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Andrey Rublev, Adrian Mannarino and Pedro Cachin captured trophies in Bastad, Newport and Gstaad, respectively, in a three-tournament week on the ATP Tour.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as of Monday, 24th July 2023.

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No. 49 Pedro Cachin, +41 (Career High)
The Argentine has cracked the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time after he captured his maiden tour-level title at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad. The 28-year-old, whose best tour-level result prior to Gstaad was a quarter-final appearance in Cordoba in 2019, rallied past Albert Ramos-Vinolas in three sets in the final.

No. 27 Adrian Mannarino, +11
The 35-year-old has climbed 11 places to No. 27 following his run to the trophy at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport. Mannarino, who lost his first six tour-level finals, overcame #NextGenATP American Alex Michelsen in the championship match to claim his third crown.

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers due to fatigue, tournament organisers announced on Sunday.

“I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take,” Djokovic said in a press release. “I would like to thank Karl Hale, the Tournament Director, for understanding this decision. I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there.”

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The Serbian has won Canada's ATP Masters 1000 event four times, tallying a 37-7 record. The last time he competed in the tournament was in 2018.

Djokovic last competed at Wimbledon, where he fell short in a memorable championship match against Carlos Alcaraz. The 36-year-old is 33-5 in 2023 and has won titles at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Adelaide.

Pedro Cachin capped a dream week Sunday when he collected his maiden ATP Tour title at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.

Following his triumph, the Argentine is set to debut inside the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at No. 49 on Monday. The 28-year-old caught up with ATPTour.com to reflect on being crowned champion at the ATP 250 clay-court event.

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Pedro, congratulations. What does it mean to win your first ATP Tour title?
It really means a lot. I fought my whole life for this. I left home when I was very young to try and be a tennis player. I never imagined that I’d win an ATP event. As you grow, you see that you are good and you can aspire to win things and between leaving home and today, a lot of things have happened — a lot of injuries, a lot of changes in my life. And here I am. I worked hard. I think I really deserve it and I’m very happy.

Could you take a moment to talk about the key figures in your life, the people who helped you to reach this key milestone?
There are a lot of people who have helped me. Family is the most important thing, the most important of all, loved ones. Then, in terms of tennis, at different stages of your life one person helps you, then another helps you. So I don’t want to take credit away from anyone because it’s very important from when you’re small to when you’re an adult.

Adrian Mannarino is back in the winners’ circle.

The Frenchman ended the dream run of #NextGenATP American Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday to win the Infosys Hall of Fame Open. It is the lefty’s first title of the season.

“It was a pleasure to play here this week in Newport another time,” Mannarino said during the trophy ceremony. “I’ve been doing well this year [in Newport]. The past nine years I wasn't doing great here, but it was always a pleasure to be back and I always enjoy it.”

Early in his career, Mannarino struggled in ATP Tour finals, losing the first six he played. But the 35-year-old has won two of his past three championship clashes and is now a three-time tour-level champion. He had not made it past the quarter-finals in Newport before this week.

“I’m just fighting on court, trying to do my best and it’s always some really close matches and you never know what to expect,” Mannarino said. “I’m feeling pretty lucky that I got through all the way this week.”

Marin Cilic is excited for his return to action this week at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, his first tournament since suffering a right knee injury in the first week of the season.

“It feels fantastic. Really positive feelings after more than six months of being away from the Tour,” Cilic said. “And to be back here in Umag is always special.”

Cilic, who suffered his injury in Pune and later underwent surgery, is returning to where he made his ATP Tour debut in 2005 as a 16-year-old.

The Croatian last week dropped from the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time since October 2007, but will now have an opportunity to begin his journey back. Cilic has long enjoyed competing at home, earning an 11-5 record in Umag, where he lifted the trophy in 2012.

“This is the tournament where I started my ATP career back in 2005 and it's sort of now [come back full circle] to make this... comeback very positive,” Cilic said. “To do it again here is definitely a special feeling.”

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow continued their push for a place at the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday when they clinched the Infosys Hall of Fame Open doubles title.

The top seeds battled past two-time defending champion William Blumberg and his partner, Max Purcell, 6-3, 5-7, 10-5 for the Newport trophy. The home favourites saved 12 of the 13 break points they faced to triumph after one hour and 34 minutes.

