MVP of the month: Andrey Rublev
Félix Auger-Aliassime had a humorous month of February. Tails: in Marseille, the Canadian met and beat his childhood idol, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tails, all the time: this month, the world quantity 9 was the one man capable of calm Andrey Rublev – within the semi-finals of the Rotterdam event – earlier than lifting (lastly) the primary trophy of his profession with the professionals after 9 defeats within the remaining. Side face: per week later, the 21-year-old participant couldn't do something throughout his reunion towards the Russian metronome within the remaining of the Open 13. The identical Rublev who, final Sunday, chained with a brand new success, to Dubai. Winner of two tournaments in February, the world quantity 6 took the chance to marketing campaign towards the struggle in Ukraine through two actions: a “No War Please” written on a digital camera and a double performed in Marseille with the Ukrainian Denys Molchanov. ” We are regular individuals, we're not in politics. Sport brings us collectively. When you assist somebody, you come collectively. It is crucial. Peace for everybody! “Blowed Andrey Rublev, MVP on and off the courts.
Achievement of the month: Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev solely performed 4 matches in February, however that didn't stop him from reaching a powerful feat: changing into the third Russian world number one in tennis historical past after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. Something else ? Yes, Medvedev additionally turned this week the primary participant not a member of the large 4 (Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Nadal) to scratch this place of king since February 2, 2004. To obtain this, the Muscovite, crushed within the semi-finals at Acapulco by a nonetheless unbeatable Rafael Nadal in 2022, was capable of rely on an sudden ally: Jiri Vesely, shock winner of Novak Djokovic in Dubai and who's, by the best way, one of solely three – with Nick Kyrgios and Marat Safin – gamers having confronted the Serbian monster a minimum of twice with out ever conceding defeat (Vesely additionally dominated Djoko in Monte Carlo, in 2016, editor's observe). Overwhelming.
The sequence of the month: Anett Kontaveit
There is Rafael Nadal, the king of clay. There can also be Anett Kontaveit, the queen of indoors. The Estonian as soon as once more lived as much as her popularity by profitable the Saint Petersburg event – the third WTA 500 of her profession – towards Maria Sakkari, thus rising her quantity of consecutive victories on the floor to twenty. Winner of the Ostrava, Moscow and Cluj tournaments in 2021, Kontaveit has not misplaced indoors since a defeat towards Sara Sorribes Tormo in October 2020. Small drawback, nevertheless: there may be at present no Grand Indoor slam. Don't fear, Anna Kontaveit can also be doing fairly properly within the open air, like her disputed remaining in Doha final Sunday towards an Iga Swiatek who continues to be ready for her first slip on the highest step.
Tears of the month: Juan Martin del Potro
” I'm completely happy as a result of my possible final match befell on a court docket and never by giving a press convention. And what could possibly be higher than Buenos Aires for the final playground and Federico Delbonis for the final opponent, beneath the eyes of a mom who has come for the primary time in her life to see her son play in a event? Thus Juan Martín del Potro due to this fact performed the final match of his life and determined to place an finish to his immense profession. During this remaining lap, the Argentinian couldn't maintain again his tears over the last exchanges. The tennis planet both.
Rookie of the month: Carlos Alcaraz
While the older technology continues to withstand, the youth grows. And fast. The proof: Carlos Alcaraz, already good on the Australian Open, gained the event in Rio de Janeiro and this month turned the youngest winner within the historical past of an ATP 500 at 18, 9 months and 15 days. As Juan Carlos Ferrero's foal loves precocity information, he additionally turned the youngest member of the highest 20 amongst gamers nonetheless lively forward of a sure… Rafael Nadal. From there to say that Carlos Alcaraz may have the identical success as his elder, there is just one step.
Bloodshot of the month: Alexander Zverev
But what went by Alexander Zverev's head after his current doubles defeat alongside Marcelo Melo towards the Glasspool-Heliövaara duo on the Acapulco event? Impossible to know. One factor is definite: the wires touched and the German launched his nerves on the referee's chair by dealing him many blows together with his racket. A crack that earned him an enormous positive and an exclusion from the Mexican event. It was properly price preventing till 4:54 am to beat American Jenson Brooksby within the first spherical of the event…or perhaps it was the shortage of sleep that acquired on his nerves.
