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Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and top seed Jannik Sinner have landed in the same half of the Wimbledon draw, with the pair seeded to meet in the semi-finals.

Alcaraz, who overcame Novak Djokovic in five sets in the Wimbledon final last year, defeated Sinner in the semi-finals at Roland Garros en route to the title earlier this month. The 21-year-old Spaniard leads the 22-year-old Italian 5-4 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Third seed Alcaraz is seeded to meet Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the fourth round and could play eighth seed Casper Ruud or Queen’s champion Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz, who starts against Estonia qualifier Mark Lajal, is chasing his fourth major.

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No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Sinner begins against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann and might face 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini in the second round. Sinner could then meet 21-year-old American Ben Shelton in the fourth round, with 2023 semi-finalist Daniil Medvedev a potential quarter-final opponent. Medvedev begins against Aleksandar Kovacevic and could meet Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.

Former World No. 10 Lucas Pouille was one of four Frenchmen who qualified for Wimbledon on Thursday.

The 30-year-old moved past #NextGenATP star Luca Van Assche 7-6(4), 7-5, 6-2 to reach the main draw. Pouille advanced to the third round at Wimbledon in 2019.

Hugo Gaston, Quentin Halys and Maxime Janvier also triumphed on the lawns in Roehampton to ensure it was a successful day for France. Gaston overcame Mikhail Kukushkin 6-2, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, while Halys beat Beibit Zhukayev 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Janvier clawed past countryman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-7(10), 7-5, 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

Former quarter-finalist Cristian Garin defeated Timofey Skatov 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the main draw for the sixth time. Australian Alex Bolt, who was competing as an alternate, saved one match point en route to a 6-7(2), 2-6, 7-6(9), 7-5, 6-4 win against Leandro Riedi.

[ATP APP]

Former No. 31 in the PIF ATP Rankings Lloyd Harris won an ATP Challenger Tour title in Surbiton earlier this month. The South African overcame Hugo Grenier 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(5) to reach the main draw at Wimbledon.

Andy Murray has accepted a wild card to play doubles alongside brother Jamie Murray at Wimbledon.

The former World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings and two-time Wimbledon singles champion remains hopeful of also playing singles following a back procedure.

[ATP APP]

The 37-year-old said on Wednesday: “I feel that I deserve the opportunity to give it until the very last moment to make that decision. It’s complicated and it’s made more complicated because I want to play at Wimbledon one more time."

 

Last week Murray's back forced him to withdraw midway through the first set of his second-round match against Australian Jordan Thompson at Queen's.

Taylor Fritz continued his quest for an Eastbourne hat-trick Thursday at the Rothesay International, where the top seed ousted #NextGenATP Shang Juncheng 7-6(5), 7-6(5) to reach the semi-finals.

A two-time champion at the grass ATP 250 (2019, 2022), Fritz dropped just four points on serve (50/54) and saved all four break points he faced to advance after one hour, 46 minutes. Despite failing to convert his five break chances, the American held his nerve in two tie-breaks by relying on his first-strike tennis.

“With the wind and everything, that was a very miserable match to play, honestly,” Fritz said in relief. “I definitely feel well here. It’s tough to take too much from today. You’re never really going to feel great hitting the ball as windy as it was. But if I can serve as well as I did today, even in this wind, I’m pretty happy about that.”

Fritz in the final 4️⃣@Taylor_Fritz97 continues his dominant record in Eastbourne with a 7-6(5) 7-6(5) victory over Shang!@the_LTA | #RothesayInternational pic.twitter.com/S2zaORN6Ax

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 27, 2024

Into his fourth semi-final of the season, Fritz is aiming to be the tournament’s first three-time champion. The World No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings is yet to be broken this week.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is set to enter a Grand Slam tournament for the first time as the top seed following the release of the Wimbledon seeds Thursday. The Italian will head the top half of the draw, with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic anchoring the bottom half.

Sinner and Djokovic continued their preparations for the grass-court major, practising together on Centre Court. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev also hit together on the world's most famous court.

