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    Without Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Men’s Tennis Looks for New Faces

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    For the first time in decades, the ATP Finals will be played without either Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to take over.In mid-September, just two weeks after Jannik Sinner won the U.S. Open to secure a 2-2 win-loss record with Carlos Alcaraz at the major championships in 2024, Alcaraz was asked if he envisioned his rivalry with Sinner ultimately replicating that of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.“Well, a lot of people talk about it,” Alcaraz said during the Laver Cup in Berlin. “I like hearing it, I’m not going to lie. I hope that our rivalry is going to be or almost like the Big 3 had during their career. This is the first year that we shared all the Grand Slams. Hopefully, it’s going to keep going like that, sharing great moments, fighting for the great tournaments.”Sinner, the world No. 1, and the third-ranked Alcaraz have played three times this year — at Indian Wells, in the semifinals of the French Open and in the Beijing final in September — with Alcaraz winning all three matches. They could meet again in the ATP Finals, which begin on Sunday in Turin, Italy. The two have yet to face each other in the ATP Finals.Sinner and Alcaraz will be joined in Turin by Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev.Zverev, runner-up to Alcaraz at this year’s French Open, is a two-time ATP Finals champion, in 2018 and 2021. Medvedev, who reached the final of the Australian Open in January before falling to Sinner, won the ATP Finals in 2020 and was runner-up to Zverev in 2021.This is the first time in 23 years that neither Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal will compete in the eight-man year-end championships. Federer, who won the championships six times from 2003 to 2011, retired in 2022 and Nadal, who is retiring after representing Spain in the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga later this month, did not play enough tournaments this year to qualify.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      In Tennis, Turning a Backhand Into a Forehand

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      Experts say hitting what’s called an inside-out forehand to an opponent’s backhand gives a player an edge.The ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, features the best men’s tennis players in the world, who have some of the strongest backhands on the tour. And yet, these players are often succeeding by running around those backhands and getting into position to turn them into the more powerful forehand.Most points end in four shots or less, but when rallies reach that fifth shot, players need to seize an advantage. “Hunting for forehands is not about trying to end the point, but about controlling it and getting on offense as quickly as you can,” said the ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe.Being the first player to turn a backhand into a forehand, called an inside-out forehand when it’s hit to your opponent’s backhand, is that edge, putting them on the defensive and opening up the opposite corner.“The forehand is the bigger weapon, and it’s easier to maneuver your opponent because you can create better angles,” added Michael Russell, who coaches Taylor Fritz, one of the eight entrants in Turin.Craig O’Shannessy pushed Novak Djokovic, who has one of the best backhands, to hit more forehands when he coached him during 2017-19.O’Shannessy, who focuses on statistics and patterns, has studies showing that forehands are, on average, about eight miles an hour faster than backhands and that between two-thirds and three-quarters of all winners are typically hit on forehands.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      In Tennis, Alexander Zverev’s Many Trials

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      He has not won a Grand Slam, but has taken an Olympic gold. He’s ranked No. 2, but has been fined over his temper on the court. He also has settled domestic abuse charges.Mischa Zverev knows his little brother better than anyone.A decade older than Alexander, who is also known as Sascha, Mischa has served as part-sibling, part-parent throughout Alexander’s life and tennis career.When Sascha was 6, Mischa took him along while he was playing satellite tournaments in Australia, hitting with him after his matches and letting him ride on his shoulders on the way home from the beach. Now the little brother is ranked No. 2 in the world, reached the French and U.S. Open finals, won an Olympic gold medal and is about to play in his seventh ATP Finals. He also won his seventh ATP Masters 1000 event last week at the Rolex Paris Masters.He has had his off-court travails over the last several years, including now-settled charges of domestic abuse and an on-court outburst during a loss in 2022, for which he was fined and placed on probation by the ATP.“I do know what I did, I do know what I didn’t do,” he said this spring before the charges were settled. “That’s, at the end of the day, what’s going to come out, and I have to trust in that.”Zverev, 27, won the ATP Finals in 2018 with back-to-back wins over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and then again in 2021 when he beat Daniil Medvedev in the final. The indoor tournament, which begins on Sunday in Turin, Italy, suits his style.“There’s no wind, no sun, nothing to distract me too much,” Zverev said in September. “I like having to play at 100 percent from the first match on. And it helps to have past success at a tournament. That’s something you can keep in the back of your mind.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      The WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia: An Opportunity or a Controversy?

