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Tomas Martin Etcheverry defeated Botic van de Zandschulp in the longest match in Rolex Shanghai Masters history on Friday. Playing the last match on Court 4, the Argentine won 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 in three hours and 43 minutes to advance to the third round.

They surpassed the previous record set last year by Marton Fucsovics and Felix Auger-Aliassime, where the Hungarian defeated the Canadian in three hours and 23 minutes in the second round.

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Before that, the record was held by Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray when the Serb emerged victorious in three hours and 21 minutes in the 2012 championship match.

With the win, the No. 31 seed extended his lead to 2-0 over van de Zandschulp in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Can Andrey Rublev qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive year?

The 26-year-old is well positioned to do so and after Casper Ruud was upset Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Rublev has a chance this fortnight to improve upon his current seventh position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Ruud leads Rublev by just 225 points.

Should Rublev reach his fourth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season, he would be within striking distance of passing sixth-placed Ruud. But Rublev will need a semi-final run in Shanghai to leapfrog the Norwegian.

Daniil Medvedev is aiming to become the next player to secure qualification for the season finale. The 28-year-old is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin while the three players ahead of him have already qualified: Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.

US Open finalist Taylor Fritz is well placed to earn his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The American, sixth in the Race, played the event in 2022 as an alternate.

Many tennis players dream of reaching the top of the PIF ATP Rankings, envisioning ‘World No. 1’ next to their name. They wake up and train countless hours, chasing the opportunity to become the best in the sport. For Jannik Sinner, that dream has become a reality this season, but the Italian believes there’s still room for growth.

The 23-year-old has been the most dominant player in 2024, having won six tour-level titles and 59 matches. But Sinner has a barometer for further improvement. He has lost three consecutive matches against Carlos Alcaraz, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 6-4.

The top seed at this week’s Rolex Shanghai Masters, Sinner is finding motivation from his rivalry with the Spaniard.

“I feel like — at least talking from my side — he pushes me to do better. I wake up in the morning trying to understand what I can do better trying to beat him next time, which is something nice for me as a player,” Sinner told ATP Media. “It’s nice that we are rivals on the court and then friends off the court.”

Sinner’s rivalry with Alcaraz has rapidly blossomed into one of the most gripping matchups in recent memory. Anytime they meet, it is almost a guarantee for exciting shotmaking and a display of world-class court coverage. Such was the case in Wednesday’s China Open final, which Alcaraz narrowly won in a third-set tie-break. The back-and-forth contest thrilled Beijing fans for three hours and 21 minutes.

Daniil Medvedev was in no mood for a second upset loss to Thiago Seyboth Wild at the Rolex Shanghai Masters Friday.

Down a break in the first and second sets, the former World No. 1 dug in at the baseline and allowed the flashy Brazlilian to author his own demise with 40 unforced errors to Medvedev’s 23, according to Infosys ATP Stats, in the 7-5, 7-5 result.

Last year, Seyboth Wild stunned Medvedev in the first round of Roland Garros, when his high risk/high reward strategy of 69 winners and 77 unforced errors underpinned his victory.

"I'm happy I managed to stay composed in tough moments. He had a break in both sets. I managed to put on a lot of pressure and both times it worked at 5-all,” said Medvedev, who is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin and next in line to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.

"I love Shanghai and I feel the people love me back. I enjoy it a lot so I want to stay as long as possible here."

When Jacob Fearnley was competing on Court 9 in his first-round match at Wimbledon, he could see the Centre Court score in the corner of his eye. Why did that score matter to Fearnley?

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic was beginning his campaign and the Serbian would become Fearnley’s second-round opponent.

“When I was close to winning the match, I kept looking up at the scoreboard and I saw that Djokovic was rolling,” Fearnley told ATPTour.com. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’m definitely going to be playing Novak’.”

Then came a couple of sleepless nights. Fearnley, then ranked World No. 277 in the PIF ATP Rankings, would soon stand across the net from one of the sport’s icons on the sacred Wimbledon grass, at his home Slam.

Fearnley’s phone began to light up with so many messages that the 23-year-old asked his friend Luke Swan to manage his social media.