Lammons and Withrow were clutch under pressure throughout the week, winning all four of their matches in a Match Tie-break. In the championship clash Match Tie-break, they landed seven of their eight first serves and won all seven of those points.

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The Americans are now ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and just 68 points behind eighth place. Lammons and Withrow are trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

Dominic Stricker and Stan Wawrinka won the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad on Sunday when they upset top seeds Marcelo Demoliner and Matwe Middelkoop 7-6(8), 6-2 for the title.

Entering the week, Stricker and Wawrinka had only played one tour-level match together, which resulted in a Davis Cup loss earlier this year.

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But the Swiss stars combined for a dream week on home soil in Gstaad, earning four wins en route to lifting the trophy. In the final, they did not face a break point and won 89 per cent of their first-serve points to emerge victorious after one hour and 24 minutes.

It marks Wawrinka’s first doubles title in more than a decade, dating back to Chennai in 2013. The Swiss also captured glory at the Beijing Olympics alongside Roger Federer in 2008.

Competing together for just the second time in a tour-level event, Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov clinched their first tour-level doubles title as a team on Sunday at the Nordea Open.

The Colombian-Kazakhstani team produced a dominant performance to overcome Rafael Matos and Francisco Cabral 6-2, 6-2 in 76 minutes at the ATP 250 clay-court event in Bastad.

“Having an 0-4 record [in finals] going into the final, the emotions were there obviously,” Nedovyesov said. “But we are pleased with the performance. We didn’t start well, but in the end of the day we won 6-2, 6-2, so it was a very good performance.”

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Escobar and Nedovyesov, who did not drop a set en route to the title, won 77 per cent (20/26) of their first-serve points and broke Cabral and Matos’ serves five times.

Andrey Rublev captured his second tour-level title of the season on Sunday when he overcame top seed Casper Ruud 7-6(3), 6-0 in the Nordea Open final.

The second seed, who dropped just one set en route to the title, played with explosive power against Ruud, striking the ball cleanly off both wings throughout the one-hour, 33-minute clash. The 25-year-old won 80 per cent (36/45) of his first-serve points, raising his arms in delight after sealing victory on his first match point.

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With his 18th tour-level clay-court win of the season, Rublev improved to 5-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Ruud. Rublev has now won all four of the pair’s meetings on clay courts.

The 25-year-old Rublev is up three spots to fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin following his title run. He is aiming to make his fourth appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals at the end of the season.

Pedro Cachin captured his first ATP Tour title on Sunday when he overcame Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.

The Argentine combined power with guile throughout the two-hour, 23-minute final, forcing Ramos-Vinolas deep with his explosive groundstrokes before using the drop shot to great effect.

Competing in his first tour-level final, the 28-year-old recovered from squandering a break advantage in the third set, raising his level again deep in the decider to become the fifth first-time champion on the ATP Tour this year.

"In the beginning of the match I was a little nervous and made a few mistakes. It was the first time I had played against a lefty in the tournament but I stayed there," Cachin said. "I tried to be positive, more aggressive and go to the net. In a final it is difficult to play like this the whole match. I am very, very happy."

With his victory, Cachin has climbed 41 spots to No. 49 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. The Argentine’s previous career-high was No. 54 last November. He arrived at the event holding a 9-18 on the year, and had only previously made one tour-level quarter-final, at Cordoba in 2019.

Another three-tournament week on the ATP Tour features action in Hamburg, Atlanta and Umag, where Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Stan Wawrinka compete in the respective fields.

Ruud is the top seed at the Hamburg European Open, an ATP 500 clay-court event, with Andrey Rublev and Lorenzo Musetti also in action. Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton headline the field at the Atlanta Open, an ATP 250 hard-court tournament, while Wawrinka and Jiri Lehecka compete on clay at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, an ATP 250.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch at each event.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN HAMBURG
1) Top Seed Ruud: World No. 4 Ruud leads the field in Hamburg as the top seed. The Norwegian, who holds a 20-6 record on clay this season, is making his fourth appearance at the ATP 500 event in Germany, where he advanced to the semi-finals in 2020. The 24-year-old, who is into the final in Bastad, is chasing his second tour-level title of the season, having triumphed in Estoril in April.

At just his second attempt, Alex Michelsen is an ATP Tour finalist.

