Tag Archives: Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz Outlasts Alexander Zverev to Win History-Making French Open Title

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Carlos Alcaraz is celebrating a historic win at the French Open.

The 21-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated Alexander Zverev in five sets to capture the title at Roland Garros on Sunday to become the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.

Carlos AlcarazAlcaraz and Zverev battled for 4 hours, 19 minutes, but Alcaraz came through 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

His 2024 French Open title sits alongside his triumphs at the 2022 US Open and at last year’s Wimbledon.

“Winning a Grand Slam is always special,” Alcaraz said afterward. “Winning your first in every Grand Slam is always super special.

“But in Roland Garros, knowing all the Spanish players who have won this tournament and be able to put my name on that amazing list is something unbelievable. Something that I dream about being in this position since I was started playing tennis, since I was 5, 6 years old.”

Carlos AlcarazThe triumph secures Alcaraz’s spot in tennis history, as he becomes the seventh player to win a Slam event on all three surfaces — following in the footsteps of Jimmy Connors, Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But he’s the youngest to achieve the feat, having turned 21 in May.

Nadal completed his trio at 22 years, 7 months when he won the 2009 Australian Open.

Alcaraz said the French Open meant the most to him, given that he came into the competition with injury concerns.

“Probably this one is the moment that I’m really proud about myself, because everything that I have done the last month just to be ready for this tournament with my team, a lot of talks with them,” Alcaraz said. “So I’m going to say this one is the most that I am proud about myself.”

It was Zverev’s second Grand Slam final, but he has now lost both in five sets, having fallen in the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem.

“It is what it is,” Zverev said. “Look, he played fantastic. He played better than me the fourth and fifth set. It’s how it is. I felt like this Grand Slam final I did everything I could. At the US Open I kind of gave it away myself. It’s a bit different.”

Alcaraz, meanwhile, became the first man at the French Open to win five-set matches in both the semifinal and final since Rod Laver in 1962 — and just the eighth to do it in any Grand Slam event since the Open era began in 1968.

Alcaraz came into this event managing an arm injury that had forced him to withdraw from the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open. He lost in Madrid to Andrey Rublev and withdrew from Rome with the same injury. So he had only four matches on clay coming into the tournament, but he came through the opening rounds in confident form despite saying he was unable to hit his forehand at full power. He dispatched J.J. Wolf, Jesper De Jong, Seb Korda, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to a semifinal with incumbent world No.1 Jannik Sinner, but Alcaraz came through 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Zverev won the Italian Open and then opened his Roland Garros campaign by defeating 14-time champion Nadal in the first round. He then got past David Goffin, Tallon Griekspoor, Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur and Casper Ruud to book his spot in the final.

Alcaraz started Sunday’s match as the better of the two players, taking the first set 6-1. He was then up a break in the second, only for Zverev to win the next five games. The same thing happened in the third set, with Alcaraz up 5-2, only to lose 7-5.

Alcaraz had treatment on his left leg during the break, and continued to have physio work at changeovers.

“It was something that I started to feel in the semifinal,” Alcaraz said. “Playing five sets, it’s demanding. After the match you’re going to feel something. If not, you’re not human.”

After taking the fourth set 6-1, Alcaraz started the fifth in the ascendancy and went up a break, but Zverev threatened to break back.

Down 2-1, Zverev had two break points, and thought he’d won the game when Alcaraz double-faulted at 15-40. The ball was called out, only for umpire Renaud Lichtenstein to overrule that and deem it in, meaning the point would be replayed.

Zverev claimed later that he’d seen footage showing that the ball was in fact out.

“I mean, look, there’s a difference whether you’re down 3-1 in the fifth set or you’re back to 2-all. That’s a deciding difference,” Zverev said afterward. “Yeah, it’s frustrating in the end, but it is what it is. Umpires make mistakes. They’re also human, and that’s OK. But of course, in a situation like that, you wish there wouldn’t be mistakes.”

From there, Alcaraz saved four break points in that game and went on to close out the fifth set to secure the title and improve his record to 11-1 in five-set matches.

“I know that when I’m playing a fifth set, you have to give everything, you have to give your heart,” Alcaraz said. “In those moments, it’s where the top players give their best tennis. I want to be one of the best tennis players in the world, so have to give my extra in those moments and show the opponent I’m fresh — like I’m playing in the first game of a match.”

Alcaraz now plans to get a tattoo of Sunday’s date — June 9, 2024 — to go with the dates from his other two Grand Slams.

