ATP changes include expanded tournaments, profit sharing
Italy Tennis Open Rafael Nadal returns the ball to John Isner during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (Andrew Medichini)LONDON — (AP) — The ATP men's professional tennis tour announced reforms Thursday that include expansion of five Masters 1000 events and 50-50 profit sharing between players and tournaments starting next year. Changes approved by the ATP Board also include increased prize money, all the result of more than two years of negotiations. Prize money at the five expanded events will increase by more than 35%, the ATP said. ___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comCOVID seems thing of the past at full-capacity French Open
APTOPIX France Tennis French Open Spectators watch first round matches at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, May 22, 2022. The crowds at the French Open were back to their no-mask, no-distancing, full-capacity, pre-pandemic levels Sunday for the start of this year's edition, as much a part of the fabric of the event as the red clay that defines the Grand Slam tournament. “A really festive atmosphere,” observed Alice Dufour, a 21-year-old who was part of a group trip from her Miramont tennis club near Bordeaux. “It's a huge party.”Because of COVID-19 restrictions in a country that went through three severe lockdowns, attendance at the French Open was capped at 1,000 spectators daily in 2020, creating a total two-week count of 15,000, instead of the more than 470,000 that came through the turnstiles in 2019. One Dimitrov fan draped a white-green-and-red Bulgarian flag over a glass railing along a balcony of the nearby main stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier, while catching a glimpse from there.
wftv.comNadal bounces back from loss to Alcaraz, beats Isner in Rome
Italy Tennis Open Rafael Nadal returns the ball to John Isner during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (Andrew Medichini)ROME — (AP) — Once is enough when it comes to beating Rafael Nadal on a clay court. Nadal was coming off a loss to 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the Madrid Open quarterfinals last week. Nadal struggled on his serve at 3-3 in the first set, missing a forehand into the net then double-faulting to set up break points for Isner. In the following game, Nadal broke Isner’s serve when the 6-foot-10 American missed a comfortable forehand volley into the net.
wftv.comIsner confident despite tall task vs. Nadal at Italian Open
Tennis Italian Open FILE - John Isner returns to Diego Schwartzman, of Argentina, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Indian Wells, Calif. At 37, John Isner is just happy to be back on tour in Europe with his wife and three kids. And get this: Isner believes he has a chance against the holder of a record 21 Grand Slam titles. While Isner has only beaten Nadal once in eight previous meetings — and that lone win came indoors — the big-serving American pushed Nadal to five sets at the 2011 French Open. Nadal, meanwhile is preparing to play his second tournament since returning from a rib stress fracture that kept him out for six weeks. “So I want to try to keep it going.”Up next for Isner will be his 53rd Grand Slam tournament at the French Open, which starts May 22.
wftv.comIsner confident despite tall task vs. Nadal at Italian Open
At 37, John Isner is just happy to be back on tour in Europe with his wife and three kids. No longer dreaming of a Grand Slam title, he’s trying to make the back end of his tennis career not seem “like such a job” and make it “fun.” While Isner has only beaten Nadal once in eight previous meetings — and that lone win came indoors — the big-serving American pushed Nadal to five sets at the 2011 French Open.
news.yahoo.comOpelka wins 46-point tiebreaker, beats Isner at Dallas Open
DALLAS — (AP) — Reilly Opelka won the longest tiebreaker in ATP Tour history to finish a straight-sets win over John Isner and advance to the final of the inaugural Dallas Open on Saturday night. The second-seeded Opelka sent a winner down the line for a 24-22 tiebreaker victory in the second set to secure the 7-6 (7), 7-6 (22) win over Isner, the No. The 24-year-old Opelka, a two-time winner on tour, now has four straight wins over Isner. All 10 of the sets he has won against the 16-time ATP Tour champion have gone to a tiebreaker. 23 in the world and is 2-1 all-time in ATP Tour finals.
wftv.comThe Latest: Isner loses in 5 sets on Court 18 at Wimbledon
Britain Wimbledon Tennis Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka serves to John Isner of the United States during the men's singles first round match on day three of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday June 30, 2021. (Adrian Dennis/Pool via AP) (Adrian Dennis)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):3:05 p.m.John Isner played another five-setter on Wimbledon’s Court 18 but couldn’t quite create another epic this time. It was Nishioka’s first win at Wimbledon after losing in the first round three times. He beat Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 for his 100th Grand Slam match win. Andy Murray, coming off a victory in his first Wimbledon match in four years, faces Oscar Otte of Germany.
wftv.com'Beats all of us losing': 4 US men, 8 women still in French
France Tennis French Open A United States fan holds up the American flag as he watches United States' John Isner play against Serbia's Filip Krajinovic on day four of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. “It beats all of us losing and getting on flights home,” said one member of the quartet, Stevie Johnson, who has won a pair of five-setters this week. “That’s for sure.”The other American men still in the draw: No. — On May 10, there were no American men in the ATP’s Top 30 for the first time in the nearly half-century of computerized tennis rankings. (Entering the French Open, he was 33rd, Isner 34th, Opelka 35th).
