• At the age of 22 he has shown that holds what is necessary to become one of the greatest tennis figures worldwide.

In the last decade, the greatest dilemma of the ATP circuit is what will happen with the next generation of professional tennis players, once the inevitable end of the “Big 4” finally comes.

Alexander Zverev, at the age of 22, has stablished as one of the best players in the world, and with this he holds now the responsibility to follow the steps of the so called “Big 4”.

Since Alexander was born, the sport has been a big part of his life. Both his parents are former professional tennis players, that represented the Soviet Union. He shares the Tennis gen with his older brother Mischa.

“I always say that tennis is my passion since I was a boy, it was my first love”, he said. “I have never played for the money, the sponsorships or the contracts… I play because I want and because i enjoy it very much”.

“Sascha” always tells the same story: he graved a racquet to push a ball around the house, being this the first time, he connected with the sport.

“When I was around a year and a half, I grabbed a racquet and started to move the ball around the entire apartment”, tells Zverev. “later they took me to a tennis court and since then, they can’t keep me away of the courts. I enjoyed it back then and I still do. That’s how everything started”.

With his family being deep into the sport, Zverev was immediately involved with tennis. While his father worked with Mischa, his mother was his first coach. He was really competitive, something common between brothers who play the same sport.

“I believe I have a good technique and my mother helped me developed it, so I give all the credit to her”, said Alexander. “My backhand particularly, it is 100% because of my mother’s coaching skills”.

The introduction to the sport at a young age with the competitiveness, took Alexander to rise in the junior category, taking him to Top 1 and at the age of 13 he participated at his first event of the ITF junior circuit.

Just a couple of years after, he debuted in the ATP tour in the Hamburg tournament. But he prioritized his participation in the Junior circuit until he won the Junior title of Australian Open in 2014.

That win was the trigger to convince Alexander to jump to the professional circuit, but he spent the next two years playing between challengers and the ATP tour, his first win was until 2016.

In the semi finals of the Halle Open in Germany, Zverev got his first win against Roger Federer, until that moment he had been finalist of the tournament for 10 years in a row.

That victory was the first big step in Alexander’s career, he didn’t won the title in the tournament but he got his first win after only a couple of months in Saint Petersburg , were he won against Stan Wawrinka, champion of the US Open.

“It was very special”, said Alexander. “I am very happy for the victory but, most of all because it was against a great player like Wawrinka”.

Fast forwarding the history 2 years, Zverev is found in the Top 10 with multiple Masters titles. Every success reached has and exceed the expectations everybody had on him.

In 2019 his rise got complicated.

After winning the London ATP Finals at the end of 2018, Zverev had a lot of highs and lows. Mid-April he only won 12 of 18 disputed matches. The bad luck strike began with a defeat against Milos Raonic in 3 sets at the Australian Open.

In that match, Zverev smashed the racquet after Raonic won 8 consecutive games. No one knew but it was a premonition of what was going to happen during the next months, that were a little complicate for the German.

“It made me feel better”, he explained. “I was really upset, and I let my anger out. After London I didn’t have time to rest properly, but that is how the life of a tennis player goes. I’m happy of how the season end and I wouldn’t change anything”.

One month after Sacha’s fall in Australia, he showed signs of the quality of game we were used to see him play, he advanced in Abierto Mexicano, but he was defeated by Nick Kyrgios. Weeks later in the Barcelona Open he lost against Nico Jarry in three sets.

“It’s not a secret my game is not at its best “, he said to the press. “I’m losing shots with my backhand, which I consider is my biggest strength. I’m not doing anything well. I’m failing my service and committing a lot of double faults. My game is low, and I don’t know what to do to get out of this situation”.

“Yes, I won Masters titles and the ATP finals in 2018, but now what? I’ve realized it is not healthy to think this way. Tennis doesn’t follow a straight line.”, he said. You don’t win first a challenge, then an ATP250, 500, Masters. Things doesn’t work this way. As a junior I never won a Future. Maybe I need to win more Masters before I win a Grand Slam. I’m not worried about it, I know my moment will come”.

“Many young players have had better outcomes in the Grand Slams, but I’m not worried. I know who I am and why I’m doing this for. I work every single day to become the best version of myself”, said Alexander Zverev, the principal heir to the tennis throne.

