If you've been watching this year's Atp Finals, you would easily notice the absence of American players in the eight-man cohort for the year-end championships.
Historically, the Atp Finals have not been a staple for the American men for over two decades. 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras remains the country's last winner, back in 1999. Former World No. 4 James Blake remains the last player to contest a final, back in 2006.
Taylor Frtiz qualified last year for the first time in his career and was knocked out in the semifinal stage. In spite of being one of the most dominant nations in the Top 50, with as many seven players, not a single one of them earned a ticket for this year's showpiece event.
Fritz looked like the closest player to qualifying again until an abdominal injury at a crucial juncture stopped him in his tracks. He missed the cut-off points by a very small margin.
Historically, the Atp Finals have not been a staple for the American men for over two decades. 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras remains the country's last winner, back in 1999. Former World No. 4 James Blake remains the last player to contest a final, back in 2006.
Taylor Frtiz qualified last year for the first time in his career and was knocked out in the semifinal stage. In spite of being one of the most dominant nations in the Top 50, with as many seven players, not a single one of them earned a ticket for this year's showpiece event.
Fritz looked like the closest player to qualifying again until an abdominal injury at a crucial juncture stopped him in his tracks. He missed the cut-off points by a very small margin.
- 11/15/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Novak Djokovic elected to delay his rest after the 2023 US Open final to help Serbia secure a spot in the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage.
It's been a very interesting week for Djokovic, who made his way from New York back home to Belgrade. He got a hero's welcome there and celebrated with his countrymen, winning the US Open a few days before that.
He didn't go on vacation after that but instead to Valencia , where he planned to play a few matches to help his country secure a spot in the knockout stages of the Davis Cup Finals. He wants to win the competition with Serbia once more, having led the country to the top many years ago.
He did that by securing a big point against Spain , though the other results greatly helped their efforts in the group - namely, Spain losing all of their matches on home soil.
It's been a very interesting week for Djokovic, who made his way from New York back home to Belgrade. He got a hero's welcome there and celebrated with his countrymen, winning the US Open a few days before that.
He didn't go on vacation after that but instead to Valencia , where he planned to play a few matches to help his country secure a spot in the knockout stages of the Davis Cup Finals. He wants to win the competition with Serbia once more, having led the country to the top many years ago.
He did that by securing a big point against Spain , though the other results greatly helped their efforts in the group - namely, Spain losing all of their matches on home soil.
- 9/16/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
For the first time in 11 years, two American players will be in the Top 10 on the Atp Tour as Frances Tiafoe is set to join Taylor Fritz .
American tennis history is long as the country produced many legendary players, some born in the United States like the McEnroe brothers, Pete Sampras, Chris Evert, and many others while some that adopted the flag like Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles. In the past two decades though, US tennis hasn't been what it used to be, at least on the men's side.
It's been better in recent years with the likes of Fritz, Tiafoe, Korda, Paul and others. Taylor Fritz was the first of those to make a huge breakthrough as he won the 2022 Indian Wells Masters by beating Rafael Nadal in the final. He kept the level high throughout the year ending up at the Atp Finals among the world's best.
He'll...
American tennis history is long as the country produced many legendary players, some born in the United States like the McEnroe brothers, Pete Sampras, Chris Evert, and many others while some that adopted the flag like Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles. In the past two decades though, US tennis hasn't been what it used to be, at least on the men's side.
It's been better in recent years with the likes of Fritz, Tiafoe, Korda, Paul and others. Taylor Fritz was the first of those to make a huge breakthrough as he won the 2022 Indian Wells Masters by beating Rafael Nadal in the final. He kept the level high throughout the year ending up at the Atp Finals among the world's best.
He'll...
- 6/19/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Doubles maestro Bob Bryan has become the new captain of the United States Davis Cup team.
The U.S. Tennis Association announced his appointment on Monday. Bryan, who will replace Mardy Fish at the helm of the men's US tennis team, has spoken fondly of his own memories of the Davis Cup. He was a member of the team that beat Russia in Portland, Oregon, in 2007.
On hearing the news of his new appointment, Bryan has shared how much the competition means to him, and how he still remembers the post-match celebrations 16 years ago.
That is at the top of the list of my best memories in tennis. All of those times in the Davis Cup trenches with my teammates are seared into my mind. We had highs and we had lows, but they´re definitely unforgettable. We'´ll never forget celebrating with our teammates, who we had gone through a lot with: Andy Roddick,...