“I will do it for sure,” said Alcaraz, whose US Open tattoo is on the back of his neck. “[This tattoo] will be on the left ankle, Wimbledon was on the right one, this will be on the left one, with the date of today. It’s something I’m going to do. I don’t know if it’ll take a month, or two months, but I’ll do it.

“I just want to keep going, and let’s see how many Grand Slams I’m going to take at the end of my career. Hopefully reach the 24, but right now I’m going to enjoy my third one, and let’s see in the future.”

Carlos Alcaraz Outlasts Jannik Sinner to Reach First-Ever French Open Final

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Carlos Alcaraz has advanced to his first-ever French Open final.

Despite starting poorly and falling behind by two sets to one in his French Open semifinal against Jannik Sinner, the 21-year-old Spanish tennis player ultimately persevered.

Carlos AlcarazAlcaraz pulled out a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sinner to get to his first final in Paris, making him the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam title match on three surfaces.

By the end of the latest installment in this burgeoning rivalry between two young, talented players, an engaging five-setter that lasted 4 hours, 9 minutes, Alcaraz actually had accumulated fewer total points, 147-145.

“You have to find the joy [while] suffering. That’s the key — even more on clay, here at Roland Garros. Long rallies. Four-hour matches. Five sets,” Alcaraz said. “You have to fight. You have to suffer. But as I told my team many, many times, you have to enjoy suffering.”

He won championships at the US Open in 2022 on hard courts and at Wimbledon in 2023 on grass.

Now the No. 3-seeded Alcaraz will face No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany on the red clay Sunday.

This will be the first French Open men’s final without Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer since 2004.

Djokovic was the defending champion in Paris, but withdrew before the quarterfinals after tearing the meniscus in his right knee. B

In the fifth set, with shadows covering more than half the court, Alcaraz moved out front by sliding until he could reach across his body to snap a backhand passing winner for a break point. A forehand winner — one of his 30 in the match — made it 2-0 at the 3½-hour mark, earning a yell of “Vamos!” from his coach, 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Soon, it was 3-0, and Alcaraz was on his way.

“It was a great match. For sure, the sets he won, he played better in the important points,” Sinner said. “That was the key.”

Both players walloped the ball with such force that the ball-off-strings thuds elicited gasps from spectators in the middle of points.

Sinner, his rust-colored shirt a few shades darker than the clay, came out ready at the start of the match, barely ever missing, gliding more than grinding along the baseline and stretching his long limbs to get to nearly everything Alcaraz offered.

Alcaraz, his right arm covered by a white sleeve, would deliver a powerful shot to a corner, punctuated with a grunt, and Sinner would somehow get to it, flip it back and draw a mistake.

Sinner led 4-0, and it took Alcaraz 20 minutes of striving to simply place a “1” beside his name on the scoreboard. The second set began inauspiciously for Alcaraz, who fell behind 2-0.

“I told myself,” Alcaraz said, “that it’s going to be a long match.”

He did not go quietly. Getting more aggressive and doing what he could to shorten points, Alcaraz turned things around right when he needed to, using a five-game run to take control of that set.

After Sinner took the third, Alcaraz pushed the proceedings to a fifth. He closed the fourth with a cross-court backhand winner, then raised his right fist and shook it.

Here’s how Alcaraz came through: He came up with a 32-23 edge in winners over the last two sets.

With his strokes, somehow, gaining zest, and the fans, somehow, getting louder, Alcaraz advanced at a tournament he grew up watching on TV at home in Spain as his countryman Nadal piled up a record 14 titles.

Not that it was easy.

“It’s one of the toughest matches that I’ve played, for sure,” Alcaraz said. “The toughest matches that I played in my short career have been against Jannik.”

Louis Vuitton Revives Its Core Values Campaign with Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer

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Rafael Nadal is embracing legend-making journeys…

Louis Vuitton has revived its Core Values campaign with the 37-year-old Spanish professional tennis player and his longtime tennis rival and friend Roger Federer.

Rafael Nadal & Roger FedererThe campaign, shot by iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, features the former ATP World No. 1 players, a rare off-the-court pairing, ascending to the summit of Italy’s Dolomites mountain range. The imagery fits the campaign’s tagline: “There are Journeys that turn into Legends.”

The newly released campaign features Federer and Nadal 3,000 meters high, standing tall on the mountain peak. In the imagery, Federer sports a Monogram Christopher backpack while Nadal is pictured with the Monogram Eclipse version.

For the campaign, Nadal and Federer are not competitors but instead companions for one another on the journey up the mountain — a visual metaphor for their careers which have been “marked by deep mutual respect and friendship,” according to the luxury brand.

“I know how many important icons have been part of this campaign, so for me personally, being part of it is something that I am very proud of, especially sharing it with Roger,” Nadal said in a release.

