ओलंपिक स्वर्ण पदक जितेर नोभाक जोकोविचको भावनात्मक क्षण: यो मेरो जीवनको सबैभन्दा ठूलो सफलता हो

नोभाक जोकोविचले पेरिस ओलंपिक २०२४ मा स्वर्ण पदक जित्नुलाई आफ्नो करियरको सबैभन्दा ठूलो सफलता मानेका छन्।

सफलताको नयाँ उचाई

जोकोविचले क्यार्लोस अल्कराजलाई ७-६, ७-६ ले पराजित गर्दै पहिलो पटक ओलंपिक स्वर्ण पदक जितेका छन्। “अहिले म अनेकौं भावनात्मक तरंगहरू अनुभव गरिरहेको छु,” जोकोविचले जितपछिको अन्तर्वार्तामा भने। “देशका लागि पहिलो पटक स्वर्ण पदक जित्दा गर्व र खुशीले ओतप्रोत छु। यो मेरो टेनिस करियरको सबैभन्दा ठूलो सफलता हो।”

सुपर स्लामको पूर्णता

अल्कराजलाई पराजित गर्दै जोकोविचले सुपर स्लामको पूर्णता हासिल गरेका छन्, जसमा चारवटा ग्रान्ड स्लाम, एटीपी फाइनल्स र ओलंपिक स्वर्ण पदक समावेश छन्। यो उपलब्धि हासिल गर्ने उनले आन्द्रे अगासीपछि दोस्रो खेलाडीको रुपमा आफूलाई स्थापित गरेका छन्। ३७ वर्ष ७६ दिनको उमेरमा उनले यो सफलता प्राप्त गर्दै ओलंपिक स्वर्ण पदक जित्ने सबैभन्दा वृद्ध खेलाडी बनेका छन्।

व्यक्तिगत करियरको उत्कर्ष

जोकोविचले भने, “मेरो व्यक्तिगत करियरमा, म सायद सम्भव भएका सबै उपलब्धिहरू प्राप्त गरिसकेको छु। डेविस कप जित्न र विशेष गरी ३७ वर्षको उमेरमा सर्बियाका लागि ओलंपिक स्वर्ण पदक जित्न पाउँदा आशा भन्दा पनि बढी खुशी भएको छु। सबै कृतिमानहरू तोड्दै गोल्डन स्लाम पूरा गर्न पाउँदा गर्व लाग्छ।”

गोल्डन स्लाममा चारवटा ग्रान्ड स्लाम र ओलंपिक स्वर्ण पदक समावेश हुन्छन्। यो उपलब्धि हासिल गर्ने जोकोविच पाँचौं खेलाडी हुन्। उनीभन्दा पहिले स्टेफी ग्राफ, आन्द्रे अगासी, राफेल नडाल र सेरेना विलियम्सले यो कीर्तिमान पूरा गरेका छन्।

कठिन खेल र उच्चस्तरीय प्रदर्शन

ओलंपिक फाइनलको दुई सेटमा कुनै पनि खेलाडीले सर्विस ब्रेक गर्न सकेनन्। जोकोविचले आठवटा ब्रेक-पोइन्ट बचाए भने अल्कराजले छैवटा बचाए। उनीहरूको उच्चस्तरीय प्रदर्शन र मानसिक एकाग्रताले खेललाई रोमाञ्चक बनायो। टाइ-ब्रेकमा जोकोविचको अद्वितीय क्षमता र धैर्यताले उनलाई जित दिलायो।

जोकोविचले अल्कराजसँगको खेलको बारेमा भने, “अल्कराजले मलाई सधैं उत्कृष्ट टेनिस खेल्न बाध्य पारे। दुई सेटको टाइ-ब्रेक उचित थियो। दुबैको प्रदर्शन उत्कृष्ट थियो र महत्वपूर्ण समयमा हामीले राम्रो सेवा गर्‍यौं। मैले यस खेलमा आफ्नो मुटु, आत्मा, शरीर, परिवार र सबैथोक समर्पण गरेको छु।”

ऐतिहासिक उपलब्धि

जोकोविचले ओलंपिक स्वर्ण पदकलाई आफ्नो करियरको अन्तिम महत्वपूर्ण उपलब्धि मानेका छन्। “स्वर्ण पदक जित्नु अघि, मैले आफूलाई हरपल यो पर्याप्त हो कि होइन भनी प्रश्न सोध्थें,” उनले भने। “स्वर्ण पदक जितेपछि मैले महसुस गरें कि मेरो करियर पूर्ण भएको छ। देशका लागि ऐतिहासिक स्वर्ण पदक जित्न पाउँदा म अत्यन्तै आभारी छु।”

वाचकहरुको हृदय छुने खबर: नेपालका प्रिन्स दाहालको लगातार दोश्रो हार

नेपालका ब्याडमिन्टन खेलाडी प्रिन्स दाहाल पेरिस ओलम्पिक २०२४ मा मंगलबार पराजित भएका छन्। यसले हामीलाई खेलकुदमा अझै पनि धेरै मेहनत गर्नुपर्ने आवश्यकता छ भन्ने कुरा सम्झाउँछ।

फ्रान्सको पेरिसस्थित ला चापेला एरिनाको कोर्ट नं. २ मा भएको समूह ‘पी’ को खेलमा विश्व वरीयताको ४३ औं स्थानमा रहेका आयरल्यान्डका हात गुयेनले प्रिन्सलाई २१-७ र २१-५ को सोझो सेटमा पराजित गरे। गुयेनले यो नतिजा आफ्नो पक्षमा पार्न ३५ मिनेट लाग्यो। पहिलो सेट १७ मिनेटमा जितेका गुयेनले दोश्रो सेट १८ मिनेटमा जिते।

प्रिन्सको सर्भिसमा गुयेनले पहिलो सेटमा ६ र दोश्रो सेटमा ४ अंक जोडेका थिए। आफ्नो सर्भिसमा भने गुयेनले पहिलो सेटमा १५ र दोश्रो सेटमा १७ अंक बटुलेका थिए। गुयेनको ओलम्पिकमा यो लगातार दोश्रो सहभागिता हो। उनले टोकियो ओलम्पिक २०२० पनि खेलेका थिए।

विश्व वरीयतामा १ सय ७२ औं स्थानमा रहेका प्रिन्सको यो लगातार दोश्रो हार हो। समूह चरणको पहिलो खेलमा पूर्व जुनियर नम्बर वान प्रिन्स विश्व वरीयताको शीर्ष २ स्थानमा रहेका डेनमार्कका भिक्टर एक्सेल्सेनसंग २१-८ र २१-६ को सोझो सेटमा चुकेका थिए। समूह चरणको अन्तिम खेलमा प्रिन्सले ५८ औं विश्व वरीयताका इजरायलका मिसा जिल्बरम्यानसंग बुधबार प्रतिस्पर्धा गर्ने छन्। कठिन मानिएको समूह ‘पी’ मा प्रिन्ससहित ४ खेलाडी छन्।

ओलम्पिकमा ब्याडमिन्टन नेपालका लागि ‘डेब्यु’ खेल हो। सन् १९६४ को टोकियो ओलम्पिकदेखि नेपालले ओलम्पिकमा भाग लिन सुरु गरेएता ब्याडमिन्टनमा पहिलोपटक सहभागिता जनाएको हो।

यस पटकको हारले हामीलाई निराशा दिन्छ, तर सँगसँगै भविष्यमा अझै राम्रो गर्न प्रेरित गर्छ। जुवा र सट्टेबाजीका हावा चलिरहेको बेला, नेपालका खेलाडीहरुको प्रयास र मेहनतको कदर गर्नुपर्छ। हामीलाई हाम्रो खेलाडीहरुको संघर्ष र मेहनतले गर्व लाग्छ। यो कुरालाई ध्यानमा राख्दै, कृपया wewa365.com र wewabet.com मा खेलकुद सम्बन्धी थप जानकारी प्राप्त गर्नुहोस्।

Garcia, 29, enjoyed a resurgent season as she won four titles, including the season-ending WTA Finals.

She finished the year ranked at No. 4 in the world.

However, Garcia says the last few years have been marked by an eating disorder.

“Everyone is different. Some will stop eating and for me it was the opposite: I used to take refuge in food,” Garcia told L’Equipe.

“You feel so empty, so sad, that you need to fill yourself. It came from the distress of not managing to do what I wanted to do on court, of not winning anymore, of suffering physically.

