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Kyrgios Back In Action, Wins Opening Doubles With Bublik In Stuttgart

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

Kyrgios Back In Action, Wins Opening Doubles With Bublik In Stuttgart

Aussie begins singles run on Tuesday against Lehecka

Nick Kyrgios made a successful return to action on Monday when he partnered Alexander Bublik to a 6-2, 6-4 win against Hans Hach Verdugo and Philipp Oswald at the BOSS OPEN in Stuttgart.

The Australian is competing for the first time since early April, when he advanced to the semi-finals in Houston. He returned home to Australia for a break after a strong 9-4 start to his season in which he made the quarter-finals at Indian Wells and the Round of 16 in Miami.

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Sonego Surges Past Paire In Stuttgart

Kyrgios is making his third appearance in Stuttgart, where he pushed Roger Federer to a final-set tie-break in the 2018 quarter-finals. The 27-year-old will begin his singles run on Tuesday against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic.

A six-time ATP Tour titlist, Kyrgios also thrilled fans on Sunday by playing mini tennis with local children, posing for pictures and answering questions. 

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'Painter In Print', Gianni Clerici Remembered

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

‘Painter In Print’, Gianni Clerici Remembered

Venerable Italian writer was inducted into International Hall Of Fame in 2006

Hall of Famer Gianni Clerici, a celebrated Italian journalist whose 500 Years of Tennis is widely regarded as the definitive book on the origins of the sport through the first century of competition, passed away Monday. Clerici was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006 in recognition of his immense contributions to tennis as a journalist, historian, and broadcaster. He was 91 years old and living in Bellagio, Italy when he passed away.

In addition to his work as a writer, Clerici was a discerning art collector, who amassed a carefully curated personal collection of tennis-inspired art from the 17th century to the 21st century. The exquisite collection including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and more, from which more than 30 pieces were recently acquired by the International Tennis Hall of Fame. These pieces are now on display in the International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum where tennis enthusiasts can enjoy exploring the sport through the unique eye of a keen tennis expert and thoughtful art collector.

A prolific writer and broadcaster, Clerici contributed to a wide range of publications for more than six decades, and was a popular figure on television. Known for his immense flair and distinctive personality, Clerici regaled audiences on the air and kept readers thoroughly immersed with his imaginative reporting and excellent storytelling skills.

“Gianni was a great writer who was stolen by the sport of tennis in a sense because he was an artist who could write about anything,” said his longtime Italian colleague Ubaldo Scanagatta. “His colorful description of the players was unique. Gianni would write stories that thousands of people who did not care much about tennis would love because he was a painter in print.”

His contribution as a newspaperman commenced in 1951. He reported for a national newspaper called Il Gorno which was based in Milan for 25 years. He then joined the prominent newspaper La Repubblica in Rome, for whom he wrote for more than thirty years. Clerici’s daily reports were never as steeped in statistics as many of his fellow writers. Rather, Clerici was an extraordinary interpreter of the tennis scene. He would often trust his own impressions over those of the players, and that independence was a central feature of his work.

Somehow, Clerici found time to explore every forum available to him as a communicator including magazines and many books. His illuminating biography of the French icon Suzanne Lenglen, Divina, was one of Clerici’s most important works, lauded by the literati for the richness of his insights and the clarity it brought to a singularly compelling champion who transformed the world of women’s tennis.

Clerici’s research was always comprehensive, most notably in 500 Years of Tennis (500 Anni di Tennis), which was hailed as a masterpiece by many other learned critics of the game. Clerici took his readers back to the 14th Century and carried them into the 1970s in his sweeping historical overview on the evolution of tennis. In the book, Clerici was able to uncover the emergence of the first racquets and balls and other fascinating developments.

Meanwhile, Clerici authored numerous other books on the game including two on instruction. Despite his deep dedication to tennis journalism, Clerici also established himself as a distinguished playwright and was honored in that capacity for the “Best Play of 1987” in Italy called Ottavino e Cleopatra. He also wrote several other plays, a number of novels and even some poetry.