The 22-year-old Sinner, who rose to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings after Roland Garros, is seeking his second major title and first Wimbledon crown this coming fortnight. Second seed Djokovic, making his 19th appearance at the grass-court Slam, aims to tie Roger Federer for the most Wimbledon titles (8) and become the oldest champion (37). Third seed Alcaraz, who won Roland Garros, begins his quest for a fourth major trophy.

Eyes will flock to see where the Spaniard lands in the draw, which will be made Friday, 28 June at 10 a.m. local time. Will Alcaraz be placed in the top half, on a path to meet Sinner? Or will the 21-year-old land in the bottom half with Djokovic? Alcaraz beat the Serbian in a classic five-set final last year, snapping Djokovic's 34-match Wimbledon winning streak.

[ATP APP]

Wimbledon seeds:
1. Jannik Sinner
2. Novak Djokovic
3. Carlos Alcaraz
4. Alexander Zverev
5. Daniil Medvedev
6. Andrey Rublev
7. Hubert Hurkacz
8. Casper Ruud
9. Alex de Minaur
10. Grigor Dimitrov
11. Stefanos Tsitsipas
12. Tommy Paul
13. Taylor Fritz
14. Ben Shelton
15. Holger Rune
16. Ugo Humbert
17. Felix Auger-Aliassime
18. Sebastian Baez
19. Nicolas Jarry
20. Sebastian Korda
21. Karen Khachanov
22. Adrian Mannarino
23. Alexander Bublik
24. Alejandro Tabilo
25. Lorenzo Musetti
26. Francisco Cerundolo
27. Tallon Griekspoor
28. Jack Draper
29. Frances Tiafoe
30. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
31. Mariano Navone
32. Zhang Zhizhen

Playing in his first grass tournament since Wimbledon in 2021, Gael Monfils has notched three wins to advance to the semi-finals at the Mallorca Championships presented by Waterdrop. On Thursday, the seventh-seeded Frenchman beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to reach his second semi-final of the 2024 season (Doha).

"Very tough. Roberto is a big warrior," Monfils said after improving to 5-1 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head. "Even in the second set when he came back, I was up a break at 4-3, then he played really good, really solid. And then at the end, you could see the nerves were there. The crowd was behind both of us, so it was a big battle."

Monfils is bidding to reach a tour-level final for the 20th consecutive year, a streak that would match Roger Federer's record. He will face fourth seed Alejandro Tabilo, a 6-4, 6-4 winner against #NextGenATP star Jakub Mensik, for a place in the title match.

[ATP APP]

Each of the 37-year-old Monfils' three Mallorca wins have come against veteran opponents in their 30s: Dominic Thiem (30), Roberto Carballes Baena (31) and Bautistas Agut (36). He has hit a combined 37 aces in those three matches, according to Infosys ATP Stats, matching his age. Against Bautista Agut, Monfils saved three of nine break points and won 77 per cent of his first-serve points.

Prior to this week, the Frenchman had not reached the quarter-final stage of a grass event since he progressed to the Antalya semi-finals in 2018.

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The ATP has announced the approval of in-competition wearable devices for players across the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour, starting from 15 July. The initiative ushers in a new era of innovative data-led performance analytics and injury prevention in tennis.

Wearable devices will generate cutting-edge insights for players from physical metrics such as heart rate and high-intensity load data, enhancing their analysis of matches and training sessions. ATP has approved both STATSports and Catapult devices and will centralise all data into ATP Tennis IQ – Wearables, an intuitive new dashboard for players.

The initiative introduces a new dimension to ATP Tennis IQ, an analytics platform launched in 2023 that democratises access to match data and insights for players, aiding preparation and recovery. It is the latest in a strategic push by ATP to enhance the sport through tech, data and innovation.

[ATP APP]

Ross Hutchins, ATP Chief Sporting Officer, said: "The introduction of wearables on Tour is a big step forward in our push to optimise player performance and prevent injury. Ultimately, empowering players to get the very best out of their careers. We’re delighted to make cutting-edge data insights more accessible than ever and look forward to continuing our innovation in this space.”

