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Novak Djokovic’s father calls for him to retire: ‘He should have stopped’.

 

Novak Djokovic reacts during his defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final - CameraSport/Rob Newell

Novak Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, has expressed hope that his son will retire from tennis next year, saying: “I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job.”

The comment came in a new documentary named Novak Djokovic – Untold Stories. With Rafael Nadal also targeting 2024 for a farewell tour, it seems that the last days of the Big Four/Big Three era could be approaching a hard stop.

When Djokovic was asked about his future in May, he replied: “The desire is still there, but things can change quickly – I am 36, I’ve been a pro for 20 years.”

At 36, he has a new rival in the shape of 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz – one of a vanishingly small group of players to hold a winning record against him.

It remains to be seen whether Alcaraz’s pulsating five-set victory over the Serb in the Wimbledon final 11 days ago will renew Djokovic’s competitive fires, or quench them. But both parents say they are content with what Djokovic has already achieved: a record tally of 23 major titles, plus 38 Masters 1000s victories and 389 weeks at world No 1 (also both records).

 

Novak Djokovic is close with his father Srdjan - Getty Images/Marko Metlas

“As far as my wishes for him go, he has already fulfilled them all seven/eight years ago,” said Srdjan Djokovic in the documentary.

“The rest is this amazing bonus, tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life. I expect him to be recognised for the things he will do after his career ends as well, after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope it will happen next year. And for Novak to slowly but surely… it’s not the end, but in a year-and-a-half let’s say.

“My wish as a father – I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job. It’s physically and mentally challenging and very demanding – with him being fully dedicated for 30 years, and not taking his foot off the gas, there is not much time for other things in life.”

Djokovic’s mother Dijana is also quoted in the film, saying that she thinks her son still has another year or two left in his tennis career. “It’s all up to him,” she explained. “As far as I’m concerned, he can retire right now – he has won everything.”

Djokovic’s approach to tennis is now extremely focused on the four slams, with other tournaments failing to excite him. This week, he withdrew from the upcoming Toronto Open – the next Masters 1000 event – at the start of August.

In all probability, he will play Cincinnati as his lone build-up event before the US Open, which he has surprisingly won just three times – his equal-lowest total among the four slams, level with the French Open.

The outcome of the next two hard-court majors will surely impact his planning process. If he regains winning momentum, Djokovic can still push his grand-slam tally towards the late 20s, thus setting a mark that may never be beaten.

As and when Djokovic finally does retire, many observers believe that he will pursue a political career in Serbia, where his approval ratings are stratospheric.

https://sports.yahoo.com/novak-djokovic-father-calls-him-114914391.html

"I really hope that I give a small light and some positive emotions for my country" 💙💛 @angie_kalinina | #IBI23

 

"I really hope that I give a small light and some positive emotions for my country" 💙💛@angie_kalinina | #IBI23 pic.twitter.com/q3sqdTKxmS

— wta (@WTA) May 19, 2023

 

Amid Ukraine crisis, Anhelina Kalinina delivers hope in Rome Anhelina Kalinina has offered Ukraine a brief moment of comfort. Reaching the finals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, she is well aware of what her success means to her home country.

ROME -- Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina had a message for her embattled home country after she advanced to the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

"It’s really important to win every match, because of what Ukraine goes through," Kalinina told the crowd at the Foro Italico. "I really hope that I give a tiny, small light, maybe some positive emotions for my country. I really hope that Ukraine a little bit enjoys [this].”

Kalinina, a 26-year-old Ukrainian, has emerged as the lowest-ranked Rome finalist in more than 35 years. The World No.47 has come through a series of challenging matches. She defeated former No.4 Sofia Kenin in the third round, then dug deep to knock off 30th seed Madison Keys, No.12 Beatriz Haddad Maia and No.11 Veronika Kudermetova in three sets. 

Her win against Haddad Maia was the longest match of the season, clocking in at 3 hours and 41 minutes. 

Remarkably, Kalinina has achieved all this while processing the news that her family in Kyiv continues to face danger. After the match, she shared with reporters the unsettling news that a bomb had exploded near the Kyiv academy where her parents serve as tennis coaches.

"Yeah, near the tennis court," she said. "We have an academy, [then] maybe 300 meters [there is an] airport, and [now] there is no airport. This is how they live."

Kalinina has been persistently faced with the impact of war since the Russian invasion began last spring. Last year, a Russian assault left her parents' home in ruins. Currently, her hometown of Nova Kakhovka is under the occupation of Russian troops. Her grandparents, along with the entire family, have now relocated to Kyiv.

"I have no connections with Nova Kakhovka anymore because everyone is in Kyiv," she said. "I'm super happy because it's absolutely impossible to stay, to live [there], because there was so many weapons, so many soldiers near my grandmother and grandfather's house. It was absolutely not possible to live, to stay.

"They are very old people. So for them, it was very tough to make this decision to move from that city. They're living 60 years there. We kind of pushed them, like, 'You have to go.' When the bomb came directly to their house, it was a couple of meters left, not exactly in their apartment, but left. They kind of wake up and realize, 'Oh, my God, yeah, we have to move.'"

Since the beginning of the war, Kalinina has used her earnings to offer support and aid to as many Ukrainians as she can. By making Saturday's final, she's guaranteed herself a prize money check of at least €‎272,000.

Kalinina says she has been moved by the vocal crowd support she has received from the Italian crowd all tournament. 

"I don't remember where I was playing [but] almost for me it was like the whole stadium was cheering me up," Kalinina said. "It's kind of amazing feeling. I have never experienced something like that. They bring so much energy to fight when you don't even have energy to do that.

"From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every person who was in the stadium from the first match till hopefully tomorrow I will have another match. Thanks for them. They kind of motivated me and they give me much more energy to fight."

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/3445015/amid-ukraine-crisis-anhelina-kalinina-delivers-hope-in-rome

Everything you need to know about the 2023 Rome final (WTA). No.6 Elena Rybakina will face No.47 Anhelina Kalinina for the title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. Here's what's at stake on Saturday at the Foro Italico.

ROME -- The Internazionali BNL d'Italia final is set for Saturday. Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will face first-time WTA-1000 finalist Anhelina Kalinina for one of the biggest clay-court titles on tour.

No.6 Rybakina has a chance to cement herself as a short-list favorite for the French Open by winning her second WTA 1000 of the season. 

No.47 Kalinina could make history as the lowest-ranked Rome champion in over 35 years if can finish off her Cinderella run.

Here's what you need to know ahead of Saturday's showdown:

When is the women's singles final? 

The singles final is scheduled for Saturday, May 20 at 7 p.m.

The doubles final between top seeds Coco Gauff/Jessica Pegula and Storm Hunter/Elise Mertens will follow the singles final. 

What are the points and prize-money at stake?

By virtue of making the Rome final, Rybakina and Kalinina have assured themselves at least 650 points and €272,200. Saturday's champion will walk away with 1000 points and €521,754.

How did Rybakina and Kalinina get here?

Seeded No.7 in Rome, Rybakina advanced to her third WTA 1000 final of the season and fourth final overall with wins over Jasmine Paolini, Anna Kalinskaya, Marketa Vondrousova, No.1 Iga Swiatek and 20th seed Jelena Ostpaenko. Her wins over Kalinskaya and Swiatek came via retirement, with Kalinskaya bowing out in the first set after seven games, while Swiatek retired at 2-2 in the third set. 

Rybakina has now made four finals this season, finishing runner-up at the Australian Open and Miami and winning Indian Wells. Since the introduction of the WTA-1000 format in 2009, Rybakina is the third player to make the final in Indian Wells, Miami and Rome in the same season, joining Maria Sharapova in 2012 and Swiatek in 2022. 

Seeded No.30, Kalinina has earned wins against Anna Blinkova, Sofia Kenin, 30th seed Madison Keys, No 12 Beatriz Haddad Maia and No.11 Veronika Kudermetova. Kalinina won her last three matches in three sets, with her 3-hour and 41-minute duel against Haddad Maia clocking in as the longest match of the season. 

What milestones are at stake on Saturday? 

Rybakina is bidding to win her fifth title on the Hologic WTA Tour and her second on clay. She won her first WTA title on clay in Bucharest in 2019. A victory would net her a second WTA 1000 title this season, which would lead the tour.

2023 WTA 1000 Champions:

• Dubai: Barbora Krejcikova d. Iga Swiatek
• Indian Wells: Elena Rybakina d. Aryna Sabalenka
• Miami: Petra Kvitova d. Elena Rybakina
• Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka d. Iga Swiatek

Rybakina came into the tournament ranked No.6 but has assured herself a Top 5 debut on Monday. If she wins the title, she will rise to No.4 and earn a Top 4 seed at Roland Garros. 

Kalinina is bidding to win her first WTA title. Her initial breakthrough came in Budapest in 2021. Both of these runs have been on clay courts.

Ranked No.47, Kalinina could become the lowest-ranked player to win the final at the Italian Open since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. By making the final, she assured herself a new career-high ranking on Monday. She will rise to No.13 with the title and No.15 as runner-up.

How do they stack up?

Rybakina and Kalinina have played just once. That match came last year on the green clay in Charleston. Kalinina won 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. 

What are they saying? 

Rybakina: "I came [to Rome] without any expectation because I knew the other years were really tough for me coming and play here. Maybe for some people, rain is not good. I guess for my allergies it went the other way. It's helping me a bit to feel better here. 

"I'm just happy that I got so many matches now before French Open."

Kalinina: "Didn't expect this. I was playing match by match. Yeah, it went to the final. Unbelievable."

Kalinina: "It just didn't go [my way] in Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Madrid. I'm just saying I was losing second, third round, even first. But now it went through.

"Yeah, it's tennis. This is sport. I respect everyone. It can go both ways. I appreciate the moment that it goes my way now."

Rybakina: "She's a really good person. Actually, she used to work with my coach. We just have a good relationship. I'm always cheering for her also. Same, whenever I win, she's always supporting me. We have a good relationship.

"Yeah, I'm happy that we're going to play final."

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/3445040/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2023-rome-final

H2H: Ruud vs Hune. 4-0 Ruud.

Year	Event	Surface	RND	Winner	Result
2022	Roland Garros France	Outdoor Clay	QF	Casper Ruud	61 46 762 63
2022	ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Monaco	Outdoor Clay	R32	Casper Ruud	765 75
2021	Bastad Sweden	Outdoor Clay	R16	Casper Ruud	60 62
2021	ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Monaco	Outdoor Clay	R64	Casper Ruud	62 61

Six memorable Rafael Nadal Grand Slam finals.

 

Champion: Rafael Nadal after winning the 2022 French Open title

Rafael Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open and announced that 2024 will likely be his last season in tennis after a career which has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles.

AFP Sport recalls six of the Spaniard's greatest Slam finals:

2005 French Open

Nadal bt Mariano Puerta 6-7 (7/6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5

-- The one that started it all.