In 2005, Venus Williams dominated the courts. She won Wimbledon after defeating Lindsey Davenport, in the longest female final in the history of Wimbledon. The prior day to the match, Williams assisted a reunion organized by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the organization that direct the tournament, and she asked the attendants to close their eyes and imagine they were a Little girl that has been training during years only to “ you are not worth the same as a boy”.

During that year, Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in straight sets, winning $1.13 million dollars, contrasting that, Williams, won $1.08 million.

When she was asked in 2006, why the wage gap persisted despite de critics, Tim Phillips the president of the club, excused the discrepancy of the prizes arguing that the physical demands for the men in matches of 5 sets where higher in contrast of the matches of 3 sets the women played. Phillips added that the club didn’t saw the difference in the prize money as a “matter of equal rights”, and pointed that the Top 10 players of WTA won more than the Top 10 players of ATP the prior year by playing also the doubles tournament.

Later that year, Larry Scott, president of WTA, asked Venus if she was willing to play a major role in the search of wage equality, mission that she accepted.

Williams and other players involved needed a better argument over the format of the matches was why the men deserved a higher wage. The London Times published an article that got to the British parliament, Williams said that the structure of Wimbledon prize money.”

“It devalues the principle of meritocracy and diminishes the years of hard work that women on the tour have dedicated to become professional tennis players. The message I like to send to women and girls around the world is that the sky is not the limit. My fear is that Wimbledon is sending the opposite message out loud and clear”.

In 2007, all effort made by Williams paid off. Phillips, the All England Club president, announced:” this year, considering the general progression and the social factors, the committee decided that it is time to conclude this matter and eliminate the wage gap”.

After Venus knew about the decision made, she gave her own statement: “The biggest tennis tournament in the world has now reached a higher level. I am glad about the decision of Wimbledon, that today recognizes the value of female tennis”.

Williams, 39 years of age and near to the end of her career as a professional tennis player, will be remembered not only for her success in the courts or being Serena’s older sister, possibly the greatest player of all times, but for the victory in behalf of all the female players by achieving equality and inspiring many female athletes to raise their voices and demand evolution.

• Arena Mia, the tennis complex Will be ready by the end of the year

Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Telcel, presentado por HSBC, will have a new house next year, a brand-new stadium with all the comfort and technologies to give the espectators an amazing experience.

José Moyao, the responsible architect of the tennis complex Arena Mia, anticipated that, “the player will feel secure in the courts and the spectators will feel very close to them”, he explained that in this sports precinct the last fan will be as far as 50 meters of the court, which makes it something extraordinary. “As a reference, in Auditorio Nacional the last spectator is 100 meters away from the stage, this will make the experience very intimate for the fans”.

The tennis complex, as the architectural canons dictate, will be placed from north to south, which will avoid the glare by sunlight, “During the morning you can play without any problem, and by night we have the lighting of three thousand luxes (lighting unit), which allows it to be uniform throughout the court, Moyao said,  he was also responsible of the construction of Foro Mundo Imperial.

A very important point is the commitment to build the complex with top technology innovations to create a better experience and being conscious about the care of our planet. The stadium will have the capacity to host 10 thousand 195 spectators, and the seats will be fabricated with UV resistant polymers, while the roof will be a membrane that casts shadow and only LED lighting will be used, in case of a power outage the recovery will be immediate.

The stadium will use rainwater collected in a water tank; we will count with a water treatment plant to provide the service to the bathrooms. For the air conditioning matter, this will only be in closed areas, and energy savings are given using LEDs with the quality required; being fully standardized with sports lighting requirements, which avoids any glare for tennis players”.

The tennis complex structure it’s a combination between concrete and iron, in addition the complex will have two GrandStands, one with the capacity to host 3 thousand fans and the other will be able to host 1500 spectators.

The stadium will count with private boxes, and suites with 18 seats each. There will be a food court, 4 elevators and the Payers Lounge.

All the areas will be easy access for everyone.

“Obviously it will meet all the safety regulations, it is a type A building, everything has been done as it is supposed and we are 30 percent above of what the regulation for damage indicates”, said the architect.

The foundation of the building has a considerable progress, 153 of the 160 required piles have been placed and the structure is already built; one part is being fabricated in Mexico City and the other in San Luis Potosí. “The plan is to conclude the construction of the complex in December 2020, test it during January and have it ready for the 2021 tournament”.