Giovanni Emilio “Gianni” Clerici was born on July 24, 1930 in Como, Italy where he lived for much of his life. As a boy, he developed an affinity for tennis and was a successful junior player. He captured two National Junior doubles titles in 1947 and 1948 as well as reaching the final of the singles in 1950.

In his early twenties, Clerici competed in the men’s singles at Wimbledon, making the main draw in 1953 and appearing in doubles on those same British lawns a year later.

As well as he may have played the game, Clerici was born to be part of his beloved sport in a different way. Clerici was a masterful creative force, a supreme wordsmith when holding a microphone or controlling a keyboard, and ultimately an artist unlike anyone in the tennis journalistic world.

– Story courtesy of International Tennis Hall of Fame and Hall of Famer Steve Flink

Editor’s Note: The FIT (Italian Tennis Federation) has announced that the press room at the Foro Italico will be named in honour of Clerici.

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Q2 Review: Nadal Rules Roland Garros, Alcaraz Masters Madrid & Novak’s 1000 Wins

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

Q2 Review: Nadal Rules Roland Garros, Alcaraz Masters Madrid & Novak’s 1000 Wins

ATPTour.com revisits the storylines from the second quarter of the season

The second quarter of the 2022 ATP Tour season saw significant milestones for seasoned campaigners and #NextGenATP stars alike, some fond farewells, and a classic Big 3 duel.

A clay-court season that began with Reilly Opelka beating John Isner in the tallest ATP Tour final in the Open Era ended with Rafael Nadal clinching a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. In between, Carlos Alcaraz dominated in Barcelona and Madrid to crack the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time, while Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic added to their Masters 1000 trophy collections with triumphs in Monte Carlo and Rome, respectively.

Below, ATPTour.com reflects on all that and more from a thrilling clay-court season.

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Fantastic 14 For Nadal At Roland Garros
An injury-hampered build-up to the clay-court Grand Slam may have raised some doubts around Nadal’s ability to clinch his record-extending 14th Roland Garros crown, but the 36-year-old put those to bed with another stunning fortnight in Paris.

The Spaniard moved past Felix Auger-Aliassime, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud to a 22nd Grand Slam title, becoming just the third player to earn four Top 10 wins at a Grand Slam since the Pepperstone ATP Rankings began in 1973.

After Auger-Aliassime had pushed Nadal to four sets in their fourth-round clash, the Spaniard and old foe Djokovic played out a classic quarter-final for an ecstatic night session crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier. Nadal’s 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) win took four hours and 11 minutes and finished after 1 a.m local time, reducing his ATP Head2Head series deficit against the Serbian to 29-30.

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Nadal Claws Closer To Djokovic In ‘Big Titles’ Race With Roland Garros Triumph

Nadal was equally as dialled-in in the final against eighth seed Casper Ruud, dropping just six games against the Norwegian to seal his second major title of the year and extend his lead over second-placed Alcaraz in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin to 1,800 points as he hunts a 17th appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“It is something that I have never believed. To be here at 36, being competitive again on the most important court of my career,” said Nadal following his 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 win in the championship match. “One more title means a lot. It means a lot of energy to try and keep going… I don’t know what can happen in the future but I am going to keep fighting to try and keep going.”

Alcaraz Doubles Up At Home
Alcaraz picked up a pair of titles in his homeland as the Spaniard’s impressive 2022 continued in style on the European clay. His maiden tour-level trophy on home soil at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell made the then-18-year-old the ninth-youngest player to climb into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in the Open Era on 25 April.

It got even better for Alcaraz at the Masters 1000 event in Madrid in early May. He capped his 19th birthday week by defeating Cameron Norrie, Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev to clinch a second Masters 1000 title of the year.

“It is a great moment for me,” said Alcaraz after completing a seventh straight Top 10 win over Zverev in the championship match. “It is the first tournament I watched, so lifting the trophy today is so emotional.”

“I want to congratulate Carlitos. Right now you are the best player in the world,” added Zverev.

Alcaraz followed that success with a run to his first quarter-final at Roland Garros, boosting the exciting 19-year-old’s chances of qualifying for November’s Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The Spaniard sits second in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin, with 3,820 points. At the end of the season, the top eight players in the Race will qualify for the year-end finals, and Alcaraz’s current total puts him 1850 points clear of ninth-placed Djokovic.

