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ATP & You Can Play Launch LGBTQ+ Education Partnership

The ATP has announced the launch of a multi-year education partnership with You Can Play, an organisation committed to furthering LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport. The collaboration aims to build on insights from a first-ever LGBTQ+ survey completed by ATP players last season.

You Can Play, a long-time partner of the NHL, MLS and NASCAR, is a non-profit organisation with an impressive track record furthering safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans. Through the multi-year partnership, ATP has committed to developing an education programme aimed at furthering LGBTQ+ inclusion on Tour. Together, the two organisations will create science-based educational content to be rolled out across ATP players, tournaments and staff over coming seasons, with content directly informed by insights and data from an ATP survey conducted last year.

The survey, developed in collaboration with Pride Sports and renowned researchers at Monash University (Melbourne), aimed to understand the experiences and perceptions of ATP players, reveal potential barriers to inclusion, and offer data-driven insights to make tennis safe and welcoming for all. The initiative also formed part of ATP’s wider drive to strengthen diversity and inclusion through the ATP Serves programme.

Made open to players on an anonymous basis, the survey looked at behaviours and attitudes across various stakeholder groups and levels of the tennis ecosystem, in order to build as comprehensive a picture of LGBTQ+ inclusion as possible. In total 65 ATP players took part, with the majority of respondents ranked inside the world’s Top 250. Several players also participated in voluntary one-on-one interviews to offer in-depth personal perspectives on the topic. Data was then independently analysed by the researchers and compiled into a final report.

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Thiem Soars Into Gstaad SFs

Dominic Thiem’s comeback stepped up a gear Friday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, where he overcame Peruvian qualifier Juan Pablo Varillas 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first tour-level semi-final of the season.

In a dominant performance, the Austrian pulled the 26-year-old from around the court as he took heavy cuts at the ball to dictate the baseline exchanges, advancing after one hour and 47 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“I played a good match yesterday and I was able to back it up today.” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “Some things I didn’t like that much. I failed to serve out at [5-2], but it was also the nerves a little bit because it is my first semi-final in one and a half years. I need the points to go back up the rankings. I was happy I was able to break the nerves.”

The former World No. 3, who missed the second half of last season due to injury, reached the quarter-finals in Bastad last week, earning his first tour-level win of the year in the process.

The 28-year-old has backed up that run in Gstaad and will next face second seed Matteo Berrettini or Spaniard Pedro Martinez. It is the first time Thiem has reached the semi-finals at a tour-level event since May 2021, when he enjoyed a run to the last four in Madrid.

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Djokovic To Join Nadal, Federer, Murray At Laver Cup

For the first time in Laver Cup history, the 'Big Four' will join forces for Team Europe this September in London.

Novak Djokovic announced Thursday his commitment to the 2022 event, with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray already confirmed to participate in the competition's fifth edition. 

"Laver Cup is the only competition where you can have all the big rivals, the 'Big Three', 'Big Four' players joining in the same team," Djokovic said at Wimbledon, where he won his 21st Grand Slam title earlier this month. "Of course, it is [a] very different and exciting concept for us players, but also for the fans around the world."

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The Serbian is set for his second Laver Cup appearance and will be seeking his first match wins in the competition. Djokovic was a part of Team Europe's winning 2018 side, but lost two Match Tie-breaks — one in singles and one in doubles — in his only matches. He teamed with Federer in doubles, but they fell to Team World's Kevin Anderson and Jack Sock.

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Glasspool/Heliovaara Advance To Sixth SF Of Season In Hamburg

Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara advanced to their sixth tour-level semi-final of the 2022 season on Thursday at the Hamburg European Open. The British-Finnish duo earned a a 6-1, 7-6(0) victory against Germany's Andreas Mies and Kevin Krawietz to back up an opening-round upset of second seeds Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof.

Glasspool/Heliovaara saved all three break points against them in the quarter-finals and won the final 11 points of the match as they held to love before claiming a shutout in the tie-break.

Three-time finalists this season (Montpellier, Dallas, London), the pair is seeking its first title of the year. The duo won its first title last season in Montpellier.

