Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Brandon Nakashima brought his big-hitting best to his opening match Wednesday at the 2023 Miami Open presented by Itau, where the American prevailed 7-6(3), 6-3 against Oscar Otte to reach the second round at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The 21-year-old Nakashima was rock-solid for much of an 88-minute encounter that was largely dominated by serve and raised his level during two crucial periods in the match to secure his victory. He fired a series of clean winners to dominate the first-set tie-break before striking some high-class returns to clinch the only break of serve in the match in the sixth game of the second set.

Nakashima did not face a break point en route to victory in his maiden ATP Head2Head clash with Germany’s Otte. The World No. 45 fired 28 winners, including 10 aces, to set a second-round matchup against 20th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

It was a welcome triumph for Nakashima, who will hope he can use it as a basis for improved results in a 2023 season for which he now holds a 3-4 record. The Californian is seeking to back up his strong 2022, when he clinched his maiden ATP Tour title in his hometown of San Diego before lifting the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy in Milan.

It will be a second tour-level meeting of the season between Nakashima and Davidovich Fokina. The Spaniard was a straight-sets winner in their January meeting at the Adelaide International 2.

An ATP Masters 1000 champion, Grand Slam quarter-finalist and World No. 8 by the age of 19, Holger Rune has made a sudden impact on the ATP Tour.

But asked to assess how much of his potential had been fulfilled, the Dane suggested that there was plenty of upside left to come, reflecting his strong desire to succeed and delivering a clear message of intent to his rivals.

“I think [I have reached] maybe 55 or 60 per cent [of my potential],” said Rune. “I’m 19, so I feel like I have a lot to learn still. When I’m out there playing, I feel still like I can be a lot better, which is in a way nice but sometimes frustrating.

“I just have to look at it as a positive thing. I’m No. 8 in the world now, and I’ve reached I think maybe 55 or 60 per cent of my potential, so it’s a positive thing.”

Rune acknowledged that setbacks like his three-set defeat to Stan Wawrinka in the third round at Indian Wells will only help him on his mission to reach a higher level. He will put any new learnings from that loss to the test this week on debut at the Miami Open presented by Itau, where he takes on Marton Fucsovics or Pedro Cachin in his opening match.

Win or lose, Ben Shelton is making sure he learns from every aspect of his rookie season on the ATP Tour.

The #NextGenATP star is preparing for the second half of his ‘Sunshine Double’ debut this week at the Miami Open presented by Itau. A three-set second-round loss to No. 1-ranked American Taylor Fritz in Indian Wells 10 days ago has done little to dent the 20-year-old Shelton’s confidence as he seeks to continue his rapid rise.

“I definitely took a lot from it,” said Shelton, now at a career-high No. 39 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, of his battle with Fritz in California. “It definitely gave me some confidence, playing someone who was No. 5 in the world, [in a match] that tight. I thought I played a great match, but also I could see some ways that he exposed me or that he picked on.

“[It was good] being able to get that feedback and knowing the things that I’m going to have to improve if I want to compete with the best. I’m always excited when I get to match up with a guy like that who has had so much success lately, so I was happy to be able to play that match.”

In May 2022, Shelton was a college student and the No. 573 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Across a stellar past 10 months, during which he has lifted three ATP Challenger Tour titles, defeated the then-World No. 5 Casper Ruud in Cincinnati, and reached the quarter-finals on debut at the Australian Open, Shelton has rocketed to a career-high No. 39.

The Miami Open, also known as the Miami Masters, is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Miami, Florida, USA. It is one of the premier events on the ATP and WTA tours, with both men's and women's events taking place over a two-week period in March. The Miami Open is played on hard courts and is currently held at the Hard Rock Stadium in...

The calendar for the 2024 ATP Tour season has been announced, with 63 tournaments set to take place across 29 countries.

The ATP Tour welcomes more than 4.5 million fans on site and entertains a billion global fans each year. It sees the world’s greatest tennis players compete on the game’s biggest stages, across six continents and an action-packed 11-month season.

