Unnoticed switch behind de Minaur's surge as Djokovic makes worrying US Open call
Jannik Sinner was too good for the Serbian in the semi-final and won in straight sets, but the 38-year-old's movement was slightly hampered during the encounter. And Djokovic has been absent from the game since having recovered after a gruelling clay and grass court season.
However, Djokovic has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open, not citing an injury, as the 38-year-old recovers. Although this means the World No.6 most likely won't play a hard court tournament in the lead up to Flushing Meadows.
This is a huge decision from Djokovic who will have to rely on building up his match fitness during the grand slam if he is going to go all the way. While his withdrawal from the Cincinnati Open was not down to injury, it does leave doubt over his participation at the New York grand slam later this month.
His decision also leaves the door open for both de Minaur and Ben Shelton to overtake him in the rankings. And both stars are playing each other at the National Bank Open quarter-final.
The duo will then have the opportunity to leapfrog Djokovic if they go on to win the tournament. This will see both reach a better seeding for the US Open.
Djokovic's decision to withdraw also now places him under threat of losing his top eight ranking. While the 38-year-old has admitted grand slam titles are his main ambition going forward, dropping further in the ranking would be a huge blow to this quest.
If he drops out of the eight, it opens him up to playing either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner before the quarter-final at the US Open. Djokovic will have a keen eye on the rankings as he rests ahead of the final grand slam of the year and could even tune into the de Minaur and Shelton clash.
Aussies will be hoping de Minaur continues his surge in Canada having found his feet again on the hard courts. And a little change ahead of the US Open has helped with this push.
Novak Djokovic withdrew from Cincinnati. No tennis for him between Wimbledon and the US Open.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 4, 2025
Alex de Minaur change behind recent run of form
De Minaur has been in sensational form since his defeat to Djokovic in the round of 16 at Wimbledon having won the Citi Open tournament last month. He has also reached the quarter-final at the Canadian Open.
And as he looks to topple Shelton and close in on Djokovic's ranking, the Aussie has seen a boost in his game after a change of racquet. De Minaur has been with Wilson for a while and switched over to their new Ultra V5 racquet ahead of the North American hard court season.
The Aussie has since gone eight games undefeated, one of those being a walkover, as he looks to topple Shelton. And the 26-year-old appears to have found his rhythm with the new racquet. De Minaur will be seeking a huge win over Shelton in the quarter-final, which would put him on a path for a career-high ranking.
His win over Frances Tiafoe drew him level with Pat Rafter for the second-most hard-court victories by an Australian man in the Open era, behind only Lleyton Hewitt, who has a staggering 372 wins. De Minaur climbed to World No.8 after entering last week's Citi Open ranked outside the top 10.
De Minaur admitted the conditions in Canada were tricky with both players giving it their all in the three-set win. "It was never going to be easy, and Frances has the ability to turn the switch on whenever he wants, so it is always very tricky to put him away," de Minaur said after the match. "I think I battled him, myself and the conditions, and I am happy to sneak away with the win today."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football Mock Draft, No. 1 Pick: Full list of picks, analysis and key takeaways
Welcome to my 12-part mock draft series, where I'll be drafting from every position — 1 through 12 — in a standard 12-team Yahoo fantasy football league to uncover the optimal strategies and roster constructions at each spot. Using the Yahoo Fantasy Plus Instant Mock Draft tool, I went solo through each draft, making every pick. This series aims to provide a comprehensive breakdown of how draft strategy shifts depending on where you pick, with detailed insight into my thought process round by round. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The scoring format is half-PPR, and the roster setup includes: QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, FLEX, K, D/ST and six bench spots. Here's my squad from the No. 1 spot! Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Pick No. 1 Full Roster QB: Kyler Murray (ARI)RB: Kenneth Walker (SEA)RB: Aaron Jones Sr. (MIN)WR: Ja'Marr Chase (CIN)WR: Malik Nabers (NYG)TE: Brendan Strange (JAX) FLEX: Drake London (ATL)Kicker: Brandon Aubrey (DAL) D/ST: Eagles (PHI)Bench: Zay Flowers (BAL)Bench: Jordan Mason (MIN)Bench: Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS)Bench: Emeka Egbuka (TB)Bench: Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)Bench: Nick Chubb (HOU) Rounds 1–3: WR Anchor Build 1.01 – Ja'Marr Chase (WR – CIN) 2.12 – Malik Nabers (WR – NYG) 3.01 – Drake London (WR – ATL) Roster Assessment After Round 3 Holding the 1.01 pick in a 12-team half-PPR league is usually more of a curse than a gift. The pressure of hitting on that No. 1 pick, enduring the long waits and