The U.S. Tennis Association announced his appointment on Monday. Bryan, who will replace Mardy Fish at the helm of the men's US tennis team, has spoken fondly of his own memories of the Davis Cup. He was a member of the team that beat Russia in Portland, Oregon, in 2007.
On hearing the news of his new appointment, Bryan has shared how much the competition means to him, and how he still remembers the post-match celebrations 16 years ago.
That is at the top of the list of my best memories in tennis. All of those times in the Davis Cup trenches with my teammates are seared into my mind. We had highs and we had lows, but they´re definitely unforgettable. We'´ll never forget celebrating with our teammates, who we had gone through a lot with: Andy Roddick,...
- 3/14/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
MTV’s “Catfish” never had an episode with the drama that surrounded former Notre Dame football standout Manti Te’o, the Hawaiian-born linebacker infamously duped into believing his longtime girlfriend, whom he never met in person, died just ahead of the 2013 Bcs National Championship Game. It was a tabloid story that left many wanting the real truth, but it took Chapman and Maclain Way’s Netflix documentary series “Untold” to reveal it.
“It’s obviously been a white whale in the sports world,” Chapman told IndieWire of the Manti episode, “The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.” The Ways, with directors Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku, captured a many-hours-long interview with the former linebacker (and many more hours with his catfisher). “He’s always been a hard ‘No, no, no, no, no, no.'”
Until now, now, now, now, now, now. What changed?
“I think [it was] the release of Volume 1 and seeing the...
“It’s obviously been a white whale in the sports world,” Chapman told IndieWire of the Manti episode, “The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.” The Ways, with directors Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku, captured a many-hours-long interview with the former linebacker (and many more hours with his catfisher). “He’s always been a hard ‘No, no, no, no, no, no.'”
Until now, now, now, now, now, now. What changed?
“I think [it was] the release of Volume 1 and seeing the...
- 8/16/2022
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
A documentary collection of five “story behind the story” looks at compelling chapters from the world of sports doesn’t happen by accident. Particularly in a corner of the entertainment world driven by injecting drama into events in whatever sport happens to be on display, athletes are no stranger to the process of seeing how stories are written in real time.
So when the filmmaking duo of Maclain and Chapman Way set out to collect a handful of sports world reevaluations for the Netflix series “Untold,” they knew exactly what they were looking for in potential subjects. After an enlightening conversation with former tennis pro Mardy Fish — the main participant in “Breaking Point,” the volume’s last chapter — the Ways met with around 20 different former sports stars before honing in on the five that would come to make up “Untold.”
“We talked to a lot of athletes and looked at...
So when the filmmaking duo of Maclain and Chapman Way set out to collect a handful of sports world reevaluations for the Netflix series “Untold,” they knew exactly what they were looking for in potential subjects. After an enlightening conversation with former tennis pro Mardy Fish — the main participant in “Breaking Point,” the volume’s last chapter — the Ways met with around 20 different former sports stars before honing in on the five that would come to make up “Untold.”
“We talked to a lot of athletes and looked at...
- 9/8/2021
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Andy Roddick’s dad is probably a really decent guy — just maybe don’t live with him.
In the new installment of Netflix’s “Untold,” former pro tennis player Mardy Fish is wide open about his struggles with mental health. He also shares an amusing anecdote about the time he lived with The Roddicks.
Fish’s old pal, training partner and tennis rival Andy Roddick is featured throughout the excellent “Untold: Breaking Point.” Roddick respectfully explained the differences between Fish, who he described as a “laid-back beach kid,” and his own family.
Mr. Roddick, a military veteran, would wake Mardy up at 5 a.m. and insist that it was time to stretch, Fish recalled. Remember, this wasn’t just not Mr. Roddick’s son, it was a guest in his house. And that guest, like Andy, was a teenage boy.
Watch the video above to see what we mean.
Look,...
In the new installment of Netflix’s “Untold,” former pro tennis player Mardy Fish is wide open about his struggles with mental health. He also shares an amusing anecdote about the time he lived with The Roddicks.
Fish’s old pal, training partner and tennis rival Andy Roddick is featured throughout the excellent “Untold: Breaking Point.” Roddick respectfully explained the differences between Fish, who he described as a “laid-back beach kid,” and his own family.
Mr. Roddick, a military veteran, would wake Mardy up at 5 a.m. and insist that it was time to stretch, Fish recalled. Remember, this wasn’t just not Mr. Roddick’s son, it was a guest in his house. And that guest, like Andy, was a teenage boy.
Watch the video above to see what we mean.