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      In a country that is often criticized over its treatment of women, the tennis world debates the pros and cons of holding the elite women’s tournament there.It took some time before Judy Murray was convinced that going to Saudi Arabia was the right decision. Murray, a professional coach and the mother of a former world No. 1, Andy, and his doubles-specialist brother, Jamie, is a well-known advocate of women’s rights and women’s sports.But as a community ambassador for the Women’s Tennis Association, Murray’s job is to travel wherever the tour goes and introduce tennis to those who have had limited exposure to it. So she will go to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the WTA Finals, which begins on Saturday.“We have a really big opportunity to make some great things happen over there,” Murray said during a video call last month. “It’s a bit of a blank canvas, and a lot of the things at the grass-roots level are starting from scratch. We’re creating relationships, and once you do that you can make things happen.”The WTA Finals are the culmination of the yearlong WTA Tour and involve the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams. The singles competitors this year are Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Jessica Pegula, Zheng Qinwen and Barbora Krejcikova.Aryna Sabalenka, center, and Jessica Pegula, right, who played each other in the U.S. Open final in September, will both be playing at the WTA Finals.Graham Dickie/The New York TimesSabalenka, who retook the No. 1 ranking from Swiatek two weeks ago, enters as the top seed. Paolini, who is paired in doubles with Sara Errani, is the only player entered in singles and doubles.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      WTA Finals: The High-Energy Jasmine Paolini Has Broken Through

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      The player from Italy reached the finals this year at the French Open and Wimbledon. Now she has qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time.Jasmine Paolini was laughing, something she does loudly and often.Paolini had just explained that the WTA Finals she most vividly remembered watching on television was one featuring Dominika Cibulkova, who captured the title in 2016. She didn’t know why she picked that one over victories by more well-known winners like Serena Williams and Ashleigh Barty.“It was unbelievable,” Paolini, of Italy, said of Cibulkova’s win over top-seeded Angelique Kerber by phone from Shanghai in late September. Then she let out a guffaw so alluring that others often can’t help joining in.Paolini uses the words “unbelievable” and “crazy” a lot, but mostly to describe her own journey this year. At 28, she has qualified for her first WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She and her compatriot Sara Errani have also qualified in doubles, making Paolini the only competitor in both singles and doubles.“It’s a very elite club,” Paolini said. “It’s really our reward for the season, so it is great to qualify.”Paolini began the year ranked No. 29. Four years ago, she was a little-known sprite barely ranked in the top 100. But a WTA 1000 title in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February followed by surprise runner-up finishes to Iga Swiatek at the French Open and to Barbora Krejcikova at Wimbledon thrust her into the spotlight. Now she’s ranked No. 4.During her matches, Paolini is known to shout “Forza,” which translates to “Let’s go” in English.Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      The Importance of High-Pressure Tennis Tiebreakers

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      Experts say that players need to take their time to succeed. “The athlete who rushes during a tiebreak gets into trouble,” Pam Shriver says.The WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, brings together the year’s top players for one final showdown. Just because the tournament features only the game’s best doesn’t guarantee close sets — in the last two years, about as many sets have been decided 6-0 or 6-1 as they have 7-5 or 7-6.But it is success or failure in those 7-6 sets, decided by a seven-point tiebreaker, that can make or break a player’s season and their season finale.“The mind-set is the most important part of the tiebreaker,” said Pam Shriver, a Hall of Famer, ESPN analyst and coach for the 19th-ranked Donna Vekic. Shriver, who won 21 Grand Slams in doubles, said having someone by her side helped her remain calm and clear during tiebreakers. “When you take your time, things fall into place. The athlete who rushes during a tiebreak gets into trouble.”Iga Swiatek dominated Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 last year in the tournament’s final, and she is also the best in tiebreakers among the elite eight: In the last two years, Swiatek is 6-2 in tiebreakers against top 10 players, which may give her a critical advantage in this tournament. (The third-ranked Coco Gauff is 4-2 and may also have an edge.)“You need to be extra focused in tiebreaks, especially on the first point because you want to start well,” the sixth-ranked Jasmine Paolini said. (She’s 2-2 in tiebreakers versus top 10 players over the past two years.)Shriver says most players include tiebreakers at the end of practice, but many don’t emphasize how to cope in those situations. However, Paolini said she did not really practice for tiebreakers.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      In Tennis, Grigor Dimitrov Has a Renaissance

