Former world No 1 and global promoter of tennis Andre Agassi has been in Brazil this week handing out the trophy for the Rio Open — sadly not to the young Brazilian superstar João Fonseca but to Tomas Etcheverry, the third Argentinian to win this event for the third consecutive year.
When asked whether the South American swing (which does not include Mexico), where world No 4 Alexander Zverev is back in action, should change from clay to hard courts to attract the bigger names, Agassi was quick to point out that appearance fees and prize money ultimately have more pulling power: “If you want to know where something is headed, follow the money. Tennis has become big money, and some players are treated like corporations.”
The American was alluding to the Desert Swing, Doha & Dubai, specifically Doha, paying the world No 1 and 2, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, a cool $12m (R190.4m) merely to compete in the Qatar Masters, and it’s tough from an administrative point of view to compete with that type of carrot.
Dubai defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas was forthright about the fact that he’s “never been offered a good deal in South America”.
He was sent packing by 2024 champion Hugo Humbert in round 1 and now finds himself languishing below 40 in the rankings — a considerable drop from his career best of No 3. Good offers from closer to home might also be in short supply.
That said, Tsitsipas was not the only drawcard to find himself prematurely relinquishing the spotlight and champions cheque at far-flung ATP 500s.
The Spaniard admitted to feeling emotionally drained and needed time out to regain his mojo. Ironically, his Italian nemesis has also taken a mental knock at the hand of the Serbian ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’
Czech 19-year-old Jakob Mensik, Auckland champion and defending champion in Miami, played the match of his career to unseat Sinner 7-6 (3) 2-6 6-3 in Doha. This catapults Mensik closer to the top 10, impressive considering he played his first main draw match in Doha in 2024.
Where does this leave Sinner? Currently suffering a “minor slump”, according to the world No 2 himself. Let’s not overdramatise the situation: Alcaraz — rated by former No 1 Roger Federer as untouchable — who won Doha went through a similar setback, suffering early-round losses post the Paris Olympics, when deprived of gold by the indomitable Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard admitted to feeling emotionally drained and needed time out to regain his mojo. Ironically, his Italian nemesis has also taken a mental knock at the hand of the Serbian “Scarlet Pimpernel”.
Lest we forget, it was Mensik’s timely withdrawal in round 4 of the AO that propelled Djokovic — into the last eight.
The difference with Sinner is that he — by his own accord — is not in the least bit concerned and is quite confident he will bounce back at the pending Indian Wells Masters 1000, where big points are on offer. That is more alluring than money, because money can’t buy you a No 1 ranking.
The world No 2, absent from this event last year because of his three-month drug ban, is throwing himself wholeheartedly into the fray, uncharacteristically playing singles and doubles — a wise move to hone his short game, somewhat lacking in comparison to the likes of Alcaraz.
All eyes are glued to Indian Wells defending champion Jack Draper, after an eight-month absence from the tour, nursing a bad arm, back in action in Dubai, sporting a provoking new hairstyle: a bald head with a widow’s peak
Meanwhile, continuing the trend of major upsets, Australian Rotterdam champion Alex De Minaur was dumped out of his opening gambit in Acapulco by little-known American and No 93 Patrick Kypson. The comprehensive 6-1 6-7(4) 7-6(4) defeat was a bitter pill for the second seed to swallow, having won the 2023 and 2024 Mexican Open.
Again, a huge part of Kypson’s winning equation was his 71% first serve points and his conversion of 3 out of 5 break points.
Certainly Alcaraz’s Doha and Australian Open triumphs were equally attributed to the Spaniard’s improved first serve percentages and new service action, modelled on Djokovic’s.
All eyes are glued to Indian Wells defending champion Jack Draper, after an eight-month absence from the tour, nursing a bad arm, back in action in Dubai, sporting a provoking new hairstyle: a bald head with a widow’s peak.
If only he were old enough to remember the cautionary biblical tale that Samson without his hair didn’t fare too well on the battlefield.
I fear even Draper’s lightning tattoo won’t make up for the deficit. He had a fair start felling Quentin Halys, but for a Brit it was like a cricketer scoring a century against Bangladesh instead of India.
Thereafter he was narrowly defeated in a third-set tiebreak by another lower-ranked Frenchman, Arthur Rinderknech.
Collectively the French are on a run, with “comeback kid” Arthur Fils reaching the final in Doha and veteran Gael Monfils returning to Acapulco after 17 years and becoming the second oldest man to advance to round 2.
With such vicissitudes in the affairs of big-name players, Indian Wells promises to be a popcorn, if not eye-popping, Californian desert showdown.
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