Look,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
HBO announced that the final season of “Insecure” will premiere on Oct. 24 and released a first look at the season.
“I keep frontin’ everybody like I’m not scared about what’s next for me, but I am terrified,” Issa Rae’s character Issa says in a teaser, which you can watch below.
The comedy follows the trials, heartaches and twists of L.A.-based Issa and those closest to her as they navigate love, life, friendship and adapting to newfound responsibilities in their 30s.
Viewers last saw Issa and Lawrence (Jay Ellis) attempting to reconcile, but things got messy when his other ex, Condola (Christina Elmore), told him she was pregnant and planning on keeping the baby. Issa and Molly’s (Yvonne Orji) friendship was strained, while Molly’s relationship with Andrew (Alexander Hodge) came to an end. And Tiffany (Amanda Seales) ran away from home — causing the whole gang to search for her.
“I keep frontin’ everybody like I’m not scared about what’s next for me, but I am terrified,” Issa Rae’s character Issa says in a teaser, which you can watch below.
The comedy follows the trials, heartaches and twists of L.A.-based Issa and those closest to her as they navigate love, life, friendship and adapting to newfound responsibilities in their 30s.
Viewers last saw Issa and Lawrence (Jay Ellis) attempting to reconcile, but things got messy when his other ex, Condola (Christina Elmore), told him she was pregnant and planning on keeping the baby. Issa and Molly’s (Yvonne Orji) friendship was strained, while Molly’s relationship with Andrew (Alexander Hodge) came to an end. And Tiffany (Amanda Seales) ran away from home — causing the whole gang to search for her.
- 9/2/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
1. “The Chair” Season 1 (available August 20)
Why Should I Watch: Sandra Oh! Do you need another reason beyond Sandra Oh? Of course not, but perhaps you’re curious to know how much of the “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Killing Eve” star you’ll be getting. “The Chair” consists of six, half-hour episodes, all of which star Oh as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the new Chair of the English department at a prestigious (fictional) university tarnished by scandal. A professor (Jay Duplass) has been accused of improper behavior, and the investigation is made all the more complicated by a) his well-liked status within the community, and b) his possible relationship with Dr. Kim. Has she been promoted to guide the university into a new era, or is she the scapegoat to help the old guard escape any blame for their current predicament?
Bonus Reason: Amanda Peet! No, the “Brockmire” and “Togetherness” star isn’t...
Why Should I Watch: Sandra Oh! Do you need another reason beyond Sandra Oh? Of course not, but perhaps you’re curious to know how much of the “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Killing Eve” star you’ll be getting. “The Chair” consists of six, half-hour episodes, all of which star Oh as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the new Chair of the English department at a prestigious (fictional) university tarnished by scandal. A professor (Jay Duplass) has been accused of improper behavior, and the investigation is made all the more complicated by a) his well-liked status within the community, and b) his possible relationship with Dr. Kim. Has she been promoted to guide the university into a new era, or is she the scapegoat to help the old guard escape any blame for their current predicament?
Bonus Reason: Amanda Peet! No, the “Brockmire” and “Togetherness” star isn’t...
- 8/1/2021
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Netflix is preparing to tell the untold stories in the world of sports with their upcoming docuseries, titled appropriately enough, “Untold.” The trailer below gives a sneak peek at the five feature-length episodes, two of which are helmed by “Wild Wild Country” directors Chapman and Maclein Way (who also executive produce the full series).
The synopsis, per Netflix:
Premiering weekly, each film kicks off at a pivotal moment — the big fight, the Olympics, the playoffs — and then delves deep into what happened beyond the headlines, as told by those who lived it, to reveal the grit, resilience, heartbreak, triumph, violence, comedy, and pathos beneath the sweat.
Whether it’s the famous “Malice at the Palace” Pacers-Pistons brawl finally being unraveled by those who were on the inside, Olympian Caitlyn Jenner reflecting on her journey to winning gold, boxer Christy Martin in the fight of her life outside the ring, professional...
The synopsis, per Netflix:
Premiering weekly, each film kicks off at a pivotal moment — the big fight, the Olympics, the playoffs — and then delves deep into what happened beyond the headlines, as told by those who lived it, to reveal the grit, resilience, heartbreak, triumph, violence, comedy, and pathos beneath the sweat.
Whether it’s the famous “Malice at the Palace” Pacers-Pistons brawl finally being unraveled by those who were on the inside, Olympian Caitlyn Jenner reflecting on her journey to winning gold, boxer Christy Martin in the fight of her life outside the ring, professional...
