This Week’s Tournaments:
US Men’s Clay Court Championship – Houston, TX USA
Grand Prix Hassan II – Marrakesh, Morocco
Davis Cup Semi-Finals Set
We always love Davis Cup weekends! Since tennis is such an individual sport, it’s fun to see the players in a team setting, playing not just for themselves but for their country. The crowds are always excellent, loudly and festively supporting their nation. Over the weekend, 8 nations faced off for a spot in the semi-finals. Australia defeated the USA 3-2, led by a focused Nick Kyrgios and captain Lleyton Hewitt.
France had a straightforward victory over Great Britain, winning both singles rubbers on Friday and doubles on Saturday to seal the victory. Even though they were out with injuries, Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert were there to cheer on the team in Rouen.
The semi-finals will take place on September 15-17th, just after the conclusion of the US Open. Belgium will host Australia, while France will host Serbia.
Memphis Open to Move to Long Island, NY
The Memphis Open is leaving its home in Tennessee after a 41-year run. The ATP 250 event is moving to the newly re-opened Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Hempstead, NY in 2018. GF Sports partnered with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to move the tournament to the new venue. Next year’s event will take place February 10 – 18. We’re thrilled to see more tennis in NY!
Clay Season Is Here!
The tour has officially moved to the clay courts, with just 6 weeks to go until Roland Garros! This week, Grigor Dimitrov is the #1 seed in Marakesh while Jack Sock is the #1 seed in Houston. Both players have had an outstanding season so far in 2017 and let’s see if they can keep the momentum going on the clay!
Roger Federer Wins Sunshine Double
Roger Federer’s incredible comeback continues! He pulled off the “sunshine double” (aka winning both Indian Wells and Miami) for just the 3rd time in his career, defeating Rafael Nadal in the Miami Open final 6-3, 6-4. It’s Federer’s 3rd title of the 2017, and the 3rd time he’s played and defeated Nadal this year. 2017 has been a fun year for tennis, hasn’t it? Federer did say on court that he’d be sitting out most of the clay season and his next tournament would be Roland Garros.
Davis Cup Quarterfinals This Weekend The Davis Cup is back April 7-9! The World Group Quarterfinals are taking place in venues across Europe and Australia. We’re looking forward to the tie between the US and Australia as John Isner, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey & Stevie Johnson take on Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, Sam Groth & John Peers.
Australia (host) vs USA
France (host) vs Great Britain
Belgium (host) vs Italy
Serbia (host) vs Spain
It's #DavisCup week 🎉 Can Australia 🇦🇺 exact revenge on the USA 🇺🇸 team that defeated them in last year's first round? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/wCBA3oJOzd
The #NextGen is Coming
#NextGen ATP stars Sascha Zverev and Jared Donaldson were both impressive in Miami. Sascha defeated John Isner (saving 3 match points) and Stan Wawrinka en route to the Quarterfinals, where he fell to Nick Kyrgios in one of the best matches of the Miami Open. Jared Donaldson played his way through qualifying and made it to the 4th round. He eventually lost to Jack Sock, but his run in Miami brings him to a career high of 75 in the ATP rankings.
Tennis Watching Etiquette
We’ve covered concert etiquette before, and after watching the match between Nick Kyrgios and Roger Federer last week, we feel the need to address tennis watching etiquette as well. If you’re lucky enough to be watching a professional tennis match in person, here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Cheering in support of your favorite player is fine, but show some respect for the other player. Calling out against them, cheering negative things, or playing linesman and calling close balls “out” is rude and distracting to both players.
2. Learn when to cheer and when to be quiet. Generally speaking, if the ball is in play, that’s your cue to sit and watch. Between points, cheering is welcome and encouraged! But please do not applaud double faults and do not call out in between 1st and 2nd serves.
3. Wait for the changeovers to enter or leave your seats. It’s distracting to both the players and the other fans in the stadium to have people constantly going in and out.
