Tennis News

Rune rules the risk: Dane rides 59 winners into Stockholm SFs

Holger Rune delivered a masterclass in high risk, high reward tennis on Friday at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open, where he stormed back into the semi-finals in Stockholm.

The top seed and 2022 champion overshadowed his error-strewn start — and a late injury scare — with a scintillating finish to defeat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 at the indoor hard-court ATP 250 event.

Holger hangs tough 👊@bnppnordicopen | #bnppnordicopen | @holgerrune2003 pic.twitter.com/EcIR7oXVtA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 17, 2025

Despite tallying 19 unforced errors in the first set alone and requiring a medical timeout for his left thigh in the decider, Rune blasted 59 winners en route to his third semi-final of the season.

“Not so good, honestly,” Rune said when asked how he was. “But I’m very happy that I was able to finish the match. I couldn’t have done it without all you great fans. I was really struggling with my left leg, but the energy was very special.”

With the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin heating up, Rune strengthened his push to return to the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time since 2023. The Dane now sits 11th in the standings, though Casper Ruud could reclaim the spot if he beats Sebastian Korda later on Friday.

Rune appeared in trouble after losing three straight games from 3-0 in the deciding set and taking a medical timeout to have his thigh heavily taped. But he roared back with fearless ballstriking to outmuscle the patient Etcheverry and deny him a first hard-court semi-final.

The 22-year-old, who lifted his second ATP Tour trophy in Stockholm in 2022, now boasts a 7-1 record at the event, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He next faces fourth seed Ugo Humbert, who earlier rallied past Lorenzo Sonego 6-7(3), 6-0, 6-3.

Humbert has now won 13 of his past 14 matches on indoor courts, highlighted by his run to the final at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris last year and his Marseille title in February. Rune leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 5-0.

Source link

Vacherot was this close to losing in Shanghai qualifying… 'Literally unbelievable'

Two points. That is all that separated Valentin Vacherot from the exit in Rolex Shanghai Masters qualifying.

The world has marveled at the Monagesque player’s history-making run in China, where Vacherot, then No. 204 in the PIF ATP Rankings, became the lowest-ranked champion in ATP Masters 1000 history. But just how close was he to falling short of the main draw?

The 26-year-old has spoken plenty about needing withdrawals to get into the qualifying field at the tournament. But what happened in the second round of qualifying against Liam Draxl?

According to the Canadian, the former Texas A&M University standout barely survived their encounter and made a courageous shot to save what turned into a dream tournament.

“I was pretty close to getting him on the brink there. It was five-all in the tie-break and he actually hit a first-serve return winner,” Draxl told ATPTour.com. “I served and volleyed and he hit just a cross-court angle winner. Then he hit a big serve and got the breaker.

“I actually had break point in the third too, at 4-3, and he hit a huge serve, like 225 kilometres an hour out wide. So that was tough on my end too, but I knew it was a really high-level match.”

According to Infosys ATP Stats, in two hours and 48 minutes, only five total points separated the pair. Vacherot saved two of the four break points he faced, which proved critical to claw into the main draw.

“I thought to myself, ‘Yeah, he probably could win some rounds in the main draw’,” Draxl said. “I thought it was just a super high-level match out there. But for him to win it, it’s unbelievable. Literally unbelievable.”

Draxl summed up what happened after that : “Crazy run for Val.”

There was no thought of what could have been, though. Instead, Draxl was happy for someone he had known from college tennis. Draxl played for the University of Kentucky, while Vacherot competed for Southeastern Conference rival Texas A&M.

“It’s great to see college tennis people doing well and particularly the SEC doing well. It was always such tough competition within our conference over the college years,” said Draxl, the World No. 118. “Playing Val so many times — having battles with him in college so many times — with Ben [Shelton] and so many other guys, [Adam] Walton. It was really such a stacked conference and so much good competition.

“I loved those days and it’s great to see all these guys inside [the Top] 100 and doing great things. It gives me more belief that hopefully I can follow suit and crack that 100 mark soon.”

Source link

Watch ATP Tour stars guess iconic TV characters: 'I'm clueless!'

Competing at the highest level on the ATP Tour demands incredible mental focus, quick thinking and sharp instincts, but can those same skills help players recall the beloved characters of their childhood?

In an entertaining new video, stars Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, and several others put their memory to the test as they try to identify famous TV and cartoon characters.

Can they tell their Flinstones from their Simpsons? It turns out while these athletes dominate the court, their pop culture knowledge might not always serve them as well under pressure.

Watch the video below to see who nails the nostalgia quiz — and who might need to brush up on their Saturday morning cartoons.

Source link

Medvedev finds his spark in Almaty, Turin trail tightens…

Daniil Medvedev is refusing to fade from the Nitto ATP Finals conversation, extending his late-season surge with another strong run at the Almaty Open this week.

The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings averted some early danger on Friday to overcome Fabian Marozsan 7-5, 6-2 and advance to his third consecutive ATP Tour semi-final. Medvedev was forced to save three set points on serve at 4-5 in the first set, but quickly found his range, hitting 27 winners to just 12 unforced errors in a classy display.

