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    Rafael Nadal Ends the Season in a Familiar Place: On Top

    MADRID — The 2019 men’s tennis season did not end as it had begun for Rafael Nadal. In January, after overcoming his latest round of injury concerns, he faced Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open and looked powerless as Djokovic ripped winners and controlled long rallies seemingly at will. Nadal was a […] More

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    Spain Beats Canada to Win Davis Cup at Home

    MADRID — With nothing left to prove at this stage, Rafael Nadal went out and proved something more. That at the end of another grueling season he could shrug off nagging injuries, middle-of-the-night finishes and inspired younger opposition and still lead Spain to a Davis Cup title by winning all eight of his matches. Nadal, […] More

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    Canadian Men to Meet Spain in Davis Cup Final

    MADRID — Winter is coming, but for Canadian tennis, the snowball effect is already a thing. Little more than two months after Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title, the Canadian men will play in the final of the Davis Cup for the first time. Now for the downside: […] More

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    Roger Federer, Sneakerhead?

    If you run into Roger Federer on your way to board a plane, do not be surprised if he looks you up and down, or mostly down. That’s because Mr. Federer has something of a sneaker fixation. The Swiss tennis champion is not an “obsessive,” he said (slightly hard to believe about someone who has […] More

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    Davis Cup Sees Its Old Soul in the Tears of a Vanquished Serbian Team

    MADRID — The old Davis Cup made Viktor Troicki the man of the moment in Serbia: feted in Belgrade and beyond after winning the decisive match of the 2010 final. The new Davis Cup left him sitting in a courtside chair with a towel on Friday, covering his face as he wept at failing to […] More

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    At Davis Cup, a Memorable Night (Plus Morning) Exposes Some Flaws

    MADRID — Even for Spain, it was late, which is saying something in a nocturnal nation where a 10 p.m. dinner is nothing unusual. In fact, it was so late that you could argue it was early when the American doubles team of Jack Sock and Sam Querrey finally finished off the Italians Simone Bolelli […] More

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    At the Heart of Serbia’s Tennis Success Story

    MADRID — Before there was Novak Djokovic, there was Janko Tipsarevic. Three years older than Djokovic, Tipsarevic was the tennis prodigy with the strong personality and powerful groundstrokes who first emerged from the ashes and acrimony in Serbia as a great prospect for the men’s game. He grew up practicing in Belgrade with Ana Ivanovic, […] More

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    At New Davis Cup Finals, a Quiet Reception for Some Longtime Powers

    MADRID — It is a short, if chilly, walk from the main court at the Caja Mágica to the two other stadiums inside the sports complex. But they were different tennis worlds on Tuesday, the second day of the new-look Davis Cup finals. While Spain and Rafael Nadal played into Wednesday against Russia in front […] More