The epic Wimbledon final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic is among the best three tennis matches Marion Bartoli has ever seen.
Former Wimbledon champion Bartoli watched in awe as Alcaraz dethroned Djokovic at the All England Club on Sunday, coming from behind to win a classic contest 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4.
Bartoli played in two Wimbledon finals herself and was commentating on the latest instalment of great showpiece battles on Centre Court as Djokovic was denied a record-equalling eighth title at the grand slam tournament.
"I definitely ranked it in the top three matches that I've ever seen," Bartoli told Stats Perform.
"Of course there are some finals I haven't seen especially from before [this era], but I think when you look at it as Roger [Federer] against Rafa [Nadal] at Wimbledon 2008, and then Rafa against Novak at Australian Open 2012 and then this one, you will very much have the top three matches ever played. That's my personal opinion.
"Maybe some people will add two or three other matches, but it is 100 per cent in the top five without a doubt, and I think I could even put it top three."
Djokovic was frustrated as the Centre Court crowd rooted for his younger opponent for much of a back-and-forth encounter.
But Bartoli thinks the 20-year-old Spaniard would command support against any player.
She stressed that Wimbledon great Djokovic still gets plenty of backing, and much of the crowd reaction in favour of Alcaraz would have been based on not wanting the match to end quickly as the sport's latest blockbuster rivalry begins.
Alcaraz became the first player not called Djokovic, Federer, Nadal or Andy Murray to triumph at Wimbledon since 2002 – before he was even born – and the British crowd were relishing his success.
"It seemed like there was such an affection for Carlos Alcaraz," Bartoli said.
"In terms of Carlos, I don't know if it's because he's won so many matches and he doesn't lose or maybe the crowd is naturally against Novak, but for me I think it's more of an admiration for Carlos.
"From what I'm seeing from the crowd it is more like when you have this new genius that comes around, everyone wants to be part of the journey. I very much feel that with him.
"And it's around the world – the welcoming that he had at the US Open last year, look at the shouting from the crowd again in that incredible match against Jannik Sinner when he was really on the ropes and Sinner was leading all the way and just couldn't finish it out at the end.
"I think it's more when you're recognising that there is someone that good, it's almost impossible not to be for him, unless he's playing a local player.
"That will be interesting to see if he plays the Brits next year. What sort of Centre Court is it going to be then? But if it's against anyone else then for sure they are going to be on his side.
"But even then I feel Novak has been really getting some great support as well and I think very much the crowd wanted to have a five-set match or a long run.
"They didn't want it [to end quickly] when Carlos lost the first set easily and when Carlos won the second set then they didn't want Carlos to run away with the match either.
"They really wanted both players to go out for battle all out for four hours and 45 minutes just like they did, so I don't think it's going to be one-sided always for Carlos Alcaraz.
"But everyone very much feels like he is really the new genius and everyone wants to see him."
The loss for Djokovic was the first time he had been beaten in a five-set grand slam final since losing to Murray in the 2012 US Open.
Despite that, Djokovic overtook Chris Evert (34) as the player with the most appearances in major finals, among both men and women (35).
Rafael Nadal retires: The King of Clay's career in numbers
The day tennis fans across the globe had feared was coming for some time has finally arrived, with Rafael Nadal confirming his impending retirement on Thursday.
Nadal had previously suggested 2024 was likely to be his final year on the ATP Tour after struggling with injuries throughout a difficult few years.
The Davis Cup Finals, set for Malaga in November, will now be the final event for one of sport's all-time greats.
Here, we delve into the Opta data to run through the best facts and figures from Nadal's astonishing career.
The records
Across the ATP and WTA Tours, only Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (24 each) and Serena Williams (23) have won more singles grand slam titles than Nadal's 22 in tennis history.
An astonishing 14 of those triumphs came at the French Open (more on that event later), which is the most of any player at a single major in history. Djokovic's 10 Australian Open titles are the second-most by anyone at a particular grand slam.
Nadal's first grand slam title came at the 2005 edition of Roland-Garros, while the 2022 season saw him triumph in the French capital and at the Australian Open, speaking to his remarkable longevity.
He is the only player to win at least one major in 15 different calendar years, and between 2005 and 2014, he never ended a season without a grand slam title. No other player in the Open Era has won at least one major in 10 consecutive seasons.
Nadal ended 13 different years in the top two of the ATP World Rankings, more than any other player throughout the Open Era.
He is also the only player in the Open Era to win multiple grand slam crowns both as a teenager and when aged over 30, and the only player since 1990 to win more than five ATP Masters 1000 finals before turning 20 (boasting a 6-1 record) and since turning 30 (8-3).
The rivalries
Nadal's exploits are even more impressive when one considers the competition he faced throughout his career, being a part of tennis' 'Big Three' alongside Djokovic and Roger Federer.
The other members of the 'Big Three' (Djokovic – 37, Federer – 31) are the only players to compete in more men's grand slam finals than Nadal in the Open Era (30).
Djokovic (257) and Federer (224) are also the only men to have won more matches against top-10 opponents than Nadal (186) since the ATP Rankings were first published. Nadal has played 289 matches against such opponents (third-most) and his win ratio of 64.4% is the fourth-best among players with a minimum of 100 such victories.
Nadal and Federer, in particular, enjoyed many titanic tussles through the years, not least the 2008 Wimbledon final, which the Spaniard won 6–4 6–4 6–7 (5–7) 6–7 (8–10) 9–7 in four hours and 48 minutes, a match regarded by some as the greatest of all time.
