DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Djokovic eyes second Davis Cup title for Serbia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Sunday he beat Italy's Jannik Sinner to win a record seventh ATP Finals title. I really would like to win the Davis Cup with Serbia. Traditional Davis Cup powerhouse Australia have not won the Davis Cup for 20 years but under captain Lleyton Hewitt they believe they can go one step further than last year. The Davis Cup will also be a chance for Sinner to shake off any lingering disappointment at losing to Djokovic in the ATP Finals on Sunday. World number four Sinner leads a strong-looking Italy side who will be favourites to beat the Dutch.

Persons: Pala Alpitour, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Italy's Jannik, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Novak Djokovic, Davis, Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Italy's, That's, Dan Evans, Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie, Jack Draper, Neal Skupski, Felix Auger, Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Milos Raonic, Emil Ruusuvuori, Lleyton Hewitt, Hewitt, Alex De Minaur, De Minaur, Martyn Herman, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Canada, Australia, Sunday, France, Davis, Serbia, Wimbledon, Djokovic, ATP, Thomson Locations: Turin, Italy, Serbia, Malaga, Finland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Belgrade, Britain's, Canada, Spain, Alicante, Marbella

☆ Djokovic looking to cap off 'almost perfect' year with ATP finals win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Djokovic has won the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open this year to take his tally up to 24 Grand Slam titles and overtake rival Rafa Nadal. He also surpassed Steffi Graf's record for the most weeks as world number one. "I had an almost perfect season, Grand Slam season," Djokovic told reporters after his 6-3 6-2 win over Alcaraz on Saturday. Djokovic will take on local favourite Sinner in the final later on Sunday, where the world number one will be out for revenge after losing to the Italian in the group stage. "But I don't think it's going to prevail because he's been playing well, he's going to have crowd on his side.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Steffi Graf's, I'm, I've, he's, Aadi Nair, Kim Coghill Organizations: Alcaraz, Won, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ ITF will encourage Nadal to compete at Paris Games, says chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Uncertainty surrounds the recovering Rafa Nadal's 2024 campaign but the International Tennis Federation (ITF) will do everything it can to encourage him to compete in the Paris Olympic Games, the global tennis body's chief David Haggerty told Reuters. Nadal had previously said he expects to retire following the 2024 season and hoped to play in the Paris Games with the tennis tournament set to take place at Roland Garros, where he has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles. The Spaniard won the Olympic singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Games and the doubles gold eight years later in Rio. Whether he does or not, will be up to him," Haggerty told Reuters in a video call on Monday. Knowing that it's in Paris, at Roland Garros, where he's had such tremendous success would be a great venue for him to be able to compete at."

Persons: Rafa Nadal's, David Haggerty, Mackenzie McDonald, Nadal, Roland Garros, Haggerty, he's, Craig Tiley, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: International Tennis Federation, Paris Olympic Games, Reuters, Paris Games, Spaniard, Beijing, Melbourne, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Rio, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ Nadal to play at Australian Open, says tournament director Tiley
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 18, 2023 Spain's Rafael Nadal in action during his second round match against Mackenzie Mcdonald of the U.S. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 11 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal will play at the Australian Open in January, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Wednesday, as the 37-year-old former world number one returns to the sport after undergoing hip surgery earlier this year. The Spaniard, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, has been out of action since January after hurting his hip flexor in a second-round defeat at the Australian Open. He underwent surgery on a hip muscle in June and was expected to be sidelined for about five months. Tiley also said Australian Nick Kyrgios could return at the Melbourne Park Grand Slam after he underwent knee surgery in January and suffered wrist and foot issues in an injury-plagued 2023. Nadal has won the Australian Open twice, with his last victory coming in 2022 when he beat Russia's Daniil Medvedev and became the first man in the Open era to come back from two sets down in the final to win.

