Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

A number of ATP stars have dedicated time to charitable causes in 2024, combining their on-court success with efforts to give back. Players including Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Casper Ruud have not only focused on winning matches but also on raising funds for a variety of charitable organisations.

In March, Rublev launched the Andrey Rublev Foundation, aimed at supporting children with critical illnesses. The foundation’s mission is to fundraise and provide resources that help these children overcome challenges, empowering them to reach their full potential. Rublev's clothing line, Play for the Kids, which he launched in December 2023, raised over $150,000 in its first months, serving as the foundation's initial funding.

In April, Alcaraz followed suit, establishing the Carlos Alcaraz Garfia Foundation. Similar to Rublev’s foundation, Alcaraz’s initiative is focused on improving the lives of children in need. Based in El Palmar, the foundation is working to develop strong programs that offer support to children, while fostering networking opportunities and innovative solutions. One of the foundation's early successes includes social sports initiatives that have already reached over 120 children, promoting equal opportunities for disadvantaged youth.

"I believe athletes are in a privileged position, and we have a responsibility to help those in need, especially by improving their childhoods," Alcaraz said upon the foundation's launch. "We are starting with small but meaningful steps to make a lasting difference in the lives of those who need it most."

Ruud, currently ranked No. 6 in the PIF ATP rankings, has been involved with the W Initiative, a humanitarian organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and young people from diverse backgrounds. As Global Ambassador since 2022, Ruud participated in the initiative's annual tennis event in September, held in Oslo. The event raised a donation of 1 million NOK ($95,000 USD) for Furuset IF Tennis, an organisation whose work aligns with W Initiative’s mission of increasing opportunities for young people.

Three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka has received a wild card into the Australian Open, the tournament announced Thursday.

The 39-year-old is set to make his 19th appearance in Melbourne, where he won his first major title in 2014. Wawrinka boasts a 43-17 tournament record.

“I’m incredibly grateful to receive a wild card into the Australian Open in 2025,” said the former World No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “Melbourne holds such a special place in my heart — it’s where I won my first Grand Slam, one of the greatest milestones of my career.

“The city, the people, the loud fans and the electric atmosphere make the Australian Open so special to me and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the court in Melbourne.”

Home hopes Tristan Schoolkate, Li Tu and James McCabe also received main draw wild cards. The 23-year-old Schoolkate reached the second round of this year’s US Open as a wild card. Tu advanced through Flushing Meadows qualifying and pushed Carlos Alcaraz to four sets in the opening round.

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the cinch Championships at the Queen's Club in London and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha were voted by players as Tournament of the Year in their respective categories in the 2024 ATP Awards. All three events are repeat winners. 

The cinch Championships was also awarded special recognition for their Standards of Excellence, along with the Rolex Shanghai Masters and the Nordea Open in Bastad.

Indian Wells celebrates its 10th consecutive season as the ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities, plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close, and unparalleled dining options.

“We are honoured that for a remarkable 10 years in a row, ATP players have voted Indian Wells as the premier 1000-level event on Tour,” said Tournament Director Tommy Haas. “This unprecedented achievement is a testament to the unwavering commitment to excellence of our tournament staff and volunteers, as well as the dedicated support of our owner Larry Ellison, our sponsors, our fans, and so many others who contribute to the success of our event.”

The 2024 BNP Paribas Open awarded more than $19 million in prize money and welcomed 493,440 fans across two weeks — both record numbers. This year also saw the debut of the BNP Paribas Open Mixed Doubles Invitational, marking the first time that an ATP Masters 1000 featured a mixed doubles competition.

The Mexico City Open was named the ATP Challenger Tour’s Tournament of the Year on Friday.

Throughout the season, players were given the opportunity to evaluate and grade each tournament they compete in, based on various criteria. The Mexico City Open stood out in a year that featured 207 ATP Challenger Tour tournaments across 48 countries.

In its third edition, the Mexico City Open excelled in all areas, including tournament services, organisation and creative vision. Held at the Club Deportivo Chapultepec, often called Mexico’s ‘Cathedral of Tennis’, the Mexico City Open has become a beloved event for players to start the spring clay-court season.

“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team behind the Mexico City Open, the invaluable support of the Board of Directors of the Centro Deportivo Chapultepec, our sponsors, and the encouragement from the ATP Challenger team and our passionate tennis fans,” said Jorge Nicolin, Director of the Centro Deportivo Chapultepec.

