It’s all for the love of the game. At the ripe age of 36, Tommy Robredo reached his 15th main draw at the US Open, surging through qualifying with the loss of just one set.

It might sound like a cliché, but for Robredo it couldn’t be closer to the truth: age is just a number. Passion for the game he loves couldn’t be greater, and that is what drives the Spaniard to compete at the highest level in the twilight of his career.

In a clash of 36-year-olds, the Spaniard upended Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in one hour and 40 minutes to punch his ticket to the big show. Boasting a 35-14 record at the hard-court Grand Slam, Robredo ensured he will contest his 50th match in New York. 

“It’s a great satisfaction,” Robredo told ATPWorldTour.com after qualifying. “Getting through qualifying is not easy. It’s like facing the best players at a Challenger and reaching the final. I had not played on such a fast court in two years and I’ve won three tough matches with the hope of being in another Grand Slam. I’m very happy. In the end, you have to see the big picture and hopefully I have a more or less good draw to win another match.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of what I accomplished in the past. If I’m healthy, there’s nothing else in the world that gives me more passion than this. I’m always saying the same thing.”

Oldest Players At 2018 US Open

Robredo arrived in New York to compete in qualifying without any expectations. The Spaniard, who had not won a hard-court match since October 2017, is relying on experience to rediscover his rhythm.

It certainly won’t come easy for the 36-year-old, who drew 15th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round. It will be the second meeting between the Spanish veteran and the #NextGenATP Greek, who is nearly half his age. Robredo prevailed 6-2, 6-1 at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Brescia, Italy, in 2016. But, two years later, Tsitsipas is a completely different player.

“I am actually surprised to have qualified,” said Robredo. “I arrived on Saturday and on Sunday I lost 6-0 in a practice set. In the first match, I did not feel well, but I put a lot of pressure on my opponent and knew how to do the right things. The second day, I again didn’t feel great, but I somehow won 6-3, 6-0 [over Gregoire Barrere]. Yes, it was a great score, but I just did not have good feelings on the court.

“A match can be won in many ways: playing very well, fighting and being smarter than the opponent. What I have done all three days has been playing better than my opponent. Everything adds up and the important thing is that I won.”

Robredo has been doing just that all year, as he looks to rebuild his position in the ATP Rankings. Currently at No. 214, the former World No. 5 lifted his first trophy in five years when he prevailed at the Lisbon Challenger in May. It was his first title since 2013, having triumphed at the ATP World Tour event in Umag.

After struggling with a series of injuries over the past few years, Robredo is grateful to be back at one of the biggest stages in tennis. 

“The day that there is something that excites me more than this, I will consider leaving it. I am 36 years old and I do the one thing that I love. Obviously, I’m not at my best, but I do it because I enjoy it. I do not know why I have to leave it. Many people can say that I have been there and accomplished everything, but for me it is not about that. 

“My goal is to be back in the Top 100 and for that you have to earn it. I have to fight for it every day and that’s what I’m trying to do. I have the goal of being back at the top. If I returned to the Top 100 it would be something amazing.”

Robredo will open his US Open campaign against Tsitsipas on Monday, with the match slated for fourth on Court 11.

On the extreme periphery of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, practice court 17 is about as far away from the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium as you can get and still claim to be part of the US Open.

It’s not the first place you’d go looking for the Bryan brothers, who have won five titles inside the world’s largest tennis stadium. But that’s where Bob Bryan found himself at practice Friday, watching brother Mike, who is playing the Open with Jack Sock. The location is also an apt metaphor for the daunting challenge confronting the American, who, at 40, is sitting out his first Open since 1994 and looking to fight his way back on tour following right hip surgery little more than three weeks ago. 

“No one has ever come back with a joint replacement, a steel hip, so that’s something to work towards,” said Bryan as he climbed into a tournament shuttle to drive back to the locker room.

Anyone following Bryan’s Instagram story – which has documented his recovery from surgery – will have little doubt about his resolve. His most recent post was of him hitting a few gentle balls with Mike on P17. Hopefully his surgeon missed that one.

Bryan, who is walking with the aid of a cane, says that it’s a surreal feeling to be back at the Open but not in the main draw.  “It’s a little weird. We’ve played 20-plus Opens in a row; it’s always been one of our favourite spots to play because of the crowd support. It’s taken our games to their highest level.

“But there are other things to enjoy about the tournament, so much to do, I have so many friends here, parties going on, so I am enjoying it in a different way. But I’d still rather be on the court playing it.”

During his recovery, Bryan also has been able to enjoy so many family moments – with wife Michelle, and three children Micaela (6), Bobby Jr. (4) and Richie (3 in October) that otherwise would have been missed had he been out on tour. “I was home for their first day of school, I was able to take a couple of vacations, which I haven’t done in our 20 years on tour. We’ve gotten to do stuff that I’ve wanted to do for my whole life.”       

