JUNE 2016
TENNISHE AD.NET
THE WORLD’ S BE S T TENNIS MAG A ZINE M A D E I N B R I TA I N
KING OF CLAY
RAFA
RIO 2016 What it means for tennis in Brazil
Return to winning ways
RICHARD GASQUET Analysis of that backhand
ROLAND GARROS A NEW WOMEN’S CHAMPION?
PATRICK MOURATOGLOU How to play on clay
RACKET REVIEWS WEAPONS FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS
JAMIE MURRAY ON BEING NUMBER ONE
PLUS
Danka Kovinic // Hyeon Chung // Juan Carlos Ferrero // Tenerife Tennis
JUNE 2016
£4.99
T hi si sas el ec t i onofpa gesf r om t hel a t es ti s s ue . E a c h i s s uei sbur s t i ngwi t hf ea t ur esa ndphot os . T os ubs c r i bet oei t herdi gi t a l orpr i ntv er s i ons s i gnupa t :
www. t enni s hea d. net / s hop
june 2016
contents 42 74
© Twitter/Djokovic
8 10
WIN GRASS COURT TICKETS 36
30
upfront
features
academy
08 rafa's return
30 Maiden title
54 Gasquet one-hander
Back to winning ways
10 Jamie Murray
Scot enjoying life as world No.1
16 Danka Kovinic
Flying the flag for Montenegro
20 In pictures
Stunning images from the tour
Will we see a new French Open champion in 2016?
36 Summer Loving
Win tickets and get ready for the British grass court season 42 Olympic ambitions All eyes on Rio for the tennis events at the 2016 Games 48 Hyeon Chung South Korea’s trailblazer talks to tennishead
Analysis of Richard Gasquet’s backhand
56 Patrick Mouratoglou
His tips for playing on clay
60 In confidence
Why building belief in your game is key
62 Personal development
Mats Merkel is using a business tool to unlock tennis potential
66 High Intensity
Add some zip to your game with fitness drills from Brooks Moving Comfort
50 Breakfast with a champion
98 last word
Former British No.1 Mark Petchey picks his men to watch this summer
71
gear news
Babolat launches Roland Garros POP
73 Pro Shop
The latest kit from Pro-Direct
80 Weapons of choice
Get the lowdown on this year’s rackets for advanced players
subscribe today
Save money on every issue and have tennishead delivered straight to your door.
88 results and rankings
Tour results from March and April
contenTs
Why do players smash their rackets?
gear
74 Breaking Point
tennishead.net
Why Juan Carlos Ferrero’s tennis academy retains the personal touch
5
10
j a m i e m u r r ay ďƒ˜
Paul Newman is the tennis correspondent of The Independent and i.
tennishead.net
Words Paul Newman
jamie murray
1
Three years after seriously considering quitting the sport, Jamie Murray is enjoying being world No.1
11
30
Maiden Title Justine Henin, Anastasia Myskina, Ana Ivanovic, Francesca Schiavone and Li Na all won their first Grand Slam titles at the French Open. Could this be the year when the likes of Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza or Agnieszka Radwanska follow in their footsteps? Words PAUL NEWMAN
31
In August all eyes will be on Brazil as the world’s best athletes descend on Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games
© eoM
Words Jo carTer
42
OL
AMBI
rio 2016
TIONS.
tennishead.net
YMPIC
43
Framebyframe
The Gasquet backhand
Quite simply one of the sweetest, purest and most attractive strokes in the game. David Sammel breaks down the Frenchman's backhand
1
Richard has a traditional high racket on the backswing. Note the placement of the right foot which is turned slightly inwards towards the court. Given that he steps across his body and has fantastic shoulder rotation it is this slightly inward placing of the foot that will allow full hip rotation and transference of body weight.
2
Almost every topspin or flat groundstroke calls for the racket head to drop below the ball before contact. In this picture you can clearly see Richard’s racket head has dropped below the ball and he will accelerate quickly up through the shot. As with all good players, you can see his head has still not moved.
