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Alexander Zverev claimed the ultimate Masters 1000-level title of the yr with a 6-2, 6-2 rout over native favourite Ugo Humbert in Paris on Sunday.
It had been a formidable week for the 27-year-old German, who defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas within the quarterfinals and 2022 match champion Holger Rune within the semifinals. Within the closing, he wanted simply 75 minutes to get previous Humbert, who was enjoying within the largest closing of his profession and had the overwhelming help of the French crowd behind him, and win his seventh Masters 1000 trophy and second of the season. Zverev did not face a break level all through the match and misplaced simply 5 factors on serve.
After receiving the trophy, Zverev expressed to the group how a lot the title meant to him, after sustaining a debilitating ankle injury at the 2022 French Open.
“It was not one hundred pc assured that I’d be again at this degree after Roland Garros two years in the past, once I principally broke every little thing potential in my ankle,” Zverev mentioned. “So to win this title right here in Paris means the world to me, and I am positive it means every little thing to these in my field, as a result of they’ve achieved a lot for me.”
It marked Zverev’s 66th match victory of 2024 — probably the most by any man on tour this yr — and on Monday he surpassed Carlos Alcaraz for the No. 2 rating, which he’ll maintain getting into the year-end ATP Finals.
Here is what else you might need missed from across the tennis world final week:
Shnaider’s breakthrough yr ends with one other title
It is onerous to place into phrases simply how unbelievable Diana Shnaider’s season has been.
Getting into 2024, the now-20-year-old was ranked No. 93 on the earth — and was even exterior of the highest 100 in February — and had by no means gained a WTA title. Since then, the Russian-born Shnaider, a former standout at North Carolina State, has been on an absolute tear. She gained the Hua Hin Championships in February, the 500-level Unhealthy Homburg Open in June, the Hungarian Grand Prix in July and the Olympic silver medal in doubles with Mirra Andreeva in August. Then, she had her greatest main end result with a fourth-round look on the US Open in September and ended her season on Sunday with the title in Hong Kong after a statement-making 6-1, 6-2 victory over Katie Boulter.
“I am so glad, so proud, the way in which I competed this week,” Shnaider mentioned after the match. “It is a dream to complete the season like this with my household by my facet.”
Shnaider is simply the third WTA participant to win 4 titles this season, becoming a member of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek — the highest two-ranked gamers on the earth. She later mentioned it was “good to be in that firm” and mentioned it might encourage her additional subsequent season to “push more durable to be on the identical stage as them.”
However for now, she nonetheless has fairly a bit to be ok with getting into the offseason. She is the one lady to have gained titles on all three surfaces this season, is at present ranked a brand new career-high of No. 12, and is inside 300 factors of the highest 10.
Turin area set
With only one week remaining within the common season, it seemed as if 4 males could be battling for the ultimate three spots within the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
5 gamers — Jannik Sinner, Zverev, Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Taylor Fritz — had already punched their ticket to Turin, however Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev have been nonetheless attempting to safe their place for the year-end occasion. There have been a number of eventualities that will decide who would go and could be omitted based mostly on outcomes at 250-tournaments in Metz and Belgrade.
Then Djokovic, the defending ATP Finals champion, announced on Tuesday morning that he could be unable to take part as a result of harm. He has performed in only one match for the reason that US Open, reaching the ultimate in Shanghai final month.
“I used to be actually trying ahead to being there, however as a result of ongoing harm I will not be enjoying subsequent week,” the 24-time main champion wrote in an Instagram story. “Apologies to those that have been planning to see me.”
The ATP Finals will get underway on Nov. 10 with Ruud, de Minaur and Rublev all formally rounding out the singles draw.
First and final (of the yr anyway)
Zeynep Sonmez completed her 2024 season by doing one thing she had by no means achieved earlier than: profitable a WTA title.
The 22-year-old from Turkey defeated American Ann Li 6-2, 6-1, within the closing of the Merida Open on Sunday and made historical past for herself and her nation as she grew to become simply the second Turkish participant to win a WTA trophy, and the primary in eight years.
