Where to get Rafael Nadal's face mask, Kia-Nadal partnership extended till 2025

Source: via Twitter handle @coachdal

There has been a buzz going around on the availability of the face mask that Rafael Nadal is wearing. 

A fan emailed Rafa Nadal Academy and has been informed the stock will arrive in matter of weeks and announcement will be made on social media. 

FYI, I already emailed his academy store lol pic.twitter.com/MxJLBf8HpD

— Sassy Jax, Esq, ⚦♊︎ (@RafaLover16) July 24, 2020

Source: via Twitter handle @coachdal

Meanwhile, Kia Motors Corporation, the major partner of the Australian Open, has announced a five-year partnership renewal with Nadal via a global livestream training session hosted on his official Facebook page.

The signing will extend the Kia-Nadal partnership beyond the 20-year mark. The Spaniard was first sponsored by Kia Spain back in 2004 before becoming Kia’s global brand ambassador two years later at the age of 19.

The announcement was live streamed on Facebook from the Rafael Nadal Academy in his hometown of Mallorca, Spain. 

Source: Rafael Nadal's Facebook

Update:

The reusable mask is now available for sale on Rafa Nadal Academy online store. However the design is different from the one that Nadal has been wearing. Kindly take note that delivery is only limited to certain countries only. The size is available for both adult and child.

Source: Rafa Nadal Academy

Rafael Nadal defeats Usain Bolt as the most dominant player, poses on a luxury yacht and wears a mask

Source: Reuters

ESPN started a fan poll to determine the most dominant individual performance in sports and the result is none other than Rafael Nadal, who has been announced as the winner. 

The King of Clay proved that he's the most popular beating the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt, in the final round. 

In a separate occasion, the Spaniard has been spotted enjoying his brand new 80 Sunreef Power Great White yacht. The majestic yacht hit the water at the Gdansk based yard and was delivered to Mallorca, his hometown just last month.

Meanwhile, stay safe and wear your mask just like Nadal!

Omg I want the mask Raf is wearing 😭 pic.twitter.com/L2PIWifqZA

— monse 🌺 Buenos días 😁 (@coachdal) July 22, 2020

Novak Djokovic reportedly ready to play at the US Open but wants exemption to quarantine

Source: Adam Hunger/AP

World no.1 Novak Djokovic is reportedly set to take part in the US Open, but only if the officials agree to waive off the quarantine requirement upon returning to Europe.

Meanwhile players around the world are still in doubt whether to take part in the upcoming US Open after the organisers announced the Grand Slam would go ahead despite an ongoing pandemic. Officials decided to go ahead with the major tournament from 31 August to 13 September, with the Rome and Madrid Masters planned between the French Open a few weeks later. The issue with some players is missing the Madrid and Rome Masters could impact their ranking points more than missing the Grand Slam in New York. 

Players such as Australian Nick Kyrgios have also expressed concerns about holding the tournament in the current climate. Rafael Nadal is set to miss defending his US Open title to prepare for a 13th Roland Garros.

Source: Adria Tour

Serbian Djokovic has been seen practicing on hard courts after cleared of coronavirus. He was recently forced to apologise after the Adria Tour he organised was forced to be cancelled due to safety concerns around the virus. Staged in his hometown Serbia, as well as neighbouring Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the event was cancelled after Grigor Dimitrov confirmed he had tested positive for the virus. Since then, Viktor Troicki, Borna Coric, Djokovic and his wife Jelena and coach Goran Ivanisevic have also revealed positive COVID-19 tests. Dimitrov, Coric and Jelena announced they too recovered from COVID-19.

Stefanos Tsitsipas captures ATP Finals title, Rafael Nadal clinches year-end no.1 for fifth time, Tomas Berdych retires

Source: ATP website

Newly crowned  ATP Finals champion, Stefanos Tsitsipas rallied to beat Dominic Thiem 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (4) on Sunday for the biggest win in his career. He becomes the youngest champion at the season-ending tournament in 18 years.

Tsitsipas first met Thiem at the O2 Arena in 2016 when he was the world's top-ranked junior and was invited to be a hitting partner for the ATP Finals participants. Three years on and they faced each other in the final.

Source: Tsitsipas' Instagram

It has been quite an exciting year for Tsitsipas, who reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, won two ATP titles and became the first Greek to break into the ATP top 10, a very unlikely scenario according to some of the best UK betting sites.

He leaves London with $2.6 million in prize money for this win. It is the fourth year in a row that there is a first-time champion at the ATP Finals, following wins by Andy Murray in 2016, Gregor Dimitrov in 2017 and Alexander Zverev last year.

