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Nadal’s Farewell at Roland Garros Ranks Among the Year’s Best Images

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Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal Stats, News, Pictures, Bio, Videos - ESPN

The International Tennis Federation has unveiled the best photograph of the year in the racquet sport. A jury composed of ITF president David Haggerty, two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza, and tennis photographer Paul Zimmer, selected the winning image of Paralympic tennis player Tokito Oda celebrating his gold medal at the Games. Rafael Nadal’s iconic photo leaving the Philippe Chatrier court after his last appearance at Roland Garros secured the second spot. Notably, four Spanish photographers featured among the top contenders.

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Fognini on the Big Three: “95% of People Prefer Federer”

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Roger Federer

Fabio Fognini, 37, who has shared a generation with the Big Three of world tennis, commented on the impact these three legends have had on the sport, especially now that only Novak Djokovic remains active.

“We are talking about three myths. From a sporting perspective and as a tennis fan, I am a fan of Federer. Without disrespecting the other two, I believe if we ask 95% of people, they would say they prefer Roger Federer. It was a delight to watch him play. Djokovic, on the other hand, when he’s on form, steals time and doesn’t allow the other player to play. And Rafa, what can I say about him… he annihilates rivals both physically and psychologically. When I faced him, except in Monte Carlo, which I ended up winning, I couldn’t stand up; it was always like that. When we greeted each other at the net, I was ‘dead’, and the next day I was very exhausted. It was tremendous,” reminisced the Italian.

Roger Federer | Biography, Championships, & Facts | Britannica

Fognini has lost all four encounters against Roger Federer in his career and has won only 4 out of a total of 18 matches against Rafael Nadal; he has also never beaten Novak Djokovic, with 8 defeats in their head-to-head history.

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Indian Wells: Britain’s Emma Raducanu beaten by second seed Aryna Sabalenka

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Emma Raducanu Aryna Sabalenka

Raducanu, who reached the fourth round in California last year, lost 6-3 7-5 to two-time major winner Sabalenka as she continues her comeback.

The 21-year-old, ranked 250 in the world, was a wildcard at the tournament following an injury-disrupted 2023.

“It was a good success, I would say,” Raducanu said of her week.

“I think I have handled myself a lot better on the match court. I was a lot more positive and hungry to play, and that showed I think in the tennis that I did play.”

Emma Raducanu beaten by world number two Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells | beIN SPORTS

Raducanu’s second-round victory over Dayana Yastremska, who retired with illness, was the first time the English player had recorded back-to-back wins since successfully coming through three in a row at Indian Wells 12 months ago.

The shock 2021 US Open champion made her return to the tour in January following an eight-month absence, during which she had operations on both of her wrists and surgery on her ankle.

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Novak Djokovic knocked out by lucky loser Luca Nardi

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Novak Djokovic Luca Nardi

Italian Nardi, ranked 123 in the world, had originally been knocked out in qualifying but reached the main draw after another player’s withdrawal.

He hit 34 winners in a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion, converting match point with an ace.

“It’s crazy,” said Nardi, the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic at ATP Masters 1,000 or Grand Slam level.

Outsider Luca Nardi stuns Novak Djokovic with Indian Wells victory | Tennis | The Guardian

“I don’t know [how I held my nerve], I think it is a miracle, because I am a 20-year-old guy, and beating Novak.”

Djokovic, 36, who was beaten by eventual winner Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, is yet to win a tournament this year.

“No titles this year. That’s not something I’m used to,” said the Serb, who hit 17 winners but made nine unforced errors.

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Novak Djokovic confirms Nadal’s withdrawal from Indian Wells signals the end of an era

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Novak Djokovic Nadal's

On February 22, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic met on the flight from Madrid to Indian Wells. The two players were on their way prepare for the first Masters 1000 of the year that was due to take place in early March.

Djokovic will debut this Saturday against Aleksander Vukic, however Nadal was left out of the tournament after injury forced him to withdraw just a few hours before his opening match against Milos Raonic.

It’s unfortunate for the tournament that Rafa had to sit out,” Djokovic declared.

French Open treat: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic renew rivalry - Los Angeles Times

“He has done his best to be fit. Federer has retired and both Nadal and I won’t be playing much more. It is the end of an era.

“We must remember the good moments, matches and all the records achieved.

The current world number one was speaking with a degree of authority on the previous era of tennis, given the fact that on Monday March 18 he will double the number of weeks Nadal spent at the top of the ATP ranking: 418 to 209.

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WTA Indian Wells Day 1 Predictions Including Venus Williams Vs Nao Hibino

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Venus Williams Nao Hibino

There is a very exciting draw for the women’s singles in Indian Wells, despite five WTA players withdrawing from the event. An example of that is Venus Williams continuing her legendary career on day 1. Her match is one of four predicted in this article. We at LWOT also predict all the other WTA contests taking place on the first day in Indian Wells, including Danielle Collins vs Erika Andreeva. Who do you think will advance?

These two have played doubles together on many occasions, including as recently as this year’s Abu Dhabi Open a few weeks ago. Although Sorribes Tormo leads the head-to-head, Bouzkova won their most recent meeting in 2022. Expect many long rallies between two players who are adept at extending rallies in their singles matches. On a hard court, Bouzkova is the favourite. The slow conditions in Indian Wells might help Sorribes Tormo somewhat, but I do not think that will be enough for her to topple her doubles partner.

