Tag: Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic pulls out of Miami Open to spend time with family | Tennis News – Times of India

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World number one Novak Djokovic will delay his comeback to the ATP Tour following a muscle injury after deciding to skip the Miami Open starting next week to spend more time with his family.
Djokovic sustained a muscle tear that hindered him during his successful Australian Open title defence last month and the 33-year-old planned to return at Miami before playing the Monte-Carlo Masters and the ATP 250 Serbia Open.
“Dear fans, I’m very sorry to announce that this year I won’t travel to Miami to compete,” Djokovic tweeted.
“I decided to use this precious time at home to stay with my family. With all restrictions, I need to find balance in my time on tour and at home. I look forward to coming back next year.”

Djokovic, who won his 18th Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park, eclipsed Roger Federer‘s all-time record for most weeks as the men’s world number one on March 8 when he moved past the Swiss to hold the top ranking for the 311th week.
He said at the time that his focus would be on winning more majors, adding he would make necessary adjustments to his playing schedule to achieve that goal.
Rafa Nadal also decided to skip the March 22-April 4 Masters 1000 event to recover from a back injury, while Federer will not be present as he works his way back to full fitness after two knee operations in the past 12 months.
U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem will miss the event and return to the tour during the European claycourt season. World number two Daniil Medvedev is set to lead the field.
Former champion Andy Murray will also feature, having been given a wildcard by the tournament organisers.



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No queue, reduced crowds at Wimbledon as COVID-19 causes ticketing change | Tennis News – Times of India

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Wimbledon’s famous ticket queue will not operate this year and the number of fans inside the grounds at the grasscourt Grand Slam is likely to be reduced, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said on Thursday.
The queue, which has become part of Wimbledon folklore, with fans lining up from the early hours and even camping overnight to snap up tickets for the showcourts and grounds, will be abandoned for this year’s tournament in favour of online sales.
The Wimbledon Championships were cancelled last year for the first time in the Open era due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the AELTC board hopes to welcome fans back in June-July.
“At this point in time, the most likely outcome for this year’s Championships, as an outdoor venue, is a reduced number of spectators within the grounds,” it said in a statement.
“For this reason, we want to ensure that we can leave decisions on public capacity as late as we can in order to welcome the maximum number of guests, and manage our ticket distribution accordingly.
“Given the likelihood of continued social distancing requirements and with consideration for the health and safety of all the public, there will not be a Queue or Ticket Resale in operation for this year’s Championships.”
The board also said those who were successful in the public ballot last year will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2022 edition for the same day and court.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is not holding a ballot for tickets this year, with an online platform in place for ticket sales in June and there will be no reselling within the grounds.
“Both the queue and ticket resale remain much-loved and important traditions and we look forward to their return in 2022,” added the statement.
AELTC chairman Ian Hewitt said that while the promise of a return to a more normal existence was on the horizon, we are not there yet.
“As such, we have taken some key decisions in order to provide us with some certainty in our planning, and yet also to retain flexibility where we need it the most,” he said.
The AELTC also said that any players who wish to participate at the Championships this year must stay at the official hotels to minimise risk and curb the spread of the virus.

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Andy Murray granted wild card for Miami Open | Tennis News – Times of India

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Former champion Andy Murray has been granted a wild card for this month’s Miami Open, tournament organisers said on Monday.
The British ex-world number one, who has fallen to 116 in the rankings after long injury lay-offs because of hip surgeries, is a two-time Miami Open champion having won the title in 2009 and 2013.
“It is exciting to see Andy back in Miami,” Miami Open Tournament Director and former player James Blake said in a news release.
“As someone who has had to battle back from injury during his career, I understand and respect all the hard work Andy has put in to get back on tour.”
Murray, a three-times Grand Slam champion, has had a stop-start year after he was unable to fly to the Australian Open after testing positive for COVID-19.
The 33-year-old Briton’s last tournament was the Rotterdam Open where he was beaten by Russian Andrey Rublev two weeks ago. He then decided to sit out this week’s Dubai Championships after his wife gave birth to their fourth child.
The Miami Open, which will feature 74 of the top 77 ranked men, is scheduled to run from March 22-April 4.