Bryan last played 13 May against Mektic/Peya in the Madrid final, when for the first time in 1,407 matches, he was forced to retire. Had he won that match, he and Mike would have returned to co-World No. 1s.

In the aftermath, he said that his main regret was first trying to get back on court through rehab rather than undergoing surgery earlier than 2 August, when he went under the knife.

“The frustration was doing all the rehab trying to avoid surgery. The countless treatments and doctors’ visits weren’   t working and I kept missing tournament after tournament. I eventually found out that surgery was the only course. My hip was worn out, bone on bone, and had many other issues. I’m already feeling better than I did before the operation.”

“It’s a hip surface replacement with an artificial joint. My incredible surgeon, Dr. Edwin Su, cut the head off my femur and replaced it with a metal ball and cemented a metal cap on my hip socket. It’s different to a full replacement because I don’t have the metal rod going down my femur.”

Another change for Bryan at this year’s US Open? He’s attracting a lot more attention at security checkpoints. “I buzz when I go through the US Open metal detectors. I don’t have a medical waiver yet so I just show them the scar.”

A look at Bob Bryan’s new hip.

The average recovery time for a joint replacement like Bryan’s is eight months, but because he has more time to dedicate to rehab, he’s hopeful of cutting that to six. “I don’t have a nine-to-five job so I can do more rehab,” he says.

While not talking up his chances, Bryan hasn’t ruled out coming back for the Nitto ATP Finals in London from 11-18 November. “That’s a dream, but luckily Mike is likely to qualify with two partners (also Sock), which I don’t think has been done before. So even if I come back he might not pick me,” he says smiling.

“The toughest part has been not achieving the goals I set for myself. I said I wanted to come back for the French Open, failed, wanted to come back for the grass season, failed, wanted to come back for Atlanta, failed. So it was very hard and unsettling not knowing what the future held. Now I have a plan for recovery, so that makes my days a lot easier.”

One thing is for certain: The winner of 116 tour-level titles – including 16 majors and 38 ATP World Tour Masters 1000s – isn’t doing all the hard work just to come back for the sake of playing. “I’m only coming back if I feel I can win tournaments. I don’t want to return to tour as a shadow. If I can’t get back to 100%, then I’ll call it a day.”

It’s one of the most sought-after prizes in all of tennis: the ‘lucky loser’. The ultimate second chance, it turns losers into winners in an instant. Fall in the final round of qualifying and your dream of lifting the trophy remains intact. 

But they call it the ‘lucky loser’ for a reason. While what transpires between the lines is in your control, it all comes down to luck when drawing the chips. For Peter Polansky, karma was in his corner all year.

While some might only dream of scoring a coveted lucky loser berth into a Grand Slam, Polansky’s fortune extended to not just one major in 2018, but ALL FOUR. At the Australian Open, he was the first lucky loser selected. Then, at Roland Garros, he was the second drawn. And at Wimbledon he smashed the single-season record with a third lucky loser entry of the year.

On Friday, the Canadian was defeated by Donald Young 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, in the final round of US Open qualifying. Hours later, Polansky raised his arms in triumph as he emerged from the tournament office. It was a Grand Slam of luck in one year.

“Before the match, I heard that one guy withdrew, but you still can’t think about it when you’re out there,” Polansky told ATPWorldTour.com. “It would be stupid to think like that. I blocked it out and then after the match was thinking how I needed to go through the process again, which is pretty nerve-wracking. In the end, I kind of knew it was going to happen. I was still nervous though.”

LL-SLAM COMPLETE ✌?PEACE OUT pic.twitter.com/dcbRSclLDv

— Peter Polansky (@PPolansky) August 24, 2018

When Mitchell Krueger claimed the final qualifying spot, marking the conclusion of qualies week, all that was left to do was draw the chips. At the US Open, the four highest-ranked players who lost in the final round are the first competitors eligible for a ‘lucky loser’ entry. When Pablo Cuevas and Jared Donaldson both withdrew due to injury, two spots opened up. 

That meant that two players among Polansky, Lorenzo Sonego, Ruben Bemelmans and Nicolas Mahut were selected at random. Numbered chips were assigned to each player and Polansky took matters into his own hands. Literally. As is standard practice, anyone can pull chips, and under the careful eye of a tournament official he fortuitously picked out his own number from a blind draw.

“I drew the chips myself as soon as Krueger’s match ended. I was thinking I’ll take matters into my own hands. I picked it for Australia and I picked myself. At the French Open and Wimbledon, I wasn’t around for it. Today, I was just thinking that it’s the last one of the year and I’ve already gotten it three times, so I might as well go for it. I picked the chips and I selected myself first. The second one was Sonego. Just too good.”

