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Jannik Sinner’s reign as world No 1 will continue despite his defeat in an epic French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, with his reputation enhanced after an epic contest in Paris.

Sinner will rue the three match points that passed him by in the five-set classic against Alcaraz, with the Italian left to lick his wounds as his big rival stormed back to win a match hailed by many observers as one of the greatest of all-time in tennis.

The dust is settling on the dramatic events at Roland Garros and in an exclusive interview with Tennis365, former world No 1 Mats Wilander has given his verdict on why Sinner is sitting in that prized ranking position he once owned.

Speaking to Tennis365 in an interview conducted at Roland Garros while he was working as a TNT Sports analyst, Wilander picked out the reason why Sinner is able to blow away all of his opponents, apart from the brilliant Alcaraz.

“I’ve seen players hit the ball harder than Jannik, but not a guy who hits it this hard and takes it this early,” Wilander told Tennis365. “Sinner is the real deal, there’s no doubt about it.

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“The combination of taking it early and hitting it that hard is what is so incredible with Sinner. It is much more difficult to hit that hard and that consistently when you take it so early.

“We have seen a lot of guys standing three metres behind the baseline on a clay court and smacking it hard, as they have time to line the ball up and get that connection on it.

“Sinner is not doing that. He is standing up on the baseline, he is hitting the ball so hard and I’ve never seen anyone in my time in tennis who has that combination of hitting the ball so hard and taking it so early.

“You can see the impact it is having on his opponents as they simply don’t have the time to get into position to trade with him. It is remarkable the speed both Sinner and Alcaraz are playing the game right now.”

Wilander is wary of comparing the current stars of the men’s game to the Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, with those three icons all winning 20 or more Grand Slam titles in their record-breaking careers.

Yet Wilander is convinced Sinner and Alcaraz have the potential to take the sport to the next level, as he hints they may be there already.

“It feels to me like this is another level,” he added. “It doesn’t mean that they are better than Federer at his best, or Nadal and Djokovic at their best.

“Maybe they make more mistakes, but the game is faster. They make more mistakes than Djokovic and Nadal when they were at their best and that’s why it’s so hard to compare the different eras.

“You need to bring Nadal’s mindset into this discussion. You need to bring in Djokovic’s ability to figure out what is going on and giving what they don’t want.

“That’s why I like Novak hanging around and trying to test himself against these guys.”

Sinner will now be looking to win his first Wimbledon title when the next Grand Slam gets underway at the end of this month and he is due to play at the Halle grass court event in Germany next week.

Alcaraz has entered the prestigious ATP 500 tournament at the Queen’s Club in London, where he lifted the title in 2023.

TNT Sports will screen highlights of Wimbledon this year and will show the All England Club finals live.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz addresses greatest Grand Slam final talk after French Open epic

The post Jannik Sinner is ‘the best of all-time’ in one key area claims former world No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.

Tennis icon Jimmy Connors has come to the defence of Aryna Sabalenka after the world No 1 faced criticism for comments she made after the French Open final.

Sabalenka was beaten 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 by Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final on Saturday, a second straight major final defeat after losing to Madison Keys at the Australian Open back in January.

The three-time Grand Slam champion was visibly upset when delivering her runner-up speech inside Court Philippe Chatrier, and did not hide her frustration about her performance.

“Obviously, guys [the crowd], this one hurts so much, especially after such a tough two weeks, playing great tennis,” Sabalenka said.

“To show such terrible tennis in the final really hurts. Anyway, congrats Coco, you were a better player than me.

“Well done on a great two weeks and a second Grand Slam, well deserved, You are a fighter and a hard worker, so congrats to you and your team.”

Sabalenka doubled down on her assessment of the match in her press conference shortly afterwards, claiming that she had handed Gauff too many unforced errors.

The Belarusian also controversially claimed that Iga Swiatek, whom she had beaten in the semi-final, would have likely beaten Gauff in the final.