One hand or two – you decide The single-handed backhand is arguably the prettiest shot in tennis, but is it more effective than using two hands on the racket? It is far more difficult for juniors and beginners to learn a one-handed backhand compared to a two-handed backhand. Unless a young player starting out has an extremely natural one-handed swing and seems awkward with the two-hander, I would advise going with the two-hander. Control and the ability to return serve or take on higher balls with a two-hander is far easier than using just one hand. 54
3
It is crucial that contact with the ball is made out in front of your body and that you can see the racket just after contact – it should be in front and rising up through the ball. This acceleration is helped by the drive up from the right leg which in this picture is straightening. And his head? You guessed it, still perfectly still to help his balance.
academy
We're blessed with some fine examples of the one-handed backhand in professional tennis – as well as Gasquet, Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Carla Suarez Navarro and of course Roger Federer all hit the shot beautifully. One advantage one-handers have is the ease with which players can switch from topspin to slice, which certainly helps when coming forward to the net and also with defence. Try to learn to hit the ball with slice too so you can add variation to your game, and also focus on the contact point – it is very difficult to control the one-handed backhand if you happen to be late with your contact.
The forearm and wrist have rotated, giving the finishing touch to the topspin and because of the leg drive combined with the racket acceleration upwards his weight has transferred to the back foot. The reason the ball does not hit the back fence is his ability to keep his shoulders over the ball. His head has continued to remain still.
6
This picture shows the discipline needed to consistently hit a good onehanded backhand. Richard is fully rotated and now he is pushing from the left leg against the momentum of the weight going backwards by keeping his shoulders slightly forward and his head still, resisting the natural forces to lean back.
Meet your coach: David Sammel David has more than 25 years' experience, coaching pros to careerhigh rankings, many of whom have represented their countries in Davis Cup and at the Olympics. David, who became an official ATP coach in 2014, regularly contributes to the UK's tennis media including BBC Radio 5 Live, The Times newspaper and Sky Sports. In 2014, David released a psychology and coaching book – Locker Room Power – Building an Athlete's Mind. www.lockerroompower.com
frame by frame
5
I love this picture which I call 'flinging the frisbee'. This shows the shot in all its glory – Richard has flung his arm upwards and allowed the wrist to accelerate so both arm and wrist are fully extended. This picture gives the best indication of the freedom and uninhibited pace of the follow through.
tennishead.net
4
55
biog r aphy Patrick Mouratoglou is the founder and Head Coach at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy which is based near Paris. Founded in 1996, it is now considered to be one of the best in the world and offers personalised training which is tailored to each of its players’ individual needs.
Slip, sliding away There may be little difference these days between the playing surfaces, but playing on clay still demands some specific skills Words Patrick Mouratoglou
S
panish and Argentinian men used to dominate at the French Open. Because clay was so much slower than hard or grass courts, players who had grown up on clay had a huge advantage over their rivals. Rafael Nadal has of course maintained that Spanish domination, but he has been a one-off. If it had not been for Rafa I do not believe there would have been any recent Spanish champions in Paris. Instead Roger Federer would have won the title many times, along with Novak Djokovic. The slowing down of hard and grass courts means that at no time in the history of tennis has there been as little difference between the playing surfaces as there is today. As a consequence, the best players – especially in the men’s game – play well on all surfaces. When switching to clay they also need to make fewer adjustments than their predecessors did. Nevertheless, playing on clay still requires particular skills. Those skills can be acquired, though it is always harder for players who did not learn the game on clay when they were children. This is especially true when it comes to sliding, which will always be one of the main distinguishing aspects of clay-court tennis. Sliding is usually much easier for players who have grown up on clay. Even if they spend long periods of the year on hard courts, sliding comes naturally to them when they go back to clay. However, players who grew up on hard courts almost invariably have to go through a re-learning process whenever they return to clay.
