Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Matthew Ebden and John Peers pulled off a stirring comeback and fended off some Match Tie-break tension on Saturday afternoon in Paris. Now, they are Olympic champions.

The unseeded Australian pair defeated Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 10-8 in the gold-medal match. After recovering from a set and a break down, Ebden and Peers produced some of their best tennis of the teams’ maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter to clinch victory and spark joyous celebrations on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

?? AUSTRALIAN GOLD ?@mattebden and @johnwpeers come from a set down to defeat Krajicek/Ram 6-7 7-6 10-8 and win GOLD in #Paris2024 #Olympics | #tennis pic.twitter.com/IWx0W0MHVQ

Neither team had dropped a set en route to the final and the fourth-seeded Krajicek and Ram were on track to complete a perfect week in the French capital when they led by a set and a break. Yet just as they had in the opening set, Ebden and Peers rallied from 2-4 to force a tie-break in the second. This time they won it, and they then produced a masterful Match Tie-break display.

The Australians charged into a 9/5 lead in the decider, but they were made to sweat as Krajicek and Ram saved the first three of their opponents’ four gold-medal points. Ebden and Peers kept their cool to convert the fourth, however, and claim the gold medal in just their fifth event as a team.

Sunday's Paris Olympics final will be a battle for the ages: 37-year-old Novak Djokovic, the oldest man to play in a gold medal match, against 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest.

With a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, 40 ATP Masters 1000s and 428 weeks atop the PIF ATP Rankings, Djokovic has become the gold standard in men's tennis — the aspirational measuring stick for the game's next generation of stars. Alcaraz is rapidly working his way toward those historic numbers. With four major titles before his 22nd birthday, the golden boy is ahead of the pace set by Djokovic and the Big 3.

“Obviously it's a really great start of my career, but I have to keep going," the Spaniard said after beating Djokovic in July's Wimbledon final. "I have to keep building my path. At the end of my career, I want to sit at the same table as the big guys. That's my main goal. That's my dream right now."

For Djokovic, the Olympics are a rare occasion, and not just because they are held every four years. The event provides an opportunity for the great champion to chase a title he has never won before. Since he completed the Career Golden Masters — winning each ATP Masters 1000 at least once — at Cincinnati in 2018, Olympic gold remains the only 'Big Title' missing from his collection.

"This is a big deal," Djokovic said after easing past Lorenzo Musetti to reach his first gold medal match. A bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Djokovic has not been on the podium since, finishing fourth in 2012 (London) and 2021 (Tokyo), either side of a shock first-round exit in 2016 (Rio de Janeiro).

Local hero Frances Tiafoe broke new ground Friday night at the Mubadala Citi DC Open. The American rode a raucous Washington crowd to his first Top 10 win since 2022, with his 6-4, 7-6(3) upset of top seed Andrey Rublev sending him through the the semi-finals for the first time at the ATP 500.

"I saw the crowd and I was like, 'God, it's going to be epic tonight,' " Tiafoe said. "I was even telling Andrey before, it's going to be pretty rowdy. I was super happy to see everyone come out on a Friday night and want to come watch me. It was incredible."

The Maryland native broke midway through the opening set after an electric start, then battled back from 1-4 in the second to advance at the tournament where he made his ATP Tour debut in 2014.

"It helped early that I was serving pretty well. And then after [a big forehand] and couple other shots... I was hitting a lot of great volleys and flick shots," said the fifth seed. "That was getting me going. It's one of those things where you're like, 'Ah, it's going to be one of those days.' And then you kind off just ride with the intensity and try to get on the guy."

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will go head-to-head in the Olympic Tennis Event singles gold medal match on Sunday, with the match scheduled for not before 2 p.m. CEST/8 a.m. EDT.

Djokovic and Alcaraz, Nos. 2 and 3 respectively in the PIF ATP Rankings, recently met in the Wimbledon final, where the Spaniard defeated his older rival for the second consecutive year. Their Lexus ATP Head2Head series is level at 3-3.

Djokovic won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Alcaraz, who is making his Olympics debut, is looking to extended his rich vein of form, which as seen him win Roland Garros and Wimbledon coming into the Olympics.

View Alcaraz vs. Djokovic Lexus ATP Head2Head breakdown

Tomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova rallied from the brink of defeat to claim the mixed doubles gold medal for Czechia at the Paris Olympics.

The Czechs trailed Chinese duo Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen 6/8 in a dramatic match tie-break but after clawing back to 8-all, welcomed a double fault from Zhang that set up match point. The former off-court couple sealed gold when Machac's fierce service return drew a volleying error from Wang, who earlier in the set had made a number of clutch poach volleys for winners.

