Tommy Paul won his first title at the 2021 Stockholm Open beating Denis Shapovalov 6–4, 2–6, 6–4. While Paul had a decent 2021, his title win was unexpected.

Paul beat fellow American Taylor Fritz, Andy Murray, and Frances Tiafoe on his way to the final. Paul said,

I’ve played very good matches. I think it’s been because I’ve had a lot of matches in a row in the past seven weeks, gaining confidence every week, and then also the vibes in Stockholm are amazing. I’m just having a lot of fun out on court, a lot of fun.

Sporting a bright purple shirt and a beard, Paul, who is only 24, looked at least a decade older. His bright purple shirt will probably be etched in people’s memory for a long time because you just can’t forget it. In many ways, it is similar to the ugly shorts that Stan Wawrinka wore on his run to the 2015 French Open.

Christian Garin has hired 2005 French Open finalist Mariano Puerta as his new coach. Garin was coached by Franco Davin previously but the partnership ended in September.

In 2021, Garin reached the fourth round at the French Open and Wimbledon. He is already ranked within the Top 20 in the world with an eye on the Top 10 in 2022.

Christian Garin won the 2013 boy’s French Open title beating Alexander Zverev. While Zverev has consistently made deep runs at grand slams, Garin’s success has been modest in contrast. Garin is hoping that Puerta can help him win a grand slam.

Puerta won three ATP titles in his career and reached a peak ranking of world number 9 in 2005. Puerta was suspended multiple times in his career for doping. In  2005, he tested positive for the use of cardiac stimulant etilefrine and was suspended for two years.

In addition to his doping suspension, Puerta had to return the $887,000  in prize money he had earned. This put him in bad financial shape. In 2009, he declared bankruptcy in a Buenos Aires court.