Nadal came in as an 18-year-old left-hander on the rise, with a huge top-spin forehand and expectations to match.

He won all three clay-court lead-up tournaments, in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome and there was a buzz growing around Nadal as he took to court in a sleeveless shirt, prowling like a young matador.

He blasted through the draw taking out Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean and David Ferrer.

But the real test came in the semi-final against world number one Roger Federer. The pair had never met on clay.

It was Nadal's 19th birthday and he won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Little-known Puerta of Argentina, ranked 37, was dispatched in a four-set final and Nadal would not lose another match on the Paris clay until 2009.

2008 Wimbledon

Nadal bt Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (7/5), 6-7 (10/8), 9-7

-- A match that is widely remembered as one of the greatest tennis matches of all time, it went to Nadal after an incredible four hours, 48 minutes of action.

Scheduled for a 2pm start, the final began late because of rain, had two more rain delays, and ended in light so bad that the Hawk-Eye line-calling system had ceased to work.

Federer clawed back a two-set deficit and saved two match points in the fourth set to take it the distance.

The sheer quality of tennis was like nothing seen before until Federer finally erred, finding the net at 9:21 pm to hand Nadal, who fell on his back onto the grass in relief, his first Wimbledon triumph.

2009 Australian Open

Nadal bt Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-2

-- Nadal again came out on top against Federer, this time in a five-set, four-and-a-half-hour thriller.

Unbelievably, the match started less than 24 hours after Nadal had been extended to five hours and 14 minutes in beating countryman Fernando Verdasco in a five-set semi-final.

Nadal's incredible feat of recovery and stamina delayed Federer from tying Pete Sampras's then record of 14 Grand Slam titles, and also gave Nadal his first Australian Open.

2012 Australian Open

Nadal lost to Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5

-- One of four Australian Open final defeats for Nadal, but a true epic that will be forever etched in the memory.

The match was the ultimate test of endurance and skill as it unfolded over five hours and 53 minutes of tennis of the highest quality between the world number one Djokovic and second-ranked Nadal.

When it finally ended at 1:37 am Monday local time -- the longest Grand Slam final in history -- both players were almost out on their feet.

The pair traded brutal blows all night -- one energy-draining 31-shot rally caused Djokovic to fall at the end and Nadal to tumble over the sidelines.

"This one was very special," Nadal said. "Not because I lost, no, because of the way that we played."

During the trophy presentation, both players needed to sit down. They were totally exhausted.

2013 US Open

Nadal bt Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

-- Nadal had seven months out to rest his creaking, injured knees, missing the 2012 US Open and 2013 Australian Open. But he took the world of tennis by storm on his return.

The Spaniard won 60 of 64 matches, 22 of them on hard courts not thought to favour the "King of Clay", lifted 10 titles, two of them Grand Slams (French Open, US Open) and registered his sixth win over Djokovic in seven matches.

Again the quality of the tennis was that of dreams.

One rally lasted for 54 shots -- 20 more than any other in the tournament -- as Nadal won in three hours and 21 minutes of pulsating action.

2022 Australian Open

Nadal bt Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5

-- The 35-year-old Nadal claimed a 21st Slam title with a stunning comeback against Medvedev.

He became the first man in the Open era to win the Australian Open from two sets down, and also saved three break points in the third set.

Medvedev said Nadal's performance was "unreal" after coming out second-best in a gruelling match which lasted five hours and 24 minutes.

It was the second time Nadal had defeated Medvedev in a major final, after another five-set epic went his way in New York in 2019.

https://sports.yahoo.com/six-memorable-rafael-nadal-grand-023011836.html

Nick Kyrgios to miss French Open due to foot injury from robbery, manager says.

 

Nick Kyrgios will miss a second straight Grand Slam but due to a different injury. (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Nick Kyrgios has had a bad year, and now he will miss the French Open.

The Australian player's manager, Daniel Horsfall, told The Canberra Times that his client won't make the trip to Roland Garros due to a cut on his foot that he sustained during an armed robbery at his home May 1.

The alleged robbery reportedly saw a man threaten Kyrgios' mother with a gun and steal his Tesla. After the incident, Kyrgios reportedly realized he had cut his foot while trying to help his family and track down the suspect.

The cut turned out to be a serious problem for Kyrgios on the court and has been slow to heal, preventing him from ramping up his on-court training over the past few weeks. Kyrgios underwent knee surgery in January, and his recovery was reportedly going well until the cut.

From the Times:

"We needed to be at a point that he could comfortably play five sets. Right when we were getting stuck into the loading period, the [alleged] armed robbery happened at his house. During the ordeal, he cut his foot quite badly.

"We don't know when it happened, but it's quite a large laceration. The location of the wound, it's been open for almost a week and a half now. It's not healing correctly, and he can't put in the work on court, so he's been off court for almost two weeks now.

"His knee is fine, it's just that he can't get his loading up so we can manage the rest of his body correctly and he doesn't injure something else when he gets out there."

Kyrgios addressed the news with a tweet.

Only human 🫤 https://t.co/90lBrInZem

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) May 18, 2023

The French Open, which also had Rafael Nadal withdraw Thursday, is scheduled to begin May 28.

The 28-year-old Kyrgios had already missed the Australian Open after that knee injury forced him to withdraw the day before he was scheduled to begin play. He has not played an ATP-sanctioned event since October.

In addition to his injury woes, Kyrgios' grandmother died earlier this week, as he announced on Instagram with the caption "Seems like I can’t catch a break right now…… RIP Yiayia, the best we could ask for. Go enjoy your time with Papou now."

Kyrgios also pleaded guilty in February to assaulting an ex-girlfriend but had the charge dismissed without conviction by a judge in Australia.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-kyrgios-to-miss-french-open-due-to-foot-injury-from-robbery-manager-says-193100290.html

'Another league': Nadal's first French Open opponent recalls 18 years on.

 

A teenage Nadal celebrates after winning his first ever match at the French Open against Lars Burgsmuller

When Rafael Nadal announced on Thursday that injury would prevent him taking part in this year's French Open for the first time in 19 years, it triggered bitter sweet memories for Lars Burgsmuller, his first ever opponent at Roland Garros.

Back in 2005, when Nadal's remarkable 14 titles on the Parisian clay were still in the future, the German  faced the Mallorca native in the first round.

Burgsmuller, then aged 29 and the world number 96, lost 6-1, 7-6, 6-1, but pushed 18-year-old Nadal to a tiebreak in the second set.

The German, who had already played Nadal the year before at Indian Wells when he was just 17, losing 6-2, 6-3, told AFP he "was not so enthusiastic" when he found out who he would face.

"Let's just say I'd heard from all sides that he was the next big thing," Burgsmuller, 47, said from his home in Essen, where he now works as a radiologist.

"Of course, at such a big tournament you hope for an easier draw, especially at the beginning.

"At the moment when I lost the match, you can see why I wasn't so excited."

The German said that while he was disappointed with the outcome at the time, he realised he was witnessing something special in the making.

"You have to acknowledge without any envy that he just somehow plays in another league," Burgsmuller said.

He counts the memory alongside his matches against Roger Federer and his Wimbledon clash with Andre Agassi as career highlights, alongside his win at the ATP event in Copenhagen 2002.

In the 17 years since their meeting, Nadal has amassed those record 14 French Open titles and lost only three of 115 matches.

Although he was convinced of the Spaniard's talent, he admits to being surprised Nadal went on to win the tournament at his first attempt.

"I felt that he was playing well and would have a great future, but that he would go from 0 to 100 so quickly and win the French Open, I honestly did not expect that.

"I don't know if he expected it himself or if anyone else did."

- 'Full throttle' -

Burgsmuller said Nadal gave "full throttle" from start to finish in their match.

"It makes no difference whether it's 0:0 or later on... he plays the first ball just like the last ball.

"You have the feeling you have to win every rally three times to get the point.

"I caught myself in moments where I thought 'OK, I've got the point', and then somehow he gets it past you -- and it really hurts you.

"That's his strength, even from difficult situations from the corners to somehow hit fantastic balls anywhere on the court."

- 'Beyond the pain barrier' -

Nadal's powerful game has carried him to a record 22 Grand Slam titles, equal with Novak Djokovic, but it has also taken a punishing toll on his body.

The Spaniard told reporters on Thursday his inability to recover from a hip injury in time for the French Open was "not a decision I made, it's a decision my body made."

"I need to stop for a while."

Like Nadal, Burgsmuller also battled injuries in his career and has followed how the Spaniard has faced setbacks along the way.

As a doctor, Burgsmuller said "you can certainly say that it does not make sense" to play through injury pain, but it was "ultimately up to the athlete to decide".

Burgsmuller said he hoped Nadal would still add to his French Open total in his final appearance next year, but feared the ongoing impact of injuries put that out of reach.

"It's never nice to see someone who is somehow battered and injured, who needs to push themselves beyond the pain barrier -- someone who is on the verge of maybe giving up or not even competing.

"A two-week Grand Slam is already incredibly exhausting for the body."

https://sports.yahoo.com/another-league-nadals-first-french-103938045.html

Analysis: Rafael Nadal might never play again; he also might surprise us and win something.

 

Whenever it comes to a close — and even if it already has — Rafael Nadal’s superlative tennis career will be admired for achievements such as 22 Grand Slam titles, currently tied for the most by a man, and a record 14 French Open championships. As it should be.

Nadal’s playing days, though, also will be remembered for more than mere numbers. That bullwhip of a lefty forehand. Engaging rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Unprecedented dominance at Roland Garros, where a statue of him stands. Unfailing humility. Those muscle-bearing shirts and calf-covering capri pants of the early days. The still-present penchant for placing courtside bottles just so. And on it goes.

Any complete conversation about Nadal also must include a reference to the body-bruising style and endless effort, in matches and practice sessions, that fueled more than 1,000 wins and surely contributed to all of the many injuries. He announced Thursday that he has not healed enough to enter the field in Paris, where play begins May 28, and can’t be absolutely sure when he might be able to return to the tour after being sidelined since January by a left hip flexor problem.

Looking at the bigger picture, as aware as everyone else that the pertinent questions now revolve around his future in the sport, Nadal turned a tad philosophical.

“Everything has its beginning,” he said, “and, above all, everything has its end.”

So is this the end of the road with a racket in hand for Nadal? It very well could be. Nadal, who turns 37 on June 3, can't be sure. Neither, of course, can we. Still, it would be foolhardy to rule anything out when it comes to someone as skilled, determined and indefatigable as he always has been.

“Am I going to be able to fight for a Grand Slam?” he asked during the news conference at his tennis academy in Manacor, Spain, before offering this honest answer: “I don’t know.”

He is putting a stop to things for the moment — no matches, no practices — so his hip can recuperate. The break could last months. Or more.