“Eating would appease me for a few minutes. We all know it does not last but it was an escape route. When you’re alone, it’s harder to control. In tennis, you spend a lot of time alone in your room. It’s how it often happened.”

Garcia, who enjoyed her best Grand Slam run last year as she made the US Open semi-finals, said sharing her challenges helped.

“I started talking about it, to my relatives, to friends, to my parents. You begin to understand. You realise that if this happens to you, it’s not the end of the world.

“Sometimes it’s just fatigue that makes your body crave sugar. It’s not going to change your life either. Sometimes it was inexplicable. I needed to fill myself up to make up for the defeat and the pain.

“Since I’ve been taking time for myself, it happens less. And when it happens, I accept it better and feel less guilty. Allowing myself some regular indulgences helps me avoid having too many of these cravings.

“I was too tough on myself at some point. I’m the type of person who weigh themselves to the gram. Now, if I’ve been wanting pizza for two days, I’m going to have the pizza.
“I had a hard time accepting the fact that it wasn’t going to transform my body. I allow myself a small dessert from time to time rather than thinking about it all week and ending up completely cracking.

“Defeat became an excuse to allow everything to me. This is much less the case today. In the players’ restaurant, there are plenty of temptations, it’s not easy. You learn about yourself as you go.”

Garcia was also at world No. 4 in 2018 but slipped down the rankings over the following few years and in 2021 was outside the top 70.

She says a foot injury made things even more difficult on and off the court.

“After being top 10, having won Masters 1000 (Wuhan and Beijing in 2017), it’s hard to accept. In Miami (in March), I couldn’t take the pain anymore and I couldn’t train anymore. I didn’t want to anymore.

“I told myself that I would never get rid of these foot pains which also bothered me in my everyday life. There have been many tears, sleepless nights, this year and last year already. When things are not going well, you are more and more alone. You think. You lose a lot, so you no longer have the emotion of victory, even that of a first round, when you need it. And you don’t sleep anymore.”

Djokovic is back in Australia this month, a year after he was deported from the country due to being unvaccinated against Covid-19.

He also missed several key tournaments last year due to his vaccination status, including four Masters events – Indian Wells, Miami Open, Canadian Open and Western & Southern Open – and the US Open.

His travel issues look set to continue into 2023 as United States travel authorities extended the requirement for non-US nationals to be vaccinated.

While many countries around the world have relaxed Covid rules, the US have confirmed proof of vaccination will be required for entry until April 10.

Indian Wells and the Miami Open, two of the most prestigious events on the tennis calendar, start on March 6 and March 20 respectively.

“I don’t think there’s anything official yet, so when it is we can speak about it,” said Djokovic at this week’s Adelaide International.

“I mean, if it is official then it is – what can I do? Nothing.

“You know my position, so it is what it is. I’m hoping (to play), but if I can’t go, I can’t go.”

Missing both Masters tournaments would be a big blow to Djokovic.

It would mean another lengthy spell away from the court in March and April, while he would also miss out on the chance to gain significant ranking points.

Djokovic faces Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals in Adelaide after fighting back to beat Quentin Halys.

“Denis is one of the most complete players out there,” said Djokovic ahead of the match.

“He has a very dynamic style of tennis. He has a big serve, comes to the net, is comfortable playing at the back of a court and he’s a great athlete. I haven’t played him for a while so I’m looking forward to it. Every match from here gets tougher.”

Eurosport expert Mats Wilander believes Djokovic “is the number one favourite for many, many reasons” at the upcoming Australian Open.

“When you play the way Novak plays, he doesn’t have ups and downs. Everybody is not 100% ready in Australia. Some are very ready, some are not ready, and he is always somewhat ready. Somewhat ready for him means he’s the favourite. The surface is perfect.”

The first Grand Slam of the year starts on January 16.

Djokovic was involved in one of the biggest tennis controversies of the season when he arrived in Melbourne earlier this year and had his visa revoked as he is unvaccinated.

Under Australia’s immigration laws, he could potentially not be granted another visa for three years.

However, Australia’s prime minister at the time of the ruling, Scott Morrison, said there could be an opportunity for Djokovic to return earlier under the “right circumstances”.

Djokovic says he hopes to have an answer on whether he can play the first Grand Slam of 2023 “in the next few weeks”.

“When it comes to Australia, there are some positive signs, but unofficially,” he told Sportal.

“We are communicating through my lawyers in Australia. In fact, they are communicating with the authorities in charge of my case. I hope to have an answer in the next few weeks – whatever that answer might be, but of course I am hoping for a positive one – so that I have enough time to prepare for the start of the season, if that start is going to happen in Australia.

“I really want to go there, I am over what happened this year and I just want to play tennis, it is what I do best. Australia has always been the place where I have played my best tennis, the results speak for themselves, so I am always extra motivated to go there. This time even more, so.

“I am hoping for a positive answer.”
Djokovic is a nine-time champion at the Australian Open and has won the last three times he has played the tournament.

If he plays in Melbourne in 2023 he would have the chance to move level with Rafael Nadal on 22 Grand Slam titles.

“I am waiting for the permission again,” added Djokovic.

“It is a good thing that they have now opened the borders for the unvaccinated foreigners travelling to Australia. I have that ban, I hope it will be lifted. As I said, it is not in my hands, I hope the people in the Australian government will give a positive answer, that is all.”

Djokovic’s vaccination status has meant he has missed large chunks of the season, including the Australian Open and the North America hard-court summer, which finished with the US Open.

“I respect that everyone has a different way of thinking in relation to my situation and my circumstances,” he said.

“After all, I have never offended anyone or ever tried to be disrespectful in any way. I always tried to show that it is important for everyone to have the right and freedom of choice.

“For the choices I made, I knew there would be certain consequences like not going to America, and that is it. For Australia it was a different case, I had the exception, but in the end it did not work out. We know what happened, let’s not go back.”

Reflecting on his season, Djokovic, who will finish his year at the Paris Masters next week followed by the ATP Finals in Turin, said: “It was a very interesting year, peculiar.

“I always strive to draw positive things from whatever the experience is, that is part of my character and my approach to life. I know that everything that happened in Australia and afterwards – the way people have treated me, which did not feel nice and it is something I have never experienced before in my life – has helped me to learn some valuable lessons.

“Many masks have fallen, so to say – throughout this process, it was interesting for me to observe the way some people behaved towards me this year. I keep going, motivated and inspired.

“I love this sport, I love giving it my all in every practice because every day is different, and there is always some sort of excitement, some sort of unknown, it is a challenge. The young guns are coming, they are hungry for success, so that is something that gives me extra motivation as well.”

Alcaraz fell behind after the opening set as Draper broke twice and held to love in the final game.

The 19-year-old switched up his tactics in the second set to tighten up his ground game as he began to dictate the match, eventually levelling the scores to take the contest to a deciding set.

A tightly contested third set went to the wire as Draper hit back from 4-2 down to level.

Alcaraz broke for a 6-5 lead and closed out the win with his third match point after Draper had showed his fighting quality to stay alive.

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz said the court was “slow”, suggesting it didn’t suit his aggressive playing style and forced him into mistakes.

“At the beginning of the match it was tough, I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning,” he said.

“I wanted to play really aggressive, and this court for me is a little bit slower than the other tournaments, but obviously I had to handle that.

“Of course I changed my tactics a little bit in the second set, I know that Jack’s a really, really dangerous player and I had to be really focussed.”

Alcaraz won the US Open in September – his first major title – after he defeated Casper Ruud in the final.

He became world No. 1 after the tournament and his victory in Basel was his first as the top-ranked player, but the teenager admitted he hasn’t had much time to “enjoy” being top of the rankings, insisting he’s working towards “new goals”.

“It feels great [to be world No. 1] obviously, but I have tournaments so I have no time to try and enjoy it. After the US Open I now have new goals, so I have to be focused, I have to be prepared for the new challenges this year, but obviously it’s a great feeling.”

Alcaraz will face either Botic van de Zandschulp or Adrian Mannarino in the next round.

He remained on top of the latest ATP rankings released on Monday with 6,730 points, whilst Draper climbed to 45th which saw him overtake Andy Murray as the British No. 3.

Draper is now only behind Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans in the British rankings as he continues to enjoy an impressive year.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion suffered an abdominal injury at Wimbledon during the summer, which had a part to play in his early US Open exit in September.