“We at the Mexico City Open are deeply grateful for this recognition and remain inspired to continue striving for excellence. Thank you to the ATP for this incredible honour. We will continue working with the ATP Challenger team to grow the sport and provide opportunities for the players to showcase their talents.”

Novak Djokovic has committed to the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, the tournament announced on social media Wednesday.

The Doha tournament will be elevated from an ATP 250 to an ATP 500 event from 2025. Its field so far includes Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

Djokovic, who won the Doha title in 2016 and 2017, will make his fifth appearance in Qatar and first since 2018. The Serbian holds a 15-2 tournament record.

The 37-year-old, No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is one trophy shy of his 100th tour-level title. The Qatar ExxonMobil Open runs from 17-22 February.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Nick Kyrgios is preparing for the Brisbane International presented by Evie, where he will compete in his first tournament in more than 18 months.

The ATP 250 event shared footage on social media of the 29-year-old practising in Brisbane Thursday.

Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 and played just one match the following year due to injury.

Making his third Brisbane appearance, the home favourite lifted the trophy in 2018. Kyrgios is a seven-time tour-level champion who has been as high as No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The Brisbane International presented by Evie runs from 29 December - 5 January.

Matteo Berrettini has been named Comeback Player of the Year in the 2024 ATP Awards after returning from six months on the sidelines to win three tour-level trophies this season. The Italian's peers selected him for the honour after he rose from a low of No. 154 back into the Top 40 of the PIF ATP Rankings.

"I'm just so happy to win the Comeback Player of the Year award," Berrettini said in a message to fans. "Thank you very much for the support. It was a great season, a great effort for me and my team. Obviously so happy for the results that we achieved and I cannot wait to step on the court in 2025 to get more success. 

"Thanks again for your support. Without you guys, the fans, it wouldn't be possible."

Nothing but love for the fans ❤️ @MattBerrettini | #ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/cQOS8SePu2

After an injury-riddled 2023 season, which ended after the US Open due to a ruptured ankle ligament, Berrettini was set to return at the 2024 Australian Open alongside new coach Francisco Roig. But on the eve of his opening match at the Melbourne major, he was forced to withdraw with a new foot injury.

He finally came back to competition in March, when he reached the final at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Phoenix in his first event back. After dropping a three-setter to Andy Murray in Miami, Berrettini re-announced himself on the ATP Tour by winning the ATP 250 in Marrakech.

Matteo Berrettini will represent Public Investment Fund (PIF) as its new tennis ambassador, both parties announced on Monday.

The Italian star will aim to support PIF’s mission of elevating the game, nurturing young talent and creating opportunities at all levels.

“I think it's something that goes beyond tennis and not just my tennis career, but makes tennis and other sports bigger and better and more accessible to all the people around the world,” the 28-year-old said in an Instagram video.

“As a PIF ambassador, one of my roles is to inspire the next generation, the youth, the kids. Together with PIF, I’m going to be able to do that and this is one of the greatest things that I can do.”

Berrettini, 28, is a 10-time tour-level titlist. This season alone, he earned three titles, lifting trophies in Marrakech, Gstaad and Kitzbühel. Berrettini was named the 2024 ATP Comeback Player of the Year. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist has been as high as No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has been selected by his peers as the Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2024 ATP Awards. The 21-year-old Frenchman earned this honour after winning his first two tour-level titles this season and rising from outside the Top 200 to a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 30.

"I'm very happy to win the Most Improved Player award," Mpetshi Perricard said. "It was a good year for me and my team. Now we are looking [forward to] 2025."

See you back on court soon ?@MpetshiG | #ATPAwards ? pic.twitter.com/SdcLtABDiN

Having played just five tour-level matches prior to 2024, Mpetshi Perricard posted a 16-12 record this season. In his first ATP Tour main draw appearance of 2024, he completed a storybook run to the title in his hometown of Lyon.

As a wild card at the ATP 250, he saved a match point against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the final before winning a dramatic third-set tie-break for the trophy.

The ATP has announced a record $28.5 million in ATP Challenger Tour prize money for the 2025 season – up $6.2 million year on year and 135 per cent since 2022. The increases are the result of major Challenger Tour reforms delivered under OneVision – ATP’s long-term strategic plan – to expand the number of players able to make a sustainable living from tennis.