Source: Reuters / Tony O'Brien

Also, congrats to Rafael Nadal, who is at 33, becoming the oldest player to finish year-end no. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973).

It has been quite a year for Nadal after getting married to longtime girlfriend, Maria Francisca Perello, in Majorca, Spain last month. He won two Grand Slam titles, including his 12th Roland Garros and his fourth U.S. Open title, and also reached the Australian Open final, losing to Djokovic. Nadal at the pinnacle of his career now has 19 Grand Slam titles, one behind Federer’s 20, and could tie and pass the Swiss maestro in 2020.

Nadal previously finished at the top in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2017, The Spaniard is the fifth player to finish the year at the top of men’s professional tennis on five or more occasions, following in the footsteps of Pete Sampras (6), Jimmy Connors (5), Federer (5) and Djokovic (5), via the ATP.

View this post on Instagram

“Game Set Tennis Career"

A post shared by Tomas Berdych (@tomasberdych) on Nov 16, 2019 at 11:29am PST

Meanwhile, former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych has announced his retirement from tennis. The 34-year-old Czech reached the 2010 Wimbledon final, beating Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic along the way before losing to Rafael Nadal.

Berdych, thank you for all the amazing games in tennis over the years. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to meet you and watch you play in the past.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal confirmed for Team Europe

Tickets for the highly anticipated third edition of the Laver Cup has been announced and will go on sale at 10am Central European Time (CET) on Friday February 8. The three-day men’s team tennis competition will take place at the Palexpo in Geneva from September 20 to 22, 2019.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who made history playing doubles at the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague, have both confirmed to represent Team Europe in Geneva, adding to the sense of occasion for the event.

Multi-session tickets will be available for purchase Friday February 8 online via Ticketcorner.ch and offer fans the same seat to all five sessions over the three days. Purchasers will receive five separate tickets, one for each session, and can choose to attend the entire tournament or share the tickets with others to tailor their experience.

Prices for multi-session tickets start at CHF 250 with a limit of six multi-session tickets per purchaser.

The Laver Cup sold out in both Prague and Chicago and the demand for tickets is expected to be high. Fans can take part in a special pre-sale by registering at LaverCup.com by midnight Monday February 4 CET.

There will be a limited number of single session tickets available for sale at a later date.

Premium Hospitality Ticket packages have been on sale since mid-December, and are also available for purchase at LaverCup.com hospitality

The three-day tournament pits six of the top male tennis players from Europe, captained by Bjorn Borg, against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world, led by John McEnroe, and has sold out stadiums in Prague and Chicago to date.

Named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the event will be played in a specially constructed 17,000-seat arena at the Palexpo in Geneva on a dramatic black court, with the players supporting each other from the sidelines.

A fan village will feature a range of food and beverage options, sponsor activations and the chance to see the players up close on the full scale practice court.

Via LaverCup.com

Rafael Nadal to team up with Roger Federer for Laver Cup 2019 in Geneva

Press release

Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal will join Roger Federer for the highly anticipated third edition of the Laver Cup to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 20-22 September, 2019.

The news is a major coup for Bjorn Borg’s Team Europe as it looks to build a team to defend its unbeaten record.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public in early February, with a variety of Premium Hospitality Ticket packages available from today.

Image credit: LaverCup.com

Federer and Nadal, two of the greatest players and strongest rivals of all time, joined forces for the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague in 2017, famously playing, and winning, a memorable doubles match together.

Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg is understandably delighted to name both Federer and Nadal as he aims to build the strongest possible Team Europe for 2019.

“It doesn’t get much better for a captain than naming both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the Laver Cup in Geneva,” Borg said.

“Bringing together two of the greatest players, and rivals, the sport has ever seen together on one team is very exciting for our sport – and will give us the best possible chance to win the Laver Cup three years in a row.

“At the first Laver Cup in Prague, with both Roger and Rafa on the team, we knew it would be very special, bringing together two such great champions. But I think we all underestimated how powerful it would be to see them sitting side by side, coaching each other and cheering each other on, along with their teammates from the player bench.

“We saw again the same special moments in Chicago, and how much this event means to the players. I can’t wait to see how the Laver Cup unfolds in Geneva as Team Europe regroups to defend our title,” Borg said.

Roger Federer also has his eye on a third Laver Cup trophy as he looks forward to the event coming to his home country of Switzerland.

“We’ve all been blown away by the success of the Laver Cup, which in just two years has become so special to all the players who’ve been involved from both teams.

“I’m excited Captain Borg has named both me and Rafa to the team. We had a lot of fun in Prague and it will be very special for me to team up with him again in Switzerland to try and defend our title.

