins 1982 champion Mats Wilander as the only player to win Roland Garros in his debut.

Nadal is now a perfect 14-0 with the Coupe des Mousquetaires on the line and has never lost two sets in a Roland Garros final, much less three. His 14 Roland Garros titles are the most won by any man at a single Grand Slam event in history, followed by Novak Djokovic’s nine at the Australian Open and Roger Federer’s eight at Wimbledon.

Nadal is now a perfect 14-0 with the Coupe des Mousquetaires on the line and has never lost two sets in a Roland Garros final, much less three. His 14 Roland Garros titles are the most won by any man at a single Grand Slam event in history, followed by Novak Djokovic’s nine at the Australian Open and Roger Federer’s eight at Wimbledon.

For the first time in his career, Nadal has swept the Australian Open and Roland Garros in the same year and equaled his lowest ranking as a Grand Slam champion. He was also No. 5 at 2005 Roland Garros and the 2022 Australian Open.

International Tennis Hall of Fame Announces Winners of Iconic Moments in Tennis History

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Following a two-week vote with tens of thousands fans from around the globe weighing in, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has announced the five winning nominees from the Iconic Moments in Tennis History fan voting campaign. The winners in each of the five categories voted upon will be featured in a new exhibition in the ITHF Museum for fans to experience later this month, and online at tennisfame.com/iconic-moments.

The first annual Iconic Moments campaign gave fans the opportunity to revisit, debate and weigh in on some of the sport’s most impactful moments, with individuals from more than 100 nations participating. Fans were able to submit their ballots for their choices among eight nominees in each category.

The Iconic Moments in Tennis History winners are:

Most Epic Rivalry category winner: Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic

For nearly 20 years, tennis fans have been captivated by the rivalry between the three most successful players in the history of the ATP Tour by Grand Slam title count. In a category that featured some of tennis’ most impactful matchups, the “Big Three” stood apart for fans who participated in the voting campaign. Each of the three has competed against the other two at least 40 times, with the trio combining to win 61 of the past 76 Grand Slams. Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic stood tied at 20 Grand Slam titles apiece until January, when Nadal claimed his 21st major trophy at the 2022 Australian Open.

Best Cinderella Story category winner: Emma Raducanu, 2021 US Open

Despite Emma Raducanu reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon just weeks prior, no tennis fan could have predicted her stunning triumph at the 2021 US Open. Sitting at No. 150 in the world at the beginning of qualifying, she rattled off nine straight victories in Flushing Meadows without dropping a set, advancing to the final. Raducanu’s championship matchup with Leylah Fernandez marked the first all-teen women’s final at the US Open since 1999. With her 6-3, 6-4 victory, Raducanu became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era, and the first British woman to win a major since 1977.

Best Comeback Within a Match category winner: Rafael Nadal d. Daniil Medvedev, 2022 Australian Open Final

At age 35 and competing at his first Grand Slam in nearly eight months, Rafael Nadal engineered the greatest match comeback of his storied career on the grandest of stages. Having advanced to the final in Melbourne as the No. 6 seed, Nadal found himself down two sets to none to No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev before turning the match on its heels and prevailing 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. The victory marked Nadal’s 21st career Grand Slam title, breaking the three-way tie at 20 he had previously held with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and his second Australian Open title.

Most Iconic Celebration category winner: Guga Kuerten draws a heart in clay at 2001 Roland-Garros

Known for wearing his heart on his sleeve while on court, Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten left a lasting impression on the clay of Roland-Garros during his run to the title in 2001. Already a two-time champion and the favorite heading into the tournament that year, Kuerten found himself in a bind against qualifier Michael Russell in the fourth round. After surviving match point and prevailing 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-1, Kuerten expressed his love and gratefulness for the fans by drawing a heart in the clay with his racquet.

Best Moment of National Pride category winner: Andy Murray, 2013 Wimbledon

In capturing the 2013 Wimbledon title, Andy Murray ended one of tennis’ longest droughts, becoming the first British man to win his home major since Fred Perry in 1936. He achieved one of the nation’s sport pinnacles in front of a U.K. television audience of 17.3 million and 15,000 elated fans at Centre Court, defeating top seed Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Murray’s victory and final score of 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 would forever be “etched into the national psyche,” according to The Guardian.

Panelists decide the Iconic Moments in History

The nominees in the Iconic Moments in Tennis History campaign were decided upon by a panelists of tennis experts, journalists and historians, and encompassed over seven decades of tennis history. As part of the initiative, thousands of fans around the United States entered to win the 2022 Enshrinement Weekend sweepstakes. Two fans have been selected as winners, and will travel to Newport, R.I. this July 15-17 and receive exclusive access to Lleyton Hewitt’s induction celebrations and the Infosys Hall of Fame Open.

