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The South African
6 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Novak Djokovic talks 100th title and edging closer to retirement
Novak Djokovic admitted that he really needed his recent ATP250 tournament win in Geneva that took his total number of titles won to 100. Djokovic outlined exactly why this tournament win was so critical for him. 'I needed to win matches, and particularly on this surface. For me at least, it doesn't maybe come as natural to play well from the blocks, so to say, from the very first tournaments of the season on clay. 'So, I'm the type of player that needs to get some matches under his belt before the big tournaments like, of course, the biggest one being Roland Garros and being the biggest priority on this surface. 'So, that's the biggest reason why I went to Geneva. Obviously, I had family there, so I was feeling good off the court, as well, and I already had a great time last year, to be honest, played semis last year and was very well-received by the public in Geneva, great support.' Djokovic was asked to reflect on how Sunday's honouring ceremony of his long-time rival and friend, Rafael Nadal, impacted his future tennis plans. 'Well, I mean, honestly I was thinking about my end of the road as well when we were watching Rafa having his speech, particularly those moments when we were in the back room, the three of us, and I was just, yeah, obviously talking to Federer and Murray about their good-byes and reminiscing and reflecting on the rivalries, and of course part of me is proud that I'm still there, that I'm still going, but at the same time, I was, and I still am a bit sad that they're all gone, because those guys were my greatest motivations of why I competed so intensely and for so long.' Djokovic revealed that the Nadal ceremony touched him deeply. 'So, it was a beautiful moment, really one of the nicest moments I have experienced on this court. 'Really, walking into the court with Federer and Murray alongside and being there for Nadal and experiencing all the glory of the celebrations of his career. We were all happy for him because he absolutely deserved it.' Djokovic was asked whether it was awkward seeing Murray so soon after their coaching partnership had recently ended and whether there were any jokes made after Djokovic's win in Geneva. 'In terms of the joke about the tournament, yeah, he did congratulate me, and he said, 'Now that you have a proper coach, you're winning tournaments (smiling)'. I don't know. I didn't take that as a joke (laughter). 'I mean, yeah, of course he was joking, but, you know, I think I have said enough, but I will say it again: Andy is just an amazing person. 'First of all, someone that I have spent most of my career with since the very young age on the tour, traveling, playing him, facing him in the earliest days under 12 and all the way through to the last days of his career.' Novak Djokovic expressed a deep sense of gratitude to have had the opportunity to work so closely with Murray. 'For him to join my team and for us to give a shot to this player/coach relationship was really an incredible thing for tennis and for both of us. 'I was very privileged and honoured. I was enjoying myself very much regardless of the fact that we haven't had maybe the success we both wanted or people expected us to have.' Djokovic still firmly believes that Murray has more to offer other players as a coach. 'But I still think that, you know, I have learned things on the court with him, I have enjoyed my conversations with him about tennis, because I still think that he's one of the most brilliant tennis IQ guys out there. 'Whoever he decides to work with next, if and when, you know, that player is going to be lucky because he has definitely a lot to share, a lot of great insights.' Even tough their partnership was not a successful one, it was still an enjoyable experience for Djokovic, and it appears to have brought them even closer together. 'It just didn't work out between us in terms of results, in terms of what we were hoping for, and that's all there is to it. Personally, I actually enjoyed my time very much with him, and I feel like we have a closer relationship because of our working relationship in the last four, five months.' Djokovic was reminded that he achieved his goal of winning an Olympic gold last year at Roland Garros. Another of his goals this year was to win his 100th tournament. Another box ticked. Has his goal of winning a 25th Grand Slam changed in any way? 'I actually was considering winning a 25th Grand Slam before, so it hasn't changed much, but it's true that after the Geneva title, I feel more confident. 'I feel more positive about my level of play because I had a lot of concerns regarding my game play, and I needed to reach a level that would be the one that I wanted as I was about to start the biggest tournament here. 'But now, after Geneva, I feel better, I still have a lot of ambitions, I still have high objectives. I will focus on the first round, and I would like to maintain this high level, this dedication hopefully to reach the best possible result.' It will be interesting to see whether his recent win in Geneva and his close involvement in honouring Nadal help propel Novak Djokovic to his goal of a 25th Grand Slam title. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Star
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
ATP roundup: Novak Djokovic gets milestone 100th win with Geneva victory
Tennis - Geneva Open - Tennis Club de Geneve, Geneva, Switzerland - May 24, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning the final match against Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, Novak Djokovic's 100th career ATP tour title REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Novak Djokovic became the third man in the Open Era to reach 100 career wins, surviving a three-set thriller against Poland's Hubert Hurkacz at the Gonet Geneva Open in Switzerland in Saturday. The Serbian great, seeded second, needed three hours and five minutes to turn back the sixth-seeded Hurkacz 5-7, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) and win at the clay-court ATP 250 event. Djokovic was down 2-4 in the final set but a break of Hurkacz in the eighth game got the match back on serve. Djokovic prevailed despite 52 winners by Hurkacz, which included 19 aces. He now joins the elite group of Jimmy Connors (109 wins) and Roger Federer (103) to hit the century mark. It has been almost 20 years since the 38-year-old won his first tournament, a 2006 victory at Amersfoort in the Netherlands. This was Djokovic's first title since winning the Paris Olympics in 2024, and he now has a victory in a record 20 different seasons. He will be going for his 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open, which begins Sunday in Paris. His first-round opponent is American Mackenzie Mcdonald. Bitpanda Hamburg Open Flavio Cobolli of Italy won his second career title, defeating third-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-2, 6-4 in Hamburg, Germany. In the 90-minute match, Cobolli breezed through the first set in 29 minutes. In the second set, serving for the win at 5-4, Cobolli fended off two match points on the way to the win. He saved six of seven break points on the day, while converting all four of his break chances on Rublev's serve. Rublev, a former Hamburg champion, hit just 10 winners against 23 unforced errors. Cobolli had 25 and 24, respectively. Cobolli won his first title in April in Bucharest, another tournament on clay. --Field Level Media