“The world of tennis, and the Roland Garros tournament, will be affected by his absence ... because (of) his history in that tournament and generally what he has achieved in his career and the impact he has made on the sport,” said Djokovic, whose own pursuit of a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title and chance to finally stand alone atop the Big Three in that category just got a tad easier.

“Of course, him missing any tournament, but particularly the big ones,” Djokovic added, “has an impact on the tennis world and the tennis fans.”

And Nadal himself.

He spoke frankly about the physical and mental toll exacted recently.

About the pain. About the frustration.

He hopes to play again this season, possibly in the Davis Cup. He wants to play some of his favorite events in 2024 before calling it quits, including, naturally, the French Open, which he entered 18 consecutive times, going 112-3, an event and athlete intertwined like no others.

That might conjure images of a carefully curated list of preferred events, where pre- and post-match speeches and ceremonies would include fond memories and well-meaning jokes and “Whoa, you’re old and ready to rest!” gifts such as rocking chairs or a robe and slippers.

But no one should expect Nadal to be interested in the hagiography of it all. Indeed, no one should be surprised if he goes out there and manages to win another tournament, let alone somehow summons the skill and stamina to navigate the grind of seven best-of-five-set matches at a major.

He’s never allowed his health to hold him back for too long. He’s never allowed doubts — his own; those of others — stand in the way of greatness.

“I don’t want my last year to just be a farewell tour," Nadal said. "I am going to do everything I can so that I am competing at the highest level during my final year. And I want to be able to ... compete to win tournaments. I am going to fight for that. But we’ll see what actually happens.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/analysis-rafael-nadal-might-never-155954477.html

Ukraine's Kalinina outduels Russia's Kudermetova to reach Rome final.

 

Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina beat Russia's Veronika Kudermetova to reach the Italian Open final

Anhelina Kalinina of the Ukraine reached the second WTA final of her career with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 defeat of Russia's Veronika Kudermetova at the Italian Open on Friday.

The winner then gave a shout-out to her country, invaded by Russia last year, as she moved into the title match at the Foro Italico.

"It's absolutely important to try and win every match, (considering) what Ukraine is going through," she said.

"I hope I can give a small light and maybe some positive emotions to my country."

The number 47 will play for the title against either Jelena Ostapenko or Elena Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion.

Kalinina will be the lowest ranked finalist at the tournament since 1986 and will rise to her equal career-high ranking of 28th.

It took her nearly three hours to go through in a match played 72 hours after she won another marathon in the quarter-finals.

"I don't feel my legs, I've played so much tennis last couple of days - all three-setters," the winner said.

"I'm barely walking but I'm happy to be able to go through. I need to recover for the final, the tournament is still not over.

"It's an amazing feeling battling to go through. Competing at this level is new for me."

The Ukrainian dominated the third set after a back-and-forth battle in the earlier chapters on the clay.

Kalinina saved eight break points over two games in the first set before finally taking a 4-3 lead with a break to love.

Kudermetova stayed in touch, delivering two aces to trail 4-5, with Kalinina subsequently broken as she tried to serve out the set.

But the Ukrainian came good on a second chance, winning it 7-5 after 66 minutes thanks to 18 unforced errors from her opponent.

The second set began with a pair of love holds before Kudermetova handed over a break for 3-2 to Kalinina from a long forehand.

The Ukrainian who lost her only previous WTA final two years ago in Budapest was broken to love while serving for the match, with a recharged Kudermetova taking a 6-5 lead.

She quickly captured one more game after winning 16 straight points to throw the match into a deciding third set.

Kudermetova saved three break points but fell short on a fourth to lose serve in the opening game of the third set as she went down to defeat.

https://sports.yahoo.com/ukraines-kalinina-outduels-russias-kudermetova-171312714.html

Rybakina to clash with Kalinina in Rome final.

 

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina is through to her fourth major final of the year

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina fought from 4-1 down in the second set to overhaul Jelena Ostapenko on Friday to reach the final of the Italian Open.

The 6-2, 6-4 comeback from the Kazakh sent Rybakina into her fourth major final of the season after the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami.

She will bid for the trophy on Saturday against Anhelina Kalinina of the Ukraine, who reached the second WTA final of her career with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 defeat of Russia's Veronika Kudermetova.

The winner then gave a shout-out to her country, invaded by Russia last year, as she moved into the title match at the Foro Italico.

"It's absolutely important to try and win every match, (considering) what Ukraine is going through," she said.

"I hope I can give a small light and maybe some positive emotions to my country."

Rybankina will need a quick turnaround after winning a rain-interrupted semi-final in just under one and three quarter hours, aided by 33 unforced errors from 2017 Roland Garros champion Ostapenko.

The second-set fightback sealed victory for Rybakina on her first match point as her opponent dumped a volley into the net.

"It was not easy at all with the starting and stopping," the winner said. "I need to recover for the final."

Everyone knows how good Anhelina is, we are also good friends - if you can say that (in tennis).

"It will be a tough match for sure. I think of course I'm more consistent, there are still a lot of things to improve.

"But I'm happy that physically I can maintain and stay in the tournament till the end.

Rybakina was pleased with her second-set turnaround.

"I didn't start that well, I was a bit low in energy. Lost my serve. So it was difficult.

"Then a few good shots from her, good serves - it changed very quickly.

"I just tried to focus on every point and got the break back and served really well after that."

- Refused to shake hands -

Earlier Kalinina pointedly refused to shake hands with her defeated Russian Kudermetova opponent and made no apologies for the snub.

"We didn't shake hands because the girl is from Russia basically. It's no secret why I didn't shake, because this country actually attacked Ukraine," she said.

"This is sport, but it's also kind of a politician thing. It's nothing personal. But in general, yes, it's not acceptable."

Kalinina will be the lowest ranked finalist at the tournament since 1986 and will rise to her equal career-high ranking of 28th.

It took her nearly three hours to go through in a match played 72 hours after she won another marathon in the quarter-finals.

"I don't feel my legs, I've played so much tennis last couple of days - all three-setters," the winner said.

"I'm barely walking but I'm happy to be able to go through."

The Ukrainian dominated the third set after a back-and-forth battle in the earlier chapters on the clay.

Kalinina saved eight break points over two games in the first set before finally taking a 4-3 lead with a break to love.

Kudermetova stayed in touch, delivering two aces to trail 4-5, with Kalinina subsequently broken as she tried to serve out the set.

But the Ukrainian came good on a second chance, winning it 7-5 after 66 minutes thanks to 18 unforced errors from her opponent.

The second set began with a pair of love holds before Kudermetova handed over a break for 3-2 to Kalinina from a long forehand.

The Ukrainian, who lost her only previous WTA final two years ago in Budapest, was broken to love while serving for the match, with a recharged Kudermetova taking a 6-5 lead.

She quickly captured one more game after winning 16 straight points to throw the match into a deciding third set.

Kudermetova saved three break points but fell short on a fourth to lose serve in the opening game of the third set as she went down to defeat.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rybakina-clash-kalinina-rome-final-215751018.html

Simona Halep faces 2nd doping charge over biological passport; had failed drug test at US Open.

Halep Doping Suspension Tennis

FILE - Simona Halep, of Romania, returns a shot to Daria Snigur, of Ukraine, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Aug. 29, 2022, in New York. Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep has been accused of a second doping offense by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport. The charge announced Friday, May 19, 2023, “is separate and in addition to” the provisional suspension Halep received last year after failing a drug test during the U.S. Open in August, the ITIA said. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been accused of a second doping offense by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport.

The charge announced Friday “is separate and in addition to” the provisional suspension Halep received last year after failing a drug test during the U.S. Open in August, the ITIA said.

Halep is a 31-year-old from Romania who reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings in 2017. She won Wimbledon in 2019, beating 23-time major champion Serena Williams in the final, a year after winning the French Open.

The ITIA said the new charge “was based on an assessment” of Halep’s biological passport profile by an expert panel. Such passports provide a baseline reading of substances in an athlete's body and are considered a way to help chart doping.

“We understand that today’s announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation. From the outset of this process — and indeed any other at the ITIA — we have remained committed to engaging with Ms. Halep in an empathetic, efficient, and timely manner,” Nicole Sapstead, the group’s senior director for anti-doping, said in a statement.

In a social media post, Halep wrote Friday that she has “lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life” since being initially charged by the ITIA.

She continued, saying her “name been soiled in the worst possible way” and that the ITIA is determined “to prove my guilt while I haven’t EVER even thought of taking any illicit substance.”

Halep’s post says she was a “victim of contamination” and always has “been totally against any sort of cheating.”

“I look forward to finally being able to present my case at my hearing that is scheduled at the end of May,” she said.

Halep is the most prominent tennis player to face a doping ban since five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova tested positive for a newly banned substance at the 2016 Australian Open. Sharapova initially was given a two-year suspension but appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced the penalty, ruling she bore “less than significant fault” in the case and could not “be considered to be an intentional doper.”

Before her provisional suspension was made public, Halep announced in September she was taking the rest of last season off after having nose surgery to improve her breathing. She had considered retiring earlier in 2022 after a series of injuries, but then said she felt rejuvenated after teaming up with coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who used to work with Williams.

Seeded No. 7 at the U.S. Open, Halep lost in the first round to Daria Snigur of Ukraine on Aug. 30. It was the first tour-level win of Snigur’s career.

The ITIA said Halep tested positive in New York for the banned substance Roxadustat, a drug approved for medical use in the European Union to treat the symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney failure.

According to the EU’s medicines agency, which approved Roxadustat last year, it stimulates the body to produce more of the natural hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has long been a doping product favored by cyclists and distance runners.

During a provisional suspension, a tennis player is ineligible to compete in, or attend, any sanctioned events.

https://sports.yahoo.com/simona-halep-faces-2nd-doping-215913093.html

Former world No. 1 Simona Halep hit with second doping charge amid suspension.

 

Simona Halep's career hangs in the balance amid a doping fight. (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Simona Halep was in a bad situation, and it just got much worse.

The former world No. 1, who has been provisionally suspended since October after allegedly testing positive for a banned substance last year, is being charged with a second and separate doping charge by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, the organization announced Friday.

At issue are "irregularities" in Halep's biological passport, an electronic system of markers used to monitor athletes' blood that goes beyond the usual tests for drugs. As tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg noted, the practice is mostly used to look for blood doping.

The ITIA said Halep's biological passport contained sufficient evidence of another doping charge after she allegedly tested positive for Roxadustat in an August 2022 test.

ITIA senior director for anti-doping Nicole Sapstead was quoted as saying that this development complicates an already sensitive situation:

“We understand that today’s announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation. From the outset of this process – and indeed any other at the ITIA – we have remained committed to engaging with Ms. Halep in an empathetic, efficient, and timely manner.