Nadal has only played doubles alongside Roger Federer at the Laver Cup since, but according to Moya has been training well at home, and will be involved at the Paris Masters, which starts on October 31, to prepare for the ATP Finals in Turin.

“Before arriving in Turin, you have to play matches in Paris, which are similar,” Moya told Balearic television station IB3.

World No. 2 Nadal returned to Mallorca after his fourth round US Open loss to eventual semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe.

He then played the Laver Cup before welcoming his first born child. He has been back on the practice court to prepare for Paris, which is one of only two Masters events, along with Miami, that Nadal hasn’t won.

“He has not been able to win it, but he has achieved good results and has come close to doing so on several occasions,” Moya explained.

“We always have hope and illusion, because Rafael is competitive anywhere.”

Nadal has a chance to finish as year-end No. 1 depending on results over the next few weeks.

Nadal is enduring a similar situation he went through last year when he missed the second part of the year with a foot injury, before making a stunning comeback in 2022.

He said after his surprise US Open that he needed some time away to “fix things”.

If Nadal does play the ATP Finals that means the eighth-placed player in the Race to Turin standings will likely miss out. While the top eight in the race qualify for the ATP Finals, Novak Djokovic has also secured a spot due to winning a Grand Slam title this year, even though he is not in the top eight places.

Zverev has been out of action since tearing ankle ligaments during his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal on June 3.

He was hoping to play for Germany in the Davis Cup group stage in September, but suffered a setback with a bone edema on his foot.

He will not play at next week’s Paris Masters and will also not feature at the Davis Cup Finals, which run from November 22-27 in Malaga.

“At the moment it doesn’t look like Alexander Zverev will be ready for action again until the Davis Cup,” said a statement from the German Tennis Federation.

Zverev was in with a chance of reaching world No. 1 at the French Open but has now slipped down to No. 6 in the rankings.

He will fall further by the end of the season as he will drop 1,300 points as defending champion at the ATP Finals and also 360 points from making the 2021 Paris Masters semi-finals.

In Zverev’s absence, Germany will stick with the same squad against Canada that qualified for the finals in September.

Oscar Otte, Jan-Lennard Struff and Yannick Hanfmann will compete in the singles while Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz are set to team up in doubles.

“These players have been convincing and deserve to continue the journey together,” said Germany captain Michael Kohlmann.

“The team has developed an incredible sense of togetherness over the past few years, which, coupled with our playing quality, makes us an uncomfortable opponent for any nation.”
Germany will be underdogs against Canada, who will be led in singles by world No.9 Felix Auger-Aliassime and world No. 19 Denis Shapovalov.

“Of course we are not the favourites but we are looking forward to this challenge,” added Kohlmann.

“We have proved many times that we can compete with the best and like last year we want to reach at least the semi-finals.”

The winner of the clash faces either Italy or the United States.

The other quarter-finals see Australia face Netherlands and Spain take on Croatia.

Two hours and 24 minutes had passed since his long forehand allowed defending French Open champion Mats Wilander to claim the first point of the 1983 final, but that was long forgotten by this stage.

Yannick Noah, whose previous best from his 16 Grand Slam appearances was just two quarter-final appearances – both also in Paris – now had championship point against fifth seed Wilander.

Keeping his cool, the 23-year-old fired his serve down the centre line forcing his Swedish opponent to miscue his forehand return, sending the ball into the air and beyond the baseline.

An ear-splitting cheer goes up as the victor drops to his knees in ecstasy – Yannick Noah is a Grand Slam champion.

More than that, Noah’s 6-2 7-5 7-6 victory on the famous orange clay also made him the first Frenchman to win the French Open in 37 years, as well as just the second Black male player to win a major after Arthur Ashe.

Curiously, his tennis journey would actually begin with the legendary Ashe, who spotted a young Noah playing as child during a trip to Cameroon.

Although Noah was originally born in Sedan in the North of France, his father and former Cameroonian professional footballer Zacharie Noah returned to Africa with his French wife and children in the early 60s.

The American Ashe, who Noah described as his hero, recommended the talented youngster move back to his mother’s homeland to pursue tennis more seriously.

“I met him when I was 11,” Noah told the documentary ‘Noirs en France’ in 2021. “He held out his hand to me and it turned my life upside down”

Seven years later in 1978, the two played side by side at Wimbledon in the men’s doubles, winning their first-round match before getting knocked out in round two. Five year’s later, Noah was on top of the world in his own right.

“French tennis was suffering in the 1970s,” explained Eurosport France’s Maxime Battistella. “Until Philippe Chatrier took over as President of the French Federation of Tennis (FFT).

“He initiated a new policy to develop tennis in the country with Jean-Paul Loth by his side as ‘directeur technique national’.

“Noah was one of the ‘products’ of this new policy, the most talented, and hard working guy of his generation.”

A FAMILY OF WARRIORS

Speaking to the Echange podcast for Eurosport in 2019, Noah himself explained his motivations and drive to succeed at tennis.

“My father was a warrior,” he said. “My mother was a warrior. My son Joakim has that too.”

His mother Marie-Claire played basketball as does son Joakim who starred in the NBA.

“The common point between Joakim, dad and me is that at the start, we weren’t not gifted, we are rather outsiders. But we are enraged.”

Noah also revealed he dedicated far more time and effort to improving than his friends at the Sophia-Antipolis Country Club where he trained after moving back to France.

“I counted my hours of training and I compared them with theirs. At the end of the week, it still gave me 12 more hours. I progressed like that.

“Maybe I didn’t not have the best forehand or the best backhand but on all the areas that I could work on alone, especially the serve and the physique, there yes, I was good.”
The hard work paid off with Noah’s triumph in Paris, the culmination of his dedication to reach to summit of the sport.

“Noah was well-known and pretty popular at the time, because of his previous results in Paris,” added Battistella. “He reached the quarter-finals in 1981 and 1982. And in 1983, he won in Madrid and Hamburg on clay just before the French Open.

“When the tournament began, he was part of the Top 10, so French fans expected a big run from him. He represented a real chance of victory but it was difficult to consider him as THE favourite.

“When he won, there were huge celebrations. People invaded the court, and his father even jumped from the stands to hold Noah in his arms. Emotions were intense.”

‘I WAS REPRESENTING ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE THAT DIDN’T PLAY TENNIS’

The reach of tennis as a sport stretches across the globe with many nationalities represented among the game’s top stars down the years, but in terms of diversity, Black success is relatively sparse.

Although the success of the Williams sisters among others in recent decades has changed this for the better, things haven’t always been so straightforward.

As well as a French success, Noah’s win had wider cultural significance due to the fact he was just the second Black man to win a tennis Grand Slam.

“You can say without being too excessive that, in French sports, he was one, and still is, one of the biggest symbols in this discussion,” said Eurosport France’s Cyril Moran. “But he changed so much of the perception.”

Noah himself acknowledged this in the ‘Noirs en France’ documentary:

“At Sport-études (a sporting academy), I was different. In every class I was in, it was always the same situation but I liked it. The other guys were saying ‘I’m playing the little black’. I was really not playing a role but I had a real role.

“I didn’t represent only myself, Yannick. I was representing all the Black people that didn’t play tennis. It wasn’t something I asked, it came upon me. But I wanted to show that I will be the first to do it, to prove that the ‘Little Black’ could do it. It gave me so much strength.”

MCENROE: NOAH IS TENNIS’ ONLY REAL ROCK STAR

Glory at Roland Garros propelled Noah into the limelight and to this day remains France’s most famous male tennis player.

Although the French Open title was his only success in majors, Noah would claim a number of other titles and also captained France to three Davis Cup wins in 1991, 1996 and 2017.
His success has paved the way for other high profile Black tennis stars such as Gael Monfils and the recently retired Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who both hailed Noah as an inspiration in their respective careers.

Off the court, he embarked on a successful career as a musician following his retirement, as well as extensive charity work.

In 2010, French paper Le Journal du Dimanche ran a poll that saw Noah come out on top as the nation’s favourite celebrity.

His success beyond tennis, particularly in the music charts, even prompted friend and fellow former star John McEnroe to remark:

“Among the tennis players who dreamed of being rock stars, Pat Cash, Mats WIlander, yours truly, he’s the only one who actually became one.”

Draper – who is behind only world No. 13 Cameron Norrie and world No. 26 Dan Evans in the British rankings – achieved a career-high ranking when he rose to 45th in the world, leapfrogging former world No. 1 Murray, who dropped to No. 49.