Sabalenka has clarified her comments in recent days, congratulating Gauff in an Instagram story and claiming that she did not mean to disrespect the world No 2.

While she has faced criticism from the likes of Chris Evert, she has also faced criticism from outside the tennis world, with a strong reaction to her comments on social media.

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However, she has now found a welcome form of defence in the form of Connors, who finished as the runner-up at seven Grand Slam tournaments across his career.

Speaking on his podcast Advantage Connors, the eight-time champion claimed most of Sabalenka’s critics “don’t know” what is going through her or any player’s head after such a defeat.

The US icon also suggested that players should be given more time after matches before giving speeches or press conferences.

He said: “After a tough match, whether it’s the finals or the French or Wimbledon or whatever, everyone wants to hear your thoughts right away.

“Maybe it would be better to give you five minutes and let the players take a breath – but they want to hear it right away, they want the scoop. And then they are critical of it.

“That’s why it’s always been a crawl in my whatever. These guys think they know what they are talking about when they have not done it.

“You can sit there and say I have saw this and I have watched so much tennis I know what’s in your mind. You don’t know what’s in my mind! You have no clue.

“And, by the way, not every player has the same thing going through their mind, everybody is an individual. So let the players take a breath sometimes.”

Sabalenka is currently set to return to action at the Berlin Open next week, where she will look to get valuable grass-court matches under her belt ahead of Wimbledon.

Wimbledon is now the only Slam where the Belarusian has not reached the final, having twice been beaten in semi-final matches at the All England Club.

Read Next: The ranking points Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, Raducanu and top WTA stars are defending on grass

The post Aryna Sabalenka’s controversial French Open comments defended by former world No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.

Katie Boulter has scaled new heights in tennis over the last couple of years and now she has revealed of her fiancé, Alex de Minaur, has been crucial in her development on and off the court.

Roll the clock back to April 2023 and Boulter was ranked outside of the top 250 in the women’s game, with the elegant British player struggling to breakthrough at the top of the game.

That was before she landed her first WTA Tour title at the Nottingham Open and by September of that year, she was knocking on the door of the top 50 of the WTA Rankings.

She has managed to maintain her position at the top of the women’s game over the last two years after winning her first WTA 500 title in San Diego and then successfully defending her title in Nottingham last June.

Boulter’s career has gone to new heights since she started dating top ten player De Minaur and she told us that the impact her fiancé has had on her life and career has been immense.

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“Alex has been a huge influence on my journey,” Boulter told Tennis365 in her role as an ambassador for BRITA.

“His support, both emotionally and in terms of advice and perspective, has helped me grow, not just as a player, but as a person. Having someone in your corner who truly believes in you makes a big difference when you’re trying to push through tough moments.”

Boulter is playing in the brand new WTA 500 tournament at the Queen’s Club this week, with De Minaur in the stands to watch her win a tough opening match against Ajla Tomljanovic on Tuesday.

It revived memories of Boulter watching De Minaur playing in the men’s event at Queen’s Club, where he lost in the final against Carlos Alcaraz two years ago.

“I have such fond memories of watching him at Queen’s,” she continued. “I have my own connection to watching tennis at Queen’s with Alex playing and now he is watching me. It was a nice little role reversal and hopefully he can be there for many more of my matches.

“This is one of the most special times of the year for me. Playing in front of a home crowd brings a different kind of energy, there’s definitely some nerves, but mostly I feel excited and motivated. The support from the fans is something I never take for granted; it pushes me to give everything on court.”

Boulter is setting her sights high this summer, as she is targeting a seeding at Wimbledon and admits her biggest goal is landing the title at the All England Club.

The 28-year-old is close to securing a seeding for Wimbledon, which gets underway at the end of this month, and she admits that would boost her hopes.

“My dream would be to win a Grand Slam,” she told us. “It’s the pinnacle of our sport and something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. Not just for the trophy, but for what it represents, years of hard work, resilience, and the belief that anything is possible.