56
ďƒ˜ tennishead.net
In the past there have been top male players, like Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick, who did not slide. Today virtually all the top men do it
P at r i c k M o u r at o g l o u
academy
57
Breaking Point Throwing your tennis racket in frustration is a petulant, expensive habit – so why do so many players do it? Who better to ask than Marat Safin, Goran Ivanisevic, and Lucien Freud… Words michael beattie
“In my career I have broken 1,055 rackets,” Safin admits. “I know the exact number, because HEAD gave me a snowboard with the number imprinted.” He may already be a member of the racket abusers’ hall of fame, but Safin is far from alone. Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and reformed hot-head Roger Federer have all totalled countless frames. Andy Murray is far from immune – in one standout session, after the 2015 Australian Open final, he systematically shattered each of his rackets in turn. For better or worse, racket smashing is a part of the fabric of professional tennis, where the cost of blaming your tools is a code violation and a fine – unlike the rest of us, who are left with an expensive trip to the pro shop. Of course, no retrospective on the finest racket remodelers in history is complete without 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, who gauged his own retirement rate at around 60 frames per season. In Mark Hodgkinson’s 'Game Set and Match: Secret Weapons of the World’s Top Tennis Players', the lefthanded ace machine argued that such controlled explosions let players show a little personality. “If you want to break a racket, you should be allowed to break a racket,” he insists. “If, like me, you have a talent for it,
McEnroe is among the most vociferous of traditionalists, having advocated for a return to low-power, smaller-headed rackets – and, in an ideal world, wooden frames 74
© JUERGEN HASENKOPF
S
hortly after Wimbledon, Marat Safin will become the first Russian member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The US Open, Australian Open and two-time Davis Cup champion will join fellow former world No.1 Justine Henin in Newport, Rhode Island, for the induction ceremony on July 16. While some consider Safin’s induction an odd choice – ahead of Russian’s first world No.1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, for example, who won more career titles and an Olympic gold medal – for most it is a no-brainer. The ‘Headless Horseman’, as the late Bud Collins dubbed him, had talent to burn; but for a string of injuries, off-court distractions and a notoriously short temper, he might have achieved so much more. Safin summed up his attitude to tennis with the immortal line: “Today I smash rackets for tomorrow we die” – equal parts mantra and mission statement. Tortured genius? Probably. Racket-torturing genius? Undoubtedly. Safin made smashing rackets an art form, each outburst an axe-drop that would make a lumberjack proud. The Russian holds the record for most rackets broken during competition in a single season: 48 met their end in 2009, not to mention those that failed crash tests during training.
75
tennishead.net
ďƒ˜
Breaking Point
REVIEWS 2016
Frame on...
Our testers put eleven of the best frames available for advanced players through their paces to help you decide which ones to try before you buy
I
t’s that time of year again. For those of us who love nothing more than unwrapping a brand new frame, it’s like Christmas come early. Manufacturers have recently released the newest upgrades to their arsenal of rackets and the entire outdoor season lies ahead, full of possibilities. But which frame to select? In the first of our 2016 racket reviews, we tested those designed for the very best players. Every element of a racket's design – weight, head size, beam width, balance, string pattern and flexibility – is specifically manufactured for a player with a certain set of needs.
80
Advanced players need rackets that promote control rather than heaps of power. Since better players do not have a problem muscling the ball, it’s all about getting optimum feel, spin and control once the point is under way. Our testers included Elliot, 25 who is a tennis coach and club player with a 6.2 rating, Howard, 23, club player with a 9.1 rating, Sarah, 19, coach and player with a 2.2 rating and Adam, 29, coach and county player. They put the frames through their paces. Thanks to Bromley Tennis Centre for the use of their courts. bromleytenniscentre.co.uk
GEAR
Best for Power
Babolat Pure Aero Tour RRP: £210 // Head size: 100 sq.in // Unstrung weight: 315g String pattern: 16 x 19 // Balance: 315mm // Beam: 23-26-23mm
With a reputation for manufacturing rock solid frames, Babolat’s Pure Aero Tour lands towards the heavier end of the advanced racket spectrum and because of that it packs quite a punch. This 315g beast – the frame’s unstrung weight – and its fairly generous 100-square-inch racket face (for bats aimed at the more talented end of the market) means generating power will never be a problem. In fact, that’s exactly what the testers found, but generally that seemed to be more of a negative than a positive. While this packed a punch, both Adam and Elliot felt its power at times was too hot to handle, with Adam describing it as “unpredictable”. Our testers loved the look though. “Very cool,” they agreed.