“We do, of course, appreciate there is a great deal of media interest in these cases. It would be inappropriate for us to comment on specifics until the conclusion of the process, but we will continue to engage with the Sport Resolutions independent tribunal and Ms. Halep’s representatives as expeditiously as possible.”

Soon after the charge was announced, Halep released a lengthy statement accusing the ITIA of harassment and claiming that her sample that tested positive for Roxadustat had been established as a contaminated sample. In light of what the ITIA said about her biological passport, Halep said three experts had studied her blood and found it to be normal.

pic.twitter.com/kg8OzR3Ha2

— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) May 19, 2023

The full statement can be read below.

A two-time Grand Slam champion, with wins at the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon, the 31-year-old Halep last played at the 2022 US Open, where she was shocked in the first round by qualifier Daria Snigur. She posted her best result in two years at the previous Grand Slam, with a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon, in which she lost to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.

Simona Halep's full statement on second doping charge

Since October 7, when I got charged by the ITIA for a suspicion of doping, I have lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life.

Not only has my name been soiled in the worst possible way, but am facing a constant determination from the ITIA for a reason that I cannot understand, to prove my guilt while I haven't EVER even thought of taking any illicit substance.

I tried two times to have the opportunity to be judged by an Independent Tribunal and the ITIA has constantly found reasons to postpone.

Now that we have clearly established that I have been victim of a contamination, they came up with a so-called not normal evolution of my blood. Three world renowned experts that have studied my blood tests have been extremely clear that my blood is totally normal.

I feel helpless facing such harassment and a motivation on their behalf to prove me guilty of something I never did. Once again, all my life I have been totally against any sort of cheating.

It doesn't align with my values.

The only thing I hope for, at this point, is to have the possibility to finally access the independent and impartial judges in a Tribunal, that will give me the chance to prove my innocence.

I have full trust in justice and I look forward to finally being able to present my case at my hearing that is scheduled at the end of May, after several delays by the ITIA.

The support of my loved ones, the tennis world and my fans have given me the courage to continue to practice every day and fight for the truth.

I cannot thank you more for that.

Love, Simona

https://sports.yahoo.com/former-world-no-1-simona-halep-hit-with-second-doping-charge-amid-suspension-230728633.html

H2H: Medvedev vs Tsitsipas. 7-4 Medvedev. But Tsitsipas has won three of the last four matches.

Year	Event	Surface	RND	Winner	Result
2022	Nitto ATP Finals Italy	Indoor Hard	RR	Stefanos Tsitsipas	63 6711 761
2022	ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati OH, U.S.A.	Outdoor Hard	SF	Stefanos Tsitsipas	766 36 63
2022	Australian Open Australia	Outdoor Hard	SF	Daniil Medvedev	765 46 64 61
2021	Roland Garros France	Outdoor Clay	QF	Stefanos Tsitsipas	63 763 75
2021	Australian Open Australia	Outdoor Hard	SF	Daniil Medvedev	64 62 75
2019	Nitto ATP Finals Great Britain	Indoor Hard	RR	Stefanos Tsitsipas	765 64
2019	ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai China	Outdoor Hard	SF	Daniil Medvedev	765 75
2019	ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Monaco	Outdoor Clay	R16	Daniil Medvedev	62 16 64
2018	Basel Switzerland	Indoor Hard	QF	Daniil Medvedev	64 36 63
2018	US Open NY, U.S.A.	Outdoor Hard	R64	Daniil Medvedev	64 63 46 63
2018	ATP Masters 1000 Miami FL, U.S.A.	Outdoor Hard	R128	Daniil Medvedev	26 64 62

Brooksby Undergoes Right Wrist Surgery. American underwent left wrist surgery in March.

Jenson Brooksby underwent arthroscopic right wrist surgery on Thursday to repair his tendon subsheath. It is the same surgery he underwent on his left wrist in March.

The American has not competed since the Australian Open and is unsure when he will return to the court. However, he is excited to come back better.

“I underwent a successful arthroscopic right wrist surgery this morning to fix my dislocated tendon,” Brooksby wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to Dr. Shin and his team at Kerlan Jobe for their care and guidance. My left wrist has been responding well and rehab is going 💪”

Brooksby’s right wrist tendon was between 70 and 80 per cent dislocated compared to his left wrist tendon, which was 100 per cent dislocated. The 22-year-old tried to avoid the second surgery by resting and rehabbing, but the discomfort was too much to overcome. Dr. Steven Shin performed both surgeries.

“Surgery on the right wrist was the best route for me to get back on court 100%,” Brooksby wrote. “I have been playing with heavily taped wrists dating back to the 2nd half of 2022 so this wasn’t something new. The last few months have been tough and I know the next few will present its challenges.”

Brooksby showed good form despite the injuries, upsetting Casper Ruud at this year’s Australian Open. The three-time ATP Tour finalist is keen to tackle his recovery and improve his game.

”I am excited to return to training and work on improving areas of my game, including my serve😉,” Brooksby wrote. “I don’t have a fixed date for return to competition — we will do everything to put me in the best position to succeed.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/brooksby-surgery-may-2023

Nys/Zielinski Reach Rome Final. Monagesque-Polish duo will play Dutchmen Haase/Middelkoop.

Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski reached their first ATP Masters 1000 final as a team on Friday when they moved past Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 7-5 at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

The Monegasque-Polish tandem was dominant on serve throughout the 84-minute clash on centre court. They won 93 per cent (27/29) of their first-serve points and saved all three break points they faced to advance.

Nys and Zielinski are yet to drop a set in Rome, having also defeated third seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek. They will play for their first title of the season against Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp.

Nys and Zielinski are currently fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and could rise to top spot if they win the title. Earlier this season, they advanced to the Australian Open final, losing against Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler.

Haase and van de Zandschulp upset top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski 7-6(2), 6-4. The Dutchmen's only previous tour-level appearance as a team came at the 2022 Australian Open, where they reached the second round.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/rome-2023-doubles-sfs-friday

Humbert, Etcheverry Cruise To Bordeaux Challenger Final. Argentine Etcheverry ousts top seed Struff.

Ugo Humbert and Tomas Martin Etcheverry will contest for the ATP Challenger Tour 175 crown in Bordeaux, France after they each advanced in straight sets Friday.

The 24-year-old Humbert continued his form by winning an all-French semi-final against Richard Gasquet 6-0, 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Primrose. Humbert hammered any ball that his countryman left in the middle of the court, while also showing deft feel on numerous drop shots.

Despite getting broken in the opening game of the second set, the World No. 50 Humbert quickly regrouped to oust Gasquet in one hour, 16 minutes. Humbert, who beat another tour veteran, Stan Wawrinka, in the quarter-finals, delivered a strong-serving performance Friday, winning 75 per cent of first-serve points, compared to Gasquet’s 40 per cent.

When Humbert has competed at Challenger Tour events this year, he’s been a dominant force, tallying a 13-2 Challenger-match record. Earlier this month, the Metz native triumphed at the Cagliari Challenger, where he fended off two match points in his quarter-final against Taro Daniel to stay alive.

Humbert reached a career-high No. 25 in 2021 and will next aim for a second consecutive Challenger 175 crown Saturday, when he clashes against Etcheverry.

Should the Frenchman win a ninth Challenger title, he would return to the Top 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings for the first time since 31 January, 2022.

The heavy-hitting Etcheverry earned the highest-ranked win of his career by upsetting top seed and World No. 28 Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old Etcheverry took a deep return stance that Struff often countered with a serve-and-volley. But the Argentine stayed steady from the baseline, displaying lethal inside-out forehands en route to a one-hour, 14-minute victory. Etcheverry dropped just one point on serve in the opening set and didn’t face a break point all match.

^{Tomas Martin Etcheverry signs autographs following a semi-final win in Bordeaux. Credit: Jared Wickerham/ATP Tour}

Seeded seventh, Etcheverry has played his best tennis this season. He was a finalist at the ATP 250 events in Santiago and Houston and last month reached a career-high No. 59, which he is guaranteed to surpass this upcoming Monday. A three-time Challenger champion, the La Plata native will next attempt for his biggest career title against Humbert, who defeated him in five sets at Wimbledon last year.

In Bordeaux doubles action, top seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara will contest third seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in Saturday’s championship match.

Turin:
Whoever lifts the trophy at the Challenger 175 event in Turin, Italy will have to complete double duty Saturday after rain cancelled the entirety of Friday’s schedule.

Top seed Sebastian Baez will face Italian qualifier Federico Gaio in the semi-finals at the Piemonte Open Intesa Sanpaolo while second seed Daniel Elahi Galan will clash against German Dominik Koepfer. The semi-finals will take place at 11:30 a.m. local time, with the final being not before 4:00 p.m.

Baez, who is playing in his first Challenger since March 2022, has captured both of his ATP tour-level titles and all six of his Challenger Tour trophies on clay. Earlier this season, the Argentine claimed the ATP 250 event on the red dirt in Cordoba and reached a career-high No. 30 last month.

Gaio, 31, will compete in his first Challenger semi-final since April 2022 and aim for his first Top-50 win since April 2021, when he defeated the-then World No. 35 Benoit Paire at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona.

The Colombian Galan was a semi-finalist at this month’s Challenger 175 event in Cagliari and finished runner-up last month at the Sarasota Challenger. The 26-year-old will battle against the in-form Koepfer, who has competed in three Challenger finals this year, including his triumph at the Mexico City Challenger in April.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/bordeaux-turin-challenger-2023-friday

SF Preview: Can Ruud Maintain Perfect Record Against Rune In Rome? Norwegian leads Dane 4-0 in ATP Head2Head series.

Is this the week Casper Ruud or Holger Rune win their first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title?

The Norwegian and Dane will meet at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Saturday in the first Masters 1000 all-Scandinavian semi-final since Jonas Bjorkman defeated Thomas Enqvist in Paris in 1997.

Ruud arrived in Rome having had a modest season by his standards. The fourth seed lifted his 10th trophy in Estoril but struggled at Masters 1000 events, failing to advance beyond the third round in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo or Madrid. The 24-year-old has looked back to his best on the clay in Rome, though, where he has earned victories against Arthur Rinderknech, Alexander Bublik, Laslo Djere and Francisco Cerundolo to reach the semi-finals in the Italian capital for the third consecutive time.

"Tennis is a strange sport, as we all can tell. And I think I've really lived through it the last 12 months or so, some of my best moments of my career and some tougher losses in the past couple of months," Ruud said following his quarter-final win. "But here we are back in Rome and I feel great. I know that I've had success in Italy before in my career, here [I made] two times [the] semi-finals, Turin last year was amazing for me... It's something in the food maybe, I don't know."

Standing in his way from a second ATP Masters 1000 final (Miami 2022) is Rune, who stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to advance to the last four on his debut in Rome. The 20-year-old has reached at least the semi-finals in three of his past six Masters 1000 events, highlighted by his title run in Paris last year.