“I would love to be seeded for Wimbledon. It does make a difference in terms of ranking-wise who you play, but at the same time, it’s not my sole focus.

“I just want to build a bit of momentum coming into the grass season. I want to get as many matches under my belt before I get to Wimbledon, which is very important, which is why I have actually entered three tournaments before Wimbledon to see what I can get out of myself.”

Boulter prominence at the top of the British game has ensured she is attracting some big-name sponsors, with BRITA the latest to sign her up as a brand ambassador.

“Partnering with BRITA felt like a natural fit for me,” added Boulter. “Hydration is such a critical part of my routine both on and off the court, and BRITA’s commitment to encourage mindful choices that do better for your mind, body & planet aligns with my values. It’s great to work with a brand that not only supports performance but is also driving sustainable change in British Tennis.

“At this level, even small margins make a huge difference. If I’m not properly hydrated, it affects my energy, focus, and recovery. Hydration helps me stay sharp mentally and physically throughout long matches, especially in tough conditions.”

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu makes brutally honest confession after winning first match at Queen’s Club

The post Katie Boulter makes an Alex de Minaur confession as she sets a huge Grand Slam target appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff’s dad Corey has revealed where he watched his daughter’s historic French Open triumph, while also discussing how it compared to her previous Grand Slam success.

World No 2 Gauff sealed her first Roland Garros title with a battling 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 triumph over world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday, three years after losing the final in Paris.

Victory made her the first American player since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the French Open title, and just the fourth US woman this century to win multiple Grand Slam singles titles.

She also became the youngest woman since Maria Sharapova in 2006 to win Slam titles on multiple surfaces, having previously lifted the US Open title.

Following her triumph, Gauff ran up to her player’s box where she celebrated with dad Corey and mum Candi, alongside coaches Matt Daly and JC Farrell.

However, Corey famously does not sit in the player’s box during his daughter’s matches, a long-running superstition due to how nervous he can get watching her play.

Speaking to Tennis Channel in the aftermath of his daughter’s triumph, he has revealed where exactly he had been watching Gauff in action throughout most of the match.

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“I was actually supposed to be in the quiet room but then before the championship [match], you know they had like the parade and the band there,” he said.

“So that room was taken from me, so I kind of parked in the transportation area and I watched on my iPad.

“I usually turn the volume down or I’ll play music while I’m watching, so I don’t have to hear the commentary.

“And so when I went up, when it was match point, the first match point, I started walking towards to go to the box, and then she lost it [the point], and then lost the next one to give a break point.

“So I turned around and sat back in my place – I’m not moving until it’s over!”

Gauff’s Roland Garros victory came after her memorable triumph at the US Open back in 2023, where she again beat Sabalenka to lift the title.

The American was just 19 years old at the time but had already suffered the disappointment of losing the 2022 French Open final, falling to Iga Swiatek.

Reflecting on his daughter’s two Grand Slam singles titles to date, Corey Gauff admitted that her Roland Garros title felt more like a “confirmation” of the hard work she had put in.

He added: “I was just proud of her. It definitely felt different than the US Open.

“The US Open felt like a tremendous burden was being lifted because she had come close so many times and she really wanted do it [win a major] in her teenage years.

“This time, it was more confirmation of playing, that’s she’s doing the right work on a daily basis, and having the right attitude.

“If you continue that, you continue to get better. I really, truly feel like her best years are ahead of her.”

Read Next: Who are Coco Gauff’s parents? Candi and Corey moved back in with parents to fund Coco’s dream

The post ‘Proud’ Corey Gauff reveals where he watched daughter Coco’s French Open triumph appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu got her campaign at the new WTA 500 tournament at the Queen’s Club in London off to a flying start and she got an instant rankings boost from her win against Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa.

The British No 2 is now on course to take over the top spot in her national rankings from Katie Boulter after this win, as she jumped up to No 37 in the live WTA Rankings after this win.