Best vAlue
Dunlop Force 98 RRP: £159.99 // Head size: 98 sq.in // Unstrung weight: 300g String pattern: 16 x 19 // Balance: 325mm // Beam: 22-24-22mm
Force by name, but would Dunlop’s advanced offering be a force by nature? Well, perhaps not a force as such, but a mighty popular frame for our testers nonetheless. The cosmetics pleased both Sarah and Elliot, with the 300g, 98-square-inch set-up providing enough power and there was control too. Elliot was so impressed he even found an element of control over the ball when he didn't quite find the sweetspot, which isn’t always the case with frames aimed at better players. Sarah was a particluar fan. “I love it,” she said, explaining that it gave her great power, felt very stable and seemed to particularly help her around the net.
RRP: £199.99 // Head size: 98 sq.in // Unstrung weight: 315g String pattern: 16 x 19 // Balance: 315mm // Beam: 22mm
TENNISHEAD.NET
Head Graphene XT Prestige Pro
Head is a brand associated with high quality rackets with the likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic – to name but two – using their models on tour. But would tennishead's finest like what they found? In a word, yes. At 315g, this fairly hefty frame didn't want for power generation and the 98-square-inch head size meant our ballstrikers could maintain control from all over the court when they needed to. “There's plenty of power,” said Adam. “It’s a confidence-inspiring racket that also provides a good balance of control to rein in the power.” Howard agreed. “It gives good control and spin and feels solid all round,” he said. “I like Head – they make great rackets.” A leading contender in this category.
GEAR
Best overAll
81
wta rankings
2 5 .0 4 . 2016
RANKING
1
Serena WIlliams
2
agnieszka Radwanska
3
angelique Kerber
4
garbine Muguruza
5
victoria Azarenka
6
petra Kvitova
7
simona halep
8
Roberta Vinci
9
maria sharapova
10
belinda Bencic
down 2
94
PERSONAL
Points: 8,625
Points: 5,775
Points: 5,740
Points: 4,876
Points: 4,530
Points: 3,947
Points: 3,660
Points: 3,615
Points: 3,431
Points: 3,340
ACHIEVEMENTS
FORM
usa
This year: $1,846,275 Career to date: $75,929,696 Career-high ranking: 1 (08/07/02) Career titles: 69 Last title: Western & Southern Open, WTA Premier, Cincinnati, USA, August 2015
After Australian Open final defeat to Kerber, played just two tournaments – reaching the final in Indian Wells (l. to Azarenka) and suffered surprise R4 defeat to Kuznetsova in Miami. Has not won a title since Cincinnati in August 2015.
poland
This year: $1,160,048 Career to date: $22,937,761 Career-high ranking: 2 (09/07/12) Career titles: 18 Last title: Shenzhen Open, WTA International, Shenzhen, China, January 2016
Continued solid start to 2016, reaching Indian Wells SFs where she suffered 10th career defeat to Williams. Failed to reach SFs for first time this season in Miami (l. to Bacsinszky in R4). Lost to Siegemund in Stuttgart SFs.