“John McEnroe has made it very clear how motivated Team World is to win and we’ll need to compete hard to stay undefeated. I know from lots of first-hand experience how tough it is to compete against Rafa and it’s a huge boost to our team to have him on Team Europe.”

Nadal is also looking forward to re-joining Team Europe.

“I’m looking forward to playing the Laver Cup in Geneva next year and am very excited to be named to the team by our captain Bjorn Borg. I will do my best to live up to the great performances we had in Prague last year,” Rafael Nadal said.

Since its inception two years ago the Laver Cup has established itself as one of the most prestigious tennis events in the calendar, bringing together top-class tennis and entertainment with premium sponsors and hospitality offerings to create a unique spectacle for sports fans around the globe.

The three-day tournament pits six of the top male tennis players from Europe, captained by Bjorn Borg, against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world, led by John McEnroe, and has sold out stadiums in Prague and Chicago to date.

Named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the event will be played in a specially constructed 17,000-seat arena at the Palexpo in Geneva on a dramatic black court.

Fans will be able to soak up the unique atmosphere as rivals become teammates through a range of ticket options, including multi-session tickets offering the same seat to all five sessions, single session tickets and a variety of hospitality experiences.

Full details of all hospitality packages, pricing and how to purchase can be found at LaverCup.com.

Multi-session tickets, excluding hospitality, will go on sale in early February 2019, with a limited number of single session tickets to follow. Prices for multi-session and single session tickets will start at $250 and $25 respectively.

Register at LaverCup.com for more information and to receive updates on ticket sales.

Nadal reclaims ATP no.1 spot and trains for Davis Cup

Source: Marca.com

Rafael Nadal is finally back from his hip injury by training for the upcoming Davis Cup match against Germany. While I bet you are going to enjoy the online live streaming of the match, feel free to also check out Dreamz.com if you're up for a thrilling session of online casino.

After the 10-time French Open champion dethroned arch-rival Roger Federer from the number one spot, Nadal started training again under the direction of Spain captain, Sergi Bruguera alongside with his fellow compatriots David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Roberto Bautista and Pablo Carreno Busta.

Source: laht.com

Nadal, who just completed his first training at the iconic Plaza de Toros de Valencia, could be playing when the two countries meet from April 6-8. Spain defeated Great Britain in the last round of the competition to reach this stage of the Davis Cup.

By returning to the top spot in the ATP ranking, it will certainly boost Nadal's confidence a little bit more. I do not mean to jinx him but it seems like every time he reached the no.1 rank, he could go on to finish the year as the no.1 ranked player.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer who had an amazing run in 2018, will not be competing throughout the entire clay court season. With just 100 points behind Nadal, and no points to defend, it seems like the perfect plan for Federer. As for Nadal, he couldn't afford to make any error. A small slip by Nadal's side would make the Swiss maestro the top-ranked player again.

Nadal has been out of action since the Australian Open quarterfinal match in January.

Love Match: Our top 5 famous couples in tennis

Happy Valentine's Day!

In conjunction with the special day, let's us share our favorite couples, who are also some of the hottest people, in the tennis arena.

Source: Star2

Rafael Nadal and Xisca Parello
This pair has been reportedly started dating in 2005 despite known each other for a number of years before.

Born Maria Francisca Perello, she is a business graduate and serves as project director for the RafaNadal Foundation, the charity which Nadal launched more than a decade ago.

Having in a long term relationship, they have yet to publicly announce an engagement or plan for marriage.

Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe

Roger Federer and Miroslava "Mirka" Federer
Many people may not realise that Mirka used to be a decent tennis player herself. The Slovak-born Swiss tennis player has reached a career-high of no. 76 in the world.

Both Federer and Mirka met during the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the rest, as they say, is history. They married in 2009 and have four kids (2 sets of twins!) Myla and Charlene and Leo and Lenny.

Flavia Pennetta & Fabio Fognini
There is a lot of chemistry in this Italian couple who was married back in June 2016. A few months later, just before Christmas, the beautiful pair announced that that they were expecting their first child, Federico.

Pennetta called it quits after winning her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the 2015 US Open. During her playing days, she reached a career-high ranking of no.1 in doubles and no.6 in singles, respectively.

Meanwhile, clay-court specialist Fognini remains as active on the tour.

Source: lapresse.it

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian
Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian tied the knot at the end of 2017 after announcing their engagement in December 2016. The ceremony comes just 11 weeks after the couple welcomed their baby girl, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., on Sept 1. That's almost two years after they began dating in 2015.

Source: Via Yahoo.com

Grigor Dimitrov and Nicole Scherzinger
Previously linked to Maria Sharapova, Dimitrov has dated X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger for over two years now! Scherzinger has dated Dimitrov since her split from racing driver Lewis Hamilton in 2015.