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      The tennis player turned pro in 2008 and is now back in the top 10 as he prepares for the Rolex Paris Masters.Grigor Dimitrov had just lost a grueling, two-plus-hour, three-set match to Jakub Mensik in Shanghai three weeks ago. Most vanquished players head straight to the locker room and get out of the arena quickly.But Dimitrov is no ordinary guy. One of the most well-liked and respected competitors on the ATP Tour, Dimitrov understands his role as a leader in tennis. So, here was, on the phone, answering questions, earnestly and honestly, into the later hours of the evening.At 33, Dimitrov is experiencing a renaissance at a time when many of his contemporaries are contemplating retirement. Once called Baby Fed because his stunning one-handed backhand resembled that of Roger Federer, Dimitrov ranked a career-high No. 3 in 2017. Barely in the top 30 at the start of 2023, he is now No. 9. Runner-up to Novak Djokovic at last year’s Paris Masters, Dimitrov stands just off the pace in the race to qualify for this year’s ATP Finals.The following conversation has been edited and condensed.Some players have trouble staying motivated by the end of the season. Do you?When you’ve competed so many years, you really don’t think about it that much. Whether it’s going to be my last tournament or it’s going to help me get to the Finals, it’s stressful for every player, but everyone carries it differently. I always know that it’s good to finish the year on a good note.What’s the key for you to play well indoors?I like the way the surface plays out. It’s softer on the legs. It’s basically like playing on wood, and I grew up [in Bulgaria] playing on wood so I can relate to it very nicely, and it brings back good memories.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Playing Tennis Is Tough. So Is Being the Director of a Tournament.

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      Former players often run big events, and they have to deal with such requests as better food and accommodations. “As tournament director you know that not everyone is going to be happy,” one said.If Frances Tiafoe has his way, every player lounge at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament will have table tennis and video games. There will be top-shelf food, “Not some dry chicken, but quality stuff that doesn’t taste like cardboard,” Tiafoe said in an interview in September, and tournament directors will loan players luxury cars for the week rather than forcing them to rely on tournament transportation.Most important, Tiafoe, a U.S. Open semifinalist this year, wants the scheduling of matches to be fair and equitable for all, not just the game’s stars.Casper Ruud, the eighth-ranked player in the world, agrees with Tiafoe about the food, but he cares more about having a spacious gym on site for the players to warm up and cool down.“Some players like to eat pasta, others like more meat, and some like to eat rice, so having good chefs who can cook fresh food that’s something the players really appreciate,” Ruud said during the Laver Cup in Berlin last month.Masters 1000s are the highest-level tournaments on the ATP Tour, offering the most prize money and ranking points outside of Wimbledon and the Australian, French and U.S. Opens. There are nine such events, including the Rolex Paris Masters, which begins Monday. More than half of those tournaments — Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and the Rolex Paris Masters — are run by former touring pros who have become tournament directors.Two former female world No. 1s, Amélie Mauresmo and Garbiñe Muguruza, also are tournament directors, Mauresmo for the French Open and Muguruza at the WTA Finals, which begin Nov. 2. All offer a unique perspective on players’ wants and needs.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Not All Tennis Balls Are the Same

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      Players must adjust to the differences, and that has led to complaints about consistency. The ATP is trying to solve the problem.Yellow felt and a rubber core. A tennis ball seems so simple. But reality is more complicated, at least on the pro tours where manufacturers can make balls that fit into a range of specifications. And in recent years, with players forced to adjust to different balls at so many tournaments, they have begun complaining about the consistency and the quality of the balls as never before.Novak Djokovic spoke out. So did Rafael Nadal. And Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka and Andrey Rublev. The varying balls not only harmed the quality of play, according to players and coaches, but the athletes blamed them for the increase in shoulder, elbow and, especially, wrist injuries.“The quality of even the best balls has come down in the last few years,” said Craig Boynton, who coached Hubert Hurkacz. “They should not just be picking the ball that will pay the most money to be associated with a tournament, but what is the actual best ball.”Lower-quality balls can feel like rocks early in a game then “get fluffed-up like little kittens” after a few games, Boynton said. When that happens, “players trying to muscle the ball more” by swinging with more force to make up for what the ball is lacking can get injured.But that’s only half the story, Boynton said. Wayne Ferreira, Frances Tiafoe’s former coach, said that even when the balls were high quality, there were too many different ones in play. Players often saw different brands each week.“Some are heavier and some are lighter, and making that adjustment all the time is difficult,” he said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More