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  • Carlos Alcaraz has been set ‘absurd’ Grand Slam targets claims former British No 1

    Carlos Alcaraz’s Netflix documentary threw up plenty of talking points, with the targets being set for the 21-year-old Spaniard sparking a big debate.

    Alcaraz has already won four Grand Slam titles in what has been a sensational start to his career, but it was clear that the team working with him are piling the pressure on to try and take him to the levels of excellence achieved by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

    The three greatest players of all-time have won a total of 66 Grand Slam titles between them, as they re-wrote the record books in tennis and good the levels of achievement to previously unimaginable levels.

    Yet Alcaraz’s manager Albert Molina and his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, suggested their young charge needed to change his attitude if he wanted to win as many major titles as the greatest players of all time.

    “I’m starting to doubt whether Carlos can become the greatest player in history because of his approach to work and sacrifice. It’s so different from the Big 3,” said Ferrero in the documentary.

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    He was also shown talking to Alcaraz as he gave him advice that confirmed he didn’t agree with his decision to take time away from tennis.

    “We must learn from our mistakes,” said Ferrero. “You need to find the balance between vacation, training, and motivation. And it’s not easy. You were invited to a Formula 1 weekend, which I didn’t think was right for you, but you went anyway.

    “There will be many times when I won’t agree with you. There will be plenty of moments when you’ll want to do something else. As you mature, you’ll understand what you need and what you really should be doing.

    “We’re here to help you and tell you things. Novak is extremely careful with his diet, he sleeps as much as he needs to, and he trains as much as he must. It’s absolute dedication to being the greatest of all time.”

    Now former British No 1 Laura Robson had hit out at those comments, as she suggested the levels of expectations being placed onto Alcaraz’s shoulders are not realistic.

    “It was an interesting documentary because it showed how much pressure he puts on himself and also from his team,” Robson told Sky Sports Tennis.

    “They are talking about wanting to get to three or four Grand Slams a year and if we do it for this many years, we will hit Novak’s numbers.

    “To be even thinking about that is kind of absurd.

    “We’ve had the best three players of all-time back-to-back-to-back in Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and for anyone to try and hit those heights would be unheard of.

    “For anyone to finish a career with four or five Slams, that is already amazing. And yet we are trying to get people into the 20s.”

    Former British No 1 Tim Henman also gave his verdict on Alcaraz’s Netflix film, as he suggested discipline will be needed for the Spaniard to have any hope of having a career to match the game’s all-time greats.

    “The reality is, the very best have good habits, whatever the event,” said Henman.

    “With Alcaraz, we are in a conversation with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and that’s the slight question mark with Alcaraz. I love watching him play, he’s absolutely brilliant, but there are times when he lacks the discipline around shot selection.

    “When you are talking about building that Grand Slam tally and getting into double figures, that’s the question mark for me.”

    READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz’s biggest flaw highlighted by Tim Henman ahead of French Open

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  • Andre Agassi offers an alternative verdict on the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner showdown

    Jannik Sinner appears to be an unstoppable force in the men’s game after his stunning return to action at the Italian Open, but tennis legend Andre Agassi believes he could be stopped by his great rival Carlos Alcaraz at the upcoming French Open.

    Sinner has snapped back into top form after a three-month doping suspension to turn in some powerful performances in front of his home fans in Rome.

    That has led many to conclude the world No 1 is the favourite to succeed Alcaraz as French Open champion at Roland Garros, but Agassi offered up an alternative view to the Tennis Channel.

    “What impresses me most about Alcaraz, although I believe he still has many things to improve, is when I’ve seen him on grass or slippery ground, his way of slowing down, especially compared to other faster opponents like Tommy Paul or Alex De Minaur,” said Agassi.

    “These two, for instance, lose a lot of their confidence and balance whenever they step onto clay or grass, they don’t move the same. Paul has had great success against Alcaraz, but it’s always been on hard courts.

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    “I don’t know how Alcaraz manages not to lose all these components when switching to other surfaces; it’s like a spaceship playing against regular planes, his strength, balance, and agility are always there.

