Ivan Lendl has spent time on tour as player and more recently a coach to World No. 2 Andy Murray, but he’s now taking on a new role: tournament ambassador.

The former World No. 1 and eight-time Grand Slam champion has served this week as a tournament ambassador for the $125,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Prostejov, Czech Republic. For Lendl, widely regarded as the best men’s player in the history of Czech tennis, the decision was easy.

“There was not much to consider,” said Lendl. “I have many friends here in Prostejov, both old and new, and I always like to see them. I also like this tournament and have been here a couple of times.”

Lendl spoke about the importance of ATP Challenger Tour tournaments, as well as the wild cards offered into them, for young players developing their games. He cited two-time Prostejov champion Jiri Vesely as an example of how local Challengers can provide the resources for players to make it into the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“Home tournaments are a great advantage for the home players. They can win some points and improve their rankings,” said Lendl. “It also applies with the Czech Republic. Look at Vesely and Adam Pavlasek here this week in Prostejov. How did they start? They received wild cards at home tournaments.”

Lendl signed on to work this year with the United States Tennis Association as part of their player development program, spending at least 50 days with several top-ranked 15 and 16-year-old boys.

What do you do after you’ve beaten World No. 1 Novak Djokovic? If you’re Jiri Vesely, you play Challengers.

The rising Czech star recorded arguably the biggest upset of 2016 by defeating the Serbian in the second-round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo. Three weeks later, Vesely battled away at a $50,000 ATP Challenger event in Rome, Italy, where he reached the semi-finals.

Vesely returned this week to the $125,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Prostejov, Czech Republic, where he won the past two years. Although he lost in the quarter-finals to No. 6 seed Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, he believes playing in Challengers helps him produce the level of tennis required to beat players like Djokovic.

“For players ranked No. 50 to No. 100, Challengers are very important because you need to play as many matches as possible,” said Vesely. “I keep improving and also get to work on things mentally. Challengers are great to get some confidence which you can make good use of at the Masters tournaments.”

Coming back to Prostejov to defend his title was an easy decision for Vesely. He has thrived in his home country, with four of his five career ATP Challenger Tour singles titles coming in the Czech Republic.

“It’s a home tournament and therefore a very special event for me. It’s been a matter of heart for me over the last few years,” said Vesely. “My performance has been greatly influenced by the atmosphere, but also by the pressure. I’ve been highly motivated to succeed, but also worry I could fail. Fortunately, it has always turned out well for me at the end so far.”

After Prostejov, Vesely will now turn his attention to the grass court season. He’s hoping his latest stint on the ATP Challenger Tour will produce another run of good form and a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking by the end of the year.

“My goal is to reach the Top 30,” said Vesely, currently ranked No. 60. “But as they say, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. The season has not finished yet and I still believe my dream can come true.”

Andy Murray appeared an unlikely candidate to reach the Roland Garros final at the start of the tournament, but the No. 2 seed has played his way into form and his first final in Paris.

The Brit rallied from two sets down in his opening round against qualifier Radek Stepanek, then survived another come-from-behind victory in five sets in the second round over French wild card Mathias Bourgue. After his challenging start, Murray continued to improve with each match and saved his best tennis for Friday’s semi-final against defending champion and No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka.

Hitting just 22 unforced errors over four sets, Murray was particularly strong in his return game and picked up 15 break points throughout the match, converting on five. A forehand volley winner sent Murray into the final with a 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win.

“To reach the final of the French the first time is a big moment for me. It’s not an easy thing to do,” said Murray. “A few years ago, I never really expected to be able to do that. I was really happy to play the way that I did today after a tough start to the tournament.”

Perhaps the most surprising part of Murray’s strategy against Wawrinka was his success at charging the net. The No. 2 seed won 19 of 23 net points and suggested it’s something he’ll continue to do in Sunday’s championship match.

