2025 ATP General News

[MargaretMcAleer]

Mens and Womens singles qualifying round will commence on Monday 19th May and concluding on Friday 23rd May
I now have the full list of mens main draw wild cards for Roland Garros,

Ternence Atmane FRA
Arthur Cazzux FRA
Richard Gasquet FRA remembering he is retiring after Roland Garros this year
Pierre-Hughues Herbert FRA
Emilo Nava USA reciprocal wild card
Valentin Royer FRA
Tristan Schoolkate AUS reciprocal wild card
Stan Wawrinka SUI

 

[El Dude]

Here's a random question. Are players allowed to play with a second ball in their hand? Meaning, if they didn't pocket the second ball before serving but kept it in their hand while serving? I'm pretty sure no, but am not sure. And obviously no player would do that, or at least quickly pocket it after serving.

 

[mrzz]

Here's a random question. Are players allowed to play with a second ball in their hand? Meaning, if they didn't pocket the second ball before serving but kept it in their hand while serving? I'm pretty sure no, but am not sure. And obviously no player would do that, or at least quickly pocket it after serving.

I would guess they are allowed, because I don't think rules mention it. It could be deemed a distraction to the other player though.

 

[Fiero425]

You noticed! I looked at the seeds a few days ago & instantly thought, "these are killers! This w/b some draw for a 250 level event!"

Wow! I feel prophetic! It's Sunday & Geneva's already lost its #7 Seed, Michelsen! Not sure how long Djokovic can hang in there! Tough draw!

 

[don_fabio]

Here's a random question. Are players allowed to play with a second ball in their hand? Meaning, if they didn't pocket the second ball before serving but kept it in their hand while serving? I'm pretty sure no, but am not sure. And obviously no player would do that, or at least quickly pocket it after serving.

I think Steffi Graf served with 2 balls in hand.

 

[El Dude]

I think Steffi Graf served with 2 balls in hand.

She did, did she?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Just looking at the playing schedule tomorrow in Hamburg,
The Excuse Merchant starts his campaign against a Q Kovacevic
Rublev (3) vs Dzumhur, Rublev really needs to get back to winning ways

They are the 2 most interesting match ups
Today Cerundolo d Martinez 62 63 we need him to keep winning he is our hope to defeat the Excuse Merchant

 

[El Dude]

Did anyone catch Andy Roddick talking about the rumors that Alcaraz is a bit of a party boy? I mean, he is just 21/22...but it might explain some of the inconsistency. It is a scary thought: if he settles in fully to tennis. I mean, obviously he is - but we've been talking about what Carlos would be like if he took it up a notch, as is expected for someone at his age and experience (think Rafa in 2008).

Anyhow, for me the match I'm most hoping to see is an Alcaraz-Sinner final at Wimbledon. It is Alcaraz's turf, but I'm guessing Sinner wants Wimbledon more than anything at this point, and his game suits it a bit more than RG.

 

[Moxie]

Did anyone catch Andy Roddick talking about the rumors that Alcaraz is a bit of a party boy? I mean, he is just 21/22...but it might explain some of the inconsistency. It is a scary thought: if he settles in fully to tennis. I mean, obviously he is - but we've been talking about what Carlos would be like if he took it up a notch, as is expected for someone at his age and experience (think Rafa in 2008).

Anyhow, for me the match I'm most hoping to see is an Alcaraz-Sinner final at Wimbledon. It is Alcaraz's turf, but I'm guessing Sinner wants Wimbledon more than anything at this point, and his game suits it a bit more than RG.

Not even a rumor. A friend of mine watched the Netflix "documentary" on Alcaraz, and she says he goes off for 5 days of partying in Ibiza. The coaches complain, and he says that if he's not happy in his life, he won't be happy playing tennis.

So, you're right...just wait until he gets some of this out of his system and settles down to being more serious about his tennis. I actually do think he was very serious and methodical, and resisting of the hot shot (at least in the first set, when he needed to be,) yesterday, because he respects the threat that is Sinner. Also, because it was a final.

 

[El Dude]

Not even a rumor. A friend of mine watched the Netflix "documentary" on Alcaraz, and she says he goes off for 5 days of partying in Ibiza. The coaches complain, and he says that if he's not happy in his life, he won't be happy playing tennis.

So, you're right...just wait until he gets some of this out of his system and settles down to being more serious about his tennis. I actually do think he was very serious and methodical, and resisting of the hot shot (at least in the first set, when he needed to be,) yesterday, because he respects the threat that is Sinner. Also, because it was a final.

I don't know if it is a Spanish cultural thing, or something he learned from Rafa's academy, or just a similarity in personality, but his humbleness reminds me a bit of Rafa. I never got the sense that Rafa underestimated his opponents or lacked respect for them. Carlos seems a bit that way, or at least with Sinner and top players.

