Tennis News

Tien rallies to shock defending champ in Delray Beach: 'I just kept believing'

Learner Tien was not ready for his Delray Beach Open to come to an end.

The 20-year-old was two points from defeat against defending champion Miomir Kecmanovic — who served for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set — but rallied for a 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) victory and a place in the quarter-finals.

“I just kept believing,” Tien said in his on-court interview. “I got broken on kind of a bad game at four all, but just tried to put that behind me as best I could, and just made him beat me.”

Kecmanovic showed no signs of nerves when he served for the match, hammering away from the baseline and putting consistent pressure on the home favourite. But Tien played great defence, turning into a brick wall at the most critical moment.

Once the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion retrieved the break, he was able to surge to the finish line and take a 2-1 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I got a little lucky. I think luck always plays a little bit of a role,” Tien said. “But I think just fighting, just staying in there every point, and really making him close me out, I think [that] just paid off.”

Tien is fresh off a run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, where he beat a former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Daniil Medvedev, and pushed Alexander Zverev to a fourth-set tie-break. The lefty will next take on Frances Tiafoe, who won the first ATP Tour title of his career in Delray Beach in 2018.

“I played him in the first round of the [US] Open a few years ago. Obviously he’s a totally different player,” Tiafoe said. “I’m excited to get up and play him. It’s funny how things turn. Now I’m the underdog in that match, so I’m happy to get out there and play against him.”

The eighth-seeded Tiafoe clawed past qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to reach his first quarter-final since July of last year.

“I’m just happy to be competing. It feels good competing,” Tiafoe said. “It’s nice to put some matches together. Happy I get to play another match tomorrow. It’s going to be another tough opponent, so excited to get out there and compete.”

Top seed Taylor Fritz also battled through a tough test, eliminating #NextGenATP Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7-6(4), 6-4 in the last match of the day. The home favourite hit 15 aces and saved two of the three break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Fritz has shown good form since returning to the United States, advancing to the Dallas semi-finals last week. The 2023 and 2024 Delray Beach champion will continue his title chase against close friend Tommy Paul, a 7-6(11), 6-3 winner against lucky loser Adam Walton.

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Putting Sinner's Doha defeat in perspective: The numbers behind his consistency

Losses have been rare for Jannik Sinner in recent years. That is why when the Italian does fall short, it grabs plenty of people’s attention.

Jakub Mensik, last year’s Miami champion, upset the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 Thursday in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open quarter-finals. This was straight off the back of a semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

It had been a year and a half since Sinner lost before the final at two consecutive tournaments. It last happened in 2024 at Wimbledon and at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal (both quarter-finals).

Sinner is now 138-14 since the start of the 2024 season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, giving him an astonishing 90.8 winning percentage during that period. For context, Novak Djokovic owns the best tour-level winning percentage on record at 83.3 per cent.

Since Sinner lost in the Montreal quarter-finals in 2024, he has played 19 tournaments and made the final in 15 of them, lifting 10 trophies. His five championship-match defeats came against Carlos Alcaraz.

So while Sinner has now lost in consecutive events before the final, that speaks to his consistency in recent years. Mensik will play Arthur Fils Friday for a place in the Doha final.

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Play in Rio de Janeiro resumes following rain delay

Thursday’s Play has resumed at the Rio Open presented by Claro after a second rain delay.

Following about an hour-long wait, Joao Fonseca will play Ignacio Buse on Quadra Guga Kuerten, with Matteo Berrettini vs. Dusan Lajovic to follow.

The first delay happened for approximately 45 minutes when Tomas Martin Etcheverry was three points from victory against Vilius Gaubas at 7-6(1), 5-3 15/15. The Argentine returned to seal a 7-6(1), 6-4 win.

In early action on Thursday, lucky loser Jaime Faria defeated Damir Dzumhur 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals

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Mensik upsets Sinner to reach Qatar semi-finals

Jakub Mensik prevents Jannik Sinner from reaching another final as he knocks the world number two out of the Qatar Open quarter-finals, while Carlos Alcaraz reaches semis.

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Alcaraz rallies past Khachanov in Doha, hits perfect 10 for 2026

Carlos Alcaraz prevailed in a Doha tussle on Thursday at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open to preserve his perfect start to 2026.

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings overcame Karen Khachanov 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-3 to seal his semi-final spot at the hard-court ATP 500. With both players striking the ball with relentless power from the baseline, Alcaraz held his nerve at key moments to forge a comeback victory and set a last-four meeting with defending champion Andrey Rublev.

