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Kyrgios Withdraws From Wimbledon

Nick Kyrgios withdrew from Wimbledon on Sunday evening citing a torn ligament in his wrist.

“I’m really sad to say that I have to withdraw from Wimbledon this year. I tried my hardest to be ready after my surgery and to be able to step on the Wimbledon courts again,” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. “During my comeback, I experienced some pain in my wrist during the week of Mallorca. As a precaution I had it scanned and it came back showing a torn ligament in my wrist. I tried everything to be able to play and I am disappointed to say that I just didn’t have enough time to manage it before Wimbledon.”

The Australian missed the entire start of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in January. Kyrgios made his return last month in Stuttgart, where he lost to Wu Yibing in the first round.

Kyrgios reached his first major final last year at The Championships and has earned some of the biggest wins of his career at the tournament, including an upset of Rafael Nadal en route to the 2014 quarter-finals.

“I’ll be back” Kyrgios wrote. “And as always, I appreciate the support from all my fans.”

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Five Things To Know About Pedro Cachin, Who Faces Novak Djokovic

Pedro Cachin will have biggest opportunity of his career on Monday when he steps on Centre Court at Wimbledon to face seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Will the Argentine shock the 22-time major titlist? Before their encounter, ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the 28-year-old.

Cachin Comes From A Hard-Working Family
Cachin comes from a hard-working family. His father, Pedro Pablo, works in the commercial phone industry. His mother, Graciela, is a pediatrician who works three jobs — two in public hospitals and another consulting job. “She does it for the passion and love of helping people,” Cachin said.

The Argentine has a sister, Catalina, who is one year older. Catalina works in general medicine in Barcelona.

He Was Mentored By A Legend
Cachin began playing aged five in his hometown of Bell Ville, Argentina. He moved to nearby Villa Maria for six years to train at a tennis academy. But his biggest move came at the age of 19.

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Eliot Spizzirri: America’s Top College Player To Make Challenger Debut

Several players on the ATP Tour have gone the college route before turning pro. This fortnight, the Wimbledon main draw features 18 players with collegiate experience including John Isner, Ben Shelton, and Cameron Norrie.

American Eliot Spizzirri is hoping to become the latest collegiate star who also finds success at the next level, starting on the ATP Challenger Tour. The 21-year-old is set to make his Challenger Tour debut this week at the Cranbrook Tennis Classic in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he has earned a main-draw spot via the ATP/ITA Accelerator Programme.

Spizzirri has enjoyed a standout career at the University of Texas. He recently completed his junior year, finishing as No. 1 in the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) rankings.

[ATP APP]

“I think most of the top college players want to go on and play pro tennis or at least give it a shot,” Spizzirri told ATPTour.com recently at the NCAA championships in Lake Nona, Florida. “So I think I'm ready to give it a try. I feel mentally ready. And we'll see how it goes.

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My Wimbledon: Brandon Nakashima

Twelves months ago, Brandon Nakashima posted his best result at a major when he advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon. Ahead of his third appearance at The Championships, the 21-year-old caught up with ATPTour.com to discuss his memories from last year, his favourite Wimbledon traditions and why the grass-court Slam is so special to him.

[BREAK POINT]

What is your first memory of watching Wimbledon?
My first memory of watching Wimbledon would be when I was playing a junior tournament, and it was actually during the final, I think it was the 2008 final between Federer and Nadal. I was playing a junior tournament close to home and I remember watching that match on TV and being very excited to be able to watch. It was amazing, an all-time classic.

What are your first memories of playing Wimbledon both as a junior and Tour player and what were your early thoughts about the aura of the venue?
The first time I went to Wimbledon was in the juniors in 2018. It was such a pleasure just to be there to be able to play on those courts. I was just super excited every time I got to go there and play and it was just a such a special experience for a young junior to be around the grounds, see how it is, see all the pro players playing there.

It was really amazing to see it at a young age. It was a little bit different, I would say coming back as a pro in 2021. Just as special, but I was a little bit more used to it. I knew kind of where everything was. But obviously playing in the pros is different, the format and the atmosphere a little bit. It was super exciting. I have nothing but good memories there.