Dimitrov is 12 years Nicole's junior and the brunette went public with the Bulgarian as she was first pictured kissing him at a tournament in Australia.

Source: Dailystar

So, who are your favorite tennis couples?

Different bet types in tennis

Tennis is an extremely popular spectator sport where you can majorly enhance your entertainment quotient by placing a punt or two on the matches. Although it’s an individual sport, the variety of bet types offered in it closely resemble the kinds available in team sports.

Furthermore, you can significantly improve your tennis betting gains by availing services like SBAT betting tips, which have proven to be extremely profitable for tennis bettors over the years. Whether you are betting on WTA or Wimbledon, placing a bet adds an extra dimension of fun to the event! Let’s go over the different kinds of bets you can place in tennis.

Tournament bets
Tournament winner odds are offered on almost all the entrants of any specific major tennis tournament, telling you the amount you stand to win by backing a certain player to win the tournament. For instance, if Stan Wawrinka is offered at 9-1 to win the Wimbledon, a £ 100 bet placed on him would return £ 900, if he indeed goes on to win the tournament.

Match bets
As evident from the name, these are bets wherein you predict the winner of a particular tennis match. The concerned two players are assigned a plus (+) and minus (-) sign, positioning them as an underdog and favourite respectively. The number against those signs reflects the amount you need to bet to win £ 100.

So if Roger Federer was positioned as a favourite at -400 going into a tennis match, you’d win £ 100 by placing a £ 400 bet on him. On the other hand, if he were offered at +300, you’d need to bet only £ 100 to win £ 300 from your bet. Considering how the Swiss has been playing lately, having beaten Nadal four straight times, it’s only justified that he’s being offered as a favourite by many bookmakers for all his matches these days.

Set bets
These bets are about predicting the correct score in terms of sets in a tennis match. So, you could place a bet that Roger Federer would win a particular Wimbledon tennis match in straight sets, or that he would win the match by three sets to one. Essentially, it’s about predicting how dominantly a player would perform in the concerned tennis match.

Spread bets
These bets are placed on the number of games the concerned player would win a tennis match by. Each player would be assigned a plus and a minus figure, reflecting the total number of games he/she can lose or win a particular match by, respectively.

Total bets
Also popularly referred to as over/under bets, these bets are about predicting the total number of games in a tennis match. So, if the total has been set at 28 games by the bookmaker for the U.S. Open, you’d need to place an over bet if you think that the concerned match would involve over 28 games, for instance, a score line of 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 (total of 31 games). On a side note, here’s a piece on Nadal emerging as a potential greatest tennis player of all time, having won the US open, and his career 16th Grand Slam, recently this year.



To win first set
Quite evidently, these bets are about which player you expect to win the first set of the concerned tennis match.

Prop bets
A large number of off-line and online bookmakers provide a wide range of prop bets on tennis matches. These bets might range from the first player to lose his/her serve, to something like whether the match would feature a tiebreaker or not. Prop bets are an excellent way to increase the fun quotient of tennis matches.

Rafael Nadal ends year as world no.1 after win over Hyeon Chung

Source: AFP

Rafael Nadal has created history by becoming the oldest male player to finish the year as the world no.1 after securing his the top ranking for the fourth time in his amazing career in tennis.

The 31-year-old Spaniard assured himself the no.1 ranking by defeating Hyeon Chung 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters. If you are interested to see how the other players fair at the Paris Masters, be sure to follow them at NetBetSport.

The 16-time major singles winner becomes the first player to finish no.1 for a whooping four times(!) in non-consecutive years since the ATP rankings were introduced back in 1973, while the nine-year gap between his first in 2008 and most recent number one year is another record.

Nadal had not finished the year at the top since 2013, with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray dominating the sport after that.

Source: AFP

"One year ago, for sure I never dreamed about being number one again at the end of the season," said Nadal, who suffered a devastating wrist injury.

"It has been an amazing year."

Nadal's comeback from injury, loss of form which affected his confidence level, has been a truly remarkable one.

He reached three Grand Slam finals this year, losing to Roger Federer at the Australian Open but followed by a historical win after capturing his 10th French Open title before clinching the US Open for the third time.

"It was impossible for me to think about coming back from a tough period without playing, and with so many injuries in the last couple of years," Nadal said.

The only downside to his exceptionally remarkable season was losing to Federer. The Swiss maestro has beaten Nadal in four consecutive matches this year compared to Nadal's clear advantage in their head-to-head meetings in the past.

Nadal was not playing at his best level against the Chung, but was rarely tested. He is tied for a record 30 Masters titles with Djokovic but has never won the tournament in Paris.

