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Elena Rybakina suffered a shock second round defeat to Alexandra Eala at the Berlin Open to continue her woes during the grass court swing.

Rybakina started her season on the grass at Queen’s, where she was surprisingly defeated by Katie Boulter in the quarter-final of the London event.

The Australian Open champion’s time on the grass did not get any better in Berlin, as she was beaten comfortably in straight sets by Eala.

The World No. 2 signed up for several grass court events on the notoriously short swing, but she has dropped her final one just before Wimbledon.

Rybakina will no longer play Bad Homburg in Germany, which is set to take place between the 20th and 27th June in Germany.

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In a statement shared by the tournament, Rybakina said: “Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from Bad Homburg due to some discomfort in my right hip.

“I need to consult with my medical team and undergo further assessment before making any decisions about the next steps. Thank you for your understanding and support.”

The star has played three matches on grass ahead of Wimbledon, so it is probably for the best for Rybakina, especially if she is working through injury.

Rybakina has statistically played her best tennis at Wimbledon out of the four Grand Slams. She holds an 84% win rate at the event from her five appearances.

The World No. 2 has won 21 of her 25 matches at Wimbledon, which includes Rybakina’s impressive run to the title during the 2022 tournament.

Clara Tauson, Barbora Krejčíková, Ons Jabeur, and Aryna Sabalenka are the only four stars to defeat Rybakina at Wimbledon throughout her career.

However, her form heading into the event is a major worry. The star has looked a shadow of the player who stormed to the Australian Open title at the beginning of the year.

For Bad Homburg, however, it is a major blow.

She was the top seed at the event, although Bad Homburg has been slightly boosted by Katie Boulter’s entry into the tournament, as a wildcard.

Boulter will be joining Iga Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova, Linda Noskova, Naomi Osaka, Diana Shnaider, and Iva Jovic, who are set to play as direct entries

Joining them will be the wildcards for the event and Bad Homburg has decided to go with an international flavour.

Britain’s Boulter has been picked, along with the Philippines’ Eala, Germany’s Eva Lys, United States’ Venus Williams, and China’s Zheng Qinwen. Williams and Eala are also set to play in the doubles draw, which will see them make their debut together.

The post Elena Rybakina withdraws from next event after defeat to Alex Eala appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has been sorely missed from ATP Tour action after suffering a wrist injury during his first round match at the Barcelona Open earlier this year.

The injury has kept Alcaraz out of the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, Roland Garros, Queen’s, and Wimbledon, and there is no real sign that the World No. 2 will be back any time soon.

Alcaraz’s next potential tournament could be the Canadian Open, which is set to take place during the first week of August. That would mean the Spaniard has missed nearly four months of action.

As Alcaraz tries to get to the bottom of his wrist issues, Spanish outlet La Verdad have issued an update on the World No. 2’s progress from the injury.

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They are reporting that Alcaraz is set to undergo an MRI as he looks for answers to the depth and severity of the injury that has plagued him for much of the 2026 season.

MRI’s are designed to produced detailed images of the body and will give Alcaraz, and his team, an idea of just how good the headling has been on his wrist.

In the mean time, Alcaraz has yet again be praised for the way he has dealt with his wrist injury from a Spanish tennis legend.

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, who won four Grand Slam titles in her career, spoke to Eurosport Spain about Alcaraz’s wrist injury.

“Well, as I said, with any injury, it’s crucial to be well-prepared,” said the three-time Roland Garros champion. “You’re not going to come back sooner just because you want to play or because you’re eager to compete, because the injury, depending on what it is, can worsen.”

She believes Alcaraz taking the right amount of time out is the best call for his career, despite the sadness that comes with his longest absence from tennis yet.

“Rest and recovery are extremely important. Carlos needs to recover fully. Because it’s a long-term career. I imagine Carlos must be anxious, eager to play, because no one wants to compete more than he does.

“With a hand injury, which is the one you use to hold the racket, you have to be at 100% to be able to hit the shots. I’m convinced they’ll come back at 100% to be back up there again. That’s what we fans want from the outside, for them to be fit and able to compete with their best tennis.”

