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It was tight, but Carlos Alcaraz just about kept the Centre Court crowd onside during his post-match interview on Friday at Wimbledon.

After defeating Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, Alcaraz discussed his upcoming second straight Wimbledon final appearance with on-court interviewer Annabelle Croft. Unprompted, the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings dropped in a reference to another highly anticipated sporting event set for Sunday: The Euro 2024 final between his home country Spain and Wimbledon host nation England.

“It’s going to be a really good day for Spanish people, with the Euro cup as well,” said Alcaraz, who was forced to quickly clarify his comments as the home crowd immediately delivered some light-hearted boos. “I didn’t say Spain is going to win! I just said it is going to be a really fun day.”

A keen football fan, Alcaraz was cheered on by a legend of the sport on Friday as he recovered from a difficult opening set to improve his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Medvedev to 5-2. Real Madrid star Luka Modric, who captained Croatia at Euro 2024, watched the semi-final from Alcaraz’s player box.

"Luka is a really nice person. We've met a couple of times," revealed Alcaraz in his post-match press conference. "We spoke a few times and he wanted to come, and for sure I admire him. There's always going to be a spot for him. Amazing guy, amazing athlete that I admire a lot. It's great to have him in the box supporting."

There is no party like the Braunschweig Challenger party.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this week, the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event goes far beyond tennis, featuring live music and entertainment each night of the Brawo Open. Even before the first ball, three days of concerts kickstart this annual highlight in the north-central region of Germany.

“I think the key for our success of the tournament is a mixture of world-class tennis during the day and world-class entertainment in the evening,” said tournament director Volker Jacke. “Our event is hosted for 10 days. Not only seven days of tennis, we are starting on the first day with three days of party, concerts with bands and artists.”

The tournament, or should we call it the music festival, has been providing a two-part thriller for fans the past three decades. What once started with a single guitarist concluding each day’s action in 1994, the Brawo Open rapidly grew larger, requiring multiple upgrades in its stage setup to accommodate more well-known acts. Performing artists this year include German singer-songwriters Michael Schulte and Max Giesinger as well as the band Culcha Candela.

Fans eagerly gather day after day and night after night, some hitting the exits just before sunrise.

Carlos Alcaraz is on the brink of back-to-back titles on the grass of Wimbledon.

The 21-year-old Spaniard rallied past Daniil Medvedev 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday afternoon to reach the championship match at the London major. Alcaraz kept his cool after struggling to find his best level in the opening set and raised his game, particularly on serve, to seal a two-hour, 55-minute triumph on Centre Court.

“I’m really happy about my performance today,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. “I started really nervously. He was dominating the match, playing great tennis with his serve and his return game.

“It was difficult for me but I tried to push out the nerves at the beginning of the second set. It was really helpful to be up 3-1 and after that I could play my own game and enjoy the match a little bit more. I tried to hit great shots, I moved well, so in general I think I played a pretty good match.”

BACK IN THE FINAL ?@carlosalcaraz moves to the brink of back-to-back Wimbledon titles after defeating Medvedev in 4 sets ?@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/xORyOkg0yX

Picture the scene: a tennis coach in the player’s box, hiding behind his sunglasses, intently observing every point. The player on court tries to catch the eye of his coach, seeking some much-needed support during the toughest moments of battle.

In a sport that demands such mental strength and endurance, a solid connection with the team is like having an extra shot in your repertoire. A sturdy bond and trust in the team can help players deal with their emotions at the biggest tournaments on Tour.

Now imagine that coach has been providing the player with that support since he was a child. Watching him grow, helping him mature, and helping him build his dreams as he makes his way to the pinnacle of the sport. Adolfo Gutierrez is exactly that to Australian Alex de Minaur, the World No. 6 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

The Spanish coach, recognised as June’s ATP Spotlight Coach of the Month, has made loyalty and mutual trust the key to converting a young boy into one of the biggest stars in professional tennis.

“Since I met him, when he came to the club at eight or nine, it’s been a long journey alongside a boy who loved tennis,” remembers Gutierrez, who welcomed De Minaur to a club in Alicante, when the Aussie could barely see over the net. “Above all, he loved competing. If I had to define it in some way, let’s say he had an amazing journey, where the dreams we had always imagined have come true. That ‘imagine if one day we play...’ has become a reality and much more.”

Rafael Nadal fist pumps, roars and injects his familiar intensity into every shot as if it were his last. Rinse, repeat. The scene sums up the past few days for the 22-time major champion, training at full throttle in Sani, on the shores of the Aegean Sea.

After bowing out in the Roland Garros opening round, the former World No. 1 had a clear plan. He would skip Wimbledon to avoid a change of surface that would have been physically demanding and rather, try to find his A-game on clay, before returning to action at the ATP 250 in Bastad and then heading to the Paris Olympic Games.