A central driver of prize money increases has been the formation of Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) and the successful commercialisation of Challenger Tour rights. Calendar enhancements have helped drive growth, through the introduction of premium Challenger 175 events and a rise in the number of higher category Challenger 100 and 125 events.

Under OneVision, ATP has established a dedicated Challenger Tour team with new leadership to oversee growth and new revenue opportunities. Significant investment in marketing, headlined by the launch of the Challenger Tour’s ‘On The Rise’ brand campaign, has played an important role in enhancing the visibility and commercial appeal of the Tour.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “Creating a sustainable player pathway to the ATP Tour is vital for the future of our sport. Since 2022, we’ve invested in significant reforms on the Challenger Tour. The results have been clear: record-breaking prize money, year on year increases and most importantly, more players inside the Top 250 provided with greater financial compensation at this level.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Adding spin to your shots can give you a significant edge on the court by enhancing control, increasing shot variety, and keeping opponents on their toes. Here's how to effectively incorporate spin into your game: 1. TopspinWhy Use It: Adds height and safety to your shots while allowing them to dip sharply into the court. Great for aggressive basel...

Jannik Sinner ended the 2024 ATP Tour season by lifting the Nitto ATP Finals trophy and on Sunday, the Italian helped bring the Formula 1 year to a close. Sinner waved the chequered flag at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the F1 season.

It was an action-packed weekend for the World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who also spent time with renowned driver Max Verstappen and attended the F2/F3 Prize-Giving event.

Jannik Sinner attends the F2/F3 Prize-Giving event. Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited

Sinner was not the only tennis star in attendance. Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Cazaux, Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, Elena Rybakina and Sorana Cirstea also enjoyed their time in Abu Dhabi. Dimitrov shared on his Instagram story a picture of him with actress Eva Longoria.

Arthur Cazaux at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Credit: Arthur Cazaux

The media credentials pile up in a hurry when you’ve covered more than two decades’ worth of Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000s, Nitto ATP Finals and Davis Cup ties. Now Joan Solsona, a longtime journalist with Spain’s daily sports tabloid MARCA, can add the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award to his collection.

“It’s a big honour to receive this recognition, and I have to say thanks to everyone involved in tennis that makes our work easier as journalists,” said Solsona, who began his tenure with MARCA in 2000. “I’ve been very lucky to be around tennis at the same time as the Big Four, and I’m very excited now for the new generation coming.”

“This year, I had the opportunity to interview Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune,” he continued. “They represent the present and future of tennis.”

Solsona has also covered football, basketball, handball, swimming and water polo, and was on assignment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But it’s in the tennis world that he truly found his voice as a sportswriter.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Consistency is crucial in tennis. Regular play not only refines your skills but also builds confidence and stamina. Here's why frequent practice matters and how to make it enjoyable: 1. Strengthen Muscle MemoryWhy It Matters: Repeatedly practicing strokes, serves, and footwork helps you perform them instinctively during matches.How to Do It: Schedu...

Mastering the basic strokes in table tennis is essential for building a strong foundation in the game. Each stroke has its own purpose and application, allowing you to be both offensive and defensive during a match. Below are the fundamental strokes you should master as part of your table tennis game: 1. Forehand Drive The forehand drive is one of ...

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual 'Best Of' series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more. Today we relive the five best Grand Slam comebacks this season.

5) Australian Open R2, Daniil Medvedev d. Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0
With daybreak approaching in Melbourne, Daniil Medvedev avoided an early upset by rallying from two sets to love down, a position he would again win from in the semi-finals against Alexander Zverev.It could have been easy for Medvedev to deflate after losing a topsy-turvy, 83-minute second set against Emil Ruusuvuori. But the 20-time tour-level titlist did just the opposite, clawing his way back to eventually win at 3:40 a.m.

“This one is for sure going to stay in my memory,” Medvedev said after the four-hour, 23-minute triumph.

The 28-year-old showed some early signs of backhand rust in his first tournament of the season. “I was missing all over the place,” he later assessed. But Medvedev matched the clean hitting of the Finn and raised his level in important moments, such as when he was two points from defeat at 4-5 in the fourth set.

Moments later, he raced through the fourth-set tie-break to level at two sets all and asserted his dominance in the decider as Ruusuvuori began to struggle physically.

Mixing up your shots in tennis is a powerful strategy to keep your opponent off balance and disrupt their rhythm. Here are detailed ways to vary your shots effectively: 1. Use Different SpinsTopspin: Generate a high bounce to push your opponent back, especially on clay or slow courts.Slice: Hit under the ball to create a low bounce and force your o...