It means she is one place above Boulter, who she played doubles win as they won their opening match at Queen’s on Monday.

“I must say I was quite locked in today,” said Raducanu. “I’m very pleased with my performance. I was a little bit nervous for sure at the beginning, it’s my first time playing on this court at Queen’s in London, and the support is incredible.

“I’m still trying to find my groove on this surface. There are certain shots that I feel like I am a little bit late on, so I’m working on that.

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“I knew today was going to be a very difficult match. I actually lost to Cristina earlier on in the year, so I was really trying to fight and make sure that didn’t happen again.

“I was really trying to fight and get myself into the second round, because I just want to stay here playing at Queen’s as many matches as I possibly can.”

When asked how she felt to be playing on the newly renamed Andy Murray Arena, Raducanu added: “It’s incredibly special.

“I saw the arena, it’s amazing what Andy achieved here and he’s such an inspiration to all of us. To see him open up this court yesterday was amazing.

“For us girls to have this tournament here finally, after watching the TV and seeing the men play [here], is really nice.”

Boulter could still finish this week as British No 1 if she has a good week at Queen’s and she started her campaign with a battling win against Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic.

The Brit looked in troubled as she was well beaten in the second set of her match, but she battled back to win 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4.

“I was battling really hard out there. I know how good Ajla is. She has made many quarter-finals at slams and she is very good on this surface,” said Boulter.

“It is never easy coming straight from the clay to the grass and I’m just happy to get through and feel very grateful for all of you guys [for the support].

“It was really difficult. I did feel like I was battling my own mind at times, this surface can do that to you.

“I didn’t feel like I served that great, and I have room to improve, but I’m just happy to be through to the second round.

“I came out yesterday to watch Andy get his first court [named after him], which is special in itself. To get the women back here [at Queen’s] feels very special.

“It’s actually something I dreamt of, having come here the last couple of years to watch the men play, so I’m just really grateful to be on this court.”

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu makes brutally honest confession after winning first match at Queen’s Club

The post Emma Raducanu secures significant rankings breakthrough with Queen’s Club win appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has won her first match on a grass court at the Queen’s Club and she admitted she was filled with nerves before taking to Court No 1 at the iconic London venue.

Raducanu teamed up with British No 1 Katie Boulter to seal a a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Wu Fang-Hsien and Jiang Xinyu.

The 2021 US Open champion is not a doubles expert and has only played in the format on one previous occasion when she partnered Clara Tauson in round one of the 2022 Washington Open.

Many fans at Queen’s club emptied out of Centre Court singles action to watch Raducanu and she made an honest confession as she spoke to the media.

“I was actually very nervous before the match,” said Raducanu “I don’t know if Katie could tell. Probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn’t really necessarily know what to do, but I’m really happy once we got out there. Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I’m just so pleased to get a win on the board.”

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When asked how the decision was made to play doubles at Queen’s the top two women in British tennis suggested they have come close to entering events in recent months and finally decided to take the plunge.

“It kind of came spontaneously, like all things do with us, but it went pretty well,” continued Raducanu.

“We’re just going to keep trying to do as best as we can this week and take it from there.

“I think on the grass, it’s a very quick change to grass from clay, and it’s a very different surface. So I think it helps us to try and get a feel for serving, returning, and playing some live points.

“We are playing Billie Jean King Cup, and we want to put ourselves in the best position possible. So for us, as well, to kind of get some matches on the court together is just good preparation for that, too.”

The cheers wer echoing around the main show court at Queen’s as the match point was won by Raducanu and Boulter, with the tight surrounds of the second show court at the WTA 500 tournament appealing to Raducanu.

“I think sometimes on the smaller courts you get a bigger feel for the match and the atmosphere and the environment because it’s a lot closer, more intimate, and you hear the support more,” she said.

