Weekend Tennis Roundup

Coco and Nole won big in Cincy. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

Novak Djokovic overcame a match point and stifling heat to beat world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4) and win the Cincinnati Open in a heart-pounding thriller Sunday. Djokovic, who needed a handful of match points himself, collapsed on his back before tearing his shirt off after triumphing in the nearly four-hour contest to win his third title in Cincy and avenge his loss to Alcaraz in last month's Wimbledon final.

"This was one of the most exciting matches I've ever played in any tournament," Djokovic, the winner of a men's-record 23 Grand Slam titles, said during the postmatch trophy presentation. "It felt like a Grand Slam." Alcaraz was overwhelmed with emotions, tearing up after the match and during his speech while thanking his team and singling out his brother. 

The nod to Nadal was painful(ly cute)

Later Novak continued: "You never give up, do you? I love that about you. I hope we meet in New York. That would be fun -- well, for the fans, not for me."

Earlier, No.7 Coco Gauff defeated No.17 Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 in the women's final to win her second hard-court title of the summer and third of the season. Gauff, 19, is the youngest champion in the tournament's history. Having won Auckland in January and Washington D.C. two weeks ago, Gauff is now the first teenager to win three titles in a season since Bianca Andreescu in 2019. She is the first teenager to win five career titles since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. The American seems to be playing at another level since adding Brad Gilbert to her coaching squad, so it will be fun to see how she fares in New York. 

For the second time in two days, Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at the Western & Southern Open. This time around, it earned the Argentine duo its maiden ATP Masters 1000 triumph. Gonzalez and Molteni saved championship point to down Jamie Murray and Michael Venus 3-6, 6-1, 11-9 on Sunday in Cincinnati for the biggest title of their careers. Having also saved two match points in their semi-final win against second seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek, it capped an emotional weekend for the unseeded pair, which has now won a Tour-leading five titles in 2023.

I enjoy a good bleach job as much as the next guy ...

But I have to say Borna Gojo made an unforced error with the accompanying buzz cut

Before

Queens for a day

Andreas Mies turns 33

Dress pants explosion 

Funny how Tracy Austin only happens to interview hunky men!



Novak's shorts even caught my guy's eyes

Franco Agamenone puts on a show in the gym 

Flex appeal

Novak and countryman Nikola Cacic made a dapper doubles pair

That Adam Jones always knows where to find the boys

Curious if this is Hill Country 

White hot Chilean 

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah announced on Wednesday that they have set a date for the end of their respective careers in professional tennis. The Colombian two-time Grand Slam champions will play their last three events at the US Open, the Davis Cup series against Ukraine, and an ATP Challenger Tour event in Bogota that starts Sept. 25. They will be missed.

Big Ben

Here's the beef

And last but not least, Robert Cardenas is at it again!