“I tried to come forward any time I had the chance today. When the conditions are so slow, it’s not that easy to finish the point from the back of the court all of the time,” said Murray. “It’s important to finish up at the net when you can just to make a few of the points a little bit easier.”

Only No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic separates Murray from his first Roland Garros title. The pair have established themselves as the top rivalry on tour in 2016, particularly during this year’s clay season. Djokovic prevailed over Murray in the final of Madrid, while Murray avenged the loss on his birthday a week later in the final of Rome.

Sunday’s final has monumental implications for both. While Djokovic aims to complete the career Grand Slam and become the first player to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time since Rod Laver in 1969, Murray is looking to become the first British champion at Roland Garros since Fred Perry in 1935.

“It’s obviously a very big match for both of us. Neither of us know how many more chances we’ll have to win here,” said Murray. “We have had some really big battles in the slams before on all the other surfaces. I’m sure it will be the same again on Sunday.”

Leander Paes partnered Martina Hingis to the Roland Garros mixed doubles title, rallying to win 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 against No. 2 seeds Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig. Paes became the third player in the Open Era to win a career Grand Slam in both men’s and mixed doubles (Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde).

“[Communication and hard work] is why we won a career Grand Slam Grand Slam,” Paes said. “We started playing together 18 months ago. To finish a career Grand Slam in 18 months takes a little bit of doing.

“I had to learn a few things on the court on how to play mixed on the clay. I knew how to do it on grass and hard courts where your footing is better. But we learned something in the second-round match here. Martina actually taught me to basically cover my line. We played to our strategy.”

Paes and Hingis only won one point returning Dodig/Mirza’s first serves in the opening set, but gradually found their rhythm. The experienced doubles players rushed the net with success and secured the win when Dodig netted a forehand approach. They are the second mixed doubles team in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam (Marty Riessen/Margaret Court).

The 42-year-old Paes owns the Open Era men’s record with 10 mixed doubles titles. The Indian reached No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings in 1999 and won Roland Garros three times in men’s doubles (1999, 2001 and 2009).

Tommy Haas has been named Tournament Director of the BNP Paribas Open, the largest WTA and ATP World Tour combined two-week event in the world, it was announced today by BNP Paribas Open Chief Operating Officer Steve Birdwell. Haas’ appointment as Tournament Director is pending approval by the ATP and WTA Boards.

A former World No. 2, Haas has won 15 ATP World Tour titles in his career, advanced to multiple Grand Slam semi-finals, including the Australian Open (1999, 2002, 2007) and Wimbledon (2009), and earned a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. The German posted a 25-13 record at Indian Wells, reaching back-to-back quarter-finals in 2007 and 2008.

“I’m thrilled to join the BNP Paribas Open as its new Tournament Director and look forward to working with one of the finest sporting events in the world,” said Haas. “There is a reason that the BNP Paribas Open has been voted Tournament of the Year by both tours for consecutive years, as the tournament and venue continue to provide a world-class experience for players, fans and sponsors. I look forward to joining the experienced Indian Wells staff, building upon the foundation they have created, and working to take the event to even greater heights.”

“As the BNP Paribas Open continues to grow and evolve in today’s tennis landscape, we see a clear need for a Tournament Director who will engage with players, sponsors and fans in a deep and meaningful way, and we believe that Tommy is well-positioned to achieve these goals,” Birdwell said. “Tommy is well-regarded by his peers on both tours and we believe that adding him to our existing veteran team will allow the tournament to flourish in the years to come.”

Novak Djokovic approved of the move after winning his semi-final at Roland Garros. “It’s a perfect solution for the Indian Wells tournament, considering the great relationship Tommy has with [tournament owner] Larry Ellison. Tommy has been around so many years in tennis,” Djokovic said. “I’m sure he’s very eager to contribute to the growth of that tournament that is already setting a very high standard in the integrity of ATP events.”

Although Stan Wawrinka was unable to defend his Roland Garros title, he still views his two weeks here as a success.

