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Our photographer, Tom Jenkins, was at the O2 in London where some of the world’s best players produced an entertaining battle Continue reading…

Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli win doubles 7-5, 6-3Andre Agassi goads Alexander Zverev at ceremonyTeam Europe reclaimed their Laver Cup title with a dominant 13-5 victory against Team World on the final day of competition at the O2 Arena.The contest had been finely poised after two days, with Team Europe holding a narrow 7-5 lead at the start of the day. With each match worth three points on Sunday, Europe needed two wins from the four remaining matches to win. They clinched their victory efficiently. Continue reading…

Alex de Minaur recovers from match point down to beat Alexander ZverevCarlos Alcaraz launches comeback of his own to leave event level at 5-5For much of his afternoon on court against Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur seemed destined to end his day with an excruciating defeat. De Minaur had rapidly found himself down a set and a break, then Zverev served for the match at 6-2, 5-4. After miraculously giving himself another lifeline, De Minaur finally faced a match point at 8-9 in the final set tie-break.No matter how grim the scoreline appeared, though, every effort he made was punctuated by roars of approval from one person in particular. There were loud screams of encouragement, pounding of chairs and stamping of feet. At one point, as doubt had crept into Zverev’s game during the second set tie-break, that unmistakable voice from the sidelines yelled out: “Check his oil! Check his oil!” Continue reading…

As a teenager in Sydney, the would-be Wimbledon champion was working towards a singular goal when an act of racism shattered her naivetyIt was a regular match. Until it wasn’t. In 1969, I was 17 and had been living in Sydney with my tennis coach, Vic Edwards, and his family for several years. I had left my home town of Barellan – on Wirajudjuri country in the Riverina region of New South Wales – to pursue my tennis dreams in the big smoke.The year before, I had finished high school at Willoughby girls high – where I was the only Aboriginal student – and I was doing my secretarial course in the city. The Metropolitan Business College where I studied was conveniently located near the headquarters of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs. Continue reading…

Europe lead Team World 3-1 after opening dayAlcaraz wins doubles match with Jakub MensikBy the time Casper Ruud had completed his typically tenacious comeback to capture victory in the opening scuffle of this year’s Laver Cup, Carlos Alcaraz was on the floor. The Spaniard had worked harder than any other player on the sidelines as he repeatedly cheered, animated the crowd and offered a steady stream of thoughtful tactical advice to his teammate. He reacted to Ruud’s triumphant final smash with a jubilant scream, his legs dramatically giving way as he slid down his seat on to the ground.Alcaraz is well aware of his status as the leading star of this year’s event, and in his third Laver Cup outing, the seven-time grand slam champion at times practically took on the role of Europe’s third coach behind Yannick Noah and Tim Henman. This provided a number of insightful glimpses into the way he sees the sport. During one exchange with Ruud, Alcaraz suggested that the Norwegian should attempt more down-the-line backhands and drop shots to draw Francisco Cerundolo, his opponent, into uncomfortable positions on the court. Whether Ruud possesses the skillset to follow Alcaraz’s tactics is another question, but the reasoning he gave for those suggestions was particularly interesting: The ultimate goal, Alcaraz said, should be to “make [Cerundolo] think a little bit more.” Continue reading…

The Ryder Cup-style event has struggled financially since its legendary founder, Roger Federer, retired but still offers a spectacle unlike any other in tennisThe sight of a tennis player marching to the bathroom between sets has become increasingly common in modern tennis but Alexander Zverev’s journey back to the locker room in Prague nine years ago remains particularly remarkable. On this occasion, Zverev happened to be sandwiched between two of the greatest male players of all time. Neither legend was happy.To his right, an incensed Roger Federer spent their walk back to the locker room brutally laying down the law: “I want a fist pump or a ‘Let’s go!’ every fucking point you win,” he said. “And every point you lose, you fucking take it like a man. Because the problem is, when you don’t have the [result] you want, it’s like: ‘Ah, I knew it. Fuck, shit.’ I don’t want … honestly!” Continue reading…

Defeats for Kartal and Boulter condemn Britain to lossMen will play Germany in quarter-finals of Davis CupGreat Britain’s stay at the Billie Jean King Cup finals lasted only one match as they lost against Czechia in the quarter-finals in Shenzhen. Anne Keothavong’s side were bidding to reach the last four for the fourth time in five years but were considerable underdogs and defeats for Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter sealed their fate.Led by the Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the entire Czech team is ranked higher than any of Britain’s players, and it was Noskova who sealed victory with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) win against Boulter. That followed a lengthy struggle between Marie Bouzkova and Kartal lasting a minute short of three hours, which the Czech eventually won 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4. Continue reading…

GB pair win doubles match in straight setsFinals to be played in Bologna in NovemberFew people across London enjoyed a more soothing night’s sleep than Leon Smith on Saturday. After an ideal first day for his team in their Davis Cup qualifier against Ecuador, where his singles players handled business efficiently, the Great Britain captain had the luxury of calling upon one member of each of the two best doubles pairs in the world to close out the tie.In just their second match as partners rather than rivals the world No 1, Henry Patten, and Neal Skupski, the US Open champion a week ago, played their roles to perfection as they convincingly sealed their place in the Davis Cup Final 8 with a clinical 6-3, 6-4 victory against Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, securing for Great Britain an unassailable 3-0 lead. Harry Wendelken, the British No 7, closed out the tie with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Angel Veliz in the dead rubber. Continue reading…