Germany
This year: $3,135,685 Career to date: $12,320,854 Career-high ranking: 2 (01/02/16) Career titles: 9 Last title: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, WTA Premier, Stuttgart, Germany, April 2016
Suffered post-Melbourne slump with opening defeats in Doha (l. to Zheng) and Indian Wells (l. to Allertova) but reached SFs in Miami (l. to Azarenka) and Charleston (l. to Stephens. Defended title in Stuttgart (d. Siegemund).
spain
This year: $285,648 Career to date: $6,465,425 Career-high ranking: 3 (26/10/15) Career titles: 2 Last title: China Open, WTA Premier, Beijing, China, October 2015
Tough start to 2016 continued with R2 loss to McHale in Indian Wells and R4 defeat to Azarenka in Miami. Won two rubbers against Italians Vinci & Schiavone on Fed Cup duty but suffered QF defeat to Kvitova in Stuttgart.
belarus
This year: $2,534,873 Career to date: $28,128,236 Career-high ranking: 1 (30/01/12) Career titles: 20 Last title: Miami Open, WTA Premier, Miami, USA, April 2016
Continued her sensational start to the season with titles in Indian Wells (d. Williams) and Miami (d. Kuznetsova) to become only fourth woman to win 'Sunshine Double'. Climbed back into top 10 for the first time since August 2014.
czech republic
This year: $322,664 Career to date: $20,713,844 Career-high ranking: 2 (31/10/11) Career titles: 17 Last title: Connecticut Open, WTA Premier, New Haven, USA, August 2015
Lost to Radwanska in Indian Wells QFs but fell in Miami R3 to Makarova. Skipped Fed Cup duty before returning in Stuttgart where she beat Muguruza in QFs but fell to eventual champion Kerber in her first SF of the season.
romania
This year: $369,932 Career to date: $11,497,467 Career-high ranking: 2 (11/08/14) Career titles: 11 Last title: BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, USA, March 2015
Reached QFs in both Indian Wells (l. to Williams) and Miami (l. to Bacsinszky) but slipped down rankings after failing to defend Indian Wells title. Has not won a title in 12 months. Fell to qualifier and eventual finalist Siegemund in Stuttgart R2.
Italy
This year: $457,586 Career to date: $10,565,487 Career-high ranking: 8 (04/04/16) Career titles: 10 Last title: St Petersburg Ladies, WTA Premier, St Petersburg, Russia, February 2016
Climbed to career-high ranking of No.8 despite falling in Indian Wells R4 (l. to Rybarikova) and Miami R3 (l. to Keys). Lost both Fed Cup rubbers to Spaniards Muguruza & Suarez Navarro but reached QFs in Stuttgart where she lost to qualifier Siegemund.
russia
This year: $281,663 Career to date: $36,766,149 Career-high ranking: 1 (22/08/05) Career titles: 35 Last title: Internazionali BNL d'Italia, WTA Premier, Rome, Italy, May 2015
Has not played since January after she revealed in March that she tested positive for banned substance meldonium at the Australian Open. The ITF has confirmed a hearing for the Russian, with a verdict possible before Wimbledon starts.
switzerland
This year: $367,566 Career to date: $2,611,927 Career-high ranking: 7 (22/02/16) Career titles: 2 Last title Rogers Cup, WTA Premier, Toronto, Canada, August 2015
Struggled for results after reaching St Petersburg final – winning just one of her next six matches, losing to Rybarikova (IW), Kristyna Pliskova (Miami) and Vesnina (Charleston). Withdrew from Fed Cup with a back injury.
