Rafael nadal spain

The leading two positions have been occupied by a combination of the 'Big Four' ever since Rafael Nadal climbed above Lleyton Hewitt to take second place on the ladder on July 25, 2005. Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have all had spells at number one in the years since then, and no other player has had a look-in on those leading two positions. Within days, however, that is about to change, as the younger generation of players gains a first foothold in the top two. The ATP, which runs the men's game, said on Saturday that 25-year-old Medvedev is certain to nudge up one place from his current position of world number three when the rankings, are published on March 15. The Russian is currently on 9,735 points, 115 points behind Nadal, and he has a first-round bye at the Open 13 Marseille next week. The ATP, tweeted: "With the release of next week's @atptour draws, @DaniilMedwed is confirmed to become World No. 2 in @FedEx ATP Rankings on 15 March. Medvedev will … [Read more...] about Medvedev to end ‘Big Four’ rankings domination by nudging ahead of Nadal

Australian Open: Nadal schools Mmoh in Melbourne masterclass The Spaniard looked in impressive form as he swept aside Michael Mmoh 6-1 6-4 6-2 in the evening session at Melbourne Park, with perhaps the biggest hinderance for Nadal caused by a rowdy spectator who was eventually escorted out of Rod Laver Arena. Having come through qualifying, Mmoh had rallied to stun Viktor Troicki in the opening round. However, he never threatened a stunning upset of the 2009 champion, who will next face Cameron Norrie. Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev marked his birthday with a routine win of his own, the in-form Russian stretching his unbeaten run to 16 matches to suggest he is a serious contender for the title. Stefanos Tsitsipas found life a little tougher in his outing but while the Greek survived the scare to move on in the main draw, fellow seeds Borna Coric and Lorenzo Sonego were knocked out. NO VIDEO NASTY FOR NADAL Ever the consummate professional, Nadal revealed he did his … [Read more...] about Australian Open: Nadal helped out by YouTube as Medvedev enjoys birthday win

Rafael Nadal, left, jumps the net while Roger Federer watches on during their exhibition tennis match held at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday Feb. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Halden Krog) Roger Federer wasn’t going to lose this one to Rafael Nadal. Not on what felt like a homecoming for Federer, who beat his great rival 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a three-set exhibition match at a soccer stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on Friday. It was Federer’s first match in his mother’s country of birth, and the country the Swiss great rates as his second home. Almost everything was for Federer on the night. The caps and T-shirts with RF logos all across the crowd. The “Welcome home, Roger” signs being held up. The coin for the toss, a newly minted 20 Swiss Francs with Federer’s image on it. Federer recently became the first living Swiss to be engraved on one of the nation’s coins. Even South Africa’s biggest sports stars were in awe. Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s Rugby World … [Read more...] about Federer tops Nadal in South Africa with 51,000 in attendance

Switzerland’s Roger Federer reacts after his victory against Spain’s Rafael Nadal during their tennis match at The Match in Africa at the Cape Town Stadium, in Cape Town on February 7, 2020. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP) Roger Federer has undergone surgery to resolve a longstanding knee problem and said Thursday he would be out of action until after the French Open while his rivals backed the 38-year-old to return as strong as ever. The 20-times Grand Slam winner revealed on his Facebook account that he underwent surgery in Switzerland on Wednesday and would miss a string of tournaments including the May 24-June 7 French Open. “As a result, I will miss Dubai, Indian Wells, Bogota, Miami and the French Open,” he said. Federer, who has amassed 103 career titles, explained that he had intended to avoid surgery if possible but the problem in his right knee refused to go away. He will now target a return for the grass court season and an assault on a ninth Wimbledon title after … [Read more...] about Roger Federer targets Wimbledon after knee surgery blow

The former world No.1 has not played competitively since his semifinal exit at the 2020 Australian Open – the 20-time Grand Slam champion having undergone knee surgery last year. The 39-year-old opted not to travel to Melbourne for this year's Australian Open, but he is set to make his comeback in Doha. Federer to begin season in Doha, eyes Wimbledon and Tokyo Olympics Before departing for Qatar, Federer said on Friday: "It's been a year since my last travel to any event and I'm very excited. "This is the moment where I could maybe thank all the people involved who made this possible. "It's been a long and hard road. I know I'm not at the finish line yet, but it's good." pic.twitter.com/gKozILCRbX — Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) March 5, 2021 Federer holds the record for most Qatar ExxonMobil Open titles with three, with his most recent success at the ATP 250 event coming in 2011. The 103-time Tour-level champion added: "I feel like I'm in a good place, … [Read more...] about Federer excited ahead of ATP return in Doha