The dimensions of the court surface will be 46 meters long (including the back of the court) by 26 meters wide, the space will be multipurpose due to the fact that can be used for concerts and other sport events, this will allow the complex to be open for more than once a year, regardless of the fact that it is built 100 percent to develop tennis.

José Moyao says that overseeing such a big Project holds an enormous responsibility and he believes this complex has everything to escalate and grow exponentially. “Diamante zone has turn really attractive because of the closeness to Mexico City, because of multiple attractions has turned in to an important destination, the beach, hotels, restaurants, golf courses, Foro Imperial among others, and this complex will reinforce that attractive as a tourism destination”

He is now focused on the construction of the complex that without any doubt it will be the best stadium for the best tournament in Latin America.

• The former champion returns to Acapulco to play for the first time in the hard courts of AMT. Joining the celebration of the 20-year anniversary of WTA being part of the tournament.
• The Canadian Raonic will be playing for the first time in this ATP 500 tournament, by including him the draw is complete and it will include thirteen players within the Top 40.

Mexico City. – The beginning of February marks the count down for the celebration of the 27th edition of Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

The draw is headed by Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens, amongst others. The AMT has revealed the wild card players that will join the tournament at the end of the month in Acapulco: Venus Williams and Milos Raonic.

Venus Williams, former champion of 2009 and 2010, returns to the tournament to play for the first time in the hard courts of Acapulco. Also joining the celebration of the 20-year anniversary of WTA being part of the tournament.
The American veteran is currently ranked 66 in the world, also being the second active player with more titles under her name (49).

“We can now revel the secret: For the 20 year anniversary celebration we always wanted Venus Williams to come back to play in Acapulco, she is part of the history of the tournament , and after many years she still is a role model in the world of tennis”, appointed Raul Zurutuza, CEO of the tournament.

Also, in the announcement, was confirmed that Milos Raonic hold the first Wild card of the male Draw, with him there are now thirteen players within the Top 40 playing the tournament this year. Raonic is currently 32 in the world rankings, and he will be playing in Acapulco for the first time, after he was forced to withdraw due to an injure in 2017
In the beginning of the new season, the former no. 3 in the world advanced to quarter finals in the Australian Open, losing to the current champion Novak Djokovic.

“Milos has always wanted to play in Acapulco, but for many different reasons he hasn’t been able to. After a rough couple of years with many injuries, he seems back on his feet and in great shape. That will always be great for the show and the game quality that we will see” Zurutuza added.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC will take place from february 24th to 29th in Hotel Princess Mundo Imperial.

* For the third  time AMT has been acknowledge, by the players, as the best ATP 500 of the tour.

* It is also the second year that Acapulco is the best ATP 500 and WTA International, during the same season.

Ciudad de México.- Just a few days after receiving the recognition as the best WTA International tournament, thanks to the players vote, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, also celebrated being chose as the best ATP 500 tournament of 2019.

The ATP players of the tour voted to pick their favorite tournament of the season, giving the recognition to AMT, for the third time in history after also winning during 2007 and 2017.

It is worth mentioning that this is the second time that the Tournament in Acapulco won both recognitions in the WTA and ATP tour categories, after 2017 when it was accomplished. It can be compared with Indian Wells, winning best ATP 1000 and Premier Mandatory for six occasions since 2014.

“It gives me great satisfaction and huge pride to be able to share this news with the press, the public and all those involved in the AMT organization”, stated Raul Zurutuza, CEO of AMT.

“To compete against 12 tournaments of great quality and prestige amongst the ATP 500 category, and being choose as the best tournament of the season,  is a recognition to all those involved in the organization that makes our tournament one of the most important sports event of our country”, assured.

Celebrated from February 25 ^th to March 2nd, AMT 2019 had the presence of great players such as Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, John Isner, Stan Wawrinka, Cameron Norrie, Alex De Minaur and Nick Kyrgios, champion of this edition.  Also, this year was the last appearance of David Ferrer, four times winner of the “Guaje de Plata”.

“Since the first edition in 1993 we committed to give the all players the best treatment possible. Its been 26 years since then, and the treatment we give to the players has turned into one of the main reasons for the players to enjoy Acapulco that much”, explained Zurutuza.