“He has been my biggest rival and now a close friend today,” Nadal continued. Federer shared similar sentiments.

“It’s a unique opportunity to be working on this campaign with Rafa,” Federer said in a release. “How we could be such rivals and then at the end of our careers be beside each other doing this campaign has been very cool. And where we are here today, I think it also embodies everything: at the peak of the mountains. For us it is something meaningful and special.”

Federer officially retired from tennis in 2022. Meanwhile, Nadal recently said that his own retirement is likely close.

Louis Vuitton originally launched the Core Values campaign in 2007 and has featured a slew of stars including Angelina Jolie, Bono, Sean Connery, Steffi Graf, Keith Richards, Muhammad Ali, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Sally Ride, Buzz Aldrid and more.

The luxury fashion house aims for every Core Values campaign, and every Louis Vuitton design, to echo a trio of values: a journey beyond the physical, a commitment to excellence and a transmission of dreams.

The Core Values campaign will be released on Louis Vuitton’s social media channels and in print insertions on May 18.

Rafael Nadal Outlasts Pedro Cachin to Reach Round of 16 at Madrid Open

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Rafael Nadal’s optimism is on the rise…

After spending more than three hours on court and earning a hard-fought win, the 37-year-old Spanish professional tennis star is feeling optimistic.

Rafael NadalNadal’s body withstood its toughest test yet at the Madrid Open as he needed three sets to get past 91st-ranked Pedro Cachin on Monday.

Nadal didn’t show any signs of physical limitations as he won 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to make it to the round of 16 at the clay-court tournament where he is the record five-time champion.

“It’s positive, now I don’t feel that something went wrong on my body, but I need to wait until tomorrow, being 100% honest,” he said. “I am trying my best to keep dreaming. Tomorrow is another day to keep dreaming. To keep playing in front of this amazing crowd and, to me, that means everything.”

Nadal will next face 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka.

He said he needs “to find a way to be able to play days in a row and still be competitive.”

“I don’t know if I am in that moment yet,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion said. “Let’s see what can happen tomorrow. But I going to try. I going to do the things the right way to try to be ready for tomorrow.”

Nadal is trying to get in shape for next month’s French Open. Since his latest injury layoff, he’s had two matches in Barcelona and was pessimistic about his physical condition after arriving in Madrid. But he’s won three more times in the capital.

Nadal again looked comfortable early on against Cachin. The Argentine fought back in the second set but was broken twice while serving for the set. Cachin eventually prevailed in the tiebreaker.

Nadal didn’t look as loose in the final set, but did look tired. He wasn’t as consistent with his shots but picked up three breaks to seal the victory to the delight of the local crowd in the Caja Magica.

“I took more risks in the third set, but it’s hard after so many months without competing,” Nadal said. “I hadn’t played a match like this in a long time. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow. I don’t know how I’m going to wake up. But I’m already happy for having won three matches in a row.”

Cachin asked for Nadal’s shirt after congratulating him at the net, and received the gift moments later

Rafael Nadal Plans to Compete at This Year’s Laver Cup As Retirement Looms

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Rafael Nadal is hoping to Laver the game on a special note…

The 37-year-old Spanish professional tennis player is planning to play at the Laver Cup in Berlin this September in what may be one of the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s last tournaments.

Rafael NadalNadal has signaled 2024 may be his last year on tour and said last week that his second-round loss to Alex de Minaur at the Barcelona Open, which he has won 12 times, was “probably my last match here.”

“At this stage in my career I really want to go out there and make the most of every opportunity I am given,” Nadal said in a statement.

Nadal has long struggled with injuries and has played just five competitive matches this year, three in Brisbane in January and two in Barcelona last week.

The Laver Cup, to be held from September 20-22, is an indoor hard-court men’s competition pitting Team Europe against Team World in a format similar to that of golf’s Ryder Cup.

Nadal and Roger Federer teamed up in the doubles at the 2022 Laver Cup in London for the Swiss great’s last match before retirement.

“I am very happy to be playing Laver Cup in Berlin for Team Europe,” Nadal said. “I have some really special memories from my Laver Cup experiences, including all the emotions from London two years ago playing alongside Roger for the last time.”

Aitana Bonmatí Named Best Sportswoman at Laureus World Sports Awards

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Aitana Bonmatí has earned a special recognition…

Winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards have been revealed, with the 26-year-old Spanish professional footballer – a midfielder for the Spanish national women’s soccer team and Liga F club Barcelona – named best sportswoman.