The 18-year-old delivered a confident and commanding display Saturday to see off John Isner 7-6(6), 6-4 at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, where he will take on Adrian Mannarino in the championship match.

Michelsen was No. 1,081 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this week last year, but the #NextGenATP American is now up to No. 139 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings as a result of his run in Rhode Island, where he downed defending champion Maxime Cressy, James Duckworth and Mackenzie McDonald prior to defeating record four-time Newport titlist Isner.

“I think I’m going to need a month [to process this],” said Michelsen, who did not have an ATP Tour main-draw win before this week. “It’s going to need a little bit for sure. It doesn’t feel like I’m in the final, but that’s probably a good thing. That’s why I’m playing so loose.”

Having also qualified in Mallorca for his ATP Tour debut in June (when he fell 5-7 in the third set to eventual champion Christopher Eubanks), Michelsen on Saturday proved once again that he is ready to compete against more experienced opponents. He held his nerve like a seasoned pro in a first-set tie-break shootout with the big-serving Isner, before riding that momentum to an early — and ultimately decisive — break in the opening game of the second set.

Taylor Fritz is in a stacked top quarter of the draw at the Atlanta Open, where the top seed will try to rejuvenate his 2023 ATP Tour season.

The World No. 9 Fritz takes on Dallas champion Wu Yibing or Corentin Moutet in his opening match at the hard-court ATP 250. Should the 25-year-old pass that test, his quarter-final opponent could be his #NextGenATP countryman Ben Shelton or Japan’s Kei Nishikori, playing his first tour-level event since October 2021.

Fritz went 3-4 across the recent grass season but has already lifted a title on North American hard courts this year, at the Delray Beach Open in July.

Nishikori, who underwent hip surgery in 2022, has racked up an 8-2 record on the ATP Challenger Tour since returning to competitive action in June. The 12-time tour-level titlist’s first opponent in Atlanta will be Australia’s Jordan Thompson.

Like Fritz, defending champion Alex de Minaur will have little time to find his feet in Georgia. The two-time Atlanta titlist meets the winner of a hard-hitting first-round showdown between Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis and wild card Gael Monfils. It will be a second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the pair, after Monfils triumphed in straight sets in Kokkinakis’ hometown of Adelaide in 2022.

Alex Michelsen does not remember exactly when he started playing tennis, but it was at a very young age. His parents, Erik and Sondra, both played college tennis, so it was natural for him to take up the sport.

There are two childhood memories that stick in the 18-year-old American’s mind. From age three, he remembers often hitting backhands against the door of the family’s garage. Fittingly, that shot has become one of his biggest weapons.

Michelsen would often tag along with his parents to play. But another memory is a day when he was unable to do so.

“I just remember crying on the court one day because it was raining,” Michelsen told ATPTour.com. “I couldn't play.”

Now Michelsen is one of the quickest-rising players on the ATP Tour. The #NextGenATP star was tied for No. 1,081 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings this week last year. Entering the Infosys Hall of Fame Open semi-finals, he is No. 152 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Casper Ruud reached his third tour-level final of the season on Saturday when he overcame Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-5 at the Nordea Open.

Competing on the clay at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, Ruud caused Musetti problems with his weight and depth of shot. The Norwegian struck his groundstrokes with heavy topspin and earned the decisive break of the second set in the 11th game to advance after one hour and 46 minutes.

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The top seed Ruud is a former champion in Bastad, having triumphed in 2021. He will compete for his second title at the tournament and 11th overall when he meets Andrey Rublev in the final.

With his 20th tour-level win of the season on clay, Ruud improved to 1-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Musetti. Earlier this season, the 24-year-old captured his 10th tour-level trophy and ninth on clay in Estoril.

Former champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas moved to within one win of capturing his fifth tour-level title on Saturday when he defeated second-seeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 6-3 at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.

The Spaniard dictated throughout the one-hour, 32-minute clash at the ATP 250 clay-court event, breaking Kecmanovic’s serve six times and outlasting the Serbian with his heavy groundstrokes.

With his 10th tour-level win of the season, Ramos-Vinolas reached his 12th tour-level final and first of the year. He will meet Argentine Pedro Cachin or #NextGenATP Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in the title match.

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Ramos-Vinolas, up 15 spots to No. 64 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has fond memories in Gstaad, having triumphed at the event in 2019. He also advanced to the semi-finals last year. The 35-year-old will compete for his fifth tour-level crown on Sunday.