The ATP has confirmed record player compensation for the 2023 season, following the completion of the ATP Masters 1000 profit-sharing calculation, a key element of its OneVision strategic plan.

A total of $241.6 million was distributed to players across the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour through On-Site Prize Money, Performance Bonus Pools, and Player Retirement Plan contributions. An additional $104.5 million in Grand Slam men’s prize money brought total men’s compensation to an unprecedented $346.2 million for the year.

ATP-associated events accounted for 70 per cent of overall men’s player compensation, with 30 per cent coming from the Grand Slams.

The ATP Masters 1000 events, in particular, saw substantial increases under OneVision reforms. On-Site Prize Money at ATP’s top-tier tournaments rose to $70.4 million, up from $55.6 million in 2022, driven by the expansion to 96-player draws at Madrid, Rome and Shanghai (which was not held in 2022 due to the pandemic). The bigger draw sizes provide more money to more players, aligning with ATP’s goal of increasing the number of players who can make a sustainable living from tennis.

The Masters 1000 Fixed Bonus Pool, paid out according to performance and participation across the category, rose to $20 million in 2023. Meanwhile, the profit-sharing model, first introduced in 2022, will deliver an additional $6.6 million to players through the Variable Bonus Pool for 2023. The calculation, based on detailed financial audits of all nine Masters 1000 tournaments, ensures that profits generated by the events — above on-site prize money — are shared equally, with 50 per cent allocated to players.

Improving your serve is essential for gaining an advantage in tennis, as it can be a powerful weapon in your game. Here are some focused tips to help you enhance your serve: 1. Grip and StanceChoose the Right Grip: The continental grip is commonly recommended for serves. It allows for a versatile range of serves (flat, slice, kick).Proper Stance: S...

Ben Shelton improved to 11-0 in his opening rounds at the ATP Masters 1000s and Grand Slams this season with a strong showing against Denis Shapovalov Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The 21-year-old American did not face a break point in a 6-3, 7-5 victory that extended his perfect Lexus ATP Head2Head record to 3-0 against the Canadian qualifier.

All three of those meetings have come this season, with Shelton previously winning in five sets at Wimbledon and advancing via retirement in a close Washington contest. Shapovalov changed up his tactics in Shanghai, but he could not change the result.

"I think some of the tendencies and things that I expected, he changed it up today," Shelton said, referring to his opponent's serving patterns and directional play from the baseline. "I was looking for a few things and was surprised by some of the things he did on the court."

The American was in control throughout the one-hour, 17-minute match and made it a point to stay even-keeled on the stadium court, forgoing some of the boisterous celebrations fans have grown accustomed to seeing when Shelton puts on a show.

"I'm trying to work on being a little bit more calm and focused on the court," explained the No. 17 in the PIF ATP Rankings. "I think that it's important for my evolution, and in the evolution of my game, that I continue to be able to focus for extended periods of time and and really lock in to play at a higher level for more than one set. I thought I did a great job of that today. I'm happy with the way that I stayed committed to my game style and stayed focused out there."

Tennis players often engage in self-talk as a way to stay focused, motivated or mentally reset during matches. Whether it is a few quiet words under their breath or more animated expressions, this habit helps these world-class athletes navigate through high-pressure moments.

“It allows me to breathe. It allows me to think clearly. It allows me to take the right steps to reassert myself into the match,” said one Top 15 star in our latest feature, ‘Best Speech Ever’.

Take a look into the mental side of tennis as Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Grigor Dimitrov, Holger Rune and Felix Auger-Aliassime reveal how they psyche themselves up before and during matches.

One player recalled his exact thought process in one of his biggest career wins while another player reflected on a match at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals, where he mounted a comeback by finding “the best tennis of my life”.

Curious about what these top players tell themselves when they are just one game away from suffering defeat? Watch the full video above to find out and don’t miss the "money maker" mindset Dimitrov reveals at the end.

Shang Juncheng has become one of the breakout stars on the ATP Tour this year. The Chinese lefty won his first ATP Tour title in Chengdu, reached two more tour-level semi-finals and the third round at the US Open and Australian Open.