- 7/27/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Nancy Davis founded Cure Addiction Now (Can) with her late son Jason who tragically passed away in February.
Nancy in addition to Jason’s brothers, Alexander and Brandon, and his sisters, Isabella and Mariella, are working earnestly in his memory to help realize Jason’s dream of finding a real cure for addiction. Cure Addiction Now (Can) and Charitybuzz launched a virtual auction offering exclusive experiences to raise funds in support of revolutionary substance use therapies and research. The winning bidders of these one-of-a-kind items will receive experiences such as being followed on social media platforms by their favorite stars while other winners will be awarded the opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in their fields. With each bid supporting Cure Addiction Now (Can), this virtual auction provides the unique opportunity to grow personal social media followings and cultivate relationships while donating funds to support nationwide research.
Nancy in addition to Jason’s brothers, Alexander and Brandon, and his sisters, Isabella and Mariella, are working earnestly in his memory to help realize Jason’s dream of finding a real cure for addiction. Cure Addiction Now (Can) and Charitybuzz launched a virtual auction offering exclusive experiences to raise funds in support of revolutionary substance use therapies and research. The winning bidders of these one-of-a-kind items will receive experiences such as being followed on social media platforms by their favorite stars while other winners will be awarded the opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in their fields. With each bid supporting Cure Addiction Now (Can), this virtual auction provides the unique opportunity to grow personal social media followings and cultivate relationships while donating funds to support nationwide research.
- 7/20/2020
- Look to the Stars
It’s that time of year again. It’s the “Eye of The Storm,” that eerily calm time between the end of the French Open and the start of Wimbledon. It’s also time for our annual “Hot Guys of Tennis” post. In the past we’ve looked at the hottest players over 30, and counted down the top 20 ranked players, but this year we’re going to put all our balls on the court, and bring you the definitive Forty Hottest Tennis Players Of All Time!
There are two caveats – These are players from the Open Era of Tennis (sorry, Don Budge fans), and all of the players must have achieved a ranking of at least #25 on the Atp Tour. There have to be rules!
Three names you will not be seeing on this list are Andre Agassi, Janko Tipsarevic and Goran Ivanišević. Why? They’ve all made public homophobic comments,...
There are two caveats – These are players from the Open Era of Tennis (sorry, Don Budge fans), and all of the players must have achieved a ranking of at least #25 on the Atp Tour. There have to be rules!
Three names you will not be seeing on this list are Andre Agassi, Janko Tipsarevic and Goran Ivanišević. Why? They’ve all made public homophobic comments,...
- 6/12/2014
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Amid his comeback attempt after facing heart health concerns, former top-ranked tennis player Mardy Fish has suddenly withdrawn from the U.S. Open.
The U.S. Tennis Association tells the Associated Press Fish cites "personal reasons" for his withdrawal from contention in the tournament with play set to being Monday (Aug. 26).
"I struggled mightily during the U.S. Open last year," Fish said last month. "So those sort of post-traumatic experiences that I've had -- that I have now -- are what I need to get over right now."
At the 2012 U.S. Open, Fish withdrew after making it to the fourth round, citing "precautionary measures," before he was to face Roger Federer. Fish had earlier missed more than two months of the season due to an accelerated heartbeat.
"A lot of it's mental, what I went through," Fish has said. "And obviously a little bit of it was physical,...
The U.S. Tennis Association tells the Associated Press Fish cites "personal reasons" for his withdrawal from contention in the tournament with play set to being Monday (Aug. 26).
"I struggled mightily during the U.S. Open last year," Fish said last month. "So those sort of post-traumatic experiences that I've had -- that I have now -- are what I need to get over right now."
At the 2012 U.S. Open, Fish withdrew after making it to the fourth round, citing "precautionary measures," before he was to face Roger Federer. Fish had earlier missed more than two months of the season due to an accelerated heartbeat.
"A lot of it's mental, what I went through," Fish has said. "And obviously a little bit of it was physical,...
- 8/22/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Birthday shoutouts go to Adrian Paul (above, in Tides Of War), who is 54, Annette Bening is 55, Melissa Etheridge is 52, and Rupert Everett is 54.
Here’s the most unsurprising news of the day.
Our long national nightmare is almost over.
10 Gay Lessons from The Golden Girls
Neil Patrick Harris will host this year’s Emmy Awards, and don’t forget he’s also hosting this year’s Tony Awards. C’mon, Motion Picture Academy … do the right thing.
James Blake joins fellow tennis players Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish as an Athlete Ally.