“Details such as the fans reactions and support during the main matches and activities outside the courts, the farewell we organized to our friend David Ferrer, were some of the factors that helped us win the distinction of the best tournament. We will make all within our possibilities to repeat the accomplishment next year”, he added.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC Will be celebrated from February 24 ^th to 29^th in Princess Mundo Imperial hotel.

• Thanks to the players vote, Acapulco won for the twelve time the recognition as the best tournament of its category.
• The award Will be shared with Auckland’s tournament.
• the organization Will receive the recognition from WTA during the celebration of AMT 2020.

Ciudad de México.-  Once the tennis season is over, and prior to the star of the new one, the awards of the best tournaments of the year had been appointed, amongst them, Acapulco shines again.

Through the vote of the WTA players, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, was appointed as the best tournament of the WTA International category.

After the 2019 tournament, that crowned champion the chinese Wang Yafan in the singles category, and the doubles champions Zheng Saisai and Victoria Azarenka, the 2019 Amt secured his place in history after winning the award of best WTA international for twelve times.

“This award is an amazing accomplishment, it recognizes the dedication, investment and welcome that the organization and the team offer to guaranty the special experience that our WTA players enjoy in Acapulco”, stated Steve Simon, president and CEO of WTA.

After winning the award seven time between 2001 and 2013. In 2014 the WTA changed the awards format, dividing the awards in regions, with this format AMT won as the best WTA international tournament of America during 3 years in a row (2014, 2015 y 2016). In 2017 after new changes, AMT won the 11^th award.

In this occasion, the new award will be shared for the first time with another tournament, the ASB Classic of Auckland.

“In the name of Mextenis, I’m really proud to announce that Abierto Mexicano has been chose as one of the best WTA tournaments in the world”, said Raul Zurutuza, CEO of the tournament. “The fact that it has been awarded 12 times in 19 editions, speaks loudly of the great work and dedication to every detail, that is something that the players appreciate along all these years”.

The next edition of Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, will represent the first 20 years of the female tournament. The WTA organization will reward with a special recognition to the organization of the tournament.

“The next year the WTA turns 20 years since the first appearance in Abierto Mexicano, and I’m sure that the fans will very much enjoy the celebration we are preparing to recognize the importance of female tennis in our tournament”, finished Zurutuza.

The 27th edition of AMT will have the participation of players such as Matteo Berrettini, Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Alex De Minaur, also the return of Nick Kyrgios, defending champion.

The female draw is leaded by Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens, celebrating the 20 anniversary of the WTA in Acapulco. With an exceptional combination of Young and experienced players.

The AMT Will receive recognitions from both WTA and ATP for being the best tournament ATP500 and WTA international of 2019.

Ciudad de México. – The wait has come to an end, and after confirming the presence of Rafael Nadal, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC has released the listo f players that will be part of this year’s edition of the tournament that Will be celebrated from febraury 24th to 29th in Acapulco.

In his fifth participation in AMT, Nadal, No. 1 in the world, obtained during 2019 the titles in Rome, Roland Garros, Montreal and US Open. He will seek the title in Acapulco for the third time.

As the second seeded of the tournament Alexander Zverev (No. 7), will be playing in Acapulco for the third time after getting to semifinals in 2018 and last year’s final. The 22-year-old, holds 11 titles, being the most recent the one obtained last year in Geneva.

Completing the top ten list of players, the Italian Matteo Berrettini (No. 8), had a successful 2019 season after obtaining the titles in Stuttgart and Budapest, he also reached semifinals in US Open.

After the first three players, it was confirmed the presence of the Australian Nick Kyrgios, defending champion and currently No. 26 in the ATP ranking.

We Will also see in Acapulco the South African Kevin Anderson, No. 14 and finalist of AMT in 2014 and2 018; the Suisse Stan Wawrinka, No. 15 and semifinalist of AMT in 2012; the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, No. 19 and champion 2014; the American John Isner, No. 20 and semifinalist in 2019; the French Lucas Pouille, No. 23 and semifinalist of Australian Open in 2019, also the young athletes Alex De Minaur (AUS, No. 21), Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN, No. 22), Taylor Fritz (USA, No. 32), Reilly Opelka (USA, No. 38) and Frances Tiafoe (USA, No. 49).