    “On grass, it’s amazing how he reaches every ball, covers drop shots, moves athletically as if it were nothing. I suppose the secret lies in his legs, where all that strength comes from. When he competes on these two surfaces, he starts with that advantage, as long as he’s healthy and feels the ball well.”

    While Agassi likes Alcaraz’s chances of beating Sinner on clay and grass courts, he admits the Italian is close to being unstoppable on hard courts.

    Sinner has won the last three Grand Slams on hard courts in Australian and America, with Agassi suggesting that dominance will continue.

    “When you see Sinner playing on hard courts, the feeling is that he can handle all these balls, there’s a lot of action on the court, but Jannik is able to get on top of that ball, even overcome the effects and rotation of Carlos’s ball,” he stated.

    “The way Sinner strikes the ball is by punishing it, but always with intentionality and maximum energy. When he starts playing this way, especially on hard courts, as he did in the last US Open, it’s hard to stop.”

    When asked whether he feels Alcaraz or Sinner would end up with the most Grand Slam titles, Agassi added: “It’s a fascinating question, perhaps the question of the moment, given what both are achieving and what they already represent for the world of sports.

    “People wonder who of the two will end up being better, who will have a better career. Whatever we say will be more of a prediction than reality, but for me, the key is that Alcaraz is above any slippery condition he may face, that’s where his great opportunity to outdo Sinner lies.”

    READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz betters Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as he powers into Italian Open final

    The post Andre Agassi offers an alternative verdict on the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner showdown appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Carlos Alcaraz betters Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as he powers into Italian Open final

    Carlos Alcaraz has joined some of the game’s all-time greats after booking his place in the Italian Open final for the first time.

    In a thrilling contest in front of a passionate Rome crowd, Alcaraz beat Italian favourite Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 7-6[4] in a contest laced with drama and intrigue.

    Alcaraz came into this tournament with doubts over his fitness levels after he was forced to pull out of the Madrid Masters, but he has confirmed he is ready to take on the game’s best with his strong run in the Italian capital.

    “Today was a really difficult day with the conditions, the wind was tough to play with,” said Alcaraz, quoted on the ATP Tour website.

    “It wasn’t about playing brilliant, spectacular tennis. It was about playing smart tennis, playing solid, going to the point when you can, and waiting for the chance to play aggressively.

    “I think I did that pretty well, I stayed strong mentally when things didn’t go to my side.

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    “Today the crowd was for Lorenzo. So it wasn’t easy. It was great honestly. The atmosphere was great. I have to say thank you for them being respectful as well.

    “Obviously, there are some times they were cheering for him in some moments between serves or whatever. But in general they were respectful. So I have to thank them.”

    “In the final, let’s see who I’m gonna play against. Both are playing great.”

    The win saw Alcaraz carve himself some more records that put him alongside the all-time greats of the game, with his level of consistency even better than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal this stage of his career.

    Since 1973, Alcaraz now trails only three players for winning percentage against ATP top 10 opponents, with Bjorn Borg, Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker ahead of him in this statistic.

    This win against world No 9 Musetti took Alcaraz’s record of wins against top ten oppponents to 65%, with a 39-21 winning record against players ranked in the ATP’s elite list.

    In addition, since the introduction of ATP 1000 tournaments in 1990, Alcaraz (26.7%, 8/30) is now one of four to reach the final from 25+% of ATP Masters 1000 main draws entered, along with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.

    He also surpassed his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Alcaraz (22y 2d) is the second-youngest player to reach the final at three ATP Masters 1000 events on clay, older than only Rafael Nadal, who reached the Hamburg final in 2008 final aged 20 years 345 days.

    READ NEXT: French Open men’s singles projected seeds: Sinner at No 1, Djokovic could be as low as No 7

    The post Carlos Alcaraz betters Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as he powers into Italian Open final appeared first on Tennis365.

  • French Open men’s singles projected seeds: Sinner at No 1, Djokovic could be as low as No 7

    Jannik Sinner will be the top seed at a fourth consecutive Grand Slam while Novak Djokovic could be as low as seventh for the clay-court Grand Slam.

    Djokovic was the top seed at Roland Garros a year ago, but he lost his No 1 spot in the ATP Rankings after the tournament and has slipped down the list ever since.