Aitana BonmatíBonmati and her Spanish teammates, who won Spain’s first-ever Women’s World Cup last year, were chosen as world team of the year for 2023.

Novak Djokovic received the sportsman of the year at the ceremony in Madrid, and American gymnast Simone Biles was given the comeback of the year award.

Real Madrid forward Jude Bellingham earned the breakthrough prize, and Rafael Nadal won the sport for good award thanks to his foundation.

The Spanish women’s World Cup breakthrough last August in New Zealand and Australia was tarnished in the following weeks because of an unwanted kiss of forward Jenni Hermoso by then-federation president Luis Rubiales after the final.

Laureus rewarded Spain as the first all-female team to win the team award.

Before the World Cup, Bonmatí also helped Barcelona win a second Women’s Champions League.

She’s the first female soccer player to win the Laureus, after also receiving the Ballon d’Or and FIFA best player award.

“I want to thank all my teammates and the staff of my club and national team who have helped me a lot, and because of them I am here today,” Bonmati said.

Djokovic won his record-equaling fifth Laureus sportsman award — tying Roger Federer — after titles at the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open to reach a record 24 Grand Slam singles triumphs. NFL great Tom Brady presented Djokovic the award.

Biles made a record-breaking return to competition last year when she won four gold medals at the world championships, including a record sixth all-around title.

Nadal’s foundation was rewarded for helping more than “1,000 vulnerable young people in Spain and India,” according to Laureus.

Teenager Arisa Trew won the action sportsperson award after becoming the first female skateboarder to land a 720 in competition.

Dutch wheelchair player Diede de Groot was selected as the sportsperson of the year with a disability after winning her third straight calendar tennis Grand Slam.

Julen Agirrezabala Makes Great Save to Help Athletic Bilbao Claim Copa del Rey Title

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Julen Agirrezabala is celebrating a massive save that helped his team win a historic title…

The 23-year-old Spanish professional footballer and goalkeeper for Athletic Bilbao saved a spot kick from Mallorca‘s Manu Morlanes as Athletic Club beat Mallorca 4-2 on penalties on Saturday to win their 24th Copa del Rey title and their first since 1984, ending a 40-year major silverware drought in a nerve-wracking final in Seville.

Julen AgirrezabalaAlong with Agirrezabala’s great save, Nemanja Radonjic missed the goal with his effort.

Meanwhile Athletic’s penalty takers were flawless in their execution, scoring all of their first four.

Iker Muniain received the trophy from Spanish King Felipe VI before lifting it high for his team and fans to celebrate.

Since their last Copa del Rey triumph, Athletic had lost six straight finals, including in 2020 and 2021.

Only Barcelona and their 31 Copas have more than Athletic, despite the team from Bilbao fielding players only from or near Spain’s northern Basque Country region.

Athletic’s only previous silverware in the last 40 years has been two Spanish Supercopa triumphs, in 2015 and 2021.

“We’ve made history. The fans deserve it… I’ve dreamed a lot about this,” an emotional man-of-the-match Nico Williams told TVE. “Me, my family, my brother. I did it for my family, with what we’ve fought for. I’m happy to make history with this club.”

Valverde, who won two LaLiga titles and a Copa del Rey with Barcelona, said Saturday’s triumph was the most meaningful of his career.

“This is incredible. This doesn’t compare to any other [trophy],” he told Moistar.

“With what the stadium was like, what this competition means for our fans, the years we’ve been looking for it … and in the end, with the penalties, something they’re specialists in … It means a lot to this club.”

Athletic Bilbao, Copa del Rey 2024NBA great Steve Nash, a minority owner of Mallorca, was at the game, as well as Rafael Nadal, a native of the island of Mallorca. Each club had 20,000 tickets for traveling fans at the packed 57,000-seat La Cartuja Stadium. Some 40,000 more fans, mostly for Athletic, were expected to descend on the southern city without tickets.

Even though Athletic are fifth in LaLiga and Mallorca down in 15th place, there was little difference between them in the final. Javier Aguirre, Mallorca’s journeyman coach, succeeded in nullifying the more explosive attack of Valverde‘s Athletic.

The game had finished 1-1 after extra time. Despite Athletic dominating proceedings with almost 70% of possession, Dani Rodríguez fired in a curling shot after a couple of other efforts had been charged down, giving Mallorca the lead in the 21st minute.

But Oihan Sancet equalized in the 50th minute before Athletic laid siege to Mallorca’s goal.

They were wasteful, however, missing several chances to score late on, including Williams hitting the post in extra time. But a gritty Mallorca outfit held strong in defense and were a threat in counter-attacks as well, before finally succumbing in the shootout.

