Djokovic To Kick Off 2025 In Brisbane, Aiming For 25th Grand Slam
Novak Djokovic will begin his 2025 tennis season by vying for an 11th Australian Open title at the Brisbane International, which takes place from December 29 to January 5. The 37-year-old Serbian superstar will compete in the ATP-WTA event in preparation for the year’s first Grand Slam, which begins on January 12, 2024. Djokovic To Be Coached By Andy Murray The Brisbane tournament is the beginning of a new chapter for Djokovic, as he will be guided by former world number one Andy Murray. The partnership was formed ahead of the new season as Djokovic looks to continue his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title. His aim is to break the tie with Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 major singles crowns. Still, at a dismal close in a lackluster 2024 where Djokovic was unable to make gains on the milestone, it could potentially be reached in 2025. Djokovic Chasing His 100th Career Title Apart from the Grand Slam aspirations, Djokovic is also close to another major milestone. A win in Brisbane would give him his 100th career singles title and he would become the third player in the Open era to do so after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer, who achieved 109 and 103 titles, respectively. Djokovic’s Fresh Perspective For 2025 Despite his early exit in this year’s Australian Open semifinals to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, the Serbian remains a dominant force in men’s tennis. A new partnership with Murray may prove vital as he goes for his elusive 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne. Nick Kyrgios Returns To Competitive Tennis It won’t miss returning with one of the best tennis superstars at its backcourt, Nick Kyrgios, who suffered knee injuries twice with foot and wrist problems two consecutive years. Only a lone ATP Tour singles match so far for him after an injury-plagued phase, making his return something exciting for fans. Top Players To Feature In Brisbane Other top men’s players to start their 2025 seasons in Brisbane are Grigor Dimitrov, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe and Matteo Berrettini. Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning women’s champion at the Australian Open, has confirmed that she will be there. Three other top-10 women’s players join her in the line-up: Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro and Daria Kasatkina. Former champion Victoria Azarenka will also play. The United Cup: A Strong Opening For Most Players While for many players, the Brisbane International is a season-opener, many top players will start their year playing the United Cup, which will be played in Sydney and Perth in a mixed-teams format. Representing the women’s section will be world number two Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini, while Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz spearhead the men’s participation. A Massive 2025 Season On The Horizon With the 2025 tennis season set to kick off, the attention will be on the Brisbane International as Djokovic seeks history and lays the groundwork for his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Suresh Dhakshineswar’s run in Winston-Salem Open ends in semis
India’s Suresh Dhakshineswar’s run at the ATP Winston-Salem Open doubles event came to an end on Friday night as he and British partner Luca Pow were knocked out in the semi-finals. The Indo-British duo, who play together for Wake Forest University in the NCAA US College circuit and received a wildcard into the main draw, were beaten by fourth seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow in straight sets. Lammon/ Withrow dropped only seven points on their serve in the contest, winning 6-4, 6-2 to reach the final where they will meet Julian Cash and Robert Galloway on Saturday. The loss brought Dhakshineswar’s ATP Tour debut to an end. His semi-final result in doubles should take his world ranking from No. 1710 to the top 550 next week. He also reached the second round in the singles qualifying draw last weekend. 19-year-old Vaishnavi Adkar through to ITF final in Thailand Meanwhile, in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, India’s Vaishnavi Adkar, seeded 8th, scored an upset win over third seed Rina Saigo 6-0, 6-3. The win moves her into the final where the 19-year-old will face fourth seed Patcharin Cheapchandej. Also, India’s Siddhant Banthia and American partner Tennyson Whiting are through to the doubles final of the ITF M25 Lesa event in Italy. Seeded second, the Indo-American duo defeated fourth seeds Gianluca Cadenasso /Noah Perfetti, both from Italy, 7-6(3), 7-5. Banthia and Whiting will face top seeds Giorgio Ricca/ Alexander Weis in the final on Saturday. The Sportz Planet Desk,Haresh Ramchandani