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Third seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus will provide their semi-final opposition after a 6-3, 6-3 victory against German wild cards Daniel Altmaier and Jan-Lennard Struff on Thursday.

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Alcaraz Plays "One Of My Best Matches" To Reach Hamburg QFs

Carlos Alcaraz produced a burst of untouchable clay-court tennis Thursday at the Hamburg European Open to overcome a slow start in a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory against Filip Krajinovic.

While the Serbian matched the top seed blow for blow in the opening set and served for the set at 5-4, Alcaraz began to find his top level at the crucial moment. He saved four set points in that 5-4 game, then reeled off five straight points to win the tie-break from 2/4. 

"I had to play one of my best matches on Tour. I'm really happy with my performance," Alcaraz said after the victory.

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In a clean match from both sides, Krajinovic hit five more winners than Alcaraz, finishing with a pristine 27-to-15 winners-to-unforced-errors count.

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Berrettini Makes Winning Return In Gstaad

Matteo Berrettini made a winning return to the ATP Tour Thursday, when he dispatched Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.

Playing in his first match since triumphing at The Queen’s Club in June, the Italian showed little sign of rustiness against the Frenchman, improving to 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

“I have great memories here,” Berrettini said in his on-court interview. “My first ATP Tour title. I really like these conditions. Even though I was coming from grass and this is the complete opposite, I like when the ball is jumping like this. I think it suits my game and my serve. Also I have a lot of people coming to support me. A lot of Italians I heard, so I am really happy to be here and I am enjoying it.”

In front of a vocal crowd, the second seed fired seven aces and won 79 per cent (31/39) of his first-serve points to advance after one hour and 30 minutes, setting up a meeting with Pedro Martinez. The fifth-seeded Spaniard edged Elias Ymer 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in two hours and 49 minutes.

Berrettini, who missed Wimbledon due to Covid, has now won his past 10 matches. He lifted trophies on grass in Stuttgart and London in June after missing the spring clay swing in Europe due to a right hand injury.

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Red-Hot Cerundolo Upsets Rublev, Extends Winning Run In Hamburg

Francisco Cerundolo extended his winning streak to seven matches on Thursday, when he upset World No. 8 Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-2 at the Hamburg European Open to earn his second Top 10 win in as many weeks.

The Argentine captured his maiden tour-level title in Bastad last week and has backed that up in Hamburg. In a high-quality second-round match, Cerundolo rallied from 2-4 in the first set and fired 26 winners as he blasted the second seed off the court in one hour and 33 minutes.

“I think I played another great match. I felt really comfortable on the court,” Cerundolo said in his on-court interview. “I think in the first three games I didn’t play that bad, but he was really solid and didn’t miss many balls. Then I started feeling more confident and I think I was very solid today.”

The 23-year-old, who defeated World No. 5 Casper Ruud in Sweden last week, will next face Aslan Karatsev in the quarter-finals after the 28-year-old eliminated Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“It is really good to have this confidence at this level,” Cerundolo added. “It is the first time it has happened for me. I am playing against the top guys and I am playing well and it is unbelievable. I really happy with my game and my head, because I am keeping my concentration and playing the whole match well.”

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ATP Issues 2022 Calendar Updates

The ATP has issued updates to the 2022 ATP Tour calendar, including cancellation of the 2022 China swing and the inclusion of six additional single-year events.

ATP has today confirmed the Rolex Shanghai Masters, China Open (Beijing), Chengdu Open, and Zhuhai Championships will not take place in 2022 due to ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19. This marks the third year of cancellation for the ATP’s China swing, typically hosted in September and October and last staged in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

In parallel, ATP has announced six ATP 250 tournaments, issued as single-year event licenses for the 2022 season:

Week 38 (19-25 Sep): San Diego, USA (Hard) Week 39 (26 Sep-2 Oct): Seoul, KOR (Hard); Tel Aviv, ISR (Indoor Hard) Week 41 (10-16 Oct): Florence, ITA (Indoor Hard); Gijon, ESP (Indoor Hard) Week 42 (17-23 Oct): Naples, ITA (Hard)

View The Full 2022 ATP Tour Calendar Here

Single-year event licenses were first issued by ATP in 2020, in response to pandemic-related event cancellations, to maintain playing opportunities and also enable tennis to explore new markets.