👉👂 Carlos’ captivating comeback 👉👂@QatarTennis | #QatarExxonMobilOpen | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/o8DheMoUfr

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 19, 2026

“It was a really close and tight match,” said Alcaraz after improving to 6-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Khachanov. “In the first set I had a few break points and I couldn’t make them. One set point and I couldn’t make it, so it was really tough.

“I think Karen was playing great, but I knew I’d had my chances. I just didn’t take them in the first set, so it was the time to keep going and try to keep fighting. Wait for my chances and try to take them in the second set. I’m just really proud about the way that I [fought].”

Having backed his Australian Open title run by reaching his maiden Doha semi-final, Alcaraz has improved to 10-0 for the season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The 22-year-old is now 12-0 in tour-level quarter-finals since his defeat to Jiri Lehecka in Doha a year ago.

Both Alcaraz and Khachanov let slip three break points during a rollicking opening set that featured several stunning all-court exchanges. It was Khachanov, after saving a set point at 4-5, 40/Ad, who raised his level in commanding fashion to prevail. One of the highlights of the set was the seventh seed’s remarkable forehand dig to move 4/0 clear in the tie-break, and he closed it out to win just his second set across his six tour-level meetings with Alcaraz.

Serve dominated the early stages of the second set as the match lulled somewhat after the relentless intensity of the opening set. Alcaraz was ready to take his chance when it came, however: After Khachanov pushed a makeable forehand volley long to hand Alcaraz two break points, he closed out for a break of serve that he rode all the way to the second set.

With the momentum in his favour, Alcaraz picked out a rasping crosscourt forehand pass to break again in the fifth game of the decider, and the Spaniard ultimately won five of the final six games to wrap a two-hour, 27-minute victory in which he did not faced a break point after the opening set.

Earlier on Thursday, Rublev extended his winning streak in Doha to eight matches with a 6-3, 7-6(2) triumph against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The World No. 14, the champion in the Qatari capital in both 2020 and 2025, saved all five break points he faced against Tstisipas in their first meeting since the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. With his 96-minute win, Rublev levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 6-6.

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Svajda: Grief, gratitude and a homecoming triumph in memory of his father

After spending just four days in Asia last September, far short of his planned three-week stay, Zachary Svajda returned home to California. The American played one qualifying match at the ATP 250 event in Chengdu and admittedly struggled to focus in that defeat, even breaking down in tears before the match.

Svajda’s father, Tom, had been diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and was now in the final stages of life, on the other side of the world. After the 23-year-old lost in Chengdu qualifying, there was no hesitation. Svajda booked a flight home that night.

“It was just so hard for me to focus and also the doctors came back saying, ‘It could be any day’,” Svajda told ATPTour.com. “That’s when I was like, ‘I’m done, family comes first and there will always be tournaments’.

“Right after the match, I spoke to my mom — my dad couldn’t speak anymore because of all the things that were going on with him — I was talking to my mom, ‘I’m coming home and taking care of you guys’.”

A month before his abbreviated trip to Asia, Svajda was competing inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis-only venue in the world, facing 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the second round of the US Open. In the aftermath of his home Slam, Svajda considered shutting down his season to remain at home with his family.

<img alt=”Novak Djokovic needs four sets to oust Zachary Svajda at the 2025 US Open.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/19/15/30/djokovic-svajda-us-open-2025.jpg” />
^{_{Novak Djokovic needs four sets to oust Zachary Svajda at the 2025 US Open. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images}}

“I remember one of the last things my dad said to me was like, ‘I’ll be okay, just go play’, that’s what made him happy,” said Svajda, who on Thursday faces Frances Tiafoe for a spot in the Delray Beach Open quarter-finals.

Svajda’s earliest memories of playing tennis include Tom, who was a teaching pro at Pacific Beach Tennis Club in San Diego. Long before Svajda began travelling the world as a professional tennis player, he and his father would volley a balloon back and forth in the living room when Zach was two years old.

The quality father-son time never stopped.

“He taught me everything because I was homeschooled my whole life, so I was with him 24/7 on the tennis court and at home,” said Svajda. “He really taught me commitment and making the right decisions and also sacrifices.”