Suresh Dhakshineswar advances to doubles quarter-finals at ATP Winston-Salem Open
India’s Suresh Dhakshineswar and British partner Luca Pow caused a big upset in the first round of the doubles event at this week’s ATP 250 Winston-Salen Open with a win over sixth seeds Ariel Behar/ Andrés Molteni in a deciding match tiebreak. Dhakshineswar/ Pow, who play together for Wake Forest University in the NCAA US College circuit, took an early break to go up 2-0 in the first set and held on to their serve to claim the opening set 6-4. The second set went with serve for the first 11 games before Behar/ Molteni broke in the 12th game to win it 7-5. The Indo-British duo, who received a wildcard into the main draw, regained the momentum to win the deciding match tiebreak 10-8 and advance to the last eight where they will meet Gonzalo Escobar/ Aleksandr Nedovyesov. This is Dhakshineswar’s first ATP Tour main draw appearance. On Sunday, Dhakshineswar went down in his final round qualifying match of the singles draw. After beating world No 337 Alexey Zakharov in straight sets in the opening round, the 24-year-old Indian was defeated by 18-year-old American Learner Tien, ranked No. 232 in the world, in straight sets, 3-6, 4-6. Nagal heads to New York for the US Open after first round loss India’s top-ranked singles player, Sumit Nagal, also saw his singles campaign at the tournament come to an end on Sunday as he was defeated 4-6, 2-6 by former world No. 12 Borna Coric, of Croatia. Nagal, who turned 27 last week, now heads to New York for the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season which begins on Monday August 26, 2024. The Sportz Planet Desk,Haresh Ramchandani
Jannik Sinner – From A Prince To A King
Jannik Sinner – From A Prince To A KingJannik Sinner, the talented youngster from Italy, has had an incredible journey in the world of tennis. In just five months, he has transformed from a promising young player, or a “prince,” into a top player, or “king,” in the sport. Rise to the TopJannik’s rise in the rankings has been nothing short of spectacular. Over 83 ranking updates, he steadily climbed the ladder, showing his determination and skill on the court. His consistent performance in various tournaments has earned him recognition and respect from fans and fellow players alike. Achieving World No. 1Jannik Sinner’s hard work and dedication have paid off. He is set to be declared the world number one after the French Open. This is a significant milestone, as he will become the 29th player in tennis history to reach this prestigious position. His achievement is a testament to his talent and perseverance. Here are the top 10 players with the most total weeks as world number one: TOP 10 PLAYERS WITH THE MOST TOTAL WEEKS AS WORLD NUMBER ONE Rank Player Total Weeks Country Start Date End Date 1 Novak Djokovic 373 Serbia July 4, 2011 Present 2 Roger Federer 310 Switzerland February 2, 2004 June 7, 2010 3 Pete Sampras 286 United States April 12, 1993 November 19, 2000 4 Ivan Lendl 270 Czechoslovakia February 28, 1983 August 12, 1990 5 Jimmy Connors 268 United States July 29, 1974 July 3, 1983 6 Rafael Nadal 209 Spain August 18, 2008 February 2, 2020 7 John McEnroe 170 United States March 3, 1980 August 29, 1985 8 Björn Borg 109 Sweden August 23, 1977 August 24, 1981 9 Andre Agassi 101 United States April 10, 1995 September 10, 2003 10 Lleyton Hewitt 80 Australia November 19, 2001 June 12, 2003 TOP 5 PLAYERS WITH THE MOST CONSECUTIVE WEEKS AS WORLD NUMBER ONE Rank Player Total Weeks Country Start Date End Date 1 Roger Federer 237 Switzerland February 2, 2004 August 17, 2008 2 Jimmy Connors 160 United States July 29, 1974 August 22, 1977 3 Ivan Lendl 157 Czechoslovakia September 9, 1985 September 12, 1988 4 Novak Djokovic 122 Serbia July 7, 2014 November 6, 2016 5 Pete Sampras 102 United States April 15, 1996 March 30, 1998 A Future StarAs Jannik Sinner steps into the spotlight as the world’s top player, he carries the hopes and dreams of many young athletes who look up to him. His journey from a “prince” to a “king” in just five months is an inspiring story of what can be achieved with hard work, dedication, and a passion for the game. Sinner will become no.1 on June 10th irrespective of whoever wins the French Open. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