The Swiss star lost in four sets to No. 2 seed Andy Murray in their semi-final on Friday, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Although Wawrinka fought back to take the third set, he struggled to find answers for an opponent he said produced a level of tennis not seen before in their previous meetings.

“I think that Andy played so well today. He was the strongest on the court. It’s as simple as that,” said Wawrinka. “When you play someone at such a level, what can you do? He knew how to be very aggressive from the very first shots and put pressure on me when I thought I had opportunities to seize.”

Wawrinka’s showing this tournament is his second-best result at Roland Garros in 12 appearances. Having been a set away from defeat in his opening round against Lukas Rosol, he said that getting to the final four was an achievement in itself.

“I’m disappointed, of course, because I have lost the semi-final. There were only two matches to reach the end of a Grand Slam. I know that,” said Wawrinka. “But I can always take some distance and say, ‘Okay, it’s an excellent tournament. It’s a semi-final. I lost to Murray, who is No. 2 in the world.’ It’s all positive.”

Wawrinka will kick off his grass court season in two weeks at the ATP World Tour event in London. Like the rest of the tennis world, he’ll also be keeping an eye on Sunday’s final at Roland Garros between Novak Djokovic and Murray.

“[Andy] defeated him in Rome and it was really a tight score in Madrid. He’s finding solutions now,” said Wawrinka. “But I have the impression that Novak is where Novak wants to be. When he’s at his best, he can beat anybody.”

Novak Djokovic is peaking at exactly the right moment at Roland Garros. The No. 1 seed produced his best tennis of the tournament in defeating No. 13 seed Dominic Thiem in their semi-final on Friday, putting him into his sixth consecutive and 20^th overall Grand Slam final.

The Serbian is one match away from a career Grand Slam after hitting just 15 unforced errors in a dominant performance that saw him drop seven games. Although he didn’t give Thiem a chance to take control of the match, Djokovic was full of praise for his young opponent.

“He carries himself very well on and off the court for his age. He’s a leader of a new generation, is very powerful, and has a lot of strength and variety in his game,” he said. “I managed to handle his heavy spin very well today, but I’m sure that, as I told him after the match, we’re going to see a lot of him in the future if he continues doing so well.”

A backlog of matches due to rain resulted in Djokovic and Thiem playing their semi-final on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Although it’s unusual for a semi-final to not be held on Court Philippe Chatrier, the World No. 1 said the atmosphere was exactly what he wanted.

“The crowd was actively participating in each point, which I find very exciting. In a big match like this, you always want to feel special on the court because you worked hard for that moment,” said Djokovic. “When the crowd is there in a packed stadium, when they get involved and support both players, that’s where you want to be. That’s why you practise.”

Djokovic will play No. 2 seed Andy Murray in Sunday’s championship match. A win would make him the eighth man – and the fourth in the Open era – to win all four majors. He would also become the first player to hold all four majors at one time since 1969, when Rod Laver completed the calendar-year Grand Slam.

Defeating Murray will not be an easy task, though. Djokovic survived an epic five-set quarter-final against the Brit at last year’s Roland Garros. The pair have split their two meetings on clay this year, with Djokovic prevailing in the final at Madrid and Murray getting revenge a week later in the championship match in Rome.

“He has improved so much on clay over the years. This season is a great example of that,” said Djokovic. “I think he’s one of the most dedicated tennis players on the tour. He always seeks to improve his game and get better.

As Djokovic enters his fourth Roland Garros final, he will have more experience to draw from than Murray, who has never before reached the final Sunday here. With both players first facing each other at age 11 and squaring off dozens of times since then in the juniors and pros, they know what to expect when they take the court in two days.

“If we knew back then that we were going to fight for the biggest trophies in this sport, I think we would both sign the document,” said Djokovic. “I’m sure it’s going to be a final with a lot of emotions and a lot of exchanges from the baseline because we have similar styles of play. I know his game; he knows mine. I’m sure we’re both going to give it everything on Sunday.”