Both playing mixed doubles at the Olympics for the first time, Machac and Siniakova became the first Czechia team to win the mixed doubles gold with their 6-2, 5-7, 10-8 victory.

Siniakova collected her second gold medal, having won the women's doubles gold in Tokyo with Barbora Krejcikova.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski on their way to collecting mixed doubles bronze at the Paris Olympics. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Novak Djokovic has set a blockbuster gold medal match with Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics Sunday after defeating Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2 in Friday's semi-finals.

A 98-time tour-level titlist who has spent more than eight years atop the PIF ATP Rankings, Djokovic is guaranteed to improve upon his previous best Olympics outing, a singles bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing games. The 37-year-old fell on the red clay in relief when he secured his place in his first Olympic final.

“I have been waiting for this for almost 20 years,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “I’ve played four Olympic games, this is my fifth and I’ve never passed semi-finals. I lost three semi-finals in my first four Olympic games. I managed to overcome this big hurdle. I must be honest and say that I was thinking about all the semi-finals that I lost.”

Despite right knee injury concerns following Thursday’s quarter-final, Djokovic showed no obvious signs of hindered movement. The top seed wore the same grey knee sleeve he has been wearing throughout the tournament and at last month’s Wimbledon.

Djokovic and Musetti faced fierce opposition on serve throughout the match. The seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion was pushed to deuce in his opening two service games and had four break points of his own at 2-1, but the 22-year-old Musetti held in a lengthy five-deuce game.

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow extended their winning streak to six matches Friday by reaching the quarter-finals of the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

The fourth-seeded Americans, who last week defended their Atlanta title, defeated fifth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Santiago Gonzalez 6-4, 7-6(6). Lammons and Withrow dropped just five points behind their first deliveries and only four behind their second serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Continuing their quest for their biggest team title, Lammons and Withrow will face second seeds Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in the last four. The other semi-final will feature sixth seeds Sadio Doumbia and Hugo Nys versus eighth seeds Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo.

Did You Know?
ATP is trialing player-worn microphones during Washington doubles matches. This innovation, part of the 2024 ATP Doubles Trial, aims to enhance the fan and broadcast experience, while also amplifying the profiles of the players. This will take place across select doubles matches throughout the week.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

John Peers and Matthew Ebden have advanced to the gold medal match in the men’s doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a 7-5, 6-2 win over American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the semi-finals. The Aussie duo will Saturday face American doubles specialists Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, who defeated the Czech pair Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek on Thursday.

Ebden and Peers become only the second Australian pairing to reach a doubles final since tennis returned to the Seoul 1988 Olympics, following the success of Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde, who won gold together at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. ‘The Woodies’ followed it up with a silver at the Sydney 2000 Games. Peers is guaranteed a second Olympic medal after winning bronze alongside Ash Barty in the mixed doubles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Both teams have advanced to the final without dropping set.

Antoine Escoffier’s wife, Yolhen, has been instrumental in the Frenchman’s journey to winning his first ATP Challenger Tour title. Not just as a spouse, but Yolhen, who works as a mental coach, is providing that kind of training to her husband.

“It’s part of her job. She has a multi-task job, she [focusses] on natural paths, like natural ways for the body about food. There’s also the mental part, the yoga teaching, she’s all connected to the well-being of the body,” Escoffier told ATPTour.com.

A 32-year-old who struggled with injuries in the early stages of his career, Escoffier decided to make this key change at age 28. He was at a then career-high World No. 335 in the PIF ATP Rankings in February 2020, right before the Covid-19 pandemic paused the ATP Challenger Tour season. Escoffier was hungry to climb even higher coming out of the extended break.

“I had to do things differently because until then, it was all leading to the same results, which was good, but not as good as I thought I could be. I just tried to change. I started with my wife,” Escoffier said.

“We just started from zero. Big mental workouts, a big priority on the mental part of the game and less about the tennis, which was the opposite from the previous 10 years; 100 per cent tennis and zero per cent mental.

Following Andy Murray’s final match Thursday at the Paris Olympics, the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings received an outpouring of support on social media.

Keir Starmer, prime minister of the United Kingdom, former No. 1 golfer Justin Rose and Murray’s colleagues on the ATP Tour sent congratulatory messages to the 46-time tour-level titlist.

View our 'Celebrating Andy' series

1 Davis Cup, 2 Olympic golds and 3 Grand Slams.

But more than that, thanks @andy_murray for two decades of phenomenal entertainment and sportsmanship.

A true British great.