Following a few days at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in his native Mallorca, Nadal felt in need of more hours on court, for which he invited Argentinian player Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the current No. 31 in the PIF ATP Rankings, and a Top 5 player in clay-court wins this season (19). Where? At the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Greece, which opened in 2019. Nadal took his entire team to the resort, where he is working under the watchful eye of Carlos Moya.

“The place we’re practising in is crazy... and Nadal is going at it, I’d say he’s playing very well,” the Argentine told ATPTour.com. What was it like for the La Plata native to spend a few days with the 92-time tour-level titlist? “I’ve had the chance to ask him things, ask for advice, and he was always very humble, helping, making progress, and he had a lot of time for everyone,” said Etcheverry.

“These days have been a dream for me, a really amazing experience, above all spending time with Rafa, a player I’ve been watching since I started to play tennis, one of the best in history, so it was crazy. It was a privilege and an honour,” enthused Etcheverry, who was there with his team, coach Wally Grinovero and fitness coach Martiniano Orazi.

Can Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten’s red-hot start to their partnership carry them to a Grand Slam title?

The unseeded Finnish-British pair defeated Neal Skupski and Michael Venus 6-4, 7-6(1) on Thursday afternoon to reach the championship match at Wimbledon. Heliovaara and Patten produced a stunning serving performance on No. 1 Court, where they won 95 per cent (36/38) of points behind first serves en route to an 84-minute win.

Since first teaming in April in Marrakech, Heliovaara and Patten have won 28 of the 32 matches they have contested together across all levels. That tally includes ATP Tour title runs in Marrakech and Lyon, and two ATP Challenger Tour titles. After reaching the final at Wimbledon, the pair is up 11 spots to eighth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

On their Grand Slam team debut earlier this year, Heliovaara and Patten reached the third round at Roland Garros before being forced to withdraw after the Finn suffered a shoulder injury. They have put that disappointment behind them superbly at the All England Club, where they have dropped just one set across five matches so far.

Awaiting Heliovaara and Patten in Saturday’s final will be 15th seeds Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, who upset top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 6-4.

There are some striking similarities to last year in the semi-final lineup at Wimbledon 2024. Carlos Alcaraz will hope the last-four results follow suit.

The third seed and defending champion at the grass-court major takes on Daniil Medvedev on Friday in a repeat of the pair’s 2023 semi-final. Alcaraz dropped just nine games en route to victory against Medvedev last year but remains wary of an opponent who will take to court fresh from defeating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals.

“[Medvedev] is a really great player,” said Alcaraz after his fourth-round triumph against Tommy Paul. “The same semi-final as last year and hopefully I’m going to get the same result. He just beat Jannik Sinner, the best player right now, so I know he is in really good shape.

“I have to play my best. I have to believe in myself and try to keep going if I want to beat him. It is going to be a difficult one, but I’m going to enjoy it.”

Medvedev partly avenged his heavy defeat at Wimbledon a year ago by winning his only Grand Slam meeting with Alcaraz since. He prevailed against the Spaniard in four sets last September at the US Open, and he has clearly identified the key to securing another major victory against his Top 5 rival.

After nearly two decades, Rafael Nadal is back in Bastad. The Spaniard on Thursday enjoyed his first practice at the Nordea Open, where he will compete next week as a wild card at the ATP 250.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings greeted fans and hit with home #NextGenATP talent Ludvig Fredrik Hede in Sweden. Nadal is a former champion in Bastad, where he triumphed on his most recent appearance in 2005.

✍️ You get an autograph, you get an autograph, everybody gets an autograph? pic.twitter.com/hMZq4JWXPY

The 38-year-old Nadal, who has stated that 2024 may be the final season of his career, will be playing his first competitive match since his first-round Roland Garros defeat to Alexander Zverev on 27 May. He is 7-5 for the season so far, with his best result a fourth-round run on home soil in Madrid.

World No. 6 Andrey Rublev will compete as top seed and defending champion in Bastad. World No. 8 Casper Ruud, Cameron Norrie and Tallon Griekspoor also feature in the field.

Here are some of the best American tennis players, both male and female, who have left a significant impact on the sport: Male Players1. Pete SamprasGrand Slam Titles: 14Wimbledon: 7 titlesUS Open: 5 titlesAustralian Open: 2 titlesCareer Highlights: Known for his powerful serve and volley game, Sampras was ranked world No. 1 for a record 286 weeks ...

“Despite being 21 years old, he listens and tries to learn."

These are the words of Juan Carlos Ferrero on Carlos Alcaraz as the three-time major champion prepares for his clash with Daniil Medvedev in his second straight Wimbledon semi-final and his sixth in a major. Ferrero, who has coached the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings for a number of years, is in no doubt about what those numbers mean and he is asking for prudence as Alcaraz bids to defend his Wimbledon title.