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Thiem Sinks Delbonis In Gstaad

Dominic Thiem gained further momentum on Thursday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, overcoming Argentine Federico Delbonis 7-6(8), 6-3 to reach his second tour-level quarter-final in as many weeks.

The Austrian let slip a 5-2 lead in the first set, but took the opener after saving two set points in the tie-break. Thiem then opened his shoulders and hit through Delbonis in the second set to advance after one hour and 57 minutes.

“Every win is so important right now and I got a great energy from my box,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “They also knew that first set was crucial and the key to the match. I am coming from [reaching] the quarters in Bastad and I really wanted to back it up here in Gstaad.

"I have won two matches which means a lot to me right now. I really need those ranking points. Every match win is something very special.”

The former World No. 3, who saved one match point in his first-round victory against Hugo Gaston, defeated Emil Ruusuvuori and Roberto Bautista Agut en route to his maiden tour-level quarter-final of the season last week in Bastad.

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Munar Beats The Rain In Gstaad, Bautista Agut Saves MP Before Suspension

In the lone completed singles match on a rainy Wednesday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, Jaume Munar defeated Alexander Ritschard to advance to his second tour-level quarter-final of the 2022 season.

The Spaniard earned the 6-3, 6-3 victory by saving all seven break points against him in Roy Emerson Arena and claiming three breaks of his own in the one-hour, 21-minute contest.

"Here with altitude and the fastest court maybe we're playing on Tour, it's difficult," the 25-year-old said in his on-court interview. "I think the key to success in this match was to handle the pressure. I think I played a couple of good points [to save the break chances] and on my break points I did well."

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Munar is into his first quarter-final in Gstaad after losing to Robert Bautista Agut in the second round in each of his previous two appearances (2018-19).

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Granollers/Zeballos Edge Through In Hamburg

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos made a winning start to their Hamburg European Open campaign Wednesday, overcoming Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 5-7, 6-2, 10-4.

The top seeds, who are making their debut together at the ATP 500 event, won 83 per cent (33/40) of their first-serve points to reach the quarter-finals in one hour and 35 minutes.

The Spanish-Argentine pair has now won their past five matches, after capturing their first title of the season in Halle last month. Granollers and Zeballos will next play Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev.

Third seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus also advanced, defeating Aslan Karatsev and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 32 minutes. The German-New Zealand tandem, who triumphed in Dubai in February, will next face Daniel Altmaier and Jan-Lennard Struff after the Germans defeated Sander Arends and David Pel 6-4, 7-6(4).

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Tampere Celebrates Historic 40th Anniversary On Challenger Tour

Come to Tampere, Finland, in summer and three things immediately stand out.

First, the line between day and night is a blur across the entire country. With the Tampere Open held in the 60th parallel north, players are competing twice as far away from the equator as from the North Pole. At this latitude, the sun is visible until midnight every day in July, illuminating the night sky with a stunning golden-orange hue. It provides a unique backdrop for a professional tennis tournament.

Second, the idyllic landscape that surrounds the city creates a cosy and relaxing atmosphere for players and fans alike. Pine trees fill the countryside as far as the eye can see, permeating the environment with some of the cleanest air in the world. Finland is also known as the 'Country of a Thousand Lakes' and the city of Tampere is embedded within a winding network of bodies of water.

Finally, and most importantly, it is the people that make any trip to Tampere special. Finland is famous for being the 'Happiest Country in the World', a moniker which they take very seriously at the Tampere Open. Enter the tournament site and you're promptly greeted with a 'Moi' or 'Huomenta' (good morning), as you proceed to sit down for a meal in the cafe, enjoy the day in the VIP area or settle in for a match on Center Court. The hospitality is unmatched in Tampere.

It's no wonder players have been returning to the tournament for 40 years. This week, the longest-running event on the ATP Challenger Tour became the first to celebrate four decades of professional tennis. The Tampere Open was honoured by the ATP on Tuesday, with a special ceremony in front of the Finnish faithful on Center Court.

