Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

It was a day of celebration on Sunday at Wimbledon, where a host of former champions partook in an emotional ceremony to celebrate the 100th year of Centre Court.

Three-time titlist John McEnroe and former World No. 3 Sue Barker led the ceremony, which looked back on iconic moments with former winners.

In front of a packed crowd and full Royal Box, an array of Wimbledon champions were greeted onto court by a standing ovation, with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg, Billie Jean King and Rod Laver among the returning stars.

Photo Credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

"This court has been truly special from my childhood and the first image of tennis I've seen when I was four or five-years-old I saw Pete Sampras wining his first Wimbledon. This is where dreams come true and I was blessed in 2011, probably the highlight of my career, to win the tournament and so when I step out on this court I relive these memories. Truly an honour."

From strawberries and cream to players sporting all-white kits, Wimbledon is an event that has been steeped in tradition since 1877. It is a day out that underpins the British summer, with thousands of fans attending the action at SW19.

The majority of supporters turn up fresh-faced following a good night’s sleep. For others, though, their Wimbledon experience begins less than a mile away from the All England Lawn Tennis Club in a park, where they sleep overnight in a tent.

Since 1922, thousands of fans have camped out and joined the Wimbledon Queue in order to secure a ticket for the grass-court Grand Slam, with 1,500 tickets offered up daily across the show courts, while several thousand grounds passes are handed out.

[ATP APP]

Over the years, The Queue has become its own phenomenon, moving from the pavement on Church Road to the park in 2008 as its popularity grew. It is a key aspect of the Wimbledon experience and it is not hard to see why.

Stefanos Tsitsipas lost a fiery four-set match against Nick Kyrgios on Saturday at Wimbledon, but the Greek departs London in good position for the rest of the season.

The 23-year-old is guaranteed to lead the ATP Tour in wins after Wimbledon with 42, regardless of results for the rest of the fortnight. The World No. 5 went 8-3 during his grass-court season, including a run to his first tour-level title on the surface in Mallorca.

2022 Match Wins Leaders (as of 2 July)

Tsitsipas is second in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin as he aims to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year. Tsitsipas lifted his biggest trophy at the season finale in 2019, when the event was held at The O2 in London. 

In addition to his recent triumph in Mallorca, Tsitsipas claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April and made the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

Nick Kyrgios advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2016 on Saturday with a feisty 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) victory against fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Kyrgios, who will next play #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima, claimed his first win at a major against a Top 10 opponent since the third round of The Championships in 2015. The 27-year-old will try to reach his third major quarter-final and his first since the 2015 Australian Open.

"Honestly it was a hell of an atmosphere, amazing match. I honestly felt like the favourite coming in. I played him a couple weeks ago. But I knew that it was going to be a tough match," Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. "He's a hell of a player. I had my own tactics out there and he knows how to play me, he's beaten me once. Obviously I've had success. It was a hell of a match."

The tension began to build at the end of the first set when Kyrgios was unhappy with a linesperson's call on the baseline. For the rest of the match, the Australian had constant discussions with the chair umpire, the crowd and his player’s box. But ultimately, he emerged victorious after three hours and 16 minutes.

"I'm just super happy to be through. He was getting frustrated at times and it's a frustrating sport, that's for sure," Kyrgios said. "I have the ultimate respect for him. Whatever happens on the court [is] on the court. I love him and I'm close with his brother."

Rafael Nadal wasted little time in booking his place in the Wimbledon fourth round on Saturday evening, racing past Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

In his best performance of the week, the Spaniard lit up Centre Court with his aggressive striking and all-court game. The 36-year-old blasted the ball past Sonego from all angles, while demonstrating deft touches at the net to advance after two hours and four minutes.

"It was probably my best match without a doubt here at The Championships against the most difficult player I have faced yet,” Nadal said in his on-court interview. “I was able to raise my level, so I am super happy for that. I wish Lorenzo all the very best for the rest of the season.”

[ATP APP]

The display was a contrast to Nadal’s first two matches at The Championships, where he struggled to find his best level in four-set victories over Francisco Cerundolo and Ricardas Berankis. However, against Sonego, the World No. 4 showed his title rivals that he means business in his quest for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.

In a couple of weeks, Tommy Paul will be on his mother’s farm in New Jersey, taking care of more than 100 animals, operating a tractor and pulling trees. But for now, the American is focussed on continuing one of the best tournaments of his career at Wimbledon.

