ATP
No cakewalk for Carlos
CONTROVERSY over the size of a birthday cake engulfed the Madrid Open on Friday as both Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka celebrated their birthdays.
Organisers gave both cakes – and that’s where the controversy began.
Sabalenka received hers backstage, as she wasn’t playing, but Alcvaraz, who was on court at the Manolo Santana Stadium, received his cake in full view of the fans.
And the cake was twice the size!
Some questioned the gender issue again – but Madrid does pay equal prize money – and Holger Rune received a cake, equal in size to Sabalenka’s, without a murmur of dissent.
Tournament director Feliciano was quick to defend the organisers’ choices, as he also mentioned that Holger Rune got a similar cake.
“I’m surprised by this reaction after this gesture! 1. Carlos had just won his match to reach the final. 2. He was playing on centre court. 3. The tournament is played in Spain, even though it is an international event. PS: I hope Rune wasn’t also upset by his treatment.”
Meanwhile, back to the tennis…
Rafa, who’s Rafa?
Travel Madrid’s metro rail, system and you will soon realise Spain is moving on, ready to embrace their next big tennis talent: Carlos Alcaraz.
Countless adverts run the length of the rail network, all with the face of the world No.2 on them, with barely any sign of Nadal.
The Murcian-born player, 20 on Friday, is now taking over from his idol as Spain’s No.1 star, some say it’s becoming as loud and passionate as Beatlemania. Some.
But Alcaraz just takes it in his stride, seemingly undaunted by all the media hype.
Even when soccer stars from the famed Real Madrid come looking for an autograph as Vinicius Junior, Fede Valverde, Dani Ceballos and Rodrygo did last week.
For the record, he currently has 9 titles to his credit including 1 Grand Slam (US Open), 3 Masters 1000, 3 ATP 500 and 2 ATP 250.
And Rafa? He was hoping to return in Rome next week, but it’s not be and now there is massive question mark over Roland Garros.
STILL in Spain, The Madrid Open has come under fire for using models instead of ball girls and boys.
The models, both men and women, have been used on the tournament’s main court, La Caja Magica Stadium, which played host to Carlos Alcaraz’s 6-4, 7-5 quarter-final win over Karen Khachanov.
IS it all over for Emma Raducanu?
The young Brit announced during the week she would miss both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year after undergoing surgery on her right hand.
Raducanu will also have procedures on her left hand and her ankle, in a bid to overcome a series of injuries that have plagued her career since she won the US Open in 2021.
Raducanu posted a picture of herself laying in a hospital bed with her fingers protruding from a large bandage.
She is unlikely to return to action until September at the earliest, ruling her out of New York as well.
“It is safe to say the last 10 months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands,” Raducanu wrote on social media.
“I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it for most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try [to] heal it. Unfortunately, it’s not enough.”
The 20-year-old will drop out of the world’s top 100 this week, but many are now asking if her career is now almost at an end.
She is now in the sporting version of the last chance saloon, if this series of operations doesn’t see an improved win-loss margin when she does eventually return the court, it could all be over before she is 22.
AMANDA Anisimova has hit back at cruel fans who believe she has the wrong body to succeed in tennis.
One fan sent her a private message after she posted a picture on social media.
It read: “The most unathletic body ever! Narrow shoulders and giant boobs.”
Anisimova replied ‘thank you’ but then added the screenshot to her story with a caption stating: “I don’t know what to think? The amount of people who comment on my body every day on social media … will never understand what the hyper fixation is about. But enjoy your life, I’ll go enjoy mine. Thanks for all the input.”
SERENA Williams certainly made jaws drop in New York during the week when she attended the annual Met Gala and revealed that she and husband Alexis Ohanian were expecting their second child.
Williams, 41, let is slip – or was it planned? – during an interview, showing off her bump and telling everyone baby No.2 was on its way.
Then later joking she might call the new arrival after a Disney character.
“I was thinking about… I don’t know the gender, I don’t know if we’re having a girl or a boy,” Williams said.
“So, I’m thinking about some names and I was like maybe I should do something with my favourite Disney characters because I love Disney and as you know, I’m like their biggest fan.
“So, if it’s a girl, it could be like Maleficent, that’s how you say it? It could be Scar if it’s a boy, love Scar, misunderstood a little bit. What else? Gaston, how could I forget Gaston?
“Ursula, classic, got to love Ursula. Lady Gothel, maybe I can call her Lady Gothel if it’s a girl. So just been through these names. Telling you, I’m onto something.”