Carlos Alcaraz wins first Masters in Miami, confirms wonderkid status

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Carlos Alcaraz wins his first Masters title in Miami and hereby confirms that he is the new wonderkid in tennis. Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud in straight sets 7-5 6-4. 

By winning the Miami tournament Alcaraz is the 2nd youngest player to ever win a Masters title. Only Michael Chang, (Toronto, 1990) and Rafael Nadal (Monte Carlo, 2005) were younger when they won a tournament in this highly prestigious category in professional tennis. The Masters tournament are directly placed under Grand Slam tournaments.

Alcaraz, who is of this week is the number 11 on the ATP Tour rankings, also reached the semi finals of the Indian Wells tournament, another prestigious Masters’ tournament and also considered to be the fifth Grand Slam, gave all he got and then some in Miami to win the third title of his career.

Alcaraz, who was born in Murcia, Spain was pleasantly surprised by coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who went back to Spain due to the passing of his father.

Alcaraz has a rusty start

Alcaraz did not want to disappoint his Ferrero with whom he has been collaborating in 2019, and may have felt some pressure because he was off to a rusty start with a lot of unforced errors.

Casper Ruud, who also played his first Masters finale like Alcaraz, happily took advantage of the bad start of the Spanish youngster. The Norwegian, number seven in the world, took a 4-1 lead but Alcaraz rejuvenated his game and took the first set with 7-5.

Alcaraz put more variety in his game and dominated Ruud. The Spaniard took a quick 3-0 lead in the second set and won the set and match swiftly by hitting matchpoint on a lovegame.

Alcaraz became the youngest Miami tournament ever and broke the “Spanish curse”. Sergi Bruguera, Carlos Moya, David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal (5x) also reached the finals of the prestigious Miami tournament but there never was a Spanish winner.

A tribute to Juan Carlos Ferrero

“Eduardo always with us,” he wrote on the lens with a heart before acknowledging his coach’s gesture of attending the final in his speech. “Juan Carlos came yesterday, it’s a tough moment for him and I want to say thank you to him for coming to stay with me in this important moment for me, for my career,” the newly-crowned Miami Open said. “It’s pretty amazing to share this with you.”

Rafael Nadal Now Has 91 ATP Singles Titles… And Counting!

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Rafael Nadal defeated Cameron Norris 6-4, 6-4 to win the Mexican Open in Acapulco for his 91st career ATP singles victory and extend his career-best start for a season to 15-0.

Nadal, who won his third title in 2022 including the Australian Open for his record 21st major singles title, is three victories from tying Ivan Lendl’s total of 94 for third place for most championships in the Open Era. Jimmy Connors leads with 109 and Roger Federer has 103.

The Spaniard won for the fourth time in Acapulco (2005, 2013 and 2020) where he is a fan favorite. Norrie, who was on an eight-match winning streak including winning the Delray Beach Open, was trying to become the first British man to win the Mexican Open in its 29-year history. In two weeks, he will try to defend his title at the BNP Paribas Open, that he won when the event was staged last Autumn.

At the start of the match, Nadal had a break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and went on to win the first set in 51 minutes. The players exchanged breaks in the first two games of the second set. However, Nadal added breaks in the fifth and seventh games to take home the trophy.

In the doubles final, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo and the Netherlands’ Jean-Julien Rojer 7-5, 6-4.

Rafael Nadal

No Guarantees In Sport, But Nadal Comes Close

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We are told that success in sport is never guaranteed. Those quick to reel out said words of warning can point to various examples throughout history of odds being bucked in order to support their argument.

Just when you think a certain result is set in stone, along comes a Buster Douglas to stun Mike Tyson, the New England Patriots to rip up the Greatest Show on Turf or an FA Cup giant killing to rival Leicester City’s remarkable Premier League title triumph. These things are not supposed to happen, but logic can be thrown out of the window on any given day of the week, not just Sunday.

Back in 2009, Rafael Nadal found himself on the receiving end of an upset that nobody – even the man delivering it – could have seen coming. The undisputed King of Clay, who will be a heavy favourite at Space Casino to claim another French Open crown in 2022, suffered a barely believable defeat in Paris some 13 years ago.

A Spanish superstar headed into that Grand Slam with 31 successive victories and four consecutive overall crowns at Roland-Garros to his name, with the general consensus being that he had become untouchable.