Three years after losing in the final round of qualifying to Jiri Vesely, Paul turned the tables to down the Czech and reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Victory on Court No. 3 marked another breakthrough moment for the 25-year-old, who is making his main draw debut at The Championships this week. After enjoying a standout junior career, which saw him win the 2015 Roland Garros boys’ singles title, Paul captured his first tour-level title in November, while he is at a current career-high No. 32 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings .

Following his success, Paul is now accustomed to the lights and glamour of the Tour. However, it is a world away from his life back in the United States, where he frequently swaps his racquet for farm tools when he visits his mom in New Jersey.

“My mom and stepdad live on a farm in South Jersey, where they have roughly 100 chickens, six sheep, two dogs, a horse and a cat. I grew up in North Carolina, but my mum moved back to South Jersey when I turned pro. That is where she grew up,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “The animals have built up. It is something to do for her. When she is not at work, she is outside on the farm.

Brandon Nakashima may have been in unchartered territory at Wimbledon on Saturday, but the #NextGenATP American did not blink.

Nakashima backed up his second-round upset of 2021 semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov with a confident 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 against Daniel Elahi Galan. The 20-year-old had not won a match at the grass-court major prior to his first-round victory against Nicola Kuhn, but he is now the youngest American man to reach the Round of 16 at Wimbledon since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Nakashima joins Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Taylor Fritz in the fourth round. That represents the most American men in the last 16 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club since 1999, and the most to reach the fourth round at a major since the 2011 US Open.

Nakashima, who reached the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan last November, is into the fourth round of a major for the first time. The World No. 56 won 84 per cent (43/51) of points behind his first delivery and faced just one break point in his maiden ATP Head2Head meeting with the Colombian.

Nakashima faces a tough fourth-round assignment if he wants to extend his run at SW19 further — he next meets fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Nick Kyrgios.

Fifteenth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara advanced to the third round at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year on Saturday when they clawed past American William Blumberg and Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

The British-Finnish duo has enjoyed success this grass-court season, advancing to the Cinch Championships final at The Queen’s Club. They also made the Roland Garros quarter-finals one month ago.

It will not get any easier when Glasspool and Heliovaara play second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic next. The Croatians defeated Americans Nicholas Monroe and Tommy Paul 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Seventh seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek also advanced when they eliminated Portugal’s Joao Sousa and Australian Jordan Thompson 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4. The 2021 Indian Wells champions have won six consecutive sets after rallying from two sets down in the first round.

[ATP APP]

David Goffin faces Frances Tiafoe on Sunday at Wimbledon, where the former World No. 7 is bidding to reach the last 16 for the fourth time at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Possessing an all-around game on the court, the Belgian also likes to branch out when it comes to food. As long as it isn’t oysters, Goffin will eat it, and the 31-year-old isn’t shy to put his own cooking skills to the test either.

In this edition of Food Court, Goffin reveals to ATPTour.com how he fared on a celebrity cooking show for French TV, why his eating habits change during Grand Slam weeks and the reason he can’t eat cereal bars during matches.

[ATP APP]

Let’s say you have to cook tonight for friends or family. What would you cook?
I don’t know if I have time or not, but if it is an emergency and it is almost summer, I would go for a barbeque. Nice meat on a barbeque. It is very easy. Otherwise I would go for pasta, a good carbonara. That is something I can do. I am not a huge chef, but I have some good skills in the kitchen.

Serving out for Grand Slam victories is never easy, but Alex de Minaur held firm on Saturday to see off Liam Broady and reach the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time.

The Australian produced a high-class performance to seal 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win against the British wild card. Some late resistance from Broady saw De Minaur forced to fend off four break points when serving at 6-5 in the third set, but the Australian dug deep to convert his third match point for a two-hour, 24-minute victory.

“I’m just relieved,” said De Minaur in his on-court interview. “It was definitely harder at the end there than I wanted it to be, but at the end of the day this is tennis and anything can happen. Nerves playing in front of an amazing crowd, [on] an amazing court against a Brit, so it’s never easy. More than anything [I'm] just relieved to be in the second week of Wimbledon.”

De Minaur was making his second appearance in the third round at SW19, having fallen to Rafael Nadal at the same stage in 2018. In contrast to that occasion, the Australian entered the contest as the pre-match favourite and the 23-year-old showed why with a classy performance against the spirited Broady.

“It’s incredibly special,” said De Minaur. “Wimbledon in itself is such a special tournament, so to be able to come and play here, it’s a true honour. I’m just enjoying every second I can on the grass and trying to ride this wave.”

A battle of #NextGenATP alumni headlines the Sunday action at Wimbledon, where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner take centre stage as the fourth-round action begins at the grass-court major in London.