Persons: Spain's Rafael Nadal, Mackenzie Mcdonald, Loren Elliott, Rafa Nadal, Craig Tiley, Rafa, Tiley, He's, Nick Kyrgios, Nick's, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Rohith Nair, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Melbourne, U.S, REUTERS, The, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Djokovic says future looks bright after emergence of Alcaraz
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But the Serbian bounced back to beat Alcaraz in a thrilling final at Cincinnati before going on to claim a record-equalling 24th major at the U.S. Open earlier this month. "I think tennis, definitely the future is looking good with Carlos leading that field," Djokovic told Sky Sports during the All Star Match in the build-up to golf's 44th Ryder Cup. Djokovic and Alcaraz have split their four meetings on tour and the veteran hoped they would continue having matches. Grand Slams are the ones that count the most for me at this point of my career, they're the ones where I want to play my best tennis. "This year, (winning) three out of four Slams and another final, I couldn't ask for more."

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic's, Carlos, Djokovic, We've, Roland Garros, I've, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Muralikumar Organizations: Wimbledon, Alcaraz, Cincinnati, U.S, Sky Sports, Ryder, Thomson Locations: tennis, Serbian, Cincinnati, Bengaluru

☆ Newcomers fire as Team World make strong start to Laver Cup defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tennis - Laver Cup - Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland - September 20, 2019 General view of the Laver Cup trophy before the start of play REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - Defending champions Team World took a 4-0 lead over Team Europe on the opening day of the Laver Cup in Vancouver on Friday, as Ben Shelton, Francisco Cerundolo and Felix Auger-Aliassime all won their singles matches. Argentine Cerundolo claimed his first point for Team World with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. There's a lot of energy," Team World captain John McEnroe said. Home favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime made it a hat-trick of singles wins for Team World with a 6-4 6-3 victory over French veteran Gael Monfils in the evening session. The first team to reach 13 points will lift the Laver Cup.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Ben Shelton, Francisco Cerundolo, Felix Auger, Aliassime, golf's, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Shelton, Arthur Fils of, Federer, it's, Argentine Cerundolo, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, We've, John McEnroe, we've, Gael Monfils, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Europe's Fils, Andrey Rublev, Shrivathsa Sridhar, William Mallard, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Laver, REUTERS, Team Europe, Rogers, Team, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, Vancouver, Arthur Fils of France, Argentine, Bengaluru

☆ Djokovic best in history, says Nadal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Djokovic's recent win at the U.S. Open, his third Grand Slam title this year, took his tally to 24 Grand Slams, two ahead of Nadal's total. In that sense, I think he (Djokovic) has better numbers than mine and that is indisputable," Nadal said in an interview with AS published on Wednesday. "I think that with respect to titles, Djokovic is the best in history and there is nothing to discuss about that." Although he's very young right now, practically the only rival I see for him is Djokovic," Nadal added. Despite losing his record of Grand Slam titles to current world number one Djokovic, Nadal is more than happy with what he has achieved in his career to date.

Persons: Rafael Nadal, Spain's Rafael Nadal, Miquel Borras, Rafael Nadal's, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Trevor Stynes, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Rafa Nadal Academy, Mallorca, REUTERS, Serbian, U.S ., AS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Spain, tennis

☆ Djokovic lucky to have had rivals like Federer, Nadal, says Ivanisevic
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 25, 2023, Novak Djokovic of Serbia practices with his coach Goran Ivanisevic ahead of the 2023 the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. "He had luck to have guys like Nadal and Federer, they came before him, so they pushed each other. He always tries to find a way to win, to fight, even when he's not feeling well, injured, not injured." Like you ask me 25 (majors), yeah, if he wins 25 he's going to think, 'If I win 25, why not 26?' "He's taking care of his body, he's taking care of everything, every single detail has to be perfect, prepared.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Goran Ivanisevic, Mike Segar, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Ivanisevic, he's, Margaret, He's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Wimbledon, Margaret Court, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Serbia, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Djokovic not ready to pass the torch after 24th major win
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

His 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 victory over Russian Daniil Medvedev brought him not only a fourth Flushing Meadows title but a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown, and Djokovic wants more. "Occasionally asking myself, why do I need this still at this stage after all I have done, you know? I do have these questions in my head, of course," said Djokovic. AGONY AND ECSTASYSunday's win will also go a long way to banishing some of Djokovic's less fond memories of New York. As he basked in the glory of his win, Djokovic had no words of comfort for those hoping to replace him.

