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Donaldson, Carreno Busta have success on both surfaces
They spent their formative years on clay, sliding and grinding away on red dirt. But you could hardly call #NextGenATP American Jared Donaldson and Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta exclusively “dirtballers”.
The two, despite their vast experience on clay, have found ways to excel on clay courts and hard courts, including Monday at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Donaldson, 20, earned his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 win of the past two weeks, upsetting 12th seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 7-6(5), 6-3 to advance to the second round. Carreno Busta, playing in his second match since Roland Garros (due to an abdomen injury), also needed only two sets, moving on with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Italian Paolo Lorenzi.
“I think the good thing is I do have experience on both surfaces,” Donaldson said.
He grew up on hard courts, like Carreno Busta. The American spent his childhood playing indoors in Rhode Island in the U.S. But when he was 14, his parents and coaches wanted to expand his game, so he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he trained on red clay for nearly two years.
Donaldson worked with the country's up-and-coming stars, including training with current-World No. 33 Diego Schwartzman. The experience matured Donaldson, and it also diversified his game. He already knew how to play on quick courts but, in Argentina, he learned how to fight on slower surfaces as well.
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“I have a good base for clay-court play, and I think the big difference is clay gives me a little more time on my groundstrokes, which I think is good, but also I have the ability to take the ball early, which I think is also underrated on clay courts. Players who can do both – take the ball early and are able to play back – those are the toughest players to beat,” Donaldson said.
But his biggest successes have come on hard courts. Donaldson reached the fourth round in Miami last year and the third round in Montreal last week.
“On hard court... I think it's about attacking, and taking the ball early and serving really well. So my strategy is always to be aggressive and be attacking, and it's more highlighted on the hard courts,” Donaldson said.
Carreno Busta also played almost exclusively on hard courts until his teenage years. He was 15 when he began taking tennis more seriously and moved from Asturias to Barcelona. “I started to play more on clay, like Spanish style,” Carreno Busta exclusively told ATPWorldTour.com.
He spent the next few years learning how to construct points on clay, and then joined the professional ranks, where he has played most of his matches on hard courts. He has excelled on both surfaces.
Carreno Busta's best Grand Slam result came on clay – the quarter-finals of Roland Garros in June. He also won the Millennium Estoril Open in Portugal earlier this year on the red dirt.
“The Spanish style is more playing on the clay courts because we fight, we fight a lot,” Carreno Busta said.
But his other two titles, including his maiden crown last year at the Winston-Salem Open, came on hard courts.
“Now I'm maybe more comfortable playing on clay courts but my first ATP title was on hard courts, so I also am comfortable playing there,” Carreno Busta said. “I have a good serve, I return good. And then when I play on top, I have a good forehand and a good backhand so maybe I have a good game for both surfaces.”
His focus now is solely on hard courts – the surface of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. “We have chances now in this tournament to do something important,” Carreno Busta said.