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual 'Best Of' series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more.

From saving match points, overcoming the brink of defeat to eventually lifting the trophy, or a narrow escape in a high-stakes match, today we highlight the five best comebacks from ATP Tour tournaments in 2024.

5) Dubai R2, Lehecka d. Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4
Czechia's Jiri Lehecka produced fearless hitting in pressure moments to save five match points in Dubai and down fourth seed Karen Khachanov, who had captured the Doha title the week prior and was on a five-match winning streak.

All of Khachanov’s match points came on Lehecka’s serve late in the second set, but the 23-year-old relied on his booming forehand to pull him out of near defeat at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. In the decider, Khachanov seemingly recovered from his blip, gaining a 4-2 lead before Lehecka tallied four consecutive games to seal the match. Lehecka fell to his knees in relief and celebration.

4) Shanghai R3, Paul d. Tabilo 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-2
All signs pointed towards a routine, straight-sets win for Alejandro Tabilo when he led American Tommy Paul 7-6(2), 5-1 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The 27-year-old then held five match points on his serve at 5-2 in the second set when suddenly things began to change.

Before champions are crowned in front of packed stadiums on the ATP Tour, they are made on the practice court under the watchful eye of their coaches. These coaches often work in the background, happy to leave the glory to their players. In the 2024 ATP Awards, our five Coach of the Year nominees step into the spotlight.

This year's nominees are Xavier Malisse (coach of Alexei Popyrin), Emmanuel Planque (Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard), Michael Russell (Taylor Fritz), Brad Stine (Tommy Paul) and James Trotman (Jack Draper). The nominees and winner in this category are voted on by fellow coaches.

ATP Awards winners will be announced during Awards Week, starting Monday, 9 December.

Xavier Malisse (Alexei Popyrin)
As part of Popyrin's coaching team alongside Neville Godwin, Malisse — a former Top 20 player in the PIF ATP Rankings — has helped the Aussie climb to the cusp of that elite group this season. Under the tutelage of Malisse and Godwin, a former Top 100 player himself, Popyrin won the biggest title of his career at the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 and entered the Top 25 for the first time.

"Neville and I worked a lot on the backhand. We've been working on more variety, slicing a little bit, and then working with the serve," said Malisse, who also credited fitness coach Evan Jenkins and physiotherapist Valentin Hollier for improving Popyrin's strength.

Neale Fraser, an estimable Australian left-hander who owned one of the craftiest serves in tennis during his prime years in the late 1950’s and early sixties, securing no fewer than 19 major championships altogether in singles, doubles and mixed doubles between 1956 and 1962 despite frequently living in the shadows of countrymen including Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Ashley Cooper and Mal Anderson, and establishing himself as an outstanding Davis Cup player and captain—died on 2 December, 2024. He was 91.

Exploiting his versatile serve to the hilt and turning it into the cornerstone of his game, Fraser was a formidable player who thrived in an era when three of the four majors were held on grass. Fraser’s southpaw mastery of spins on serve set him apart in his time and made him especially formidable on grass courts. His serve was deceptive and often unstoppable. He could release it flat into the corners, carve it with slice out wide or stifle right-handed opponents with his devilish deuce court kick serve to the forehand.

Fraser was a tried and true serve-and-volleyer, backing up his excellent delivery with soundness on the volley, attacking relentlessly, smothering opponents with his capacity to come forward at all the right times. He was a product of his era on fast courts, unrelentingly aggressive as a match player, weighing the percentages assiduously to give himself the best possible chance to succeed.

The ITHF remembers Hall of Famer Neale Fraser, one of Australia’s legends.

A 19-time major champion and stalwart in Davis Cup as a player and captain, Fraser reached the game’s peak and mentored a generation of Aussies.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends today.

Neale Andrew Fraser was born on 3 October, 1933 in Melbourne where he grew up and lived as an adult, starting to play tennis at the age of eleven on a neighbour’s court with his brother John, a physician later in life and a decent player in his own right who once made the semi-finals of Wimbledon in doubles alongside Rod Laver. The son of a lawyer who became a judge, Neale Fraser won his first tournament — a 13-and-under event — at 12. At 17 he won the Australian National Junior Championships. By 1954, when he turned 21, Fraser was included on the Australian overseas team, touring with the likes of Hoad and Rosewall under the tutelage of the revered coach and Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, making crucial strides in that period.