A youngster’s dream come true

2000-born Argentine Facundo Díaz Acosta won his first ATP title this week on home soil in Buenos Aires. Granted a wild card, Acosta was the first lefty since Nadal to win the tournament, and has jumped to a career high No. 59 in the world. Acosta has great court awareness, feel and foot speed - traits of a game built on clay. But to break into the top 25, he’ll likely need to add some power to his game, and get comfortable playing closer to the baseline, particularly on hard court. Time will tell for this youngster.

Trivia: who was number 1 in the world when Facundo was born in December 2000?

Find out at the bottom!

Aging like a fine wine

Is Dimitrov in the form of his life? The 32 year old made the semis of Rotterdam last week, and has now made the semis in 4 out of his last 5 tournaments. This includes a run to the finals of Paris, and a title in Brisbane. Former world No. 3, he has made winning a habit again, and is knocking on the door of the top 10 (currently ranked 13). A great sportsman and ambassador of the game (member of the ATP player council), Dimitrov will look to build on his momentum at Indian Wells.

Other notable folks in fine form: Rybakina, Iga, De Minaur, Sinner.

Looking Ahead to Tennis Paradise

Indian Wells is around the corner (Mar 3-17), headlined by not only the world’s top ranked players, but also a couple of former world No 1s. Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki received wild cards into the tournament, and will look to show that they’re not quite done yet. With this generational mix, perhaps Indian Wells will have a slightly nostalgic feel, with fans remembering past champions and the eras they competed in.

Thanks for reading!

DP 🤠

Answer: Gustavo Kuerten

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