Alcaraz has not dropped down the ATP Tour rankings in his absence, although just 2370 ranking points seperate him and Alexander Zverev in third.

Should Zverev perform well at the Halle Open and Wimbledon, there is every chance he can overtake the star and become the new World No. 2.

The post What Carlos Alcaraz plans to do now to try and overcome his wrist injury appeared first on Tennis365.

Serena Williams’ sensational comeback to tennis has seen the 23-time Grand Slam champion enlist the help of another major winner in the form of Rennae Stubbs.

Stubbs won six Grand Slams in her career in doubles and mixed doubles and she will now be aiding Williams in her doubles comeback alongside sister Venus Williams at Wimbledon.

The pair have been awarded a doubles wildcard into the event they have won several times, but rumours are swirling about Serena’s status as a singles star.

She is yet to play a singles event, instead focusing on doubles at Queen’s and Berlin, but many expect the star to be offered the remaining wildcard at SW19.

On her podcast, Stubbs responded to the rumours that Williams could also return to Wimbledon as a singles star.

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Speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, the multi-time Grand Slam champion said: “What a treat for the fans. Like, no matter what and how they do, you know, there’s so many people that would never have seen Venus and Serena play live.

“So for that fact, I’m just really happy for the tennis public that they get to see again. Look, it’s no secret there’s one left, right? And I’m sure that Wimbledon are hoping that she says yes, but again, Serena makes those decisions and often says, you know, she’ll write us in a text.

“So, she’s going to make those decisions in the next few days, what she wants to do. And I don’t know. We obviously talked about it. It’s out there, that it’s still available, if she wants to do it or not. And it’s going to be up to her to make that decision.

“And she will be supported by all of us either way. If it’s just playing doubles, then it’s just playing doubles. And that’s how she feels. And listen, I have not talked to her about this, but I think that there’s part of her that would love to play singles at Wimbledon, but she also is very smart in knowing what she’s capable of. And when she chooses to decide not to play, she’s making that decision based on her own feelings.

“So I don’t know what the answer to that question is. Nobody does. And so, yeah, I mean, it was news to me how many wildcards were left, and it was news to me that, you know, that it was even asked to her in press.

“And so, because there was one left, I’m sure she’s maybe holding those cards a little bit closer to her chest, but that’ll be her decision in the next, I would say, in the next few days. Wimbledon would have to know in the next few days.”

The wildcards for the women’s singles draw at Wimbledon this year are Maja Chwalińska, Harriet Dart, Alicia Dudeney, Hannah Klugman, Mika Stojsavljevic, Katie Swan, and Mimi Xu, with one left to be announced.

The post Serena Williams’ new coach responds to the rumours she’ll be playing singles at Wimbledon appeared first on Tennis365.

Former British No 1 John Lloyd has spoken to Tennis365 about Emma Raducanu’s reunion with Andrew Richardson following the Brit’s impressive Queen’s Club run.

Raducanu’s only tour-level title to date came at the 2021 US Open, when — as an 18-year-old, 150th-ranked qualifier — she won 10 matches without dropping a set across qualifying and the main draw.

Shortly after her staggering US Open triumph, Raducanu made the shock decision to part ways with Richardson — who had coached her in New York.

Since the split, Raducanu has worked with five different permanent coaches, as well as a host of others on a trial or short-term basis.

After missing over two months due to a viral illness, Raducanu rehired Richardson as her coach ahead of her return to action in Strasbourg last month.

While she lost in the first round in Strasbourg and at Roland Garros, Raducanu reached the final at Queen’s Club in just her third event since Richardson returned to her team.

The 23-year-old earned straight-set wins against Anna Blinkova, Sorana Cirstea, Kamilla Rakhimova and Iva Jovic before losing to Donna Vekic in the championship match at the WTA 500 grass-court event.

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In an exclusive interview with Tennis365 at the Queen’s Club Championships, Lloyd described Raducanu’s split with Richardson in 2021 as “mind-boggling.”

