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Alexander Zverev Explores Coaching Partnership with Toni Nadal

Alexander Zverev discusses training with Toni Nadal and a possible coaching partnership.

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Alexander Zverev recently spent about ten days training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, where Toni Nadal serves as a coach and ambassador. This period sparked speculation regarding a potential official collaboration between Zverev and the legendary coach, who is also Rafael Nadal’s uncle.

Zverev, currently world No. 3, shared insights about this collaboration during his pre-tournament press conference at the Canadian Open in Toronto. He confirmed he is actively “trying to convince” Toni Nadal to join his team for additional weeks, despite Nadal’s numerous prior commitments, including his roles as tournament director for the ATP 250 event in Mallorca and as a speaker for sports, academic, and corporate audiences.

“The time in Mallorca was amazing,” Zverev said. “I spent about 10 days there, and worked really hard and enjoyed it as well. I think Toni enjoyed it probably as well.”

He elaborated on the discussions regarding a possible partnership, stating, “We’re talking about what a potential partnership could look like, for sure, and, yeah, I can give you an update probably in a few weeks’ time when we know more.”

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Zverev also revealed a close connection with Toni Nadal following his early exit at Wimbledon, which led to extensive conversations and eventual training sessions at the academy. “It’s funny, actually after Wimbledon he contacted me, Uncle Toni,” Zverev explained. “I was very thankful for him to do that. We spoke on the phone for about an hour and a half, and sent a few messages back and forth, and then, yeah, decided to go to Mallorca to see him.”

He emphasized the value of Toni Nadal’s input, noting, “He’s a personality that I think, yeah, he’s a great coach, no question about that, but he’s a personality that I think can give you a lot of confidence as well, because when he speaks and when Rafa speaks, you listen.”

Zverev also reflected on the insights he gained from Rafael Nadal, who shared perspectives on opposing Zverev’s game. “They definitely spent a lot of hours talking to me, and they gave me some great insight. Rafa gave me some great insight of what it actually is like to play against me, because he saw me as a player, he saw me now as a spectator as well.”

The player described their discussions as extensive and valuable: “We spent hours and hours talking, sometimes until past midnight in some dinners and stuff like that. So it was great to be there.”

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Looking ahead, Zverev is set to begin his campaign at the Masters 1000 event in Toronto as the top seed, facing world No. 88 Adam Walton in his opening match.

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Rafael Jodar Cracks ATP Top 50 After Barcelona Semifinal Run

Rafael Jodar rises to No. 42 in ATP rankings after Barcelona semifinal; a year ago he was No. 686 ’26

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Rafael Jodar has completed a rapid climb up the ATP rankings, leaping from No. 55 to No. 42 to register his first appearance inside the Top 50. The 19-year-old Madrid native reached his first ATP 500 semifinal in Barcelona, a run that delivered the ranking boost.

A year ago Jodar was ranked No. 686. His rise accelerated in recent weeks: three weeks ago he broke into the Top 100 for the first time, moving from No. 109 to No. 89 after reaching the third round in Miami as a qualifier. Two weeks later he captured the first ATP title of his career in Marrakech, which propelled him from No. 89 to No. 57.

The Barcelona run extended his winning streak to eight consecutive matches, and at one point he won 13 sets in a row. Those results are enough to make him the youngest player in the ATP Top 50 and the Top 100, roughly one month younger than fellow 19-year-old Joao Fonseca, who is ranked No. 31.

There are several other notable moves this week. Corentin Moutet moved from No. 31 to No. 30 for his Top 30 debut after reaching the second round in Barcelona. Twenty-year-old Spaniard Martin Landaluce made his Top 100 debut, rising from No. 101 to No. 99. Landaluce had surged from No. 151 to No. 106 after Miami, and despite a first-round loss in Barcelona he crossed into the Top 100 as other players fell.

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Winners and runners-up at last week’s ATP 500 events also advanced. Ben Shelton, who won Munich, remains at No. 6 but narrowed the gap to Felix Auger-Aliassime from a 200-point deficit (4,100 to 3,900) to just 30 points (4,100 to 4,070). Munich runner-up Flavio Cobolli rose from No. 16 to a career-high No. 13. Arthur Fils, the Barcelona champion, climbed from No. 30 to No. 25, his highest ranking since last September. Andrey Rublev, the finalist, moved from No. 15 to No. 12, his best position since last August.