He proved in a four-set outing against Robin Soderling that he was not, with a stunning fourth-round reversal sending Nadal off to start his preparations for the grass court season much earlier than he had grown accustomed to.

A revenge of sorts was to be enjoyed in the final 12 months later, when a Swedish foe was seen off in straight sets, and there has been the considerable consolation of a further eight Paris titles since then.

Rare blip

The aforementioned outing against Soderling was a rare blip on a pretty pristine copybook for an all-time great, with Nadal’s record on a favoured surface making for quite stunning reading.

Across 108 outings in the French capital, he has secured 105 victories and suffered just three defeats – giving him a win ratio of 97.2 per cent – with eternal rival Novak Djokovic the only other man to have got the better of him.

Quite simply, whenever an iconic figure with a record-setting 21 major honours to his name steps out onto a surface that has a red tinge to it, his opponent may as well pack up the bags he came with and spare himself the suffering that will inevitably follow.

Optimism will of course spring eternal, with nobody ever beaten before a ball has been kicked or backhand sliced in anger, but sometimes the writing really is on the wall. Hope is being offered by niggling injuries and Father Time, but it also continues to be crushed by an evergreen performer who remains at the peak of his powers.

It may be the case that there are no certainties when teams or individuals lock horns on a competitive sporting stage, with all possible outcomes theoretically on the table whenever said contests begin, but Nadal has come as close as anybody to mastering the art of perfection and it still takes a brave soul to bet against him.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (photo by Justin Cohen Photography)

Rafael Nadal Wins Major Title 21 With Dramatic Australian Open Final Comeback

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Rafael Nadal won his 21st career Grand Slam men’s singles title, breaking the men’s record for most major singles titles, coming back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in five hours, 24 minutes in the Australian Open final that didn’t finish until after midnight in the early hours of Monday morning.

It was the second longest Australian Open final after Novak Djokovic beat Nadal in five sets in 5 hours and 53 minutes in 2012, as documented in the book “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” by Steve Flink here: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Tennis-Matches-All-Time/dp/0942257936/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=greatest+tennis+matches+of+all+time&qid=1643563303&sprefix=Greatest+tennis+mat%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-2

The 35-year-old Spaniard now has one more major singles title than Roger Federer and Djokovic.

With the 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 win, Nadal also became just the fourth man in history to win all four of the sport’s major titles at least twice.

Nadal won his first Australian Open title in 2009 and lost four other finals at Melbourne Park before his dramatic win over U.S. Open champion Medvedev. His conversation rate in major finals is now 21 out of 29. Federer and Djokovic each have 20 majors from 31 finals appearances.

His victory was even more remarkable considering Nadal flew to Australia with just two matches under his belt in the second half of 2021 because he was sidelined with a chronic foot injury that can be treated but not cured. He also had a bout of COVID-19.

Medvedev, who was aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title at the very next major, made Nadal go the distance and win from two-sets down. Medvedev now joins Andy Murray among those who’ve lost the final at the next major tournament after their career breakthrough at the highest level.

It was just the fourth time Nadal has rallied from two sets down to win a best-of-five-set match, and the first since a fourth-round victory in 2007 at Wimbledon over Mikhail Youzhny.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

It’s A Wide Open U.S. Open

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As the 2021 tennis schedule prepares for the upcoming US Open, it is fair to say that the field has been blown open in terms of who will come out on top and with a litany of withdrawals, it could be one of the most interesting tournaments in quite a while. With this edition boasting  a breaking record of prize money $57.5 M! 

With this being the fourth Grand Slam of the year, there is a sense that those involved will want to go out on a high and with Novak Djokovic previously scooping the other three top-tier events, there is a feeling that perhaps the stars have started to align.

Stars that may have provided the Serbian, with the greatest ever chance to win a Calendar Year Grand Slam and after scooping success at the Australian and French Open tournaments, which themselves go alongside victory at Wimbledon this summer, now the focus is on stateside success.

While the reason the stars have arguably aligned for Djokovic, is due to the absence of both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal from proceedings and with injury plaguing two of the game’s greats, it does seem as if the hottest ace of 2021 has been handed a huge advantage.

To the point where an open field in terms of tournament entrants, may end up being more a case of who will join the 34-year-old in the final and especially when you look at the pre-tournament bookmaker odds that are currently available.

Djokovic

For those who like to use their betting apps, they will see a large amount of confidence in Djokovic to win this year’s US Open and when you consider the non-appearance of his two biggest foes, then you can understand just why so many punters are backing Djokovic to win.