Opelka Wins ‘Battle Of The Serve-Bots’ In Houston
Big servers may not be renowned for their success on clay, but Reilly Opelka and John Isner proved themselves more than adept on the surface at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in early April. World No. 17 Opelka beat Isner 6-3, 7-6(7) in the championship match to clinch a fourth tour-level title, his first on the red dirt.

The battle between 6’11” Opelka and 6’10” Isner marked the tallest ATP Tour final in the Open Era. Despite the serving prowess on show there were 13 break points across the one-hour, 50-minute clash.

“He [Isner] was my idol growing up as a kid, and before I even met him, I liked him,” said Opelka after beating his countryman for the fifth consecutive time. “We’ve played a handful of times and you keep on beating me. I hate you for that!” was Isner’s joking response.

Tsitsipas Rules Again In Monte Carlo
The first Masters 1000 action of the year on clay saw Tsitsipas break his trophy duck for 2022 with a successful defence of his title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

The Greek dropped just one set all week in the Principality. That came against Diego Schwartzman in a Monte Carlo classic to cap a thrilling day of quarter-final action in that saw all four matches go to deciding sets. Tsitsipas squandered a 5-2 lead in the second set, before rallying from 0-4 in the decider to oust the Argentine.

Tsitsipas’ final opponent was Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the unseeded Spaniard who stunned top seed Djokovic to kick-start a dream run to a maiden Masters 1000 final. Tsitsipas ultimately proved too strong, however, completing a 6-3, 7-6(3) win to become the sixth player to clinch back-to-back Monte Carlo titles.

“I am very proud of myself,” Tsitsipas said after his triumph. “Things weren’t going well at one point, but I managed to stay composed to finish the match off. I am really proud with the belief I put in my game. Sometimes you doubt yourself, but it is always important to keep your head high.”

Djokovic Joins The 1000 Club
Despite that early loss to Davidovich Fokina in Monte Carlo, World No. 1 Djokovic wasn’t down for long in his hunt for a maiden title for 2022.

The Serbian looked back to somewhere near his best in his hometown tournament, the Serbia Open in Belgrade, although he fell just short in the final against Andrey Rublev. A semi-final defeat to eventual champion Alcaraz followed in Madrid but Djokovic was not to be denied as he charged to a record-extending 38th Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, seeing off the in-form Tsitsipas in the final.

Lifting the trophy crowned a historic week for Djokovic, whose semi-final victory over Ruud made him the fifth man in the Open Era to reach the milestone of 1,000 tour-level wins.

“I’ve seen Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal] celebrate those milestones in the last couple of years and I was looking forward to get to that 1,000 myself,” said the Serbian. “I’m really, really blessed and privileged to have that many victories on the Tour. It’s been a long time, ever since I won my first match on the Tour. Hopefully I can keep going and many more victories to come.”

Rune Rise Continues
After picking up just two tour-level wins in the first quarter of the season, #NextGenATP star Holger Rune found his rhythm on the European clay.

Just like Alcaraz in Madrid, the Dane celebrated his 19th birthday week by lifting a trophy. Rune stunned top seed Zverev in the second round at the BMW Open by American Express in Munich and didn’t drop a set on his way to a maiden ATP Tour title after Botic van de Zandschulp retired in the championship match.

“I’m super happy, of course,” said Rune. “Not the way I wanted it to end, but if I look through the week, what a week. I played some unbelievable tennis, really fighting my way through it. To be playing here in Munich and winning my first ATP title in front of such a brilliant crowd, I couldn’t really ask for more.”

Rune carried that form to Roland Garros, reaching a first Grand Slam quarter-final by upsetting Tsitsipas in four sets for a statement win on Court Philippe Chatrier. Despite defeat to Ruud in the last eight in Paris, the Dane’s exploits mean he starts his grass season at a career-high No. 28 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, while he sits third in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan.