Persons: Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Mike Segar, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Russian Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Medvedev, Spain's Nadal, Casper Ruud, Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz, Amy Tennery, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Tennis, U.S, Russia's, Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS, Russian, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, New York, Flushing, Russian, Australia, U.S

☆ Novak Djokovic’s 24th grand slam title ‘is one of the biggest achievements in sports history,’ says coach
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Djokovic’s coach, grand slam champion Goran Ivanišević, has been a member of the 36-year-old’s inner circle since 2019 and he heaped praise on Djokovic’s record-equalling achievement. “This is one of the biggest achievements in sports history, not just tennis.”‘A winner’If Djokovic winning in New York felt inevitable, so too does the possibility of him winning another grand slam before he retires. He admitted himself that Medvedev probably played better in the second set and arguably deserved to win it. But, when it really mattered in the second set tie-break, Djokovic found those extra inches which make him such a dangerous man in those clutch moments. Once the second set was tied up, Djokovic looked reenergised and battled through to yet another memorable win.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Arthur Ashe, Djokovic, Margaret Court’s, Goran Ivanišević, ” Ivanišević, ”, ’, Ivanišević, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, “, he’s, ” Novak Djokovic, Mary Altaffer, Medvedev, it’s, LeBron James, Tom Brady, “ That’s, I’m Organizations: CNN Locations: New York, Serbia

☆ Factbox: U.S. Open men's singles champion Novak Djokovic
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

* Won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open, becoming the first Serbian man to win a singles major. He began the year by capturing a fifth Australian Open title. Beat Federer in the U.S. Open final, earning three Grand Slam titles in a year for a second time. * Defeated Nadal to claim his 15th major and seventh Australian Open title in 2019. * Missed the Australian Open in 2022 after being deported from the country for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.

Persons: Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Mike Segar, Serbian Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Alexandre Muller, Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Laslo Djere, Borna, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Djokovic, Roger Federer, Davis, Federer, Rafa Nadal, Nadal, Andy Murray, Beat Federer, Murray, Beat Murray, Don Budge, Rod Laver —, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Nick Kyrgios, Frenchman Alexandre Muller, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Ken Ferris Organizations: Russia's, Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS, U.S, Serbia ATP, Wimbledon, ATP, Serbia, triumphing, Nadal, Medvedev, COVID, All England, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Russia, Serbia, France, Spain, Croatia, Amersfoort, Serbian, Melbourne, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ Medvedev upsets Alcaraz to deny U.S. Open blockbuster final
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A final involving former-U.S. Open champions Medvedev and three-time winner Novak Djokovic on Sunday is one of obvious high quality but not the next chapter in tennis's hottest rivalry of Djokovic and Alcaraz that has had the sport buzzing. The last time Djokovic and Medvedev clashed at the U.S. Open was the 2021 final, where the Russian claimed his only major so far and denied the Serb a rare calendar Grand Slam. "The challenge is you are playing a guy who has won 23 Grand Slams and I have only one," said Medvedev, who also reached the 2019 U.S. Open final losing to Rafa Nadal. That was all Alcaraz would need, holding on to take the set 6-3 and the first step in his fight back. Alcaraz would make one final stand in a breathtaking game that seesawed back and fourth, Medvedev needing four match points to close the deal.

Persons: Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Shannon Stapleton, Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Ben Shelton, Federer, Medvedev, Margaret Court's, Rafa Nadal, Alcaraz, Steve Keating, William Mallard, Michael Perry Organizations: Tennis, REUTERS, U.S, Medvedev, Djokovic, U.S ., Flushing, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, U.S, Flushing Meadows, New York

☆ Djokovic-Medvedev U.S. Open final could be spellbinding affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The last time Djokovic and Medvedev clashed at the U.S. Open was in the 2021 final, when the Russian captured his only major so far and denied the Serb a rare calendar Grand Slam. Second seed Djokovic, 36, fought back from two sets down to beat fellow Serb Laslo Djere in the third round but did not drop another set on the way to his 10th U.S. Open final. "He (Djokovic) is always better than the previous time he plays," said 27-year-old Medvedev, who will be appearing in his third U.S. Open final, having also lost to Rafa Nadal in 2019. While Djokovic and Medvedev are compelling figures, neither has been fully embraced by the New York crowds they have so desperately courted. Not long ago Medvedev was Flushing Meadows' public enemy number one for his on court antics that included giving the crowd the finger during a 2019 match.