Speaking to ATPTour.com as part of our Next Gen 'My Influences' series, the 19-year-old recalled his memories of playing against Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne, the support his former-professional athlete parents have had on him, and much more.

Which former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion did you enjoy watching most when growing up?
I think definitely Carlos Alcaraz. There were some insane shots and because Next Gen, there are only singles lines and there's no doubles lines and the net is really close, it helps with around-the-net shots. With Carlos, he is one of the quickest players, so I think that helps him a little bit hit the exciting shots.

Last year, Hamad Medjedovic was cruising through, very powerful. He was playing very well and just [I enjoy] the tournament and all the players are really fun.

Which former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion do you most identify with?
[Hyeon] Chung won the first year and I think he kind of plays like Novak. He said his idol was Novak and he tries to play like him. It is kind of similar to me as well. Try to be flexible on the court, kind of counter-punching. Chung is a lot stronger [than me], but maybe I’m a little bit quicker on the court. I would say he is the most similar to me.

Carlos Alcaraz may be making only his second appearance at the Rolex Shanghai Masters this week, but the Spaniard has already forged a strong connection with Chinese fans.

“They are very passionate. The energy that they bring to me, to the matches, is insane. I like it,” Alcaraz told ATP Media. “I feel like they like when someone tries different shots or the match is becoming crazy in a certain way. It fits pretty well for my style, my personality on the court.”

The 21-year-old demonstrated that manner of fearless hitting and exciting shotmaking most recently in China’s capital city Beijing, where Alcaraz won an epic three-set final against rival Jannik Sinner on Wednesday. Fans will be looking ahead to a potential sequel, looming in the Shanghai semi-finals.

“I always think that when we play against each other, we put the level to the top. We bring a really high level of tennis,” Alcaraz said of his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Sinner. “I think that’s good for tennis, to bring some fans to tennis who have probably never watched tennis before…

“I always try to enjoy playing against Jannik. He pushes me to the limit every time. He makes me be a better player on court and try to find solutions. I think that’s the beauty of tennis.”

Former Top 10 Italian Matteo Berrettini has set a second-round showdown with Holger Rune at the Rolex Shanghai Masters after edging Australian Christopher O'Connell in two tight sets in China on Thursday.

Berrettini clipped 33 winners, including 11 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats, in a 7-6(9), 7-6(6) win over World No. 71 O'Connell to claim his first win of the season at ATP Masters 1000 level. The match lasted two hours and 13 minutes.

No. 45 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Berrettini said that he felt confident in his body after withdrawing in the Tokyo second round against Arthur Fils with an abdominal issue.

"I'm happy to be back here and healthy. I've never played him so didn't know what to expect," said Berrettini, who fought off two sets points in the first-set tie-break.

"Mentally it's been tough... Too often I have been thinking about how to be healthy and it's something I've grown a bit tired of. I've been working hard to be able to think as less as possible about this.

Miomir Kecmanovic completed his box set of at least one match win at all nine ATP Masters 1000s with his opening victory Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The Serbian defeated Rinky Hijikata 6-2 6-2 to record his first hard-court win in more than a year, since last August in Toronto.

Kecmanovic, who hit a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 27 in January 2023, could re-enter the Top 50 with a deep run in Shanghai. He will next meet another Aussie in 20th seed Alexei Popyrin, who is competing in his second event since upsetting Novak Djokovic during a breakthrough run to the US Open fourth round.

The 25-year-old Kecmanovic did not face a break point in the 79-minute match against Hijikata, evening the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series at at 1-1. He took advantage of five Hijikata double faults, including one on match point, to break serve six times on 10 chances, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Also in early action, 19-year-old Chinese wild card Yi Zhou advanced past Yoshihito Nishioka when the Japanese player retired with a back injury after building a 4-2 lead. The home favourite, who is up to 25th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, will next meet 13th seed Frances Tiafoe.

All class ?

Yi Zhou's message for Yoshihito Nishioka after his opponent was forced to retire due to injury at 4-2. @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/m41K6o9LES

The players were awarded their trophies, one for the champion and one for the runner-up.Then came an additional prize: a big box of juice, reserved for the titlist, and an umbrella for the finalist. For a pair of eight-year-olds, this was a drastic difference.

