Germany's Alexander Zverev won the battle of the young guns against Denis Shapovalov on Saturday to set up a Madrid Open final against Austria's Dominic Thiem.
Novak Djokovic was unexpectedly beaten by fifth-ranked Alexander Zverev, quashing his hopes of winning an Olympic singles gold medal, the only major honour missing from his long list of accolades.
Images from Day 3 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros in Paris on Tuesday
Mischa still finds time to tease 'Sascha', despite his little brother's rapid ascent up the tennis rankings.
Italy sealed a place in the semi-finals of the ATP Cup by winning both singles matches against France
Zverev has not lost to Wawrinka in two previous meetings but is not taking the 2014 Melbourne Park champion lightly.
Images from Day 1 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Sunday
'If someone told me (I would end the year as number one) at that time it was looking quite improbable'
Zverev's serve played a big role in the victory, his third of the year, as the World No 3 won all but two of his first-serve points in the final, which lasted 74 minutes.
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, will need to shake off a run of poor form if he is to mount a challenge.
Nadal was much more than a claycourt bully, though. He spent more than 900 successive weeks from 2005 in the ATP's top 10, 209 of them at number one and at the age of 24 became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka of Japan was upset 7-5, 6-4 by Belinda Bencic in the fourth round at the US Open on Monday as the Swiss reached the quarter-finals for the second time.
Top seed Alexander Zverev crashed out in the second round of the Stuttgart Open, losing to world number 170 Dustin Brown.
Penpix of the top men's contenders at the 2021 French Open which begins on Sunday:
Seven-times champion Novak Djokovic produced some of his best tennis to outclass Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4 on Friday and reach a 10th Wimbledon final on Friday.
Canada's Bianca Andreescu upset Greek seventh seed Maria Sakkari to reach the last 32, while Japan's Taro Daniel crushed world number 15 Alexander Zverev.
World number one Novak Djokovic had enough on his plate already on Wednesday without marauding Russian Daniil Medvedev pummelling him to a shock 6-3, 6-3 defeat at the ATP Finals.
Images from Day 8 of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Sunday
Also in action on the first day at Roland Garros is men's second seed Alexander Zverev who meets Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Djokovic was soundly beaten by Zverev in the 2018 final, a match played out in an electrifying atmosphere in front of 18,000 fans. This time the arena was empty because of the COVID-19 lockdown, a surreal backdrop for a match with so much riding on it for both men.
IMAGES from matches played at the Miami Masters in Key Biscayne, Florida
With Nadal and Federer both skipping the tournament, Djokovic's sensational exit on Sunday after hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball opened up the field for a younger cohort of players.
Twenty four time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic closed the 2023 ATP season by clinching the year-end No. 1 spot for a record-extending eighth time.
Novak Djokovic marked his return to Serbia, after being stranded in the Spanish resort of Marbella for two months due to the coronavirus lockdown, by announcing that he has organised an event which will be contested across the Balkans. When the world number one had travelled to Marbella with his family in mid-March to visit his younger brother Marko, he had no idea it would be another two months before he could return to his homeland on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz ended Australian qualifier Max Purcell's dream run to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals
Sabalenka crashed to a 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva
IMAGES from Day 8 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, on Sunday.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camella Begu of Romania in the opening round of the women's draw with second-seeded American Coco Gauff taking on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
Roger Federer handed Nick Kyrgios a 6-4 6-1 7-5 tennis masterclass by storming into the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Saturday with a ruthless display that left the Australian talking to himself and waving the white flag.
'It'll also be difficult for him, tennis requires that competitive rhythm, but Rafa is Rafa, even if he arrives without many matches, he'll surely show a spectacular level.'
IMAGES from matches on Day 8 at the French Open
Novak Djokovic's erratic form, Rafael Nadal's fitness woes and untimely injuries to top-ranked youngsters have set up an uncertain French Open men's tournament
Lorenzo Musetti faces seven-times Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
IMAGES from the Miami Masters played in Key Biscayne, Florida on Tuesday
Serbia's Novak Djokovic beat Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 6-2 to reach his first Olympic final on Friday and will bid for gold in a blockbuster clash with Carlos Alcaraz.
Images from Day 4 of the 2021 US Open in New York on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic marched into the semis of the Dubai Tennis Championship, with a comfortable win over Hubert Hurkacz.
Novak Djokovic will prepare for a tilt at an 11th Australian Open title by representing Serbia at the United Cup mixed team tournament while old rival Rafael Nadal and former women's world number one Naomi Osaka return at Brisbane after time away.
Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday.
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