A regular on the big stage now, the seventh seed has had a strong clay-court season again. Rune enjoyed a run to the final in Monte-Carlo, before he clinched his fourth tour-level title in Munich. Holding a 12-2 record on the surface this season, he will look to take confidence from his victory against Djokovic as he aims to earn his first win against Ruud.

"I stay humble of course. I have a lot to achieve," said the Dane, who will rise to No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings if he reaches the final. "I think you should always be humble. I think I am, I hope so and I hope people see me this way. I'm a huge fighter on the court and I leave everything when I play my matches.”

Rune demonstrated his explosive game against Djokovic, hammering his groundstrokes with precision and power to outlast the Serbian. The 20-year-old, who has held serve in 42 of his 47 games in Rome, will look to impose his all-court game against Ruud, an opponent Rune has struggled against in the past.

The fourth seed leads the seventh seed 4-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, with all four matches coming on clay. Despite his impressive record, Ruud is aware of the threat Rune holds.

"He's improved so much. I played him a couple times in 2021 and a couple of times in 2022, and his improvement is just really, really good," Ruud said. "You can see that his confidence is good on court and [he] really deserves [to be] where he is at the moment.

"He has big goals for his career and is going through one goal by another so I'm just going to try to think about what I've done well against him before — I have a winning record against him. Tennis is always open, it's never over until it's over, and I'm just going to try to fight."

With both chasing their second titles of the season, fireworks will be expected when they walk onto center court on Saturday.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/ruud-rune-rome-2023-sf-preview

SF Preview: Medvedev & Tsitsipas Meet In Rome Blockbuster. Medvedev chasing sixth Masters 1000 crown, Tsitsipas aiming for third.

Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas will renew their long-running rivalry when they meet for a place in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia final on Saturday.

Medvedev and Tsitsipas arrived in Rome last week having had contrasting fortunes at the clay-court event. Medvedev had never won a match in three previous appearances in the Italian capital, while Tsitsipas held a 10-5 record, advancing to the championship match last year.

The third seed Medvedev has found his best level in the Italian capital this fortnight, though, defeating Alexander Zverev en route to his second ATP Masters 1000 clay-court semi-final (Monte-Carlo 2019). The 27-year-old has enjoyed a standout season, earning a Tour-leading 37 wins, with 18 coming at ATP Masters 1000 events. Medvedev, who is currently first in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, has captured five ATP Masters 1000 titles, more than semi-finalists Tsitsipas (2), Rune (1) and Ruud (0) combined.

The third seed has never clinched a tour-level crown on clay, though, and downplayed his chances of winning his fifth trophy of the season in Rome when asked by a journalist following his quarter-final win against German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann.

“I definitely don't put myself as a favourite,” Medvedev said. “But I have been playing extremely well here, feeling extremely well. So if I manage to play this well in the semi-finals, I'm sure I'm going to give a hard time to my opponent. That's what I want to do. Hopefully I can go even further and try to win two more matches.”

Medvedev leads Tsitsipas 7-4 in their ATP Head2Head series, with the pair locked at 1-1 on clay. Tsitsipas’ two ATP Masters 1000 triumphs both came on the clay in Monte-Carlo and the Greek looks in good shape to add to his tally this weekend in Rome. The 24-year-old, who has won three of his past four clashes against Medvedev, has not dropped a set en route to his 14th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.

“He's been playing well and I'm playing [well] also," Tsitsipas said on court of his upcoming match against Medvedev. "I feel good on court, regardless if it's a night session or a day session and I really hope to bring the best out of me against him. I feel like he's playing better than the years before."

Tsitsipas used a good mix of power and creativity in his 13th clay-court win of the season against Borna Coric, changing the spin on his shots and executing the drop shot effectively to pull the Croatian around. With Medvedev favouring a deep court position to soak up his opponent’s aggression, Tsitsipas could look to use similar tactics against the third seed to disrupt his rhythm on center court.

Seeking his first trophy of the season in Rome, the Greek will rise to third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin if he reaches the final, surpassing Novak Djokovic. Medvedev currently leads the Race To Turin and will climb to No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings if he clinches the crown in Rome.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvedev-tsitsipas-rome-2023-sf-preview

Who's better at the Cup Challenge? Watch Tsitsipas, Rublev, Shelton, Shapovalov and Davidovich Fokina as they play to find out! Minute To Win It: CUp Challenge.

 

 

Djokovic & Sabalenka Make History | Australian Open 2023 Film | Official Trailer.

 

 

Roger Federer: Best Ever Shots In Rome!

 

 

Casper Ruud vs Holger Rune | Monte-Carlo 2022 Extended Highlights.

 

 

Daniil Medvedev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas Extended Highlights | Nitto ATP Finals 2022.

 

 

Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Ruud & Rune Prepare Semi-Finals | Rome 2023 Practice & Behind-The-Scenes.

 

 

Koolhof/Skupski vs Haase/van de Zandschulp | Rome 2023 Semi-Final Highlights.

 

 

Nys - Zielinski vs Zeballos - Granollers Semis Match Highlights #IBI23

 

 

Stefanos Tsitsipas Post Match Interview (vs Coric) #IBI23

 

 

Veronika Kudermetova vs. Anhelina Kalinina | 2023 Rome Semifinal | WTA Match Highlights.

 

 

Elena Rybakina vs. Jelena Ostapenko | 2023 Rome Semifinal | WTA Match Highlights.

 

 

Photos: Nadal at his press conference for 2023 Roland Garros withdrawal.

MANACOR, SPAIN - MAY 18: Rafael Nadal of Spain speaks during a press conference to announce that he will not play the French Open 2023 at Rafa Nadal Academy on May 18, 2023 in Manacor, Spain. (Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

 

MANACOR, MAJORCA BALEARIC ISLAN, SPAIN - MAY 18: Tennis player Rafael Nadal's wife, Xisca Perello, during a press conference with Nadal, at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, on 18 May, 2023 in Manacor, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. Nadal has confirmed that he will not attend the Roland Garros tournament to be held in Paris from May 22 to June 11 in order to recover from the muscle injury he suffered in Australia last January. In addition, during the press conference he has informed his intention that 2024 will be the 'last year' of his professional career as a tennis player. (Photo By Isaac Buj/Europa Press via Getty Images)

 

Nadal's career stats in a nutshell.

Career finals
Discipline	Type	Won	Lost	Total	WR 1
Singles	Grand Slam Tournaments	22	8	30	0.73
	Olympic Games	1	0	1	1.00
	Year-end championships	0	2	2	0.00
	ATP Masters 1000 2	36	17	53	0.68
	ATP Tour 500	23	6	29	0.79
	ATP Tour 250	10	5	15	0.67
	Total	92	38	130	0.71
Doubles	Grand Slam tournaments	–	–	–	–
	Olympic Games	1	0	1	1.00
	Year-end championships	–	–	–	–
	ATP Masters 1000 2	3	0	3	1.00
	ATP Tour 500	1	2	3	0.33
	ATP Tour 250	6	2	8	0.75
	Total	11	4	15	0.73
Total		103	42	145	0.71

1) WR = Winning Rate
2) Formerly known as "Super 9" (1996–1999), "Tennis Masters Series" (2000–2003), "ATP Masters Series" (2004–2008), "ATP World Tour Masters 1000" (2009–2018).

Top 10 star power in semifinal @ 2023 Rome Masters (ATP). First time champion awaits.

No.1 seeds Gauff and Pegula battle into Rome doubles final Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula needed a decisive match-tiebreak to outlast Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia semifinals. They will face Storm Hunter and Elise ...

......Mertens in the final.

No.1 seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula squeaked into their third straight WTA 1000 doubles final with a comeback semifinal win at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Thursday.

The all-American pairing of Gauff and Pegula fought back from a set and a break down to outlast No.3 seeds Desirae Krawczyk of the United States and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands 4-6, 7-6(5), [10-8] after 1 hour and 53 minutes of play in Rome.

In Saturday's final, Gauff and Pegula will face No.4 seeds Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens, who defeated unseeded Marie Bouzkova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands 7-5, 6-4 in Thursday's second semifinal.

This week's finalists met earlier this year in the Miami quarterfinals on hard court, where Gauff and Pegula edged Hunter and Mertens 6-7(4), 7-5, [10-2] on their way to the title.

WTA 1000 excellence: Gauff and Pegula have been the dominant team at the most recent WTA 1000 events, winning the title on the hard courts of Miami and finishing as runners-up to Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia on the Madrid clay.

After the tight victory over Krawczyk and Schuurs in Rome on Thursday, Gauff and Pegula have now won 13 of their last 14 matches at WTA 1000-level. Gauff and Pegula are a win away from their fourth WTA 1000 title as a duo, and their sixth team title overall.

Key moments: Krawczyk and Schuurs went up a double-break at 5-2 in the opener before holding on for the one-set lead. They broke Gauff's serve in the opening game of the second set to claim the set-and-a-break advantage.

But Schuurs dropped serve with a double fault to level the second set at 4-4. In a closely-contested second-set tiebreak, Pegula fired a deft lob beyond Schuurs to convert her team's first set point at 6-5, tying up the match.

Exactly half the points went to the returners in the decisive match-tiebreak, where Gauff and Pegula reached double match point at 9-7 after Krawczyk netted a rally backhand. On their second match point, Gauff fired a backhand passing winner down the line to attain victory.

Gauff and Pegula had six more winners and six fewer unforced errors than their opponents in the match.

Hunter and Mertens advance: In the evening semifinal, Hunter of Australia and Belgium's Mertens came back from a break down in both sets and prevailed in 1 hour and 38 minutes. It is their first team final, having paired up for the first time at the start of this year. 

Hunter and Mertens were down 5-2 in the opening set before they reeled off five straight games to eke out the one-set lead en route to victory. Hunter and Mertens finished the match with 24 winners to 16 unforced errors, and they converted half of their 10 break points.

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/3421305/no-1-seeds-gauff-and-pegula-battle-into-rome-doubles-final

Rome semifinal preview: Grand Slam rivals, resurgent stars ready to battle In the Internazionali BNL d'Italia semifinals, Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko face a rematch of their Australian Open quarterfinal, while Veronika Kudermetova and Anhelina....

.......Kalinina resume a rivalry that goes back to their junior days.

ROME -- The Internazionali BNL d'Italia semifinals are set. Two Grand Slam champions will play for the fourth time in the top half of the draw, while in the bottom half, two resurgent players will compete to make their first final at a WTA 1000-level event.

Here's how the matchups between Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko, and Veronika Kudermetova and Anhelina Kalinina break down.