    Sinner was the man to replace the 24-time Grand Slam winner at the top and nearly a year later the Italian is still sitting pretty at No 1 and will thus occupy first place in the draw sheet for the clay-court major.

    The French Open seedings will be based on ATP Rankings on May 19, 2025, and there was one big move behind Sinner as Carlos Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev to the No 2 seeding during the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome and the Spaniard will headline the bottom half of the draw.

    Alcaraz won the title last year when he was seeded third behind Djokovic and Sinner.

    If the seedings hold, then Zverev will face either Sinner or Alcaraz in the semi-final while he could be paired with Djokovic in the quarter-final.

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    Zverev is followed by Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper after the latter secured his highest-ever seeding for a Grand Slam following his recent impressive form.

    Djokovic currently occupies the sixth position in the rankings, but he could still drop to No 7 as Lorenzo Musetti (currently eighth) remains alive at the Italian Open.

    Musetti faces Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final and if he wins he will climb two spots to No 6, moving ahead of Djokovic and Casper Ruud.

    But the top eight for Roland Garros are confirmed as Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, Fritz, Draper, Djokovic/Ruud/Musetti will each occupy their own section in the main draw and cannot face each other before the quarter-finals.

    Projected French Open men’s singles seeds (Live Rankings May 16)

    1. Jannik Sinner
    2. Carlos Alcaraz
    3. Alexander Zverev
    4. Taylor Fritz
    5. Jack Draper
    6. Novak Djokovic
    7. Casper Ruud
    8. Lorenzo Musetti
    9. Alex de Minaur
    10. Holger Rune
    11. Daniil Medvedev
    12. Tommy Paul
    13. Ben Shelton
    14. Arthur Fils
    15. Frances Tiafoe
    16. Grigor Dimitrov
    17. Andrey Rublev
    18. Francisco Cerundolo
    19. Jakub Mensik
    20. Stefanos Tsitsipas
    21. Tomas Machac
    22. Ugo Humbert
    23. Sebastian Korda
    24. Karen Khachanov
    25. Alexei Popyrin
    26. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
    27. Denis Shapovalov
    28. Matteo Berrettini
    29. Felix Auger-Aliassime
    30. Brandon Nakashima
    31. Hubert Hurkacz
    32. Alex Michelsen

    Daniil Medvedev won’t be among the top-eight seeds of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2019 as he has slipped out of the top 10 while Stefanos Tsitsipas recent poor form means he could face one of the big hitters early in the tournament as he is set to be seeded 20th.

    If one of the top 32 players withdraws from the main draw then those below them will move into the seeding positions.

    Just outside the top 32:

    33. Flavio Cobolli
    34. Tallon Griekspoor
    35. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

    But there is good news for Cobolli, Griekspoor and Mpetshi Perricard as they could still move up the rankings as they are competing in ATP Challenger Tour events this week and all three are still alive.

    The post French Open men’s singles projected seeds: Sinner at No 1, Djokovic could be as low as No 7 appeared first on Tennis365.

  • 5 reasons why you HAVE to be at the new Queen’s Club WTA event this June

    5 reasons why you HAVE to be at the new Queen’s Club WTA event this June

    A sparkling new WTA Tour event is set to light up The Queen’s Club next month, with the quality of the entry list highlighting the significance of the new addition to the grass-court season.

    Britain’s Emma Raducanu is one of a whole heap of stellar names taking part as women’s tennis returns to the historic Queen’s Club for the first time in over 50 years for The HSBC Championships.

    The WTA 500 tournament will get underway on June 9, a week before another star cast list takes to the courts at The Queen’s Club when Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper and some of the biggest names in men’s tennis play in the iconic ATP 500 tournament.

    Here is a rundown on why you need to be at The Queen’s Club as women’s tennis returns to the grounds for the first time in more than half a century – and information on how you can experience the event in style in hospitality.

    The star names

    As well as 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, there are five other Grand Slam champions taking part, with former world No 1 Naomi Osaka, former Wimbledon champions Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova, Elena Rybakina, and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys all set to feature in the WTA main draw.