The meeting between six-time champion Novak Djokovic and the in-form Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven is another intriguing matchup at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, while Cameron Norrie seeks to keep the British flag flying in the singles when he takes on 30th seed Tommy Paul. The American's countryman, 23rd seed Frances Tiafoe, meets 2019 quarter-finalist David Goffin.

ATPTour.com looks at the fourth-round matchups on Day 7 in the UK capital.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[5] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [10] Jannik Sinner (ITA)

One Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals crown — check. Five ATP Tour titles — check. Two Grand Slam quarter-finals — check.

Fans will get to know Lorenzo Sonego’s game on Saturday when he plays Rafael Nadal in the third round at Wimbledon, but there is far more to the Italian than forehands and backhands.

You can add Sonego to the list of musically inclined players on the ATP Tour, which also includes Denis Shapovalov and Corentin Moutet. Just one week ago, the 27-year-old and his longtime friend, “AlterEdo”, released their newest song: “Sing”.

“We did some songs together when we were young for a hobby,” Sonego told ATPTour.com earlier this year. “And then, we tried to do something together for enjoyment in the summer and only to enjoy the moment and do something different, not always [focus on] tennis.”

This is not the first song they have released together. Last European summer, they released “Un Solo Secondo”, which has received more than 14,000 views on YouTube. Sonego's friend writes the songs, but the former World No. 21 contributes vocals.

The Wimbledon third round concludes on Day 6 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, with the wide-open bottom half of the men's singles draw back in action. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios headline No. 1 Court, where Alex de Minaur opens play against home favourite Liam Broady, while Rafael Nadal and Lorenzo Sonego close the day's play on Centre Court.

Other seeded players in action include Taylor Fritz, Botic van de Zandschulp and Jenson Brooksby.

In doubles action, top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury continue their bid for a maiden Wimbledon title while second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic continue their title defence.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. Nick Kyrgios (AUS)

Two of the biggest personalities on the ATP Tour are set to square off for the fifth time in a rematch of their Halle meeting two weeks ago, won by Kyrgios in three sets. While neither man will be particularly pleased to see such a dangerous opponent in the third round, both are relishing the opportunity.

A true legend of the game, Brad Gilbert knows a thing or two about adapting to new trends.

The American has been at the forefront of tennis for decades, picking up 20 ATP Tour titles as a player before coaching stars such as Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray. With a long and diverse tennis journey, Gilbert has become a master at acknowledging the constant changes happening within the game.

Now having joined TopCourt, Gilbert shows fans his latest tips and drills, suitable for club players as well as aspiring pros, with the help of WTA star and fellow TopCourt coach Eugenie Bouchard. He also reveals how a split-second decision from his father shaped his tennis career, shares unheard stories from his time guiding ATP legend Agassi, and reveals how he boosted Roddick’s confidence playing on grass.

Technique: Gilbert encourages you to stay aggressive when moving forward to play the so-called ‘dunk volley.’ A short but intense move forward ending with a hard and short swing, it enables you to finish points with authority after executing a big play.

Drills: “Most pros hit anything between 60-70 per cent forehands,” says Gilbert. This is reflected in the American’s TopCourt class, in which he places an emphasis on efficiency of movement. With his six-ball “Find the Forehand” drill, Gilbert shows you how to raise your intensity as you run around your backhand to take control of the point with your forehand.

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ passion and drive have made him one of the most feared competitors on the ATP Tour, yet the World No. 5 is also renowned for his relaxed off-court demeanour. This is clearly reflected in the 23-year-old’s Twitter feed, where he regularly shares a mixture of humorous, philosophical, and heart-warming messages.

“They are mostly meant to be fun,” Tsitsipas recently told ATPTour.com. “It’s like I have a wall and I write different things, and people can say their stuff. It’s just such a fun thing to do. I like the fact that I can look back to them in one or two years and I have a feed where I can preview all my past quotes and opinions I might have had. It kind of acts as a memoir.”

Tsitsipas has moved confidently to the third round this week at Wimbledon, where he faces Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster third-round clash on Saturday. The Greek has won a Tour-leading 42 matches in 2022, and admitted his ability to keep calm under pressure has been a key factor in his success on Tour in general. This is a sentiment that was reflected when he tweeted out the message, “The quieter you become, the more you can actually hear.”

The quieter you become, the more you can actually hear.

“I think sometimes you just need to... listen, absorb as much information as you can, and you can always just pick whatever you want," Tsitsipas said. "You’re always allowed to pick your information that you want to keep for yourself.