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Rafael Nadal not ready to play yet due to back issue, skips Dubai event | Tennis News – Times of India

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Rafael Nadal will not compete at next week’s ATP 500 event in Dubai as he has not recovered fully from a back issue sustained ahead of the Australian Open, the world No.2 said on Thursday.
Nadal struggled with the problem in the build-up to the year’s first Grand Slam and skipped Spain’s ATP Cup ties but still managed to reach the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park without dropping a set before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 34-year-old 20-times Grand Slam champion has not played since that defeat and was awarded a wild card to compete at the March 14-20 tournament in Dubai.
“I would like to thank the @DDFTennis for the wild card invitation sent to me,” Nadal said on Twitter.
“We seriously thought about coming to play, but I don’t think I am ready to play yet.”

Nadal is still entered at the Miami Open, an ATP 1000 event to be held from March 24-April 4.



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After eclipsing Roger Federer’s world number one record, Novak Djokovic eyes Grand Slam history | Tennis News – Times of India

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PARIS: Novak Djokovic will on Monday set a new landmark of 311 weeks as world number one, surpassing Roger Federer whose hold on a record-equalling 20 Grand Slam titles is now firmly in the Serb’s sights.
The 33-year-old Djokovic, already the winner of 18 majors, has time on his side with Federer turning 40 in August.
He is also a year younger than Rafael Nadal who also has 20 majors.
“Now that I’ve become the historic No.1, I’m relieved,” said Djokovic after sweeping to a ninth Australian Open last month which guaranteed his extended stay at the top.
Longest reigns as world number number one in men’s tennis:
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 311 weeks
2. Roger Federer (SUI) 310
3. Pete Sampras (USA) 286
4. Ivan Lendl (CZE) 270
5. Jimmy Connors (USA) 268
6. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 209
7. John McEnroe (USA) 170
8. Bjorn Borg (SWE) 109
9. Andre Agassi (USA) 101
10. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 80
“Now, I’m going to be able to focus mainly on the Grand Slams.”
Djokovic reclaimed the top ranking from Nadal in February 2020 and finished as year-end number one for the sixth time, tying the mark set by Pete Sampras.
He is currently in his fifth different spell atop the rankings.
Nadal, currently at number two, has been at the top for ‘only’ 209 weeks in total although the 13-time Roland Garros champion can boast being a top 10 ever-present since April 2005.
He will, however, lose his world number two spot to Daniil Medvedev a week on Monday.
Federer, who returns to action in Doha next week after more than a year out of action to recover from two knee surgeries, will slip out of the top five on Monday.
Djokovic made his top 100 debut in July 2005, just weeks after Nadal had won his first Roland Garros.
He was top 50 in June 2006, top 20 for the first time in October 2006 and top 10 by March 2007.
He first became world number one at the age of 24 on July 4, 2011, the day after winning Wimbledon for the first time, beating Nadal in the final.
Only a six-month injury absence in 2017 saw his ranking plunge, all the way to 22 the following summer.
It was just a blip — Djokovic was back at number one again by November and with the exception of November 2019 until January last year, when Nadal reclaimed pole position, he has been rock solid.
Few would bet against Djokovic, who in 2016 was the first man to break the $100 million prize money barrier, ending his career with more Slams than Federer and Nadal.
In head-to-heads, he leads Federer 27-23 and has won all six of their last meetings at the majors, including 2019’s epic Wimbledon final where he saved two match points.
Federer hasn’t beaten Djokovic at the Slams since Wimbledon in 2012.
Against Nadal, he has a 29-27 lead and is still one of only two men to have beaten the Spaniard at Roland Garros since 2005.
At least Nadal, however, can boast comfortably seeing off Djokovic in the 2020 Roland Garros final, denying the Serb the opportunity to become the first man in half a century to win all four Slams more than once.
Djokovic, whose lone French Open title came in 2016, has comfortably more Australian Opens than Federer (six) and Nadal (one).
His Wimbledon total stands at five to Federer’s eight and Nadal’s two.
At the US Open, he has three to Federer’s five and Nadal’s four.
“Obviously I have in my mind to win more Grand Slam titles and to break records.
“Until I retire from the tour, I will be devoting most of my attention and energy to winning the other major titles,” Djokovic said.

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