If that wasn’t notable sufficient, Sonmez did it after enjoying two matches on Sunday. Resulting from rain delays, she performed her semifinal match towards Alina Korneeva early within the day, and needed to struggle again after trailing 4-2 within the opening set for a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory. However on Sunday night time, she wanted no such comeback and took management from the beginning. Profitable the ultimate six video games of the match, she was the champion after simply 70 minutes of play — and fell to the bottom along with her head in her fingers in obvious disbelief when it was over.
“It was certainly one of my largest desires [to win a WTA title] and I have been working for this present day for 15 years,” Sonmez mentioned after the match.
At present ranked No. 91, Sonmez is now into the highest 100 for the primary time in her profession and is simply the second Turkish lady to achieve the milestone.
It isn’t the way you begin …
Whereas Shnaider and Sonmez have had breakthrough outcomes this season, it has been a largely troublesome yr for Viktorija Golubic. The 32-year-old had did not win back-to-back tour-level matches for the reason that Australian Open in January and had dropped all the way in which to No. 168 within the rankings.
And never solely that, Golubic hadn’t gained a WTA title since 2016 when she took house her lone trophy in Lausanne.
However in tennis, typically all you want is one good week to show every little thing round, and that is precisely what occurred to Golubic on the Jiangxi Open. All through the match, she rolled via the draw — upsetting the top-seeded Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 6-2, within the semifinals — and defeated No. 2 seed Rebecca Sramkova 6-3, 7-5, in Sunday’s closing.
Golubic, who’s now simply exterior the highest 100 and returned to her place because the No. 1 Swiss participant, could not disguise her gratitude after the victory.
“[It] feels unbelievable,” she mentioned. “Persistence has paid off, and I am actually proud I’ve stayed on tour for that lengthy and to be at that degree for that lengthy. I’ve labored onerous to be at this degree and even when we win or lose, or get titles or not, we nonetheless have the assumption. We carry on going, we now have our targets. It is a very intense way of life, nevertheless it’s not going to be ceaselessly to be an athlete. So I am having fun with it as a lot as I can, and I hope in my final yr, or years, or nonetheless lengthy I’ll play, I’ll get extra highlights.”
Work onerous, play onerous
The WTA Finals received underway on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and earlier than play began, the gamers had some enjoyable with each other and on social media. Maybe nobody had a greater time than Sabalenka.
After some follow, Sabalenka and Swiatek did a TikTok with one another — and Swiatek later joked it was a “huge accomplishment” in her life.
“[Sabalenka] satisfied me to do it,” Swiatek instructed the WTA. “Clearly, I am not the sort of one that goes on TikTok rather a lot nevertheless it was actually enjoyable doing one thing else and I can study from her truly do correct TikToks … I am glad that we may present to followers that we have been getting alongside as a result of that can be necessary. We actually respect one another so it was enjoyable.”
However nothing was extra entertaining than an unintended second Sabalenka had alongside pal Ons Jabeur, who continues to be available in Riyadh as an envoy regardless of not qualifying for the occasion. Whereas taking part with native youngsters in a soccer drill, Sabalenka inadvertently kicked the ball directly at a photographer and, effectively, hilarity ensued.
Serving on Halloween
Halloween was after all final week and a few of your tennis faves really embraced the vacation spirit. Andy Murray was a clown, Caroline Wozniacki and her household went with a “101 Dalmatians” theme, Coco Gauff and her brother rocked Deadpool and Wolverine costumes — and even received a shoutout from Ryan Reynolds himself — and Eugenie Bouchard, the unofficial queen of Halloween, went as Cher from “Clueless,” amongst a number of different appears to be like all through the week.
Nonetheless, it was a Polish vogue influencer named Julia Kuczynska who actually gained the vacation. Dressing as — who else? — Swiatek, Kuczynska nailed the five-time main champion’s look and mannerisms with a video that you’ll seemingly watch a number of instances if you have not already. Jazda, Julia. Jazda.