Observer
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Cobolli upsets Rublev to win Hamburg Open
HAMBURG, Germany: Italy's Flavio Cobolli won the biggest title of his career when he upset third seed Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 to win the Hamburg Open on Saturday. Ranked number 35 in the world, Cobolli had only one ATP 250 title to his name, having won the Romanian Open last month, but the 23-year-old now has two claycourt titles after beating Rublev in the final of the ATP 500 event. He is just the third player to win multiple titles on the ATP Tour this year after Carlos Alcaraz (three) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (also two), while the victory will see him rise to a career-high 26th in the rankings. "I think it is the best moment and match of my life for sure. I have to say sorry to Andrey because today I played unbelievable. I am so happy and proud of myself," Cobolli said. "I can see my family, friends, brother and girlfriend here and it is a surprise. I am really happy. I passed many battles this year and this kind of day is good for your mind. I am so happy, I just want to (lift) the trophy." After Cobolli convincingly took the opening set, Rublev went 3-2 up in the second but the momentum shifted after a 31-shot rally where the Russian tried to make Cobolli run for most points. Cobolli turned the tables when he fired a scorching forehand winner to get the point and as the Italian put his hand to his ear to get the crowd roaring, a spent Rublev bent over in exhaustion. Rublev never recovered and although he had seven break points in the contest, Cobolli saved six of them. The Italian converted all four of his own break points to wrap up the match in an hour and 28 minutes. He will have no time to rest, however, as he looks ahead to a match against former Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic in the first round of the French Open, which begins on Sunday. — Reuters
Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Cobolli upsets Rublev to win Hamburg Open
Tennis - Hamburg European Open - Am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany - May 24, 2025 Russia's Andrey Rublev in action during the final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer Tennis - Hamburg European Open - Am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany - May 24, 2025 Italy's Flavio Cobolli in action during the final match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer Tennis - Hamburg European Open - Am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany - May 24, 2025 Russia's Andrey Rublev in action during the final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer Tennis - Hamburg European Open - Am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany - May 24, 2025 Italy's Flavio Cobolli in action during the final match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer HAMBURG, Germany - Italy's Flavio Cobolli won the biggest title of his career when he upset third seed Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 to win the Hamburg Open on Saturday. Ranked number 35 in the world, Cobolli had only one ATP 250 title to his name, having won the Romanian Open last month, but the 23-year-old now has two claycourt titles after beating Rublev in the final of the ATP 500 event. He is just the third player to win multiple titles on the ATP Tour this year after Carlos Alcaraz (three) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (also two), while the victory will see him rise to a career-high 26th in the rankings. "I think it is the best moment and match of my life for sure. I have to say sorry to Andrey because today I played unbelievable. I am so happy and proud of myself," Cobolli said. "I can see my family, friends, brother and girlfriend here and it is a surprise. I am really happy. I passed many battles this year and this kind of day is good for your mind. I am so happy, I just want to (lift) the trophy." After Cobolli convincingly took the opening set, Rublev went 3-2 up in the second but the momentum shifted after a 31-shot rally where the Russian tried to make Cobolli run for most points. Cobolli turned the tables when he fired a scorching forehand winner to get the point and as the Italian put his hand to his ear to get the crowd roaring, a spent Rublev bent over in exhaustion. Rublev never recovered and although he had seven break points in the contest, Cobolli saved six of them. The Italian converted all four of his own break points to wrap up the match in an hour and 28 minutes. He will have no time to rest, however, as he looks ahead to a match against former Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic in the first round of the French Open, which begins on Sunday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Tennis-Cobolli upsets Rublev to win Hamburg Open
Tennis - Hamburg European Open - Am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany - May 24, 2025 Italy's Flavio Cobolli in action during the final match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) -Italy's Flavio Cobolli won the biggest title of his career when he upset third seed Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 to win the Hamburg Open on Saturday. Ranked number 35 in the world, Cobolli had only one ATP 250 title to his name, having won the Romanian Open last month, but the 23-year-old now has two claycourt titles after beating Rublev in the final of the ATP 500 event. He is just the third player to win multiple titles on the ATP Tour this year after Carlos Alcaraz (three) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (also two), while the victory will see him rise to a career-high 26th in the rankings. "I think it is the best moment and match of my life for sure. I have to say sorry to Andrey because today I played unbelievable. I am so happy and proud of myself," Cobolli said. "I can see my family, friends, brother and girlfriend here and it is a surprise. I am really happy. I passed many battles this year and this kind of day is good for your mind. I am so happy, I just want to (lift) the trophy." After Cobolli convincingly took the opening set, Rublev went 3-2 up in the second but the momentum shifted after a 31-shot rally where the Russian tried to make Cobolli run for most points. Cobolli turned the tables when he fired a scorching forehand winner to get the point and as the Italian put his hand to his ear to get the crowd roaring, a spent Rublev bent over in exhaustion. Rublev never recovered and although he had seven break points in the contest, Cobolli saved six of them. The Italian converted all four of his own break points to wrap up the match in an hour and 28 minutes. He will have no time to rest, however, as he looks ahead to a match against former Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic in the first round of the French Open, which begins on Sunday. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