“They are very significant stats, but you have to take it day by day, this isn’t a given,” warned Ferrero. “Then we have to go to the US Open and do everything again to try and reach these kinds of rounds. The most important thing is that he has a very, very high natural level and really in five-set matches his opponents have to play very well to beat him if he’s at a normal level.

“He’s feeling very good. He’s grown into it against tough players. [Frances] Tiafoe and [Tommy] Paul are difficult. He feels good and he’s managed to solve the problems that he’s faced, but now we’re very focused on the match with Medvedev, not thinking about the title.

‘We can’t think much beyond Friday because that would be a mistake. Medvedev has earned the respect of all the players. So we’re approaching it with the utmost concern.”

The Italian title charge is alive and kicking at Wimbledon.

Lorenzo Musetti delivered arguably the Grand Slam performance of his career so far on Wednesday to outlast Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 3-6. 6-1 at the grass-court major. In doing so, the 22-year-old became just the fourth Italian men’s singles semi-finalist in event history.

Even after World No. 1 Jannik Sinner fell to Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday, Musetti gave an immediate reminder of the strength-in-depth of Italian tennis with a classy and composed display in his maiden major quarter-final. The 25th seed deployed his slice backhand to great effect to outfox an elite grass-court opponent and set a last-four meeting with Novak Djokovic.

"I don't think I've realised yet what I have done," Musetti said in his on-court interview. "I was talking with my team about how to play on the big stage... It was the first time I've had the opportunity to walk out on this amazing stadium and it's been an honour for me.

"At the start of the match Taylor was really leading the game, especially with his serve and I couldn’t return well. In the second set I had a big reaction after breaking at the start and that changed my mind, my attitude. That probably made the difference and hopefully on Friday I will have the same one."

After coaching for two years in Miami, Federico Agustin Gomez gave up feeding balls to chase his professional tennis dream.

One glitch? The Argentine was not training regularly and any time with a racquet in hand was spent in a continental grip, feeding and coaching for 11 hours a day.

A 2019 graduate of the University of Louisville, Gomez was figuring out his post-college life in south Florida. A summer internship required Gomez in the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and robbed him of any time to polish his game. Recognising he was not able to fully commit to training, Gomez decided to pursue coaching. Then the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 was just another roadblock in his hopes of playing beyond the collegiate level.

“I was like, ‘Okay, what am I doing? The Tour is not going anywhere, everything is stopped, so I’m just going to stop here and start teaching,’” Gomez told ATPTour.com.

Trying to make ends meet in his new role, Gomez was missing the thrill of competition. Then, in September 2021, Gomez’s friend, Pedro Caniza, approached him and offered financial help to kickstart his career.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Nordea Open due to exhaustion.

The 22-year-old Italian felt unwell during his quarter-final loss to Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon on Tuesday and has now withdrawn from the ATP 250 clay-court event in Bastad.

Sinner holds a 42-4 record on the year and is currently first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

Former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Rafael Nadal, defending champion Andrey Rublev and former titlist Casper Ruud are all set to compete in Bastad, with the Swedish event held from 15-21 July.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Retirement is treating Roger Federer well, with the Swiss legend announcing himself as a ‘Swiftie’ after attending Taylor Swift’s concert on Tuesday night in Zurich.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings became the latest star to watch 'The Eras Tour' live at Stadion Letzigrund. Federer posted a selfie with Swift on Instagram at the event, where he was wearing several friendship bracelets.

Last week Federer attended Wimbledon, where it has been a Cruel Summer of weather in west London. With a Blank Space in his diary, Federer then headed to Zurich to watch Swift perform.

In June, WTA star Iga Swiatek's Wildest Dreams came true when she received a handwritten note from Swift after watching the pop star in Liverpool.

Top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon on Wednesday when they moved past Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4, 7-6(3).

The Spanish-Argentine duo is chasing its first major title together and have been impressive on the lawns in west London this fortnight. Granollers and Zeballos are yet to drop a set and were strong in the decisive moments against Krawietz and Puetz, saving all four break points they faced to advance after one hour and 32 minutes.

Earlier this season, Granollers and Zeballos won their sixth ATP Masters 1000 title as a team in Rome before they advanced to the semis at Roland Garros. Granollers and Zeballos, who lost Wimbledon finals in 2021 and 2023, will next face Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson after the Australians beat Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3.

Purcell won the Wimbledon doubles title with Matthew Ebden in 2022. Thompson had never been beyond the third round in the doubles event at the grass-court major before this year.

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten sprung a surprise when they defeated fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(10-7).

Alex de Minaur has withdrawn from Wimbledon prior to his quarter-final clash against Novak Djokovic due to injury.

