Champions of the Month: Alcaraz, Berrettini and title debutants make their mark

Carlos Alcaraz’s second consecutive Wimbledon title and Matteo Berrettini’s double title delight defined July’s action.

In a repeat of last year’s final, Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in a hotly anticipated match, with the Spaniard winning in straight sets to successfully defend his Wimbledon crown. Meanwhile Berrettini, who has been beleaguered by injuries and struggled for form over the past 12 months, found his game on the clay by taking back-to-back titles in Gstaad and Kitzbühel.

It was also a notable month for debutant title winners, with both Marcos Giron and Nuno Borges picking up maiden ATP Tour titles in style.

Wimbledon, London – Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz mounted a successful defence of his Wimbledon crown, defeating Djokovic in a rematch of last year’s final. The Spaniard followed up his Roland Garros victory with a second Wimbledon title in as many years, overcoming Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) in two hours 27 minutes. Djokovic threatened a late resurgence by saving three championship points at 5-4, 40/0 and breaking Alcaraz’s serve that game, but the 21-year-old held his nerve in the tie-break to taste victory once more at the All England Club. Alcaraz became just the sixth man in the Open Era to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, joining an exclusive list comprising Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic.

Hamburg Open, Hamburg – Arthur Fils
Twenty-year-old Frenchman Fils broke new ground by claiming a maiden ATP 500 title in Hamburg, overcoming home favourite Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1) in a closely fought encounter. The #NextGenATP star cracked the Top 20 for the first time too, reaching a career-high of No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Infosys Hall of Fame Open, Newport – Marcos Giron
Marcos Giron captured a maiden ATP Tour title on home soil, defeating #NextGenATP star Alex Michelsen, in an all-American final. The 30-year-old overcame a defiant Michelsen 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5 on the grass to pick up his first title. On winning the trophy, Giron said, “It's really special. For me this has been years of hard work, years of dedication and years of support from family, friends and coaches. And so I couldn't have done this without them.”

EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, Gstaad – Matteo Berrettini
Italian Matteo Berrettini recorded his ninth overall ATP Tour title as he cruised to a comprehensive win over Frenchman Quentin Halys, 6-3, 6-1, in Gstaad. The sixth seed dispatched both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the title, in a tournament where he failed to drop a set. "It feels unbelievable. It feels like it was yesterday that I won my first title here six years ago" said Berrettini, "I’m just so glad that I can keep playing and enjoying, and I think I found the energy of six years ago during this week."

Nordea Open, Bastad – Nuno Borges
Another debutant ATP Tour title winner, Nuno Borges overcame Rafael Nadal on the clay in Bastad to win 6-3, 6-2. Borges dropped just one set all tournament as the Portuguese seventh seed carved a path to his first title. “I don’t know what to say. I think I was wishing for this moment for a while already,” reflected Borges in his post-match interview. “It’s crazy, in tennis it happens when you don’t expect it sometimes.”

Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, Umag – Francisco Cerundolo
Fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo sealed a third ATP Tour title in Umag, where he narrowly defeated Lorenzo Musetti 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). The Argentine showed spirit and resilience as he crucially broke Musetti at 4-5 down in the third set before rallying back from 1/3 down in the tie-break to secure victory. "I don't know how I came back. I fought until the last point and luckily I won the match. I'm super proud because it was a really tough battle," Cerundolo commented in his post-match interview.

Generali Open, Kitzbühel – Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini extended his winning streak to ten matches as he secured back-to-back titles with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Hugo Gaston in the final of the Generali Open. Berrettini maintained his momentum over recent weeks to overpower Gaston in one hour, 21 minutes and capture his tenth overall ATP title. The Italian’s big serve was on display as he won 80 per cent of his first serve points and hit eight aces en route to victory. The Italian’s third title of the season propelled him up to No. 40 in the PIF ATP Rankings, a far cry from when he was languishing outside the Top 150 as recently as March.

Atlanta Open, Atlanta – Yoshihito Nishioka
Yoshihito Nishioka claimed a third ATP Tour title with victory in Atlanta over Jordan Thompson, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2. In a final afflicted with rain delays totalling over five hours of suspended action, the Japanese player kept his focus to battle past fourth seed Thompson, extending his untarnished Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the Aussie to 5-0. Nishioka’s strong form throughout the week, including defeating home favourite Frances Tiafoe, resulted in him saving 10 out of the 11 break points that he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, a crucial figure that made the difference in Nishioka’s victory.