“This year’s males draw is a mix between experience, starting with Rafael Nadal, established players of the tour like Zverev, Kyrgios, Isner, Dimitrov and Wawrinka, and young talents like Berrettini, De Minaur, Felix Auger, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. With this names I’m convinced we will have a great spectacle”, affirmed Raul Zurutuza, CEO of the tournament.

To Complete the males draw we will have Dusan Lajovic (SRB, No. 27), Adrian Mannarino, (FRA, No. 43), John Millman (AUS, No. 47), Radu Albot (MOL, No. 48), Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB, No. 53), Ugo Humbert (FRA, No. 57), Feliciano López (ESP, No. 61), Pablo Andújar (ESP, No. 63) and Jordan Thompson (AUS, No. 65).

In the females draw, the list of players presented by AMT its leaded by the two Americans: Madison Keys (No. 11) and Sloane Stephens (No. 25).

It is Keys first appearance in the main draw after playing qualy in 2014, she holds 5 titles and a final at a Grand Slam (US Open 2017). Earlier this season she was finalist in Brisbane.

On her behalf, it is Stephens fourth participation in the tournament, after winning in 2016. Among her accomplishments she holds six titles, including 2017 US Open where she defeated Keys.

The chinese Yafan Wang, no. 51, confirmed her retur to defend her crown.

Completing the females draw we will see Magda Linette (No. 43), Rebecca Peterson (No. 44), Marie Bouzkova (No. 59), Fiona Fierro (No. 63), Tamara Zidansek (No. 69), Lin Zhu (No. 71), Danka Kovinic (No. 82), Tatjana Maria (No. 83), l Nina Stojanovic (No. 84), Katie Boulter (No. 85), Sara Sorribes Tormo (No. 88), Arantxa Rus (No. 88), Anastasia Potapova (No. 90), Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (No. 93), , Kateryna Bondarenko (No. 85), Kateryna Kozlova (No. 91), Lauren Davis (No. 65), Christina McHale (No. 81) and Shelby Rogers (No. 81).

“This year we will celebrate 20 years of the WTA participation in Acapulco and in this occasion, the draw reflects the current female tennis with young players such as Sloane, Madison and Heather, that hold important titles and recently doing big performances, and also we will see experienced players like Tatjana Maria, Kateryna Bondarenko and Christina Mchale”, pointed Zurutuza.

Besides the Draws of the singles tournaments, the AMT released the 2019 outcomes, that awarded the tournament as the best ATP 500 and WTA international “Each year the team behind the organization of the tournament sets a very clear goal: to give the best from the first day, and this is reflected in the good reviews given by the players the public and the press”, explained Zurutuza.

“During the next edition, ATP Tour and WTA will give us the respective recognitions to the best ATP 500 and WTA international, that we will share with everybody”, he ended.

At last, it was confirmed another edition of kid´s day , that will be celebrated February 23rd, and the costs of the qualys round that will be $50 (mxn) Saturday 22nd and $100 (mxn) Sunday 23rd.

Almost 11 years have passed since that legendary 2008 Wimbledon Final and many people still ask the same question: what did the infamous Uncle Toni tell his nephew Rafael before the start of the fifth set?

“Fight until the end and hold” Toni recalled. The word, “hold”, was key in order for Rafa to persevere in what is considered to be the greatest match of this century. According to Uncle Toni — everything came down to a simple concept: “Hold or give up”.

Toni Nadal never allowed that to be an easy decision for his nephew.  He expected more from Rafael than from any of his other students. Toni made Rafael pick up the balls and sweep the courts; more importantly, he never allowed him to lose sight of reality after achieving his greatest accomplishments. What the young Rafa did with his uncle’s lessons has continued to be constant throughout his entire career.

Nadal added that the most demanding word of the sport is: suffering. Playing tennis was never fun and although others would interpret it as a punishment, Rafa Nadal took it as a challenge that needed to be resolved.

When Rafa started playing professional tournaments at an early age, he had what he recalls as the “worst serve of all”. His difficulty to find a way to just put it in, was not worth bragging about. However, he had an extremely powerful drive with his left arm and more importantly, a strong desire to win. No matter who was on the other side of the net or if there were thousands of spectators crowded in the stadiums to watch the prodigy of Mallorca play, he played to win.