Carlos seemed more measured and steady in the final which, I think, bodes well for consistency going forward. I mentioned Roger's 2004 season, when he won 11 titles but went out early in the rest. In 2005, he won just as many, but didn't go out early in any of the tournaments he lost. I wonder if we can see a similar shift for Carlos. In truth, that second layer of consistency--how deep you go in tournaments you don't win--is nearly as important for rankings as the tournaments you win.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Actually Andre Agassi made some very good comments regarding Alcaraz, which I totally agree with, he said the one thing that impresses him with Alcaraz is that on slippery clay or slippery grass, his diminished speed, diminshes less than other fast players, eg Tommy Paul who is one of the fastest out there along with de Minaur, when you watch those players more to grass court or move to clay, you notice the diminish of confidence in their balance and movement.They cant quite do as much.
Regarding Wimbledon I agree with El Dude comments I have always thought the grass suits Sinner's game better than clay, I guess we shall see how that pans out after Roland Garros, when we move to the grass.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Fabio Fognini's last Roland Garros comes to an end as he falls to Nicolas Moreno De Alboran 63 62 in a qualifying round 1 on Lenglen
Fabio was playing Roland Garros for the 18th time!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

USTA today unveiled its plans for the largest single investment ($800 million) in US Open history that will reimagine and modernize Arthur Ashe Stadium and create a new Player Performance Center. This project will take shape over three phases and be completed by the 2027 event.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

In Geneva,
Fucsovic's d Bergs 62 63 to to reach R2
Marton's first Top 50 win since April 2024
Bergs first loss to a player outside the Top 100 since May 2024
RD 2 Fucsvovic's v Djokovic
Players to move through to the next round,
Arnaldi (8) Fearnely, Hayls, Nishokori, Norrie WC, Ofner Q.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

In Hamburg ATP500,
WC 17 year old Justin Engel d Struff WC 76(4) 76(4) he will face Rublev in his next match
Players to move through to the next round,
Zverev (1) Rublev, Nakashimia (7) won via retirement, RBA, Lehecka, Muller

 

[Moxie]

I don't know if it is a Spanish cultural thing, or something he learned from Rafa's academy, or just a similarity in personality, but his humbleness reminds me a bit of Rafa. I never got the sense that Rafa underestimated his opponents or lacked respect for them. Carlos seems a bit that way, or at least with Sinner and top players.

Carlos seemed more measured and steady in the final which, I think, bodes well for consistency going forward. I mentioned Roger's 2004 season, when he won 11 titles but went out early in the rest. In 2005, he won just as many, but didn't go out early in any of the tournaments he lost. I wonder if we can see a similar shift for Carlos. In truth, that second layer of consistency--how deep you go in tournaments you don't win--is nearly as important for rankings as the tournaments you win.

I don't think Alcaraz ever went to Rafa's academy, though @MargaretMcAleer seems to know these things better. He's been with Juan Carlos Ferrero since very young, and JCF has an academy, which is close to home for Charly.

I would say the Spanish are generally more humble people than, say, the Americans or the French or the English. (A historical point is that they definitely felt inferior after 40 years of dictatorship and isolation under Franco. Their expression was "Europe stops at the Pyrenees." But that was a long time ago, and I'm not sure how much lingers.)

Carlos does have Rafa as an example, if not a direct mentor. Rafa had an exaggerated sense of humility instilled in him by Uncle Tony, but I think it served him, or anyway, he used it well. And I think some lesser players around these days, like Zverev and Tsitsipas could use a bit more of it, as I have mentioned a fair few times. I think Carlos has a fairly healthy ego, but I agree that he doesn't seem to underestimate his opponents, or get bratty when he's losing.

You make an interesting comparison to Roger's '04 v. '05 in terms of consistency. Hopefully, that consistency is coming to Alcaraz, too.

 

[Moxie]

In Hamburg ATP500,
WC 17 year old Justin Engel d Struff WC 76(4) 76(4) he will face Rublev in his next match
Players to move through to the next round,
Zverev (1) Rublev, Nakashimia (7) won via retirement, RBA, Lehecka, Muller

I just saw the end of Engel d. Struff, and am hoping to catch the replay. That kid is cute! Don't tell @Fiero425!

Anyway, he must be someone to keep an eye on.

 

[Fiero425]

I don't know if it is a Spanish cultural thing, or something he learned from Rafa's academy, or just a similarity in personality, but his humbleness reminds me a bit of Rafa. I never got the sense that Rafa underestimated his opponents or lacked respect for them. Carlos seems a bit that way, or at least with Sinner and top players.

Carlos seemed more measured and steady in the final which, I think, bodes well for consistency going forward. I mentioned Roger's 2004 season, when he won 11 titles but went out early in the rest. In 2005, he won just as many, but didn't go out early in any of the tournaments he lost. I wonder if we can see a similar shift for Carlos. In truth, that second layer of consistency--how deep you go in tournaments you don't win--is nearly as important for rankings as the tournaments you win.

We really can't compare the eras! As it was "back in the day," the comp. is so much stronger than the previous era! There's no free ride above being seeded in the top 8 to receive a Bye in the 1st Rd. of tournaments! That certainly helped the Big 3 in tournaments as they owned the tour for 20+ yrs. w/ little resistance from the rest of the players outside of Murray, Wawrinka, & Del Po! I believe Carlos & Jannik are tops, but the game moves too fast & is too tough to maintain the excellence of the Big 3! Carlos might take 11 tournaments once, m/b even take 3 of 4 majors, but a significant dropoff is guaranteed as we see players WD almost routinely after going far in a previous event!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Carlos Alcaraz did train at the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2019, barely 16 years old, even at that early age he was 'dazzling' on the courts, according to the Rafa Nadal Academy, he later returned to compete in the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar .
Carlos Alcaraz has been with JCF since September 2018, at JCF Academy in Villena.JCF turned down request from other top players to focus on Alcaraz's development

 

[Moxie]

Carlos Alcaraz did train at the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2019, barely 16 years old, even at that early age he was 'dazzling' on the courts, according to the Rafa Nadal Academy, he later returned to compete in the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar .
Carlos Alcaraz has been with JCF since September 2018, at JCF Academy in Villena.JCF turned down request from other top players to focus on Alcaraz's development

I knew you'd know!