Highlights and updates for the 2024 season include:

The second edition of the United Cup, a ground-breaking mixed team event to start the season, held in partnership with the WTA and Tennis Australia. Rescheduling of the Abierto de Tenis Mifel (Los Cabos) from July to February, the week prior to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (Acapulco). A total of five 12-day ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and Shanghai, following the recent expansion of events under OneVision. A revised summer schedule, featuring the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Future location of the existing ATP 250 tournament license in Banja Luka in April to be determined. A return to a traditional Asia Swing with the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo) taking place alongside the China Open (Beijing) ahead of the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Location and dates of the Next Gen ATP Finals remain to be confirmed, following a soon-to-be-launched RFP process. The 54th edition of the Nitto ATP Finals, and fourth in Turin.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “There are few sports that captivate fans all year round and in so many global markets like tennis. We put everything into creating the best possible experiences for fans as do the players, both on and off the court. From the United Cup in Australia to the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, it’s going to be another fierce and compelling season on the ATP Tour in 2024.”

View the calendar here.

The first time Wu Yibing stepped on court to compete in an ATP Tour event was in Miami Open presented by Itau qualifying six years ago, when he was 17 and the tournament was held at Crandon Park. The Chinese player had just reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open boys’ singles event and was one of the top juniors in the world.

“I remember before the match I was talking with my coach. I thought I came here [playing] pretty good. I remember I played [Jared] Donaldson. It was a pretty tough match,” Wu told ATPTour.com. “I did a lot of preparation… He was playing very good at that time and I was still young.

“I couldn’t handle his ball and after the match I was sad because it was such a good opportunity to play Masters [1000] qualies. It feels like a long time ago. A really long time ago.”

Donaldson won the match 6-2, 6-2 in 62 minutes. Wu went back to work on his game.

Six years later, the Chinese star is ready for his first appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event since, and things could not be more different. Not only has his life changed immensely since that match, but it has developed significantly over just the past year.

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

Conventional wisdom in professional sport tells us that getting to the top is hard, but staying there is even harder. Carlos Alcaraz knows this as well as anyone, but he demonstrated his maturity with a victorious response to the pressure of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open, with his Indian Wells title run making him the youngest tennis player in history to return to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

At just 19 years and 10 months of age, the Spaniard is back at the pinnacle of the sport, a position he first reached in September by claiming his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Now, having picked up the third ATP Masters 1000 title of his career in Indian Wells, the smile is back on the face of the Murcia native after he reclaimed the throne on the men’s tour, something no other player has ever managed before the age of 21.

Alcaraz's success in California allowed him to better the achievement of Marat Safin more than 20 years ago, as he continues to break age-old records with astonishing ease. On the list of all players to have enjoyed multiple tenures as World No. 1 since the Pepperstone ATP Rankings began in August 1973 — a list replete with greats of the game, all hungry to call themselves No. 1 — the player from El Palmar now sits proudly above the rest as its youngest member.

Having already become the youngest man ever to rise to World No. 1 (19 years, 4 months) and to close out a season at the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings (19 years, 7 months), Alcaraz has added yet another record to his growing list — this time, demonstrating his ability to bounce back.

Stefanos Tsitsipas missed Acapulco late last month with a shoulder injury and continued to feel the effects of the issue in an early Indian Wells exit. But as the Greek prepares for the Miami Open presented by Itau, he is hopeful that he can play pain-free at the year's second ATP Masters 1000.

"Everything is getting better and I'm heading toward the right direction," he said Tuesday during the tournament's media day. "[I hope] to play pain-free and just be able to step out there and show something different than Indian Wells because Indian Wells was a big struggle... I hope I get to play with more of an element of fun on the court and not think too much about my arm."

Tsitsipas is seeded second in Miami, where he has reached at least the fourth round in each of the past three tournament editions, including a career-best quarter-final showing in 2021. After overcoming a wrist injury that required surgery to make a strong start to the 2022 ATP Tour season, the Greek hopes to rebound form his latest setback with similar success. 

"My health is the most important thing that I could have in tennis," he said. "When I'm feeling healthy, everything falls into place nicely. I'm enjoying myself on the court, I'm getting creative, I can mix up my game and I feel like nothing can go wrong. This is what my aim is for this tournament, to just play pain-free and see how my arm responds on these next few days."

Last year in Miami, Tsitsipas was knocked out by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the last 16. It was the second of the pair's three ATP Head2Head meetings, with the Greek still seeking his first win. After seeing Alcaraz win Indian Wells and return to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings — a position Tsitsipas was one win away from claiming for the first time in the Australian Open final — the 24-year-old says he is happy to see players from his generation succeed.