The dominance of “no matter who was on the other side” included the most powerful player at the time, Roger Federer. During the spring of 2004, Nadal made himself known to the world. The Spaniard, sporting a sleeveless shirt and fisherman shorts, surprised the Swiss by beating him 6-3 6-3 in the second round of the Miami Open.

Who was that 17-year-old boy who jumped up and pumped his fist every single time he won a point? Who was the boy who had just defeated the invincible Federer? His name was Rafael Nadal. Not only did he beat Federer, but he gave the first warning sign of what would happen in the following years in this particular rivalry: 23 wins for Nadal, 15 wins for Federer.

During the summer of 2005, Nadal defeated Federer in the semifinals of Roland Garros; two days later, on his 19th birthday, he won his first clay court title in Paris. Little did anyone know, the history of tennis had just been rewritten. This was the beginning of a long and successful relationship between a player and a tournament. 13 years after that first Musketeers Cup, Nadal holds 12 Roland Garros titles and an impressive 93-2 record in Paris; a record that is the highest number of any tennis player at a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Although the Argentine Guillermo Vilas lead the records and the nickname, there was no doubt that Nadal would soon be known as the “King of Clay”. Not only for the amount of titles won on the surface, but for the physical aspect, the artistic form and the qualities that he had imposed on the ball.

Placing the ball right in the impossible corners of the court, approaching the net as never see before, improving his serve and getting to each ball with strength and confidence. Nadal reached 429 victories on the dirt and only 39 defeats; figures that are equivalent to 58 titles and a fantastic winning streak of 81 wins between 2005 and 2007. It must be noted that as incredible as it seems, clay was not his priority. He took advantage of his dominance to build his confidence on other surfaces.

Unlike the traditional Spanish, the main goal of the season for Nadal was always Wimbledon. He slowly expanded to conquer other surfaces…. And that he did. Twice at Wimbledon, three times at the US Open, and once in Australia.

Matching the record of Rod Laver, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer, in 2010, Nadal became just the fourth player to complete the career Grand Slam. Conclusively, he joined Agassi as the only player to have achieved the Golden Grand Slam (Australia, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic Gold Medal). Let’s not forget to add 33 Masters 1000 titles and 196 weeks as No. 1 in the world.

These statistics could confirm that Rafael Nadal’s career has gone well to say the least. Despite suffering countless of serious injuries, Nadal has always found a way to return, resist, and most importantly, “endure”.

Yet, he has done much more than that. With a career that spans over 17 year and counting – having practically achieved everything, Nadal’s passion for the sport continues intact. He is a symbol of inspiration.

Like the superheroes of comic books who save the world and provide security to humanity, Rafael Nadal has defended, with a cape and a sword, the values that his Uncle Toni taught him: “Be humble”, “Always seek to improve”, “Help others”; with this, “You will achieve all that you want and if you try hard enough”.

Off the court and far away from the spotlight, Rafael Nadal, now 33, is still the young man who enjoys spending an afternoon at home with his family in Mallorca. He is also still the person who enjoys the simple things in life such as walking on the beach, playing video games, soccer games or going fishing with his friends.

Nadal maintains that he is grateful for all that tennis has given him, along with the platform he now has; he know that his image is big and admired so he does his best to help society through his Foundation, helps with charities, invites his colleagues to join good causes and encourages the sport through his Academy that helps train the new generations of Spanish tennis.

On October 13, 2018, one month after having played his last game of the season in the semifinals of the US Open, the best Spanish athlete of all time gave a new lesson of humility. Without informing anyone, he put on his boots and helped clean up Sant Llorenc, Mallorca, after heavy flooding affected the area. He felt no need to offer a statement or conduct an interview to say “Here I am, look at what I’m doing”. Once again, the whole world applauded this gesture.

Nadal is extraordinary, even in simplicity. During difficult times, he will rise above. When the day comes that Rafa Nadal will be listed in the history books, in addition to his extraordinary tennis skills, we must not forget to highlight his values. His values must be used an example for the following generations. It will have to be defined as what it is: a human who fought until the end to eventually became a true superhero.

The idea the American player Noah Rubin (No. 143) had is without a doubt, fantastic, innovative and, above all, original. He is not the most well known player on the circuit but at 22 years old, he has started a fascinating project. Its goal is to reduce the gap and strengthen the connection between the people behind the racquets and the fans. In short, to reach the public, Rubin wants to reveal the real and raw life of a professional tennis player. He has yet to reach these scenarios of the great figures of the ATP and WTA circuits… yet.