Gender-bending action hero cartoon SheZow to debut on children’s network The Hub. Breitbart is already screaming about it, and I can’t wait to see the reaction from One Million Moms. You can see the intro below.
And here’s The Weekly ShoutOUT™. Each week we’re going to focus on one out athlete/performer and feature...
Here’s the most unsurprising news of the day.
Our long national nightmare is almost over.
10 Gay Lessons from The Golden Girls
Neil Patrick Harris will host this year’s Emmy Awards, and don’t forget he’s also hosting this year’s Tony Awards. C’mon, Motion Picture Academy … do the right thing.
James Blake joins fellow tennis players Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish as an Athlete Ally.
Gender-bending action hero cartoon SheZow to debut on children’s network The Hub. Breitbart is already screaming about it, and I can’t wait to see the reaction from One Million Moms. You can see the intro below.
And here’s The Weekly ShoutOUT™. Each week we’re going to focus on one out athlete/performer and feature...
- 5/29/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Whippersnappers not allowed
Despite its outward civility, Professional Tennis can be a brutal sport for the players, and the sell by date for most is around age 30, give or take a couple of years. So it takes a dedicated athlete to carry on in the face of Father Time, lingering injuries, and young phenoms nipping at your Nike's.
In the past couple of years we've paid tribute to the Atp Top Twenty Players and the Hottest Players Outside The Top 20, and as this year's Australian Open commences, we're going to look at all of the players in the Top 100 who have crossed the "30" milestone mark.
They may be the tennis equivalent of Methuselah, but they can still teach the young guns a thing or two!
Roger Federer - 31
Ranked #2, Roger is still going strong long after most pundits had written him off. Last year he won his seventh Wimbledon title and regained the #1 ranking,...
Despite its outward civility, Professional Tennis can be a brutal sport for the players, and the sell by date for most is around age 30, give or take a couple of years. So it takes a dedicated athlete to carry on in the face of Father Time, lingering injuries, and young phenoms nipping at your Nike's.
In the past couple of years we've paid tribute to the Atp Top Twenty Players and the Hottest Players Outside The Top 20, and as this year's Australian Open commences, we're going to look at all of the players in the Top 100 who have crossed the "30" milestone mark.
They may be the tennis equivalent of Methuselah, but they can still teach the young guns a thing or two!
Roger Federer - 31
Ranked #2, Roger is still going strong long after most pundits had written him off. Last year he won his seventh Wimbledon title and regained the #1 ranking,...
- 1/15/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Game, set, match! James Blake is a married man. The tennis player, 32, tied the knot with publicist Emily Snider Friday night in Del Mar, Calif., the couple confirms to People exclusively. The sunset ceremony took place at the beachfront L' Auberge Del Mar hotel with the bride, 37, donning an Ines Disanto gown and the groom in a Hugo Boss suit. The couple of four years had their 5-month-old daughter Riley Elizabeth (Riley is also Blake's middle name) head down the aisle with the bride's mother, Kathy Snider. For their wedding party, the duo kept it all family: The groom's brother...
- 11/11/2012
- by Jennifer Garcia
- PEOPLE.com
The eleven month long men’s tennis calender draws to a close this week at the Barclay’s World Tour Finals in London. The Atp season truly is a marathon and as in any distance race, a handful of the fittest have surged ahead of the pack and race each other to the finish line. Each of the race’s four leading men – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer – enter the elite eight-man round robin tournament with various question marks over, so it truly is any man’s race. Let’s evaluate each contender’s chances of taking home the season-ending championships.
The marathon’s front-runner Novak Djokovic comes into London more than a little exhausted. Djokovic played a nearly unblemished three quarters of the season, taking home the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Us Open trophies, compiling a 6-0 record against Nadal and thereby dethroning the Spaniard as the World No.
The marathon’s front-runner Novak Djokovic comes into London more than a little exhausted. Djokovic played a nearly unblemished three quarters of the season, taking home the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Us Open trophies, compiling a 6-0 record against Nadal and thereby dethroning the Spaniard as the World No.
- 11/17/2011
- by Tsari Paxton
- Obsessed with Film
Due to heavy rainfall in New York city yesterday, all scheduled matches were cancelled so today the fourth concludes up and the quarter-finals begin. The year’s final Grand Slam, situated in the hectic Flushing Meadows grounds, has seen the “big four” male players – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray – sail through the draw smoothly, while upsets and withdrawals have littered the women’s field.