When Tom passed on 13 October, Zach did not touch a racquet for a month. He stayed close to his family and helped his mom relocate to Texas, where Svajda’s two brothers live. Svajda made his comeback at the Australian Open, battling through qualifying to earn his place in the main draw. It was a meaningful first step back onto the Tour.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Zachary Svajda (@zachsva2002)

Svajda then returned to southern California and competed at the ATP Challenger event in San Diego, staged 10 minutes from where he grew up. The familiarity was both comforting and heavy.

At first, Svajda was unsure how it would feel to step back into a place so closely tied to his father.

“I said to my team, ‘I don’t think I want to play San Diego because it just feels weird going back there with everything that happened with my dad’,” recalled Svajda.

But the No. 106 player in the PIF ATP Rankings turned uncertainty into a memorable full-circle moment, with friends and family in attendance. Svajda was crowned champion, defeating former No. 15 Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final.

“I remember when I won my semi-final match and moved on to the final, I was talking to myself in my head, ‘I wish dad was here’,” Svajda said. “I also thought about that while holding up the trophy or hitting an ace on match point.”

Having claimed his seventh ATP Challenger title, Svajda received a one-of-a-kind trophy that was only fitting for winning in San Diego: A surfboard.

“I thought it was so cool to have a trophy like that, it’s different from all the other ones out there,” Svajda said. “Definitely the biggest [trophy I have], and thankfully it was in San Diego, so I just put it in my trunk and with the windows down as well, drove it back home to L.A. that night.”

Svajda has undoubtedly faced immense grief in recent months, but the American also has a sense of gratitude when he reflects on the treasured time spent with his father.

“[It was] very memorable spending those last few months and days with my dad, even though he couldn’t get out of bed for many months,” Svajda said. “It was so sad, but it really taught me a lot and I’ve learned a lot from him and also the experience.”

<img alt=”Zachary Svajda and his mother, Anita, at the San Diego Challenger trophy ceremony.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/19/15/25/svajda-sandiegoch-2026-trophy.jpg” />
^{_{Zachary Svajda with his mother, Anita, at the San Diego Challenger trophy ceremony. Credit: Christopher Zuercher/San Diego Open}}

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Zverev, De Minaur set for Laver Cup return

Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur have confirmed they will represent Team Europe and Team World, respectively, at the ninth edition of the Laver Cup, to be held at The O2 in London from 25-27 September 2026.

Zverev and De Minaur join the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Carlos Alcaraz (Team Europe), and Taylor Fritz (Team World) in the competition.

A six-time Laver Cup competitor and the event’s all-time leading points scorer, Zverev returns to London with unfinished business after last year’s defeat in San Francisco – the first Laver Cup loss of his career. The German had previously been part of Team Europe’s title-winning teams in Prague (2017), Chicago (2018), Geneva (2019), Boston (2021) and Berlin (2024). 

Zverev also returns to London, a city where he has enjoyed significant success, including winning the Nitto ATP Finals at The O2 in 2018. He made a good start to his 2026 season, reaching the Australian Open semi-finals (l. to Alcaraz).

“I always love being part of the Laver Cup,” said Zverev. “The team atmosphere is incredible, and the intensity is unlike anything else we play all year. London is a great tennis city and The O2 is one of the most special stadiums in the world for me and has already delivered some unforgettable moments for this event. I’m excited to return and hopefully we can win the title back for Team Europe.”

Team World’s top-ranked player and winner of last week’s ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, De Minaur will compete in his third Laver Cup. Having been part of Team World’s first title victory in London in 2022, he was pivotal again last year in San Francisco, where he won all three of his matches to help secure another victory for Team World.

“Laver Cup is one of the most intense and exciting weeks on the calendar,” said de Minaur. “Playing in London in 2022 was a special moment for our team and San Francisco showed what this group is capable of. I loved playing under Andre Agassi last year and I’m really looking forward to getting back out there in London with him and the team.”

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Cobolli's key to snapping losing run in Delray Beach: the power of The Hulk!

Flavio Cobolli, feeling like a superhero at the Delray Beach Open.

The third-seeded Italian celebrated his first ATP Tour win since 4 January on Wednesday by showing off his new tattoo to the crowd at the hard-court ATP 250 in Florida. Cobolli, who overcame Terence Atmane 7-5, 6-4, was quick to attribute his victory to the distinctive green character now inked into his right leg: The Hulk.

“In Davis Cup [last year], you remember I [ripped] my t-shirt, so now I have Hulk,” said the No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings Cobolli in his on-court interview. “It’s fresh, like two weeks old. I felt like Hulk on the court [then], so now I have to be like him!”