Ruud Roars At Roland Garros
Ruud’s clay-court season started moderately by his high standards as he won just four matches across Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Munich and Madrid. A seven-time tour-level titlist on clay, the Norwegian’s form picked up with a semi-final run in Rome before he successfully defended his title at the Gonet Geneva Open.

That surge continued at Roland Garros. Ruud beat Hubert Hurkacz to reach a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final and the 23-year-old’s momentum then took him past Rune and Marin Cilic to a first tour-level meeting with his childhood idol Nadal in the final. The eighth seed fell in straight sets to the Spaniard, but admitted the occasion would stay with him despite the result.

“He’s a player I have watched on TV for the past 16, 17 years,” said Ruud after the match. “Of course I wish I could make the match closer, but at the end of the day I can hopefully one day tell my grandkids that I played Rafa on Chatrier in the final.”

Former Top 5 Stars Tsonga & Anderson Retire
A highly emotional afternoon on Court Philippe Chatrier saw former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wave goodbye to the ATP Tour with a four-set defeat to eventual finalist Ruud at Roland Garros.

”I spent so many good moments,” said Tsonga, who retired after a memorable 18-year career. “I think the most important thing for me was to live this with people around me, to be able to share the sadness sometimes [and] the happiness. What I will remember is all the relationships I had with people around me. That’s what will stay.”

Eighteen-time tour-level titlist Tsonga was not the only former World No. 5 to announce his retirement this spring. Kevin Anderson, a seven-time Tour titlist and two-time Grand Slam finalist, also called time on his career. “I’ve had ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” wrote the South African on social media in early May. “My journey helped me become the man who I am today.”

Doubles legend Marc Lopez also brought his time playing on the ATP Tour to an end. The veteran Spaniard partnered his nation’s next great hope, Carlos Alcaraz, in the final match of his career in Madrid. Lopez’s 14 tour-level titles included a 2016 Olympic Games gold medal with Nadal, the 2012 Nitto ATP Finals with Marcel Granollers, and the 2016 Roland Garros crown with Feliciano Lopez.

Koolhof/Skupski Lead Doubles Race
The move from hard courts to clay did nothing to halt Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski’s impressive 2022 form. The Dutch-British pairing picked up their fourth ATP Tour title of the year in Madrid, a maiden Masters 1000 success for a duo which only came together at the start of the season.

Koolhof and Skupski lead the way in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Team Rankings. Their closest challengers are Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer, who each made history with their run to the title at Roland Garros. Arevalo became the first Central American man to win a Grand Slam doubles title, while 40-year-old Rojer is now the oldest Grand Slam men’s doubles champion in the Open Era.

Third in the Race are the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked players in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings, Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram. The British-American pairing claimed its maiden clay-court title in Monte Carlo.

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Gaston Breezes Through In ‘s-Hertogenbosch

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

Gaston Breezes Through In ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Rain restricts Monday play at Dutch ATP 250 event

Hugo Gaston cruised to victory in his first tour-level match on grass before rain curtailed play on Monday at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The 21-year-old Frenchman broke Soonwoo Kwon’s serve five times in a quickfire 6-2, 6-1 first-round win at the ATP 250 event in the Netherlands. His second-round opponent will be eighth seed Jenson Brooksby or home wild card Jesper De Jong.


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Play was only possible in one other match on Monday. Kamil Majchrzak leads Dominik Koepfer 3-1 in the opening set in a first-round match that is now scheduled to be completed on Tuesday.

World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev is the top seed in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz are also competing. Adrian Mannarino is defending his title from the most recent edition of the grass-court event, held in 2019.

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Sonego Surges Past Paire In Stuttgart

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

Sonego Surges Past Paire In Stuttgart

Italian next faces home favourite Struff at ATP 250 grass-court event

After an early struggle, Lorenzo Sonego passed his opening test of the 2022 grass-court season with flying colours on Monday in Stuttgart.

The sixth-seeded Italian recovered an early deficit to ease to a 7-5, 6-2 first-round win against Benoit Paire at the BOSS OPEN ATP 250 event.

“It’s my first time here, it’s my first tournament on grass and I’m really happy [with] this match,” said the sixth seed after defeating Paire. “It’s never easy to pass from clay to grass, but I enjoy it because if I serve good it is easier for me.”