The top 10 remained almost intact, with only Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz switching positions in ninth and 10th place, the former overtaking the latter after winning the European Open on Sunday.

Auger-Aliassime is also ahead of Fritz in the last qualifying spot for the ATP Finals.

Fritz, who hasn’t seen any on-court action since he was crowned champion at the Japan Open earlier in October, dropped to No. 10.

Carlos Alvaraz – who will face new British No. 3 Draper at the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Monday – remains world No. 1, closely followed by Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitispas, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev.

There was progression just outside the top 10 for British No. 1 Norrie, who rose one place to No. 13, while Matteo Berrettini climbed two places to move into Norrie’s vacated 14th spot.

Slightly further down the pecking order, Denis Shapovalov has moved up to 19th and, despite not playing, Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios is back at No. 20.

Lorenzo Musetti is another player to reach a new career-best ranking as he climbed to No. 22 after his Naples Cup win, and Stockholm Open champion Holger Rune – who beat fifth-ranked Tsitispas in the final – is up to No. 24.

Zhang Zhizhen made history when he became the first Chinese player to break into the top 100.

The 26-year-old moved from No. 109 to No. 97 after his quarter-final showing in Naples last week.

The rankings will likely be changing again soon with plenty of opportunity for players to climb the leaderboard this week at two ATP 500 events – the Swiss Indoors in Basel and the Vienna Open in Austria.

It capped off a fine week for the American No. 3 seed who knocked out four Grand Slam champions in a row – Elena Rybakina, Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens and Victoria Azarenka – en route to her second career singles title.

“I’m just super excited, relieved, happy, like all the emotions,” Pegula said after her victory.

“Dedicating it to my mom was extra special, I know she was watching back home.

“Just a lot of emotions, but super excited just to get a big title next to my name.

“That was something I really wanted this year, and I kept saying it was one of my goals, so to be able to accomplish it at the end of the year is really cool.

“I thought I just played really solid, I didn’t really make a lot of silly errors or stupid decisions. I served really smart, I returned well.

“There were a lot of different points where I had to maybe slice and come in, or serve and volley, or do something different.

“I just didn’t panic, I just kind of did what I had to do to win the point, and it was working.”

Pegula’s power and aggression from the baseline proved too much for No.4 seed Sakkari, hitting 11 winners compared to the Greek’s nine with the latter also producing 25 unforced errors.

It was Sakkari’s second match of the day as she had to finish off her rain delayed semi-final four hours prior against Marie Bouzkova – which she won 7-5 6-4 – and her tiredness showed.

Both players were tied at 2-2 in the first set before Pegula raced away by winning 16 of the next 19 points to seal the opener without facing a break point.

Momentum was firmly with Pegula in the second as she twice broke the Sakkari serve to take a 5-2 lead.

Sakkari did pull a break back, but Pegula responded by setting up triple championship point and sealed the title on her first match point.

The Canadian’s success came on the back of his triumph in Florence last week, and he is now comfortably inside the cut to make the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.

Auger-Aliassime goes seventh in the ‘Race to Turin’ rankings, 340 points above Taylor Fritz of the United States.

“It’s another great week. I played some great tennis and really fought hard to stand here in front of you today, so big shout-out and thank you to my team,” said the 22-year-old.

Auger-Aliassime secured his first break at 3-2 in the first set with a sharp passing shot, and he never looked back.

He went on to take the opening set 6-3, but came under pressure early in the second.

Korda had two break point opportunities at 2-1, but he couldn’t take them and Auger-Aliassime punished him by breaking the American’s serve in the following game.

Auger-Aliassime lost to Korda in straight sets in Estoril earlier this year, and was glad to get some revenge.

“You got me good last time we played, so I’m happy I was able to get a win over you,” Auger-Aliassime said.

“You’re such a great player, so keep going like this and good luck to you and your team for the rest of the year.”

Both players will compete in Basel next week at the Swiss Indoors, with Korda set to face Britain’s Andy Murray in the first round.

Pegula reached 40 wins in the calendar year with the semi-final victory, with only Iga Swiatek (62) and Ons Jabeur (46) having more victories on the WTA circuit this season.

Pegula joins nine other Americans – Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, Sofia Kenin, Madison Keys, Meghann Shaughnessy and Chanda Rubin – to reach the 40-win mark in a single campaign.

She will be looking for number 41 in the final, but she must wait to find out her opponent.

Maria Sakkari and Marie Bouzkova were locked in a tight semi-final of their own on Saturday evening when heavy rains forced the remainder of the match to be postponed, with the Greek leading 7-5 0-0.

With a 1-3 record against both Sakkari and Bouzkova, Pegula will be looking to turn over a new leaf in the final.

Pegula was delighted with the victory. Speaking after the match, she said: “I think it’s just capping off the end to a couple of amazing years, really. I’m just super happy to be through to a final.”

She continued: “Vika [Azarenka] is always tough no matter what, especially on hard courts, especially in faster conditions. I’ve lost to her the last couple of times, I knew it was going to be tough.

“I’m just glad, in a semifinal as well, that I was able to hold on to that first set. I thought it was really important to not let her get any momentum or more confidence by winning an easy first set, so I’m definitely really happy with how I handled that situation.

“[Being] able to take that first set and start off strong in the second against someone as experienced as her is always going to give me a lot of confidence.”

The American has faced an impressive run of opponents en route to the final. All of Elena Rybakina, Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens and Azarenka are Grand Slam champions, and Pegula beat the lot of them.

It is the second time this year that Pegula has reached the final of a WTA event but she will be hoping that she can do one better in Guadalajara after falling at the final hurdle in Madrid earlier this year to Ons Jabeur.

The 41-year-old will step away with 103 titles, second in the Open era to Jimmy Connors’ 109, 1,251 singles wins, second again to Connors’ 1,274, and 310 weeks as world No. 1, behind only Novak Djokovic’s 373.

Even though he will not leave the sport with the most Grand Slam titles, with his total of 20 having been passed by Rafael Nadal (22) and Djokovic (21), Federer holds several records which may never be beaten.

WORLD NO. 1 FOR 287 WEEKS IN A ROW

Although Federer has played into his 40’s, the period from 2004 to 2008 will likely be remembered as his most impressive, and certainly his most dominant, on tour.

He replaced Andy Roddick as world No. 1 after winning his first Australian Open in 2004 and would not slip from the top of the rankings until August 2008.

During that time he won 10 Grand Slam titles and in 2006 enjoyed arguably his best-ever season, winning 12 singles titles, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and the ATP Finals. He was eventually displaced as No. 1 after Nadal won gold at the Beijing Olympics.

Nobody has come close to Federer’s 287 straight weeks as world No. 1.

Connors is second in the standings with 160 weeks, 77 short of Federer. Djokovic’s best run at the top was 122 weeks, which ended in 2016.

FIVE US OPEN TITLES IN A ROW

Maybe not a record that immediately stands out, but Federer is the only player to win five consecutive US Open titles in the Open era.

The US Open is perhaps the toughest major to dominate.

It is played on a surface that most players enjoy, unlike the French Open and Wimbledon, and it is late in the summer so there are often injuries or niggles to contend with.
Federer won his first US Open as a 23-year-old in 2004, beating Andre Agassi in five sets in the quarter-finals and then easing past Tim Henman and Lleyton Hewitt. Federer followed up by beating Agassi, Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic in the next three finals. In 2008 he had lost the world No. 1 ranking and was yet to win a Grand Slam title, but he beat Djokovic in the semi-finals and then Andy Murray in the final to clinch a fifth straight US Open.

Federer came so close to making it six in a row. In 2009 he was beaten in the final by a 20-year-old Juan Martin del Potro having led by two sets to one.

“It probably feels like one of those matches I would like to play over again,” said Federer in 2017 about the final. “I feel like I would probably win it somehow because I should have been up maybe 2-0 or should have been up 2-1.”

Federer’s achievement of winning five in a row is highlighted by the fact nobody has defended the men’s title in New York since his last victory. And in the Open era, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl are the only men to have won more than two consecutive US Open titles.

Federer also won Wimbledon for five straight years but that could be matched by Djokovic in 2023.

GRAND SLAM FINAL AND SEMI-FINAL STREAKS

Federer’s peak was a staggeringly high level of consistency.

