February is rolling on and there was plenty of tennis this past week, plus a good dose of drama. Read on for the latest breakdown of what happened in the world of swinging racquets.
Champions Corner
As always, let us take a moment to salute all the tennis players that won a trophy this week, and there were quite a few of those. Contrary to popular belief, Taylor Fritz did not win a third consecutive trophy in Delray Beach.
It was actually Miomir Kecmanovic who claimed the American hardcourt 250, who was beaten by Fritz in the final two years in 2023. Now he finally got it done and it came after a dramatic comeback win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Spaniard won the opening set and had a massive lead in the final one before coughing it up.
In Buenos Aires, the native crowd had to watch a Brazilian lift the trophy, which wasn’t a pleasant sight for most of them. It wasn’t particularly so because the losing player in that final was a native one. Francisco Cerundolo played so well the entire week but couldn’t overcome supernova talent Joao Fonseca, who won his maiden ATP Trophy.
The Brazilian teenager made headlines last year and earlier this year in Australia and is not looking back. He’s quickly rising through the ranks, just in time for the Rio Open next week. Read more on Fonseca and his racquet here.
Last but not least, Ugo Humbert continued to carve out his niche as a French indoor hardcourt specialist, winning in Marseilles, again.
On the women’s side, we had Amanda Anisimova prove to be the best in Qatar as she won the event in Doha. She overcame Jelena Ostapenko in the final to win her first trophy since 2022. It’s a premier WTA 1000 win, so by default, the biggest trophy she ever won.
Jannik Sinner settles for a three-month ban
In a shocking twist this week, Jannik Sinner accepted a three-month ban from tennis, concluding his doping saga.
The Italian was initially set on trying to uphold his innocence at the Court of Arbitration for Sports in April but he came to a settlement to avoid the trial. The resolution ensures that he will be back in action for Roland Garros and Wimbledon, with his ban finishing just in time for the Rome Masters.
The news created more headlines as the idea of a settlement for a doping case is something that doesn’t happen often. It’s safe to say plenty of players had something to say.
Kyrgios, Wawrinka, Medvedev react to Sinner news
Due to its unique nature, the Sinner news created lots of controversy. Nick Kyrgios, who has been harping on Sinner for months, had a field day on X after it broke out. He once again called it anything but fair or transparent.
Fellow player Stan Wawrinka also reacted by simply stating that he didn’t believe in a clean sport anymore. That was a rather daunting intervention by one of the more respected veterans on Tour.
Daniil Medvedev added his spin to the matter, hoping that now other players will be given the same chance to settle for a three-month ban instead of a one to two year ban as usually happens. It’s unlikely, but how do you not prove the favoritism claims many have had since the start of this saga? Expect more reactions to come this week as players react to it.
Coming Up Next Week
Finally, we have to go over what is happening this upcoming week because there is a lot of tennis. First of all, we have the massive event in Doha where the men are this week. There are going to be lots of great players playing at the event, including Novak Djokovic, who is returning to the courts.
Carlos Alcaraz is also playing after taking a week off following his win in Rotterdam. Jannik Sinner was slated to play, but he’s now suspended and won’t be back until the Rome Masters. Other big names like Andrey Rublev and Medvedev are also going to be in action, so a really great one is about to unfold in Doha.
Another big tournament will happen in Rio de Janeiro, where an ATP 500 event is staged every year. Players that will play down there include Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, and hometown hopeful Joao Fonseca, who set the world ablaze last year at the event.
In the women’s side of the sport, it’s back-to-back WTA 1000s, with an event in Dubai set to happen. Most of the big names that played in Doha will be playing in Dubai as well, and if it’s anything like the week in Doha, it’s going to be pretty crazy.
That event was spectacular with some big upsets as players like Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek were beaten relatively early. Iga Swiatek even threw a racket, which you don’t see often from the usual stone-cold Polish player. Buckle up, it’s going to be a great week of tennis.
Jelena Ostapenko's reaction to Iga Swiatek throwing her racquet in Doha
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 14, 2025
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