Iga Swiatek, Rafael Nadal honored as ITF World Champions

Associated PressDec 15, 2022, 6:06 PM EST

Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports

LONDON — Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal were honored by the International Tennis Federation as its 2022 ITF World Champions after each claimed two Grand Slam titles this season.

The ITF determines its awards based on criteria that include all events and give special weight to the four major championships and two team events, the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup.

Nadal won despite finishing No. 2 in the ATP rankings behind Carlos Alcaraz, while Swiatek topped the year-end WTA rankings.

It’s the fifth time Nadal has earned the ITF honor, following 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019. He raised his Grand Slam title total to a men’s-record 22 by winning the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June.

This is Swiatek’s first time as ITF World Champion and it comes after she won the French Open and the U.S. Open for her second and third career major trophies. She led the WTA with eight titles this year and put together a 37-match winning streak that was the longest unbeaten run in women’s tennis since 1997.

The ITF awards will be presented at a ceremony on July 8 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Other ITF World Champions include:

– Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in women’s doubles;

– Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in men’s doubles;

– Diede de Groot in women’s wheelchair tennis;

– Shingo Kunieda in men’s wheelchair tennis;

– Niels Vink in quad wheelchair tennis.

Gael Monfils withdraws from French Open with wrist injury

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:34 AM EDT

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS — A thrilling five-set victory took a toll on Gael Monfils, whose withdrawal from the French Open handed No. 6 Holger Rune a walkover to the third round.

The 36-year-old Frenchman said he has a strained left wrist and can’t continue.

He battled Sebastian Baez for nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier before beating the Argentine 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 in a first-round match that ended at 12:18 a.m. local time.

The victory was Monfils’ first at tour level this year, as the veteran was coming back from heel surgery.

“Actually, physically, I’m quite fine. But I had the problem with my wrist that I cannot solve,” he said. “The doctor say was not good to play with that type of injury. Yesterday was actually very risky, and then today definitely say I should stop.”

Monfils reached the semifinals at the French Open in 2008 and made it to the quarterfinals on three other occasions.

Mikael Ymer fined about $40K after default for hitting umpire stand with racket

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 3:55 PM EDT

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS — Swedish tennis player Mikael Ymer was docked about $40,000 after being disqualified for smashing his racket against the umpire’s chair at a tournament the week before he competed at the French Open.

An ATP Tour spokesman said Ymer forfeited about $10,500 in prize money and 20 rankings he earned for reaching the second round of the Lyon Open. Ymer also was handed an on-site fine of about $29,000.

The spokesman said the ATP Fines Committee will conduct a review of what happened to determine whether any additional penalties are warranted.

The 56th-ranked Ymer, who is 24 and owns a victory over current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, was defaulted in Lyon for an outburst late in the first set against French teenager Arthur Fils last week.

Ymer was upset that the chair umpire would not check a ball mark after a shot by Fils landed near a line. As the players went to the sideline for the ensuing changeover, Ymer smacked the base of the umpire’s stand with his racket twice – destroying his equipment and damaging the chair.

That led to Ymer’s disqualification, making Fils the winner of the match.

After his 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 loss to 17th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the first round at Roland Garros, Ymer was asked whether he wanted to explain why he reacted the way he did in Lyon.

“With all due respect, I think it’s pretty clear from the video what caused it and why I reacted the way I reacted. Not justifying it at all, of course,” Ymer replied. “But for me to sit here and to explain? I think it’s pretty clear what led me to that place. I think that’s pretty clear in the video.”