2025 ATP General News

[Fiero425]

Jon Wertheim had an opinion about this on his mailbag today. He agrees with our assessment, that it's the new, longer format.

The pith of it is this:

"When will tournaments—and by extension, half the ATP board—realize that we are not making widgets here. Expanding capacity and productivity and work units might look good on a McKinsey deck. But it isn’t going to work here? We are talking about labor/talent. Energy—in this case, human competitive energy—is a finite resource. And when you expand events so unnecessarily, you are going to have to confront this. The rubber is meeting the road. Or, more accurately, the rubber is staying off the road.

Part of me feels for Canada. You run a longstanding event and put up this money, and you expect more stars to show up. The other part of me says, “What did you think was going to happen?”"

Tennis Mailbag: Making Sense of Canada Open’s Withdrawals

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are among the stars who pulled out of the tournament.

www.si.com

It's an old event, going way back! I didn't start paying attn. to the event until it changed from grass to clay, becoming a lead-in to the US Open when it went to Har-Tru in '75! Early on when a part of the Grand Prix, Orantes & Vilas made the event before Borg used it as prep in his USO attempts when the surface changed to hardcourt! Bjorn made the event bigger at the time! It went from BO5 finals to just BO3, but in today's game, that isn't enough & it's become a serious issue w/ players WD due to injury or exhaustion!

 

[Moxie]

It's an old event, going way back! I didn't start paying attn. to the event until it changed from grass to clay, becoming a lead-in to the US Open when it went to Har-Tru in '75! Early on when a part of the Grand Prix, Orantes & Vilas made the event before Borg used it as prep in his USO attempts when the surface changed to hardcourt! Bjorn made the event bigger at the time! It went from BO5 finals to just BO3, but in today's game, that isn't enough & it's become a serious issue w/ players WD due to injury or exhaustion!

I do still miss the Bo5 finals at the MS1000 events.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Kieran I found a reply from Goran Ivanisevic on the split with Tsitsipas.

Goran Ivanisevic spoke to HRT on the split with Tsitsipas ( source is from Sasa Ozmo , who is a journalist with Sport Klub and a contributor to Tennis Majors. I have followed Sasa for a few years and also Don Fabio also follows Sasa, a credited journalist)

"We spoke yesterday, no hard feelings we thanked each other.He decided to try again with his father, and honestly I truly believe this, the only person who can coach is his dad. He played his best tennis with him, his dad knows him best, this is a family project, I wish him all the best, he's too good of a player to be where he is. And yesterday I told him again that nothing will change unless he sorts out something out in his head".

On the controversial interview,

"It was blown out of proportions, I didnt insult him. I told him all of that, its not like I was saying it behind his back.Now it seems like you cant say anything anymore. I said it honestly, to get a reaction.That's how this generation is, unfortunately, thats how it is, everyone sees it."
" He feels it too, and he knows, if your're not mentally, physically and emotionally ready. Especially mentally, to play for hours with the best, then you have no chance of playing tennis. He wasnt mentally ready to play at Wimbledon. I hope he'll find his path. I wish him all the best, we know the results he's had, he hasnt forgotten how to play tennis".

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

It has always been thus. In fact, it was worse. Don't you think the great challenge of the channel slam is worth keeping?

Also, tennis is a summer game. The Aussie summer can also be oppressive and dangerous.

You keep making a calendar for the top players, but you ignore that the journeymen need to play a full schedule, or they can't make enough money. What to do, as tennis chases the endless summer, and the climate gets hotter? If you tell me the answer is more indoor tournaments, I'll be sad about that

2020 and 2021 showed me that the Channel Slam (or even the Sunshine Double) may not be worth keeping. Or at least the French Open and Wimbledon or Indian Wells and Miami can be played at different times in the year.

As we learn in science, the species that survive the longest are the ones that adapt the best. It's no different in the sports world. To survive a hotter climate, like us humans, tennis is going to have to adapt. What worked in the past and what works now may not in 20, 10, or even 5 years.

I understand about the journeymen needing to play a full schedule to make enough money, but it's the top players that puts the eyeballs to the TV sets. There are enough smaller tennis tournaments between December and the US Open swing. Besides, these journeymen tennis players can get a job outside of tennis to fill the gap. (BJK was a top tennis player in her day, and she had a job outside of tennis.)

I'm not saying that we need more indoor tournaments. It's possible the current tennis tournaments could work, but maybe in a different order. In any case, tennis needs to adapt to a changing post-COVID world with Gen Z/Alpha viewers. Otherwise, the sport will be left in the dust.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Toronto Update:
OUT: Baez
IN: Vukic

OUT: Bublik
IN: Carreno Busta

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The draw for the ATP1000 Toronto is Friday July 25 at 12pm local time
I have done projected QFs for the seeds,

Zverev (1) vs Rune (5)
Musetti (3) vs Ruud (8)
Shelton (4) vs Tiafoe (7)
Fritz (2) vs Rublev (6)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Mrzz if you are around,
Just looking at the full draw for Toronto Masters,
Fonseca will play a qualifier in the 1st rd
If he wins will play Matteo Arnaldi ( seeded 32)
If he gets through, Fonseca could play Zverev (1)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

It appears the post from source repubblica.it/sport/tennis/2 is incorrect about Cahill not being at the USO with Sinner
Sinner is currently training in MC and Cahill is not with him, that is not to say Cahill wont be at this years USO, he is also a commentator for ESPN
I found the news strange at first, also Brad Gilbert has just posted on social media that it is fake news,regarding Cahill not being at the USO this year
I am still trying to get 100% confirmation.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Matches suspended in Washington due to lightening in the area. Fans on site should seek shelter ASAP

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Play has now resumed in Washington

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

What a Headcase Meddy has become chucks racket and metal bottles after losing to Moutet LL who lost in qualies at Washington

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Bublik and Darderi both win their 3rd titles of the year, and for the 2nd straight week. Bublik, of course, has dropped out of Toronto. Interesting to see if Darderi stays in the Toronto draw and go for a 3rd straight title.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Darderi hurt his ankle when he brought up MP given there isnt a lot of time before Toronto starts he will be racing against the clock to be fit

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

FOKI! well done in straight sets against Shelton 62 75, Foki now has a H2H 3-0 against Shelton, and your into the final where you will play Alex de Minaur
Lets be the "groom' and not the groomsmen' in the final at Washington tomorrow! ( Foki still searching for his first ATP tour title)
4th career final
3rd in 2025
Foki will make his Top 20 debut on Monday, #19 if he loses the final, #17 if he wins the title

BTW Alex de Minaur winning in straight sets over Moutet in the 1st SF he will pass Rublev at No 10 in the live ATP rankings, though he will have to keep his UFE in check, he had 33 UFE against Moutet, cant afford to do that in the final against Foki

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Toronto Update:
OUT: Djere
IN: LL

Toronto Update:
OUT: Darderi ( ankle as I thought he would withdraw after he rolled it yesterday on MP)
IN: Svrcina ( LL will play against Blockx)

 

[Moxie]

Oh, dear. Foki is in danger of losing another final with it on his racquet.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Oh, dear. Foki is in danger of losing another final with it on his racquet.

Noòooo

 

[kskate2]

Oh, dear. Foki is in danger of losing another final with it on his racquet.

Unless he exercised those demons w/ a shrink, I don't see him getting out of this, especially not against the Energizer friggin bunny. I would be happy to be proven wrong.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Oh, dear. Foki is in danger of losing another final with it on his racquet.

I have no words

 

[kskate2]

He may never win a title now. The entire locker room knows the deal and no one will show him mercy. They'll just keep the ball in play and wait for him to implode.