    The event will also include British No 1 Katie Boulter and four of the world’s top 10 in Jessica Pegula, Keys, Emma Navarro, and Paris 2024 Olympic Champion Zheng Qinwen.

    In the men’s ATP 500 tournament, former Queen’s Club champion Alcaraz leads a field that will also include world No 5 Draper, with Denmark’s Holger Rune and America’s Ben Shelton also playing and a few more big names are set to be confirmed imminently.

    At an iconic venue

    Established in 1886, The Queen’s Club is one of the most iconic and historic sporting venues in the country.

    And in tennis terms, it’s been host to one of the oldest tournaments in the world, The Queen’s Club Championships, since 1890.

    Held in the break between the end of the French Open and the start of Wimbledon, the tournament, now known as the HSBC Championships, heralds the start of summer sport in the UK and seems to almost always be played out in beautiful conditions.

    And with a Centre Court capacity of around 9,000, a fair bit lower than Wimbledon a few miles down the road, Queen’s Club offers a feeling of intimacy with fans, quite literally, in touching distance of some of the game’s top stars.

    In a major WTA event

    With the exception of a three-year hiatus between 1974 and 1976, only the World Wars and coronavirus pandemic have stopped the men’s tournament from being held since its inception.

    But this will be the first time professional women’s tennis has been at Queens’s Club in 52 years, with the last edition taking place way back in 1973. It’s a WTA 500 tournament, too, and could have an impact on the seedings for the third Grand Slam of the year at Wimbledon.

    With no WTA 1000 1000 tournaments on grass courts, this event at The Queen’s Club will be the biggest prize on offer in this phase of the tennis year.

    An exceptional fan experience

    With tickets for the HSBC Championship almost sold out, snapping up a hospitality package may be the only way to guarantee your seat to watch the best of women’s and men’s tennis in London this summer.

    And Keith Prowse, the official hospitality partner of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), has launched The View, a new premium experience at The Queen’s Club that offers the opportunity to make an amazing experience even more magical.

    The introduction of The View means there are now a comprehensive suite of seven hospitality experiences to choose from, catering to a diverse range of preferences. These experiences range from the relaxed and social ‘Informal’ through to the ultimate luxury of the ‘Super Premium’.

    The View was meticulously crafted in close collaboration with the LTA team and launched following the tournament’s record-breaking annual sales cycle in 2024.

    Benefits include a VIP lane at the main entrance that leads straight into a first-floor space with fantastic views, an inside/outside sit-up bar, a pamper space, and several smaller areas to have conversations as well as a larger informal area around the kitchen.

    And as well as premium seats in the North Stand, just behind the players, you’ll also get access to an exclusive balcony that allows you to watch the stars warming up on the practice courts. There really is no better way to kick off summer.

    A new standard for women’s sport hospitality

    Women’s sport has witnessed a significant boom over the past 10 years – attendance, media prominence and more – but this phenomenon is perhaps less so represented when it comes to women’s sports hospitality…

    That changes NOW, with the launch of HERStory, a female-driven and delivered premium experience, with the industry-first iteration being served on June 12 and 13 to celebrate the return of professional women’s tennis to Queen’s – and with profits benefiting the LTA Tennis Foundation.

    With former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallagher hosting guests at The Queen’s Club for the WTA 500 tournament, this will be a tennis experience like no other.

    Keith Prowse's HerStory

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    “This player list is yet further confirmation that spectators are in for a brilliant opening week of tennis at the HSBC Championships. These women are some of the fiercest competitors on the WTA Tour, and with so many grand slam winners set to take to the courts, the standard of tennis on show will be immense as they battle to be the first women’s winner at the Queen’s Club for over half a century.

    “I first remember coming to Queen’s as a 10-year-old and watching the men’s event, so now to have women’s tennis back in London for the first time in 50 years and have the line-up that we do, it’s a massive honour and I can’t wait to get it going.”

    Choose your hospitality experience at Queen’s Club today with Keith Prowse

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  • French Open women’s singles projected seeds: Iga Swiatek set for lowest seeding in three years

    Only one Italian Open match remains and it could have a big impact on defending champion Iga Swiatek’s seeding at the French Open.

