Defending champs Alcaraz and Sabalenka win opening matches at Madrid Open

Defending champs Alcaraz and Sabalenka win opening matches at Madrid Open
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Russia’s Alexander Shevchenko during the 2024 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament at Caja Magica in Madrid on April 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 27 April 2024
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Defending champs Alcaraz and Sabalenka win opening matches at Madrid Open

Defending champs Alcaraz and Sabalenka win opening matches at Madrid Open
  • The two-time defending champion was playing for the first time in nearly a month after his injured arm ruled him out of Monte Carlo and Barcelona
  • Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev, another two-time Madrid champion, saw off Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 and will face Denis Shapovalov next

MADRID: Carlos Alcaraz didn’t need to put his tender right arm to the test while easing to victory in his opening match at the Madrid Open on Friday.

The two-time defending champion was playing for the first time in nearly a month after his injured arm ruled him out of Monte Carlo and Barcelona. And after doubting this week he would be good to go in Spain’s capital, Alcaraz admitted he could afford to hold back a little in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Alexander Shevchenko.

“I didn’t hit my forehand 100 percent. I hit it softer than I used to hit it, but I think it helped me, you know, to, let’s say, stay relaxed,” Alcaraz said. “But the first thing that I was thinking about when I was stepping on the court is to stay healthy.

“I was really happy to not feel anything in the forearm, and after that I could increase my intensity a bit. It was great for me this match.”

Defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka faced tougher resistance in her opening match while beating Magda Linette 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on the Caja Magica clay.

This was Alcaraz’s first match since the Miami Open quarterfinals nearly one month ago. Madrid is the Spaniard’s first appearance on the European clay court swing — he struggled in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro in February — as he aims to win his first French Open title next month.

“Right now I’m thinking to be better or get better every day, and I’m thinking to be closer to my 100 percent here in Madrid.” the two-time major champion said. “Let’s see how it’s going to be the next few weeks. But the main thing is to be ready for next tournament and obviously to Roland Garros.”

In Madrid, the third-ranked Alcaraz is seeded second behind Jannik Sinner and both enjoyed first-round byes.

Alcaraz played with a compression sleeve on his right arm from his wrist up past his elbow. But he looked pretty much like the same aggressive player who has dominated here for the past two years and given Spanish tennis fans hope there is life after Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz broke Shevchenko’s serve four times and will next face Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil.

Seyboth Wild upset Daniil Medvedev at last year’s French Open and should offer a stiffer challenge to Alcaraz in the round of 32.

Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev, another two-time Madrid champion, saw off Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 and will face Denis Shapovalov next.

Seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 6-4. Rublev’s last win came at Indian Wells in March.

Holger Rune was just two points from defeat against Mariano Navone before he rallied to force a second-set tiebreaker and finally prevailed 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4.

Eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz beat Jack Draper 6-1, 7-5. Last year’s finalist Jan Lennard Struff, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Alejandro Davidovich, and Sebastian Baez also moved on.

SABALENKA’S SLOW START

The second-ranked Sabalenka struggled with her serve at times against Linette, but the two-time Australian Open winner struck her 10th ace on match point.

Sabalenka got some help from the net to get a key break and go up 5-3 in the third set when Linette was unable to reach a shot by the Belarusian that clipped the top of the tape.

Sabalenka has either won it all in Madrid as she did in 2021 and last year, or gone out in the first round as she did in 2018, 2019 and 2022.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a good sign and I will keep it like that,” she said. “I either lose in the first or I win (the title).”

Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-3 to take her season-leading win haul to 27 as she seeks her fourth title of 2024.

Rybakina will next face Egypt’s Mayar Sherif after she upset Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round.

Danielle Collins extended her career-best win streak to 14 matches after beating Serb qualifier Olga Danilovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8) from 6-4, 3-1 down.

Fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen, who lost the Australian Open final to Sabalenka, withdrew with a right thigh injury while trailing Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 2-0.

Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who made her breakout at Madrid last year, bettered 19-year-old Linda Noskova 4-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Carolina Garcia, and Jasmine Paolini also advanced.


Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan

Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan
Updated 9 min 4 sec ago
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Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan

Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan
  • Victory ensured Sinner will be the ATP year-end No. 1 and the first Italian to achieve that feat
  • Djokovic was clearly struggling for mobility and balance with his left knee heavily strapped, but US Open runner-up Fritz could not take advantage

SHANGHAI: Top-ranked Jannik Sinner will chase his seventh ATP title of the year in the Shanghai Masters final after beating Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday.
Victory ensured Sinner will be the ATP year-end No. 1 and the first Italian to achieve that feat.
His 64th match win of the year set up a final against Novak Djokovic, who overcame physical discomfort to beat seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (6) and move closer to a 100th career title and a record-extending fifth at Shanghai.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion also improved to 10-0 in his career matches against Fritz, who blew a 5-3 lead in the second-set tiebreaker and a set point at 6-5 up.
Djokovic was clearly struggling for mobility and balance with his left knee heavily strapped, but US Open runner-up Fritz could not take advantage.
He lost a long rally at 6-6 and succumbed on the first match point when Djokovic stabbed a volley at the net and the American flicked it just long at full stretch.
Djokovic leads 4-3 overall against Sinner, who has won the last two — including in the Australian Open semifinals.
Earlier, Sinner weathered a nearly two-hour baseline storm from No. 33-ranked Machac, who beat No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
The Italian has a shot at his third Masters title in 2024 following victories in Miami and Cincinnati, to go with his wins at the Australian Open and US Open.
“I just tried to stay there every point, to see what was going to happen,” Sinner said. “Just playing every point with the maximum intensity I could, so I’m very happy about that. I’m happy to be back in a final again.
“I’m just looking forward to (the final), to try to find a solution somehow ... and hopefully it’s going to win the match.”
Sinner fired 10 aces and 28 winners, against only seven unforced errors, in a characteristically efficient performance.
Wuhan Open
Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka rallied from a slow start to beat an in-form Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals to advance to her third straight Wuhan final and preserve her perfect record at the tournament.
Sabalenka will face seventh-ranked Zheng Qinwen in the final. The Paris Olympics champion beat No. 51-ranked Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka will be bidding for her fourth title of the season, which includes the Australian Open and US Open.
The Belarussian’s 16th straight victory at Wuhan ended Gauff’s own recent win streak at nine, including the China Open title last week. But it looked anything but certain for Sabalenka as she crashed 6-1 in the opening set.
“In the first set she was just crushing it,” Sabalenka said. “Whatever she was doing, everything was flying in. Everything was so aggressive. I didn’t have much opportunities.”
In a fight between the last two US Open champions, Gauff led by a break early in the second but Sabalenka responded to pull level at 4-4 and saved a break point on serve to take a 5-4 lead.
Serving to stay in the set, Gauff was broken as Sabalenka hit a lunging forehand volley to force a deciding set.
The Belarussian carried her momentum into the third, extending her streak to seven games for a 3-0 lead. Gauff fought back to level at 4-4, but Sabalenka held strong to halt Gauff’s run.
Sabalenka broke once more after Gauff hit her season-worst 21st double fault on match point, ending the 2 1/2-hour match.
“I know what she’s going through. This is really difficult,” said Sabalenka, who had issues on her serve in the past. “But I know that if she’ll be able to overcome this serve situation, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be one of the greatest players.”


Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final

Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final
Updated 12 October 2024
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Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final

Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final
  • A champion in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, Sabalenka improves her perfect record in the tournament to 16-0
  • Sabalenka has now won 19 of her last 20 matches, a stretch that includes titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open

WUHAN, China: Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday and reach the Wuhan Open final for the third time.
A champion in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, Sabalenka improved her perfect record in the tournament to 16-0 and awaits Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the final.
Gauff, who was on a nine-match winning streak on the back of her title run in Beijing last week, played a perfect first set but committed a whopping 21 double-faults during a semi-final lasting two hours, 26 minutes.
Sabalenka has now won 19 of her last 20 matches, a stretch that includes titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open.
“The atmosphere was incredible,” said Sabalenka, who was 2-4 down in the second set.
“It definitely felt like one of the biggest matches of my career because the crowd made it feel like it was a Grand Slam final.”
Sabalenka struggled on serve early on and couldn’t control her forehand as a clinical Gauff leapt to a double-break 5-0 lead inside 19 minutes.
The American dropped a mere two points behind her first serve and limited the Belarusian to just two winners throughout that opening frame.
If the first set was a rout, the second was a dogfight with six of the first eight games going against serve.
After 78 minutes of play, Sabalenka found herself in the lead for the first time in the match, inching ahead 5-4 to up the pressure on Gauff, whose serve abandoned her when she needed it most.
With Gauff’s double-fault count rising, Sabalenka took full advantage and broke serve to level the contest and force a decider.
A marathon third game that witnessed seven deuces and three break points saw Sabalenka win a seventh consecutive game and hold for a 3-0 lead in the final set.
Despite Gauff’s best retaliatory efforts to level for 4-4 Sabalenka held on to close out a gritty victory.