“For me, I love playing on those smaller, outside courts where you really feel the support and the crowd gets into it. I was filling my bottle up, and I was literally having a chat in the stands, because that’s how close it is. But I think it puts a really nice feel to it.”

READ NEXT: How Lois Boisson broke an Emma Raducanu WTA Rankings record with French Open run

The post Emma Raducanu makes brutally honest confession after winning first match at Queen’s Club appeared first on Tennis365.

The French Open is done and dusted, and that can only mean one thing: the start of the grass-court season.

Tournaments are already underway, and it is less than three weeks until the third Grand Slam of the season at Wimbledon.

Here, we look at the ranking points all of the current ATP top 10 will have to defend on grass over the next few weeks.

1) Jannik Sinner – 900

After his French Open final heartbreak, world No 1 Sinner will look to bounce back with a strong grass swing over the next month.

The Italian has 900 ranking points to his name on grass, with 500 title points from the ATP 500 event in Halle, and 400 points from his run to the Wimbledon quarterfinal last season.

2) Carlos Alcaraz – 2,050

Having already successfully defended his French Open title this summer, world No 2 Alcaraz will look to once again defend his Wimbledon title – having won the event in 2023 and 2024.

The Spaniard has 2,000 points to defend as the reigning champion at SW19, and has a further 50 points from Queen’s after his round-two showing in 2024.

3) Alexander Zverev – 400

Having lost ground to the top two after his quarter-final exit at Roland Garros, world No 3 Zverev has the chance to claw back ground this grass-court swing.

The German has just 400 points to defend, with 200 points from his 2024 Halle Open semi-final, and a further 200 from his fourth-round showing at Wimbledon.

4) Jack Draper – 400

Up at a career-high of world No 4, Draper is already guaranteed to drop 250 points across the grass-court swing.

The Brit will not be defending the ATP 250 title he won in Stuttgart twelve months ago, though he has only 100 quarter-final points at Queen’s and just 50 second-round points to defend at Wimbledon.

5) Novak Djokovic – 1,300

Back up to world No 5 after action on the clay, Djokovic will look to reach his seventh straight final at Wimbledon this summer.

The Serbian has 1,300 ranking points to defend from his 2024 runner-up finish, though has nothing else to defend on the grass.

6) Lorenzo Musetti – 1,130

After an amazing rise up the ATP Rankings in the past year, Musetti now has to start defending some of the ranking points he has accumulated.

Sitting at a new career-high of world No 6, the Italian has 330 runner-up points to his name at Queen’s from 2024, and a further 800 points from his run to the Wimbledon semi-final.

7) Taylor Fritz – 750

Having fallen from world No 4 to world No 7 after his early exit from the French Open, US No 1 Fritz faces an intriguing grass-court swing, with a small chunk of points to defend.

Fritz has 100 quarter-final points to his name at Queen’s and 250 titleist points at Eastbourne, before defending 400 quarter-final points at Wimbledon.

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8) Tommy Paul – 950

With a career-high ranking of world No. 8, Paul is another who now starts defending a notable chunk of the ranking points he has accumulated.

The American has just 50 points coming off at the Libema Open, but has 500 titleist points to defend at Queen’s, before 400 quarter-finalist points at SW19.

9) Holger Rune – 200

Back in the top 10 after a solid start to 2025, the grass-court season represents a significant opportunity for Rune.

The Dane has just 200 ranking points to defend for his fourth-round showing at Wimbledon in 2024, with his round-one showing at Queen’s not counted towards his ranking.

10) Alex de Minaur – 650

Looking to get back to winning ways after a second-round defeat at Roland Garros, world No 10 de Minaur will hope to climb back up the rankings this grass swing.

The Australian has 250 points to his name after winning the 2024 Libema Open and 400 Wimbledon quarter-finalist points on his ranking, with his round-one Queen’s exit not factored into his ranking.