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How Alcaraz, Djokovic & Medvedev Can Seize World No. 1 At Wimbledon

As has been the case for much of the season, World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is on the line at Wimbledon, with Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev all in contention.

World No. 1 Alcaraz and World No. 2 Djokovic have exchanged the top spot six times in 2023, most recently after the Spaniard triumphed at the Cinch Championships in London. The six World No. 1 changes are the most in the first half of a year since 1983, when it swapped seven times through June.

The 20-year-old Alcaraz arrives at The Championships with an 80-point lead over Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion.

Battle For No. 1: Round-By-Round Wimbledon Points

 Player  R1  R2  R3  R4  QF  SF  F  W
 Alcaraz  7,685  7,720  7,765  7,855  8,035  8,395  8,875  9,675
 Djokovic  7,605  7,640  7,685  7,775  7,955  8,315  8,795  9,595
 Medvedev  5,810  5,845  5,890  5,980  6,160  6,520  7,000  7,800

If Alcaraz or Djokovic lift the trophy, they will be guaranteed World No. 1 along with the tournament title. There are several World No. 1 scenarios depending on how far each man advances through the draw.

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'Quiet' Van Assche Aiming To Make 'Big Mark' On Tour

This week, 19-year-old Luca Van Assche will make his debut at Wimbledon when he takes on Aslan Karatsev at The Championships. The #NextGenATP Frenchmen's journey to the top started 16 years ago in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence.

Van Assche recalls the moment he first played and the early challenges he faced.

“I started playing when I was three or four years old in France. I just arrived in Aix-en-Provence because I lived in Brussels in Belgium until I was three. There was a tennis club next to my house and I started there. I was playing there with some friends when I was very little,” Van Assche said. “I just remember when I played my first little tournament when I was six.

“I was very little and sometimes I was playing against big guys from my age group. So it was intimidating but I just learned very quickly. I remember my coach said to my parents that I'm learning really quickly. So it just continued like this. And now I'm here and I am really proud to be here at Wimbledon.”

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Can Alcaraz Take Queen's Title Form Into Wimbledon?

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will compete in just his fourth tour-level event on grass when he takes to court on Tuesday at Wimbledon. The 20-year-old enters the major with high expectations, though, after winning his first title on the surface last week four miles away from SW19 at The Queen’s Club.

“I started at Queen's with no expectations to win Queen's, and I won it. For me, I feel great playing such a great level. The confidence grew a lot,” Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “[I am] coming here to Wimbledon with a lot of confidence, thinking that I'm able to do good results here. But obviously for me the main favourite is Djokovic.

“But my expectations are high. I think I will be able to put the pressure on the other players, even Djokovic as well. But all I can say is I feel confident and I feel ready to do good things here.”

[ATP APP]

Top seed Alcaraz has been a dominant force on the Tour in the past two years. The Spaniard has won 11 trophies and became the youngest year-end ATP No. 1 presented by Pepperstone in 2022.

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Coming In Underdone, Felix Still Has High Hopes For Wimbledon

Former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime comes into The Championships under different circumstances this year, having missed the lead-up grass-court events due to a left knee injury.

The Canadian, who is No. 12 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, on Monday will play his first match in more than a month since a first-round exit to Fabio Fognini at Roland Garros. The 22-year-old withdrew from Halle two weeks ago to protect his recovery from tendon damage in his left knee.

“Coming into Wimbledon without a match on grass was not the original plan,” Felix told ATPTour.com Saturday. “But I may look back [in years to come] and say it was a good experience because it probably won’t be the last time that I come into Wimbledon without playing any events before. Hopefully if I play well in my career there will be times when I may need to rest my body and just get ready for Wimbledon, just like Novak is doing now.

“Right now I feel better and better. I played some practice matches and trained well. With the years I feel more and more that the most important thing is that I'm healthy, that I'm feeling good physically. And once I do that, the game comes back pretty quickly. I feel my body's holding up better, I've been able to train every day. And then if I get through the early rounds, I feel like my level is there to be as competitive as the other years, even if I didn't play a tournament before coming in.”

