Roger Federer continues to make history for the ATP. The Swiss legend accomplished something no other tennis player has ever done and beat out other sports superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the process.
Meanwhile, tennis in the US could return with a bang as one proposal tries to bring together two of the biggest events in American tennis to form a blockbuster doubleheader in New York City.
SBOBET sheds more light on all of these timely news stories concerning the men’s tennis tour.
Roger Federer tops Forbes rich list
Roger Federer has topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes, becoming the first tennis player to rank No. 1 in the list’s 30-year history.
Federer, who finished second in 2013 and was No. 5 on the list in 2019, had estimated annual earnings of $106.3 million: $6.3 million in prize money and $100 million from endorsements and appearance fees.
The Swiss just edged football stars Cristiano Ronaldo ($105m) and Lionel Messi ($104m), who were the only other athletes to surpass the $100m milestone.
Brazilian footballer Neymar ($95.5m) and NBA superstar LeBron James ($88.2m) rounded out the top five.
Aside from Federer, three other ATP players made the top 40 of the Forbes list. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic came in 23rd with $44 million, World No. 2 Rafael Nadal was 27th at $40 million, and Japanese star Kei Nishikori was 40th at $32.1 million.
Federer, 39, has been using the break to rest and recover after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. He has been invited to take part in a grass-court exhibition event in Berlin in July, but it remains to be seen if he will be ready to make ATP 2020 highlights by then.
USTA considering New York doubleheader
The United States Tennis Association is considering holding two of the biggest events in American tennis — the Western & Southern Open and the US Open — back-to-back in New York City.
In a report by the New York Times, the proposal would see the USTA move the Western & Southern Open from Ohio to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
The Western & Southern Open would be held from Aug. 17-23, and lead into the U.S. Open, which is scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 13.
This proposal would place all players in a centralised location for both tournaments and minimise the possible spread of COVID-19.
Just last week, USTA chief executive Stacey Allaster discussed the different scenarios they were preparing for in order to hold the 2020 US Open.
Among the plans the USTA have discussed are charter flights to ferry U.S. Open tennis players and limited entourages from Europe, South America and the Middle East to New York; negative COVID-19 tests before traveling; centralized housing; daily temperature checks; no spectators; and fewer on-court officials.
Allaster cautions that all of that is still fluid and that no decisions have yet been made. She adds that an official announcement as to whether the US Open will push through should come from “mid-June to end of June.”
The likes of Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal will once again be the big favourites according to the ATP 2020 betting odds, but given the unprecedented circumstances, this year’s US Open could see a few more surprises than usual.
World No. 11 Fabio Fognini undergoes surgery on both ankles
Fabio Fognini underwent arthroscopic surgery on both ankles last Saturday. The 33-year-old explained in an Instagram post that he had been dealing with ankle problems for several years now and believed this current break was the best time to have the procedures.
”I’ve been having a problem with my left ankle for three-and-a-half years now. It’s an issue I’ve learned to cope with. Then my right ankle started playing up in the past two years as well,” Fognini wrote. “I had hoped the various issues would go away during my two-month break from the game because of the lockdown, but when I resumed training, they were still there.
“After medical examination and a long discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery on both ankles. I believe it’s the right thing to do while the Tour is on this enforced break. I will undergo surgery in Italy today. I can’t wait to be back playing again!”
Fognini had a brilliant season in 2019. He won his first career ATP Masters 1000 event at Monte Carlo last April. He famously knocked out Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the the semi-finals before beating Dusan Lajovic in the final.
Months later, he reached a career-high ranking of ninth. In doing so, he became the oldest player to break into the top 10 for the first time since 1973.
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