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The post The ranking points Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, Zverev & ATP top-10 stars will defend on grass appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2025 WTA Tour’s clay-court campaign is done and dusted and some players made big strides in terms of points in the WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh while others missed out.

The swing was made up of one Grand Slam, two WTA 1000 events, three WTA 500 tournaments and three WTA 250 competitions and nine different players won those tournaments.

Before the start of the red dirt season, Aryna Sabalenka topped the Race To Riyadh standings, which only takes into account the points accumulated during the current season while the official WTA Rankings is based on a rolling 52-week, cumulative system.

Australian Open champion Madison Keys was not too far behind Sabalenka with Mirra Andreeva, Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula were also in the top five.

WTA Race Top 10 on March 31

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 3,580 points
2. Madison Keys – 3,009
3. Mirra Andreeva – 2,565
4. Iga Swiatek – 2,315
5. Jessica Pegula – 1,810
6. Clara Tauson – 1,365
7. Elena Rybakina – 1,320
8. Amanda Anisimova – 1,265
9. Paula Badosa – 1,255
10. Emma Navarro – 1,244
11. Coco Gauff – 1,190
12. Belinda Bencic – 1,172
13. Ekaterina Alexandrova – 991
14. Jasmine Paolini – 970
15. Karolina Muchova – 948

Three-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka remains top after the two-month swing as she added 2,840 points to her tally with the bulk of that coming from finishing runner-up at the French Open (1,300), winning the Madrid Open (1,000) and being a finalist at the Stuttgart Open (325).

But the Belarusian didn’t win the most points as the honour went to newly-crowned Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff.

The American was down in 11th place before her first clay-court event of 2025, but she has surged up to second in the WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh.

Gauff had a good swing before the French Open as she finished runner-up to Sabalenka in Madrid (650) and Jasmine Paolini (650) in Rome.

But earning 2,000 points for her Grand Slam title in Paris boosted her total to 3,408 points, the most during the swing.

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A lot has been made about former world No 1 Swiatek’s slump, but she still picked up 1,343 points with most coming from her semi-finals at the French Open (720) and Madrid (390).

Paolini was outside the top 10 before the first clay tournament of the yar, but her title run at her home event, the Italian Open, has been a big help as she earned 1,550 points and now sits at No 7.

Top 15 In Race On June 10

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 6,420 (+2,840 points)
2. Coco Gauff – 4,598 (+3,580)
3. Madison Keys – 3,780 (+771)
4. Iga Swiatek – 3,658 (1,343)
5. Mirra Andreeva – 3,485 (+920)
6. Jessica Pegula – 2,789 (+979)
7. Jasmine Paolini – 2,470 (+1,550)
8. Elena Rybakina – 2,191 (+871)
9. Elina Svitolina – 2,181 (+1,285)
10. Ekaterina Alexandrova – 1,742 (+751)
11. Amanda Anisimova – 1,721 (+456)
12. Emma Navarro – 1,661 (+417)
13. Clara Tauson – 1,627 (+262)
14. Jelena Ostapenko – 1,572 (+820)

One player who sits just outside the top 15 is Zheng Qinwen as she is at No 16 on 1,458 points after a solid clay campaign. The Chinese star was at No 36 with 520 points on March 31, but has surged up the list.

The post Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff? Who earned the most points during clay-court season? appeared first on Tennis365.

Former Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli gave Jannik Sinner’s rivals one big tip on how to beat the world No 1 and Carlos Alcaraz heeded that advice during the French Open final.

During the early stages of the clay-court Grand Slam, the Frenchwoman stated on Prime Video Sport France: “He’s a puncher, a hitter. He’s made enormous physical progress; today he’s a real athlete.

“[But] we know that the 4:30 mark is a bit of a fatal bar for Sinner. Beyond that, he starts to get stuck physically, but we have to take him beyond 4:30 of play.”

Bartoli’s comment was backed up by statistics as Sinner has a poor record in long matches as at that point he had lost all six of his matches that were longer than three hours and 50 minutes.