WTA Finals in Riyadh should be the ‘most prestigious’ event, says tournament director Muguruza

WTA Finals in Riyadh should be the ‘most prestigious’ event, says tournament director Muguruza
Updated 12 October 2024
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WTA Finals in Riyadh should be the ‘most prestigious’ event, says tournament director Muguruza

WTA Finals in Riyadh should be the ‘most prestigious’ event, says tournament director Muguruza
  • ‘We could make an impact that lasts beyond the event itself, to leave a legacy for many years to come,’ said Marina Storti, CEO of the WTA’s commercial arm

There is a famous viral video of an eight-year-old Coco Gauff dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” in the stands of center court at the US Open during Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day.

From that same 2012 edition of the tournament, there are images of the young Gauff watching Venus Williams play her first round match. She is seen sitting right behind Williams’ bench.

Eleven years later, Gauff stood in the middle of Arthur Ashe Stadium and lifted the US Open trophy, becoming a Grand Slam champion at the age of 19.

Just as she was inspired by Venus and Serena Williams growing up, and got to manifest a dream that started when she was a young fan in the stands at the US Open, Gauff is hoping she and her fellow players can have a similar impact when the WTA Finals roll through Riyadh this November.

“I feel like in order to enact a dream or for a kid to see a dream, they have to see it in person,” Gauff said in New York last month.

“Obviously, you guys all saw that video of me a long time ago here. A lot of the people are hoping that there is a player or a kid that comes out from Saudi and able to say, ‘This WTA Finals changed my outlook,’ or made me realize I had a dream or a possibility in this sport.

“I think that’s what tennis is all about.”

 

 

The prestigious season-ending championships of the WTA Tour will be hosted in Riyadh for three years, with the first edition taking place from November 2-9, 2024 at King Saudi University’s indoor stadium.

The tournament features the best eight singles players and top eight doubles teams on the women’s circuit and will be the biggest professional tennis event to be staged in Saudi Arabia.

Considered the crown jewel of the tour, the WTA Finals has experienced great uncertainty over the past few years, mostly due to the coronavirus pandemic that came after just one staging of the tournament in 2019 in Shenzhen, which was meant to host the event for 10 years.

The three-year partnership between the WTA Finals and the Saudi Tennis Federation has numerous objectives and there are several reasons why Riyadh was chosen as the new host city for the tournament.

“It was really important to us that we were not only bringing the WTA Finals to make the Finals into an amazing event, but also that we could make an impact that lasts beyond the event itself, to leave a legacy for many years to come,” Marina Storti, the CEO of the commercial arm of the WTA, WTA Ventures told Arab News in a recent interview.

“And really, this is part of our strategy of growing women’s tennis as a global sport and really looking to reach new audiences but also inspiring the next generation, helping tennis development and really contributing at the community level.”

The STF has an ambitious goal of inspiring one million people in the Kingdom to take up tennis by 2030.

That aligned well with the WTA’s targets and since June, community programs, spearheaded by Judy Murray, have started taking place in Riyadh.

“What was really good is we sat down with the STF and we were like, ‘okay, we really want something that’s concrete. This needs to have a real impact.’ So we developed a program that is in three pillars: the community tennis and workforce training, which is the bit that Judy is leading for us. The second one is women’s health, and the third piece is youth engagement,” explained Storti.

 

 

Murray was recently joined in Riyadh by WTA Finals tournament director, and former world No.1, Garbine Muguruza, where they visited schools, held community clinics, helped train coaches and teachers, and spent time with members of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association.

The women’s health pillar will involve the WTA bringing their ACEing Cancer campaign to the Kingdom, raising awareness and funds for the cause, while the youth engagement pillar is about “supporting local initiatives as much as bringing in new ideas, and it was recently confirmed that we’re working with the Special Olympics in Saudi Arabia towards holding clinics during the Finals,” Storti added.

Staging the WTA Finals in Riyadh will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the Kingdom, where young fans can get acquainted with the sport throughout the three years and perhaps choose to pick up a racquet themselves.