“I feel like Hulk on the court now” 🤣💪🦸‍♂️

Italian superhero @cobollifla has a new tattoo to share…#DBOpen | 📍Delray Beach pic.twitter.com/mCCda4gmim

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 18, 2026

Cobolli’s shirt-shredding celebration that inspired the tattoo came after he saved seven match points and won a 32-point deciding-set tie-break to overcome Zizou Bergs and seal Italy a spot in November’s Davis Cup Final, which the European country subsequently won. He showcased that sort of on-court grit again against Atmane on Wednesday by bouncing back from four consecutive defeats to set a quarter-final meeting with Coleman Wong, who defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-6(4).

“It’s my first win [for a while], so I’m really happy to be in the middle of the court,” said Cobolli after levelling his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Atmane at 1-1. “It was tough, the beginning of the year, but now I’m really happy to be here at this fantastic tournament.

“It was a different result [to last time]. I lost to him last time with a great battle in Cincinnati. I practised well this week and felt comfortable staying on the court for a long time. I’m really happy how I managed this first round against a tough opponent like Terence.”

In other action, second seed Casper Ruud fought off a stern test from Marcos Giron, defeating the American 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4. Giron will rue being two points from victory at 6/6 in the second-set tie-break.

Ruud then built upon his momentum by breaking the American’s serve in the opening game of the decider before sailing across the finish line. Playing in his first tournament since the Australian Open, the 27-year-old improved to 3-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Giron and will now look to extend his perfect 2-0 record against Sebastian Korda.

Ruud is making his first appearance at the ATP 250 in Delray Beach, where the Norwegian arrived just weeks after he and his fiancée Maria welcomed the birth of their first child, a daughter.

Korda defeated countryman Alex Michelsen 6-3, 7-6(6), saving four set points in the second set to avoid a decider and reach the last eight. The 25-year-old broke Michelsen at 4-5 in the second set, crucially getting back on serve after facing three set points in that game. Korda fended off another set point on return at 5/6 in the tie-break.

Korda, the No. 50 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is the second man to reach three tour-level quarter-finals this season, alongside Ben Shelton. Korda reached the Delray Beach final in 2021.

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Fonseca & Melo all smiles after Rio de Janeiro doubles win

Brazilians Joao Fonseca and Marcelo Melo treated their home crowd to a convincing victory 6-4, 6-0 victory against second seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Wednesday at the Rio Open presented by Claro.

Fonseca and Melo relied on a standout serving percentage, landing 82 per cent of their first serves and winning 84 per cent of those points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Wild cards in the ATP 500 draw, Melo is 23 years Fonseca’s senior. They will next face Germans Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner or fellow Brazilians Gustavo Heide and Luis Miguel.

Fonseca, seeded third in the singles draw, seeks a spot in the quarter-finals on Thursday against Peru’s Ignacio Buse.

In other action Wednesday, Alejandro Tabilo advanced to the quarter-finals following a 4-6, 7-6(0), 6-2 win against lucky loser Francesco Passaro. Tabilo, who reached the last eight in Buenos Aires last week, has advanced to a Tour-level quarter-final in consecutive weeks for the first time.

Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo also earned a tight, three-set win to reach the biggest quarter-final of his career. The 24-year-old overcame Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-4 after two hours and 49 minutes. At No. 68 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Cerundolo is on pace for a new career high.

Vit Kopriva downed Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-3, 6-1 and Thiago Agustin Tirante advanced past Francisco Cerundolo when the top seed retired at 6-2, 3-1 due to injury.

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Top seed Cerundolo retires in Rio de Janeiro due to injury

Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante led countryman and top seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-2, 3-1 in the second round of the Rio Open presented by Claro on Wednesday evening when Cerundolo retired due to a back injury.

Fresh off a run to his hometown title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, Cerundolo made a good start at the Rio de Janeiro ATP 500 event with a straight-sets win against Mariano Navone. But he was unable to make it through his match with Tirante.

“It’s not good to win like this, especially with Fran, one of my friends. Any moment, I didn’t see anything,” Tirante said. “I knew that he was very tired from last week, so I had to improve myself on the court and focus on me.”

After one game in the second set, Cerundolo requested a visit from the physio and received treatment on his back. That did not allow him to push on much longer, though.

Tirante hit an ace to take a 3-1 lead — his seventh ace of the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats — and Cerundolo barely moved for the ball. The top seed then approached the net to shake hands with his friend and retire.

Tirante will next take on Francesco Passaro or Alejandro Tabilo.

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