All data collected will remain confidential, ensuring privacy for players and their support teams. Phase Two of the initiative, which will incorporate next generation insights derived from wearable data and player feedback, is scheduled for later this year.

Andy Murray remains hopeful of playing at Wimbledon but will make a last-minute decision.

The 37-year-old, who is a two time champion at the grass-court major, retired during his second-round match at Queen’s last week due to a back injury.

An update from our two-time champion, Andy Murray#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/CSGahOxgU5

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2024

“I feel that I deserve the opportunity to give it until the very last moment to make that decision,” Murray said according to Wimbledon Thursday. “It’s complicated and it’s made more complicated because I want to play at Wimbledon one more time.

“Because of what I put into the sport over the last however many years, I would at least like to go out playing a proper match where I’m at least competitive, not what happened at Queen’s.”

It was an all-French affair at Wimbledon qualifying Wednesday when 20-year-olds Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Luca Van Assche moved one step closer to the main draw.

Mpetshi Perricard downed countryman Antoine Escoffier 7-6(5), 6-2 after hammering 20 aces in the second round of qualifying while Van Assche survived a three-setter, overcoming Australian Li Tu 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(10-7) to advance.

The top seed Mpetshi Perricard is at a career-high No. 59 in this week's PIF ATP Rankings, but on the May 20th Wimbledon main draw cutoff, the 6'8" player was World No. 117. That week, Mpetshi Perricard went on a dream run, triumphing at his home tournament in Lyon to capture his maiden ATP Tour title.

Mpetshi Perricard next aims for his main draw debut at the grass-court major when he faces countryman Maxime Janvier in the third round. Van Assche meets former World No. 10 and fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille.

[ATP APP]

Another pair of former Top 10 players, Richard Gasquet and David Goffin, advanced Wednesday. Gasquet raced past Alexis Galarneau 6-1, 6-0 in just 49 minutes while the Belgian Goffin beat Yasutaka Uchiyama 7-6(4), 6-4. 

#NextGenATP Shang Juncheng became the second Chinese male to reach a tour-level quarter-final on grass Wednesday at the Rothesay International.

The 19-year-old defeated Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after saving four of the five break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Shang, who advanced through Eastbourne qualifying, overcame a nervy start, dropping serve in the opening game before finding greater consistency and using his tricky lefty game to advance.

"I don't think I changed much," Shang said of his comeback. "Emil is a very complete player. He can do anything on the court very solid. I just thought, 'If he plays better than me, this is it, I'm just going to keep playing my tennis'. It ended up working really well. Let's go step by step. After today's match, good recovery. I've played a couple days in a row."

[ATP APP]

Following his win, Shang moved one spot to third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The teen is aiming for his maiden trip to the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which runs from 18-22 December in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Shang is into his second tour-level quarter-final of this season (Hong Kong). He joins China's highest-ranked male Zhang Zhizhen as the only players from their country to reach the last eight at a grass-court ATP Tour event.

Czech teen Jakub Mensik advanced to his second tour-level quarter-final Wednesday when he defeated Fabio Fognini at the Mallorca Championships presented by Waterdrop.

One day after becoming the youngest match winner in tournament history by ousting defending champion Christopher Eubanks, the 18-year-old Mensik earned a second consecutive three-set victory, downing Fognini 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

“Crazy match from the beginning,” said Mensik, World No. 85 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “The first 40 minutes, we played three games. I don’t know what happened, I didn’t experience this before. I’m really happy that I kept playing after the first set that I was 4-1 up and still lost. I’m really happy that I came back. Tough match. Fabio played really well. Difficult from the beginning.”

[ATP APP]

In blustery conditions, Mensik struck 11 aces and won 80 per cent of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He earned a decisive break at 5-5 in the decider and booked his quarter-final ticket after two hours, 40 minutes.

