😎 Final 8 confirmed

Davis Cup over the weekend was a cracker as teams fought for the final spots.

If you missed it here’s what went down…

Italy Sweeps Sweden to Secure Davis Cup Final 8 Spot
Struggling this year, Italy's rising stars Matteo Arnaldi and Lorenzo Sonego stepped up to secure a 2-1 victory against Sweden, guaranteeing Italy's place in the Davis Cup Final 8. Arnaldi, at just 22 years old, defeated Leo Borg while Sonego followed suit, triumphing over Elias Ymer.

Historic Victory for Finland Over the USA
In a nail-biting winner-takes-all match, Finland emerged victorious over the United States, thanks to Emil Ruusuvuori and Otto Virtanen. Virtanen secured a dramatic 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(7) win against Mackenzie McDonald, while Ruusuvuori sealed the deal with a 2 set win over Tommy Paul. The historic victory marks Finland's first-ever advancement to the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

Australia Clinches Davis Cup Final 8 Berth
Australia made it through to the DC Final 8 with singles wins from Alex de Minaur and Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kokkinakis defeated Dominic Stricker, while De Minaur secured an easy win over Marc-Andrea Huesler. Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell completed the sweep with a win in the doubles.

Great Britain's Dramatic Victory Over France
The match of the weekend didn’t disappoint. In a thrilling showdown, Great Britain secured a Davis Cup Final 8 spot by winning the decisive doubles match against France. Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski saved four match points in their remarkable 1-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(6) victory over Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger - leaving the French team shattered and Andy Murray sporting a bucket hat?!

🏆️ WTA weekend winners

Teen Sensation Ashlyn Krueger Clinches First WTA Title
American rising star, Ashlyn Krueger, 19, took the title in Osaka by defeating top seed Zhu Lin, securing her maiden WTA Tour title. It was a fairytale journey for Krueger, who arrived without a hard court win this year. She remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeating opponents like Kateryna Baindl, Jessika Ponchet, Anna Kalinskaya, and Mai Hontama.

Meanwhile… Barbora Krejcikova Dominates in San Diego
The 2021 Roland Garros champion, clinched the WTA 500 Cymbiotika San Diego Open title. In a grueling three-set match, she defeated 2020 Australian Open titlist Sofia Kenin. Krejcikova had been on a four-match losing streak going into the tournament.

Krejcikova's Remarkable Turnaround
Despite her struggles, Krejcikova displayed resilience in capturing her second title of the year. The match against Kenin saw a tight battle, with both players holding serve until Krejcikova broke through in the final game to secure her victory.

Krejcikova's Doubles Victory
Not stopping at singles glory, Krejcikova and partner Katerina Siniakova also won the doubles title, defeating Danielle Collins and CoCo Vandeweghe. This victory marked their return to the winner's circle, adding to their impressive tally of 16 doubles titles as a team, including seven Grand Slams.

 ⏰ Shot clock

😲 Player fears for life. World No.198 Natalija Stevanovic of Serbia opened up on social media to show the abuse tennis players face regularly, regardless of whether they win or lose. These are often tied to gambling but tournaments like Roland Garros are working to prevent it through AI filtering.

👋 Djokovic withdraws from Shanghai. Djokovic announced on social media that he would not be playing the Rolex Shanghai Masters held from 4-15 October. The 36-year-old has won the Shanghai tournament four times and owns a 34-5 record at the event.

🤔 Ben Shelton the new Kyrgios? Coach Darren Cahill compared Ben Shelton to Nick Kyrgios and thinks the 20-year-old American has the game and personality to draw as much attention.

🎁 Nadal Babolat give away. On instagram, Babolat and the Rafa Nadal Academy are partnering for a Rafa racquet giveaway to celebrate the start of the season at the Rafa Nadal Academy.

🏆️ Laver Cup : No Roger. No Rafa. No Novak. The LC kicks off this week without the biggest names for the first time. Europe will be wanting to avenge last year’s loss to the International team. This year’s LC takes place from 22–24 September at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.

💰️ Why tennis players struggle

Pro tennis isn’t just hard because of the physical and mental aspect. It’s also brutally hard when it comes to finances. Check out this report from Vox who dives into why tennis players struggle vs the other major sports.