Tag Archives: #NextGen

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournament:
St. Petersburg Open – St. Petersburg, Russia
Moselle Open – Metz, France

France & Belgium Headed to Davis Cup Final
Team France made it back to the Davis Cup Final for the first time since 2014.  With the insane amount of talented French players, we think they are long overdue to hold the Davis Cup trophy!  Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Lucas Pouille, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nico Mahut helped the team get the win in their semi-final against Serbia.  They’ll take on Belgium in the finals, who defeated Australia in a close and dramatic 5th rubber.  The 2017 Davis Cup Final will be held in November in Lille.  Allez!

Laver Cup Kicks Off on Friday
The inaugural Laver Cup starts this Friday, September 22nd from Prague.  The 3 day event will see Team World taking on Team Europe in a new team format, led by captains John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.   There will be 3 singles matches and 2 doubles match per day of competition.  All sets will be the best out of 3 sets, with the 3rd set being decided as a 10 point tiebreaker if sets are split.    The matches are weighted by day, with Sunday’s matches counting the most toward the overall team score.   We’ll definitely be tuning in to see how this plays out and to see if Rafa & Federer will team up for doubles!   They also unveiled an all-black tennis court for the occasion because #aesthetic.

Team World: Sam Querrey, John Isner, Nick Kyrgios, Jack Sock, Juan Martin del Potro* and Denis Shapovalov.  *Del Potro was replaced by Frances Tiafoe.

Team Europe: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Sascha Zverev, Tomas Berdych, and Marin Cilic.

This new team competition hopes to become an annual event, with the 2018 Laver Cup to be held somewhere in the United States. Laver Cup will air in the US on Tennis Channel.


ATP #NextGen Finals Unveil New Innovations
Another new event on the tennis calendar is the ATP #NextGen Finals.  Like the ATP World Tour Finals, the #NextGen Finals invite the top 8 players under 21, based on their points accumulated throughout the year.   Sascha Zverev is currently holding the top spot in the race to Milan, followed by Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov.   The event will unveil a few new “innovations” to the traditional tennis tournament.  The latest is that there will be no linesmen on the court – all lines will be called electronically using hawkeye.

This adds to the previously announced changes of having short 1st to 4 game sets, shorter warm ups, a shot clock to enforce time between serves, playing let serves, a limit on medical time outs, and player coaching.  While we’re excited to see the future #NextGen of men’s tennis at the event, let’s hope this isn’t a preview of the #NextGen of tennis tournament rules that take away from the game itself.

Richard Gasquet Wins Challenger in Poland
Richard has had a difficult 2017, as he’s been trying to recover and make his way back from a variety of injuries.   Richard played a tournament at the challenger level last week, the Pekao Szczecin Open in Poland, and won the title!  We’re hoping the win will help get Richard back on track.

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Sundays @lecoqsportif #backsoon #tennislife #lecoqsportif

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Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters – Monte Carlo, Monaco

Last Week’s Winners:
US Men’s Clay Court Championship – Stevie Johnson
Grand Prix Hassan II – Borna Coric

Borna Coric Wins 1st ATP World Tour Title in Marrakech
20-year old Borna Coric won his first ATP Tour Title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech!  Borna had an incredible comeback in the final against Phillip Kohlschreiber, saving 5 match points in the 2nd set and coming back from 0-3 down in the 3rd.  This was Borna’s second final in Marrakech, and his third final overall.   The win puts Borna back in the top 50 of the rankings and up to #2 in the #NextGen race to Milan, just behind Sascha Zverev.  Borna had knee surgery late last Fall after being forced to withdraw from his match at the US Open.  We’re glad to see him back on court and playing well!

Monte Carlo = The Most Beautiful Tournament of the Year
Forget Wimbledon.  The tournament in Monte Carlo is at the top of our tennis tournament bucket list.  The Monte Carlo Country Club hosts the tournament, and center court is surrounded by view of the mountains and sea.  Tune in to Tennis Channel all week for some spectacular views and tennis!

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15000 personnes attendues aujourd'hui #MCRM2016

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Rafael Nadal Going for Perfect 10
Rafa, the undisputed King of Clay, has already won a record breaking 9 titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Roland Garros.  He is the only player in the open era to have won a tournament at least 9 times.  Could he go even further and make it a perfect 10?