Mensik, who missed Roland Garros due to injury, strengthened his claim on second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. He is aiming for his maiden trip to the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which runs from 18-22 December in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The ATP today announced record social and digital audience growth across ATP athletes, tournaments and Tour, driven by the increasing global popularity of the sport, current generation of established and next-generation stars, and world-class tournaments.

Over the past 12 months, ATP athletes’ social media audiences have risen 10 per cent to 168 million globally, while ATP tournaments have increased their social media fan followings by 16 per cent, now totalling 8.8 million. During the same period, the ATP Tour’s social media reach across all official ATP Tour social media platforms has enjoyed record growth, increasing by 48 per cent to 2.9 billion, video views growing by 159 per cent, total social media audience growing seven per cent to 9.7 million followers, and website video views up 15 per cent.

“The incredible growth in popularity of ATP athletes and tournaments over the past year is reflected in the strong increases in social media audiences and engagement across our members and Tour,” said Andrew Walker, Senior Vice President, Brand & Marketing at the ATP Tour. “Our athletes in particular are increasingly a part of wider cultural conversations, bringing new fans to ATP tennis, and our marketing and social strategies are designed to foster and drive a more inclusive approach to fandom.”

[ATP APP]

Seventeen ATP athletes now boast more than one million followers on social media, and over the past 12 months ATP athletes have generated over 3.8 billion impressions on their social media channels. During that same period, ATP athletes have added more than 15 million new fans to their social media accounts. The increases follow the establishment of a dedicated ATP Athlete Marketing department in 2023, created to offer tailored digital content services to players, aiding in the growth of athlete brands and audiences.

ATP Masters 1000, ATP 500 and ATP 250 tournaments have collectively generated significant social media growth over the past 12 months, with social media views up 233 per cent to 787 million, social media impressions up 145 per cent to 1.5 billion and social media engagements up 133 per cent to 46 million. ATP Masters 1000 events alone have generated a 252 per cent increase in social media views, reaching 545 million. Impressions have grown by 175 per cent, totalling 1.1 billion, while engagements have risen by 163 per cent to 34 million.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is launching a multimillion dollar museum transformation project on the historic property in Newport, Rhode Island.

The renovations, which were announced Tuesday, will provide fans with a more interactive and modern experience that preserves and promotes the sport’s history. The Hall of Fame will also introduce new features and physical spaces to celebrate legends and support the sport’s growth.

This will be the first museum renovation the Hall of Fame has undertaken since 2015; work includes:

A new Hall of Famers’ Gallery: The Current USTA Wing will become the new Hall of Famers’ Gallery; each Hall of Famer will be represented by a new cast racquet, signifying their legendary place in tennis history. The Celebration Gallery, a space celebrating the sport of tennis through the stories of its legends, across generations. The area includes a new Augmented Reality Sculpture to engage fans of all ages. The Roger Federer Hologram will be a new immersive experience presented by Rolex. The creation of a Newport Tennis Traditions gallery, celebrating Newport’s tennis origins and a new display for the perpetual US Open trophies. The opening of a Hall of Famers’ Lounge, an event space designed for inductees and guests. The opening of a new Museum Retail footprint with bespoke, commemorative items. A reimagined Welcome Center and new visitor exit, allowing for better guest flow.[ATP APP]

Beginning with the Class of 2025 Induction, all Hall of Famers past-and-future will receive a cast racquet as a symbol of receiving the ultimate honour in tennis. Racquets will be on display in the new Hall of Famers’ Gallery. Further, as the Hall of Fame works to preserve tennis history as it happens, these renovations will enable a wider variety of recent acquisitions from current stars and Hall of Famers to be on display simultaneously.

The ITHF announced in a press conference that Advent, a Nashville-based experiential design firm, was selected to lead the renovations, after a highly competitive nationwide RFP process.

Jakub Mensik made tournament history Tuesday at the Mallorca Championships, knocking off defending champion Christopher Eubanks to become the youngest match-winner at the ATP 250. The 18-year-old earned a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 result for his first grass-court win.

Mensik joins 19-year-old Alex Michelsen, who is into the quarter-finals, as the only teen winners in the event's main draw.