Quarterfinal reports: Kudermetova beats Zheng Qinwen | Kalinina outlasts Haddad Maia | Ostapenko downs Badosa | Rybakina advances after Swiatek retires

 

[7] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs. [20] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)

Rybakina repeated her Australian Open win, defeating Swiatek to set up a showdown with Ostapenko. 

An intriguing rivalry is developing between Rybakina and Ostapenko, with the upcoming semifinal marking their fourth encounter, one across each surface. Ostapenko took the first two on indoor hard courts (Linz 2019) and grass (Eastbourne 2021), but Rybakina got on the board on outdoor hard courts at the Australian Open this year.

In those meetings, the result has hinged on the small differences between these two big hitters. Ostapenko is more explosive off the ground and dynamic with her shot selection, but Rybakina is more reliable, particularly behind her serve.

Could clay introduce a new dimension to the game? Ostapenko, a former Roland Garros champion, certainly believes so.

"She's a great server and she's been playing well this year, but I don't know if clay is her best surface," Ostapenko said after defeating Paula Badosa. "Here it's a bit slower, so the players who are big servers have a bit of a disadvantage because after a few games, the ball gets heavier and doesn't fly as much.

"I like this surface and I know how to move on it. I move better, I'm way faster than a few months ago. The courts and atmosphere fit me well here."

This fortnight, Ostapenko has put together a few streaks that have shown she can reduce opponents to spectators. Among her highlights were winning 28 out of 31 points in a streak against Barbora Krejcikova, sweeping Daria Kasatkina in a 6-0 third set and tallying 18 winners against Badosa's none in their first set.

However, Ostapenko's performances have also been marked by inconsistency. She lost 16 consecutive points to Krejcikova, and both the Kasatkina and Badosa matches were extended to three sets. 

Rybakina's form is harder to assess. After early exits in Stuttgart and Madrid, two of the Wimbledon champion's four wins in Rome have come via retirement. But she was ruthlessly efficient at shutting down Marketa Vondrousova in the fourth round and scrapped hard to snatch the second set against Swiatek before the top-ranked player was forced to retire in the third.

 

[11] Veronika Kudermetova vs. [30] Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)

There are a few parallels between the semifinals runs of Kudermetova and Kalinina this week. Both players made significant moves up the rankings in 2022 and were at career highs in the first quarter of 2023. Kudermetova started the year at No.9, and Kalinina hit No.28 in March.

Before the clay season, they had been backsliding. Kudermetova won one out of six matches between the Doha semifinals and her renaissance in Madrid, where she made her first WTA 1000 semifinal. Prior to Rome, Kalinina had not won consecutive matches since the Australian Open, and her ranking had fallen to No.48.

Kudermetova and Kalinina have both rediscovered their form in style to arrest these mini-slumps. Kudermetova ascribes her turnaround to her opening Charleston loss to 19-year-old Diana Shnaider, an opponent she noted was "even younger than my sister." (Relevant, too, was the fact that Kudermetova's 19-year-old sister Polina had managed to defeat Shnaider in an ITF event last summer.)

As "depressed" as Kudermetova says she was after that match, it was also the moment she realized she needed to "start to think positively" again. In Madrid and Rome, she has been playing with renewed intensity, pairing her powerful groundstrokes with fine reflexes at net. This week, she has managed to hold off the young guns, outlasting Anastasia Potapova and Zheng Qinwen in three sets.

Kalinina's form became apparent when she overcame former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, fresh off an impressive victory against No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, in the third round. However, her quarterfinal performance was a turning point. Overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the third set, Kalinina won the longest tour-level match of 2023, a grueling 3-hour and 41-minute battle against Beatriz Haddad Maia.

"Each player needs this kind of matches to understand they can do this," Kalinina said. "I'd never had such a long match. Before, I was like, 'Oh, two-and-a-half hours, I did a good job. But now I know I can really play four."

The smart money would be on another extended battle. The two 26-year-olds have been facing off since their junior days, and every one of their encounters has gone to three sets. At the pro level, they're all square at one win apiece, with Kalinina taking the most recent 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in this year's Dubai first round. Their only previous clay meeting was in juniors, at the 2012 Berlin Grade 1 event, which Kalinina also won 2-6, 6-1, 7-5.

Injury-hit Swiatek's French Open title defence on knife edge.

 

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek is anxiously awaiting the results of tests on a thigh injury she has suffered just over a week before the French Open

French Open champion Iga Swiatek says she will know in the coming days how serious her thigh injury is and whether she can defend her title at Roland Garros which gets underway on Sunday week.

The 21-year-old world number one retired from Wednesday's Italian Open quarter-final with Kazakhstan's Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

The match was delicately poised at one set apiece and 2-2 in the decider when the two-time defending champion felt unable to continue.

"We're checking it (the injury)," tweeted the Polish star, who also won the French Open in 2020.

"During the second set I got a thigh injury. The diagnostic is in progress.

"More info in the following days. Will keep you updated."

Swiatek, the reigning US Open champion, had roared through the first set but after receiving treatment she called a halt.

https://sports.yahoo.com/injury-hit-swiateks-french-open-083353673.html

The impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at French Open.

 

A star is born: Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Roger Federer during their French Open semi-final in 2005

When a weary David Ferrer managed to win just five games in his French Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2012, he was in no doubt over the enormity of the challenge.

"Winning a match against Rafa at Roland Garros is almost impossible," admitted a bamboozled Ferrer as he trudged off Court Philippe Chatrier.

It would have been no consolation to the gritty Ferrer that at least he won one more game than Roger Federer managed in the 2008 final in Paris.

On the crushed red brick of Roland Garros, hardly anyone laid a glove on Nadal who on Thursday said he would miss this year's tournament through injury.

Since his swashbuckling title-winning debut in the French capital in 2005, he racked up 14 titles, winning 112 matches and losing just three.

Two of those came against Novak Djokovic -- in the last-eight in 2015 and semi-finals in 2021.

Sweden's Robin Soderling had been the first to pierce the Nadal armour in 2009. Nadal avenged that last-16 loss 12 months later in the final.

The only other time Nadal was thwarted in Paris was 2016 when a wrist injury forced a withdrawal after the second round.

His combined successes at Roland Garros swelled his bank balance by more than $26 million.

In 2005, when he won the French Open at his first attempt, he was just two days past his 19th birthday.

When he captured his record-extending 14th in 2022, he was the championship's oldest champion at 36.

Nadal made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon as a raw 17-year-old in 2003, but it was his maiden appearance in Paris that had fans drooling.

His 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 win in the final against unheralded Mariano Puerta of Argentina made him the first man since Mats Wilander 23 years earlier to triumph at the first attempt.

- 'Like a war' -

Nadal won 11 titles in 2005, eight of them on clay including the prestigious Masters in Monte Carlo and Rome.

Entering Paris, he was on a 17-match win streak and in the French capital he was drawn to face Germany's Lars Burgsmuller in the first round.

"I remember that I was a little sad about the draw," Burgsmuller, ranked 96 at the time, told USA Today in 2015.

"Everyone was talking about him. Everyone knew that he would be very, very good."

Nadal would go on to claim the French Open title in each of the next three years, defeating Federer in the final on all three occasions.

In the 2008 championship match, he allowed his great Swiss rival just four games.

That year, he didn't drop a set. Compatriots Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro, both top 25 players, were allowed just three games apiece in their last 16 and quarter-final eviscerations.

In 2017 and 2020, Nadal again swept to the title without dropping a set.

Incredibly, in his 115 matches at Roland Garros, Nadal was pushed to five sets on only three occasions.

He won all three.

"With Rafa on clay in best of five, it's like a war," said Carlos Moya, who was Nadal's coach in recent years.

John McEnroe, who fought legendary battles with Bjorn Borg, was able to compare eras.

"I know when Borg played in my day he was like the human backboard," said McEnroe.

"He was faster than everyone, fitter than everyone, and you couldn't get a ball by the guy.

"I saw guys get exhausted in the first set, like the best clay court players in the world. It's like the same thing when you play Nadal. This guy, he comes to play every match. This is a guy that just doesn't give it away."

https://sports.yahoo.com/impossible-job-beating-rafael-nadal-142518134.html

Rafael Nadal: Grand Slam warrior and people's champion.

 

The King of Clay Rafael Nadal will have to wait for his final year on the circuit in 2024 to see if he can add a record-extending 15th French Open crown

Rafael Nadal was born on the Spanish island of Mallorca, known for its sandy beaches, but the tennis star will be forever associated with another surface -- as the undisputed "King of Clay".

The 36-year-old has lifted the French Open a record 14 times, among 22 men's singles Grand Slam triumphs.

However, he faces a major fight to add to those titles after pulling out of this year's Roland Garros, Wimbledon and most likely the US Open revealing that 2024 will be his final season.

Nadal's athleticism, power, mental strength and brilliant forehand make him one of the greatest ever, although the debate over the best rages on.

Along with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Nadal formed part of tennis's dominant "big three" for over a decade.

Nadal started playing in his hometown of Manacor, focussing on tennis over football and being coached by his influential uncle Toni Nadal from 2005 to 2017 who helped him develop his signature forehand.

"Nadal played forehand and backhand (with two hands) until he was about 10 years old," explained his uncle.

"When we started playing the forehand one-handed, he did so with the left. And that's how it turned out. It is still astonishing."

Another of his uncles, Miguel Angel Nadal, played professional football for Barcelona, with the sporting gene running in the family, although the tennis star supports Real Madrid.

Nadal turned professional at 14 and made his Wimbledon debut in 2003 at 17.

The Spaniard won his first Grand Slam in 2005 at Roland Garros, retaining it in 2006 against Federer, the start of a long and thrilling rivalry.

Nadal was defeated by the Swiss at Wimbledon that summer in the final, but despite the loss he proved he was not only a clay court specialist, but a contender on any surface.

Two more French Open titles, won against the same opponent, sandwiched another final defeat by Federer at Wimbledon in 2007.

At the third time of asking in London he beat Federer the following year in an epic final and also won gold at the Beijing Olympics.

Nadal won his first Australian Open in 2009, against Federer again -- his opponent for seven of his first eight Grand Slam finals.

- Career Golden Slam -

In 2010, arguably his peak, Nadal became the first male player to win Grand Slams on three different surfaces in a single year, including beating Djokovic at the US Open to complete the rare career Golden Slam.

In the men's game only Nadal and Andre Agassi have won all four Grand Slams and earned singles gold at the Olympics.

Nadal's glittering career boasts four US Open titles and two Wimbledon and Australian Open victories each, along with his 14 French Open triumphs.

Showing remarkable mental resilience to escape desperate situations, drawing on endless stamina and lethally picking off opponents with his powerful, precise forehand, Nadal was an unforgiving machine.

Between 2005 and 2007 he went on a record 81-match winning streak on clay, eventually snapped by Federer in Hamburg.

It is the longest winning run for a male player on one surface in the Open Era.

