Spain’s Alcaraz is No.1; Djokovic wins $ 4.7 million
View(s):Turin, Italy was the venue for the ATP’s 51st yearend final last week. With youngest world’s number one ever, Carlos Alcaraz unable to compete due to injury, the next top eight of the ATP ranking played the final. Total prize money was 14.7 million dollars. The 35-year-old Novak Djokovic performing at a super human level of endurance collected the biggest prize money in the history tennis, a US 4.7 million dollar check for winning unbeaten. Of all the innovative tennis tactics Djokovic has in his armoury, his ability to outlast opponents has given him more victories. At 35, he is not a spring chicken. His mental toughness saw him through the group and the knockout stages unbeaten in Turin.
Of the eight who played in Italy, except for Djokovic and Rafael Nadal the other six players were New-Gen players. Ruud, Tsitsipas, AliAssime, Medevedev, Rublev are from New-Gen label. Djokovic did suffer a good few defeats in their hands this year however in Italy, but he played the marathon man. Especially his match against Medvedev lasted over four hours. He can withstand severe assaults and then turn the match around playing from all court positions. Djokovic is a tennis millionaire many times over. This 2022 ATP title was Djokovic’s 91st. It also equals Roger Federer six ATP yearend titles.
The doubles title in Turin went to Ram and Salisbury. In the latest ATP doubles ranking they hold joint number one position. They too won the title undefeated and collected US 930300 dollars. This too is the biggest prize money for doubles in tennis history.
Attraction to tennis
Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have been there for a very long period. They gave the game of tennis an appealing flair with their lively rivalry. Roger Federer brought back the Victorian grace and elegance of tennis, known from its early days and he lasted longer than most other. Federer’s plays orthodox tennis. This also saw him through with relatively less injuries and his career lasted longer. He is 40 now. [Orthodox tennis uses linear arm movements and top spin based tennis more suited for asphalt concrete courts, uses angular movements]. The latter can give more injuries. Venturing into competition tennis regardless with any style, strong and able physical attributes are prerequisites.
I know one family in which none of them ever played tennis, they travelled to France from Asia to see these three play. Trio’s names and images repeatedly appearing in newspapers, electronic media and spoken of in gatherings has attracted many non-sporting individuals to tennis. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are appealing to watch.
New-Gen names
This year many New-Gen players have firmly placed themselves into the Top 10 of the ATP ranking. They are Casper Ruud a Norwegian, Carlos Alcaraz is a Spaniard, Stefanos Tisitsipas is a Greek, Felix AliAssime is a Canadian, Taylor Fritz is an American, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev are Russians, Herbert Hurkaz is a Pole and Holger Rune is a Dane, Alexander Zevrev is a German, Matteo Berrettini and Jannick Sinner are Italians. In ATP events these are the names we will have to track next year. If any of them hold it out for good five years, they will be legends.
Carlos Alcaraz
The players are getting younger every year. This year saw the appearance of the youngest world number one Carlos Alcaraz. He is from Murcia, El Palmar, Spain. His father is a tennis administrator and coach in a reputed club in the city of Murcia. It is not difficult to say as to who was Alcaraz’s idol from style and speech. It was Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz has bettered his record in becoming the youngest world number one. Alcaraz joined the Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy at the age of 15.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz’s coach, was ATP number one in the year 2003. He featured in three Grand Slam finals and won the French Open in 2003. One could say Alcaraz is in the hands of a reputed player’s care. Ferrero has experience and expertise to keep Alcaraz in the top positions for a good while.
When performing at high level round the year, injuries are the biggest issue. Talking of injuries, Alcaraz did not play the ATP final in Turin, Italy. His stomach muscle injury reoccurred playing the Paris Open last month. In tennis, opponents are not the only one to take a player out of a draw. Injuries can upset a career while in peak playing form. At present, what Carlos Alcaraz can hope for is a speedy recovery to play in the Australian Open of 2023. His injury will affect his service and high forehand efficiency.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach; coached players into 200 ATP, WTA and ITF in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880–