Q. How did you see the match from your side?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: It's tough to describe it. It was incredible matches. It was the first time I played on Arthur Ashe. I played last year the final in doubles, but in singles this is my first time there.
Is incredible (smiling). The people was supporting all the time. There is a lot of noise, and you think the people is behind you, but I just tried to be focused on the match. And then at the beginning I was a little bit scared, maybe a little bit nervous.
But after, when he broke me, I talk to my coach. I don't know if he heard me, because there was a lot of noise. But I told to him that I can win the match, but I need to be very aggressive because he plays really good.
And I just try to do it. I continue fighting all the times with 5-2 in the first set, with 6-5, 15-40 in the first set.
And then in the tiebreaks, I just play perfect. I played very aggressive. I served really good. It was very tough, because three hours, three sets, three tiebreaks, but of course it was an amazing victory for me. Now I'm in quarterfinals again of a Grand Slam, first time here in US Open, and will try to continue.
Q. For people who are just getting to learn about your game, how would you describe the way you play and your approach to the game in general?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: You saw the match, right (smiling)? It's difficult to say, but I just tried to play aggressive. I know playing against players, against Shapovalov, if you don't play aggressive, they beat you because they serve really good, they are very aggressive with their forehand, they play without the pressure, no?
He's 18 years old. He's very young. He will be, for sure, one of the best players in the future. I think I am improving my serve and it's very important to me, because when I play with the first serve, I play more aggressive, and then I just try to fight all the time, to fight all the points and try to be positive.
Q. What do you think the biggest reasons are for your success?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: The biggest reasons? Because I believe in myself. I believe more than the last years. I know that I can do it. I have more experience, and I think that I can continue growing up.
Q. You're the highest seed in your half of the draw. Big opportunity for a lot of players. Are you dreaming of reaching the final maybe?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: I think is anecdotic, you know. All the players in this part of the draw are very, very good players. I play now against Pouille or Schwartzman. Pouille is a top-20 player. Schwartzman is playing really good and with a lot of confidence.
So the next match will be really difficult, too. I don't know the next round. I just think about the quarterfinals.
Q. You haven't dropped a set yet. Is it hard to play those players you maybe haven't seen that much or know that much about?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: When I watch the draw, I never imagine that I will play against four qualifiers because they are unseeded and they lost against a qualifier. I think maybe this qually in this year was the most tough, the tougher qually ever.
Of course Shapovalov is not a qually, a normal qualifier. His level is better than a qualifier level. But maybe the first two rounds that I play against two qualifiers, it was good for me because I get rhythm, I play very good. They give me the confidence that I trying to do on court now.
Q. How did the court compare to the outside courts in speed and conditions?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: I think the speed is similar but is so different play in Arthur Ashe and play outside. The people, you heard the people near. You heard a lot of noise in this court, and it's something incredible. Playing outside, of course, there are a lot of people, too, but is so different.
Q. Did anything surprise you? Or what really impressed you about Denis?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, maybe I never heard him until this month. In Montreal I watch him playing against Rafa, and he made unbelievable match. He won really good matches too, not just against Rafa. And in this tournament, he beat Tsonga and other good players.
So he maybe is on fire, no? He's playing with a lot of confidence and he's very young, so in the future, he will be one of the best.
Q. What have you learned from watching Rafa over the years?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: You know, Rafa is one of the best tennis players ever and maybe the best playing on clay courts, and when you are lucky and you are very good friends, you learn a lot.
I always try to practice with him, because he's really important to me, to be near the best players and practice with them.
I just try to learn about how he practice, what he do after practice, before practice, after matches, before matches. I think I'm learning a lot.

Spaniard through to QFs without dropping a set
Pablo Carreno Busta advanced to his second Grand Slam quarter-final on Sunday in New York as he ended Denis Shapovalov’s dream run with a 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory in the US Open fourth round.
Carreno Busta is the fifth different Spaniard to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows in the past five years - joining Rafael Nadal, Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo – and goes on to face either Lucas Pouille or Diego Schwartzman.
Speaking to Darren Cahill in his on-court interview, Carreno Busta said, “It’s amazing. It was the first time I played singles on this court. Arthur Ashe is unbelievable. I cannot describe it. I tried to fight all the time, every point. You never know when your opponent will doubt a little bit or make a mistake. I was focused on my game and I got through.”
The 12th-seeded Carreno Busta has not dropped a set in reaching the last eight, with victories over four qualifiers in a row in Evan King, Cameron Norrie, Nicolas Mahut and Shapovalov. The only other player left in the draw not to have dropped a set is Philipp Kohlschreiber, who plays Roger Federer in the fourth round on Monday.
But the Spaniard was pushed hard against 18-year-old Shapovalov, who caught the imagination of the New York crowd over the past two weeks with his run through qualifying and victories over Daniil Medvedev, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kyle Edmund.

The Canadian teenager, who made a major breakthrough last month when he defeated Rafael Nadal en route to the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Montreal (l. to A Zverev), had opportunities to win the first set. After being denied when serving for the opener at 5-3, he then held three set points on Carreno Busta’s serve in the 12th game, but could not convert. As would ultimately be the tale of the match, Carreno Busta dictated in the tie-break to snatch the opening set from Shapovalov’s grasp.
The Spaniard was pegged back by Shapovalov in the second set when serving at 5-3, but again regrouped in the ensuing tie-break to take a commanding lead in the contest. Shapovalov refused to go down without a fight, taking a 3-0 lead in the third set on a run of 10-straight points. But Carreno Busta fought back and ultimately prevailed in the tie-break to seal victory in two hours and 54 minutes.
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"It was incredible," said Carreno Busta. "The people was supporting all the time. There is a lot of noise, and you think the people is behind you, but I just tried to be focused on the match. And then at the beginning I was a little bit scared, maybe a little bit nervous.