    Four-time Roland Garros winner Swiatek has already had a setback in her seeding as she is guaranteed to slip from No 2 to No 4 in the WTA Rankings after the WTA 1000 event in Rome.

    But she could drop to fifth in the standings if Jasmine Paolini goes on to beat Coco Gauff and win the trophy at Foro Italico.

    The seedings for the French Open are based on the WTA Rankings on May 19, 2025, and Aryna Sabalenka is assured of being the top seed with Gauff second and Jessica Pegula third, but the fourth and fifth positions will only be decided after the Italian Open final.

    Despite her quarter-final exit in Rome, Sabalenka sits comfortably at the top on 10,683 points in the Live Rankings and she is followed by Gauff (6,863/7,213) and Pegula (6,308).

    It is the second major in a row where Sabalenka is the top seed as she was also at No 1 at the Australian Open after Swiatek dominated the top spot the previous few years.

    Swiatek is currently in fourth place after she failed to defend her WTA 1000 trophy and she has 5,838 points while Paolini is fifth on 5,515, but the Italian will move to 5,865 points if she wins the final.

    The other players who will be seeded in the top eight are Mirra Andreeva, Madison Keys and Zheng Qinwen with Emma Navarro and Paula Badosa completing the top 10.

    Projected French Open women’s singles seeds (Live Rankings May 16)

    1. Aryna Sabalenka
    2. Coco Gauff
    3. Jessica Pegula
    4. Iga Swiatek
    5. Jasmine Paolini
    6. Mirra Andreeva
    7. Madison Keys
    8. Zheng Qinwen
    9. Emma Navarro
    10. Paula Badosa
    11. Diana Shnaider
    12. Elena Rybakina
    13. Karolina Muchova
    14. Elina Svitolina
    15. Barbora Krejcikova
    16. Amanda Anisimova
    17. Daria Kasatkina
    18. Donna Vekic
    19. Ludmilla Samsonova
    20. Jelena Ostapenko
    21. Clara Tauson
    22. Ekaterina Alexandrova
    23. Beatriz Haddad Maia
    24. Elise Mertens
    25. Magdalena Frech
    26. Marta Kostyuk
    27. Peyton Stearns
    28. Leylah Fernandez
    29. Linda Noskova
    30. Anna Kalinskaya
    31. Sofia Kenin
    32. Yulia Putintseva

    The top eight players can’t face each other before the quarter-finals as they will each be placed in their own section of the main draw for the clay-court major while Sabalenka will headline the top half of the draw and Gauff will go into the bottom half.

    The next two (Pegula and one of Swiatek and Paolini) will also be split.

    If Swiatek ends up as the fifth seed, she could face one of the top two as early as the last eight.

    Fourth or fifth will be the five-time Grand Slam winner’s lowest seeding at Roland Garros since 2021 when she was seeded eighth as she has been the top seed the past three editions.

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    Unlike at WTA 1000 events, the seeded players do not enjoy byes in the Grand Slams and they all have to win seven matches to secure the title.

    Reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova is set to be seeded 15th, but there are doubts over whether or not she will play as she has not featured so far this year. The Czech is set to play in Strasbourg next week, but it remains to be seen if she will be fit enough.

    Just outside the cut

    Should any of the players in the top 32 withdraw from the French Open, then the following players are next in line to be seeded:
    33. Magda Linette
    34. Olga Danilović
    35. Ons Jabeur

    Meanwhile, Krejcikova is one of eight Grand Slam winners who are set to be seeded with the others being Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, Keys, Rybakina, Ostapenko and Kenin.

    The post French Open women’s singles projected seeds: Iga Swiatek set for lowest seeding in three years appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Casper Ruud finds the only suitable word to describe Jannik Sinner’s incredible performance

    Jannik Sinner produced one of the best performances of his career to beat Casper Ruud 6-0, 6-1 to reach the Italian Open semi-finals, with the victim of this demolition job laughing as he met his opponent at the net.

    Sky Sports commentator described Sinner’s display as “some of the best tennis we’ve ever seen” and Ruud struggled to feel disappointed after he was beaten by a flawless display.