Congratulations @andy_murray on an amazing career! You gave it everything, and never left a stone unturned. Enjoy your retirement and look forward to a game of golf soon! ? ?? pic.twitter.com/vybgONpBhe

Tennis technology has advanced significantly over the years, enhancing players' performance and revolutionizing the way the game is played, analyzed, and enjoyed. Here's a comprehensive guide to the latest in tennis technology: 1. Racket Technology1.1 MaterialsGraphite and Carbon Fiber: Modern rackets are primarily made from graphite or carbon fibe...

Carlos Alcaraz moved to the verge of becoming just the second man to capture Olympic gold, Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles in the same season on Friday when he dispatched Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1 to reach the final at the Paris Olympics.

The 21-year-old Spaniard produced one of his best performances of the season on Court Philippe Chatrier – the same stadium he won Roland Garros in two months ago – to become the youngest player to reach the men’s singles gold medal match since tennis returned to the Olympics at Seoul in 1988.

"It’s going to be a really special moment for me, in my life, in my career, so I’m going to try and enjoy this moment, because it’s going to be really difficult," Alcaraz said looking ahead to the final. "It’s going to be difficult, but it’s going to be special... I will try to be focused on myself and try not to hear all this, all the fans, all the people that say ‘I’m going to win’. I just want to give 100 per cent my best tennis and hopefully I reach my goal to get the gold."

If Alcaraz clinches gold, he will join countryman Rafael Nadal (2008) as the second man to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Olympic singles gold in the same season.

ALCARAZ IS ON HIS WAY TO GOLD ⭐️@carlosalcaraz is now one win away to take the gold medal after defeating Auger-Aliassime 6-1 6-1 in #Paris2024 #Olympics | #tennis pic.twitter.com/Itj8QK2Miq

Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal due to fatigue, the tournament announced on Thursday.

"It has been a very long season for me and due to the accumulation of matches and fatigue, I will not be able to play in Montreal this year,” Alcaraz said. "I was really looking forward to coming back to Canada and enjoying the love of the fans. Hope to see everyone in Montreal in the years to come!”

The Spaniard holds a 37-6 record on the season and is still competing at the Paris Olympics, where he is into the semi-finals. Alcaraz has won three titles this year, including majors at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jiri Lehecka and Francisco Cerundolo have withdrawn from the #NBO24.

As a result, Marcos Giron, Alexei Popyrin, and Flavio Cobolli have earned their spots in the main draw.

More info ➡️ https://t.co/v1tnxUgIjw pic.twitter.com/X8jyNSehG8

Alcaraz, currently second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, competed at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event in 2022 and 2023. The 21-year-old fell in his opening match in 2022 before he advanced to the quarter-finals last season.

Lorenzo Musetti continued his resurgent run on Thursday when he upset World No. 4 and defending Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-5 to reach the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics, guaranteeing him the chance to play for a medal.

Musetti was competing in the final at the ATP 250 clay-court event in Umag when the singles event began on Saturday in Paris. After falling in the title match, the 22-year-old made the journey from Croatia to France, where he has been rampant on the Parisian clay.

Musetti moved past Gael Monfils, Mariano Navone and Taylor Fritz in his first three matches before he earned his first Top 5 win of the season against Germany’s Zverev. The No. 16 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who also reached his first major semi-final at Wimbledon three weeks ago, fired 20 winners against Zverev to become the first Italian player to reach the singles semi-finals since tennis returned to the Olympics in Seoul in 1988.

With his two-hour, four-minute win, Musetti levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Zverev at 1-1. He will face Serbian Novak Djokovic or Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals. If he wins, he will enter the gold medal match, while defeat would offer him the chance to fight for bronze.

Musetti holds a 19-4 record since the start of the grass season, having reached the semis in Stuttgart and the final at The Queen's Club in London in June.

Carlos Alcaraz was pushed hard on Thursday but he found a way to continue his quest for Olympic glory. The Spaniard recovered from a slump at the start of the second set to overcome American Tommy Paul 6-3, 7-6(7) and reach the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics, guaranteeing him the chance to play for a medal.

The 21-year-old entered the match having earned three consecutive straight-sets wins in singles. The second seed was tested by the American, who beat Alcaraz in Montreal and Toronto in the past. However, as fans have become accustomed to in his electrifying early career, Alcaraz found a way in the key moments.

Wearing the red and yellow colours of Spain, Alcaraz was dialled-in during the first set and then rallied from 2-5 in the second set. With Paul serving at 5-3, Alcaraz tracked down a ball deep in the forehand corner and unleashed a brutal winner on the run, raising his arm aloft and then finger to his ear after breaking Paul’s serve. His winner brought the vocal Court Philippe Chatrier crowd to their feet and they rose once again when Alcaraz saved one set point at 6/7 in the second-set tie-break when he tracked down a drop shot to flick a backhand down the line.