The ninth-seeded Australian announced he was unable to compete against the seven-time champion Djokovic at a press conference. He had spoken of jarring his hip in the closing stages of his fourth-round victory against Arthur Fils, and he was unable to recover in time to take on the second-seeded Djokovic on Centre Court on Wednesday.

"I'm devastated, but I had to pull out due to a hip injury, a little tear of the fiber cartilage that is at the end to the adductor," De Minaur said. "I felt a loud crack during the last three points of my match against Fils and got a scan yesterday and it confirms that this was the injury. [There is] a high risk of making it worse if I was to step on court."

De Minaur defeated Fils in four sets to reach the quarter-finals at a major for the third time. The Australian, who was set to compete in the last eight at Wimbledon for the first time on Wednesday, feels he had no option but to withdraw.

"It's no secret that at this stage in my career this was the biggest match of my career," De Minaur said. "I wanted to do anything I could to play. I got the results yesterday. I knew what the results were yesterday. I still wanted to wake up today hoping that I would feel some sort of miracle and not feel it while I'm walking.

The Hamburg Open is one of 13 ATP 500 events that will host world-class players for a week of the 2024 season. Among those in action this year in Hamburg will be defending champion and hometown favourite Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Gael Monfils and Arthur Fils.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the German tournament:

When is the Hamburg Open?
The ATP 500 event will be held from 15-21 July. The clay-court tournament, established in 1968, will take place at the Am Rothenbaum in Hamburg, Germany. The tournament director is Enric Molina Mur.

Who is playing at the Hamburg Open?
Zverev, Rune, Monfils, Fils, Sebastian Baez, Francisco Cerundolo and Zhang Zhizhen are among the field in Germany.

When is the draw for the Hamburg Open?
The Hamburg Open singles draw will be made on Saturday, 13 July at 1 p.m. local time (CEST).

With the day's business successfully taken care of following his four-set win over Tommy Paul in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz turned his attention to the second important sporting contest of his day: Spain's semi-final clash against France at Euro 2024.

Arriving to his media conference a little after kickoff, Alcaraz was asked first up whether the game was on his mind at any stage of his 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over the American.

"Honestly, at the beginning of the match I wasn't thinking about it," Alcaraz said. "Once I feel like I'm dominating the game, 5-1 in the fourth set, yeah, I thought about it (smiling). I thought a little bit I was on time. I wasn't.

"After I finished, I did everything in a rush just to be in time to watch a bit of Spain."

The 21-year-old, who is two matches away from completing the rare Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year, rallied from a set down to beat Paul, No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Alcaraz has conceded four sets so far this fortnight, having taken four sets to beat 16th-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the fourth round and five sets to run down American Frances Tiafoe in the third round.

Jannik Sinner’s Wimbledon journey ended at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday. During the Italian’s clash with Daniil Medvedev, he received a medical timeout in the third set due to illness. Sinner had his pulse taken by a doctor and then left the court before he returned to lose in five sets.

“Already this morning I didn't feel great. I had some problems,” Sinner said in his post-match press conference. “Then with the fatigue, it was tough. But take nothing away from Daniil. I think he played very smart. He played good tennis. That’s it. I went off the court. I didn't want to go off. The physio told me it was better to take some time because he watched me and I didn't seem in shape to play. I was struggling physically. It was not an easy moment. I tried to fight with what I had today.

“I was not feeling great. I didn't vomit. But I took some time because I was dizzy quite a lot. Off court, I had the toughest time. When I went back, I tried my best.”

Sinner was aiming for a second consecutive Wimbledon semi-final appearance. The 14-time tour-level titlist had won his past five Lexus ATPHead2Head meetings with fifth seed Medvedev, who now holds a 7-5 lead.

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who won in Halle last month, is frustrated he was unable to play at his best.

Carlos Alcaraz is digging deep in defence of his Wimbledon crown.

The Spaniard rallied to a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 triumph against the in-form Tommy Paul on Tuesday to book a semi-final spot at the grass-court major. For the third consecutive match, Alcaraz’s resolve was given a stern test by his opponent, but the 21-year-old third seed kept his cool to seal a three-hour, 11-minute comeback victory on Centre Court.

“He has been playing great tennis on grass. He won Queen’s and has been doing great stuff here at Wimbledon, beating great players,” said Alcaraz of Paul in his on-court interview. “Of course today was a really difficult match for me.

“At the beginning, the first set and the beginning of the second set, it kind of felt like I was playing on clay. Big rallies, 10 to 15 shots every point. So I had to stay strong mentally when I lost the first set. It was difficult for me a little bit, but I knew it was a long journey, a long match, and I just had to stay there. I’m really happy to find the solutions and the good path.”

? CARLOS ?
? ALCARAZ ?

Defending champion @carlosalcaraz comes from a set down to defeat Paul 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-2 to join Medvedev reaching his second #Wimbledon semi-final! @Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/O9Zy0cCYnG