"For me it's a good result," he said in his on-court interview. "Obviously after difficult weeks, suffering with the injury, I'm happy to compete again. Back on grass with a 'W', I'm happy and I will be pushing more for the next round."

[ATP APP]

Mensik missed Roland Garros through injury but is now finding form on the grass behind his powerful serve. He hit 12 aces and won 84 per cent (38/45) of his first-serve points in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Eubanks, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He will next meet Fabio Fognini for a place in the quarter-finals.

Eubanks was bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the Mallorca title.

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Emil Ruusuvuori continues to thrive in the role of spoiler on British soil. The Finn extended his perfect record against British players in Great Britain to 6-0 Tuesday at the Rothesay International with a 7-6(9), 6-3 win against Cameron Norrie in the Eastbourne opening round.

The 25-year-old snapped a five-match grass-court losing streak (including matches on the ATP Challenger Tour) by improving to 10-3 against Brits at all levels and 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head against Norrie.

"Cam is one of the toughest players out there," the Finn said post-match. "But playing a Brit here is good. I got on centre court and just tried to enjoy it. I played a very good level today in tough moments, so it was very good."

[ATP APP]

Ruusuvuori saved all seven break points against him, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including two as he served out the match. He also saved two set points in an extended opening-set tie-break before snatching the lone break of the match in the sixth game of set two. The Finn lost just two points on second serve (16/18), winning those points at an 89 per cent clip in the 95-minute match.

He will next meet China's Shang Juncheng, who beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4) on Monday.

Gael Monfils rode an outstanding day on serve to snap a six-match losing streak against Dominic Thiem at the Mallorca Championships presented by Waterdrop.

Monfils came into the match with an 0-6 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the Austrian, but fired 13 aces, won 90 per cent of first-serve points and did not face a break point en route to a 6-3, 7-6(3) win.

[ATP APP]

"It was my first grass match for three years and I felt I had to serve good and be aggressive against Dominic," Monfils said. "The weather is good, the stadium was full and I really like the vibes here. Now I'll try to win again. It would be great to have two wins in a row under the belt."

The 37-year-old Frenchman advances to play Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, who defeated countryman Pablo Carreno Busta in a third-set tie-break on Sunday. Improving to 14-13 on the year, Monfils seeks to reach his first quarter-final since making the Doha semi-finals in February.

Thiem, who has announced that the 2024 season will be his last, was acknowledged by the tournament during a brief post-match ceremony. “I have been here many times before the tournament and twice for the tournament and it has been great,” Thiem said. “I’m really looking forward to coming back to this nice club to watch the tournament in the future.”

#NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng earned victory in his first tour-level grass-court match on Monday at the Rothesay International, where he moved past seventh seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4).

The 19-year-old qualifier fired 39 winners and hung tough in the third-set tie-break to advance after two hours and 27 minutes.

The Chinese lefty, who sealed victory with a forehand winner, now holds a 9-10 record against Top 50 opponents. Shang, currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, plays Cameron Norrie or Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round.

[ATP APP]

American Marcos Giron continued his strong start to the grass season when he took out fifth seed and defending champion Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(5), 7-6(4)

Giron last week defeated former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini en route to the Halle quarter-finals after beginning the swing with victory over two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in Stuttgart, where he pushed eventual champion Jack Draper to three sets.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and more of the world's biggest stars have arrived at Wimbledon to begin their preparation for the grass-court major.

Alcaraz, the defending champion, will try to secure his second consecutive Grand Slam title after lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros. The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings was working hard on the practice court Monday under the watchful eye of Samuel Lopez.

[ATP APP]

Alcaraz began his grass-court season at the cinch Championships in London, where he lost in the second round to in-form Briton Jack Draper. The Spaniard is 17-3 in tour-level grass-court matches according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Photo: John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic has also arrived at The Championships.

The Serbian has been working hard following recent knee surgery. Djokovic withdrew ahead of the Roland Garros quarter-finals due to a meniscus tear in his right knee.