having to decide on picking value or reaching at the turn can be maddening. In this draft, I leaned into a WR-heavy approach early. Chase was a no-brainer at No. 1 overall, but I should be doing FED time after getting Nabers at 24. Consensus rankings have Nabers ADP at 10th overall, so that was the heist of the draft. Following up that pick with Drake London, I have three players with upside to finish inside the top-10 at the WR position. The downside: I have to prioritize getting an RB in the fourth round. I have a feeling there's going to be a run, so it's also important to assess what QBs and TEs are available for the turn. Rounds 4–6: Filling the RB & QB Voids 4.12 – Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA) 5.01 – Kyler Murray (QB – ARI) 6.12 – Aaron Jones Sr. (RB – MIN) Roster Assessment After Round 6 The early WR depth allowed me to pivot to need-based picks without sacrificing upside. Murray gives me a solid floor as a dual-threat option at QB, but I was also able to address my RB concerns. I'm pro "don't leave your draft without a rushing QB." Back to the running backs. Walker's talent and big-play ability are enticing; however, I couldn't help but feel like I settled with Jones as my RB2, even though I got him three spots after his current 6.09 ADP. I'm still lacking a TE and have no depth behind my RB starters — something I plan to fix in Rounds 7–10. Rounds 7–10: Depth Building & Missed TE Window 7.01 – Zay Flowers (WR – BAL) 8.12 – Jordan Mason (RB – MIN) 9.01 – Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS) 10.12 – Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB) Roster Assessment After Round 10 I missed out on my target TE tier — specifically, Tucker Kraft in Round 8 — and it hurt. That TE drop-off forced me into punting the position entirely. On the flip side, I was pleased with my expanded RB depth: adding Robinson and Mason gives me viable flex options and upside. I usually don't shore up an entire backfield, but given Jones' age and Mason's success last year with the Niners, I think he has good value relative to his ADP. I'm also expecting the Vikings to run more with sophomore QB J.J. McCarthy under center. At WR, I now had five playable assets. Flowers saw a career-best 116 targets last season and Egbuka could pop early if Chris Godwin (ankle) isn't ready by Week 1. Through Round 10, the roster is shaping up nicely minus the glaring hole at TE. Rounds 11–15: Filling Out The Unit 11.01 – Philadelphia Eagles D/ST 12.12 – Brenton Strange (TE – JAX) 13.01 – Brandon Aubrey (K – DAL) 14.12 – Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA) 15.01 – Nick Chubb (RB – HOU) Roster Assessment After Round 15 Usually, I wait on defense, but with the way my squad's looking, I took the plunge on a Philly defense that should generate plenty of sacks and turnovers. I'll stream if needed, but I like locking in one of the best D/STs here. Speaking of streaming, that's probably my future at TE with Strange ending up as my choice for TE. Yikes. Getting Aubrey, the highest-ranked kicker last year, ensures that I have a top asset at K. I was somewhat surprised at the QB options in Round 14, so Tua ended up being my backup selection. Chubb is a mere flier with Joe Mixon out with a foot injury during training camp. Key Takeaways Watch out for the RB runs from Round 1-4 Running backs were heavily targeted early relative to the other skill positions, especially in Round 1 (7 of 12 picks) and again in Round 4 (6 of 12). This confirms that by Round 4, the high-floor/high-volume RB2 options were vanishing. Don't wait as long as I did for a TE Unless you intend to stream the position, target a TE by the middle of Round 8. Six TEs went in Rounds 7 and 8, and I was left hanging, so that's one area where I would pivot my strategy from adding to depth and addressing a position of need. Take what the board gives you Nabbing Chase, Nabers and London was a cheat code. Yes, it's a mock draft, but it's a reminder that sometimes you have to take what the board gives you. It's not uncommon for value to fall into your lap, so act on it whenever you get the opportunity. My strategy tends to lean WR-heavy; it was a good thing I got London to sure up my core as seven WRs went in Round 3. Sometimes it's value; other times you set the tone — the beauty of drafting from 1.01.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jacob Bridgeman an example that having a PGA Tour card is enough to earn the way
His rookie year on the PGA Tour was challenging enough for Jacob Bridgeman. He got in 20 tournaments, none of them majors or The Players Championship, $20 million signature events or the FedEx Cup playoffs. He played seven times in the fall and did just well enough to keep his heart rate down and his ranking inside the top 125 to keep his card. And then the PGA Tour approved a plan during the final week of 2024 to reduce the number of players keeping their cards to 100. Gulp. 'I think it makes it tougher and tougher on the rookies,' Bridgeman said. 'I feel like my rookie year was really hard, and this one was probably harder because there were less cards." Bridgeman said he was neutral toward the change. The purpose was to make sure anyone who had a card could get into enough tournaments, and smaller fields in 2026 would keep rounds from not finishing because of darkness. And yes, it would be more competitive than ever. Camilo Villegas was chairman of Player Advisory Council that proposed the changes and acknowledged it would be harder to keep a card. 