During that time Nadal won 13 consecutive titles on clay, and across his career he won 92 ATP singles titles.

Between 2005 and 2014 Nadal won the French Open every year, except for 2009, when he was defeated by runner-up Robin Soderling.

Nadal continued to shine in his later years despite niggling injury problems, winning the Australian and French Opens in 2022.

He also reached the Wimbledon semi-finals but was forced to pull out with an abdominal issue.

"The older he has got, the more willing he has been to change his game and do a little bit more with the ball, some slices and drop shots and serve and volley a bit," said Swedish seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander in May 2022.

"Both him and Novak are becoming smarter on the court, as maybe Father Time is catching up. They never stop learning, it's incredible."

- 'The GOAT' -

Some consider Nadal the tennis "GOAT" -- greatest of all time -- although it is a tough battle with long-time rival and friend Federer and the relentless Djokovic.

Maria Sharapova, Stan Wawrinka and Iga Swiatek among other players have heralded him as the sport's best ever.

Nadal's main concern was being remembered as a fine man instead of worrying about his place in the tennis pantheon.

"The important legacy is that all the people I have met during these 20 years have a good human memory of me," he said.

"At the end of the day, the personal issue, education, respect and the affection you can treat people with comes before the professional issue, because that is what remains."

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-grand-slam-warrior-144213087.html

Nadal v Djokovic -- the most contested rivalry.

 

Fierce rivals: Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in their 59th meeting at the 2022 French Open

Rafael Nadal's rivalry with Roger Federer will forever be remembered for a series of classic clashes, but his head-to-head record against Novak Djokovic has featured more matches and been more closely fought.

A record-breaking 59 meetings have seen Djokovic come out on top 30 times, although Nadal has won 11 of 18 Grand Slam matches.

In the Open era, no men have met more often on the ATP Tour, with Djokovic and Federer having played 50 times.

It remains to be seen how often they will meet again after Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open and revealed that 2024 is likely to be his last season.

Between them, Djokovic and Nadal have won a staggering 44 of the last 71 major tournaments, dating back to 2005.

"My greatest rival is Novak Djokovic," Nadal told Globo Esporte last November.

"After all, he is the one who is closest to the number of Grand Slams. And for all the times we face each other, for our history."

Djokovic has reigned supreme on hard courts for much of his career, winning a record 10 Australian Opens and three US Open titles.

He leads Nadal 20-7 on the surface, although Nadal holds a 20-8 edge on clay, on which he has powered to 14 French Open crowns.

The pair have only played four times on grass courts, with two victories apiece.

"I respect Rafa, probably more than any other player in the world -- he is the biggest rival I had in my life," Djokovic said in 2021.

- Teenage Djokovic -

Nadal first faced a teenage Djokovic in the 2006 French Open quarter-finals, easing to victory as the Serb retired injured after losing the first two sets.

He won 14 of their first 18 matches, before Djokovic reeled off three straight victories on hard courts in 2009.

Their first major final meeting came the following year at the US Open, when Nadal won in four sets to complete the career Grand Slam.

The early 2010s confirmed their rivalry as a battle for the ages, with several marathon matches on the biggest stages.

Djokovic fought back from 4-2 down in a deciding set to win the longest ever Grand Slam final at the 2012 Australian Open, lasting five hours and 53 minutes.

Nadal continued to live up to his billing as the 'King of Clay', defeating Djokovic later that year at Roland Garros in a final played over two days due to rain.

Probably their greatest clash on the red dirt came 12 months later, when Nadal kept Djokovic waiting for the career Slam with a memorable French Open semi-final triumph, prevailing 9-7 in the fifth set.

The duo had also faced off in the 2011 Wimbledon showpiece, which Djokovic took in four sets to win the title for the first time.

Their only other Wimbledon clash came seven years later, but was another classic.

Nadal was denied a first final at the All England Club since 2011 as Djokovic won 10-8 in a fifth set before seeing off Kevin Anderson to win the trophy.

The Spaniard has maintained his dominance on clay, taking his French Open record against Djokovic to 8-2 with a dramatic quarter-final victory last year.

Despite that, Djokovic enjoyed the limelight of being responsible for two of only the three defeats Nadal suffered in Paris -- in the 2015 quarter-finals and semi-finals in 2021, the year he captured a second Roland Garros crown.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nadal-v-djokovic-most-contested-144651621.html

Iga Swiatek says thigh injury ‘shouldn’t be anything serious’ ahead of French Open.

ROME — The right thigh injury that forced top-ranked Iga Swiatek to retire during her Italian Open quarterfinal “shouldn’t be anything serious,” the Polish player said.

Swiatek had to stop playing during the third set against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

“I felt pain in my right thigh. It was pretty sudden. At the beginning I didn’t really know if it was serious or not,” Swiatek said. “We did an examination with the physio afterwards. It shouldn’t be anything serious, so I’m pretty positive that I’ll be back soon.”

Swiatek will be aiming for a third French Open title – and second straight – when the clay-court Grand Slam begins in 10 days.

“To be ready for Roland Garros I need to recover right now. I’m going to take couple of days off. … Since Stuttgart I wasn’t really able to recover with that tight schedule that we have on WTA,” Swiatek said, referring to a tournament in Germany last month.

Swiatek won the French Open in 2020 and 2022. She was also a two-time defending champion in Rome and was on a 14-match winning streak at the Foro Italico.

It was 2-2 in the third when Swiatek stopped after more than two hours of play. She won the first set 6-2 before Rybakina took the second set 7-6 (3).

During the second-set tiebreaker, Swiatek grasped her right knee after shifting directions a few times behind the baseline. Close to tears, she took a medical timeout after the set and left the court. When she returned, her upper right thigh was bandaged. Then after four more games, she retired.

https://sports.yahoo.com/top-ranked-swiatek-retires-italian-031558507.html

Rafael Nadal v Novak Djokovic - five great matches.

 

Clay master: Rafael Nadal reacts after beating Djokovic for the 29th and final time at last year's French Open

Rafael Nadal on Thursday pulled out of the French Open and revealed that 2024 is likely to be his last season in tennis after a career which has brought him 22 Grand Slam titles and an epic rivalry with Novak Djokovic.

The pair have met 59 times with the Serbian edging their rivalry 30-29.

Here, AFP Sport looks at five of their best meetings:

2012 Australian Open final

Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5

-- In the longest ever Grand Slam final at five hours and 53 minutes, Djokovic came back from 4-2 down in the fifth set. It was the third successive Grand Slam final that Djokovic and Nadal had contested, and saw the Serb extend his winning streak over Nadal to seven straight matches.

"I think it comes out on the top because, just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible," said Djokovic when asked if it had been his greatest ever match.

An exhausted Nadal added: "Physically it was the toughest match I ever played."

2012 French Open final

Nadal 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5

-- In a final that was played over two days due to several rain delays, Nadal hit 34 winners to 29 unforced errors, and led two sets and a break before the Serb took eight consecutive games and a 2-1 lead in the fourth set, with a break, into Monday.

When play resumed, Nadal broke back and went on to wrap up victory in three hours and 49 minutes for what was his seventh title in Paris.

"It is an honour and for me the most important tournament, the greatest in my eyes. This is an unforgettable moment," said Nadal.

Djokovic added: "The playing conditions were not good. But it's not anybody's fault, and it's not the reason why I lost today."

2013 French Open semi-final

Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 9-7

-- Djokovic was trying to become the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam while Nadal was bidding for an eighth title in Paris. Djokovic had earlier in the season defeated the Spaniard on clay in Monte Carlo, ending Nadal's 46-match win streak.

In the Roland Garros semi-final, Nadal was 6-5 up in the fourth set and two points from victory but Djokovic hit back and then led 4-2 in the final set before Nadal dug deep to triumph after four hours and 37 minutes.

"I want to congratulate Novak, he's a great champion and he will win here at Roland Garros one day, I'm sure," said Nadal.

World number one Djokovic added: "It's been an unbelievable match but all I can feel now is disappointment. I congratulate him, that's why he's a champion."

2018 Wimbledon semi-final

Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 3-6, 10-8

-- Just weeks before Wimbledon, Djokovic had suffered a shock quarter-final exit at the French Open at the hands of Marco Cecchinato, the world number 72 from Italy, and had even threatened to skip the grasscourt Grand Slam.

The semi-final was another classic with Djokovic saving five break points in the fifth set before triumphing after five hours and 15 minutes.

"One of the longest matches of my career. I am overwhelmed," said Djokovic.

Nadal said: "I have not much more inside me. I gave it my best."

2022 French Open quarter-final

Nadal 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)

-- Nadal edged a late-night classic to reach his 15th French Open semi-final.

The Spaniard won the pair's 59th career meeting after a four-hour-and-12-minute quarter-final on a raucous Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal sealed his eighth victory in 10 French Open matches against defending champion Djokovic at 1:16 am local time.

"I'm very emotional. For me it's incredible to play here," said Nadal.

Head-to-head: Djokovic 30-29.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-v-novak-djokovic-145332862.html

Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer - five great matches.

 

Bromance: Roger Federer and a tearful Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup in London where the Swiss star played for the last time in his career

Five great matches between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer after the Spanish great announced Thursday that 2024 will likely be his final season before retirement:

2004 - Miami

-- On March 28, 2004, a 17-year-old Nadal, ranked at 34, and world number one Federer met for the first time at the Miami Masters and the Spaniard came out on top 6-3, 6-3 in just 70 minutes.

Federer had already won a second major at the Australian Open earlier in the year and arrived in Florida having captured the Indian Wells title.

However, Nadal was untroubled as he became the youngest player to defeat a world number one, victory moving him into the last 16 where he was defeated by big-hitting Fernando Gonzalez.

2006 - Rome

-- In a blueprint of their epics to come, Nadal recovered from 1-4 down in the final set of the Italian Open and saved two match points to win 6–7 (0/7), 7–6 (7/5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6 (7/5).

The final took more than five hours to play and moved Nadal to 53 straight wins on clay, matching Guillermo Vilas' record.

2007 - Wimbledon

-- Playing in a ninth successive Grand Slam final, Federer equalled Bjorn Borg's record of five Wimbledon titles with a 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-2 victory over Nadal, but the Spanish star did more than enough to suggest that he would be holding the famous trophy himself sooner rather than later.

"He's playing phenomenal tennis," said Federer of Nadal after the two played a second successive final at the All England Club.

"He came so close today - he deserves a title here. It is building up to one of the great rivalries."

Nadal was left to regret failing to convert two break points in the deciding set.

"Maybe to compare myself with Roger is not possible yet - he has 11 Grand Slams, I have three - but I'm young and I'm improving every season."

2008 - Wimbledon

-- Twelve months later, they met again in the Wimbledon final, one of the greatest ever played.

In almost complete darkness after a final interrupted by rain, Nadal won his fifth Grand Slam title and first outside of the French Open.