Sonego initially struggled behind his delivery against Paire, dropping his serve in the first and fifth games of the match against the 2017 semi-finalist. However, the Italian stayed solid as inconsistencies crept into the Paire game, and Sonego reeled off four games in a row from 3-5 to clinch the first set before breaking twice in the second to ease to a 77-minute victory.

The win improved Sonego’s career tour-level record on grass to 12-6. The Italian won a title on the surface in Antalya in 2019 and also reached the final in Eastbourne in 2021.


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Sonego’s second-round opponent will be home wild card Jan-Lennard Struff, who edged through his first-round clash with Marcos Giron in a tense deciding-set tie-break.

Struff fended off two match points against the American World No. 53, keeping calm at 5/6 and 7/8 in the third-set tie-break before converting his own second match point to seal a 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(8) triumph. It was the former World No. 29’s first match since Miami in March due to a toe injury.

Struff’s countrymen Oscar Otte and Daniel Altmaier played out a similarly tense encounter in their maiden tour-level meeting. Otte is playing just his second tour-level event on grass this week in Stuttgart, but it was the World No. 61 who prevailed in two tie-breaks to clinch a 7-6(2), 7-6(4) victory.

After reeling off six straight points to claim the first-set tie-break, Otte saved the only three break points of the match in the 10th game of the second set. The 28-year-old again held his nerve to recover a 2/4 deficit in the second-set tie-break, this time winning five points in a row to book a second-round meeting with fourth seed Denis Shapovalov.

“I’m really happy, it was a difficult match against a good friend,” said Otte after the match. “We’re playing doubles tomorrow together and I’m just happy to be through. Good conditions and it’s always good to play in Germany in front of a home crowd.”

Benjamin Bonzi enjoyed an impressive win on tournament debut as the Frenchman took out a four-time tour-level titlist on grass in Feliciano Lopez. Bonzi was a 6-4, 6-1 winner over the Spanish wild card. The World No. 58 Bonzi next faces Ugo Humbert or Arthur Rinderknech.

In the other match completed Monday, qualifier Radu Albot set up a clash with second seed Matteo Berrettini by overcoming Joao Sousa, 6-2, 7-6(7).

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Five Fast Facts About Nadal's Historic Roland Garros Title

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

Five Fast Facts About Nadal’s Historic Roland Garros Title

Learn more about the Spaniard’s Paris victory

Rafael Nadal made more history on Sunday when he claimed a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. But the Spaniard did more than improve his record at the majors.

ATPTour.com looks at five fast facts about Nadal’s victory in Paris.

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Five Fast Facts About Nadal’s Win
– This is the first time Nadal has won the Australian Open and Roland Garros in the same season. Earlier this year, the Spaniard captured his second trophy at Melbourne Park.

– Nadal’s 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory against Casper Ruud was tied for his second-most lopsided win in a major final. The lefty lost just four games in the 2008 Roland Garros final against Roger Federer and six games in the 2017 championship match in Paris against Stan Wawrinka.

– The 36-year-old has now earned at least one clay-court title in 19 consecutive years. He is also tied for the most trophies on the ATP Tour this season with Carlos Alcaraz. Both men have triumphed four times in 2022.

– Nadal is now 14-0 in Roland Garros finals. No other man has more than six titles at the tournament.

– The 22-time major winner is now the oldest men’s singles champion in Roland Garros history. Nadal broke the mark previously set by Andres Gimeno, who was 34 years, 10 months when he was victorious in 1972.

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#NextGenATP Q2 Review: Alcaraz Continues To Soar As Rune & Musetti Impress

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

#NextGenATP Q2 Review: Alcaraz Continues To Soar As Rune & Musetti Impress

Draper & Nakashima earned standout wins

Four #NextGenATP stars have continued to lead the pace in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan, with maiden tour-level titles, Top 10 wins and career-high rankings the story of the second quarter of the 2022 season.

Carlos Alcaraz made history when he captured his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid, while there was delight for Holger Rune, who clinched his maiden tour-level crown in Munich.