In case you were wondering, the 2024 Australian Open final against Daniil Medvedev lasted three hours and 44 minutes.

Six defeats became seven after the Roland Garros final against Alcaraz as that also went the distance.

It became clear that during the latter stages of the match that the Spaniard had more in the tank than his opponent with Alcaraz eventually winning 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-2) in five hours in 29 minutes with the match the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era.

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The Italian is now 6-10 in matches that have gone to a fifth set and he has lost eight of his last nine Grand Slam matches that have gone to a decider.

Three of those defeats have come against Alcaraz while Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Medvedev and Daniel Altmaier have also claimed wins.

Sinner was asked about fading physically late during long matches following his devastating loss to Alcaraz in Paris.

“No, you cannot compare this match with other matches, I believe,” he said.

“Physically I was quite fine. Of course, tired. He was tired too, you know, because it was physical match. It was mental match. What can you do? You know, now knowing the result, it is what it is, you know? You can’t really change it.

“I’m still happy to be part of this match. You know, I think it was a very, very high-level match, was long. Yeah, and it happens. You know, we saw it in the past with other players, and today it happened to me.

“So we try to delete it somehow and take the positive and keep going. There are no other ways.”

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Emma Raducanu may be just one win away from a hugely significant rankings breakthrough, as she looks to make her mark on grass courts once again.

The 2021 US Open champion is one of the star attractions at this week’s HSBC Championships in London, as the brand new WTA 500 tournament is being played out in front of big crowds at The Queen’s Club.

Raducanu has plenty of ranking points to defend over the next few weeks, as she reached the semi-finals at the Nottingham Open, the quarter-finals at Eastbourne and the last 16 at Wimbledon during the 2024 grass court season.

Yet she has entered a second WTA 500 tournament in Berlin next week and if she does well in Germany and at Queen’s, she could lead ahead of Katie Boulter and reclaim the British No 1 ranking.

Raducanu will move above Boulter in the live WTA Rankings if she wins her first round match at Queen’s against Spanish star Cristina Bucsa.

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She could then move towards the top 32 of the rankings if she goes on good run in her next two events, which would be enough to earn a seeding for Wimbledon.

Raducanu and Boulter’s battle for the British No 1 ranking is heating up, but they are not allowing that scuffle to affect their growing friendship and the duo team up impressively to win a first round double match at The Queen’s Club on Monday.

Now the duo are focusing on their singles matches and Raducanu will be hoping her body holds up after she suffered with back spasms that have hampered her ambitions in recent weeks.

“I have had a small interruption with a back spasm again so that was a bit annoying,” revealed Raducani.

“That kind of hindered my grass prep, but the last few days I have managed to get on the grass and just begin to feel my feet.

“I can’t really predict the future, and how it’s going to be. I know I’ve been managing my back for the last few weeks now.

“It can be frustrating. When I was playing in Strasbourg in my ­second‑round match it definitely hindered me, and in the first round in Paris when I got through. But I try not to let it get to me. I just have to manage it and take care of it when things happen.

“Overall, I just have to manage what I can take care of and if these things happen, I just need to deal with it and just keep doing the right things

“But I try not to let it get to me, because I think I have a pretty good feel of when it happens what to do and how to manage it. It does take a few days out, but all I can do is kind of deal with what’s in front of me.”

Raducanu is stepping back into the spotlight in her English homeland after a challenging year that included an incident involving a fan displaying ‘fixated behaviour’ towards her in Dubai back in February.

She spoke to the BBC about the incident and how it has left a lasting impact on her.

“I’ve definitely noticed a difference in how people are watching my back when I’m on the site [at tournaments],” said Raducanu

“I’m obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you’re in that situation and I don’t necessarily want to be in that situation again.

“But off the court right now, I feel good. I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was kind of negative I’m just like trying to brush it off as much as I can.”

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