The duo faced off 40 times before the Swiss great retired in 2022, with Nadal edging their head-to-head 24-16 overall and 14-10 in finals.
Djokovic, meanwhile, is the only player to beat Nadal at all four majors, winning 31 of the pair's 60 all-time meetings.
The King of Clay
While Nadal enjoyed success on all surfaces and at all four majors (plus the Olympic Games), it is Roland-Garros that will be remembered as his tournament.
Nadal's unbelievable 96.6% win rate at the French Open (112 wins from 116 matches) is the best of any player at a grand slam event in men's singles, with only Djokovic (twice), Robin Soderling and Alexander Zverev beating him at the tournament.
Nadal's 112 French Open wins are the most of any man at a single major in the Open Era, while his 14-0 record in Roland-Garros finals is the best recorded by anyone at an event in that span.
His dominance on clay extended beyond Paris, though, with Nadal's total of 63 career clay-court titles are more than anyone else in the Open Era, with Guillermo Vilas second on 49. His win percentage of 90.5% (484-51) on clay is also the best of any player on any individual surface in the Open Era.
At the peak of his powers, Nadal managed an incredible 81 consecutive victories on the surface between 2005 and 2007 – the longest streak on a single surface in the Open Era.
Only three tournaments have been won more than 10 times by the same player in the Open Era – Roland-Garros (14), Barcelona (12) and Monte-Carlo (11), all by Nadal on the clay.
It was perhaps fitting, then, that Nadal's final match at the very top level – at the Paris Olympics in July – saw him soak up the adulation of the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd following a hard-fought defeat to old rival Djokovic.
Current French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz may be the pretender to Nadal's throne, but the title of 'King of Clay' will surely always be his.
Alcaraz denied Shanghai reunion with Sinner after stunning Machac win
Tomas Machac shocked Carlos Alcaraz to tee up a Shanghai Masters semi-final against Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz beat Sinner to win the China Open title last week, and a rematch against the world number one looked on the cards with the Spaniard going up against the world number 33.
Yet Machac had other ideas and prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 on Thursday.
It brought up Machac's second win over a top-five opponent, after the Czech defeated Novak Djokovic at the Geneva Open earlier this year, only to lose to Casper Ruud in the final.
Reflecting on his win, Machac said: "I was playing unbelievable. I knew my level of tennis today would be great because I'm playing the best of my career right now for sure.
"I beat Tommy Paul [in the] last match with an unbelievable performance. With these kind of players, I have to play at this level. Otherwise, it's 6-2 6-3 and you go home. There's no other option.
"I knew that I had a chance [to beat Alcaraz], but you never know, even with a set and 5-4 it's still so far from winning the match. I played great tennis against him in the Davis Cup [in September], but there was this level [for] only one set. Today it was [for] two, so it was enough."
Data Debrief: Giant killers
From the round of 16 onwards, two players ranked outside the ATP's top 20 (David Goffin and Machac) have claimed top five wins at the Shanghai Masters for the first time in the event's history.
Since the inaugural event in 2009, meanwhile, Machac is now the fifth player ranked outside the ATP's top 30 to reach the last four at the Shanghai Masters after Feliciano Lopez, Juan Monaco, Kei Nishikori and Gilles Simon.
'I hoped this day would never come' – Federer hails 'incredible' Nadal after retirement call
Roger Federer led the rush of tributes to his fellow tennis great Rafael Nadal after the Spanish superstar confirmed his upcoming retirement from tennis.
Nadal will end his remarkable playing career after the Davis Cup Finals, which take place in Malaga in November.
Only Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (24 each) and Serena Williams (23) have won more singles grand slam titles than Nadal (22), but the 38-year-old has been plagued by injury in recent seasons.
Federer retired in 2022 and Nadal’s decision on Thursday comes on the back of Andy Murray calling it a day earlier this year.
It means that, of the ‘big four’ that dominated men's tennis for over a decade, only Djokovic now remains.
"What a career, Rafa!” Swiss great Federer wrote on Instagram. "I always hoped this day would never come.
"Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It's been an absolute honour!"
Federer and Nadal contested 40 matches on the ATP Tour, with Nadal edging the rivalry 24-16. In majors, they met on 14 occasions, with 10 of those seeing the Spaniard emerge triumphant.
Along with Djokovic and Federer, Nadal is one of only three players in the Open Era to have played and won over 300 men's singles grand slam matches. He bows out with a major record of 314 wins from 358 matches.
Nadal has won a record 14 titles at Roland-Garros, with the last of those coming in 2022. He will retire as a four-time US Open champion and a two-time winner at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
The veteran has not featured in a singles match since he lost to old foe Djokovic at the Paris Olympics in August.
He confirmed previously that 2024 would likely be his final year on ATP Tour circuit and he has featured in just seven tournaments this season.
Nadal remarkably reached the Swedish Open final in Bastad, only to lose to Nuno Borges, after competing at the French Open for the final time.
Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur wrote on X: “Thank you Rafael Nadal for inspiring me and all of us. You will be missed.”
Nadal’s compatriot Paula Badosa wrote "Gracias Rafa" accompanied by a series of images of the pair representing Spain, while Nick Kyrgios urged Nadal not to retire, saying he wanted to play him one last time.
There were also warm words from Andy Roddick, while the ATP and each of the four grand slam tournaments posted tributes.
In one of those, the Australian Open account wrote: "Legendary memories. You are so loved around the world and here with us in Australia. Grateful for all the unforgettable moments. Gracias, Rafa. For everything!"
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