In the locker room, where players let down their guard and opinions often fly around, there has been an animated, yet sensitive presence, well versed over the past 20 years as a player, a diplomat and as an ambassador. Today, as Andre Sa transitions from playing to a coaching career, charged with overseeing his compatriot, Thomaz Bellucci, a political future — inside the sport he’s played for the past 32 years — has been mapped out. For four years, Sa was a knowledgeable, perceptive and respected advocate for the development of tennis on the ATP Player Council between 2012 and 2016, a period highlighted by greater prize money distribution at Grand Slams, ATP Challenger Tour and player pension enhancements, and...
Kei Nishikori didn’t want to play the 2008 Delray Beach Open for fear of being outclassed, even embarrassed. At 18 years of age, he didn’t think he belonged at tour-level at all. Two weeks earlier, the Japanese teenager had lost in the third round of qualifying at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas against KJ Hippensteel, who won a single tour-level match in his career. So how would Nishikori, World No. 244, make it through qualifying at an ATP World Tour event? “I told my coach I didn’t want to play in Delray because it’s a different level and [there’s] no way I’m going to win those tournaments,” Nishikori told ATPWorldTour.com. “But my coach pushed me to play.” It’s...
Watch highlights as Kevin Anderson edges Sam Querrey in a third set tie-break to win his fourth ATP World Tour title in New York. Photo New York Open/Alex Smith
Roger Federer today begins his 303rd week at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings at the age of 36, more than 14 years after rising to top spot. Tellingly, 10 years ago, during his run of 237 straight weeks at No. 1, Federer outlined his intention to “play through the generations like [Andre] Agassi and [Jimmy] Connors.” A commendable goal, but in reality when Federer underwent knee surgery in February 2016, few could have predicted that arguably the sport’s greatest stylist would today have broken myriad of ATP Rankings records and (once again) re-write the history books. His return to the summit of men’s professional tennis for the first time since 4 November 2012, a record gap of five years...
The ‘Beast’ is largely remembered these days, in his 25th season as a professional, as one of the finest doubles players of his generation, capable of aggressive, tactically adept play both from the baseline and at the net. But just like every player who aspires to make a living from the sport, you begin your life as a singles player. Max Mirnyi, initially, competed in both singles and doubles competition, his appetite whetted at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with the likes of Tommy Haas and Andre Sa on tennis and basketball courts. “My singles career and wins I earned, got me to a combined 1,000 match wins recently,” Mirnyi told ATPWorldTour.com. “A big reason why I was...