He missed two championship points in the fourth set but steadied to triumph 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7.

With his victory in four hours and 48 minutes, Nadal became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

"For me, it was the most emotional match I ever played in, probably the best," said Nadal.

"I tried everything, but Rafa is a deserving champion, he just played fantastic," said Federer, who converted just one of 13 break points.

2017 - Australian Open

-- In their ninth and last Grand Slam final clash, 35-year-old Federer became the second oldest man in the Open era to win a Grand Slam since 37-year-old Ken Rosewall at the 1972 Australian Open.

Federer came from a break down in the final set to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to capture his first Slam title in almost five years. The previous year, Federer had sat out six months with a knee injury.

"It's been a difficult last six months. I didn't think I was going to make it here," said Federer after lifting his 18th major and fifth Australian Open.

Nadal said: "It is amazing how he is playing after all this time away from the tour. I am very happy for you."

The overall head-to-head is Nadal 24, Federer 16.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-v-roger-federer-150249156.html

A fine bromance: Nadal's epic rivalry with Federer.

 

A fine bromance: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup in London where the Swiss star played for the final time

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer's rivalry started in the sweltering heat of Miami and ended almost two decades later in tears and hand-holding in an emotional London farewell.

In between, the great friends met 40 times, battling out epics on European clay, London grass and hard courts from the United States to Australia.

Nadal edged their head-to-head count 24-16, coming out 9-3 on top in Grand Slam finals including his stunning Wimbledon triumph in 2008, widely regarded as one of the greatest finals at the majors.

However, the statistics only scratch the surface.

"When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too," admitted a tearful Nadal as he played Laver Cup doubles alongside 41-year-old Federer in the Swiss star's final appearance last September.

The two clasped hands as Federer hobbled into retirement.

On Thursday, Nadal revealed that he too is facing the end of the line with 2024 likely to be his swansong after withdrawing from this year's French Open with a hip injury.

"Very proud to be part of his career but even for me happier to finish our career as friends after everything we shared on court as rivals," said Nadal.

When Nadal equalled Federer's haul of 20 Grand Slam titles by lifting his 13th French Open in 2020, the Swiss described it as the "greatest achievement in sport".

Federer never begrudged Nadal moving past him to 22 majors.

"I can call up Rafa and talk about anything," said Federer at his emotional farewell in London.

"We enjoy each other's company. We have a million topics to cover. I always feel like any evening we ever spent together we never have enough time."

Nineteen years earlier, it was another time, another place.

The only thing they had in common then was respect.

When they met for the first time in March 2004 at Miami, Nadal was just 17 and ranked at 34.

Federer was the world number one and had already captured the Australian Open and Indian Wells titles that year.

However, a fearless Nadal swept to a 6-3, 6-3 victory in 70 minutes.

"I was very worried about him beating me 6-1, 6-1 or 6-1, 6-2, but I really wanted to play this match against the world number one," said Nadal.

Nadal fretted if his friends back home could follow the match "on Teletext" while Federer correctly predicted more meetings to come.

"I was impressed with what I saw," said Federer.

- Wimbledon epic -

The pair met at least once every year from 2004 until 2015 while Federer would go on to claim seven of their last eight clashes.

Fittingly, they split their last meetings in 2019 -- Nadal breezing to a semi-final triumph at the French Open with Federer coming out on top in the last four at Wimbledon just weeks later.

Epics were often guaranteed.

Federer avenged his 2004 loss to Nadal 12 months later, winning the final in Miami in five sets from two sets down.

Nadal had to dig deep to protect his king of clay reputation in 2006, also needing five sets to defeat the Swiss in the Rome final.

Federer struggled to chip away at Nadal's mastery of clay, winning just two of 17 meetings.

At the Swiss star's second home of Wimbledon, he defeated Nadal in the 2006 and 2007 finals before the Spaniard claimed one of his greatest victories 12 months later.

In almost total darkness after a final interrupted by rain, Nadal won his fifth Grand Slam title and first outside of the French Open.

He missed two championship points in the fourth set but steadied to triumph 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7 after four hours and 48 minutes.

"For me, it was the most emotional match I ever played in, probably the best," said Nadal.

They would meet again in three more Slam finals -- Nadal taking his first Australian Open title in a five-setter in 2009 and the 2011 French Open before Federer claimed the 2017 Australian Open in another marathon.

Federer's win in Melbourne came after he had spent six months sidelined by injury the previous year.

"Tennis is a tough sport," said Federer who was 35 at the time and had gone 10 years without a victory over Nadal at the Slams.

"There are no draws. If there were, I would have been happy to accept one and share it with Rafa."

https://sports.yahoo.com/fine-bromance-nadals-epic-rivalry-150610347.html

Rafael Nadal in quotes.

 

Rafael Nadal talks at his press conference

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open and revealed that 2024 is likely to be his final season after a career that has yielded 22 Grand Slam titles including a record 14 French Open crowns.

AFP Sport picks 10 of the best quotes by the 36-year-old Spaniard:

"I have no sense of humour about losing."

-- Nadal in his 2012 biography 'Rafa - My Story'

"It's true that with Novak I played more matches than with Roger, but I started it with him (Federer). Someone I have admired, whom I have rivalled and also with whom I have shared many beautiful things on and off the court. A part of my life left with him."

-- Nadal in November 2022 declaring his rivalry with Roger Federer was a little more special than with Novak Djokovic.

"It's something that does not bother me if Novak (Djokovic) wins 23 (Grand Slams) and I stay at 22. I think my happiness will not change at all, not even 1%."

-- Nadal to CNN in June 2022.

"It's important to have people around you with enough confidence to say if you are not acting in a good way. Normally, when you are at the top, people say everything is fantastic. Probably in that moment it is what you want to hear, but it's best to be reminded how to act properly."

-- Nadal to The Guardian in 2009.

"I love fishing for three reasons: the calm and tranquillity, the beauty of the sea –- and, of course, the satisfaction of catching your dinner. I can forget about everything. No one can call me, because I keep my mobile switched off, so I can relax and not think about tennis."

-- Nadal to the Daily Mail in 2007.

"My parents' divorce made an important change in my life. It affected me. After that, when I can't play Wimbledon, it was tough. For one month I was outside the world."

-- Nadal to The Guardian 2009 on his mother Ana Maria Parera and father Sebastian's divorce.

"To underestimate the value of her role in everything that has come my way, to see her importance as less than Toni's, for example, would be as blind as it would be unjust."

-- Nadal to Essentially Sport in 2022 on the crucial role his mother played in his march to greatness.

"Every year I go to Broadway to see a musical - I like the music. I saw 'Mamma Mia;' I saw 'Les Miserables;' I saw 'Phantom of the Opera' like six, seven times."

-- Nadal gives an insight to outside interests to Elle.com in 2013.

"Being home alone at night makes me a bit nervous. If I'm at home alone, I have to sleep on the sofa -- I can't face going to bed. I'm there with the TV on and all the lights on. I'm not very brave about anything in life. In tennis, yes. In everything else, not very."

-- To Vogue in 2009.

"I'll never have a tattoo -- I just don't like them, and when you're old they can look a disaster. As for piercings, I don't like them on men."

-- Nadal to Life Beyond Sport magazine.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-nadal-quotes-151220106.html

Rafael Nadal - Press Conference after Final | Roland-Garros 2022.

 

 

French Open betting: Odds shift with Rafael Nadal missing Roland Garros.

 

Rafael Nadal won't play in this year's French Open. (Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, announced Thursday that he will miss this year’s French Open, which starts May 28. Rafa holds a 112-3 record and 14 titles at Roland Garros, the most by any male or female player at any single major in tennis history. Nadal hasn’t played since the Australian Open in January because of a hip injury and he said that he expects 2024 to be his final season. This will mark Rafa’s first absence from Roland Garros in 18 years.

With this news, the odds to win the French Open have shifted.

Current men's odds to win the French Open

Carlos Alcaraz +125

Novak Djokovic +185

Holger Rune +700

Stefanos Tsitsipas +900

Jannik Sinner +1400

Since 2005, only four men have won a title at Roland Garros: Nadal (14), Djokovic (2), Stan Wawrinka (1) and Roger Federer (1). Only Djokovic and Wawrinka have an opportunity to keep the trend alive.

Looking at the men's draw is more important than ever with Nadal out. However, if you are looking to grab a futures wager early, here are two players to consider pre-draw who are not Alcaraz or Djokovic.

Holger Rune +700

The 20-year old could win the Italian Open with Casper Ruud as his next opponent Saturday in the semifinal after defeating Djokovic in three sets. Since winning ATP Masters 1000 Paris in early November by defeating Djokovic in the final, he’s reached the final at ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo and won ATP 250 Munich last month. Rune’s style of play is starting to look more like Djokovic's: great returns, strong from the baseline, power forehand and killer drop shots. He has the speed to hit every shot and the stamina to play a baseline game, while having force in both his forehand and backhand. If Rune is granted the good fortune of a friendly draw, I’d be looking to him to not only win his quarter but also make the final.

Casper Ruud +1800

The Norwegian could be peaking at the right time ahead of Roland Garros. Ruud didn’t have a proper offseason and didn't take a break in order to recharge. Instead, he played some exhibition matches and then jumped straight into tournaments. At one point, he admitted that he simply fatigued and his 2023 record of 11-9 reflects that. Known to be a clay-court specialist, he is currently 6-3 on clay this year with Round of 16 exits both in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona and an opening-round loss at Madrid. However, Ruud is having a great Italian Open, which includes a strong straight-set victory over fellow clay-court specialist Francisco Cerúndolo. Regardless of whether Ruud wins or loses to Rune in the Italian Open semifinal, it gives Ruud a solid starting point to peak in the French Open.

Ruud has a solid game. He’s not only strong from the baseline but has made improvements with his backhand, while also showing the ability to make adjustments mid-match. Ruud has patience and reached the French Open final last year, losing to Nadal. Having that experience under his belt is huge, and Ruud can certainly look to capitalize on that.

It’s a good idea to wait for the draw before placing a futures wager on which man will win the next title at Roland Garros. However, these are the best pre-draw options to consider outside of Alcaraz and Djokovic.

https://sports.yahoo.com/french-open-betting-odds-shift-with-rafael-nadal-missing-roland-garros-214205090.html

SENSATIONAL STEF 💎 @steftsitsipas is through to his third Rome semi-final without dropping a set! @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI23

 

SENSATIONAL STEF 💎@steftsitsipas is through to his third Rome semi-final without dropping a set! @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI23 pic.twitter.com/B7bz7pfGXA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 18, 2023

 

Your final 4️⃣ in Rome! 🇮🇹 @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI23

Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray Full Match | Australian Open 2013 Final.

 

 

Victoria Azarenka vs. Iga Swiatek Extended Highlights | 2020 US Open Round 3.