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Cam You Believe It, Its 'Norrie: My Entourage'

Over the past five years, Cameron Norrie has established himself as a major force on the ATP Tour. The Briton has won five tour-level titles, cracked the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

Behind every top athlete is a world class team, and that is no different for Norrie, who works alongside coach Facundo Lugones, physio Julian Romero and strength and conditioning coach Vasek Jursik.

ATP Tour sat down with 'Team Norrie' last month to discuss everyone’s role, their team spirit and much more…

[From left to right, Julian Romero, Facundo Lugones, Cameron Norrie, Vasek Jursik]

Cameron Norrie

Norrie’s rise to the top has been built on hard work and dedication. Helping him along the way have been Lugones, Romero and Jursik, who have committed their time to ensure the Briton hits his goals. Norrie’s journey on the ATP Tour began in 2017 after he graduated from Texas Christian University and over time, he has forged a team in which he has full confidence.

“When I first turned pro is was just Facu and I,” Norrie told ATP Tour. “Then slowly after that, I got an agent, James, and then at the end of that year, I ended up getting a physio, Julian, and traveling with him a little bit more and getting a bit more knowledge and learning a bit more like that. Then having a fitness trainer just at home at my base, and then suddenly, having a fitness trainer, [Vasek], as well on the road.

Cameron Norrie
Facundo Lugones
Julian Romero
Vasek Jursik
Team Norrie
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Kyrgios On Fitness: 'There Are Some Question Marks'

Nick Kyrgios will compete for just the second time on Tour this season when he takes to court at Wimbledon on Monday, with his preparations for the grass-court major disrupted by an ongoing knee injury.

While doubts about his fitness remain, Kyrgios believes he is in a position to compete, as he refuses to look too far ahead.

“I still think there are some question marks,” Kyrgios said during his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “Obviously five-set tennis is a completely different beast altogether. I look at my preparations last year coming in, I probably had the most ideal preparation possible. It couldn't be any different this year.

“Again, I'm not going to discredit the work I've put in for the past six months just trying to maintain my fitness, get back on court. I've been hitting with some really good players this week and my body is feeling okay. I'm going to take it one day at a time. I'm not going to look forward and put unfair expectations on myself. I'm just going to try to do everything I can, prepare, go out there and play some good tennis.”

Kyrgios underwent knee surgery in January, with his only tour-level match this season a straight sets defeat against Wu Yibing on grass in Stuttgart last month. The 28-year-old revealed he has been working hard to return as quickly as possible, finding the time out challenging.

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Toni Nadal: 'Feliciano Lopez Is The Clearest Exponent Of Grass Tennis'

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.

The Mallorca Championships is one of the eight tournaments on the calendar that make up the grass swing. Its director, Toni Nadal, spoke to ATPTour.com about the peculiarities of the surface on which this ATP 250 tournament is played.

What do you need to play well on grass?
On grass the concept of tennis changes completely. While on clay you have to be a solid player with powerful and consistent shots from the baseline, here the court helps you when you have a good serve. When you hit the ball you don’t need so much power, but you have to hit it a little lower to make it hard for the opponent to return and that’s something that’s kind of forgotten in Spanish tennis, playing on grass.

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Which players embody that style of tennis?
Roger Federer. Also, Pete Sampras. And for the Spaniards, Feliciano Lopez, although Rafael [Nadal] has obviously had better results. I think Feli’s game was more suited to it in the strict sense of the grass game. 

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Full House At The ‘Isner Inn’

There are lot of moving pieces at the Isner household in Wimbledon Village this fortnight.

John Isner, the former Top 10 American, who reached the semi-finals at The Championships in 2018, has brought wife Maddie and their four children to the The All England Club, where he has made his share of history over the years.

Knowing that at 38 future Wimbledon appearances are not guaranteed, Isner said that he wanted to bring his newly expand family, including two-month-old son, Chapel, to London.

“That had a lot to do with it,” he said. "My daughter (Hunter Grace, 4) was here in 2019 but she doesn’t remember that. In 2020 there wasn’t a Wimbledon and last year the family didn’t come, so it made sense for us all to make the trip this year.

