2025 ATP General News

[don_fabio]

Opelka too good for Novak today. It sounds strange, but it's true. Tall man didn't offer much to Novak, took his chances and won.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Opelka too good for Novak today. It sounds strange, but it's true. Tall man didn't offer much to Novak, took his chances and won.

Don,
A battle of the 'tall trees' in the SFs Opelka vs Perricard

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Schedule of AO Opening Week Charity Matches,
Tuesday January 7,
4pm Sinner vs Popyrin
Wednesday January 8,
5pm Qinwen Zheng vs Elina Svitolina
7pm Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur
Thursday January 9,
5pm Minxed doubles, including Zverev, Sabalenka, Gauff and others
7pm A Night with Novak
Friday January 10,
5pm Alcaraz vs Popyrin
7pm Sinner vs Tsitsipas

 

[kskate2]

Djoke ran into a buzzsaw Tower named Reilly

 

[kskate2]

Taylor aka (I have no idea what I'm doing out here) continues to go to Machac's BH. The FH breaks down more. He's losing these rallies, but is too stubborn to play the FH and try something different.

 

[kskate2]

Strange behavior. Fritz gets bailed out. Machac just retires after imploding in the 2nd set, citing cramps.

 

[don_fabio]

Strange behavior. Fritz gets bailed out. Machac just retires after imploding in the 2nd set, citing cramps.

So it was cramps. I saw he had a physio out at 2:1 in 2nd set and looked pissed off about something. He would probably beat Taylor if he could finish the match without pain.

Now trees are coming up next. Not sure if it's worth watching, but I do like Perricard.

 

[mrzz]

Fonseca wins Canberra 125 challenger (his second) without losing sets. Not broken in the final, did not face a break point I think.

Not a very good match, actually, even if Quinn, the runner up, was riding his own winning streak, coming from a Challenger title to finish off last season. I think the wind and the reasonably fast court -- plus the fact that it was a final -- had a toll on both players. They were just blocking returns all match, difference was that Fonseca's were just much deeper.

The good thing is that JF won with tranquility. His cool head to serve out the two sets was impressive.


P.S. One comment in a Brazilian news site was something like: "I don't want to get ahead of myself, but which ranking JF will get to with the 2030 points from the AO?" (30 from the qualifying).

 

[mrzz]

I like Perricard a lot. He is brave and noble enough to have a one handed back hand. His game actually reminds me of Shapovalov (obviously with a much bigger serve).

Opelika, besides the two handed back hand which is the mark of inferior cowards who deserve to burn in hell, not only has this "nice big fella" aura around him, but his tennis IQ is impressive. He uses perfectly the tools he has. He always goes for the right shot, even if sometimes he can't make them.

 

[Moxie]

I like Perricard a lot. He is brave and noble enough to have a one handed back hand. His game actually reminds me of Shapovalov (obviously with a much bigger serve).

Opelika, besides the two handed back hand which is the mark of inferior cowards who deserve to burn in hell, not only has this "nice big fella" aura around him, but his tennis IQ is impressive. He uses perfectly the tools he has. He always goes for the right shot, even if sometimes he can't make them.

Get out your monkey skulls!

I do like both, and good assessment of Opelka's head. He's a smart guy, (and an art lover, which I put in the plus column for him,) and he's been out with injury for 2 years, so that win over Novak was doubly surprising, even though that serve is hard to defend against. I was surprised at the level Opelka summoned for that match. Which is also why it tells you nothing about Novak's level. (Tall guy, great serve.)

 

[El Dude]

Fonseca wins Canberra 125 challenger (his second) without losing sets. Not broken in the final, did not face a break point I think.

Not a very good match, actually, even if Quinn, the runner up, was riding his own winning streak, coming from a Challenger title to finish off last season. I think the wind and the reasonably fast court -- plus the fact that it was a final -- had a toll on both players. They were just blocking returns all match, difference was that Fonseca's were just much deeper.

The good thing is that JF won with tranquility. His cool head to serve out the two sets was impressive.


P.S. One comment in a Brazilian news site was something like: "I don't want to get ahead of myself, but which ranking JF will get to with the 2030 points from the AO?" (30 from the qualifying).

I really look forward to seeing how the "rubber hits the road" - meaning, how this current version of Fonseca does on the ATP tour. Right now he looks like a top 50 guy, easily - maybe top 20. It seems quite probably that he burns up the rankings; after winning the Challenger, he went from #145 to #113 in the live rankings. Meaning, he could be in the top 100 before February.

I find it interesting how different players develop. Some "pop" rather quickly like Sampras in 1990, Rafa in 2005 or Alcaraz in 2022; others are more gradual and then pop after, like Federer or Sinner. While I'm far more modest in my 2025 aspirations for Fonseca than the Brazilian news, I could see him being more like the former group. I predicted that he'd finish the year in the top 40, but he really could be top 20 - though I highly doubt he breaks into the top 10 this year.

Usually players rise in plateaus, also - although this varies, too. Sampras popped in 1990 but then plateaued for a couple more years, rising to a new level in 1993; we can say the same about Nadal in 2008. I think that's the big question about Alcaraz: he is due for another step forward, and what will that look like?

 

[El Dude]

A bit more on Fonseca. He turns 19 on August 12 of this year. To put that in context, Arthur Fils was #401 when he turned 19. Sinner was #73, Tsitsipas #167, Zverev #56, Djokovic #63, Murray #41, Federer #35 - in terms of highest rank before turning 19. Of those players, only Murray had won a title, an ATP 250, and only Federer had reached the 4R of a Slam.

The outliers are Alcaraz and Nadal, both of whom were top 10 before turning 19 - and Nadal was #5, turned #2 after winning Roland Garros a few days after he turned 19. Alcaraz and Nadal both had 6 titles to their names on their 19th birthdays, and Rafa would win his 7th and first Slam within the week.

Of those relatively recent players, it is interesting to not that there isn't much in-between - no guys who entered the top 20-30, won a few 250s and 500s. Most don't "pop" until after 19 (or 20); but Alcaraz and Nadal both became elite players while still 18 years of age.

To be fair to Sinner, he turned 19 during the pandemic layover and won his first ATP 250 and reached his first Slam QF a month or so after he turned 19. It is quite possible that he would have done that before turning 19 if there wasn't that layover.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

ATP 250 Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open,
Mens Singles Final,

K.Nishikori WC vs A.Muller First meeting
Note. Kei reaches his first ATP tour final in 6 years.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

ATP250 Brisbane International
Men's Singles Final,
Sunday 5th January, starting at 6.30pm local time
R. Opelka (PR) vs J. Lehecka First meeting
Note: Opelka reaches his first final since 2022

 

[mrzz]

ATP250 Brisbane International
Men's Singles Final,
Sunday 5th January, starting at 6.30pm local time
R. Opelka (PR) vs A. Muller First metting
Note: Opelka reaches his first final since 2022

You mean Lehecka instead of Muller

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

You mean Lehecka instead of Muller

Opps thanks mrzz, I will correct it.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Jiri Lehecka wins the Brisbane title, playing just 5 games, as Opelka retires 4-1 down in set 1, due to back injury
Second title for Lehecka
Jiri returns to the top 25 next week despite missing pretty much half of the 2024 season to injury
Earns 250 points before defending another 250 in Adelaide next week ( will he play?)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Alexandre Muller staged a comeback, defeating Nishikori 26 62 63 to claim the trophy in Hong Kong, with his victory Muller became the first time winner on the ATP tour in 2025, the 27 yo, who is set to rise to a career high of No 56