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Borg vs. McEnroe. Navratilova vs. Evert. Federer vs. Nadal. Williams vs. Williams.
Rivalries are an enormous part of what makes tennis, and sports activities usually, nice.
Because the clay season wrapped up final week, the tennis world caught a glimpse at what might be the subsequent nice rivalry on the ATP Tour for years to come back between two of the sport’s brightest younger stars.
Right here’s what that you must know.
In Case You Missed It: Sinner and Alcaraz’s budding rivalry
It isn’t yearly that the ultimate of the ATP 250 occasion throughout the July clay swing in Umag, Croatia, feels so consequential. However in 2022, it could have been an indication of issues to come back.
On Sunday, 20-year-old world No. 10 Jannik Sinner defeated the 19-year-old world No. 5 Carlos Alcaraz in three units to win the Umag title, already the sixth of Sinner’s profession and first on clay.
The pair are the 2 youngest members of the High 10 and have each been hyped as future Grand Slam champions. Sinner now leads their head-to-head 2-1, with each victories coming in July having gained their fourth-round conflict at Wimbledon.
Regardless of the loss, Alcaraz strikes as much as a brand new career-high rating of No. 4 on this planet.
Maybe the largest story of the week was not who gained a title, however who didn’t. Taking part in on house soil, on a floor she had not misplaced on in 2022, and because the solely High 40 participant within the draw, girls’s world No. 1 Iga Świątek was the overwhelming favorite on the Poland Open in Warsaw.
Nevertheless, the highest seed was handed her first defeat on clay because the 2021 Roland-Garros quarter-finals, falling in three units to Caroline Garcia within the quarters.
Garcia went on to win the title, beating Ana Bogdan in straight units. It’s Garcia’s second title of the 12 months, coming simply over a month after profitable on grass in Unhealthy Homburg.
Together with Umag, the ATP 250 occasion in Kitzbuhel marked the top of the 2022 clay court docket season on the ATP Tour. Roberto Bautista Agut gained that title, not dropping a set on his strategy to his second trophy of the 12 months and first on clay since 2014.
In the meantime, the summer time hard-court season was getting underway in Atlanta.
Alex de Minaur picked up his second title within the American south, defeating house hope Jenson Brooksby within the closing. The Aussie had beforehand gained the title in 2019. It was solely the third time in 12 editions of the match that an American didn’t win the title in Atlanta. All three different cases have been Aussies; de Minaur twice and Nick Kyrgios in 2016.
Brooksby slips to 0-3 within the ATP Tour finals, with all three approaching house soil in the US. He had upset six-time Atlanta champion John Isner, who was additionally the defending champion, within the quarter-finals.
The summer time arduous courts for the ladies started in Europe, with Marie Bouzkova profitable the title in Prague over Anastasia Potapova. After three three-set losses in finals, the Czech lastly obtained over the road on house soil, claiming her first profession title in straight units.
Anett Kontaveit was the highest seed however misplaced to Potapova within the quarter-finals.
What to Watch: Canadians in all places
After a few weeks with out Canadians on the primary excursions, they’re again in power this week with 5 competing at ATP and WTA Tour occasions within the North America.
Bianca Andreescu will make her 2022 arduous court docket debut on the WTA 500 occasion in San Jose. Her first match on the floor this 12 months will come towards Shelby Rogers and she or he would meet prime seed Maria Sakkari within the second spherical.
It’s a sturdy attract San Jose that additionally options Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.
Gabriela Dabrowski will kick off her summer time hard-court season in San Jose as effectively. She and accomplice Giuliana Olmos are the second seeds.
Each the lads’s and girls’s attracts in Washington embody Canadian content material. Rebecca Marino, who obtained into the primary draw as a qualifier, has a big-time popcorn match within the first spherical the place she’s going to meet Venus Williams. Marino is in the identical quarter of the draw as prime seed Jessica Pegula.
Denis Shapovalov shall be competing in his first occasion since Wimbledon in Washington, the place he’s the sixth seed. After a bye, he’ll meet both J.J. Wolf or Taro Daniel in his first match. He may meet his Roland-Garros conqueror Holger Rune within the third spherical and is in the identical quarter as prime seed Andrey Rublev.
Washington is a 500 occasion for the ATP and a 250 for the WTA. Different massive names within the males’s draw embody Hubert Hurkacz and the large American contingent that options Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka amongst others. Simona Halep and Emma Raducanu are competing on the ladies’s aspect.
Final however definitely not least, Félix Auger-Aliassime will look to place his robust grass season behind him when he shifts to the arduous courts on the ATP 250 occasion in Los Cabos, Mexico.
For a 250 occasion, the attract Los Cabos may be very sturdy and options world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie together with Auger-Aliassime.
Auger-Aliassime, the second seed, has a bye and can meet both John Millman or native wildcard Alex Hernandez in his opening match. He’s within the backside half of the draw with Norrie.
Below the Radar: Galarneau carries the flag in Winnipeg
Per week after Victoria Mboko’s spectacular victory at house in Saskatoon, Alexis Galarneau very practically adopted swimsuit on the ATP Challenger occasion in Winnipeg.
Galarneau upset top seed Liam Broady in the quarter-finals in three units earlier than defeating qualifier Evan Zhu within the semis to reach his first ATP Challenger Tour final, the largest closing of the Laval-native’s profession to this point.
He was defeated in the final by second seed Emilio Gomez. Simply by reaching the ultimate, Galarneau jumped 52 spots within the rankings as much as a brand new profession excessive of No. 238 on this planet.
It was not all runner-up trophies for the Canadians in Winnipeg. Kelsey Stevenson gained the doubles title alongside British accomplice Billy Harris with a comeback victory within the closing.
The win is Stevenson’s first on the ATP Challenger Tour, making it the largest title of his profession to-date.
On the ITF Tour, Canada’s Jessica Luisa Alsola reached the quarter-finals of a W15 occasion in Vejle, Denmark.
You’ll be able to observe the Canadians in motion each week here.
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