After picking up five ATP Tour titles in their first six months together, can Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski transfer their success to the Grand Slam stage?

The third seeds overcame Pedro Martinez and John-Patrick Smith 7-6(6), 6-2, 7-6(6) at Wimbledon on Friday to book a third-round spot at the grass-court major in London. Koolhof and Skupski reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in their two previous Grand Slam campaigns as a team, and they have made a perfect start in London with two straight-sets victories.

Sixth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are also yet to drop a set at SW19 after a 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral. The 19-time tour-level titlists, who lifted the trophy at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in 2019, are chasing their first crown of the season.

[ATP APP]

Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies enjoyed a comfortable second-round win of their own, but only after coming through a tight first set against home wild card pairing Arthur Fery and Felix Gill. The 11th-seeded German duo pressed on after taking the opener, eventually running out 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4 winners.

After eight American men advanced to the Wimbledon third round — the most to reach that stage of a Grand Slam since the 1996 US Open — Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul ensured at least two will be among the last 16 with Friday victories.

"We are damn good," a smiling Tiafoe said of the American contingent. "We're playing great tennis. I think we always feed off each other. We all believe it, all believe we can be even doing better than what we are doing currently. One guy does well, the next guy wants to step up. It's all good. I think we've just got to keep going."

[ATP APP]

Tiafoe, the 23rd seed, came through a 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(3), 6-4 battle with Alexander Bublik to advance to the fourth round for the first time at SW19. After dominating both tie-breaks, the American surrendered an early break advantage and needed a clutch ace to save a break point at 4-4 in the fourth set.

That sparked a late surge as he won seven of the match's final eight points, sealing victory with his third break of the match on No. 2 Court.

Carlos Alcaraz wasted no time in improving his best Wimbledon run, booking a trip to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Oscar Otte. Playing at SW19 for the second time, the 19-year-old is now the youngest man to reach that stage at The Championships since Bernard Tomic reached the 2011 quarter-finals at the age of 18.

Alcaraz played his cleanest match of the fortnight — and the best grass-court match of his young career — leaving the 32nd-seeded German no chance with powerful and precise hitting throughout the one-hour, 38-minute contest. He finished with 37 winners and just eight unforced errors, winning 88 per cent (35/40) of his first-serve points.

[ATP APP]

The Spaniard set the tone on No. 1 Court by winning the first eight points of the match, then won the first five games of set two to power home his advantage and put the match beyond doubt. He improves to 4-1 on the grass, with his only two tour-level events on the surface coming at Wimbledon.

The Spaniard saved the only break point he faced while breaking serve on six of 20 chances in a dominant victory. He has shown great improvement through the rounds this fortnight and has now won eight sets in a row dating back to his opening round victory against Jan-Lennard Struff, in which he escaped a two-sets-to-one deficit.

Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in a fourth-round Wimbledon blockbuster after a nearly flawless performance on Friday against John Isner.

The American broke the world record for career aces in the second game of the match, but Sinner dominated from there in a 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. The Italian did not face a break point in his two-hour, 20-minute triumph.

[ATP APP]

Sinner will now play Alcaraz in a battle of former Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champions. Alcaraz, who dismissed Oscar Otte in the third round, defeated Sinner in their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting 7-6(1), 7-5 at last year's Rolex Paris Masters.

But the 20-year-old Sinner will be confident after his performance against Isner, who ousted two-time champion Andy Murray in the second round. The 10th seed withstood 24 aces from his opponent and converted two of his four break points.

Alex de Minaur may have been taking on a home favourite in Jack Draper on Thursday at Wimbledon, but the Australian was not completely lacking support from the British contingent in the crowd during his second-round victory.

The 19th-seeded Australian’s girlfriend, WTA player Katie Boulter, cheered him on to a 5-7, 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-3 win against #NextGenATP Briton Draper at the grass-court major. Just hours earlier, it was De Minaur who had played the role of cheerleader from the stands, as Boulter pulled off a 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 second-round upset of sixth seed Karolina Pliskova on Centre Court.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, De Minaur spoke of the extra positivity that Boulter’s heroics had brought him before he stepped on court for his own match.

“I think it's amazing. What she was able to do today was an amazing effort,” he said of Boulter. The 25-year-old dedicated her win to her grandmother, who passed away earlier in the week. “I mean, under all the circumstances, she got out there on Centre Court, and beat last year's runner-up. So, I think that's pretty special.

“I'm just stoked for her. This is her home Slam. She gets to enjoy it. I know she was a little bit nervous going in, but she's gone out and put on a brilliant performance.”