Tennis

MADRID — The uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal says the 22-time Grand Slam winner plans to be again slot in time to play the French Open subsequent month. Toni Nadal advised Spain’s Radio Marca on Friday his nephew will quickly be able to return from a hip damage that has sidelined him since January. ...

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday, April 28, 2023Nearly two years after giving start to her child boy Vincent, Barbora Strycova is again to finish her profession on her personal phrases.Playing her first tennis in 26 months – for the reason that 2021 Australian Open – at Madrid, Strycova fell in straight units to Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, however she’s primarily defending her doubles title later this week, as she is going to take the courtroom with Hsieh Su-Wei in opposition to Latisha Chan and Hao-Ching Chan in first-round motion.Strycova and Hsieh received the doubles title of their final look at Madrid in 2019. Hsieh is making a comeback of her personal – she has not performed since October of 2021.The 2019 doubles champions, every former World No.1 doubles gamers, are fa...

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday, April 27, 2023It’s the top of an period for the ATP Tour.Starting in 2025, digital line-calling will likely be in use throughout all ATP primary draw and qualifying occasions.“The move is set to optimize accuracy and consistency across tournaments, match courts and surfaces, for players competing in both main draw and qualifying events,” the ATP mentioned in an announcement. “The decision was supported by extensive research conducted by ATP across tennis stakeholders, including fans, which identified accuracy and consistency as the most important factors in assessing different line-calling systems.”According to the ATP, the brand new plan may also permit for a extra complete information set, which may result in deeper and extra thorough analyti...

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday, April 27, 2023Prior to 2022, Jessica Pegula was 11-12 lifetime on clay with only one quarterfinal (2021 Rome) to her identify. Since then the American has blossomed in each approach – even on clay.Pegula is 14-5 on clay because the begin of 2022, that variety of course bolstered by her grand breakout in Madrid final 12 months, the place she reached her first 1000 stage ultimate. That she did it on clay doesn't go unnoticed in Pegula’s thoughts.“That was my first 1000 final, definitely was a big step for me, let alone being on clay, I think was kind of a little bit of a surprise, to myself and other people,” she instructed the media on the Madrid Open this week. “It gave me a lot of confidence I think, starting the whole clay swing going into th...

Paula Badosa has kissed the clay of Madrid prior to now.In her Madrid return, the Twenty sixth-seeded Spaniard goals to embrace challenges.Medvedev on Zverev: We Were Never Close FriendsHearing the cheers from dwelling followers, Badosa edged Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to arrange a Mutua Madrid Open Saturday showdown vs. sixth-seeded American Coco Gauff.Badosa overcame 10 double faults in the present day in a tense two hour, 30-minute victory and goals to play first-strike tennis vs. Roland Garros runner-up Gauff."Against Coco, we played a few times. Yeah, big server, aggressive, very good backhand, one of the best backhands in the world," stated Badosa, who owns a 2-1 file towards Gauff. "She's very physical, but I think it's a very tactical match. She plays good on clay. ...

Andrej Martin has been hit with a 14-month ban for a doping violation.Former world No. 93 Martin examined optimistic for SARM S-22, a banned anabolic agent, after a drug take a look at on the Bratislava Open in June 2022. The International Tennis Integrity Agency introduced Martin's ban in the present day.Medvedev on Zverev: We Were Never Close FriendsSubsequent evaluation of the pattern discovered presence of SARM S-22, an anabolic agent banned always underneath Section S1.2 (Other Anabolic Agents) of the 2022 WADA Prohibited List. In accordance with the TADP, the interval of ineligibility for a participant’s first doping offense is as much as 4 years, except they will set up that the violation was not intentional, wherein case the interval of Ineligibility can be as much as two yea...

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday, April 26, 2023Holger Rune is becoming a member of Team Europe.The seventh-ranked Dane, one of many quickest rising younger gamers on the ATP Tour, will be part of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev on Team Europe because it seeks to avenge final 12 months’s loss to Team World on the Laver Cup.Team Europe gained the primary 4 editions of the worldwide group competitors.“I’m so honored to be part of Team Europe in Vancouver this year,” mentioned Rune. “I’ve watched Laver Cup over the past few years and love the event. The competition is so intense and getting to really know the personalities of your rivals so unique. It has been a goal of mine to make the team and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Frances Ti...

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday, April 26, 2023Alexander Zverev was enjoying a number of the greatest tennis of his life final yr at Roland-Garros. After knocking out Carlos Alcaraz he was in a heated battle with Rafael Nadal, about to go right into a second set tiebreak in a grueling match that had already lasted three hours.Then catastrophe struck. Zverev fell turned his ankle on the clay within the backcourt and ended up being carted off the courtroom. Soon, he’d endure surgical procedure to restore three torn ligaments in his proper ankle and he hasn’t been the identical since.But the German is working his manner again to type, slowly however absolutely.He instructed reporters in Madrid on Tuesday that he feels near high type, and simply wants just a few vital wins to ass...

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday, April 25, 2023Casper Ruud was one of many largest success tales of the 2022 tennis season. He gained 51 matches, claimed three titles and reached two Grand Slam finals, at Roland-Garros and the US Open.After ending the season at No.3 on this planet, Ruud has skilled a little bit of a letdown in 2023. He was bounced from the Australian Open within the second spherical, shedding to Jenson Brooksbyt in 4 units, and has solely compiled an 11-8 file via the primary 4 months of the season.Ruud did handle to win his tenth profession title at Estoril earlier this month, however he has not managed back-to-back wins at some other occasion.Ahead of the Madrid Open Ruud says he wants to show up the aggression, notably together with his bread-and-butter fore...

MADRID — Carlos Alcaraz will get one other probability to defend a title at house in Spain, and transfer nearer to regaining the No. 1 rating. After profitable in Barcelona for a second yr in a row final week, the 19-year-old Alcaraz stayed in Spain to attempt to repeat as Madrid Open champion and virtuall...