Edas Butvilas was brought to tears when he received the umbrella. It was a punch to the gut while his close friend, Vilius Gaubas, left the Lithuanian city of Palanga with the bigger trophy and coveted juice.

Years later, that moment stands out as both Butvilas and Gaubas are now rising #NextGenATP stars who are enjoying promising starts on the ATP Challenger Tour.

“I lost the final and I remember exactly. I cried for a long time because I wanted the big box of juice and at that time I didn’t care about the umbrella at all, I gave it away to my parents,” Butvilas told ATPTour.com.

“The loss wasn’t that painful, but I saw what he got for the prizes, it was really sad. I still remember it. I talk about it sometimes with Vilius.”

Alexander Ritschard is powering through 2024 with a newfound edge, surging into the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time on Wednesday. Behind the scenes, a key figure has quietly transformed his approach.

The Swiss has been fuelled by a new nutritional programme, curated by his girlfriend, Kat Berglas. Ritschard, 30, has been dating Berglas for seven months, and in that short time, her expertise has helped him surge on the ATP Challenger Tour.

“She was the missing piece I kind of needed to do what I’m doing now,” Ritschard told ATPTour.com. “She’s really helped me a lot with my nutrition, helps me feel more fueled and feeling [better]. Since I’ve taken her tips, I feel very healthy.”

In April, Ritschard was as low as World No. 209. He has since claimed three of his four career Challenger titles, including one last week in Lisbon, Portugal, where Ritschard had courtside support from Berglas.

When Ritschard first met Berglas, he asked about her profession. Upon learning she was a nutritionist, he asked if she would be willing to help him and Berglas gladly agreed. She created a tailor-made nutritional plan.

Tennis is evolving right before our eyes.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are reshaping how our sport is played, and updated match analytics are needed to understand exactly what patterns of play they are gravitating towards to forge their advantage. Alcaraz narrowly defeated Sinner 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) in the China Open final on Wednesday, and an analysis of their forays forward to the net provides ideal insight into how the next generation constructs their points.

Approach and volley has been a staple of our sport since its inception. The new norm is actually approach and no volley.

Alcaraz and Sinner moved forward to finish the point at the front of the court more than 100 times in the final, with over half of those points not involving a volley. The data set comprises all points where players moved forward in the court towards the net to finish points. It includes serve and volley, return approach, and general rally balls where either player steps towards the net to build or end the point.

Approaching The Net/No Volley Hit
- Alcaraz = 58% (38/66) no volley hit.
- Sinner = 74% (29/39) no volley hit.
- Total = 64% (67/105) no volley hit.

In an action-packed September on the ATP Tour, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz soared to more glory.

New faces joined the old in the winner’s circle in China to kickstart the Asian swing, with Marin Cilic returning after a three-year hiatus in Hangzhou, and Shang Juncheng establishing a name for himself in front of his home faithful in Chengdu.

US Open, New York - Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner capped a dazzling 2024 campaign on the Grand Slam circuit by lifting his second major trophy at the US Open, adding to his Australian Open triumph in January. The 23-year-old rose to the challenge that was posed in the final by home hope Taylor Fritz, who was bidding to become the first American male to succeed at this level since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open. It was a gutsy performance from Sinner throughout the fortnight, eventually raising his level to soar into a commanding lead over Alexander Zverev and Alcaraz in the battle to claim ATP Year-End No.1 presented by PIF.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Chengdu Open, Chengdu - Shang Juncheng
It was fitting that Shang Juncheng’s maiden ATP Tour title came on home soil in China, underpinning the impressive rise that the 19-year-old #NextGenATP star has undergone over the past year. With his fairytale run in Chengdu, which included a comprehensive 7-6(4), 6-1 win over top seed Lorenzo Musetti in the final, the flashy left showed why he is one of the most promising talents on the Tour, becoming just the second Chinese man to lift an ATP Tour title (Yibing Wu, Dallas 2023). With the triumph, Shang boosted his hopes of qualification for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, cementing his third-place position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

Hangzhou Open, Hangzhou - Marin Cilic
Marin Cilic carved his name into the history books with his resurgent performance to claim the title in Hangzhou, becoming the lowest-ranked ATP Tour champion since 1990. Arriving in China as No. 777 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the 35-year-old was able to reignite some of his most imposing tennis to edge to victory over Brandon Nakashima and prevent Zhang Zhizhen from creating more Chinese history in the final with a gripping straight-sets win, 7-6(5), 7-6(5).