    Ruud, won the Madrid Masters title earlier this week and is established as one of the giants of the clay courts, was in a philosophical mood as he accepted his fate.

    “It’s as near as perfect that I witnessed, at least as a player playing someone. Just got to give it to him,” said Ruud.

    “I mean, the first four games, I did maybe a couple unforced errors with my forehand where I went for it, but I missed. Everything else that came out of his racquet and throughout the whole match, as well, feels like a hundred miles an hour plus.

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    “Every single shot from the forehand, from the backhand. Even on my shots that I feel at times are pretty heavy, it comes back just firing. It’s just immensely impressive. That’s really all I can say.

    “It doesn’t feel so bad honestly. I think it was more fun than anything, even though I lost 6-0, 6-1.

    “You just look at the guy and say; this is kind of, yeah, next-level stuff. I don’t know what else to say. It was almost fun to witness at the same time.

    “Of course, I wish it was a closer match. I wish I could have given the people and the fans a longer, closer match, but I think that I was there ready to play, but he was just even readier.

    “Every area of my good shots he matched with even better back. I couldn’t re-answer with a better shot. That was just the story of the match.”

    Sinner insisted he would not get carried away by one perfect performance as he looked ahead to a semi-final against Tommy Paul.

    “I felt great on court. I think we all saw that,” said Sinner.

    “My goal was trying to understand where my level is this tournament. It raised day by day. So I’m very happy about that. The result doesn’t really matter. But how I felt today was very positive signs for me.

    “Everything can change in one day. It’s not that one performance can tell everything of my shape now. But I’m very happy. I think today everything worked very well. I served well. Returned well. Moving great on court. Very happy about that. Let’s see what’s coming in the semis.

    “Every one of us has one or two opponents where we struggle a bit more. I tried to replicate what I’ve done in the past today on a different surface. I was hitting very well the ball.

    “These conditions… playing at night against Casper is a bit better in my point of view because he can’t make the ball bounce as much. Everything went my favor today. Some net cords. Some lines. The match can change very quickly… if I didn’t serve well at 2-1, we’re even again. Could’ve been a game changer. I’m happy how I handled the situation.”

    READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner’s ‘frightening’ performance sends shockwaves through tennis

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  • Emma Raducanu set a demanding rankings target as she looks to seal big climb

    Emma Raducanu has added another clay court tournament to her schedule ahead of the French Open and she will have her sights set on a significant rankings breakthrough when the Internationaux de Strasbourg tournament that gets underway on Monday.

    Raducanu was reluctant to play in clay court tournaments last year and even decided to pull out of qualifying for the French Open as she prioritised preparing for grass court events in her British homeland.

    Her stance has changed in 2025 and after some impressive wins at the Madrid Open and Italian Open, Raducanu has accepted a wildcard into the WTA 500 tournament in Strasbourg.

    The 2021 US Open champion will join a strong field in Strasbourg, with Ekaterina Alexandrova is the highest-ranked player to enter the draw in and former world No 2 Paula Badosa is also on the entry list in Strasbourg, but she is also an injury doubt after pulling out of recent events.

    World No 35 Danielle Collins has entered to play in Strasbourg and she will be a player to watch after her impressive win against Iga Swiatek at the Italian Open.

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    Raducanu could also face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, in what would be a repeat of the 2021 US Open final that was won by the Brit.

    She will fancy her chances of making progress and if she can pick up more momentum in Strasbourg, she could head into the French Open as the British No 1 once again.

    Raducanu is just four places behind compatriot Katie Boulter in the live rankings and her decision to enter a WTA 125 event in Paris this week has strengthened her grip on the British No 1 ranking.

    Boulter lost her opening match at the Italian Open and decided to play in Paris to get some extra match practice on clay, with wins against Erika Andreeva and Daria Saville boosting her confidence ahead of an appearance at Roland Garros.

    Raducanu will get a gauge on how many wins she needs in Strasbourg to take over as British No 1 when Boulter finishes her campaign in Paris, but it looks like a run to the semi-finals at the very least will be needed.

    That may seem realistic for a player who is starting to relish the challenge of playing on clay courts, as she confirmed after a defeat against Coco Gauff at the Italian Open.

