Running on empty after a breakout 2017 and with an off-season stacked with charity events and weddings, Jack Sock has hit his reset button a little later than most. The first indication of the American’s big 2017 came at last year’s BNP Paribas Open where he reached the semi-finals. Back to defend those points with a Top 10 ranking to boot, the 25-year-old is rebuilding after some delayed time-out. He fell in his opening two matches of the season – in Auckland and at the Australian Open – before deciding to take that much-needed break. “That reset was the month after Australia I took,” Sock said. “Obviously, the last two weeks, results wise, it hasn’t really shown, the work I...
With a breakthrough title run at the prestigious season-ending Nitto ATP Finals and a career-best ranking, it is fair to suggest the stars are finally aligning for Grigor Dimitrov. Just don’t suggest he’s at peace with himself. While the Bulgarian has never produced his finest results in the desert at the BNP Paribas Open – he is yet to make it beyond the third round in six appearances – he returns for the first time with a Top 4 seeding. Dimitrov admits he is enjoying what he does right now more than in previous years. “Finally my body is starting to understand. I’ve been more consistent,” Dimitrov said. “I wouldn’t say I’m at peace, I don’t want to be at...
Weeks after making his ATP World Tour debut in Rotterdam, teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime is about to tick off another first after winning through qualifying at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday. The 17-year-old from Montreal defeated Slovak Norbert Gombos 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 to reach his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 main draw. It makes Auger-Aliassime the first man born in the 2000s to contest a Masters 1000 main draw. And his reward for doing so – a first-round meeting with fellow Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil. “I’m grateful. It just shows I’m on the right path,” Auger-Aliassime said “I’m doing some great things. The future is probably bright but there’s still a lot of work to do, to get a...
Is it possible to move from outside the Top 1,000 into the Top 10 in just two years? Yes. Juan Martin del Potro just did it. The Tower of Tandil was ranked No. 1,042 in the ATP Rankings in February 2016. Skip forward two years and he was ranked No. 9 on 26 February, and he's up to No. 8 this week after winning the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco on Saturday. You would naturally think that Del Potro’s magical run, cutting his ranking from four digits down to just one in such a short period of time, was predicated on creating lop-sided win percentages. It wasn’t. [ALSO LIKE] An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis uncovered...
A brotherly bash will kick off the 2018 BNP Paribas Open doubles draw, which is always one of the most competitive doubles fields during the ATP World Tour season. Seventh seeds and two-time champions (2013, 2014) Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan will be playing in their 20th consecutive BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. But the legendary team hardly received a sweetheart draw: The Bryans open against another pair of brothers in Germany's Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev. View Doubles Draw | View Singles Draw Another must-see first-rounder at the season's first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament will take place when Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez (no relation) of Spain face Juan Martin del Potro and Grigor Dimitrov. Lopez/Lopez reached...