"But after he broke me, I talk to my coach. I don't know if he heard me, because there was a lot of noise. But I told to him that I can win the match, but I need to be very aggressive because he plays really good. And I just tried to do it. I continued fighting all the time.

"In the tie-breaks, I just played perfect. I played very aggressive. I served really good. It was very tough, because three hours, three sets, three tie-breaks, but of course it was an amazing victory for me. Now I'm in the quarter-finals again of a Grand Slam, first time here in US Open, and will try to continue."
It was the longest match of Shapovalov’s young career and the teenager put his bags down to accept the rapturous applause of Arthur Ashe Stadium as he walked off the show court.
"I think I had a lot of chances," said Shapovalov. "I don't think I played as well today as I have been these past two weeks, but, I mean, that's tennis. It's going to happen.

"I think Pablo played a very great match. He stayed very tough mentally in the big points. He just played three tie-breaks that were better than mine. I was up in the first, up in the third. I definitely had my chances. Very disappointed that I wasn't able to keep my leads.

"But at the end of the day, it's tennis. I still have a lot of things to learn. Hopefully I can come back and one day I can make it further here."
Carreno Busta is enjoying a career-best season at the age of 26. The Spanish right-hander has established himself in the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, courtesy of winning his third ATP World Tour title in Estoril (d. Muller), finishing runner-up in Rio de Janeiro (l. to Thiem), making the semi-finals in Indian Wells (l. to Wawrinka) and reaching his first major quarter-final at Roland Garros (l. to Nadal).

Q. We were just talking to Diego, and despite his disappointment of the loss, he said what a thrilling experience it was to be out on Ashe to be playing you. Your thoughts on the match and the atmosphere?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, I think it was a very good, very special match for me, playing Arthur Ashe against Diego. We are very good friends.
I happy for him, also, because he made a really good tournament. Beat good opponents: Cilic, Pouille. He has to be happy about this tournament here in US Open.
Well, of course, for me I'm very excited to be in the semifinals. I think that it was a very good opportunity to do it, to be in semifinals, and I just try to make my best. Well, I think that the match today was very good. I play very solid from the baseline, trying to don't do mistakes. In the important moments, maybe my serve was the difference.
Q. As someone who has said his favorite surface is clay, how have you adapted your game for the hard courts to become this successful?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, probably I am more comfortable playing, you know, clay courts. But when I was young, when I start to play tennis, I play all the time in hard courts.
So I always comfortable playing on these surfaces. My first ATP title was in Winston-Salem, hard court, and next one was Moscow, indoor court.
So I think I also comfortable playing here. I think that my game is really good to play on hard courts. I have a good serve. I play solid on the baseline, from the baseline, and, well, if you don't make mistakes and you play aggressive, your game will be able to be good in this surface.
Q. Second set he had a chance to go up 5-3. You saved three break points. Did you think that was a key point for you to turn it around?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Of course. Of course, it was most important moment of the match. It was the key, because when I was 4-3 and Love-40, it was really tough mentally moment. I just try to be focus on the next point, step by step, you know, point by point.
Finally, I did it. I won my game, and then I broked. I think it was the most important moment of the match, and I think I played really good.
Q. Sometimes in life things go really well for us; sometimes not. You had a good draw here. What in your life was the toughest break, in your career, either in health or tournament or...
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Of course I know that I have a good draw here. I play against quallie in first round, in second round, third round, and fourth round. That's true that Denis was really tough. It's not normal qualifier.
But when you have this draw, you have to do your best to take advantage, so I think that is a really good tournament for me. I know that I didn't win matches against top players, Top 10 or Top 20 players, but I am very happy with my tournament.
Q. But my question is: Has there been a time when you had really sort of bad luck, you had to play Roger first round, or...
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, of course. The draw, sometimes you are lucky; sometimes you are unlucky.
First time that I play a Grand Slam, I play against Roger Federer in Roland Garros. If you are seeded, normally you don't play against another seed until third round. So that's the important thing.
To be seeded here in US Open, I was seeded No. 12 or 11, I don't know. 12? The seeded that were in same part of my draw don't arrive to me.
Q. We don't know who your opponent will be, so if it's okay, I'd like to ask you about each of the two possibilities. When you think about the possibility first of playing Sam, what stands out most about what that matchup will depend on?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: I never play against him, but I watch all the matches. This year he's playing really good. He won in Acapulco. He did semifinals in Wimbledon. It will be a really tough match against him.
It's always difficult to play against him, because he has a really good serve and really good forehand. I will try to play to his backhand (smiling).
Q. And if you play Kevin Anderson, you'll go from playing a guy 5'7" to a guy who is 6'8". What sort of adjustment will that be for you?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: I play against Kevin in Montreal, the first tournament of the tour here in USA. I lost. So maybe will be difficult to play against him again, but I think that now in this moment I am playing with more confidence. I am playing better than in Montreal.
Q. Why? What gives you that more confidence?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Well, I get rhythm this tournament. I won a lot of matches here in US Open, so that's something important to your confidence. So now I think I'm playing much better.
Q. When we think of Spanish tennis, of course we think of Rafa. Could you just talk about him? Has he been supportive of you? Do you like that he gets all the attention and you sort of less so? Just talk about just being from the same country.
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, of course if you speak with some Spanish people about tennis, everybody knows Rafa. That's true that Rafa is incredible tennis player. Is one of the best ever. That's normal, no?
But there are a lot of Spanish players, good Spanish players. And now I am in semifinals of the Grand Slam of US Open, and I think is as important as if Rafa arrive to semifinals, no?
So maybe it's just easier when, in your country, Rafa has all the attention and you are very without this pressure, no?
I don't know. Sometimes is good; sometimes is not good (smiling).