Persons: Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Mike Segar, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev, Arthur Ashe, Margaret Court's, Andrey Rublev, dethrone Alcaraz, Rafa Nadal, Novak, he's, Steve Keating, Ken Ferris Organizations: Tennis, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz REUTERS, U.S, Sunday, U.S ., Djokovic, New, Yorkers, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Flushing Meadows, U.S, Russian, New York

☆ Alcaraz downs Harris to reach US Open third round
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Even while not at his best Alcaraz could rely on raw talent and a vast repertoire of shots to see off the 177th ranked South African. After the match Alcaraz focused on the positives, rating his effort as "great" but admitting to a letdown in the third set. "In the end, I think I played a pretty good match and will try to keep the same level." Under Arthur Ashe Stadium's bright lights Alcaraz found himself under even greater scrutiny after an unconvincing build-up to the season's final Grand Slam. There will be no room for such lapses in third round for Alcaraz with 26th seed Dan Evans waiting in the wings.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, South Africa's Lloyd Harris, Mike Segar, Carlos Alcaraz, Lloyd Harris, Novak Djokovic, Arthur Ashe Stadium's, Dominic Koepfer, Harris, Rafa Nadal, Alcaraz, Dan Evans, Steve Keating, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Tennis, South, South Africa's Lloyd Harris REUTERS, U.S ., 177th, Wimbledon, Canadian, Djokovic, Cincinnati, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, New York

☆ Frances Tiafoe Is Ready
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Lulu Garcia-Navarro | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After I beat Rafa Nadal at last year’s Open, I felt like I was looked at totally different. You don’t realize what you’re doing, how crazy it is, while you’re doing it because you’re doing it. I think afterward, going home and buying little things at CVS and ladies are like, “Oh my god, I can’t believe this is you.” It’s been crazy. The famous guy wants to hang out, and he can do it at that time, but you maybe need to not do that. You know, like, going on “The Shop” with LeBron — stuff that I’ve wanted to do, but scheduling just hasn’t quite worked out.

Persons: You’re, You’ve, It’s, Rafa Nadal, ” It’s, Matt Damon, can’t, LeBron, I’ve, You’ll Organizations: CVS

☆ Alcaraz primed for U.S. Open defence as Djokovic rivalry grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

When they met for the second time in the French Open semi-finals in June, it was the inexperienced Spaniard who cracked under pressure and suffered from severe cramps as Djokovic, 36, prevailed. Now they are level again after Wimbledon and Cincinnati, creating huge expectation for a possible U.S. Open showdown. "I'm really looking forward to returning to the U.S. Open, which is a tournament that has given me so much and where I achieved my dreams," Alcaraz said in Cincinnati. "The matches (against Djokovic) are very tight, they are very tough... Reporting by Fernando Kallás in Madrid, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Mike Segar, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak, Boris Becker, Manuel Santana, Rafa Nadal, Djokovic, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Nadal, Djokovic's, Alcaraz, Fernando Kallás, Ed Osmond Organizations: Tennis, U.S, Open REUTERS, Flushing, Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz, U.S ., Djokovic, New, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Flushing Meadows, Serbian, Cincinnati, U.S, New York, Madrid

☆ Calendar slam hopes doused but Djokovic fired up for U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Aug 18, 2023; Mason, OH, USA; Novak Djokovic (SRB) reacts after a point against Taylor Fritz (USA) during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center. There's still a fire going," said Djokovic, who won the Australian Open and French Open titles to leapfrog Rafa Nadal into top spot in the list of men's major champions. "There's still that drive and motivation to really come at the biggest events in sport and try to win, try to win titles and try to bring some good sensation to the crowds." HARDCOURT DOMINANCEIf the chasing pack feel Djokovic's days of dominance are numbered, the three-time U.S. Open champion's record on hardcourts should give them pause for thought. I think Novak can play much better than he did in the Wimbledon final.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Katie Stratman, Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic, leapfrog Rafa Nadal, ramped, Nadal, Patrick Mouratoglou, Alcaraz, Novak, Mouratoglou, Carlos, Margaret Court's, Will, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Southern Open, Lindner, Tennis Center, U.S, Wimbledon, Flushing Meadows, Cincinnati, Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, Flushing Meadows, tennis, United States, America, Flushing, Bengaluru