Italians Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti both flourished on the clay, with the former reaching quarter-finals in Monte Carlo and Madrid. Musetti earned his first Top 10 win of the season against Felix Auger-Aliassime as he boosted his chances of qualifying for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held from 8-12 November.

View Latest Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan Standings

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, 3820 points
The Spaniard has continued to make history in recent weeks, with his season going from strength to strength on the European clay.

The 19-year-old soared to success on home soil at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in April, which meant he became the youngest player to crack the Top 10 since Rafael Nadal did it exactly 17 years before on 25 April 2005 after lifting his first Barcelona trophy. Fuelled by confidence, Alcaraz then made the 620 km journey to Madrid, where he enjoyed a dream run to his second Masters 1000 title of the season.

In a standout week, Alcaraz eliminated Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev to become the first player to defeat Nadal and Djokovic at the same clay-court event. It was also the first time since David Nalbandian in Madrid in 2007 that a player had overcome three Top 4 stars at a Masters 1000 tournament.

“It feels great to be able to beat these players. To beat two of the best players in history and then Zverev, the World No. 3. He is a great player. I would say this is the best week of my life,” Alcaraz said following his win in the final against Zverev, which moved the Spaniard to a Tour-leading fourth title of the year.

Alcaraz rolled into Roland Garros at a career-high No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He saved a match point against Albert Ramos-Vinolas en route to his second quarter-final at a major, where Alexander Zverev stopped him in a gruelling four-set encounter.

“I leave the court and leave the tournament with the head very high,” Alcaraz said when reflecting on his time in Paris. “I fought until the last ball. I fought until the last second of the match, and I’m proud of it.”

Read 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals Spotlight Features
Jiri Lehecka
Jack Draper
Holger Rune
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Luca Nardi

No. 2 Jannik Sinner, 1430 points
Consistency was the key for Sinner on clay, with the Italian strengthening his position in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan. The 20-year-old, who lifted the trophy at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019, ended the swing on the surface holding an 11-4 record.

Jannik Sinner
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Under the guidance of new coach Simone Vagnozzi, Sinner earned his first Top 10 win of the season in Monte Carlo, defeating Andrey Rublev en route to the quarter-finals. He then saved three match points to defeat Tommy Paul in the first round in Madrid. By saving three match points against the American, Sinner moved to an ATP Tour-best four wins on the 2022 year after saving match points.

Speaking to ATPTour.com in May, coach Vagnozzi said that he feels Sinner’s fighting qualities are one of the Italian’s biggest assets.

“He is a fighter. He never wants to lose a point in tennis and then off the court he never wants to lose at cards! He likes the tough situations and the pressure points,” Vagnozzi said. “He is not scared to play pressure points, so for a coach it is much easier to work with someone who has this mentality.”

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His 100th tour-level victory followed when he eliminated Australian Alex de Minaur to reach the third round in the Spanish capital. It provided an opportunity for Sinner to reflect on his career.

“I have gone my own way. I remember the first win and now I am here at 100 wins. I hope for more as I am working for that and I just love to play tennis,” Sinner told ATPTour.com after he reached the landmark. “Every match you win is a great moment.”

With 100 wins in the bank, Sinner then advanced to the quarter-finals in Rome for the first time, before an injury ended his Roland Garros run at the fourth-round stage.

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No. 3 Holger Rune, 953 points
The European clay period has been a memorable one for #NextGenATP Dane Rune. The 19-year-old soared to his first ATP Challenger Tour title of the year in San Remo, before he came through qualifying to reach the second round in Monte Carlo on debut.

Rune’s major breakthrough came in Munich, though, where he earned his first Top 10 win against Alexander Zverev en route to his maiden ATP Tour title at the 250 event.

“It means a lot. It was my ultimate goal for this year to be able to win my first ATP 250 title,” Rune told ATPTour.com following his title success in Germany. “It happened today and I’m super happy about that and excited about the future. This can only bring good things out of me and I’m going to stay working hard and just try to achieve more things.”