4. Enjoy points like this!
This Week’s Tournament:
BNP Paribas Masters – Paris, France
It’s hard to believe we’ve already made it to the last tournament of the regular season of the ATP World Tour! The tour wraps up this week in Paris, with 2 more spots on the line for a spot in the World Tour Finals happening later this month in London. Marin Cilic moved up to the 9th position after winning the title in Basel Last week, with Dominic Thiem just ahead at #8. The year end #1 ranking is also on the line in Paris as Andy Murray closed in on current #1 Novak Djokovic by winning the title in Vienna last week.
Jack Sock Wins Doubles in Basel
American Jack Sock won his 2nd doubles title of the year, this time with partner Marcel Granollers. This was Jack’s 4th final (singles and doubles) since the end of the US Open. Jack Sock for President!
BNP Paribas Showdown 2017 Lineup Announced
2017 marks the 10 year anniversary of the BNP Paribas Showdown. The annual event, held at Madison Square Garden, features the top names in tennis facing off in an exhibition match in celebration of World Tennis Day. This year’s event features Venus Williams vs Garbine Mugaruza, Jack Sock vs Nick Kyrgios, and Kei Nishikori vs Juan Martin del Potro. The showdown is March 6th 2017 at MSG and tickets are on sale now!
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.
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.
This Week’s Tournaments
Olympic Games – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Abierto Mexicano – Los Cabos, Mexico
Del Potro Upsets Novak Djokovic At The Olympics
Juan Martin del Potro, still making his comeback from another wrist surgery, defeated #1 Novak Djokovic in an emotional 1st round match at the Olympics. By the end of the match, which Delpo won 7-6 (4), 7-6(2), he was crying, Djokovic was crying, WE WERE ALL CRYING. Also, shout out to the Argentinian Men’s handball team for rescuing Delpo from an elevator before his match!
Nadal Makes His Olympic Comeback
Rafael Nadal finally got the chance to carry the flag for Spain in the Opening Ceremony, after being sidelined with injury in 2012. Rafa is playing in the men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles this year. Vamos!
Nick Kyrgios Wins BB&T Open in Atlanta
After lots of drama with the Australian tennis federation as to whether or not he’d be able to play in the Olympics, Kyrgios decided to opt out of this year’s games. Instead, Kyrgios made the most of his time by playing in the BB&T Open in Atlanta, defeating 3-time winner John Isner in the final.
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!
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.
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!
It was an unpredictable week on the ATP World Tour, with unseeded players taking home trophies in Delray Beach, Marseille and Rio. We were especially thrilled to see American Sam Querrey take home his 8th career title. Here’s our tennis news of the week.
This Week’s Tournaments: Acapulco, Mexico
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nick Kyrgios Wins 1st Title in Marseille
It’s nice to see everyone talking about Kyrgios for his stellar on-court performance, rather than his antics. Kyrgios was impressive in taking out Richard Gasquet, Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic in route to his first ATP World Tour Title. The win put Kyrgios, 20, among the youngest first time title winners in tour history.
World Team Tennis Back in NYC
We literally screamed out loud when we read that World Team Tennis is coming back to NYC this year, with Andy Roddick leading the newly formed New York Empire team! Home matches will be played at Forest Hills Stadium at the West Side Tennis Club in Queens (AKA the original site of the US Open.) It doesn’t get much cooler than that. Needless to say we can’t wait for the season to kickoff in July!
USA Davis Cup Team Announced
The US Davis Cup team is heading back to Australia March 4-6 for first round World Group play. We’re just glad they’re not playing against last year’s champions Great Britain (again!). This time around the squad is John Isner, Jack Sock, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan squaring off against Nick Kyrgios, Bernard Tomic, Sam Groth and John Peers. While we will obviously be cheering for #MERICA, we’re also looking forward to Lleyton Hewitt’s first tie as Davis Cup captain!
World Tennis Day Coming March 8th
We are just a couple weeks away from the annual World Tennis Day on March 8th, with special events happening all over the world. In New York you can celebrate at the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden. This year the exhibition will feature Serena Williams vs Caroline Wozniacki and Gael Monfils vs Stan Wawrinka. Tickets are on sale now!
secretfangirls 