"It's hard to envision," McEnroe said of whether anyone not named Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev or even Jannik Sinner could triumph. "But it would be incredible for an American player to make a breakthrough to me, but the likelihood is that it isn't going to happen. "You can see it's going to be Djokovic or Alcaraz, Medvedev is the next guy, and then Sinner. But the North American hard court swing following Wimbledon has been disappointing for the 25-year-old son of immigrant parents from war-torn Sierra Leone. Tommy Paul, who beat Alcaraz at the Canadian Open, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Christopher Eubanks and Sebastian Korda are among the other American players who will look to snap the Grand Slam dry spell at the U.S. Open, which runs from Aug. 28-Sept. 10.

Persons: Frances Tiafoe, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Mike Segar, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Taylor Fritz, McEnroe, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Francis, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Rafa Nadal, Michelle Obama, Fritz, Djokovic, Tommy Paul, Christopher Eubanks, Sebastian Korda, Rory Carroll, Toby Davis Organizations: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz REUTERS, U.S, Flushing, ESPN, Spanish, Wimbledon, Washington DC, Canadian, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, New York, Flushing Meadows, American, Sierra Leone, Washington, Toronto, Cincinnati, Los Angeles

☆ ATP to trial minimum wage initiative from 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 23 (Reuters) - The ATP will guarantee its players a minimum wage for the first time as part of a three-year trial to be launched in 2024, the governing body of men's tennis said. The "Baseline" programme will guarantee minimum income for the top 250-ranked singles players each season, with the ATP covering any shortfall should their earnings fall below the threshold. The ATP said it expected to provide financial support to between 30-45 players who meet the criteria. The ATP said it will also commit to supporting players who compete in fewer than nine ATP Tour and Challenger Tour events in a season due to injury. The thresholds for the injury protection initiative are set at $200,000 (top 100), $100,000 (101-175) and $50,000 (176-250) for 2024, it added.

Persons: Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andrea Gaudenzi, Gaudenzi, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford Organizations: ATP, 101st, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Alcaraz needs new rivals for a new era
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Certainly the prospect of another showdown at the U.S. Open in a few weeks is exciting, but whether or not 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic can stretch his career long enough to battle Alcaraz on a regular basis is questionable. 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash said after Alcaraz ended Djokovic's 34-match winning run at the grasscourt slam. Italian Jannik Sinner, 21, beat Alcaraz at last year's Wimbledon but has reached only one Grand Slam semi-final so far, losing to Djokovic in straight sets last week. Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, was outclassed by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon semi-final, lasting less than two hours on Centre Court. Between them they won 65 Grand Slam titles and it has to be hoped that Alcaraz finds a couple of adversaries to share the load as tennis moves into a new era.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Nadal, Murray, Alcaraz, Couldn't, Djokovic, Pat Cash, Federer, Holger Rune, Lorenzo Musetti, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Medvedev, Mats Wilander, Roger, Novak, Rafa, Carlos, Martyn Herman Our Organizations: Wimbledon, Federer, U.S, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Court, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Italian

☆ Alcaraz seizes the throne as Djokovic finally meets his match
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Of course, he did, because you do not have 23 Grand Slam titles in the bank by ducking a fight in moments of crisis. Young pretenders have repeatedly tried and failed to take Djokovic down at Wimbledon -- Matteo Berrettini in the 2021 final and Nick Kyrgios last year. That he did it with Djokovic still at the peak of his powers and halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam, made it feel like a seismic moment in men's tennis. "I've won some epic finals that I was close to losing so it's fair and square," Djokovic, who saved match points when beating Roger Federer in 2019, told reporters. The bull-like Spaniard, playing only his second Grand Slam final compared to Djokovic's record 35, might have folded after being schooled by the master in a 34-minute opening set.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Young, Matteo Berrettini, Nick Kyrgios, Boris Becker, Manuel Santana, Rafa Nadal, Djokovic, I've, Roger Federer, Carlos, Federer, Serena Williams, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Andrew Couldridge, Novak, King Felipe, Carlos Carlos, Margaret Court's, Alcaraz, Djokovic's, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Wimbledon, Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Serbia's Novak Djokovic REUTERS, Thomson Locations: ducking, Wimbledon, tennis, London, Britain

