Alexander Zverev is setting his sights on ATP World Tour history after his recent breakthrough title. The 19-year-old #NextGen star is trying to become the first teenager to finish the year in the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings since 2006. Zverev, currently ranked No. 24, would join an exclusive list of players if he were to accomplish the feat. Since 1994, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, World No. 2 Andy Murray, former Top 10 player Richard Gasquet and former World No. 1s Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick are the only players who have finished a year in the Top 20 as teenagers. [ALSO LIKE] Zverev, who turned 19 in April, matched his career-best ranking of No....
Russian #NextGen star Karen Khachanov and 17-year-old Norwegian Casper Ruud, in China for the Chengdu Open, visited one of Chengdu’s unique attractions, Kuanzhai Alley, which translates as Wide and Narrow Alley, on Monday. Located in one of the oldest parts of Chengdu, dating back to the Qing Dynasty, Kuanzhai Alley offers a unique glimpse into the architecture at the time. The players tried some of the city’s most popular snacks, while being entertained by a traditionally attired Sichuan opera performer. “The culture here is very unusual and it is very interesting to see,” said Khachanov. “I’m very excited to be here. I like it.” “The architecture here is very nice and very different from anywhere else,” said Ruud. “It’s nice.”...
Following a great week last week where I bagged my first ATP Challenger Tour title in Cary, North Carolina, I’d like to fill you in on the story behind what is a milestone moment in my career. It’s funny how it all came about but I wasn’t even meant to be playing Cary Challenger! Just a few weeks before, I had qualified into the Winston-Salem ATP World Tour 250 event and it was there that I chose to play three events in China next. I went online to enter three events (Nanchang Challenger, Kaohsiung Challenger and an ATP event in China) and called a friend who coaches in Singapore to see if he could help out one of the weeks...
How does it feel to be standing here with the trophy, your first ATP World Tour title? It's great at such a young age as well. It's something that I could only dream of and I'm really proud of myself right now. Did you ever imagine that at the age of 19 you'd be an ATP World Tour winner? I got to a few finals where I was really close but before when I was a kid, no I could have not imagined that. It's something really special to be here and getting this trophy for the first time. Was it your dream growing up to win a title? Of course. I think for anybody who plays tennis, it's a...
How does it feel to win your first ATP World Tour title in Metz? I’m very happy. It’s a big honour to win my first ATP World Tour title in France, in front of family and friends. It’s even more special to win when they are here, since I can share the happiness with all of them. Winning a title is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid watching tennis on television. I’ve played to win since I was young so this one means a lot. What did you do differently this time, compared to your first final in Bucharest? This time I knew what time the match was starting, since in Bucharest it was raining quite a...