Because the last couple of weeks have very much been a good news, bad news scenario for this year’s US Open favourite and although he was deprived the opportunity to win a Golden Slam this year – due to defeat at the Tokyo Olympics, his spirits would have been lifted by news elsewhere.

News that although you should not take joy in the anguish of others, it would be hard for Djokovic to not at least offer a wry smile in private and with Roger Federer first announcing his inability to compete at Flushing Meadows, it may have meant a titanic tussle with Rafael Nadal in the final.

However, it does seem like fortune is not favouring the Spaniard either and with a nagging foot injury now becoming more than a pain, the Mallorca born star is no longer in a position to compete at such a prestigious event.

To the point where Nadal has had to call time on the rest of his 2021 schedule and some are even questioning whether the rigours of Grand Slam tennis are now going to be too much for 2022 and beyond.

When you consider just how big a war of attrition Grand Slam tennis actually is and combine that with the age of Nadal and his arch-rivals, there is a sense that the sport’s golden era may finally be coming to an end.

If only for the simple reason that the three men in question and you could even add Andy Murray into this bracket of fading forces cannot go on forever and at some point, the next generation will have to break through the glass ceiling which currently sits above.

Then again, that glass ceiling has not yet been penetrated once and for all and although the likes of Danii Medvedev and Alexander Zverev will consider themselves heir apparent to tennis’ throne, they cannot claim such a moniker yet.

If the tournament draw can go favourably for either of these two men, they may well be in a position to earn a place in the final and go toe to toe with a man who has swept all before him when it really matters.

Of course, when it comes to sport and redemption, it may be too quick to write off British star Andy Murray and although the bookmakers are not pushing him to the top of the odds list at present, this is someone who has won at Flushing Meadows previously. With all this taken into consideration, it will take something rather remarkable for the 34-year-old Scot to come out on top in September and it will take something remarkable to stop Novak Djokovic from winning this year’s US Open.

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.”

Novak Djokovic Wins 19th Major At Roland Garros In Epic Fashion

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By Bob Stockton

@BobStockton10

Novak Djokovic staged a determined comeback to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 for his second championship at Roland Garros and 19th Grand Slam title overall — one away from the men’s record shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“There’s always two voices inside: There is one telling you that you can’t do it, that it’s done, it’s finished. That voice was pretty strong after that second set,” Djokovic said. “So I felt that that was a time for me to actually vocalize the other voice and try to suppress the first one that was saying I can’t make it. I told myself I can do it. Encouraged myself. I strongly started to repeat that inside of my mind, tried to live it with my entire being.”

The inspired comeback capped perhaps the most satisfying major win from the 34-year-old Djokovic, who defeated the near unbeatable 13-time Roland Garros singles champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals in one of the most dramatic and well-played matches played in Paris ever.

Djokovic became one of three men, joining Rod Laver and Roy Emerson, to win each major singles title twice. As the reigning champion at the Australian Open and French Open, he heads to Wimbledon, which starts June 28, half way to the calendar-year Grand Slam, hoping to join Laver and Don Budge as the only men with a calendar-year Grand Slam. He also hope to win Olympic gold for the first time in Tokyo following Wimbledon and before the U.S. Open. If he were to win the Grand Slam in New York, it would also mark his 21st major singles title, eclipsing Federer and Nadal in the all-time lead.

The 34-year-old Djokovic eliminated 13-time French Open champion Nadal, handing Nadal only his third loss in 108 matches at Roland Garros. Djokovic also defeated Nadal in the 2015 quarterfinals before losing that year’s final to Stan Wawrinka. The only other player to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, Robin Soderling of Sweden in 2009, also lost in the final (to Federer.) It appeared the same fate awaited Sunday, when the 22-year-old Tsitsipas had the upper hand against a drained Djokovic.

“It was not easy for me,” Djokovic said, “both physically and mentally.”

Djokovic eventually completed his sixth career comeback from two sets down — and second of the past week. Djokovic — who trailed 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti two sets to none in the fourth round — is the first man in the professional era to win a major title after twice facing a 2-0 deficit in sets during the tournament.

Djokovic was steadfast in the final three sets, not facing a break point at any point.

 “Suddenly just felt cold and out of it,” Tsitsipas said. “I felt like I kind of lost my game a little bit.”

This was the first major final for Tsitsipas and the 29th for Djokovic, who also won the 2016 French Open, to go with nine titles at the Australian Open, five at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open.

Also key: Djokovic is 35-10 in five-setters — including a men’s-record 32 wins at majors — while Tsitsipas is 5-5.

“Two sets doesn’t really mean anything,” said Tsitsipas, who was trying to become the first Greek to win a major.