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Rublev Extends Strong Hamburg Record

Andrey Rublev continued his love affair with the Hamburg European Open Wednesday, moving past lucky loser Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round.

The second seed hit through the Lithuanian with his precise and powerful groundstrokes, while he stepped up his intensity in the key moments to shrug off a second-set Berankis comeback and advance after 73 minutes.

Rublev now holds a 10-2 record at the ATP 500 clay-court event, having advanced to the final in 2019, before he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to lift the trophy in his previous appearance in 2020.

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“I am happy with my performance. Ricardas is a really tough player. He hits the ball really hard and plays fast, so I had to bring intensity from the first game,” Rublev said in his on-court interview. “I am really happy with how I was serving today and I hit some great shots from the baseline.

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Fognini Earns 400th Win In Hamburg

The Fabulous One looks out from his enigmatic photo on the ATP Tour website with a slightly raised eyebrow and a Mona Lisa half-smile. It’s the perfect image for a guy, who like a jalapeno-laced martini, is somehow simultaneously fiery and irresistibly cool.

On Tuesday in the Hamburg European Open, Fabio Fognini won a typically taut, fraught first-round match over Aljaz Bedene, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5). And while the flamboyant Italian has earned a reputation for the sheer style of his performance art, this one underlined the undeniable substance. It was the 400th tour-level match win of his career.

Coming up in juniors, did he ever imagine this possibility?

“Well, no, no,” he said afterward. “I’m 35 and, looking back, I have to say this is a great milestone achievement for me. For sure, I am happy.”

Fognini, that swashbuckling pirate of the high seas, is only the 14th active player to win 400 matches in his career and the first Italian man in the Open Era with 400 tour-level wins. Adriano Panatta is next with 392 wins, followed by Andreas Seppi with 386 wins, second-most among active Italians.

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Thiem Saves MP, Wins Gstaad Opener In Third-Set Tie-Break

Playing at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad for the first time since his 2015 title run, Dominic Thiem won a dramatic opening match on Tuesday against seventh seed and 2021 Gstaad finalist Hugo Gaston.

The Austrian picked up his third tour-level victory of the season with a 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(7) win in Roy Emerson Arena, using a big serve to erase a match point in the tie-break as he claimed the final three points of the contest.

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"It's always really challenging. That tie-break in the third set was very, very tough," said Thiem, who hit a dipping return on his second match point to thwart his opponent's serve-and-volley attempt.

"The first two sets were very one-sided, the first for Hugo and the second for me. Then the third set, no breaks so the tie-break had to decide it. Tie-breaks in deciding sets are always somehow 50/50. It was so close... Really happy that I got the win."

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Alcaraz Survives Kuhn Scare In Hamburg

Carlos Alcaraz endured a rocky start to his Hamburg European Open debut on Tuesday afternoon, but the #NextGenATP Spaniard dug deep to complete a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(3) first-round win against German wild card Nicola Kuhn.

Alcaraz rallied impressively after he dropped the opening set to the World No. 259 Kuhn, whose aggressive tactics paid off in the early stages in northern Germany. The Spaniard combined consistency with some trademark moments of brilliance to level the match before holding his nerve in the deciding-set tie-break to improve his record on clay in 2022 to 21-2.

Prior to the tournament, Alcaraz had spoken of how he was using the extra pressure of playing as a top seed at an ATP Tour event for the first time as a source of motivation. Those words were put to the test immediately in Hamburg, where Alcaraz had to showcase grit and determination in the closing stages to hold off the 22-year-old Kuhn.

“It was tough. I mean, the first round in every tournament is tough,” said Alcaraz, who was playing his first match since his run to the fourth round at Wimbledon. “I came from the grass, and the difference was too much. I’m really happy to be [through to] the second round. I’m sure that I will be better in the next round, but I’m really happy with the win.”

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Fognini Digs Deep In Hamburg For 400th Tour Win

Fabio Fognini held off a fierce challenge from Aljaz Bedene at the Hamburg European Open on Tuesday afternoon. In the process, the 35-year-old Italian notched his 400th tour-level win.