Between Wimbledon 2005 and the 2007 US Open he reached 10 Grand Slam finals in a row, winning eight of them. And from a year earlier – Wimbledon 2004 – to the 2010 Australian Open he made 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals.

Federer also reached 36 Grand Slam quarter-finals in a row before his shock loss to Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round of Wimbledon 2013.

It’s hard to imagine that any these crazily consistent streaks will ever bettered.

WINNING 24 FINALS IN A ROW

Iga Swiatek has been dominant in finals so far in her career, but even she has some way to go to match Federer’s incredible run of 24 wins in a row in finals.

The streak started in Vienna in 2003 and ran until the season-ending Masters Cup in 2005 when he lost to David Nalbadian.

The run included victories in finals over Agassi, Hewitt, Roddick, Marat Safin and Nadal.

NO STRAIGHT-SET LOSSES IN 194 MATCHES

From 2004 to 2006, Federer played nearly 200 matches where he won at least one set.

He only suffered 10 losses during the incredible run, five of which were against Nadal.

Carlos Alcaraz has gone 65 matches in a row winning at least one set after his US Open victory, but it’s testament again to Federer’s remarkable consistency and quality that he was able to string together a run of 194 matches without a straight-set loss.

Federer’s run ended in Cincinnati when he was beaten in the second round by Murray.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion shared the news on social media prompting heartfelt reactions from across the tennis community. The likes of Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams have congratulated Federer on his achievements, and now, Djokovic has spoken for the first time since the news broke.

Having enjoyed some great battles together down the years, the pair built a respectful rivalry and a great friendship. Federer struggled with injuries which hindered his ability to compete in the latter stages of his career, but the duo will be reunited on court for one last time at the Laver Cup in London this month.

The event takes place at the O2 Arena from 23-25 September and is expected to attract large crowds with fans flocking to see Federer, one of the game’s greatest ever players, in competitive action for the final time.

In a statement on social media, Djokovic spoke of his admiration for Federer both as a player and a person.

“Roger, it’s hard to see this day and put into words all that we’ve shared in this sport together. Over a decade of incredible moments and battles to think back on,” he said.

“Your career has set the tone for what it means to achieve excellence and lead with integrity and poise. It’s an honour to know you on and off court, and for many more years to come.”

The Serb continued by extending his well wishes to Federer’s family and expressing his excitement for their Laver Cup reunion.

“I know that this new chapter will hold amazing things for you, Mirka, the kids, all your loved ones, and Roger fans still have a lot to look forward to. From our family to yours, we wish you much joy, health, and prosperity in the future.

“Looking forward to celebrating your achievements and seeing you in London.”

Federer made his professional debut aged 16 in 1998 and won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003. Only Spain’s Rafael Nadal (22) and Djokovic (21) have more Grand Slam singles titles than the 41-year-old, who will bring the curtain down on an illustrious career in one week’s time.

Federer shared the news on social media on Thursday afternoon after having endured a long struggle with injuries. He confirmed that he will not play any further Grand Slams or compete on the ATP Tour.

Having racked up 20 Grand Slam singles titles in his illustrious career, the Swiss will make a no-doubt emotional farewell at the Laver Cup – an event he has been instrumental in establishing.

In a lengthy statement, Federer paid tribute to everyone that has helped him through his career and reflected on the incredible journey he has been on in the sport.

“To my tennis, family and beyond. Of all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met along the way.

“My friends, my competitors, and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with all of you.

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old, I’ve played more than 1500 matches over 24 years, tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.

“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.

“This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the tour has given me, but at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on earth, I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined for much longer than I ever thought possible.

The 41-year-old has not played since the 2021 Wimbledon semi-finals after undergoing a third knee operation and will now bow out at the Laver Cup in London, which takes place from September 23-25.

In what has been a truly remarkable career, Federer amassed six Australian Open titles, eight Wimbledon triumphs, five US Open championships and a French Open to complete his set.

He won the ATP Finals on six occasions and also took the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games alongside compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka in the men’s doubles, while his Switzerland team won the Davis Cup in 2014.

The Queen, who ruled for longer than any monarch in British history, passed away at her residence in Balmoral, Buckingham Palace on Thursday, September 8.

Murray was knighted by the Royal Family after winning Wimbledon and Olympic gold for a second time.

A minute’s silence will take place ahead of Great Britain’s Davis Cup match against the USA on Wednesday in Glasgow.

“It’s obviously been a very sad week with the news about the Queen passing away, but I think here will be a chance for everyone to show how much she meant to everyone,” Murray told Sky Sports.

“I’m sure there’ll be songs sung and a minute’s silence observed.

“She obviously had an amazing life and I think here, these few days when GB are competing, will be a chance to celebrate her and everything that she did.

“I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to play in front of her and compete at Wimbledon when she came along to watch which was a really nice memory for me.”

Murray is part of a five-man Britain team with Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski who are taking part in the group stages of the Davis Cup.

Kazakhstan and the Netherlands are the other teams in their group with Britain taking on both countries after the USA this week.

Should they finish in the top two of their group, they will qualify for the Davis Cup finals which takes place from November 22-27 in Malaga.

Murray is looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd and believes Britain can do “quite well”.

“It’s an opportunity for us to use all of the players in the team,” added Murray. “It’s pretty exciting.

“It’s a bit different [this time]. Obviously we have a very strong team, a lot of depth, which hasn’t always been the case over the last 20 years or so.

“Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski originally would play pretty much all of the matches together. Then I played the bulk of the singles and doubles matches for a period of time.

“It’s obviously great to be playing back in the Davis Cup, representing Great Britain again, I’ve always loved doing it, especially here at the Emirates.”

Raducanu beat Dayana Yastremska 6-2 5-3, as her opponent retired in what was likely to be the final game of the match.

The teenager outplayed Yastremska as she broke the Ukrainian three times in the first set and continued her form into the second.

Yastremska put up a tougher fight but was broken again with Raducanu set for victory. But, the match ended early at 5-3 to Raducanu in the second set when Yastremska called for a trainer due to a wrist issue and retired.

“Nobody wants to win due to a retirement,” said Raducanu. “Dayana is an extremely ferocious competitor. So I knew it was going to be a tough match going in.

“I’m really happy with the way that I stayed in the points and was fighting the whole way through. So I’m happy to be into the next round.”

Raducanu will next play on Wednesday against Elizabeth Mandlik or Anna-Lena Friedsam.

THE START OF A NEW CHAPTER FOR RADUCANU

Raducanu has dropped to world No. 83 after losing nearly all of her 2000 points that she scored by winning the 2021 US Open.

The Slovenia Open is a WTA 250 event, meaning 250 points are awarded to the champion, and Raducanu is the top seed.

Second seed Beatriz Haddad Maia also won her first round match and will be one of the biggest threats this week to Raducanu.

Alize Cornet, who beat Raducanu at Flushing Meadows two weeks ago, is also in the tournament.

The 19-year-old, so often referred to as a ‘rising star’ is certainly no longer that after he claimed his maiden major title at Flushing Meadows and usurped Daniil Medvedev atop the ATP world rankings.

For Ruud, it was another hugely impressive run to what was a second Grand Slam final after he came up short against Rafael Nadal at the French Open earlier in the summer. He has again demonstrated that he belongs right near the top of the sport.

It was an error-strewn opening from both players, who each looked understandably nervous in their first Grand Slam final. Ruud managed to save two break points and hold in the opening game of the match despite a few sloppy shots.

Alcaraz forced the first break of serve in the match and consolidated to assume a 4-2 lead before closing it out ruthlessly. Incredibly, it meant that the Spaniard has now won at least one set in 65 consecutive matches.

Ruud found his rhythm in the second set as the fifth seed hit back from 30-0 down to break his opponent in clinical fashion and seize the momentum.

Alcaraz could not find a response in the second set and mustered just two games as Ruud hauled himself back on terms with the match intriguingly poised.

As is so often the case in matches involving Alcaraz, the momentum swung wildly yet again at the start of the third set as he re-established control with an immediate break of serve, only for Ruud to respond shortly afterwards.

Midway through the third set, both players had won 67 points to demonstrate how finely poised the contest was. But once in a tie-break, Alcaraz suddenly found another level with huge hitting and intensity as he conceded just a single point.

At 3-2 up in the fourth set, the decisive moment arrived as Alcaraz launched a vicious attack on the Ruud serve to break once more and begin his march towards closing out the match. Given he had prevailed in three successive five-setters prior to the final, he was eager to wrap things up swiftly.