wftv.comNo US men in Top 30 for 1st time in computer tennis rankings
Italy Tennis Open Taylor Fritz of the United States returns the ball to Britain's Daniel Evans during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Monday, May 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (Gregorio Borgia)There are no American men in the ATP's Top 30 for the first time in the nearly half-century of computerized tennis rankings. That was shortly after Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open, the last time an American man won a Grand Slam singles title. Am I?” 23-time Grand Slam champion and former No. “I don’t even know where I am.”The next Grand Slam tournament is the French Open, which begins main-draw play in Paris on May 30.
wftv.comBarty, Medvedev rise to challenge on tough day at Miami Open
Barty didn't wilt, ousting Sabalenka 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 for her third three-set win in four matches at the tournament. Medvedev beat Tiafoe 6-4, 6-3, and has gone 10-1 in sets against the American in their past four head-to-head matchups. Ad“Everywhere in the world there are different conditions and at times it suits you more than other places,” Barty said. Medvedev had 11 aces and showed no signs of wear, two days after cramping in the heat during a third-round win. 21 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy in the quarterfinals; Sinner advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland.
Hobbled Daniil Medvedev limps to 3rd-round win at Miami Open
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks gingerly to the net after defeating Alexei Popyrin, of Australia, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI – Daniil Medvedev could barely walk, much less run. Hobbled by cramps, the top-ranked Medvedev limped through the final few games Sunday to edge Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (3), 6-7 (7), 6-4 in the third round at the Miami Open. To keep rallies short, Medvedev began hitting high-risk shots, and made enough of them to close out the 2 1/2-hour match. 11-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). “One of the best points I played all match,” Isner said.
Federer out of Miami Open; will train to 'work his way back'
Federer is withdrawing from this month's Miami Open so he can spend extra time preparing to work his way back out on tour, his agent told The Associated Press on Monday, March 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)Roger Federer is withdrawing from this month's Miami Open so he can spend extra time preparing to “work his way back out on tour,” his agent told The Associated Press on Monday. “After Doha and maybe Dubai, (Federer) will go back and do a training block to continue to slowly work his way back out on tour,” Godsick wrote. Miami Open tournament director James Blake did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federer beat John Isner 6-1, 6-4 in the final to win the Miami Open in 2019, the last time it was held.
The Latest: Miami Open tennis allows 750 fans per session
(AP Photo/File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Miami Open plans to allow 750 fans on the grounds per session for this year’s tennis tournament, and they’ll be allowed to watch matches on the showcase court. Those matches will be played in the grandstand, which seats 5,000, meaning crowds there will be limited to 15% of capacity because of COVID-19 restrictions. The tournament will again be held at the Miami Dolphins’ stadium site, where it moved in 2019. The stadium court for showcase matches in 2019 will not be used this year. That’s less than 5% of the 2019 attendance total of 388,734 for an event that typically attracts most of the world’s top players.
'Bad timing and bad luck': Injured Serena out of French Open
“If it was my knee, that would be more really devastating for me. I feel like my body is actually doing really, really well,” said Williams, who turned 39 on Saturday. Williams took a long pause, clutched at that leg and then took a medical timeout so a trainer could wrap it. I was able to get it somewhat better, but just looking long-term in this tournament, will I be able to get through enough matches? And so, for me, I don’t think I could,” Williams said Wednesday.
Wawrinka routs Murray in Slam champ matchup at French Open
Murray and Wawrinka met in the 2017 semifinals in Paris and neither has been quite the same since. “To me, also.”But 2015 French Open champion Wawrinka’s road back from two procedures on his knee has been less arduous than Murray’s journey. VENUS DONE FOR 2020Venus Williams finished 2020 with an 0-3 record in Grand Slam matches, adding a first-round exit at the French Open to those she had at the Australian Open and U.S. Open. So I’m looking forward to that.”She is a seven-time major champion and was the 2002 runner-up at the French Open to her younger sister, Serena. The 20-year-old American’s father, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open and was the runner-up at the 1992 French Open; his mother, Regina, reached the top 30 in the WTA rankings.
The Latest: US Open runner-up Zverev wins 1st match in Paris
The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that does not use tiebreakers in the final set. 9 seed Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-3 at Court Suzanne Lenglen on Sunday. ___7:30 p.m.Stan Wawrinka made quick work of Andy Murray in their reunion of sorts at the French Open. One of his coaches is Wolfgang Thiem, the father of fellow Austrian Dominic Thiem — the U.S. Open champion, and French Open runner-up the past two years. The 20-year-old Korda beat Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Djokovic's neck better, as is his play; now 20-0 in 2020
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot from Tennys Sandgren during the third round at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK Novak Djokovics neck felt much better, and his tennis looked much better, in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over unseeded American Tennys Sandgren at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday that improved the No. The Western & Southern Open is usually held in Ohio but was moved to the U.S. Opens site in Flushing Meadows this year to make for a two-event, no-spectator bubble amid the pandemic. He has won five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments, including at the Australian Open in February. Womens quarterfinal matchups set earlier in the day were two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka against Anett Kontaveit, former No.