'But if we perform, there's an opportunity to make an unbelievable living," Villegas said. Bridgeman performed. He spoke Monday evening from Memphis, Tennessee, the first of three playoff events that determine the FedEx Cup champion. Bridgeman is No. 33 in the FedEx Cup, all but assured of staying in the top 50 to advance to the BMW Championship that will get him in all eight of the $20 million signature events next year. The ultimate goal — East Lake for the Tour Championship — is well within range. He is among 21 players at the TPC Southwind who did not make it to the postseason a year ago, all of them earning their way into the top 70. Bridgeman began his sophomore season without assurances of being in any of the majors or the signature events. He closed with a 64 at the Cognizant Classic for a runner-up finish, getting him into Bay Hill and The Players Championship. He slept on the lead the opening three rounds at the Valspar Championship and finished third, getting him into another signature event at the RBC Heritage. He was among the last three players off the FedEx Cup to fill the field at the Truist Championship and tied for fourth, and his standing also got him into the U.S. Open. Bridgeman wound up playing five signature events, two majors and The Players. He felt it was a disadvantage at the start. It turned into a big year that isn't over just yet. 'Not being in those at the beginning of the year was tough,' Bridgeman said. 'I went through that last year. I knew how that was and played past all that and still kept my card. I felt like it was a disadvantage, for sure, but not that it was unattainable. 'I just knew if I played well I'd have a chance," he said. 'That was one my goals is playing a signature event early. I got in the Arnold Palmer and rode the wave all the way through.' That's how it has been for the 25-year-old Bridgeman. He was No. 2 in the PGA Tour University his senior year at Clemson, which got him Korn Ferry Tour status. He spent 2023 on the developmental circuit and graduated to the PGA Tour. Bridgeman wrote down his goals for 2025, big and small, in a journal. The main goal was to win. He's still waiting on that. He wanted at least four top 10s (check), make it to the FedEx Cup playoffs (check), get into the top 50 (one week away from another check) and get to East Lake for the Tour Championship. 'It's been nice to be able to check some of them off,' he said. Being in all the signature events is an advantage, but not a guarantee. Fourteen players who finished in the top 50 last year failed to make it to the postseason, three of them because of injury — Billy Horschel, Will Zalatoris and Alex Noren. Three players who were not among the top 50 last year — U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Harris English and Ben Griffin — start the postseason in the top 10. The turnover rate for those who qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs was at 30% — 21 players finished in the top 70 who weren't in Memphis last year. That list includes multiple winners (Ryan Fox and Brian Campbell), first-time winners (Ryan Gerard and Chris Gotterup), and veterans who got their games headed in the right direction (Rickie Fowler and Lucas Glover). And then there's players like Bridgeman, Sam Stevens and Michael Kim, who started with nothing more than a card and now have realistic hopes of East Lake. The signature events were a source of consternation when they were first introduced, mainly the uncertainty of a level playing field. J.T. Poston said it best at the start of 2023, and it still rings true today. 'As long as there's a way you still have to perform to stay in, and there's an avenue for guys who aren't in to play their way in, I don't think there's an issue,' Poston said. Turns out it wasn't for Bridgeman. ___ On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. ___ AP golf:
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Saquon Barkley: Jihaad Campbell will be a problem for other teams
Eagles first-round pick Jihaad Campbell said last month that he was taking his time returning from shoulder surgery in order to be the best version of himself once training camp got underway and it appears that approach worked out well for him. The linebacker has been given a lot to do in practice with Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun dealing with injuries of their own and the rookie's performance has won him a big fan on the other side of the ball. Running back Saquon Barkley said that Campbell has been "probably too aggressive" when it comes to hitting his own teammates in practice, but that approach is one that Barkley thinks will bode well for Campbell against guys in other uniforms. 'Super raw, like freaky athletic,' Barkley said, via Reuben Frank of 'He's going to be a problem, a real big problem for a lot of guys in the league who have to go against him and block him.' Campbell could also see time as an edge rusher and Barkley made a comparison to another player who has shown an ability to impact games from various spots. Barkley said Campbell is "kind of built like" Micah Parsons and the entire Eagles defense will likely be a problem if his play bears any resemblance to the Cowboys star.