If you are interested to see how the players fair at the Paris Masters, be sure to follow the betting lines at NetBetSport.

Roger Federer skips Paris, Rafael Nadal eyes No 1 finish

Source: Getty

Unexpectedly, Roger Federer withdrew from the Paris Masters happening this week which leaves ensuring Rafael Nadal has a clear opportunity to end the year as the world no. 1.

Federer claimed a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 victory over Juan Martin del Potro on his home ground tournament, the Swiss Indoors final in Basel last weekend and right after that withdrew from the Paris Masters as he looks to get back to full fitness. If you would like to find out how other players perform instead, be sure to check out the betting lines for Paris Masters.

Nadal, currently leads the rankings and it is now every likely that the old rivals will battle it out at the ATP finals at the end of the season event.

Federer, fresh from winning a 95th career title which puts him into second on the all-time list behind the 109 of Jimmy Connors, had said all week that he would make a late decision depending on his post-Basel fitness.

"My body is asking for a break," said the Swiss maestro.

"Basel takes a lot out of me emotionally. I had five matches in six days. I feel sorry and sad for Paris."

"I love to play at Bercy, it's a few times now that I've not played there. It's a tough one but they have to understand that it's for the cause of staying injury-free and healthy."

"I'd like to be fully fit for London (the World Tour Finals) and for 2018."

Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe

According to ATP calculations, Nadal can clinch the year-end number one status by winning his opening second round match in Paris.

The Spaniard will open his campaign at Bercy against South Korean young player Hyeon Chung. If you are tracking the betting lines for Paris Masters, you know where to go to while keeping an eye on the players' performance during this period.

Federer last played Paris in 2015 and won the title in 2011.

"I did think about the ranking, but I'm so far back in the points race that it was almost out of the question," added Federer.

"I asked myself what I would do if the ranking (issue) was not there. I want to stay injury-free, not push it and maybe get hurt next week and then miss London."

"It would be a snowball. It was not really about the ranking to be quite honest. If I was closer in the points race (to Nadal) it might have been."

Federer is now 1,460 ranking points behind Nadal and misses out on the chance of the 1,000 on offer in Paris.

Team Europe reunited for a dinner together in Shanghai

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal together with their Laver Cup Team Europe mates and captain were pictured together having dinner in Shanghai this week. The picture was shared by Marin Cilic in his Instagram account.

Amazing time with great guys. #TeamEurope gathering in Shanghai. #Tomasgetwellsoon @rogerfederer @rafaelnadal @domithiem @alexzverev123 #bjornborg

A post shared by Marin Čilić (@marincilic_official) on Oct 9, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

Federer and Nadal who share one of the most intense rivalries in tennis history are obviously became teammates for the first time and they were even paired up as doubles partners at the inaugural Laver Cup.

Team Europe which was also featuring Dominic Thiem, Marin Cilic, Tomas Berdych, Alexander Zverev and captain Bjorn Borg took the championship after thrashing Team World 15-9 in Prague.

The victorious team, unfortunately without Berdych, was reunited on Monday as the dined together ahead of the Shanghai Masters.

If you're a big fan of online betting for ATP tennis matches, do follow up on the performances of the players in the Shanghai Masters during this period.

Source: Laver Cup website

Zverev who sat next to Nadal, also posted a similar group photo on Instagram with the caption: "Awesome dinner back with my #teameurope teammates".

Federer reposted the picture, alongside the words: "We all missed the Laver Cup so much that we had to have a reunion in Shanghai... Tomas Berdych we saved you a seat!"

Berdych exited the China Open in the last 16 courtesy of a shock defeat at the hands of Andrey Rublev. Nadal has better luck, beating Nick Kyrgios on last Sunday's final in Beijing.

Federer, meanwhile, did not enter the ATP 500 tournament, instead opting to save himself for this week's ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

What makes Nadal the favourite among fans and in tennis betting?

Source: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images AsiaPac)

In every sport, those involved purely as fans and those who spend hours studying form to bet professionally spend plenty of time discussing the topic of “greatest ever.” For the former group, it is often a mixture of head and heart that informs the argument, while those falling into the latter category are likely to have figures and statistics to support their view.

Yet while those who are into motor racing discuss Schumacher and Fangio, or cricket followers try to decide between Tendulkar and Bradman, for the tennis connoisseur, this is a golden era. Not only are the two greatest players contemporaries of one another, they are both playing right now. While F1 fans can only theorise about whether Fangio would have been faster than Schumacher, we have the honour of seeing Federer and Nadal duke it out time and again. In fact, they have played each other professionally almost 40 times. No wonder Fedal is one of the most hotly disputed sporting rivalries ever.

Who’s the greatest?