    “I would love to just keep improving, keep playing. I think that’s a positive for me,” said Raducanu.

    “I don’t want to go and hide in a hole somewhere, I want to get back out there, so that’s good.

    “We’ll see how it goes in the next week before the French, if I get into Strasbourg. But, for now, I’ve played a good 12 days on the trot, so I’m looking forward to a day off or so and then getting back to it.”

    Former British No 1 Tim Henman has hinted that All England Club seeding may be in Raducanu’s sights, as she appears to be embracing the challenge of improving her game on clay courts.

    “When you reflect on Emma Raducanu’s clay court season so far, I think it’s incredibly positive,” Henman told Sky Sports Tennis.

    “The clay courts at Roland Garros are the truest and best clay courts. They are the ones where you can take the ball early.

    “I think that will suit Emma more. Her game is moving in the right direction.”

    “I think she is around 42 in the live rankings. The number in the back of my mind is 32 pre-Wimbledon. Can she get to be seeded and have protection in the early rounds on grass?”

    READ NEXT: WTA Rankings Winners & Losers Italian Open: Gauff back at No 2, Swiatek’s big slump, Raducanu, Eala rise

    The post Emma Raducanu set a demanding rankings target as she looks to seal big climb appeared first on Tennis365.

  • WTA Rankings Winners & Losers Italian Open: Gauff back at No 2, Swiatek’s big slump, Raducanu, Eala rise

    Iga Swiatek’s three-year stay in the top two of the WTA Rankings will come to an end after the Italian Open while Coco Gauff was the big winner among the top three.

    Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek has endured a nightmare clay-court season compared to her usual high standards as last year she won the Madrid Open, Italian Open and French Open.

    The Pole started the 2025 red dirt campaign with 7,470 points, but she failed to defend her semi-final points from last year in Stuttgart as well as her 2024 title in Madrid.

    Those dropped points put her under huge pressure ahead of the Italian Open with Gauff and Jessica Pegula on her heels.

    WTA Top 10 Before Italian Open

    1. Aryna Sabalenka – 11,118 points
    2. Iga Swiatek – 6,773
    3. Coco Gauff – 6,603
    4. Jessica Pegula – 6,243
    5. Jasmine Paolini – 4,875
    6. Madison Keys – 4,824
    7. Mirra Andreeva – 4,781
    8. Zheng Qinwen – 4,193
    9. Emma Navarro – 3,797
    10. Paula Badosa – 3,761

    After producing her second-worst performance in Rome following a third-round exit, Swiatek will slip to No 4 in the rankings with Gauff and Pegula moving ahead of her. The Pole is effectively -935 in the rankings.

    It is the first time since 2022 that Swiatek will drop out of the top two with Gauff back at No 2 for the first time since August 2024.

    World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka missed an opportunity to really put a marker down ahead of Roland Garros after losing in the quarter-final against Zheng Qinwen. Sabalenka will drop 435 points as she finished runner-up to Swiatek last year.

    Mirra Andreeva is the other player to move up in the top 10 after her run to the quarter-final with Madison Keys down one spot to No 7, but Zheng – who faces Gauff next – could move up to No 7 if she reaches the final.

    WTA Top 10 Live Rankings

    1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,683 points
    2. Coco Gauff – 6,593 (+1)
    3. Jessica Pegula – 6,243 (+1)
    4. Iga Swiatek – 5,838 (-2)
    5. Jasmine Paolini – 5,255
    6. Mirra Andreeva – 4,985 (+1)
    7. Madison Keys – 4,620 (-1)
    8. Zheng Qinwen – 4,368
    9. Emma Navarro – 3,721
    10. Paula Badosa – 3,641

    Other Big Winners

    American Peyton Stearns has reached the semi-final of a WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career and she has already earned new career-high as she is guaranteed to rise into the top 30.

    The 23-year-old currently sits at No 26 in the Live Rankings following a 16-place surge while she could move up to No 23 if she beats Paolini in the semi-final.

    Emma Raducanu also had a decent outing in Rome as she reached the fourth round for the first time before losing against Gauff. The 22-year-old’s three wins has resulted in a seven-place jump to No 42, just two places behind British No 1 Katie Boulter.