With confidence at an all-time high, the Dane then enjoyed success on French soil. Rune reached the semi-finals in Lyon and then broke more new ground at Roland Garros, shocking World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas to become the first Danish man to advance to the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

No. 4 Lorenzo Musetti, 621 points
Musetti boosted his chances of qualifying for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals for the second consecutive year by doing what he does best. Performing well on clay.

The Italian, who is fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan, reached the third round at ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo and Madrid, with the 20-year-old capturing his maiden Top 10 win of 2022 against Auger-Aliassime in the Principality.

Lorenzo Musetti
Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Just as Musetti did in 2021, he gained the spotlight at Roland Garros, taking the first two sets against Greek Tsitsipas before losing in five in their first-round meeting. Last season, the 20-year-old forced Novak Djokovic to a fifth set in Paris before retiring.

“He’s fighting. He’s a talented player that has a very nice one-handed backhand,” Tsitsipas said when discussing Musetti. “He knows the game on clay. He has grown up playing [on] these courts. He’s definitely a difficult opponent to face in any circumstance, really.”

With the Greek’s words ringing in his ears, Musetti flourished on the clay in Forli, clinching his first ATP Challenger Tour title of the season at the Italian event in June.

Others To Watch
Jack Draper was one of the standout #NextGenATP stars in the first quarter of the season, winning four ATP Challenger Tour titles from January to April. Despite missing a portion of the clay swing due to injury, the 20-year-old Brit tasted further success in recent weeks. The lefty earned his second main-draw match win at an ATP Masters 1000 event when he downed Lorenzo Sonego in Madrid.

Czech Jiri Lehecka is sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan, while Chun-hsin Tseng is seventh. Lehecka advanced to his first ATP Challenger Tour final of the season in May, while Tseng of Chinese Taipei came through qualifying to make his debut at Roland Garros.

Brandon Nakashima, who reached the semi-finals in Milan last year, has strengthened his position in eighth with a run to the third round in Paris. Italians Flavio Cobolli and Luca Nardi are ninth and 10th, respectively, meaning they remain firmly in contention to qualify for their home event in November.

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Nadal Rises Following Roland Garros Triumph, Mover Of Week

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2022

Nadal Rises Following Roland Garros Triumph, Mover Of Week

ATPTour.com looks at the top Movers of the Week in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, as of Monday, 6 June 2022

No. 4 Rafael Nadal, +1
The Spaniard has climbed one spot to No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after he captured a historic 14th Roland Garros title and record-extending 22nd Grand Slam trophy in Paris last week. The 36-year-old is the oldest men’s champion in the history of the clay-court event and has now moved level with countryman Carlos Alcaraz on a Tour-leading four titles in 2022. It is also the first time Nadal has won the Australian Open and Roland Garros titles in the same season. Read RG Final Report.

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No. 6 Casper Ruud, +2 (Career High)
The 23-year-old has jumped to a career-high No. 6 after he became the first Norwegian man to reach the final at a Grand Slam following his run at Roland Garros. The eight-time tour-level champion, who had never been beyond the fourth round at a major before, defeated seeds Lorenzo Sonego, Hubert Hurkacz and Marin Cilic before he lost to Nadal in the final in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

No. 17 Marin Cilic, +6
The Croatian has jumped back inside the Top 20 following his standout run in Paris. The 33-year-old shocked World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev en route to the semi-finals. By advancing to the last four in the French capital for the first time, Cilic became just the fifth active player to reach the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams, joining Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

No. 28 Holger Rune, +12 (Career High)
#NextGenATP Dane Rune continued to make waves at Roland Garros, becoming the first Danish man to advance to the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam in the Open Era. The 19-year-old, who captured his maiden tour-level trophy in Munich in April, earned the second Top 10 win of his career when he downed World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round.

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Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 33 Cristian Garin, +4
No. 41 David Goffin, +7
No. 47 Filip Krajinovic, +8
No. 51 Mackenzie McDonald, +9
No. 57 Lorenzo Musetti, +9
No. 64 Brandon Nakashima, +11
No. 66 Hugo Gaston, +8
No. 74 Jordan Thompson, +8
No. 83 Mikael Ymer, +12
No. 97 Bernabe Zapata Miralles, +33 (Career High)

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