GAEL MONFILS & JOHANNA KONTA SCORE BIG WINS

This Week In Tennis
​Vol. 29

Seven singles champions were crowned this week across six tournaments. Gael Monfils won his first ATP 500 event while Johanna Konta won the first WTA event of her career. Venus Williams made a deep run at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, falling one set shy of winning the 50th title of her career. Meanwhile, Ivo Karlovic came even closer to winning titles in back-to-back weeks on the ATP Tour. 

As both tours head to Canada and players ready themselves for the Olympics in Rio, #ThisWeekInTennis, recaps all the tennis happenings from the last week: winners, player tweets, rankings, articles, and podcasts. ​

WINNERS
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Stanford:  Johanna Konta, Washington WTA:  Yanina Wickmayer, Washington ATP: Gael Monfils, Umag: Fabio Fognini, Gstaad:  Feliciano Lopez, Kitzbuhel: Paolo Lorenzi, Bastad: Laura Siegemund

Photo credit: Jonathan Newman/The Body Serve Tennis Podcast

RUNDOWN
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• Johanna Konta beat Venus Williams in Stanford to win her first WTA title. The top ranked British woman rises four spots in the latest WTA rankings to #14.  
• Gael Monfils improved on his 5-19 record in ATP finals when he beat Ivo Karlovic for the title in Washington, D.C. The Frenchman saved match point in the second set en route to the biggest win of his career.
• Yanina Wickmayer won both the singles and doubles titles at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
• Venus Williams came within a set of claiming the 50th singles title of her career. The top seed in Stanford moves up one spot to #6 in the latest WTA rankings. 
• Dominika Cibulkova reached the semifinals in Stanford before losing to eventual champion, Johanna Konta. The result bumps Cibulkova two spots in the WTA rankings, matching her career high of #10.
• Ivo Karlovic was one point from winning back-to-back titles on the ATP Tour. The winner last week in Newport, Karlovic fell in the Citi Open final to Gael Monfils. 
• Serena Williams withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Montreal citing an inflamed shoulder.
• Nicole Vaidisova has called time on her comeback to tennis. 

Such an incredible feeling... here's to doing my best at creating more. https://t.co/EGGWQxaB2i

— Johanna Konta (@JoKonta91) July 25, 2016

So happy after an amazing week! Thank you for all the support.. Feel so blessed to do what i love! □❤️ pic.twitter.com/OWQVe6KYTd

— Yanina Wickmayer (@wickytennis) July 25, 2016

This is how we feel about @BOTWClassic semifinals and getting BACK TO @WTA TOP 10!! #myteam #family #thebestteam pic.twitter.com/TdloeTqd6D

— Dominika Cibulkova (@Cibulkova) July 23, 2016

Morning walk to see the #whitehouse with brate @gael_monfils #washington #DC https://t.co/M4cF1qUNEL

— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) July 19, 2016

About to throw a first pitch at the @BlueJays game. Have never thrown a baseball before. Any suggestions?

— Vasek Pospisil (@VasekPospisil) July 22, 2016

Great week here in Washington.thx everybody for the support.thx especially to @gat_olivier ,… https://t.co/f9t3mw3Kve

— Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils) July 25, 2016

MISIÓN Y OBJETIVO CUMPLIDO... ?? #Gstaad2016 https://t.co/nLITuGFSbi pic.twitter.com/CC59IFkTft

— Feliciano López (@feliciano_lopez) July 24, 2016

4 □□□□ ...
GRAZIE TEAM !!! pic.twitter.com/MTrHod6x70

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) July 24, 2016

Congratulations @JoKonta91 on your 1st @WTA title ?. It was only a matter of time with the way you have been playing! Many more to come x

— Heather Watson (@HeatherWatson92) July 25, 2016

A guy came up to me and said "Taylor can we get a pic" i said i wasnt taylor.. He responds saying "im sorry john." 0 for 2...its tough

— Reilly Opelka (@ReillyOpelka) July 21, 2016

RANKINGS WATCH

• ​WTA: V. Williams (+1 to #6), Cibulkova (+2 to #10), Konta (+4 to #14), Siegemund (+8 to #32), Wickmayer (+8 to #36), Wozniacki (+5 to #53), Riske (+20 to #58), Tsurenko (-18 to #60), Schmiedlova (-9 to #62), Goerges (+8 to #65), Z. Saisai (+8 to #66), Larsson (+12 to #70), Pironkova (-13 to #78), Siniakova (+13 to #79)

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• ​ATP: Monfils (+3 to #14), Lopez (+3 to #18), Johnson (+4 to #21), Karlovic (+8 to #27), Fognini (+6 to #33), Lorenzi (+7 to #41), Elias (+8 to #64), Mannarino (-13 to #68), Lajovic (+12 to #71), Marchenko (+12 to #72), Berlocq (+13 to #74), Haase (+19 to #76), Edmund (-16 to #84), Brown (+12 to #87), Estrella Burgos (-14 to #88), G. Melzer (+17 to #90), Martin (+26 to #98)

READING LIST

​Venus Williams' first-ever opponent recalls their 1994 match
​Sam Querrey says he gained confidence after upsetting Novak Djokovic
​Mailbag: Does Olympic tennis help or hurt the sport's growth?
Forget a tennis rivalry, these two rising stars are best friends
​Serena Williams, Djokovic head entry lists for U.S. Open
Dostoevsky and tennis 
Bryans eye golden Olympics swansong in Rio
Siegemund Triumphs in Bastad
​Italian Match Fixing Suspensions Imposed Amid Criticism of Tennis Watchdog
​Gael Monfils etches name next to Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah in Washington

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PODCASTS

Beyond the Baseline - CoCo Vandeweghe
WTA Insider - Johanna Konta Triumphs in Stanford
​No Challenges Remaining - Vika, Zika, Paprika 
The Tennis Podcast - Konta Wins First WTA Title; Monfils' Biggest Victory
Tennis Connected - Previewing the 2016 Rogers Cup