☆ I've never faced a player like Alcaraz, says beaten Djokovic
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, July 16 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic has experienced everything possible on a tennis court during his trophy-laden 23-year career but said he has never faced a player quite like Carlos Alcaraz. "I didn't expect him to play so well this year on grass, but he's proven he's the best player in the world," Djokovic said after his 1-6 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 defeat. I think he's got some nice sliding backhands, some similarities with my backhands. After outplaying Alcaraz in a one-sided first set, Djokovic then slugged out an 85-minute second and had a point for a two-set lead in the tiebreak but dumped a backhand into the net. "Set point, I missed the backhand.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Alcaraz, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Margaret Court's, Casper Ruud, cramp, Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger, Rafa, He's, we've, he's, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Dylan Martinez Djokovic, outplaying, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Court, Wimbledon, Djokovic, Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Thomson Locations: U.S, London, Britain

☆ Medvedev to tune out of Alcaraz-Djokovic Wimbledon blockbuster
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

I'm not going to lie, it's a very great match to watch but I'm not going to watch it because I'm going to be too disappointed to not be there," Medvedev told reporters. "But if I watch it on TV, I'm probably going to digest my loss worse because I'm going to be like, 'My God, this forehand, this double-fault, this return, I should have done better'. I'm going to be interested in the live score, but I'm not going to watch it. After being thoroughly outplayed by Alcaraz, Medvedev placed the Spaniard in lofty company, comparing him to the game's old 'Big Three' of Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, winners of 65 Grand Slam titles between them. I would say in general to compare like the Big Three, they're amazing, they win so many Grand Slams, they win so many matches.

Persons: Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Dylan Martinez, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Medvedev, Alcaraz, I'm, Let's, Novak, Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, He's, Carlos, Toby Davis, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz REUTERS, Dylan Martinez LONDON, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Alcaraz mauls Medvedev and sets his sights on Djokovic in dream final
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Serbian has not lost on Centre Court for 10 years, but Alcaraz said he is ready for the challenge. I dreamed of this since I started to play tennis, to play in a final here. Alcaraz lost to Medvedev in the second round on his Wimbledon debut in 2021, when he was then ranked 75th. Medvedev surrendered serve tamely at 3-4 to allow Alcaraz to bag the first set. Asked if Alcaraz can win, Medvedev said: "I think, yes.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Medvedev, Alcaraz, Manuel Santana, Rafa Nadal, Djokovic, Margaret Court's, It's, Carlos, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Wimbledon, Serbian, Court, U.S, Medvedev, Djokovic, Thomson Locations: tamely, Russian

☆ Alcaraz and Rune Wimbledon clash an appetiser for tasty future rivalry
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Both aged 20, born six days apart, the young guns who will be contesting the first men's Wimbledon quarter-final involving two players aged 21 or under in the professional era. A potential Wimbledon final between defending champion Djokovic and Alcaraz is the talk of the town, but with a 16-year age gap it is likely to be an intense but short-term rivalry. That is why there is so much excitement brewing about Wednesday's Alcaraz and Rune quarter-finals showdown - it could well be a juicy foretaste of things to come. "You're hoping, as Djokovic and Nadal wind down, you're hoping Alcaraz and Rune in particular step up and have a great rivalry because all sports need it." We played together since we were 12 years old," top seed Alcaraz said after his fourth-round win over Italian Matteo Berrettini on Monday.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Italy's Matteo Berrettini, Hannah Mckay LONDON, Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Alcaraz, Rune, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, they've, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Wednesday's, Matteo Berrettini, Rune's, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Daniil Medvedev, Christopher Eubanks, Eubanks, Arthur Ashe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Italy's Matteo Berrettini REUTERS, Wimbledon, U.S, Nadal, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

Search resuls for: "Rafa Nadal"

25 mentions found