Djokovic has been impressive playing in his first slam as the World No. 1. This season, the Djoker has proved extra pressure that comes from heightened expectations is no problem, winning his first 43 matches of 2011 and compiling an impressive record of 61 wins and just one loss. Djokovic whizzed through his four matches without losing a set, his only challenge coming from the unorthodox Ukrainian Alexander Doglopolov who stretched him in a 31 point first set tie-break before going down 7-6, 6-4, 6-2. Djokovic next...
Djokovic has been impressive playing in his first slam as the World No. 1. This season, the Djoker has proved extra pressure that comes from heightened expectations is no problem, winning his first 43 matches of 2011 and compiling an impressive record of 61 wins and just one loss. Djokovic whizzed through his four matches without losing a set, his only challenge coming from the unorthodox Ukrainian Alexander Doglopolov who stretched him in a 31 point first set tie-break before going down 7-6, 6-4, 6-2. Djokovic next...
- 9/7/2011
- by Tsari Paxton
- Obsessed with Film
It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.
It's a proven scientific fact* that tennis players are the hottest athletes in sports, and with the French Open in full swing, and Wimbledon right around the corner, it's time for our (sort of) annual look at the men who provide the talent, skill, and yes, eye candy that keep us coming back.
For this edition, we're going to look at the men in the top twenty of the Atp rankings, and assess their ... attributes, and how well we believe they'll do in the upcoming weeks.
Enjoy the talent on display!
* May not be true.
#1 - Rafael Nadal
Rafael is the undisputed King of Clay, and has won the French Open five of the last six years. His play this week, however, has been shaky, and the scuttlebutt is that he's vulnerable this year. Speaking of butt scuttling, at least he...
It's a proven scientific fact* that tennis players are the hottest athletes in sports, and with the French Open in full swing, and Wimbledon right around the corner, it's time for our (sort of) annual look at the men who provide the talent, skill, and yes, eye candy that keep us coming back.
For this edition, we're going to look at the men in the top twenty of the Atp rankings, and assess their ... attributes, and how well we believe they'll do in the upcoming weeks.
Enjoy the talent on display!
* May not be true.
#1 - Rafael Nadal
Rafael is the undisputed King of Clay, and has won the French Open five of the last six years. His play this week, however, has been shaky, and the scuttlebutt is that he's vulnerable this year. Speaking of butt scuttling, at least he...
- 5/27/2011
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Raphael Nadal. Courtesy of Nike. Sports The Grand Slam tennis season has finally landed on American turf: the U.S. Open kicks off today in Flushing Meadows, New York. And the event is as wide open as ever. Majorcan sensation Rafael Nadal, our favorite player east of the border (and perhaps all around), has a tough road to the finals—he’ll have to move past U.K. star Andy Murray before potentially meeting Swiss prodigy Roger Federer in the final. A match not to miss? If all goes as planned, Federer will collide with Robin Soderling early on in the tournament. After a successful summer on the circuit and a major slim-down (he dropped 30 pounds), underdog Mardy Fish has jumped to the 19th seed. He could be a big threat on center court. Major players lost to injury: last year’s men’s titleholder, South-American heartthrob Juan Martin Del Potro; Serena Williams,...
- 8/30/2010
- Vanity Fair
Xavier Malisse celebrates his birthday on July 19, 2010.The professional tennis circuit isn’t just about the Grand Slams. In this periodic series, Vf.com goes behind the scenes at the tournaments that lead up to the U.S. Open, in August. American stars Andy Roddick, John Isner, and Mardy Fish, as well as former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, are headlining the Atlanta Tennis Championships, in Georgia, this week. Seeded seventh in the U.S. Open tune-up is Xavier Malisse, the only Belgian tennis player in history to be ranked in the top 20. The X-Man, as friends call him, reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2002 and won the doubles championship with Oliver Rochus at Roland Garros in 2004. Malisse, now 30 years old, won his first round match in Atlanta, and if he makes it to the third round, he may meet up with old foe Roddick, who beat Malisse in the finals...
- 7/22/2010
- Vanity Fair
The planet's top tennis players are taking to the grass courts in England this week for the Wimbledon Championships. So who is representing the U.S.A.? Some of the hottest American men hoping for a match point. So, meet Andy Roddick, John Isner, Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish. Andy RoddickThis Nebraska native, 27, is the No.1 American tennis player and is ranked No. 7 in the world. He's won more than $18 million in prize money over his career, according to figures from the Atp. When not on the court, this hottie spends time with his wife, model Brooklyn Decker, who is...
- 6/23/2010
- by Alison Schwartz
- PEOPLE.com
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