Alcaraz then sealed victory on his second match point to become the fifth Spaniard to reach the men’s singles semi-finals since the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Alcaraz, who struck 22 winners in his two-hour one-minute victory, will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals after the Canadian beat Norway's Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3. The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is the youngest semi-finalist in the men’s singles event since Novak Djokovic in Beijing in 2008.

Walking on court holding a carry-on bag with just three racquets, borrowed strings and grips, Daniel Rincon will not soon forget his title run at last week’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Tampere.

His luggage was lost while travelling from the Amersfoort Challenger to Finland, forcing him to scramble for equipment until he was reunited with his bag before his quarter-final match.

“It was a crazy week. I was going with a little bag on court, I was looking like an amateur player going to practise on a Sunday,” Rincon told ATPTour.com, while cracking a laugh. “Just with three t-shirts and going to do laundry every day.”

Somehow Rincon’s bag was the only piece of luggage that was misplaced by the airline. The Spaniard’s coach Jorge Hernando and doubles partner Inigo Cervantes avoided the misfortune.

“I was the only one waiting there in Tampere,” Rincon said. “The first three, four days, they couldn’t find it. I was calling everyone and they couldn’t find anything, so I asked the stringers there if they had strings similar to mine, and they did.”

Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson reached their seventh semi-final of the year Thursday when they ousted home hopes Sebastian Korda and Alex Michelsen at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

The second seeds, who have won three titles together this year, defeated the Americans 6-4, 7-5 after saving eight of the nine break points they faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Purcell and Thompson triumphed in Dallas, Los Cabos and Houston this year. Thompson partnered Korda, his quarter-final opponent in singles, to win the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.

Finalists at Wimbledon last month, Purcell and Thompson next meet fourth seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow or fifth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Santiago Gonzalez.

In the top half of the draw, Sadio Doumbia and Hugo Nys upset top seeds Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten 6-2, 7-5. Brazilians Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo downed Karen Khachanov and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-6(3). 

Did You Know?
ATP is trialing player-worn microphones during Washington doubles matches. This innovation, part of the 2024 ATP Doubles Trial, aims to enhance the fan and broadcast experience, while also amplifying the profiles of the players. This will take place across select doubles matches throughout the week.

Ben Shelton held his nerve in two tight tie-breaks Thursday to seal his place in the Mubadala Citi DC Open quarter-finals. The second-seeded American ousted countryman Brandon Nakashima 7-6(5), 7-6(4).

The 21-year-old hugged the baseline and produced heavy-hitting, first-strike tennis in humid conditions. Despite letting slip three set points on serve at 5-4 in the first set, Shelton, who on Wednesday won a late night three-setter against Radu Albot, quickly rebounded to win the opener in a tie-break. The lefty won 81 per cent of his first-serve points and hammered 14 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I served amazing today, that was one of the keys for me,” said Shelton, who struck a pair of aces from 5/4 in the second-set tie-break to seal victory. “If you don’t have 100 per cent in the tank, it’s really hard to break serve against a guy like him so I knew that I was going to have to hold serve.

“I did a great job holding serve, got broke once. But my best tennis came out in the tie-break. I thought it was just a clutch performance. I managed my energy well and I’m happy to be through. A really tough opponent.”

Shelton will next face wild card Denis Shapovalov in a rematch of last month’s Wimbledon third round five-setter, which the American won. The Canadian on Thursday rallied past Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Andy Murray has retired from professional tennis following his appearance in the Paris Olympic Games, where he partnered Daniel Evans to the quarter-finals of the men's doubles event.

The 37-year-old will be remembered for a career full of historic achievements, which he accomplished against some of the best players in the history of tennis.

“I gave as much as I could to the career,” Murray said shortly after he and Evans bowed out to Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. “There are obviously things that I look back on and wish that I could have done differently, but it’s been a tough time to win major titles in the sport with the players that were ahead of me. I’m proud of my achievements, my efforts and I’m looking forward to prolonged rest now.

“I’m sad to be finishing but the last couple of weeks since we arrived here have been brilliant. I’ve had a lot of fun being around the team.”

After his final match Thursday evening, the LTA announced that the arena at the cinch Championships at The Queen’s Club will be renamed ‘The Andy Murray Arena’ in recognition of his record five titles at the venue. The LTA will also invest £5m in a new tennis centre serving as a flagship of the sport in Scotland at Park of Keir, near Murray's hometown of Dunblane. The project will be led by Andy's mother, Judy.

Andy Murray's illustrious career came to a close on Thursday following his loss alongside Daniel Evans in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics.

The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings has thrilled fans around the world for two decades. How well do you know his accomplishments?

Take ATPTour.com's Andy Murray quiz below to find out, share it with your friends and click here to read more of our content celebrating the Scot's career.