“The first thing I have to do is to congratulate Athletic and its fans. They have been waiting a long time for this,” Mallorca scorer Rodríguez said. “I am moved because I am very proud of my teammates and our supporters who accompanied us.

“Our dream was to win this cup. We tried to, but it wasn’t to be.”

Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Daniil Medvedev to Successfully Defend Indian Wells Title

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Carlos Alcaraz is celebrating a special repeat..

The 20-year-old Spanish tennis player, who arrived at Indian Wells full of doubt about his twisted right ankle, has left a two two-time champion.

Carlos AlcarazAlcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (5), 6-1 for the second straight year in the men’s final on Sunday, earning his first title since winning Wimbledon last year.

Alcaraz sprained his ankle at the Rio Open in late February. His first practice at Indian Wells lasted 30 minutes without any movement. His first practice with his fellow pros “was really tough for me,” he said in a Tennis Channel interview.

Alcaraz outlasted Jannik Sinner in a three-set semifinal after needing three sets to get out of his second-round match.

“After every match I was feeling better,” Alcaraz said. “I was getting more confident after every match. Winning a Master 1000 again, a really important tournament to win, gives you motivation to keep going.”

Alcaraz became the first man to defend his Indian Wells title since Novak Djokovic won three in a row from 2014 to 2016. He beat Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 last year in the Southern California desert.

“It’s definitely your court, you like it here,” Medvedev told Alcaraz during the victory ceremony. “Hopefully you can one day let me play a little bit better here.”

Medvedev led 3-0 in the first set while Alcaraz had eight unforced errors over those games. The Spaniard won three games in a row to tie it 3-3.

The players held serve the rest of the set, with Alcaraz serving a love game to get into the tiebreaker. He led 3-0 and 5-2 before Medvedev tied it 5-5. Alcaraz won the next two points to close it out.

Alcaraz got the only two breaks in the second set, when Medvedev had one winner and nine errors.

For the match, Alcaraz hit 25 winners and had 26 unforced errors, while Medvedev had 11 winners and 23 unforced errors.

Alcaraz is the second player to win five or more ATP Masters 1000 titles before their 21st birthday since the series began in 1990. The other is Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz earned $1.1 million for his win. That’s less than the $1.26 million the men’s champion received in 2023. This year more prize money was allocated to the earlier rounds, reducing the champions’ prize money by nearly 13%.

Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Rafael Nadal to Win Inaugural Netflix Slam

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Carlos Alcaraz has earned another type of Slam victory.

The 20-year-old Spanish tennis phenom defeated 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-4 (14-12) at the inaugural Netflix Slam in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Netflix SlamNadal, who spent almost a year on the sidelines with a hip flexor injury before suffering a muscle injury at the start of this season, said he felt “much better than expected” during the exhibition match in front of a sell-out crowd of 9,489, including Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlize Theron, Danai Gurira, Logan Lerman and Manu Rios.

The showdown, the latest in Netflix‘s push for live streaming events, pitted two superstar Spaniards in an exhibition match which was rescheduled from last year due to Nadal’s injuries and arrived just in time as the two players head to Indian Wells this week.

Nadal is returning to the tour after months away due to injury, while the match was also a bit of a physical test for Alcaraz, who suffered an injury to his right ankle at the Rio Open.

“It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times,” said Nadal.

“As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years hopefully. In Spain, we should be very, very happy about having someone like Carlos coming.

“He’s an amazing player. He’s only 20-years-old and he’s already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments.”

Facundo Díaz Acosta Defeats Nicolas Jarry at Argentina Open to Claim First-Ever ATP Tour Singles Title

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Facundo Díaz Acosta’s wild(card) ride has come to a triumphant end…

The 23-year-old Argentine professional tennis player, a wildcard at the Argentina Open, won his maiden ATP Tour singles title on Sunday by beating Chile’s Nicolás Jarry 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the clay-court tournament.

Facundo DiazThe ATP said that Diaz Acosta became only the second left-handed champion — after Rafael Nadal — at the Buenos Aires tournament.

Díaz Acosta began the week with a career-high ranking of 87. He’s set to rise to No. 59 when the rankings are released Monday.

“This is yet to sink in,” Díaz Acosta told raucous fans. “I have dreamed about this moment for a long time, working with my team and having my family to back me. It is a dream come true that this happened in Argentina.”

Third-seeded Jarry was chasing his fourth ATP title.

Díaz Acosta’s victory was easier than expected against Jarry, who struggled to compete after beating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.

Alcaraz is now set to compete at the Rio Open in Brazil, also on clay, which he won in 2022