Last year, Carlos Alcaraz arrived at the Miami Open presented by Itau at No. 16 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Twelve months on and the Spaniard is back in south Florida as the defending champion and World No. 1.

After triumphing in Indian Wells last week, all eyes will be on Alcaraz as he aims to remain in top spot and become the eighth player to win the Sunshine Double. With expectations high, the 19-year-old is taking everything in his stride.

“I don’t feel the pressure too much. I know the things I have to do,” said Alcaraz, who must win his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown to hold onto No. 1, because he is dropping the 1000 points he won in Miami last year. “I need to play relaxed and not mind if I lose or if I play well or not.

“My goal is always the same. To feel comfortable on court. To enjoy playing tennis and try to have great thoughts when playing. And that is why I am playing at a good level. I am enjoying every single second and playing relaxed. That is what I am thinking about on court.”

Alcaraz produced lights-out tennis throughout his run to the title in California, becoming the first Indian Wells champion to not drop a set since Roger Federer in 2017, and the first to do so in at least six matches since Rafael Nadal in 2007.

Preparations are ramping up ahead of the third World Tennis Conference, with many world class coaches signing up for the event.

Organised by the Global Professional Tennis Coaches Association (GPTCA) and the Segal Institute, the event will be held virtually from 30 March – 2 April. After a successful first two editions, the conference continues its mission to connect the world’s top high-performance tennis coaches and sports scientists with other coaches and people around the world.

The four-day programme is thoughtfully designed to raise the level of understanding surrounding player development, while helping ambitious tennis coaches on their journey of self-development.

Visit World Tennis Conference Website To Sign Up

Giles Cervara, Federic Fontang, Vincenzo Santopadre and Toni Nadal are among the 68 talented speakers participating. Hear from some of the coaches who are part of the event as they describe the importance of the conference.

Hitting an overhead shot in tennis is an important skill that can help you win points quickly and efficiently. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hit an overhead shot in tennis: Positioning: First, position yourself in the correct location. This means moving into the area near the net, known as the "no man's land" where you can anticipate a lobb...

Nuno Borges is a man in a hurry. But success can put a spring in your step when you need to hustle.

Within 24 hours, the Portuguese World No. 68 went from winning the ATP 175 Challenger title in Phoenix, Arizona in America’s south-west to winning a first-round qualifying match at the Miami Open presented by Itau, the ATP Masters 1000 event in south-east Florida.

“When I won that second match on Saturday I knew it would be complicated,” Borges said. “There were not many options and the direct flights were fully booked and I knew I had to play Monday. Thankfully I got a late start.”

By the time Borges defeated Alexander Shevchenko in Sunday’s three-set final of the Arizona Tennis Classic, it was already 7pm in Miami. He was due on court to play Steve Johnson at 4.30pm Monday.

[ATP APP]

“We went back to the hotel, got some food, then headed to the airport for a flight at 11.20pm (Pacific time, 2.30am Miami time). Borges landed in Atlanta at 5.30am ET for a 7.10am connection. And then there was a hiccup.

Carlos Alcaraz’s path to becoming the eighth player to win the Sunshine Double was set on Monday. But the Spaniard will need to overcome a series of difficult tests if he is to defend his Miami Open presented by Itau title and hold onto top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The Spaniard lifted the trophy in south Florida last year and arrives this week off the back of a run to the title in Indian Wells, which propelled him back to World No. 1. The 19-year-old must win his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Miami to remain on top, though, where he begins against Argentine Facundo Bagnis or a qualifier.

Alcaraz could face former World No. 1 and two-time Miami champion Andy Murray in the third round and in-form American Tommy Paul in the fourth round. The top seed is seeded to face ninth seed Taylor Fritz or seventh seed Holger Rune in the quarter-finals and could renew his rivalry against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

The Italian Sinner, who could meet Andrey Rublev in the fourth round and third seed Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals last week in their fifth ATP Head2Head meeting.

View Draw

Fresh off his title triumph in Indian Wells, Carlos Alcaraz will look to complete the Sunshine Double when he takes to court this week at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

In a stacked field, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas will compete at the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the year, held at the Hard Rock Stadium for the fifth time.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at the outdoor hard-court event in south Florida.