Indian Wells 2024: Venus Williams vs Nao Hibino preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

This is a great opportunity for both players to get a win at the WTA 1000 level, with each woman ranked outside the Top 100. Parrizas-Diaz came through qualifying, while Kessler was given a wildcard for the tournament. Kessler won her first Grand Slam main-draw match at the Australian Open this year. She then came close to beating the eventual quarterfinalist Linda Noskova in the next round. In front of home support in Indian Wells, she could find some extra inspiration to overcome her Spanish opponent.

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Ben Shelton’s Attempt to Emulate Roger Federer Goes Horribly Wrong at Eisenhower Cup

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Roger Federer Ben Shelton

Roger Federer is a pioneer in tennis. The Swiss Maestro has come up with many moves and strategies that many players use today to win points. One of his most prominent moves was the SABR, ‘Sneak Attack by Roger’, where he would move up to receive the second serve earlier. Ben Shelton aimed to recreate the move recently but failed horribly.

While Shelton failed to pull off the attack this time, he managed to achieve success to a certain level in a tournament earlier this year. However, at the moment, nothing seems to go right for the young ATP star.

Billionaire Roger Federer-Backed Ben Shelton Reveals Endearing Childhood Tale That Gave Rise to His Widely Popular Signature Move at the US Open - EssentiallySports

The 20-time grand slam champion created the SABR in 2015. He developed it when he was struggling to go deep in tournaments. Federer employed the maneuver at the end of practice sessions to get points. His coach suggested he do it in a game, and he had great success, which led to the maneuver becoming quite popular. Shelton, a big fan of Federer, aimed to pull the move off recently.

Playing doubles in the Eisenhower Cup, an event before the Indian Wells Masters, Shelton aimed to return the ball rather close to the serve box. However, the ball would hit the corner of his racket and launch it into the stands, where it landed in the hands of a fan, who would go on to stand up and cheer in joy.

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‘Queen’ Serena Williams’ Generational Impact Highlighted by Reggie Bush With a Plea for Coco Gauff

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Serena Williams

The impact of Serena Williams on tennis is quite apparent. Many in the tennis world have seen her accomplishments. The praise for her achievements continues long after her retirement. Her impact has transcended the sport and has seeped into other fields as well. Her effect has also been acknowledged by NFL legend Reggie Bush, who praised her as the queen.

The NFL legend shared his thoughts about Serena Williams at the Desert Smash event, which is being covered by EssentiallySports. The younger Williams sister seems to be the favorite at the event as another personality picked her as the GOAT.

Here Are Serena Williams' 6 Most Iconic Moments - Yahoo Sports

Reggie Bush is a former football running back who made an appearance at the Desert Smash charity event in La Quinta, California. EssentiallySports was in the venue to cover the event and talked to Bush about tennis. The former NFL star was asked if the sport would speak more to the younger audience. Bush replied by saying that it already does, owing a lot to Serena Williams

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Roger Federer wraps up whirlwind tour of Thailand while Uniqlo shares his favorite stops in Shanghai

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Roger Federer

Roger Federer recently wrapped up a whirlwind tour of Thailand, while his clothing sponsor, Uniqlo, simultaneously lifted the lid on some of his favorite stops in Shanghai.

Federer’s tour through Thailand started as early as Feb. 23, as he chronicled a boat ride at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi and enjoying a plate of traditional Khao Niao Mamuang, sticky rice and mango. Two days later, he posted a clip of him riding a tuk-tuk, Bangkok’s famous three-wheeled taxis.

That’s a wrap!” Federer signed off over the weekend, adding more snapshots to his social media gallery from the trip, the first of which featured his wife, Mirka, posing with him on the beach in what’s a rare public appearance.

Roger Federer | Biography, Championships, & Facts | Britannica

“Did you get her permission to put her on instagram?” Sara Foster, wife of former world No. 2 and Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas, joked in the comments.

In the latest collage, Federer showcased candid snaps from an elephant habitat, and took photos of the famed Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok.

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Nadal to combat Raonic threat in Indian Wells opener

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Rafael Nadal

Three-time champion Rafael Nadal will face former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic in a testing first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open.

Monday’s draw for the year’s first ATP Masters 1000 of the year threw up an interesting challenge for the Spaniard, who reached the final in 2022 during his last visit to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Nadal leads Raonic 8-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head Series, but the Canadian won their lone meeting in the desert: a 4-6, 7-6(10), 7-5 classic in 2015.

Rafael Nadal vs. Carlos Alcaraz: How to watch the Netflix Slam right now - Yahoo Sports

Nadal will be making just his second appearance of the year, following a quarter-final run to the ATP 250 in Brisbane in the first week of the season.

Raonic, a former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, has been competitive in his two outings this year but has been let down by his 33-year-old body. At his last start, he pushed Jannik Sinner to a first-set tie-break in the Rotterdam quarter-finals before retiring. At the Australian Open he split sets with Alex de Minaur before retiring early in the third.

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