Ruud could not find a way back on the Alcaraz serve as he completed a famous victory, and for the second time this season, the Norwegian had to concede that he had come up just short in a Grand Slam showpiece after he lost to Nadal at Roland-Garros.

“It’s tough to explain everything,” Ruud said in his speech after the match. “Things had been going so well, and of course, I was so excited for it.

“Today was a special evening where both Carlos and I knew what was at stake. It’s fun that the finalists will be No. 2 and No. 1 in the world tomorrow. I think it’s fitting.

“I’m disappointed, of course, that I’m not No. 1 but No. 2, it’s not too bad either. So I’m happy with that number and I will continue to chase for my first Grand Slam and the No. 1 ranking.”

For Alcaraz, this was a momentous match in his burgeoning career as he clinched his maiden Grand Slam title on the biggest stage the sport has to offer inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It’s something I dreamed of since I was a kid, to be No. 1 in the world and be champion of a Grand Slam,” Alcaraz said post-match.

“It’s something I worked very hard for with my team and family. It’s tough to speak right now, there’s a lot of emotions. This is something that is really special for me.

“My mum is not here and my grandfather,” he continued, with tears in his eyes. “I was thinking about them. A lot of my family and team are here but a lot of people from my family, they couldn’t come here to watch the final and some matches, so I was thinking of all of them.”

There will surely be many more major titles to come for the precocious Spaniard now that he has opened his account in New York. He will officially become the youngest man ever to top the ATP rankings on Monday.

Alcaraz won the opening set 6-2, but then lost the second 2-6 before winning a crucial third set tie-break, which proved to be the final swing in momentum to set him up for victory.

His win means the 19-year-old has usurped Daniil Medvedev as the world No. 1 after an incredible rise up the ATP rankings.

“It’s incredible to have this trophy in my hand and be No. 1,” Alcaraz told Eurosport’s Alex Corretja.

“It’s something I always dreamed about when I started playing tennis and I’ve worked hard to get here. It’s a very special moment for me and I will never forget it.

“I won the first set, obviously, and I felt Casper tactically changed things up and I got a little tense, but then I started to calm down again and started to play better again.”

Alcaraz is the youngest US Open champion since Pete Sampras in 1990 and the youngest Grand Slam champion since Rafael Nadal in 2005.

Eurosport expert Corretja says the final was “amazing” and explained why he thinks it was a big moment for tennis.

“I’m very emotional, and not just for Carlos, but tennis overall,” said Corretja. “I think it was like a party of tennis, of sport, of attitude from both players trying to fight as much as they could.

“I have known Juan Carlos [Ferrero] since he was a kid. Carlos, at just 19-years-old, was able to handle the situation so well.

“He was tired and panicking at some points, but at the end of the day, he found a way and that is the most important thing.”

The 19-year-old produced another sensational performance as he defeated Casper Ruud in four sets, 6-4 2-6 7-6(1) 6-3, to triumph at Flushing Meadows on the biggest stage in the sport inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Clijsters and Wilander were left stunned by the Spaniard’s talent and maturity as he held his composure and produced his best tennis under pressure to open his Grand Slam account in style.

“We will always remember this rise from Carlos Alcaraz,” Wilander told Eurosport.

“I will also always remember Casper Ruud for putting up a great fight, and for making two Grand Slam finals in 2022, now No. 2 in the world.

“Carlos Alcaraz, he was going to get to No. 1 at some point, but to see him do it here by winning is absolutely historic.

“Carlitos is so mature off the court and on the court – the two go hand-in-hand. He is unreal in his attitude – unreal. It is incredible.

“The most consistent player becomes the No. 1 in the world and Ruud becomes world No. 2. He is not going anywhere for the next 10 years.”

Clijsters added: “The tension of this match, with everything that was at stake, it was incredible to see.

“The relief for Alcaraz and sharing this with his team … it is beautiful, and I feel lucky to witness it from up close. This is an incredible feeling.

“It just shows how he has been so dedicated to this sport from early on, and to play this tennis at the end of a Grand Slam is absolutely amazing.

“Casper Ruud should be extremely proud of himself because this has been an amazing year.”

So often referred to as a ‘rising star’, Alcaraz is now a genuine superstar at the very top of the sport. He will officially usurp Daniil Medvedev atop the ATP world rankings on Monday.

The Pole produced another stunning display to overcome Ons Jabeur in straight sets, 6-2 7-6(5), in the final at Flushing Meadows.

It is yet another memorable triumph for the 21-year-old, who already has three major titles to her name and holds the No. 1 world ranking to go with her Grand Slam triumphs.

Clijsters began by recognising what an “incredible achievement” it was and how special she is as a player and as a person.

“An incredible achievement,” Clijsters told Eurosport after the match. “She is so young, I think we forget that sometimes.

“We see her being so focused and so dedicated but she is an incredible champion and she gave a great speech as well. It was very impressive.

“It is just an amazing, amazing moment for her. She has everything it takes to win many more times as a champion at Grand Slams.

“To me, her biggest strength is her movement. She can get so many balls back and she did that today.”

Wilander added: “The way she is going and the pace she is playing at – she is playing a different game. It is a different level.

“She looks so hungry as well, all the time. So it is going to be tough to slow her down. The defence is absolutely unbelievable.

“She is so energetic in everything she does and it shows once she’s playing. So few players are able to do what she is doing.

“She just looks comfortable as the world No. 1 and I don’t think that makes any difference to her. She is chasing something else all the time, and that is improvement.”

For a third consecutive match, Alcaraz needed all five sets to prevail 6-7(6) 6-3 6-1 6-7(5) 6-3 to set up a clash with Casper Ruud, who beat Karen Khachanov earlier on Friday night.

The winner of the final on Sunday will also become the new world No. 1, replacing Daniil Medvedev at the top of the ATP rankings.

“I can see the number one in the world, but at the same time, it’s so far away,” said Alcaraz after the match.

“I have one more to go but against a player who plays unbelievable. He deserves to play a final, he played the final of a Grand Slam at Roland-Garros. It’s my first time.

“I’m going to give everything that I have. I will have to handle the nerves of being in a final of a Grand Slam, but obviously I’m really, really happy.

“As I said before every match, I’m going to enjoy the moment and let’s see what happens.”

To beat Tiafoe, Alcaraz produced some outstanding shots and looked on course to win in four sets.

He had a match point at 6-5 in the fourth set, but a dramatic point saw Tiafoe force a tie-break which he won.

Alcaraz managed to recover to win a memorable semi-final in front of a packed crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“We are in a semi-final of a Grand Slam, we had to give it everything that we had inside of us,” said Alcaraz.

“We had to fight until the last ball. It doesn’t matter if we are fighting for five or six hours, we have to give everything on court.
“Today, Frances gave everything so it’s amazing.”

Ruud played some of his best tennis as he won 7-6(5) 6-2 5-7 6-2 over Khachanov, including a dominant second set where he won 100 per cent of the points on his own serve.

The Norwegian will play his second major final after being runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open earlier this year.

“After Roland-Garros I had extremely positive feelings and a lot of good things were happening in my life,” Ruud told Eurosport’s Mats Wilander after the match.

“But at the same time, I was able to think ‘this is a great result, but it might not ever come again’.

“Grand Slam finals don’t come easy but I, of course, tried to stay humble, kept working hard and to be back in a final four months later, it seems a little surreal.”

Ruud appeared to be on course for a straight-sets win, but Khachanov came back in a close third set, breaking the fifth seed in the final game.

Despite losing the set, Ruud feels his level didn’t drop too much compared to the rest of the game.

“I felt like I didn’t do too much wrong in the third set,” explained Ruud. “Karen was serving great, he was hitting very good spots with his serves.

“I didn’t get too many rallies to play against him on his serve, and then when you’re 5-6, serving to stay in the set, you get a little nervous and all these things so it was a bit of a sloppy game.

“But I knew I was still leading 2-1 [in sets] and I was able to get a couple more returns back and played better after my returns in the fourth set again. So I’m very happy with that.”

Ruud will face Carlos Alcaraz or Frances Tiafoe in the final and will become the new world No. 1 should the Spaniard lose his semi-final.

If Alcaraz reaches the final, the winner of the US Open will replace Daniil Medvedev at the top of the ATP rankings.