“It certainly makes things easier to be renting a house in the village that has a backyard. My daughter and son share a room like they do at home. We're doing a good job of making it feel like a home away from home and we're enjoying it so far.”

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First-Time Winner Spotlight: Christopher Eubanks

Christopher Eubanks continued his breakthrough season Saturday when he collected his maiden ATP Tour title at the Mallorca Championships.

Following his triumph, the American is set to debut inside the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at No. 43 entering Wimbledon. The 27-year-old caught up with ATPTour.com to reflect on being crowned champion at the ATP 250 grass-court event.

[ATP APP]

What does this mean to you to win your first title?
It means everything. It means that a lot of the hard work that I've been doing, and the persistence that I've tried to have throughout the ups and downs of my career, it's all worth it. It's all worth it for this moment right here, to be standing here as a champion of an ATP event. It means the world and it's something really special.

If someone said to you at the start of the season that you would win your first title this year, would you have picked grass as a surface you would do it on?
Absolutely not. My grass-court season got off to a bit of a rough start at the Surbiton Challenger, I lost in the second round. I began to question whether or not I could be good on the surface. I didn't think that I could.

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Bhambri/Harris Win Mallorca Doubles Title On Team Debut

Yuki Bhambri and Lloyd Harris continued the perfect start to their partnership by winning the Mallorca Championships doubles title on Saturday. Now 4-0 as a pair, the Indian-South African duo defeated Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP 250 final, completing their run without losing a set.

The trophy is the first ATP Tour crown for both men across both singles and doubles. Only Harris had previously reached a tour-level final, twice in singles and once before in doubles.

"Definitely a lot of fun. We went in with no expectations I think this week," said the 30-year-old Bhambri. "We just enjoyed playing, took it match by match and had a great tournament. It's a great city, a great place and I really enjoyed playing here."

"We had so much fun out there," added Harris, 26, who became the first South African to win an ATP Tour title since Raven Klaasen last year in Seoul. "We really enjoyed it. I didn't even know I was going to play this week. For me, it's just all a bonus. Super stoked with the title."

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Medvedev Wants To Make Wimbledon His Happiest Place On Turf

Daniil Medvedev’s major record is not to be sniffed at. The World No. 3 has lifted the US Open trophy, reached two finals at the Australian Open and the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

The 27-year-old has always struggled to find his top level at Wimbledon, though, with his best result a run to the fourth round in 2021. Medvedev is determined to change the record this fortnight as he seeks a sixth tour-level title of the season in London.

“The fact that Wimbledon for the moment is my worst slam in terms of results, maximum fourth round. I want to try to improve it, I want to try to play well. I have big goals for this year,” Medvedev said in his pre-tournament press conference on Saturday.

“I'm really looking forward because the first two Slams were not as I expected. This can happen. I have even more kind of goals towards Wimbledon to try to show my best tennis.”

Having arrived on Tuesday, Medvedev feels his preparations have gone well at SW19. The 20-time tour-level champion will face British wild card Arthur Fery in the first round and is excited to soak up the atmosphere at the grass-court major.

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The Nomadic Life With... Francisco Cerundolo

Francisco Cerundolo enjoyed one of the best weeks of his career at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, where he defeated Tommy Paul in the final to capture his second ATP Tour title.

ATPTour.com got to know more about the Argentine’s life off court, his horror passport story and much more in this edition of ‘The Nomadic Life’.

What are two essential non-tennis items you always pack for trips?
I always take my AirPods for sure. I can’t live without them. Then a speaker for the room.I always love to play music. I don't have a specific artist. I like Spanish rock, from Argentina or South America.

Have you ever forgotten or lost something on a trip that caused problems?
Once in 2019 I was traveling from Europe to the United States and I had just played a Futures. I remember it was Sunday and on Tuesday I had to play a Challenger. I took one plane and I had to take another one. When I was at the passenger airport trying to get the next plane, I realised that I lost my passport. I was panicking and running around. I could not remember where I dropped it and I couldn't find it, so I missed the plane. They didn't want me to travel again, so I had to stay one night. I don't know how I managed, but I got on the plane the next day.