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#Practice 👍🎾 @rafanadalacademy

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Stevie Johnson Wins 2nd Title in Houston
After a rough start to 2016, Stevie Johnson has been on a roll since last year’s grass court season.  He picked up his first ATP World Tour Title in Nottingham, made the 4th round of a slam for the first time, and picked up a bronze medal at the Olympics.  Stevie worked hard in the off season, shedding nearly 20 pounds, and it’s shown!   He won the 2nd title of his career, and his 1st on clay, at the Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston.  Stevie took out Jack Sock in the semifinals before defeating Thomaz Bellucci in the finals.   And as is the tradition at the tournament, Stevie celebrated the victory by jumping into the pool at the River Oaks country club!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Memphis Open – Memphis, TN, USA
ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament – Rotterdam, Netherlands
Argentina Open – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Last Week’s Winners:
Open Sud de France – Sascha Zverev
Garanti Koza Sofia Open – Grigor Dimitrov
Ecuador Open – Victor Estrella Burgos

Grigor Dimitrov Wins Hometown Tournament
Grigor won the Sofia Open, the first ATP World Tour tournament he’s played in his home country.  He defeated David Goffin in the final, 7-5, 6-4, in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd.  The 12,000 capacity arena was sold out for the finals, with the Bulgarian fans out in full force to support Grigor.  The win is Grigor’s 2nd title of the season, and brings his record for the year to 14-1.  Let’s go Grisha!

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🏆🇧🇬

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Sasha Zverev Takes Singles & Doubles Titles In Montpellier
#NextGen star Sascha is also having a great 2017 so far.  He just won the 2nd singles title of his career at the Open Sud de France, defeating hometown favorite Richard Gasquet, 7-6 (4), 6-3, in the final.  Sascha then teamed up with his brother, Mischa Zverev, to win the doubles title, with a victory over Fabrice Martin and Daniel Nestor.  This is the first time an ATP player has won both the singles and doubles titles in the same tournament since Lleyton Hewitt in 2014.  The win also puts Sascha up to a career high ranking of #18 in the world, and at #1 in the #NextGenATP Race to Milan.

 

Toni Nadal To Step Down as Rafael Nadal’s Coach
The tennis world was shocked over the weekend when it was announced that Rafa’s uncle and longtime coach, Toni Nadal, would be stepping down at the end of 2017.  Toni has worked with Rafa for most of his life and for his entire professional career to date.   Carlos Moya joined Rafa’s coaching team before the start of this season.  Toni will no longer travel with Rafa and will instead focus on training emerging players at the recently opened Rafa Nadal Academy in Majorca.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: 2016 Season Comes To An End

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Davis Cup Finals – Zagreb, Croatia

Andy Murray Is Year End #1
For the first time in history, the battle for the year end #1 ranking came down to the final match in the last tournament of the year.  Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray fought for the #1 spot in the ATP World Tour Finals, with Murray  winning 6-3, 6-4.


Davis Cup Finals November 25-27
If you thought the tennis season was officially over, not yet!  The Davis Cup Finals are happening this weekend.  Argentina will take on Croatia at the Arena Zagreb.   Argentina has never won Davis Cup, but have come close as 4 time runners up.   Croatia won their only Davis Cup title in 2005.   With Delpo in action (remember his 5-set epic win over Andy Murray in the semi-finals?)  and a strong Croatian team, it should be an exciting final.

Argentina: Juan Martin del Potro, Guido Pella, Federico Delbonis, Leonardo Mayer

Croatia: Marin Cilic, Borna Coric, Ivo Karlovic, Ivan Dodig


ATP #NextGen Finals Launching in 2017
The ATP announced that Milan will host a season-ending final tournament for the top players under 21 starting next year.  The format will be similar to the ATP World Tour Finals, with the top 7 players under 21 qualifying based on ranking points earned throughout the season.  The 8th spot will be awarded via wildcard.  We love this idea and if anyone would like to send us to Milan next year, we are so there.

The tournament will feature “rule changes and innovations,” to make tennis more appealing to “the millennials,” to which we must again say please, please leave the format and rules of the game alone.

If the tournament existed in 2016, the players would have been: Nick Kyrgios, Sascha Zverev, Kyle Edmund, Borna Coric, Karen Khachanov, Taylor Fritz, Yoshihito Nishioka, Hyeon Chung


It’s The Off Season!
For everyone not participating in Davis Cup this week that is.  That means vacation Instagrams from your favorite players for the next month or so.  Also a reminder the Australian Open is in 55 days!

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Putting my agent to work // @chrisgmccormack

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Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Shanghai Rolex Masters – Shanghai, China

Kyrgios Wins 3rd Title Of 2016
Nick Kyrgios won the biggest title of his career so far at the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo!  The title is Kyrgios’ 3rd of the season, and his first 500 level trophy.

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Good week #tokyo🇯🇵

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Murray Defeats Dimitrov in Beijing
Andy Murray won the 40th title of his career in Beijing, defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6(2) in the finals.