Sunday Serve is happy to admit it knows of none of those names.
FORMER world No 276 Baptiste Crepatte has been banned from competing at ATP Tour and ITF-sanctioned tournaments after he was found guilty of match-fixing by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
Crepatte has been given a three-year ban for multiple breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program rules, which “caused significant damage to the sport’s integrity”, according to the ITIA.
The 29-year-old contested the charges, but the independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer, Professor Richard McLaren upheld the charges.
IGA Swiatek took aim at the scheduling at the Madrid Open after losing a three-set final to Aryna Sabalenka.
The world No.1 finished her round-of-16 match at 1am and was playing until midnight in the semi-final.
“It’s not fun to play at 1am though but I’m happy anyway that I was able to get past this experience and survive and be in the final,” she said.
“This hour is tricky only because what’s going on after, you know, going to sleep really late and then waking up the next day. But before the match and during, I don’t think it matters. We just have to kind of adjust tactics.”
AND finally …
Tennis reporter Bastien Fachan has had some fun with AI generated paintings that look align with several player’s nicknames.
Fachan posted the images on his Twitter profile in a thread and featured players include Tsitsipas, Sinner Djokovic, Nadal, Shapovalov, Schwartzman, Rune, Ruud, de Minaur, Medvedev and Musetti.
Alexander Zverev on Thursday made a long-sought after return to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, booking his first final four at the event since 2019, defeating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4.
The 2027 year-end No. 1 last got this far as the Covid pandemic began to surface in China in 2019. The event was not played 2020-2022, with the German making modest progress here over the past three editions since resumption.
After winning his 62nd match of the season, the 29-year-old was pleased with his performance.
“I think it was a huge step up. From just being on the court I felt both of us were playing really well.
“I was, a lot of the time, outhitting Alex, which is difficult to do from the baseline because he is so fast and he loves this kind of court speed here.
“I felt good and I’m happy with the step up from the past couple of matches.”
Zverev advanced in 78 minutes, sending over 10 aces as he defeated the Australian for the ninth time in their 13 matches.
Added the reigning Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows Grand Slam champion: “I’ve been handling pressure quite okay this year. In a way you play a bit more relaxed.
“Once Jannik (SInner) unfortunately announced he won’t play for the rest of the year, I’m 4,000 points ahead of everyone else, so I trust myself enough that I’m going to win [enough matches].
Zverev will play for the final to wrap up the Asian swing as he takes on Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who advanced when Arthur Gea quit their quarter-final with injury.
Alexander Zverev marked his new status as sure-thing year-end No. 1 by reaching the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday by posting a fighting 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (1) victory over Alexander Bublik..
The 29-year-old German whose two Grand Slam titles this season and the absence of injured Jannik Sinner helped him into the top spot for the first time, needed to save four early set points and deal with an ank;e issue on his journey into the last eight.
Zverev moved through in just under two and three-quarter hours to set up a match with last week’s Beijing finalist Alex de Minaur, The Australian booked his spot over Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4.
Zverev will be playing in his 40th quarter-final in a Masters 1000 and is on the hunt for an eighth trophy this season.
He said his ankle was giving problems – but not enough to affect the match outcome.”It was kind of understandable because I have been playing a lot of tennis, which is kind of a good sign because I have been playing well.
“I’m starting to feel my body more and more but happy to get through. It was a difficult match because he has been playing amazing tennis,” he said after coming from a break down in the deciding set.
De Minaur has bounced back nicely in Shanghai after quitting the Tokyo final against Carlos Alcaraz with an adductor muscle injury.
Stefanos Tsitsipas willed himself to a 401st Tour win on Monday, with the Greek advancing to the Shanghai Masters 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, over world No. 12 Taylor Fritz to reach the fourth round.
The win leaves the Greek with a 5-2 record against the American in a series dating back nine years.
The cerebral Tsitsipas credited the victory to some simple mental gymnastics.
“I was manifesting today’s match and trying to put myself in a victorious situation,” he said.
“I’ve always had big fights against him. Some of my biggest matches were played facing him on the other side of the court. I had to up my level.
“Once I started doing that, a lot of doors were open and I was really able to unleash my biggest potential out there.”
The match ended on an unusual note as the ball twice fell from the pocket of Fritz, causing each of the points in question to be replayed.
Tsitsipas missed on three match points in the mistake-marred game but secured the fightback victory a game later after two and a quarter hours.
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