Player of the Week: Ilya Ivashka

Dropping just one set on the way to his maiden title, Ilya Ivashka won the Winston-Salem Open. He defeated Mikael Ymer in a clinical final, posting a dominating 6-0, 6-2 scoreline over the Swedish player, he also only gave up a total of five games between the semifinal and final rounds.

The Belarusian managed to sustain the high-level of play throughout the ATP 250 event, picking up six consecutive match victories over notable opponents, including Andreas Seppi, Marin Cilic, Jan-Lennard Struff, and No.1 seed Pablo Carreno Busta.

“Winning means everything for me because this is something that I have dreamed of as a kid, and it doesn’t matter which event it was, it was just to win an ATP title, so I am super happy with this,” he said in an interview with the ATP.

After becoming the first Belarusian ATP player to win a singles title since 2003, Ivashka jumps to a career-high ranking of world No. 53 and will enjoy a low-key celebration before heading off to New York.

"I may grab some beers, but nothing special as I am going to play in New York on Tuesday. I think we will celebrate after that," he said.

The 27-year-old will face American Tennys Sandgren in his US Open opener.