 

Frances Tiafoe Enters Top 100
#NextGen American Frances Tiafoe won the challenger title in Stockton, defeating fellow American Noah Rubin 6-4, 6-2 in the final.  The win puts Tiafoe into the top 100 for the first time in his career.

 

The Return of Tommy’s Pumpkin
It’s that time of year again, Tommy’s pumpkin is back!  If you have no idea what we’re talking about, you need to be following Reilly Opelka and Tommy Paul on social media.  Trust us, just do it.

In case you missed it, the OG pumpkin of 2015:

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Meet the ATP #NextGen

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Last week marked the official start of the clay season, with Federico Delbonis defeating Borna Corcic in the finals in Marrakech, and Juan Monaco defeating 2015 winner Jack Sock at the Men’s Clay Tournament in Houston.  The Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters is underway, which is one of the most beautiful stops on the tour.  It’s worth tuning in for the views alone!

This Week’s Tournament:
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters – Monte Carlo, Monaco

ATP #NextGen
Earlier this season, the ATP World Tour announced their roster of #NextGen players.  We thought we’d introduce you to each of the players – Secret Fangirl style.  We highly suggest keeping up with your faves on social media.

Taylor Fritz (USA)
Instagram: @taylor_fritz
Twitter: @taylor_fritz97
Fritz, a California native, has been on a roll since winning the US Open Juniors title in 2015, rising to #69 in the rankings.  He reminds us of a young Pete Sampras, whom Fritz got to practice with on his 18th birthday. #MERICA.


Frances Tiafoe (USA)
Instagram: @bigfoe1998
Twitter: @ftiafoe
Also on the #MERICA squad is Frances Tiafoe, from Maryland.  After a big win over fellow American Taylor Fritz in Indian Wells, Tiafoe got to practice with his idol, Juan Martin del Potro.  Tiafoe’s inspirational story is definitely worth a read.


Borna Coric (CRO)
Instagram: @bornacoric
Twitter: @borna_coric
Coric has made it to 2 finals already in 2016, and is the youngest player in the top 50.  Coric has a tattoo on his forearm that says “there is nothing worse in life than being ordinary” and likes to show off his yoga poses on Instagram.


Alexander Zverev (GER)
Instagram: @alexzverev123
Alexander Zverev, AKA Sasha, had a great week in Indian Wells, taking out Grigor Dimitrov and pushing Rafael Nadal to 3 tough sets.  He also has an adorable dog, Lovik, who gets his own credentials!

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Welcome to your first U.S. Open lovik

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Quentin Halys (FRA)
Instagram: @quentinhalys
Twitter: @QuentinHalys
We love all of the French players for their flair and style when they play.


Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
Instagram: @k1ngkyrg1os
Twitter: @NickKyrgios
Love him or hate him, Nick keeps things interesting on the court.  He’s a talented player and you never know what he’ll do next – even take a mid-match selfie.


Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
Instagram: @the_kokk1
Twitter: @TKokkinakis
We’ve missed Thanasi out on tour this year, as he’s recovering from shoulder surgery.  He was present at the AUS-USA Davis Cup tie in March, and gets an A+ for cheerleading for his squad all weekend (and rocking some frosted tips).  We hope he’s back on court soon!


Elias Ymer (SWE)
Instagram: @eliasymer
Twitter: @eliasymer
Ymer qualified for all 4 grand slams in 2015.  His father is a professional long-distance runner and while he hoped Elias would follow in his footsteps, he found tennis instead.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDnx6MXLafp/?taken-by=eliasymer&hl=en


Andrey Rublev (RUS)
Instagram: @andreyrublev
Twitter: @AndreyRublev97
When he’s not working on his tennis game, Rublev is also in a boyband.


Karen Khachanov (RUS)
Instagram: @karenkhachanov
Twitter: @karenkhachanov
Another Russian #NextGen player, who has teamed up with Rublev for doubles.  Maybe he can join the band, too?


Yoshihito Nishioka (JAP)
Twitter: @yoshihitotennis
Nishioka has been off to a great start in 2016, reaching the Quarterfinals in Memphis and the 4th round in Miami, taking out Feliciano Lopez on the way.


Hyeon Chung (SKR)
Instagram: @hyeon519
Chung hails from South Korea and trained at the IMG Academy in Florida.  Fun fact: he started tennis because his parents were told it could help his eyesight.  While he’s become one of the top teenagers on the tour, he still rocks glasses!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDO4o2-AoyL/?taken-by=hyeon519


Kyle Edmund (GBR)
Instagram: @kyleedmund8
Twitter: @kyle8edmund
Edmund was part of Great Britain’s winning Davis Cup squad in 2015.

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GB DAVIS CUP CHAMPIONS!!!🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

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header photo via ATP World Tour