2026 ATP General News

[MargaretMcAleer]

Main reason Djokovic has taken a wild card into ATP500 Swiss is to qualify for the end of year finals in Turin
Presently he is in 10th position with 2,850, and Jodar is in 8th position with 2,909 points, and will add points if he can make the finals in Shanghai
NOTE: Jodar is also playing ATP500 Swiss Indoors and Paris Masters

 

[mrzz]

Fonseca announced he will only resume playing in 2027.

 

[El Dude]

Fun fact: Rod Laver, after winning the Grand Slam in 1962, started his pro career 2-19 on the Australasian Tour in January of 1963. That was 0-8 vs Hoad, 2-11 vs Rosewall.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

FAA has withdrawn from Brussels and Basel after injuring his knee in Shanghai

 

[mrzz]

This makes all sense in the world, even if, as you mentioned a gazillion times, different players age differently. But there is something else, the choices a player makes after his break trough.

Today I was watching Brazilian Thiago Wild playing the second round of a Challenger 75 in Italy, against a guy #704 in the world. Even if Wild was/is WAY better than the other guy, he lost. He was up a set and a break, with break points to go up two breaks, against a guy clearly, clearly inferior, and he lost. Second round of a lowly 75.

Well, Thiago Wild is the 2018 US Open junior champion. He won it against Musetti. A few years later, he won an ATP 250. As a teenager, he beat then fellow teenager Davidovich-Fokina in the Rio Open. He has beaten top 10 players. All the talent in the world...

And now he is losing to the #704 in a challenger 75. The worst part is how he loses. After a few points playing like a normal player, he starts walking on court. He is not even sweating. He walks, and curses, and the balls pass him by, while Musetti and Fokina are happily living the top-20 life.

I bet there was nothing we could see in their play, when those three were teenagers, that would predict how they would end up now. Most likely the deciding factor was, and is, between their ears.

@El Dude , it is funny how things can change in a relatively short time. Since I wrote that post, Thiago Wild won two Challenger events, got some other good results and recovered around 250 ranking spots, being now close to the top 100. Yesterday he beat Comesana (who until very recently was well inside the top 100) in his way to another final, which is later today. Almost surely he will close the year back inside the top 100, and play the majors next year, then who knows what could happen next. The gap to Musetti and Fokina is still huge, yes, but he is trending in the right direction. All of a sudden a return to the top 50 seems possible.

Good reminder that tennis, as most things in life, is extremely unpredictable.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Mrzz if you are still around,
Is the exho match between Alcaraz and Fonseca in San Poulo on December 12 is still going ahead?

 

[mrzz]

Mrzz if you are still around,
Is the exho match between Alcaraz and Fonseca in San Poulo on December 12 is still going ahead?

I didn't even know it would take place!!!! Or I did, and forgot. Will check out, I need to go to São Paulo in December, maybe I can be there.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I didn't even know it would take place!!!! Or I did, and forgot. Will check out, I need to go to São Paulo in December, maybe I can be there.

Thanks, I just read the news, he is started his pre seasoning training in November, and apparently he is set to play against Alcaraz in December 12 in an exho

 

[lomaha]

Rune withdraw from Brussels because of a backpain

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rune withdraw from Brussels because of a backpain

I have already posted that news on the ATP250 Brussels post, he had scan done nothing serious, just has to rest for 2- 3 days, his back seized while praticing.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

International Tennis Hall of Fame
The ballet is set for the Class of 2027,
Ash Barty, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Juan Martin Del Potro have been named to the Player Category
Shingo Kunieda in the Wheelchair Tennis Category

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Sad and surprising news off court in tennis,
Elina Svitolina has just stated that her and Gael Monfils are getting a divorce. The pair have been married for over 5 years and have a baby daughter Skai. Monfils recently pulled out of the Paris Masters which was supposed to be his last event prior retirement.

 

[Federberg]

Sad and surprising news off court in tennis,
Elina Svitolina has just stated that her and Gael Monfils are getting a divorce. The pair have been married for over 5 years and have a baby daughter Skai. Monfils recently pulled out of the Paris Masters which was supposed to be his last event prior retirement.

this is very sad and disappointing. If it's as simple as she says, then I really don't get it. Do people not understand that marriage is about duty, about bringing up the child in the optimal environment? Happiness should be surrendered to a higher calling. Anyway I won't pass judgement. Just sad...

 

[kskate2]

Gael Monfils had a WC for Lyon and Paris Masters, a few days ago he sent an email to ITIA officially announcing his retirement, citing personal problems without further details.
This brings the end to his career and the match vs Tien at the USO was his last official match,

Monfils ends his career with,
13 ATP titles,
35 Finals
Best ranking of World No 6,
2 Slams SFs
3 Masters 1000 Finals

In light of Elina's announcement, these are personal reasons he's not retiring at the Paris masters.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

In light of Elina's announcement, these are personal reasons he's not retiring at the Paris masters.

We now understand why Monfils cited personal reasons, he was getting a divorce
Just read from L'Equipe, Monfils learnt about the divorce abruptly, it made him quit tennis on the spot. Hence his abrupt decision to remove himself from the anti doping lists on October 5th.

 

[mrzz]

We now understand why Monfils cited personal reasons, he was getting a divorce
Just read from L'Equipe, Monfils learnt about the divorce abruptly, it made him quit tennis on the spot. Hence his abrupt decision to remove himself from the anti doping lists on October 5th.

I had my few divorces. Such a good reason to celebrate with illicit substances. Wise decision to remove himself from the anti doping list then.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I had my few divorces. Such a good reason to celebrate with illicit substances. Wise decision to remove himself from the anti doping list then.

My Dear Mrzz,
Sorry to hear about your few divorces
The reason the Gael Monfils removed himself from the anti doping testing pool to finalize his immediate, sudden retirement from professional tennis following a major personal upheaval, when his wife Elena Svitolina made the decision to end their marriage, he made this decision on the 5th October.Under the rules governed by ITIA, a player who removes themselves from the active drug testing whereabouts pool is immediately classified as retired and becomes ineligible to compete in any professional tour events
Monfils had initially planned to finish out the 2026 season in front of his home fans at the Lyon tournament and the Paris Masters in November, by removing himself from the anti doping list early, he effectively bypassed those final tournaments, making his second round loss at the 2026 USO the final match of his career.Monfils has secured a job in the finance industry.
NOTE:,
For any player to reverse this status and make a comeback and remain available for random out of competition testing at least 6 months before entering an immediate return impossible.

 

[mrzz]

Sorry to hear about your few divorces

I am *not* sorry for them!!!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I am *not* sorry for them!!!

Okay

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Stan Wawrinka's farewell exhibition will take place on December 19th in Geneva.