Mike Bryan observed recently that “Twin energy is weird,”, and doubtless that weirdness is accentuated when you play elite doubles with your identical brother, with the public expecting you to win every tournament on the calendar (including this one). “When we are clicking and everything is strong, it feels like no one can touch us. But it is a double-edged sword. When we lose a few matches, it can go a little sour because we take jabs at each because we have the competitive twin thing,” he continued. And those “jabs” aren’t just verbal; they can also be physical. The most successful doubles team in history – consider how this is the 15th time they have qualified for the Barclays...
Two years on from gritting his teeth through compulsory military training in Austria, Dominic Thiem is now among the elite eight, who are set to compete on the illuminated blue court, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. “In 2014, it was difficult for me to have a decent off-season, but last year I watched it and thought the [Barclays ATP World Tour] Finals was so difficult to amass so many [Emirates ATP Rankings] points, to compile so many good results,” Thiem told ATPWorldTour.com. “So to have qualified is a big dream.” Watch: The Story Of Thiem The youngest player in the field at The O2 in London is also the first Austrian to compete at the year-end championships since...
This has been a good year for the man who styles himself “the CEO of Milos Raonic Tennis” (for those who aren’t aware, that’s the Wimbledon finalist himself). In addition to a wicked serve and blistering forehand, this chief executive officer has also brought some idiosyncrasies to the task. That was most evident with the sleeve he had on his right arm for a couple of years – he first wore that at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells in 2014 to protect a heat rash, and he then didn’t take it off until this season’s European clay-court swing. And he has since appeared to be just fine without it. Something new that he believes could be...
Novak Djokovic will bid to win an unprecedented fifth successive title at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals next week, and a record-equalling sixth crown overall. Over the past four years, the Serbian has often produced his best performances on the blue court at The O2 in London, including a 15-match winning streak. His only loss came in a 2015 round-robin defeat to Federer, whom he went onto beat in last year’s final. In his four recent visits to the Greenwich peninsula, he has put together a 18-1 record and lost only eight sets. By comparison, fellow five-time season finale titlist Ivan Lendl, who reached nine straight finals between 1980-1988, put together a 15-match winning streak at the event between...