This is how the project “Behind the Racquet” on Instagram was born. Featured on the page are players who talk about their thoughts, insecurities and difficulties, while giving fans the opportunity to learn more about the human inside and not just about the professional tennis player.

The principle behind each post is quite simple: all players must pose in the exact same way holding their racquets with both hands in front of them so that their faces are perfectly centered behind the racket. Then, each player must write something significant that has influenced their training or affected their career as a tennis player.

“After returning from Australia, I was watching an Instagram documentary on Netflix called ‘Humans of New York’.  Somehow, he immediately clicked with me,” said Rubin, who was inspired by the documentary where foreigners are interviewed on the streets of New York. “Why not use the reach I have for something bigger, something better?”

It was then that the idea of ‘Behind the racquet’ was born. “I want to educate people about what tennis is and to tell stories of human interest and most importantly, to get viewers involved in the lives of players. People do not know what’s going on beyond the courts,” said Rubin, who finished 125th in the world rankings in 2018, his best position so far.

“By knowing the real tennis players and the different situations that we have in the day to day life of this race, and knowing what we think, I think there is a lot to learn from all these stories. People just need a platform, which I hope to give them. Fans do not understand what it means to be the 100 in the world for a tennis player; they think we’re just flying in a private jet and are staying at the Ritz Carlton all the time and we play in front of 15,000 people. The reality is that some of us, those who are planted between top 100-200, have had that opportunity maybe once or twice throughout our careers. Most of the time you play in clubs that have few line judges and no ball kids”.

Two players, Jamie Loeb (WTA No.176) and Marcos Giron (ATP No. 157) shared very personal stories in their messages. Loeb talked about the moment she knew that her mother, Susan, had a stroke while Giron said he found out his parents were getting divorced while he was in the hospital, about to have an MRI on his hip.

“It changed my perspective on everything,” Loeb said of her mother’s illness. “Winning and losing a tennis match does not mean anything in the big picture, it was difficult…. It changed everything for me, because I always wondered if it was selfish not to be home to help… It was something bigger than me, bigger than tennis.”

Rubin said that, although he is satisfied with the response to his initiative, he is even happier to hear the impact he has had on the players he has interviewed. “One of the best moments was when Ernesto Escobedo told me that he had received many messages of support,” says the American, who explains that most tennis interviews focus only on what happens on the court, statistics and the achievements, but never deal with what is important for someone who is out of the sport.

“Having Jamie Loeb come up to me and say that all these people support me a lot is what keeps me going, I want fans to understand what a tennis player is, there are so many different groups, so many things to love just by giving these people the opportunity to express themselves. There will always be support for that, I hope people start following these players now because they have listened to their story, know a little more about them and now feel as though they can identify with them as well. That’s what I want people to remember about “Behind the Racquet”.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Behind The Racquet (@behindtheracquet) el 23 de Ene de 2019 a las 4:42 PST

Acapulco, Gro., 2 de marzo.- Yafan Wang made history at Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, by becoming the first Chinese player to lift the tournament title, which is the first in her career as a professional.

Wang (65-WTA) made her debut in Acapulco and defeated the American Sofia Kenin (35-WTA), fifth seed, by 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 10 minutes.
The Asian rounded out the perfect night for China, since minutes before, her compatriot Saisai Zheng was proclaimed champion in the doubles tournament, next to Victoria Azarenka.

“It’s my first time in Acapulco and I really liked it, it was a great week; this tournament is incredible and everything is very well organized, “said Wang, who also played three sets (against Donna Vekic) in the first round, in the first round and the quarterfinals she won in straight sets and in the second round she advanced because of Mónica Puig’s retirement.

“In the first set I had a lot of mistakes, then I just tried to put the ball in play and that worked. She plays well, it was a tough match, I tried to get my best game”.

Kenin kept the first set and had a 2-0 lead in the second set, but the Chinese showed reaction capacity and managed to level the score.

In the decisive set, Wang broke in the third game, although Kenin recovered it in the sixth game.

Yafan was again in advantage in the eleventh game and with double match point, closed the match with a crossed shot that had no response.

Kenin was looking for her second title of the season, after being crowned in Hobart. On the way to the final she played two rounds against opponents who retired and two matches to three sets.