If the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner was a book, it would be a thrilling page-turner that readers could not put down. The latest chapter, Alcaraz’s narrow victory against Sinner in an epic China Open final, delivered the highly-anticipated amount of enthrallment.

Back and forth with twists and turns mixed throughout, the ATP 500 final was edge-of-your-seat tennis for all three hours and 21 minutes, the longest match in tournament history. Alcaraz believes that matches like Wednesday's final bring an excitement that will attract new fans to the sport.

“I think for the people who don't watch tennis, probably thanks to these kind of matches, [they] start to watch tennis or even practise it. I think it is pretty good,” Alcaraz said. “When Jannik and I face each other, playing against each other, I think it's a really good thing for tennis because we always show a really intense match, really close match, great points, great rallies.”

By winning his fourth title of the season, Alcaraz continued his perfect year against the World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Spaniard fell to Sinner a year ago in the Beijing semi-finals and has since won their three meetings in 2024: Indian Wells, Roland Garros and Beijing. Alcaraz now leads Sinner 6-4 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I try to enjoy as much as I can playing against him, but it's not easy. I'm really happy. I mean, when you're able to beat one of the best, if not the best, tennis player in the world, obviously it seems like you're doing the right things, you're doing the right work,” Alcaraz said.

Carlos Alcaraz reigned supreme at the China Open this week in Beijing to leapfrog Alexander Zverev for second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, only behind rival Italian Jannik Sinner, whom he defeated in the ATP 500 final.

In Tokyo, Frenchman Arthur Fils downed four Top 20 opponents to be crowned champion. Can the 20-year-old make a late-season push to go from finalist at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF to a Nitto ATP Finals qualifier, just 12 months later?

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Wednesday, 2 October.

Carlos Alcaraz - 2nd (6,510 points)
The Spaniard was dominant all week in Beijing, where he did not drop a set en route to the final. Alcaraz powered past two rivals — Daniil Medvedev and Sinner — in the semi-finals and final, respectively, to claim 500 points and move one place to second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Beijing marked the 21-year-old’s fourth title of 2024. Alcaraz, who defeated Sinner in a memorable championship match, has already secured his place at the season-finale Nitto ATP Finals.

Arthur Fils - 18th (2,070 points)
The young Fils keeps adding milestones to his blossoming career. The Frenchman lifted the Tokyo title, marking his second ATP 500 crown, both of which have come this year (Hamburg). Fils, who saved a championship point Tuesday, is up six places in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

Jannik Sinner suffered a heartbreaking defeat on Wednesday evening in the China Open final to rival Carlos Alcaraz. But despite the sting of losing a final-set tie-break with the ATP 500 trophy on the line, the Italian was able to look back at the clash in a positive way.

“It’s always nice to be part of these kind of matches. Obviously disappointed it didn't go my way. These kind of matches can really go both ways. But it was not my day,” Sinner said. “He played better in important moments. That's it. I'm proud again of a great week, making finals here. Last year I won here. For sure it's a place where I love to play, so I'm already looking forward for next year.”

The Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner, which the Spaniard now leads 6-4, has turned into one of the most captivating rivalries in all of sport. Sinner explained his appreciation for competing with such a tough opponent.

“I feel like it's always great when we meet. We try to push ourself and each other to the limits. He for me is a [reference] point of where I work,” Sinner said. “Also today I saw a couple things where I need to get better. It's not only him, there are also other players.

“It's always nice to share the court with him. I feel like also the fans, they like it. Usually the matches are quite long, they're physical, there are many turning points… It’s always nice. Feel privileged and honoured to share the court with him. As I said, we both tried to win. We tried to concentrate on every point. Having a great attitude on the court, that makes it happen that it's a very interesting match always.”