Born: 26/09/81 Lives: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 155 lbs
Born: 06/03/89 Lives: Krakow, Poland Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 123 lbs
Born: 18/01/88 Lives: Puszczykowo, Poland Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 150 lbs
Born: 08/10/93 Lives: Barcelona, Spain Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 161 lbs
Born: 31/07/1989 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 154 lbs
Born: 08/03/90 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft Weight: 154 lbs
Born: 27/09/91 Lives: Constanta, Romania Height: 5ft 6in Weight: 132 lbs
Born: 18/02/83 Lives: Taranto, Italy Height: 5ft 4in Weight: 132 lbs
Born: 19/04/87 Lives: Bradenton, Florida, USA Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 130 lbs
Born: 10/03/97 Lives: Wollerau, Switzerland Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 139 lbs
11-100 RANKINGS 11 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 12 Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 13 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 14 Venus Williams (USA) 15 Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 16 Lucie Safarova (CZE) 17 Elina Svitolina (UKR) 18 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 19 Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 20 Sara Errani (ITA) 21 Sloane Stephens (USA) 22 Johanna Konta (GBR) 23 Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 24 Madison Keys (USA) 25 Samantha Stosur (AUS) 26 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 27 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 28 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 29 Andrea Petkovic (GER) 30 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 31 Monica Niculescu (ROU) 32 Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 33 Barbora Strycova (CZE) 34 Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) 35 Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 36 Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 37 Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 38 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 39 Daria Gavrilova (AUS) 40 Timea Babos (HUN) 41 Annika Beck (GER) 42 Laura Siegemund (GER) 43 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 44 Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 45 Misaki Doi (JPN) 46 Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 47 Danka Kovinic (MNE) 48 Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 49 Alize Cornet (FRA) 50 Camila Giorgi (ITA) 51 Caroline Garcia (FRA) 52 Sabine Lisicki (GER) 53 Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 54 Elena Vesnina (RUS) 55 Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 56 Heather Watson (GBR) 57 Julia Goerges (GER) 58 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 59 Christina McHale (USA) 60 Denisa Allertova (CZE) 61 Nao Hibino (JPN) 62 Zhang Shuai (CHN) 63 Monica Puig (PUR) 64 Zheng Saisai (CHN) 65 Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 66 Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 67 Irina Falconi (USA) 68 Mona Barthel (GER) 69 Johanna Larsson (SWE) 70 Alison van Uytvanck (BEL) 71 Madison Brengle (USA) 72 Karin Knapp (ITA) 73 Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 74 Nicole Gibbs (USA) 75 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) 76 Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 77 Ana Konjuh (CRO) 78 Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 79 Wang Qiang (CHN) 80 Naomi Broady (GBR) 81 Anett Kontaveit (EST) 82 Cagla Buyukakcay (TUR) 83 Kurumi Nara (JPN) 84 Teliana Pereira (BRA) 85 Carina Witthoeft (GER) 86 Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 87 Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 88 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 89 Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 90 Alison Riske (USA) 91 Polona Hercog (SLO) 92 Naomi Osaka (JPN) 93 Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 94 Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 95 Donna Vekic (CRO) 96 Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 97 Kiki Bertens (NED) 98 Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) 99 Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 100 Mariana Duque-Marino (COL)
1
novak djokovic
2
andy rafael nadal murray
3
roger federer
4
stan wawrinka
5
rafael Nadal
6
kei nishikori
7
jo-Wilfried Tsonga