This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.

The noise surrounding Carlos Alcaraz at any ATP Tour tournament is always deafening, but not only among his fans while he competes, practises or moves around the venue. When he returns to the private areas such as the locker rooms and the players’ lounge it is also difficult for him to find silence.

He is inundated with congratulatory messages wherever he goes, exclamations of surprise merely at his presence, people asking for autographs and photos – even with players –, and those who want to engage him in conversation. And yet, he treats everyone as a friend. Amid all the hubbub, it is easy to hear his polite greetings for anyone who crosses his path.

“I try to be friendly, warm, get on with everyone. It’s more important to be a good person than anything else. At the end of my career I’d like people to remember me, more than as a tennis player, as someone with good values. At the end of the day, you only spend a few hours a day on court, the rest of your life you’re off it. That’s why at those times I also try to use the manners that my parents taught me,” explains the recent Wimbledon champion.

Judging by the opinions of some of his peers, it looks like he is achieving his goal. “As a tennis player, there is no doubt,” says Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis of Alcaraz, whom he has known since they crossed paths on the ATP Challenger Tour. “But I think he is an even better person. He’s so good and well mannered... In the end, that’s what matters.”

The Hamburg European Open is one of 13 ATP 500 events that hosts world-class players for a week. Among those in action this year in Hamburg will be Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, defending champion Lorenzo Musetti, and Alexander Zverev.

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

When is the Hamburg European Open?

The ATP 500 event will be held from 24-30 July. The clay-court tournament, established in 1968, will take place at the Am Rothenbaum in Hamburg, Germany. The tournament director is Sandra Reichel.

Who is playing at the Hamburg European Open?

Ruud, Rublev, Musetti, Zverev, and Francisco Cerundolo are among the field in Germany.

When is the draw for the Hamburg European Open?

The Hamburg European Open singles draw will be made on Saturday, 22 July at 1 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Hamburg European Open?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 22 July at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, 23 July at 11 a.m.
* Main Draw: Monday, 24 July – Thursday, 27 July starting at 11 a.m. Friday, 28 July not before 1 p.m. Saturday, 29 July play begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, 30 July at 3 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 30 July at 12:30 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 30 July at 3 p.m.
*View On Official Website 

What is the prize money and points for the Hamburg European Open?

The prize money for the Hamburg European Open is €1,831,515 and the Total Financial Commitment is €1,981,470.

SINGLES
Winner: €342,500 / 500 points
Finalist: €184,285 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €98,215 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €50,180 / 90 points
Round of 16: €26,790 / 45 points
Round of 32: €14,285 / 0 points

DOUBLES (€ per team)
Winner: €112,500 / 500 points
Finalist: €59,990 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €30,350 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €15,180 / 90 points
Round of 16: €7,860 / 0 points

American Alex Michelsen’s breakthrough week hit a new high Friday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open.

The 18-year-old downed fourth seed Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3 to reach his first tour-level semi-final at the ATP 250 event. World No. 190 Michelsen came out of the blocks strong, dropping just one point behind his first serve in the opening set. The teenager then relied on his backhand in key moments to close the match after one hour, 11 minutes.

"I served really well, first-serve percentage was probably pretty high," Michelsen said in his on-court interview. "The serve was key today and I didn't miss too many groundstrokes either, so that was nice." 

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Michelsen arrived in Newport without a tour-level match win, but has enjoyed a career-best performance, downing defending champion Maxime Cressy, James Duckworth, and McDonald to set a meeting against top seed Tommy Paul or John Isner in the last four.

Game, Set, Croatia.

The Marin Cilic Foundation on Sunday and Monday continued its efforts to raise funds for the construction and improvement of sports courts to provide recreational opportunities for students in need.

Cilic was joined by Croatian stars from inside and outside the tennis world to raise funds for the construction of a multifunctional sports court in Stankovci, Croatia. It is the foundation’s fifth sports court project.

“Extremely happy and proud. I think everyone had a great time,” Cilic said. “It’s always a challenge to get so many of us athletes together with our competing schedules, but everyone who is able, always shows up.

“It’s always special when we can all get together, especially when it is for something like this. This was the third edition of the event and it continues to grow in popularity with spectators but also the athletes; several are already setting up tennis lessons to start preparing for the next event.”