Q. Hard-fought match out there. Incredible points. You guys have played each other before. Talk about the matchup today. How well is he playing and your overall thoughts on the match.
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, I think it was really good match, no? Plays really good. Maybe at the beginning he did a lot of mistakes, but I play aggressive, too. So I think the first set was very good for me.
But then he start to play more aggressive, to serve really good, and to return my serve all the time and when I dipped a little bit, he made me break. But after that, I break back, and then with 6-5 maybe was the key of the match when I made the double fault in 30-All.
Then in the third set, maybe I lost the way a little bit. He start to play really good. He playing very focused on all his serve, and his way, and, well, probably in the third set, I tried to be good. I think I play very good again.
He was playing with confidence, was very good, and he was more aggressive than me. Congrats to him, because we played very good match.
Q. What's your takeaway from the match? You had some great victories. You had gone as far as you have gone in a Grand Slam event. So in terms of going forward, a lot of positives that you can take from this?
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Of course. I mean, I lost in the semifinals. I think that I have to take a lot of positive things from this tournament, because I won a lot of matches. I won a lot of points here to continue my way to the Masters.
Well, I think I need to learn about the match today, because I can learn a lot of things. I need to continue going up, so I will try to be focused on my game in the next tournament, be ready for this fight and continue the way.
Q. Do you think Kevin has the game meeting Del Potro or Nadal? Do you think if he plays the way he plays tonight...
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, why not? If he's in the final, he can beat everyone. Of course if he play against Rafa, maybe Rafa will be the favorite, but if he play against Del Potro, I think both of players are be able to win the tournament.

This year’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2017 (MWTC) is once again set to host an unmissable line-up of the world’s best tennis superstars. After a hugely successful run to the semi-finals at the 2017 US Open, Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta has confirmed that he will be making his debut at the 10th edition of the Championship which runs from 28 – 30 December 2017.

The Spaniard who has risen to world no.10, will compete against his fellow world’s bests at the Championship. These include world no.1 and four time MWTC Champion, Rafael Nadal, who defeated Busta in the quarter-finals at this year’s French Open.

Busta, who claimed his third ATP Title at the 2017 ‘Millennium Estoril Open’ in Portugal, will also compete alongside world no.7 Dominic Thiem. The two went head-to-head earlier this year in the final of the Rio Open, with Thiem coming out victorious. With Rafael Nadal recently securing his 16th Grand Slam title at the 2017 US Open against former MWTC participant Kevin Anderson, the 10th edition is an event that no fan can afford to miss.

In anticipation of his first MWTC appearance, Pablo Carreño Busta said, “I am very excited to be competing in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship against the world’s top players. This will be my first time competing in the Middle East and I’m looking forward to meeting the fans in the UAE. To take home the trophy would be an amazing feeling.”

With two more players still to be announced, the one-of-a-kind tennis championship is guaranteed to get spectators out of their seats. To celebrate the landmark 10th edition, MWTC will be giving away money-can’t-buy prizes on the 10th of every month, including a place in a star player coaching clinic, performing the coin-toss before a match and much more!