8
tomas berdych
9
david ferrer
10
richard Gasquet
Points: 15,550
Points: 6,860 Points: 8,175
Points: 7,785
Points: 6,460
Points: 5,915
Points: 4,290
Points: 3,400
Points: 3,120
Points: 3,010
Points: 2,840
ACHIEVEMENTS serbia
This year: $4,677,567 Career to date: $98,227,621 Career-high ranking: 1 (04/07/11) Career titles: 63 Last title: Miami Open, ATP Masters 1000, Miami, USA, April 2016
great britain Spain Born:15/05/87 Born: 03/06/86 Lives: Lives: Manacor, Mallorca, London, England Spain Height: 6ft 3in Height: 185 6ft 1in Weight: lbs Weight: 188 lbs
This year: This year:$1,440,043 $5,714,859 Career to Career todate: date:$43,827,241 $55,776,687 Career-high ranking: Career-high ranking:2 1 (17/08/09) (18/08/08) Career Careertitles: titles:35 57 Last title: Cup, Grand Last title: Rogers French Open, ATP 1000, June Montreal, Slam,Masters Paris, France, 2013 Canada, August 2015
switzerland
This year: $654,873 Career to date: $97,958,429 Career-high ranking: 1 (02/02/04) Career titles: 88 Last title: Swiss Indoors, ATP 500, Basel, Switzerland, October 2015
switzerland
This year: $928,919 Career to date: $21,876,596 Career-high ranking: 3 (27/01/14) Career titles: 13 Last title: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, ATP 500, Dubai, UAE, February 2016
Spain
This year: $1,836,753 Career to date: $77,749,306 Career-high ranking: 1 (18/08/08) Career titles: 69 Last title: Barcelona Open, ATP 500, Barcelona, Spain, April 2016
japan
This year: $1,274,625 Career to date: $12,602,036 Career-high ranking: 4 (02/03/15) Career titles: 11 Last title: Memphis Open, ATP 250, Memphis, USA, February 2016
france
This year: $546,526 Career to date: $17,244,003 Career-high ranking: 5 (27/02/12) Career titles: 12 Last title: Moselle Open, ATP 250, Metz, France, September 2015
czech republic
This year: $632,225 Career to date: $24,436,776 Career-high ranking: 4 (18/05/15) Career titles: 12 Last title: If Stockholm Open, ATP 250, Stockholm, Sweden, October 2015
spain
This year: $409,257 Career to date: $28,771,052 Career-high ranking: 3 (08/07/13) Career titles: 26 Last title: Erste Bank Open, ATP 500, Vienna, Austria, October 2015
france
This year: $271,951 Career to date: $13,767,137 Career-high ranking: 7 (09/07/07) Career titles: 13 Last title: Open Sud de France, ATP 250, Montpellier, France, February 2016
Born: 22/05/87 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 172 lbs
Born: 08/08/81 Lives: Switzerland Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 187 lbs
Born: 28/03/85 Lives: St Barthelemy, Switzerland Height: 6ft Weight: 179 lbs
Born: 03/06/86 Lives: Manacor, Majorca, Spain Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 188 lbs
Born: 29/12/89 Lives: Bradenton, Florida, USA Height: 5ft 10in Weight: 165 lbs
Born: 17/04/85 Lives: Gingins, Switzerland Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 200 lbs
Born: 17/09/85 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft 5in Weight: 200 lbs
Born: 02/04/82 Lives: Valencia, Spain Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 160 lbs
Born: 18/06/86 Lives: Neuchatel, Switzerland Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 165 lbs
FORM
11-100 RANKINGS
11 Milos Raonic (CAN) 12 Marin Cilic (CRO) 13 David Goffin (BEL) 14 Gael Monfils (FRA) 15 Dominic Thiem (AUT) 16 John Isner (USA) 17 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 18 Gilles Simon (FRA) 19 Kevin Anderson (RSA) 20 Nick Kyrgios (AUS) Suffered early exits in Indian 21 Benoit Paire (FRA) Wells (l. to Delbonis in 3R) and 22 Bernard Tomic (AUS) Miami (l. to Dimitrov in 3R) but on return to clay courts enjoyed 23 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 24 Viktor Troicki (SRB) decent run to Monte Carlo SFs 25 Pablo Cuevas (URU) winning two tight early matches before losing to 26 Jack Sock (USA) eventual champion Nadal. 27 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 28 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 29 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) Withdrew from Indian Wells 30 Fabio Fognini (ITA) after undergoing knee surgery 31 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) to repair torn meniscus in February. Subsequently forced 32 Steve Johnson (USA) 33 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) to pull out of Miami with a 34 Joao Sousa (POR) stomach virus. Returned to 35 Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) action in Monte Carlo, where he reached QFs (l. to Tsonga). 