Outfit of the month: Serena Williams
When will Serena Williams return, absent from the circuit since June 29, 2021 and her abandonment at Wimbledon? Nobody is aware of but. In the meantime, the American attends the ATP event in Delray Beach within the stands and brings her Instagram account to life, on which she confirmed off her new sweater. A garment on which is written a “GOAT” in capital letters on the entrance and the date of his 37 Grand Slam titles (23 in singles and 14 in doubles) on the again. Obviously, there was no extra room to notice his two victories in blended doubles. On the opposite hand, if Serena Williams manages to win her twenty fourth Grand Slam in singles, she ought to discover a place someplace. Especially because the query of the GOAT could be rapidly answered.
Frenchman of the month: Benjamin Bonzi
Hard to be French on this month of February the place the victories have been discreet. Fortunately, some have been capable of present themselves to their benefit. This is especially the case for Lucas Pouille, who obtained his first victory on the ATP circuit since September 2021 by beating Tallon Griekspoor in Marseille. But additionally Caroline Garcia, who provided herself Simona Halep in Doha. Or Harmony Tan, who grabbed the largest win of her profession beating Madison Keys in Guadalajara. If these successes have been short-lived, one particular person nonetheless managed to chain three victories: Benjamin Bonzi. In Marseille, the Frenchman notably beat his first participant within the prime 50 – Aslan Karatsev – to afford a primary semi-final on the ATP Tour. The story may have been much more stunning if he hadn't damaged within the third set towards Andrey Rublev… For his half, Benoît Paire suffered 4 defeats in as many video games however he can console himself by including to his CV that he imitates the Hulk to perfection.
Swap of the month: Cori Gauff
There are two methods to react to a double fault: rehash or rapidly flip the web page. Coco Gauff opted for the second answer. Like her rally victory towards Paula Badosa in Doha throughout which she wiped the windscreen with out ever breaking earlier than turning the stability of energy and profitable the purpose. Then the sport.
Match of the month: John Isner – Reilly Opelka
There was little doubt: there was going to be a tie-break within the semi-final of the ATP 250 in Dallas between Reilly Opelka and John Isner. It should be mentioned that the 2 Americans remained on a sequence of ten consecutive decisive video games earlier than this assembly. Bingo: as anticipated, there have been two new tie-breaks on this match gained by Reilly Opelka (7-6, 7-6). A priori, a match like some other between the 2 males due to this fact. Except this one went down in historical past. And fairly thrice than one. First there are the 39 aces scored by Opelka – a file in a match in two units – then the 60 aces scored by the duo. But, above all, this tie-break completed at 24-22, the longest within the historical past of the ATP Tour! Decidedly, John Isner likes when it lasts a very long time.
Book of the month: Alizé Cornet
The Australian Open reminded us: Alizé Cornet is just not but retired. This doesn't stop him from already making ready his post-career. This one also needs to occur with a pen in hand because the Frenchwoman, who had already written her autobiography Without Compromise in 2020, introduced the discharge subsequent May of her first novel. A guide entitled La Valse des jours which might be “a family saga in tribute to the women in my life”. A reference to the L5s?
Story of the month: Dayana Yastremska
As usually, when she has a break between two tournaments, Dayana Yastremska leaves to recharge her batteries and prepare at her house in Odessa, Ukraine. Except that, not like ordinary, one of her final nights was disrupted by bombardments, as she informed The Team : “ We hid within the underground car parking zone of our constructing and waited. We additionally spent the next night time there. It was actually scary. This struggle, I noticed it with my very own eyes. I heard her. I noticed how terrifying she was. When I noticed the missiles explode, it was chilling. You do not know the place they're going to fall, you do not know what to do, everybody panics and tries to cover within the basement to outlive. There have been quite a bit of youngsters, single girls… It's so unreal! You cannot actually perceive what a missile launch is with out experiencing it, with out feeling it. Usually, the struggle, we see it in a movie. But this movie turned actuality.Finally, Dayana Yastremska managed to go away Ukraine together with her 15-year-old little sister for France and Lyon, the place she is enjoying a event there this week, forsaking her mother and father in Odessa and symbolizing a tennis world that's unite for peace.