I didn't find it, but because it was a local connection, they allowed me to travel. I just played the tournament and after the tournament, I had to run to the embassy in Argentina and grab a temporary one. It was so stressful. I was alone, so that was the worst part.

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Murray: 'I'm One Of The Best Grass-Court Players In The World'

Two-time champion Andy Murray believes that he can beat the world’s best when he takes to court at Wimbledon this fortnight. The Scot, who triumphed at SW19 in 2013 and 2016, won two ATP Challenger Tour titles last month in the leadup to Wimbledon and is confident he can make a deep run on home soil.

“I want to go out there and perform at a level that I'm happy with. I do feel like I'm in a really, really good position to do that. I have the experience at this tournament, playing on the big courts here,” Murray said when assessing his chances. “There's only one player in the draw that has more experience of playing here than me, which is Novak. I need to use that to my advantage and use my experience to my advantage and take confidence from that.

“I do believe I'm one of the best grass-court players in the world, and I'm physically feeling really good. I prepared well, so there's no reason why I can't have a good tournament.”

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The Scot has not won a tour-level match since Indian Wells in March. The 36-year-old has shown promising signs on grass in the past month, though, winning Challenger events in Surbiton and Nottingham.

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Eubanks Wins First ATP Tour Title In Mallorca

After saving five match points against Lloyd Harris in a dramatic semi-final victory at the Mallorca Championships on Friday, Christopher Eubanks left no doubt in Saturday's final.

Playing in his first ATP Tour final, the American powered to a 6-1, 6-4 victory against Adrian Mannarino. Eubanks did not face a break point in the match and closed out his third Top 50 win in just over an hour at the ATP 250.

"It means the world. It just means the world, man," Eubanks said post-match, later adding that serving and the fan support keyed his run. "It means a lot of the hard work I've been putting in, the ups and downs throughout my career, it all is coming together now at this point in my career. It's just a testament to the hard work. Now I just want to keep working even harder to feel this feeling even more."

[BREAK POINT]

With Frances Tiafoe's Stuttgart title run in June, Eubanks' triumph marks the first time two Americans have won grass titles in the lead-up to Wimbledon since 1984 (John McEnroe at The Queen's Club, Johan Kriek in Bristol).

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With Slams Record Secured, Novak Asks, 'What's Next?'

Last month, Novak Djokovic made history when he captured a record 23rd major at Roland Garros. Fast forward three weeks and the Serbian has arrived at Wimbledon, determined to achieve more and add to the seven trophies he has earned at SW19.

“I still feel hungry for success, for more Slams, more achievements in tennis,” Djokovic said in his pre-tournament press conference on Saturday. “As long as there's that drive, I know that I'm able to compete at the highest level. If that goes down, then I guess I'll have to face probably different circumstances and have a different approach. So far there's still the drive.

“Of course, a lot of people are coming up to me and congratulating me [on Roland Garros], reminding me of the historic success, which is nice of course, it's very flattering. But at the same time, my mind is directed towards Wimbledon, what's the next Slam, what's the next task. That's the life of a professional tennis player. I think that kind of mentality is necessary for the maintenance of that intensity. If you really want to have a chance and have a go at more Slam titles, you need to maintain that concentration and devotion.”

Djokovic is aiming to draw level with Roger Federer on a record-equalling eight Wimbledon titles this fortnight, having won the previous four editions of the grass-court event. The World No. 2, who clinched his first title at the tournament in 2011, has not lost a match on Centre Court since 2013, when he fell against Andy Murray in the final.

The second seed is pleased with how he has established himself as the dominant force on the surface in recent years.

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Cerundolo Captures Eastbourne Crown

Francisco Cerundolo captured his second tour-level title on Saturday when he moved past Tommy Paul 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 at the Rothesay International.

After earning a semi-final victory against Mackenzie McDonald earlier on Saturday, the Argentine returned to produce a hard-fought display in the windy Eastbourne conditions. The fourth seed struck 28 winners to triumph after one hour and 51 minutes.

Cerundolo has now won two tour-level titles, having triumphed in Bastad last year.

More to follow...

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