“The first set was really tough, I had to save three set points,” said Medvedev. “But I’m really happy with the way I played, especially after this moment, and I’m happy I managed to win. I served really well today, and I managed to step up my game when I needed to, so I hope I can continue playing this way.”

Medvedev, the 2020 champion at the season finale, is up two spots to 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Having begun October in 20th, he has strengthened his hopes of securing a seventh straight showing at the Nitto ATP Finals.

After semi-final runs in Beijing and Shanghai, Medvedev awaits a last-four meeting with qualifier James Duckworth in Almaty. The Australian earlier upset third seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-2 to become the second man to reach multiple semi-finals at this event, having advanced to the final in 2021.

Back in August, following a disappointing season by his lofty standards, Medvedev admitted he wasn’t too concerned about his slim chances to qualify for Turin. However, under new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, the 29-year-old is rediscovering his rhythm and trademark consistency.

Duckworth, meanwhile, continues to thrive at the Kazakhstani ATP 250 event and is up 30 spots to No. 108 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Cobolli was unable to deal with the Australian’s relentless movement and pinpoint accuracy during their 91-minute clash, in which he saved all five break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

In the top half of the draw, sixth seed Alex Michelsen rallied from a break deficit in the deciding set to defeat Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 and keep alive his hopes of winning a maiden ATP Tour title.

By reaching his third tour-level semi-final of 2025, the 21-year-old American earned a 25th victory for the second straight season. He awaits Jan-Lennard Struff or Corentin Moutet in Saturday’s clash.

Source link

More Than The Score

Vacherot’s win in Shanghai makes him lowest ranked ATP Masters 1,000 champion in history.

Source link

Osaka out of Japan Open quarter-final with injury

Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka withdraws from the Japan Open through injury as tennis players continue to struggle.

Source link

Top seed Rune escapes late jam to win Stockholm opener

Holger Rune made a smooth start to his BNP Paribas Nordic Open campaign, beating Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday in Stockholm. Through to his third consecutive ATP Tour quarter-final, Rune will next take on Tomas Martin Etcheverry, a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 winner against Miomir Kecmanovic.

Rune, who won his first hard-court title at the Stockholm ATP 250 in 2022, is seeking his second trophy of 2025 after his clay triumph in Barcelona — a result that would see him leapfrog Casper Ruud for 11th place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

The Dane improved to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Fucsovics by wriggling out of 15/40 to serve out the match on centre court. Rune saved eight of nine break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, with Fucsovics’ lone break proving harmless at 5-2 in the opening set.

“He was really swinging through the ball so I had to play very well,” Rune said of his opponent’s late charge. “I had to step up at the end because he was not going to hand it to me. It was difficult to close it out but obviously very happy with my performance. It was a great match I think for both of us.”

Earlier on Thursday in Stockholm, fourth seed Ugo Humbert edged Matteo Berrettini, 7-6(5), 6-3. The Frenchman converted on both of his break chances and did not face a break point on his own serve.

Through to his fourth quarter-final of the season, Humbert will seek to make it a perfect 4-0 at that stage when he takes on Lorenzo Sonego. He is 11-1 in his past 12 indoor matches, behind runs to the Paris Rolex Masters final last year and the Marseille title earlier this season.

Source link

Moutet saddles up for Lexus ATP Head2Head Challenge in Almaty

Corentin Moutet is known for his flair, creativity, and unpredictable shotmaking on the ATP Tour, but can he bring that same artistic touch to a completely different kind of challenge?

Ahead of his run at the Almaty Open, the Frenchman swapped the tennis court for the Kazakhstani steppe in a special Lexus ATP Head2Head challenge. This time, Moutet faces off against host Natalie Pike in a uniquely local test — Kokpar, a traditional Kazakhstani game.

Moutet and Pike cheer on their teams as riders gallop across the field on horseback, racing to throw tennis balls into a Lexus car.

Will Moutet’s competitive instincts and creative flair help him claim victory? Watch the video below to find out who wins.

Source link

Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve: Vote now for September's winner

From fearless second serves to hammering aces under pressure, the September contenders are in for the ATP Perfect Serve, brought to you by Stella Artois. Now, it is up to the fans to decide the winner.

Alexander Bublik produced a moment of brilliance in the Hangzhou final, sealing the opening set with a second-serve ace that left both his opponent and the crowd stunned. It was one of 70 aces that the Kazakhstani struck that week, during which he won all 44 of his service games en route to the title.

Bublik’s final opponent, Frenchman Valentin Royer, also had a clutch delivery of his own at the ATP 250. Royer had the hot hand in the quarter-finals, crushing back-to-back aces to force a first-set tie-break. Moments later, Royer hammered yet another ace to seal the tie-break 7/0 against Learner Tien.

China’s Zhang Zhizhen provided his own dose of serving perfection, striking an ace to save match point before returning to the same spot — a booming serve down the T — to clinch victory against his countryman Buyunchaokete.

Watch the video below, then head to our Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve hub to vote for your favourite!

Source link

Draper & coach Trotman part ways after four years

Jack Draper will no longer work with the man who coached him to the Indian Wells title as James Trotman wants to prioritise time with his family.

Source link