[ATP APP]

1) Alcaraz In Full Flight: World No. 1 Alcaraz missed more than three months after last year’s Rolex Paris Masters due to injury, but it has been tough to tell based on his form. By winning the BNP Paribas Open, the Spaniard improved to 14-1 on the season, including two titles and a final appearance.

A slice serve is a type of tennis serve where the ball curves away from the opponent. Here are the steps to hit a slice serve: Start by standing at the baseline, with your feet shoulder-width apart and your body facing the net.Hold the racket in your dominant hand, with a continental grip. This is where the base knuckle of your index finger is on t...

After 12 days of action at the BNP Paribas Open, Carlos Alcaraz left as the king, defeating Daniil Medvedev to clinch the title and rise to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Following the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week as of Monday, 20 March 2023.

View Pepperstone ATP Rankings

[ATP APP]

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, +1 (Joint Career High)
The 19-year-old has climbed back to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time since January after winning his third ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells. The Spaniard did not drop a set en route to the trophy, becoming the ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Doubles – Indian Wells and Miami – in his career. Alcaraz defeated Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Read Indian Wells Final Report & Watch Highlights.

Carlos Alcaraz was just about perfect during his run to the BNP Paribas Open title. In his Sunday press conference after a dominant 6-3, 6-2 final win against Daniil Medvedev, he said as much when reflecting on his third ATP Masters 1000 trophy and his return to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

"It feels amazing to lift the trophy here, to recover the No. 1 [ranking]. I would say this has been the perfect tournament," he reflected. "It was good for me, [at] this tournament that I really wanted to win, and for me, it's amazing."

Alcaraz was untouchable from start to finish in the desert, never more so than in the title match. He did not lose a set during his run, becoming the first Indian Wells champion to achieve that feat since Roger Federer in 2017, and the first to do so in at least six matches since Rafael Nadal in 2007.

The 19-year-old entered the final with the confidence of a man who reached the final in all three of his 2023 events, including his Buenos Aires title and his eventual Indian Wells triumph. His crystal-clear thinking on the court helped him end Medvedev's 19-match winning streak in emphatic fashion.

"I have no doubts about my shots," he said. "I feel really comfortable on court. I really trust in every shot that I hit.

Nuno Borges has done two things on the ATP Challenger Tour this season: win matches and lift trophies.

On Sunday, the 26-year-old extended his Challenger-match winning streak to 10 by triumphing at the Arizona Tennis Classic. Borges rallied from a set down in the final to defeat qualifier Alexander Shevchenko 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 and win the premiere Challenger 175 event.

“So proud, so happy. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Borges said. “Honestly I don’t even know what to say, I was in qualies when I first signed up, but got in last minute to the main draw. Really low expectations with having a tough first round right away. Kept fighting every match one at a time.”

 

After earning his highest-ranked win in the opening round against World No. 38 Diego Schwartzman, Borges built upon his momentum to claim the biggest title of his career. Following his upset victory against the Argentine, Borges then defeated Roman Safiullin, Alexei Popyrin, Jan-Lennard Struff, and Shevchenko to win his fourth Challenger title.

After a lopsided defeat like the one Daniil Medvedev suffered Sunday in the BNP Paribas Open final, it can be hard to know whether to laugh or cry. For the fifth seed — who saw his 19-match win streak snapped by Carlos Alcaraz, 6-3, 6-2 in a first Indian Wells title match for both — it's the former.

"I think this one I will get over pretty quickly," he said in his post-match press conference, noting his positive mindset after winning three straight titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai. "I managed to make my best result in Indian Wells where before I couldn't make it to the quarters, and already my second match was a three-setter.

"A lot of positives, for sure. I think this one, I will be forever disappointed that I didn't win the final, but I can laugh already and whatever, I'm gonna try to win the next one or win this one next year. Looking forward already and, for sure, will not think too much about this one but will discuss it with my coach."

Medvedev was well below his best, while Alcaraz was firing on all cylinders in the pair's second ATP Head2Head meeting and first since Wimbledon 2021, when Medvedev cruised to a straight-sets win.

The biggest disappointment for the fifth seed, aside from falling short of a fifth ATP Masters 1000 title, was a missed opportunity to tie his career-long win streak of 20 matches.