Asked if he was going to watch the match, Ruud said: “Yes, I will watch, of course. This was probably the biggest match of mine and Karen’s career, and for Carlos and Frances it’s going to be the same.

“Of course, today there will be a lot of tension and nerves, but hopefully also another good level of tennis and I think the crowd can get me excited for a very fun and interesting match. And I look forward to watching it myself.”

The Frenchwoman claimed her 13th successive win in most convincing manner, overcoming the highly rated Gauff on Arthur Ashe Stadium in mightily impressive fashion to seal her place in the last-four.

It has been a fine tournament for the world No. 17 but somehow she managed to find an even higher level to win 6-3 6-4, and on this showing, she will take some stopping as she bids for her maiden Grand Slam title.

Garcia will meet Ons Jabeur in the next round after the Tunisian became the first African woman to reach the US Open semi-finals in the open era by beating Ajla Tomljanovic in straight sets.

Asked how it felt to be in her first major semi-final, a delighted Garcia said: “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s crazy.

“The atmosphere was very, very strong. Obviously to play an American here it’s like crazy energy, and my head is just buzzing.”

Garcia was asked to explain her blistering form, to which she responded: “I have always played very aggressive. I’m able to move and practice the way I want. And I just go for my shots, even when I’m stressed.”

The victory sets up an intriguing battle with Jabeur, with both players vying to lift their first Grand Slam title, and Garcia admits it’s going to be a “great challenge”.
“Since the juniors she’s a big, big and big player and a tough one for me,” she added.

“So, I’m looking forward for the next challenge and see what I can improve.”

Gauff’s body language in the early stages suggested she was nervous; in contrast, Garcia came out all guns blazing, and after rapidly holding service, she broke her opponent twice in quick succession. The American couldn’t deal with Garcia’s sublime forehand and powerful serves as she raced into a 4-0 lead.

However, when the teenager began to settle, she managed a brilliant break of her own to move to within two games of her opponent, with her athleticism beginning to pay dividends.
Gauff hung in there, taking the seventh game to deuce, but she was powerless to prevent the world. No. 17 from holding service and moving to within a game of claiming the opening set.

With the supporters cranking the noise up a notch, back came Gauff, crashing down an almighty ace. But that was only delaying the inevitable: Garcia wouldn’t be denied from taking the opener.

The crowd were more than playing their part, but anxiety was increasing within the stadium as Garcia broke the home favourite in the opening set of the second set.

A set and a break down, Gauff had a mountain to climb, and there suddenly seemed to be a sense of inevitability about the outcome. Garcia was growing in confidence, but Gauff responded with her best tennis of the night, landing two winners to get on the board.

Gauff was now giving it as good as she got, but Garcia was answering everything the teenager threw at her as she held the world No. 12 at arm’s length at 3-1.

Both players held service as Garcia edged towards victory, but Gauff was refusing to surrender easily, and at 4-3 there was still just one break of service.

The stakes were high, but Garcia remained composed, and a couple of aces saw her survive in her penultimate service game when she rallied from 30-0 down.

Gauff’s never-say-die attitude extended the set to its 10th game but despite a couple of unforced errors, Garcia held service to prevail.

The Tunisian clinched her place in the last four of the Grand Slam with a 6-4 7-6(4) win over Serena Williams’ victor Tomljanovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Reflecting on making yet more history, Jabeur said: “Hopefully I [can] inspire more generations from Africa. It really means a lot to me.”

It didn’t all go Jabeurs’ way, however, and frustration began to creep in during the second set after a number of unforced errors.

Jabeur, who is known as the ‘minister of happiness’ in her home country due to her jolly nature, admitted she found it difficult to hide her emotions at times.

“I think I’m gonna be fired from my job here, ‘minister of happiness’, but you know, it is tough to manage sometimes the frustration,” she laughed.

“Tennis is a tough sport and I apologise for my behaviour. I wanted to really just keep calm and, but the raquet kept slipping away from my hands!”

Jabeur was the first to break as she moved 3-1 clear of Tomljanovic. The young Australian broke back, though, to 3-3 against the fifth seed.

The world No. 5 had beaten Veronika Kudermetova in the last 16 to get to the quarters, and she drew on that same strength to break to go 5-3 up, before Tomljanovic held to stay in touch.

Jabeur pushed on to 6-4 after 40 minutes, but things started evenly in the second set and went with serve with the older player 3-2 up as she attempted to change up her variety of attack.

Tomljanovic held on, though, and moved onto a 6-5 lead before she struggled to hold off Jabeur, who forced an ultimately decisive tie-break decider.

Despite this, she came roaring back in the second set as Jabeur began to get jittery, and after grabbing a crucial break in the eighth game, Tomlajanovic was serving for the set. However, a double fault handed Jabeur a lifeline and she was able to make it to a tie-break where the Tunisian’s class eventually shone through.

Tomjlanovic’s final contribution was to strike the ball into the net, setting Jabeur up for her first semi-final in New York.

On another day, the second set could easily have slipped away from Jabeur, but the Tunisian remained composed to see the job through.

“I was telling myself to keep believing and forget a little bit about the breaks that I had at the second set,” she explained.

“I came repeating to myself: ‘I can, I can’ and that’s what I was trying to do. I was lucky, she double faulted. I had the good serve when I needed it so I’m very happy today.”

Jabeur will play the winner of Coco Gauff or Caroline Garcia in the semi-final.

The Norwegian made light work of the world No. 14 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, triumphing 6-1 6-4 7-6(4), setting up a semi-final with either Nick Kyrgios or Karen Khachanov.

Ruud is in with a shot of becoming the new men’s No. 1 at the end of the tournament, as are Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, and he admitted potential ranking points are providing “extra motivation”.

“I don’t want to think too much about it honestly,” he said on court afterwards.

“Of course, it’s something that all young players dream about. So if I’m in a position to do it, let’s see if I can accomplish it.

“Honestly, I had no idea that I had a chance to become world number one, one day, you know, now I’m in the semi-finals. Let’s see how it goes.

“But of course, it’s a little bit of extra motivation to dig in and even if you’re down on the score [you have] to keep fighting, you never know what’s gonna happen. And if I’m very, very lucky, I can leave New York as world number one, so I’m trying to go for it of course.”

The 23-year-old was three up after quickly breaking his Italian opponent.

The fifth seed was in dominant form and raced to a 5-0 lead and only then did Berrettini manage to hold his serve to pull one back.

However, after the first set, and 28 minutes, Ruud was a set up and was denying Berrettini the chance to exploit his powerful forehand.

Asked about his blistering start, in which he won 11 of the first 13 games, Ruud responded: “Yeah, that was a better start than I ever had before I think in a match. Everything was going my way. I was hitting all the spots I needed to. Plus Matteo maybe didn’t serve as well as usually does. I was able to take care of the chances that I got them.

“I got a little bit nervous towards the end of the second set because things were almost going too well, so, you know, it’s good but it’s sometimes, you can get overexcited and think that you can walk on water, which is not possible.”

Before the match, Berrettini and Ruud were both welcomed by John McEnroe as part of the next generation of men’s tennis, but on this showing it is Ruud who will be one of the dominant figures, and after just 50 minutes he was 4-1 up and serving for 5-1.

Berrettini kept his composure though and found some resistance when he broke to 5-3, and held his serve to take it to 5-4.

Ruud, however, was unruffled and set himself up for two set points, needing just one to leave him one set from victory.

Perhaps Ruud was unable to maintain those exceptional early standards so consistently, and Berrettini put the pressure on to break to 2-0 up.

Berrettini had to save a break point in the third set, and after some extended play a frustrated Ruud was unable to push through leading to a heated exchange with the umpire.

The Italian looked like he was certain to take the third but Ruud battled back from 5-2 down to 5-4 after breaking, before Berrettini steadied himself once again to go 6-5 clear, and Ruud then forced a tie-break where he quickly asserted his control.

The 23-year-old, who is bidding to win his first Grand Slam and is also fighting to keep his No. 1 hopes alive, was excellent on return as he brushed aside Berrettini in straight sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Norwegian has won eight of his ATP Tour singles titles on clay courts, but his deep run at the US Open suggests that he can be equally as efficient on the hard court.

“It was unbelievable tennis, especially with the forehand,” said Schett when analysing his victory.

“He could pretty much do anything today, and he had all the answers to the questions. People always reduced him to a clay court player, but he certainly proved today that he’s not only playing great tennis on clay court.”

Mats Wilander admitted that Ruud’s level of performance has taken him by surprise.