On the WTA side, Elena Rybakina remains at No. 2 after winning the WTA 500 in Stuttgart, and Marta Kostyuk moved from No. 28 to No. 23 after taking the WTA 250 title in Rouen.

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Djokovic Sets New Standard with 860 Weeks in ATP Top 5

Novak Djokovic begins his record 860th week in the ATP Top 5, overtaking Roger Federer’s mark. Now.

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Novak Djokovic has extended his dominance in the ATP rankings by beginning his 860th career week inside the Top 5, a mark that moves him past Roger Federer’s previous record of 859 weeks.

The player currently listed at No. 4 on the rankings reached the milestone this week, adding another long-term statistical achievement to a resume already dense with records. Official ATP rankings began in August of 1973, and Djokovic’s run now stands as the most career weeks in the Top 5 in ATP history.

The scale of his consistency is underlined by where those weeks were spent. Of the 860 Top 5 weeks, Djokovic has occupied the No. 1 position for 428 weeks, the clear lead in ATP rankings history. Federer is next with 310 weeks at No. 1.

Breaking that total down further highlights Djokovic’s sustained excellence: 49.8 percent of his Top 5 weeks (428) were at No. 1. He has spent 599 weeks in the Top 2, representing 69.7 percent of his Top 5 span. His time in the Top 3 totals 764 weeks, or 88.8 percent, and he has held a Top 4 position for 823 weeks, equal to 95.7 percent of his Top 5 weeks.

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Those numbers reflect a career defined by long stretches at the very top of the sport rather than brief spikes. Reaching 860 weeks in the Top 5 is a cumulative testament to performance across seasons and surfaces, and it establishes a new benchmark for longevity among the modern era’s leading players.

Roger Federer’s long-standing record of 859 weeks has now been overtaken, and the milestone underscores the extraordinary durability of Djokovic’s presence among the elite. And there’s another record on the horizon, too.

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Ben Shelton Wins BMW Open and Signals Big Clay Ambitions

Shelton won the 2026 BMW Open, earning €478,935, a BMW iX3, Lederhosen and 500 ATP points. Since 2002

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Ben Shelton captured the 2026 BMW Open by Bitpanda, defeating fourth-seeded Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final. Playing before packed stands on Center Court at the MTTC Iphitos, Shelton jumped to a 4-0 lead in the opening set and never surrendered his composure.

Cobolli raised his level as the match progressed, but the world No. 6 stood firm, saving all six break points he faced and converting three of nine chances. The match lasted one hour and 30 minutes.

“I came out at a really high level,” said Shelton, who earned his fifth career title and third at ATP 500 level following Tokyo in 2023 and Dallas earlier this year.

“I have done that before against him, but the toughest thing is maintaining it, as he raises his level. I was able to do that in the second set, hanging in there when he played some great tennis, and I came through to win it in straight sets.

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“I am happy with my performance this week. I got better and better as the week went on, and I am pleased with the work my team put in here.”

Shelton received a prize cheque of €478,935, a brand-new BMW iX3 and traditional Bavarian Lederhosen. He also collected 500 ATP Ranking points.

“The car is great. It might be difficult to get it back to Florida, where I live,” Shelton said with a smile.

The Atlanta native now holds the biggest clay-court title by an American man since Andre Agassi captured the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome in 2002, the year Shelton was born. He made clear he sees this victory as part of a broader push on the surface.

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“It’s huge. I have big ambitions on clay – a surface I want to keep improving on each year. It has become one of my favourite surfaces to play on.

“It’s a short season and some of the Americans choose not to play every event. But we had two guys in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. Success on clay is coming back. I am looking forward to being part of this progression of U.S. men’s tennis on clay. On the women’s side, they have a lockdown as they won the French last year. We as the men have some more to do but we are heading into the right direction. This is just one step in a long swing and let’s see what happens.”

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