36 Federico Delbonis (ARG) 37 Sam Querrey (USA) 38 Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) Struggled for results since 39 Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) winning Dubai title in February. 40 Borna Coric (CRO) Lost to Goffin in Indian Wells 4R and suffered surprise defeat to 41 Andreas Seppi (ITA) 42 Gilles Muller (LUX) Kuznetsov in Miami 2R. On 43 Guido Pella (ARG) return to clay reached Monte 44 Martin Klizan (SVK) Carlo QFs but lost in straight sets to eventual winner Nadal. 45 Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 46 Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 47 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) Reached Indian Wells SFs (l. to 48 Nicolas Mahut (FRA) Djokovic) but was forced to 49 Alexander Zverev (GER) retire with dizziness against 50 Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) Dzumhur in Miami 2R. Hit form 51 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) on return to clay, winning 52 Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) titles Monte Carlo (d. Monfils) 53 Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) and Barcelona (d. Nishikori) – 54 Marcel Granollers (ESP) first trophies since July. 55 Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 56 Lucas Pouille (FRA) Lost in Indian Wells QFs to 57 Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) Nadal and reached Miami final 58 Inigo Cervantes (ESP) where he lost in straight sets 59 Aljaz Bedene (GBR) to Djokovic. Skipped Monte 60 Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) Carlo but two-time champion saw 14-match unbeaten streak 61 Denis Kudla (USA) 62 Robin Haase (NED) snapped in Barcelona with 63 Jiri Vesely (CZE) defeat to Nadal in the final. 64 Malek Jaziri (TUN) 65 Lukas Rosol (CZE) Lost to eventual champion 66 John Millman (AUS) Djokovic in Indian Wells QFs 67 Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) but suffered surprise defeat to 68 Illya Marchenko (UKR) Bautista Agut in Miami 3R. 69 Dusan Lajovic (SRB) Bounced back with run to SFs in Monte Carlo, losing to fellow 70 Taylor Fritz (USA) 71 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) Frenchman Monfils to climb 72 Tommy Robredo (ESP) back up to No.8 in rankings. 73 Denis Istomin (UZB) 74 Rajeev Ram (USA) 75 Ivan Dodig (CRO) Survived tricky matches against Del Potro and Coric in 76 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) Indian Wells before falling in 77 Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 4R to eventual finalist Raonic. 78 Dudi Sela (ISR) Reached Miami QFs, where he 79 Damir Dzumhur (BIH) fell to Djokovic in straight sets. 80 Sam Groth (AUS) Suffered shock defeat to 81 Donald Young (USA) Dzumhur in Monte Carlo 2R. 82 Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) 83 Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 84 Hyeon Chung (KOR) Skipped Indian Wells after admitting he was lacking 85 Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) energy and motivation. 86 Simone Bolelli (ITA) Returned to action in Miami 87 Diego Schwartzman (ARG) but lost to world No.88 Pouille 88 Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) in R3. Skipped clay events in 89 Kyle Edmund (GBR) Monte Carlo and Barcelona 90 Taro Daniel (JPN) with a calf injury. 91 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 92 Benjamin Becker (GER) 93 Marco Cecchinato (ITA) Lost to Cilic in Indian Wells 4R 94 Gastao Elias (POR) and Berdych at the same stage in Miami. Lost to Pouille 95 Daniel Munoz De La Nava (ESP) in Monte Carlos 2R on return 96 Facundo Bagnis (ARG) to clay. Forced to withdraw 97 Santiago Giraldo (COL) from Barcelona with a back 98 Albert Montanes (ESP) injury and did not defend 99 Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) Estoril title due to injury. 100 Juan Monaco (ARG)
Overtook Federer in all-time prize money list after winning back-to-back titles in Indian Wells (d. Raonic) and Miami (d. Nishikori). Suffered first proper defeat of 2016 in Monte Carlo opener, losing to world No.55 Jiri Vesely.
rankings
PERSONAL
RANKING
tennishead.net
2 5 .0 4 . 2016
emirates ATP Rankings
rankings
95
T hi si sas el ec t i onofpa gesf r om t hel a t es ti s s ue . E a c h i s s uei sbur s t i ngwi t hf ea t ur esa ndphot os . T os ubs c r i bet oei t herdi gi t a l orpr i ntv er s i ons s i gnupa t :
www. t enni s hea d. net / s hop