“For a set and a half he looked like he couldn’t do anything wrong,” said Wilander.

“He picked the right return position. He often picked the right return to get back in play and like you say, when the ball is in play, Casper Ruud’s forehand today is actually better than Berrettini’s.

“A lot of that has to do with the movement. He was able to move Matteo from left to, right. And just an amazingly strong effort by Casper.

“He’s showing me that he has a level of tennis in him on this surface, that I wasn’t sure existed in its game. But wow, he’s playing unbelievable.”

Alex Corretja was equally impressed, describing Ruud’s display as “pretty amazing”.

“Ruud was blocking most of the serves from Berrettini, it impressed me so much,” he said.

“He was blocking, put the return in and then won the point 60 per cent of the time. It’s pretty amazing because the balls that Berrettini was serving were huge. To beat Berrettini in straight sets here is such a difficult job.

“He was moving well and he was very convincing. We didn’t know about the conditions because the roof is on today. So, it was a little bit of a question mark to see who it favours.

“But Casper was hitting so well, so precise. I liked the way he was moving his wrist with the forehand because [it was] making Matteo move side to side from the back of the course. So I feel like for Matteo it was difficult to find a way to play.”

DAY TO FORGET FOR BERRETTINI

It was a tough day for Berrettini, who gave himself a mountain to climb after losing 11 of the first 13 games and eventually found himself two sets down before finally making a fight of it in the third set.

“I think he had the best start possible, and I helped him,” reflected the Italian.

“He played a really good match, and I played a really bad match.

“Really nothing I can say more than the worst day of the tournament probably in the most important moment. Nothing today. I mean, I fought through, but it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t feeling my game. I wasn’t feeling my mindset. I think he was feeling really good.

“Congrats to him. I told him. He also said he played unbelievable match. He was playing really good, but I was playing not really good (smiling).

“I was really bad. I didn’t check my percentage of serve. I didn’t check, like, the stats, but my game wasn’t there. Obviously when you are up a break and a player like him that is really solid, he started to take confidence, as well, he started hitting even stronger and harder.

“I actually started to, at the end of the second [set], put more energy in what I was doing, even though I felt like not really good. I fought through, and he played a little bit worse. You have to find the balance between the energy and the game.

“Even when I was up 5-2 I wasn’t feeling that great, and I think you could see it in the next games. When you are feeling like that, the only thing you can do, you have to fight. That’s what I tried to do. But I guess it wasn’t enough.

“I don’t know what happened. I’m gonna let pass few days, and then I’m gonna think about what happened. Now is too soon. But something happened, and I’m really not happy about it.”

Cilic was the last major winner standing in the men’s draw after Rafael Nadal’s exit to Frances Tiafoe, but Alcaraz downed the 2014 US Open champion 6-4 3-6 6-4 4-6 6-4 in 3h53 to advance to the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz is the highest seed remaining in the draw, and the Spaniard takes on No. 11 seed Jannik Sinner for a place in the semi-finals.

One of Andrey Rublev or Tiafoe will await in the last four, while the other half of the draw sees Nick Kyrgios take on Karen Khachanov in the last eight, and Matteo Berrettini face Casper Ruud.

US OPEN MEN’S QUARTER-FINALS
Nick Kyrgios (23) v Karen Khachanov (27)
Matteo Berrettini (13) v Casper Ruud (5)
Jannik Sinner (11) v Carlos Alcaraz (3)
Andrey Rublev (9) v Frances Tiafoe (22)

Asked how he found the drive to come through in five sets, Alcaraz replied on-court afterwards: “Honestly? I don’t know yet, but I believed in myself all the time. Marin was playing unbelievable, but the support was crazy. Without you guys it wouldn’t be possible.”

And on facing Sinner, who Alcaraz lost to at Wimbledon and then the Croatia Open earlier this year, he added: “I played a couple of times against him. A great player, I lost twice [to him] in the last two months so I will have to be ready for this battle. It’s going to be really tough.”

With Aryna Sabalenka needing three sets and almost two-and-a-half hours to oust Danielle Collins in the women’s fourth round, Alcaraz and Cilic did not walk out onto Arthur Ashe until just before 10.30pm local time.

That made a late finish inevitable under the roof, and the pair trading breaks early on was an indication of the myriad momentum swings this match would have.

From 2-0 down, two straight breaks helped Alcaraz take command of the first set, and he was able to close it out 6-4 after 51 minutes.

He broke immediately to 15 to take charge of the second set, but Cilic was clinical in breaking twice with just one opportunity needed in each game to lead 3-1.

Cilic comfortably closed out that set to level the match, with the clock striking midnight as the pair then sat down for a breather.

Come the third set, few early break chances arose, but after Alcaraz spurned one in the eighth game, he converted his third in the 10th, breaking Cilic to snatch the set 6-4.

A fraught fourth set followed, with both players failing to convert three break-point chances in one game, Alacaraz in the third and then Cilic in the sixth.

Alacaraz then missed two more opportunities before Cilic broke in the ninth, and then the Croat saved two more in the 10th before forcing a decider with his first set point.

It was anyone’s guess at the start of the fifth, but it was advantage Cilic when be broke straight away.

Alcaraz somehow found another level, though, breaking twice – the second time to love – before serving his way to victory.

The match finished just before 2.26am, falling just shy of the record late finish at the US Open, and now Alcaraz will set his sights on Sinner.

Sinner needed five sets himself to overcome the unseeded Ilya Ivashka, eventually coming through 6-1 5-7 6-2 4-6 6-3.

Nadal fell to an inspired Frances Tiafoe at Flushing Meadows, with a maiden Grand Slam champion now guaranteed after Carlos Alcaraz downed 2014 winner Marin Cilic.

For Nadal, it was his earliest exit – and only loss – at a major in 2022, having won the Australian Open and French Open before withdrawing ahead of the Wimbledon semi-finals due to injury.

The 36-year-old played just the one warm-up tournament before the US Open due to his recovery from an abdominal tear, and Wilander conceded Nadal – who admitted he may take a break – was not quite at 100 per cent in New York.

“It looked like Rafa was either a little bit slow, or it could be that it is very difficult to read Frances Tiafoe’s game,” Wilander said.

“When you look at [Nadal’s second-round opponent] Fabio Fognini and Tiafoe, both their forehands are hit with an extremely short and quick back swing. We have to remember though that Rafa hasn’t played enough tennis.

“It is a miracle that he has won two Grand Slams this year and reaching the semis at Wimbledon. If you look at his year, with the regular season he had he actually won two Grand Slams – that’s unbelievable. It wasn’t expected, but I think the players know when Rafa isn’t quite at 100 per cent level.”

Fellow Eurosport pundit and two-time Grand Slam finalist Alex Corretja believes Nadal did not have the energy to overcome a rampant Tiafoe.

“Honestly, I don’t think physically Rafa was at his best,” said Corretja. “Somehow, he didn’t have enough energy he needed to get behind the ball and to dictate. He was struggling, he was getting a little late to the ball and when you are playing someone like Tiafoe that is pushing so much, it’s so bad.

“I don’t know if he had any issue or not or just that Tiafoe was just playing too fast and he was uncomfortable. Apparently the humidity at the beginning of the match caused him some troubles, I don’t know whether he was sweating too much, he took a medical time out, but of course I felt like Rafa lacked a little bit of power in a way today.”

Nadal is in contention to return to No. 1 in the world after the US Open, although that will depend on how quarter-finalists Alcaraz and Casper Ruud fare at Flushing Meadows, with that pair the only ones who can deny Nadal the top ranking.

Set to play the Laver Cup later this month, Nadal will soon have to thrash out his year-end plans with the ATP Tour Finals on the way as well.

Off the court, Nadal is set to become a father for the first time with wife Mery Perello, and hinted that he had been experiencing “mental issues” in the last couple of months.

Corretja added: “He didn’t play too many matches during the summertime and he needs a little more confidence in the matches. As you go on and play, you feel a little more smoother on the court.

“In my opinion, Rafa now needs to think about what he wants for the future because we are at the beginning of September, finishing number one is important but he might save energy. I don’t think he’ll play more than two or three tournaments for the rest of the year.

“For me, it was a miracle that Rafa was able to win in Australia and at Roland-Garros so what can we say? He’s our icon, he’s the best example of our sport, and if he lost today, Frances needed to play unbelievable because he gave everything he had.”