Some point to Federer’s greater number of grand slam wins as evidence that he is the greatest until such time as Nadal can prove otherwise. There are two flaws with this argument. The first is that at 36, does Federer really have any more grand slams in him? Nadal, on the other hand, is five years Federer’s junior, and needs just three more wins to draw level.

The other factor to consider is that Nadal has won 23 of their 37 encounters, which makes it difficult for anyone to argue that Federer is the greater of the two.

Where to place your bet

Whether Federer’s star finally on the wane, or he can still prove himself against Nadal is the burning question, and one that can be explored by examining the bookmakers’ view on the numerous online sports betting sites. In recent years, tennis betting has become increasingly popular, thanks mostly to the rise of smartphone apps and online services. As well as providing an opportunity to win some money, a look at the odds also gives a great form guide for tennis fans.

With the Shanghai Masters getting underway, there is little surprise that the bookmakers see it as a two horse race between the two giants, and they have it too close to call. Both are around the 2/1 mark, with some offering Federer as favourite and others Nadal.

Many happy returns

If the betting odds cannot choose between them, is there other data we can call upon to differentiate between the game’s two top players? One statistic that stands out is the return of serve. There can be few tougher challenges in sport – statistically, you will miss more first serves than you return.

Most professionals in the men’s game have a return rate of around 33 percent – Federer’s is slightly below average at 32.5 percent. Nadal, however, stands head and shoulders above the rest with a return rate of 35.2 percent.

In the average match, a player will face around 150 first serves. According to those statistics, Nadal will successfully return four more than Federer per game. And it is small edges like this that can ultimately contribute to him being recognised as the best of all time.

US Open 2017: Carreno Busta makes first major semifinal; Federer, del Potro and Nadal aim for semis

Source: Abbie Parr/Getty Images

Pablo Carreno Busta reached his first career major semifinal after beating no. 29 Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

Earlier, he beat up-and-coming Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov in three tiebreakers in the fourth round.

Carreno Busta will face no. 28 Kevin Anderson of South Africa, who got past no. 17 Sam Querrey of the US 7-6 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-3, 7-6 (7) in a match that ended shortly before 2 am on Wednesday.

Carreno Busta had quite a smooth path to the quarterfinals, becoming the first man to face four qualifiers in a Grand Slam tournament during the Open era, which started in 1968. He didn't drop a single set against any of those opponents and stayed perfect against Schwartzman while appearing in his second major quarterfinal.

Carreno Busta and Anderson each advanced to the final four at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Do check out the online tennis betting odds leading towards the exciting semifinal matches.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer will take on Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open last eight after the Argentine's incredible fourth-round victory.

Del Potro who is the 24th seed came back from two sets down to beat Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem in five thrilling sets.

Source: china.cn

He will face third seed Federer in a rematch of the 2009 final, won by Del Potro.

Del Potro who had battled four wrist surgeries is hoping that a massage and a day's rest will be enough to restore his energy in time to face an increasingly in-form Federer.

The Argentine said "we cannot do magic" after battling through illness to beat Thiem in an extraordinary quarterfinal match.

It is already eight years since Del Potro stunned then five-time defending champion Federer in the final at Flushing Meadows to win his only major title to date.

Rafael Nadal will also be featured in the quarterfinals against Russian teenager Andrey Rublev who knocked out Belgian ninth seed David Goffin.

Now head over to Caulfield Cup Betting for a great experience in online betting.

Laver Cup: Teams announced in New York City

Source: lavercup.com

Rod Laver was joined by Roger Federer, John McEnroe, Marin Cilic, Tomas Berdych and Denis Shapovalov in the heart of New York City recently to announce the captain’s picks for the inaugural Laver Cup.

This year, the Laver Cup will be held at the O2 arena Prague from 22-24 September. It will be played in the USA in 2018.

Alexander Zverev, the world no.7 becomes the fifth top 10 player for Team Europe, joining Rafael Nadal, Federer, Cilic and Dominic Thiem. Berdych will also represent the European team at the O2 arena.

Source: lavercup.com

Meanwhile, Juan Martin del Potro and Denis Shapovalov were confirmed as the captain’s picks John McEnroe’s Team World.

To find out the performance of the players prior to the Laver Cup, you're advised to follow the online tennis betting odds especially leading towards the US Open to be held from 28 August to 10 September.

“The last member of Team Europe is going to be picked by Bjorn Borg as a captain’s pick is going to be Alexander Zverev,” Federer announced during the press conference at the JPMorgan Chase center.

“We are very excited about, because he’s had a wonderful year. It’s great news. We were very excited when we heard it."

Meanwhile, Team World’s captain John McEnroe said he was not ‘turning up to Prague to lose,’ and was excited to welcome Shapovalov and Del Potro into his team.