From a tour perspective, there is a lot riding on the success of these Finals.

After a promising start to what was meant to be a decade-long stay in Shenzhen in 2019, and where champion Ashleigh Barty pocketed a record paycheck of $4.42 million, the WTA Finals moved from one city to another — Guadalajara in 2021, Fort Worth in 2022, Cancun in 2023 — without finding a stable footing.

Prize money dwindled, attendance fluctuated, and the lack of a multi-year deal made it difficult to stage the tournament the way it was meant to be, which is the pinnacle of the WTA Tour.

Now with a three-year deal in place with Saudi Arabia, the prize money is back to where it should be, with organizers committing $15.25 million for the first edition, matching the total sum on offer for the men’s equivalent ATP Finals.

“We are at the beginning of a real transformation of women’s tennis,” said Storti.

“We see huge growth opportunity ahead, we’ve had an amazing 51 years but there’s still so much more to build. So it’s about developing tennis as a global sport, creating more opportunities for women to play at the elite level but also creating new markets and new audiences.

“And the fact that Saudi Arabia is a very rapidly growing market for sport and a country with a really young population that is showing an increasing trust in sport, and showing that real appetite to invest in both the elite level and at the grassroots, we think it’s fantastic to be part of that growth.”

The top players have been vocal about the issues they faced at the tournament in the last two years, sharing their discontent both publicly and behind closed doors with the tour’s top management.

These finals in Saudi Arabia are a great opportunity to restore the players’ trust in the WTA and rediscover the luster of the Tour’s crown jewel.

It is why the main focus for the WTA and the STF for these finals is perfecting the player experience.

“It’s one thing that we are working so hard on. Having Garbine Muguruza as the director for the WTA Finals is testament to how important we see the player experience,” said Storti.  

“She obviously won the tournament and she really cares about the players. She can give us the additional perspective at the leadership level and it shows how much of a priority it is.”

Storti has visited the host venue and says each player will have their own private locker room with its own bathroom and amenities. She said the facilities surrounding the main court will be “premium” and is certain the players will be satisfied. The indoor arena will hold a capacity of 4,200 spectators, which can be extended as the tournament grows in upcoming editions.

“We also want the players to have fun outside of the court. We hope that they’ll enjoy the best of Saudi hospitality, there are some amazing restaurants and spas that we will offer to them and I know they’re getting excited,” added Storti.

Muguruza, who officially retired from tennis earlier this year, won the WTA Finals in 2021 and is keen to bring her own perspective into the mix.

“I think that this relationship with the Ministry of Sport, the federation and the WTA, I think it’s great. I’ve been seeing how much they complement each other and I do believe that it’s going to be a great event,” the Spanish two-time Grand Slam champion told Arab News in a recent interview.

“Or at least I know the objective is to make the finals the most glamorous event, the most prestigious event, because I think the players deserve it.

“I’m trying to bring everything that I would like to see if I am a player. I want the players to feel this way because when I used to play I wanted the crowd to be here and the music and I wanted to feel like I’m part of the show, like I own the show.

“I definitely want to make the players feel so happy that when they leave from Riyadh, they’re going to be like, ‘This was a great experience’. I hope they will want to come back and they will be motivated to play the next years, that’s the ultimate goal.”

As spots in the field are rapidly filling up with players securing qualification in these closing weeks before the finals, many of them are excited about the chance to make an impact on the local community in Saudi Arabia.

American Taylor Townsend locked down her qualification in doubles, alongside her partner Katerina Siniakova, and will be making her WTA Finals debut in Riyadh.

“I think it’s such a huge opportunity to be able to bring women’s sports there but also inspire, just with the nature of the culture, it hasn’t always been very inclusive for women; so to be able to be there and represent, especially as a woman of color, I think it would be fantastic, just on a worldwide stage of representation and just showing how things are evolving in the world,” Townsend, the reigning Wimbledon doubles champion, told Arab News.

“So it would mean a lot to me and for me I’d hold it with the most honor and pride.”