At No. 120 in the ATP Rankings, 30-year-old Polansky has been pushing towards a Top 100 breakthrough in recent months. The Toronto native ascended to a career-high No. 110 in June and lifted his fourth ATP Challenger Tour trophy last month in Granby, Canada. Playing the best tennis of his career, he believes that everything happens for a reason and this is the time to make some noise on one of the biggest stages.

“Last time I played in the main draw here was when I qualified in 2009 and 2010 back-to-back. I lost in the last round of qualies five times, including last year, and I never got the lucky loser. It’s a great tournament and I’m playing really well now. I’m playing Alexander Zverev on Tuesday and there’s a possibility for a night match on one of the stadiums, so it would be really cool. I’m feeling good with my game, so why not do some damage.

“There’s some big points and prize money on the line and I’m feeling great. I just turned 30, but it’s a young 30. I would say that last year I was playing my best tennis of my career, but I’m playing even better this year. I’ve had a good summer and I hope I can keep improving. As long as I’m able to feel good physically and not break down, my goal is to just keep improving.”

And perhaps the biggest twist of fate from the final round of qualifying came from another Canadian. Felix Auger-Aliassime drew close friend, countryman and fellow teen Denis Shapovalov to open his first Grand Slam main draw. The #NextGenATP duo will clash on Monday evening, with Polansky opening his quest against Zverev on Tuesday.

After losing a five-setter against Ernests Gulbis at Wimbledon, Alexander Zverev began to think it was the perfect time to try something new. At the time, he was No. 3 in the ATP Rankings and had recently earned his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Madrid.

But the 21-year-old wanted more, and he took a step toward achieving more by adding both a proven coach and player to his team ahead of the US Open: former World No. 1 Ivan Lendl.

“The reason I’m with him is to compete and win the biggest tournaments in the world,” Zverev said. “That’s the only reason he would join, as well. It’s great having him here. Hopefully it will show in the results.”

Jez Green, Zverev’s fitness coach, worked with former World No. 1 Andy Murray during one of Lendl’s stints with Scot’s team. So between Lendl’s previous coaching success and his experience with members of the German’s team, it was a perfect fit.

“He’s a smart man, a great guy. Done it as a player, done it as a coach, so he knows what it takes,” Zverev said. “He knows how to do it. He knows how to make the best players even better. This is why I took him.”

Zverev’s father, Alexander Zverev Sr., is still one of his coaches. But Lendl is another set of eyes and a mentor who can give the World No. 4 insight into the mind of a man who himself won 94 tour-level titles and 1,068 matches.

“There’s a lot of tactical work, for sure. There’s a lot of mental work, as well, to kind of show me what it takes to compete for Grand Slams, to win Grand Slams,” Zverev said. “That for sure he has shown me a little bit.

“The training sessions are tough. The training sessions have always been tough when I work. I’m a pretty hard working guy, so I know what it takes. I’m not somebody who sits on my [behind] when I’m alone. I’m always constantly trying to figure out ways to get better. That hasn’t changed that much. The training sessions are still tough. The training sessions are tough when I’m by myself.”

It’s not that Zverev has been unsuccessful before hiring Lendl. In fact, the opposite is true. The Monte-Carlo-resident leads the ATP World Tour in 2018 with 43 match wins. In second is World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who owns 40. But to Zverev, Lendl could add that little bit more to his corner to help him continue his ascent.

“Practices have probably gone up a little bit in intensity. They have gone up a little bit in value probably, as well. Just having him around on the court brings the value,” Zverev said. “So far the relationship is going well. So far everything is going as it should. Hopefully it will continue so.”

Zverev will hope his early work with Lendl could pay immediate dividends in Flushing Meadows. One year ago, he was arguably one of the hottest players on tour, fresh off triumphs in Washington, D.C. and Montreal. But his tournament came to a screeching halt in the second round against Borna Coric, his third exit by the second round in three New York-appearances.

“Last year I was a little burnt out,” Zverev said. “Last year I played a lot, I won a lot. Mentally it was tough for me because everybody saw me for the first time as a favorite. That was new for me, as well. Expectations got ahead of me a little bit.

“I’m trying to play my best tennis here in New York, which I’ve never really done before. I’ve never really played the best tennis here. I’m trying to change that. I’m trying to change it this year. Hopefully it will work out that way.”

And maybe with Lendl in his corner, Zverev could find his top level at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where he begins his campaign against Peter Polansky. For now, there’s no timeframe on this new player-coach relationship.

“As long as it works,” Zverev said. “If I win the US Open here, it’s going to be probably a little while.”