Fognini claimed the only break of the first set to move ahead at the ATP 500 event in northern Germany, but he was made to dig deep after Bedene responded strongly to force a decider. Fognini saved five break points in the opening game of the deciding set before prevailing in a tie-break to seal his 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) victory.

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The win improved Fognini’s lead in his ATP Head2Head series with Bedene to 10-1. The Italian is a nine-time tour-level titlist but is chasing his first crown since claiming his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in 2019.

Fognini, the 2013 champion in Hamburg, is now 14-13 for 2022. That record includes runs to the semi-finals on the clay in Rio de Janeiro and Belgrade. His second-round opponent in Germany will be seventh seed Karen Khachanov.

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First-Time Winner Spotlight: Maxime Cressy

Maxime Cressy’s bid for a maiden ATP Tour title appeared over halfway through the championship match at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport on Sunday, but the 25-year-old American engineered one of the comebacks of the season to secure his first tour-level crown.

The 25-year-old American recovered a 2-6, 0-3 deficit against Alexander Bublik on the grass in Rhode Island to cap an impressive week in which he also defeated countrymen Mitchell Krueger, Steve Johnson and John Isner en route to the title at the ATP 250 event.

Having been outside the Top 150 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as recently as twelve months ago, Cressy’s run in Newport lifted him to a career-high No. 33 on Monday. After his remarkable triumph in Rhode Island, ATPTour.com caught up with the American as he reflected on the latest milestone in his rapid rise.

What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
I think it’s the most incredible feeling that I’ve had in my entire life. It’s difficult to describe. I’ve been looking forward to that first title for a very long time.

How did your experience in previous finals against Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz prepare you for this match?
Those matches were also nerve-wracking, just like today! Playing Nadal was beyond belief, it was more like, ‘Is it actually happening?’ I think that was one reason I wasn’t able to beat him. Against Fritz, it was close margins as well.

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Ritschard Stuns Sousa, Lehecka Books Ruud Clash In Gstaad

Perseverance paid off for Alexander Ritschard at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad on Monday afternoon.

The 28-year-old wild card upset eighth seed Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-3 to notch his maiden tour-level win at the clay-court ATP 250 event in his homeland.

“[It’s] very special. I’m very happy with the result. There’s no better feeling than winning your first ATP Tour match at home,” said Ritschard after the match. “I just played my game, which is very aggressive. I was just brave enough to go for my shots.”

After playing in qualifying in Gstaad in 2012, 2013 and 2016 without reaching the main draw, Ritschard banished the memory of those disappointments in style on Monday, breaking the four-time Tour titlist Sousa’s serve four times in a 92-minute victory.

Ritschard impressed on tour-level debut at Wimbledon three weeks ago, when his powerful shotmaking pushed World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas to four sets on the London grass. His reward for the victory against Sousa in the Swiss mountains is a second-round meeting with fourth seed and 2019 champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

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First-Time Winner Spotlight: Francisco Cerundolo

Francisco Cerundolo’s breakout 2022 season hit a new milestone on Sunday at the Nordea Open in Bastad, where the Argentine defeated countryman Sebastian Baez to clinch his maiden ATP Tour title.

Cerundolo’s early season form saw him break the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time in February and reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in March. Last week in Sweden, he upset top seed Casper Ruud for his first Top 10 win and also defeated Pedro Sousa, Aslan Karatsev and Pablo Carreno Busta to take the title at the clay-court ATP 250 event. The triumph lifted the 23-year-old to a career-high No. 30 on Monday.

ATPTour.com caught up with Cerundolo after his win over Baez to find out what the victory means for the in-form Argentine.

What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
To win my first title is amazing. It feels fantastic and it is a dream come true. I’m really happy because I played a really good week, some amazing matches, with good wins against very tough players. So I’m very proud of myself.

Could you take a moment to acknowledge some of the key figures in your life and career who have helped you to reach this milestone?
My family is important in my tennis and my life because my parents are both coaches. They have an academy in Buenos Aires, so I think tennis is a big part of my family. They helped me a lot since I was a kid. I chose to play tennis myself, they did not [force] me, but after I made that decision, they helped me a lot.

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