Djokovic ‘overwhelmed’ after ‘greatest rival’ Nadal’s retirement

Djokovic ‘overwhelmed’ after ‘greatest rival’ Nadal’s retirement
Updated 11 October 2024
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Djokovic ‘overwhelmed’ after ‘greatest rival’ Nadal’s retirement

Djokovic ‘overwhelmed’ after ‘greatest rival’ Nadal’s retirement
  • He clashed 60 times with Djokovic, who edged their rivalry 31-29
  • “He remains the greatest rival that I ever had,” said Djokovic

SHANGHAI: Novak Djokovic said Friday he was “overwhelmed” by the news of Rafael Nadal’s retirement and called the Spaniard “the greatest rival that I ever had,” but said he has no plans to stop.
Nadal announced Thursday that he will step back from tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November, ending his 22 Grand Slam-winning career.
He clashed 60 times with Djokovic, who edged their rivalry 31-29.
“He remains the greatest rival that I ever had. He has impacted me a lot as a player, my development, he has inspired a lot of people around the world,” said Djokovic, speaking after he beat 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in three sets to progress to the Shanghai Masters semifinals.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion said that the news had come as a shock despite the Spaniard’s struggles with injury.
The 37-year-old Serb is now the last man standing from tennis’s golden era, with Roger Federer retiring in 2022, and Andy Murray calling it quits this year too.
“I’m playing, you know, still keep going... but part of me left with them, that’s for sure,” mused Djokovic.
“The era of the four musketeers, so to say, the four of us and all the rivalries we had was incredible,” he said.
“I’m a bit overwhelmed, to be honest, but, you know, I still have the desire to play.
“Fighting against a 19-year-old for two and a half hours on the court is something that still drives me... and I try to get the best out of myself.”


Rafa Nadal announces retirement from professional tennis at end of season

Rafa Nadal announces retirement from professional tennis at end of season
Updated 10 October 2024
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Rafa Nadal announces retirement from professional tennis at end of season

Rafa Nadal announces retirement from professional tennis at end of season
  • Decision effective after the Davis Cup final

MADRID: Rafael Nadal on Thursday announced he will retire after the Davis Cup finals in November, ending a career which brought 22 Grand Slam titles, global respect and inspired epic, iconic rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
"I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," Nadal said in a video on social media.
"It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end."
The 38-year-old Spaniard is set to end his two decades as a professional with 92 titles and prize money alone of $135 million.
He dominated the French Open where he won 14 of his majors, his first arriving just days after his 19th birthday in 2005, his last in 2022 making him the event's oldest champion.
On the famous crushed brick of Roland Garros, he lost just three times in 115 matches.
He was also a four-time champion at the US Open and a two-time winner at the Australian Open, his first triumph coming in 2009; his second 13 years later.
Nadal also won Wimbledon twice, in 2008 and 2010 despite grass considered to be the surface most likely to expose any shortcomings in his game.
His five-set victory over Roger Federer in the 2008 championship match, which ended in almost complete darkness at the All England Club, is widely regarded as the greatest Slam final ever played.


Nadal claimed a career Golden Slam when he took Olympic Games gold in 2008. For good measure, he also won five Davis Cups.
Nadal was a five-time year-end world number one and never left the top 10 from 2005 until March this year.
In total, he spent 209 weeks in top spot and between 2004 and 2022, won at least one title every year.
In his long rivalry with close friend Federer, who retired last year, he enjoyed a 24-16 edge. Nadal surpassed Federer's mark of 20 majors in Australia last year.
He and Djokovic, the all-time leader with 24 men's Grand Slam titles, met 60 times with the Serb just ahead by two.
An underpowered Nadal was swept aside by Djokovic in straight sets in their final meeting at this year's Paris Olympics.
Despite his record-breaking career, Nadal was plagued by injuries, a painful by-product of his all-action, brutal-hitting style.
Ankle, wrist, knee, elbow and abdominal problems caused him to sit out 16 Grand Slam tournaments and withdraw mid-event on five occasions at the majors.
At the 2022 French Open, he admitted that his title charge would have been impossible without daily pain-killing injections in his foot.
Nadal then underwent a medical procedure which required nerves in the foot to be burned to allow him to extend his career.
However, the creaks in the body were getting louder.
An abdominal strain forced him out of Wimbledon where he had made the semi-finals.
He was then struck down with a hip injury at the Australian Open in January as he crashed out in the second round -- his earliest exit at the majors in seven years.
His wife Mery was in tears as she watched him struggle through to the end.
Nadal possibly sensed the writing was on the wall in the Laver Cup in London two years ago when he played alongside Federer in the great Swiss star's final tournament.
At 41, and unable to shake off a knee injury, Federer called it quits.
The two men wept and even grasped each other's hands as the Federer era ended.
"When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too," said Nadal.