    Rising star Alex Eala lost in the first round, but she is set to climb six places to a career-high No 64 as several others dropped down the list after failing to defend points from 2024.

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    WTA Rankings: Iga Swiatek’s unique feat set to continue after Italian Open exit

    Hailey Baptiste will be one of the biggest risers in the top 100 when the rankings are updated on Monday as she will jump 24 places to a new best of 66 after reaching the round of 32.

    Former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu, who is still on the comeback trail following a series of injury setbacks, will climb 19 places to No 102.

    Also outside the top 100, teenager Victoria Mboko will move up 24 places to No 132 after the 18-year-old Canadian came through qualifying and reached the second round.

    Other Big Losers

    Danielle Collins reached the semi-final in 2024 and she ended Swiatek’s title defence in the third round, but she was also a loser in the rankings as she lost her next round. The American will drop 11 places to No 46.

    Former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka is projected to slide 15 places to Non 69 after losing in the round of 64.

    Maria Sakkari is close to exiting the top 100. The Greek came through qualifying but then lost in the second round with her net result an 11-place drop to No 92.

    The post WTA Rankings Winners & Losers Italian Open: Gauff back at No 2, Swiatek’s big slump, Raducanu, Eala rise appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Carlos Alcaraz’s biggest flaw highlighted by Tim Henman ahead of French Open

    Carlos Alcaraz appears to be reaching peak form ahead of the defence of his French Open title, but former British No 1 Tim Henman has suggested there are weak spots in the Spaniard’s game.

    Draper was one win away from climbing up to No 4 in the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career and while the 6-4, 6-4 scoreline may have looked comfortable for Alcaraz, this match could have swung in another direction if Draper had taken his chances.

    “Carlos was better tactically and emotionally than me. I sit here very frustrated with my match today,” Draper told Sky Sports Tennis.

    “I could have tactically changed a few things better and I think emotionally I was too negative.

    “A lot of that is how much tennis I’ve played, but top players bring that out of you, and Carlos was the better player and deserved to win. I’ve got to keep on working on being more physical. It’s a bit more of a chess game on clay and I’m still learning.

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    “I am looking forward to going back to Roland-Garros after last year, which was a disappointing one. I feel like I’ve never really played really good, confident tennis there, so I am looking forward to that. I’m hungry to get there and carry on this form on the clay courts.”

    Alcaraz now holds a 4-2 winning record against Draper, after the Spaniard suggested he was concerned about the weapons Draper brings onto a tennis court after his defeat against Draper at Indian Wells in March.

    Draper can take encouragement that he was competitive against Alcaraz on his favoured clay courts, but Henman believes there are flaws in his game that could undermine his ambitions going into the French Open.

    Alcaraz has slumped to some surprising defeats over the last year and Henman believes his occasional dips in concentration are an issue that he needs to address.

    “The one area I have reflected on with Alcaraz for some time is shot selection,” Henman told Sky Sports Tennis.

    “Shot selection is around concentration, clarity of thought and when I watched him play today [against Draper], it was erratic.

    “He does hit some amazing shots, but he throws in a double fault when you are least expecting it and he goes for a crazy shot and misses it.

    “For me, there isn’t quite the discipline and intensity at this event. I would expect that to change in a Grand Slam.

    “That, for me, is what makes him the favourite on clay, with his movement on clay and his ability to hit those shots at Roland Garros. I think he’ll win the French.”

    Henman went on to suggest Alcaraz still has some way to go to match the levels of intensity of the game’s all-time greats, as he mentioned Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal an Novak Djokovic.

    “The reality is, the very best have good habits whatever the event,” he added.

    “With Alcaraz, we are in a conversation with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and that’s the slight question mark with Alcaraz. I love watching him play, he’s absolutely brillant, but there there are times when he lacks the discipline around shot selection.

    “When you are talking about building that Grand Slam tally and getting into double figures, that’s the question mark for me.”

    READ NEXT: 5 men with the best win rate against top 5 players: Carlos Alcaraz 2nd, Novak Djokovic 5th

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