“I think this young man is going to be a great, great player in the future,” McEnroe referred to Shapovalov. “He’s a Canadian, but we won’t hold that against him. He’s also a left-hander, like Mr. Rod Laver and myself.”

McEnroe described Del Potro as a ‘tremendous young man, a little bit older and a veteran and a winner.’

Shapovalov is competing in the qualifying event of the US Open and joined the event in New York on his day off.

“It’s truly an honor to be sitting with past champions and present champions like yourselves, and, you know, I’m very happy to be here with all you guys.”

Federer, winner of 19 Grand Slam titles and two this year (the Australian Open and Wimbledon), said he could not wait to join with Rafael Nadal on Team Europe.

“For us to spend sort of a week together on the same team and, you know, exchanging ideas of how we could win the Laver Cup over the weekend, I think it’s going to be really highly entertaining for both of us.”

Players and captains alike paid tribute to Rod Laver, winner of the Grand Slam in 1962 and 1969, who the Laver Cup is named after.

McEnroe described Laver as his idol growing up and the perfect choice to be honored at this new and hyped event.

“We are looking to do something big here along the lines of the Ryder Cup in golf, and I think this is a magnificent way to try to get this going. It couldn’t be a better man to represent what we are trying to do here.”

Now head over to Geelung Cup Betting for a great online betting experience.

Denis Shapovalov shocked Rafael Nadal in Montreal as Andy Murray clings on to world no.1 spot

Source: USA Today Sports

Andy Murray will remain as the world's no.1 for another week after 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov stunned Rafael Nadal at the Rogers Cup.

"It's what I dreamed of all my life growing up, playing guys like Rafa (Nadal), Roger (Federer), Andy (Murray)," said Shapovalov. "You know, my dream came true today."

The victory put him into the quarterfinal against France's Adrian Mannarino, who beat Hyeon Chung. It was considered one of the biggest wins in Canadian tennis history and it came at the tournament that some still call the Canadian Open. Do check out the online tennis betting odds leading towards the exciting weekend matches.

Source: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images North America

Shapovalov became the youngest player to reach the tournament's quarterfinals since Bjorn Borg in 1974. He also became the youngest quarterfinalist at a Masters Series tournament ever and is the youngest to beat a player ranked in the top two in the world since Nadal beat Federer in 2004 in Miami. For more online tennis betting odds for Shapovalov and other players' upcoming tennis matches, do check out Online Betting NZ.

Shapovalov will reach his goal of moving into the top 100 in the world next week that saw him save four match points in a first round win over Rogerio Dutra Silva, then went on to beat 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round before defeated Nadal.

Nadal, who could have claimed the No. 1 ranking if he had reached the semifinals this week, said it was the worst match he played all year, but he had kind words for Shapovalov.

"He played well," the Spaniard said. "He has a great potential."

"I wish him the best. He has everything to become a great player. He played with the right determination in the important moments."

Nadal will have a chance to overtake Murray in the rankings after next week's Cincinnati Masters, but faces a challenge from Roger Federer, who could prevent the Nadal from reaching the top spot for the first time since 2014.

Twitter reacts to Rafael Nadal’s La Decima at Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal became the first man in tennis history to win 10 championships at the same major on Sunday in Paris. Nadal beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 to win a record-setting 10th French Open title. In total, he has now accumulated 15 Grand Slam titles in his career and surpasses Pete Sampras to become the second on the men's singles list behind Roger Federer's 18 titles.

It is a huge milestone in the tennis and sporting achievement because there is no other men’s tennis player who has won more than seven singles titles at the same Grand Slam event. A month ago, Nadal also won a record of 10th singles title on clay in Monte Carlo and again in Barcelona.

We've compiled some of the best reactions from his peers, friends, partners and supporters on Twitter:

Simply incredible, Rafa #10 #RG17 #VamosRafa #justdoit

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) June 11, 2017

Simply to good. Congrats to Rafa and his team. Amazing 10 Roland Garros👑🎾👍🏼

— Magnus Norman (@normansweden) June 11, 2017

Rafael Nadal!! Único 🎾1️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/PvAdiVuh2o

— David Ferrer (@DavidFerrer87) June 11, 2017

Histórico e irrepetible, @RafaelNadal.

