American youngster Alex Michelsen sits at a career-high world No.41 as he heads to Jeddah to compete in the Next Gen ATP Finals. The 20-year-old recently sat down with Viv and Matt during a rare break at home in California to discuss his meteoric rise. Michelsen began season 2024 ranked 97th and soared thanks to reaching two ATP finals — Newport and Winston-Salem — and winning more than 30 singles matches, including against top-10 opponent Alex de Minaur in Los Cabos. Michelsen, now coached by 2005 US Open semifinalist Robby Ginepri, attributes his vast improvement to strengthening his varied game and taking advantage of his 6’4” frame. He hopes to finish the year strong at the Next Gen event (as the No.2 seed) before turning his attention to the Australian Summer of Tennis.
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Australian tennis has lost one of its most celebrated champions, Neale Fraser. Known for his unmatched left-handed serve, unwavering sportsmanship, and remarkable achievements on and off the court, 'Frase' left an indelible mark on the sport. A dominant force in the 1950s and early 1960s, he won 19 Grand Slam titles—including the US triple crown twice—captained Australia's Davis Cup team to four historic victories, and remained a steadfast ambassador for tennis throughout the latter years of his life. Four of his protégés John Fitzgerald, John Newcombe, Darren Cahill and Todd Woodbridge reflect on Fraser's influence on their lives and on the sport.
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Alex de Minaur and Matt Ebden have capped career-best seasons by taking home the Newcombe Medal at the 2024 Australian Tennis Awards, while Darren Cahill has been recognised for his ongoing work with world No.1 Jannik Sinner with the award for Coaching Excellence – Performance. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley and Storm Hunter share their highlights of the evening and preview the upcoming Australian Summer of Tennis. Victoria Rudnikov hits the Blue Carpet to quiz the stars about the first thing they do when they get home from an overseas trip, with which other player they would like to trade places for a day, and what they want more of in 2025. Plus, Daria and Luke Saville join the show to reflect on 2024 and share some big news for next season!
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When Viv and Matt sat down with Paul McNamee in April, the conversation naturally shifted to his time as tournament director of the Australian Open. McNamee held the role from 1995 till 2006, a period of extraordinary growth for the tournament. During this time, the AO's status rose to match the other Grand Slams, its brand identity was refreshed, and it attracted new audiences. This peaked during AO 2005, the tournament's centenary year, with the men's final between Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin attracting some of the biggest domestic TV numbers in ratings history. With Australian Open 2025 just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to relive McNamee’s memories of his time in charge.
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Iga Swiatek has returned to the court after completing her mandatory one-month anti-doping ban — Casey Dellacqua discusses the impact on the five-time Grand Slam champion. Novak Djokovic has been unveiled as the star attraction for the Brisbane International, which he hasn’t played since 2009, opening the possibility of a 2022 Wimbledon final rematch with Nick Kyrgios. With just over a month till AO 2025, GIG analysts Simon Rea and Levi Huddleston put forward their best cases for first-time Australian Open title winners: Carlos Alcaraz v Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff v Emma Navarro. Plus, Brie reveals the top 5 rankings risers inside the top 60 for 2024.
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