Sólo queda 👏👏👏

— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) June 11, 2017

INCREDIBLE @RafaelNadal! 10 @rolandgarros is so impressive that it almost doesn't seem real. Congrats my friend! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) June 11, 2017

GRACIAS RAFA!! 🏆10

— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) June 11, 2017

Simply extraordinary!!! A huge honor to have you as a friend @RafaelNadal
Congrats on winning your 10th @rolandgarros #Historic #KingOfClay pic.twitter.com/8FqNYGKhcE

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) June 11, 2017

Cualquier palabra o frase que ponga no va a describir lo q sos amigo ! 🏆10 #NAD10L #RolandGarros2017 pic.twitter.com/fO1gP5rOCu

— Juan Monaco (@picomonaco) June 11, 2017

I don't think many can put it into words and I don't think many understand this accomplishment, truly incredibly.Congrats, Champ10n

— Tommy Haas (@TommyHaas13) June 11, 2017

Rafa winning @rolandgarros 10 times. Most amazing achievement of all time in sport's history ? By far yes...

— AmelieMauresmo (@AmeMauresmo) June 11, 2017

Congrats @RafaelNadal #champ #unreal

— victoria azarenka (@vika7) June 11, 2017

X ❤️

— Andrea Petkovic (@andreapetkovic) June 11, 2017

Leyenda!! Enhorabuena @RafaelNadal 🙌🏼🙌🏼 1️⃣0️⃣🏆 pic.twitter.com/qbx0VubtSQ

— Iker Casillas (@IkerCasillas) June 11, 2017

¡Rey en la Tierra! ¡Increíble retorno! ¡Enhorabuena a ti y a todo tu equipo! #VamosRafa #justdoit pic.twitter.com/qJNRlR5BHj

— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) June 11, 2017

Un ejemplo para todos. ¡¡Enhorabuena @RafaelNadal por tu victoria en @rolandgarros!! Congrats #champ10n! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/v5CVY87hkO

— Carla Suarez Navarro (@CarlaSuarezNava) June 11, 2017

Can someone describe with words what @RafaelNadal archived today? 🔟🏆🎾

— Fernando Verdasco (@FerVerdasco) June 11, 2017

Simply too good. #Rafa

— PATRICKMOURATOGLOU (@pmouratoglou) June 11, 2017

10 ...... 10 ....... 10 ..... you can say it as much as you want. It's so not normal. Huge respect for @RafaelNadal .. pleasure to watch

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) June 11, 2017

Amazing job. Amazing commitment. Amazing family. Well done Toni and Rafa. 🇪🇸 https://t.co/bCFWsn9yd8

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) June 11, 2017

Sí Rafaaaaaaaa so happy for you 🙌🎉🎉🎉💪💪💪 !!!!! 🏆× 10 @RafaelNadal #quegrande #myidol #RG17 https://t.co/N1pKUSRhwR

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) June 11, 2017

Dear @RafaelNadal well done on your well deserved #Decima ...I haven't seen anyone play as strong & as good as you were today, ever ! #rg17

— Timea Bacsinszky (@TimeaOfficial) June 11, 2017

Congratulations @RafaelNadal on your historic 10th @rolandgarros championship. You are an inspirational champion on and off the court.

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) June 11, 2017

An amazing 10th title at Roland Garros for @RafaelNadal -that will never happen again- congratulations to a true champion on & off the court

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) June 11, 2017

.@RafaelNadal wow. Just wow.

— James Blake (@JRBlake) June 11, 2017

What an amazing tournament for the king. Remarkable achievement @RafaelNadal 👑🙌🏻1️⃣0️⃣🏆 #RG17

— Kevin Anderson (@KAndersonATP) June 11, 2017

I guess these shoes are no longer relevant!! @RafaelNadal #LaDecima pic.twitter.com/r30vAVUvNS

— Sam Groth (@SamGrothTennis) June 11, 2017

Unbelievable! #Nadal wins his 10th @rolandgarros title & seals la decima.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

One of the greatest achievements in tennis history.

— Pat Cash (@TheRealPatCash) June 11, 2017

#ladecima #10 @RafaelNadal @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/efhrtVzEZA

— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) June 11, 2017

#VAMOS

— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) June 11, 2017

Muy grande @RafaelNadal !!!!! https://t.co/ZsJwcoz536

— Antonio Banderas (@antoniobanderas) June 11, 2017

Believe in Vamos! @RafaelNadal #WeLiveForThis #RG17 pic.twitter.com/wLyqmI26HP

— Babolat (@babolat) June 11, 2017

One is difficult. Two is impressive. Ten is Rafa. @rafaelnadal pic.twitter.com/658sRtVbbE

— Nike (@Nike) June 11, 2017

.@RafaelNadal, Gracias por tu 10º @rolandgarros, Gracias por dejarnos soñar contigo... ¡y no nos despiertes jamás! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆#SoyNadalista pic.twitter.com/Anm6DUltNB

— Kia España (@kiamotorsiberia) June 11, 2017

Did we miss out anyone?