“Well, I mean, no one else has said this, so I’ll probably get in trouble… but to be honest, if I was Andrew Richardson, I would have thought long and hard accepting to come back,” said Lloyd, and Australian Open finalist who reached a career-high ranking of world No 23.

“After what happened at the US Open… that, to me, was mind-boggling. And then she comes back to him when she needs help.

“But whatever, that’s another topic, and that’s for them to see that they’ve worked it out, and they’re fine. I just hope that she sticks with him and gives him a fair chance.

“I said at one stage it was like Watford [the football team] of having a revolving door of coaches. It doesn’t work. So hopefully, there will be a bit of longevity here.

“And Andrew’s very good at what he does, he’s had big success with her, and she obviously feels comfortable.

“No idea why it ended in the first place —  that was the most illogical thing I’ve seen for years.

“But they’re back now, so that’s the main thing, and she played great [at Queen’s], and she’s going to move up those rankings — she’s damn good.”

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The post John Lloyd tells Emma Raducanu she made ‘mind-boggling’ mistake: ‘Most illogical thing I’ve seen’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Andy Roddick has highlighted the ongoing issue plaguing grass court tournaments in the United Kingdom.

In the lead-up to the 500 events of Halle and Queen’s Club on the ATP Tour, one couldn’t help but notice the disparity in the strength of the lineups.

While at the German tournament, six of the world’s top 10 players were present; in London, Alex de Minaur was the sole representative from that lofty category.

This is not a new trend. For instance, in the UK, international players are taxed on their prize money, naturally, but also for their performance bonuses, appearance fees, image rights, sponsorship deals, brand endorsements and more.

The 2026 champions at Halle and Queen’s Club will walk away with €483,145 (£419,000) but former world No 1 Roddick pointed out that the take home pay between the two is vastly different.

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He said on the latest episode of Served, “Obviously, we’re not tax experts, but they [players] skip parts of the British grass court season now and play events in Germany and the Netherlands.

“Imagine if you had the same opportunity for points or upward mobility in your job but one cost you 40% more and that’s where we basically land.

“There’s a certain amount of weeks where you get taxed because you’ve made the money in England, that tax doesn’t exist in Germany.

“If you win Halle and you win Queen’s, you win the same amount of money. But your takeaway after taxes is like a 40% (to 45%) difference. Which is a factor.”

Three-time Wimbledon finalist Roddick repeatedly chose Queen’s over Halle as he felt it gave him the best preparation to win at SW19. He also was handed hefty appearance fees to attend – a luxury not all players are offered.

Incidentally, back in 2024, renowned sports agent Max Eisenbud appeared on Roddick’s podcast and hypothesised why Roger Federer always chose Halle over Queen’s throughout his career.

He said, “Tennis players living in Monte Carlo and now Dubai, they don’t pay any income tax, but when they go into these countries, they get withheld all the prize money… There is a reason why Fed never got ready for Wimbledon in the UK.”

This issue is nothing new but it seems the draw quality is becoming more lopsided at both grass court events these days.

Perhaps Rafael Nadal put it best back in 2011.

He said, “The truth is, in the UK you have a big regime for tax, it’s not about the money for playing. They [HMRC] take from the sponsors, from Babolat, from Nike and from my watches.

“This is very difficult. I am playing in the UK and losing money. I did a lot more for the last four years, but it is more and more difficult to play in the UK.”

Until there are big changes, this drip, drip, drip, drip may continue.

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The post Rafael Nadal’s 15-year warning still rings true as Queen’s loses out to Halle appeared first on Tennis365.

Tommy Paul is once again looking at home at the Queen’s Club Championships, and the American star thinks there should be changes to the grass-court season schedule.

The world No 28 is making his first appearance at the prestigious ATP 500 tournament in London since he won the title in 2024.

Having missed last year’s event through injury, Paul has extended his winning streak at Queen’s to seven matches with two straight-set victories at the 2026 edition.

Paul has advanced to the quarter-finals without dropping a set, having beaten Zachary Svajda 7-5, 6-3 in the first round before earning a 7-6(5), 6-3 second round win over Botic van de Zandschulp.

The main tour grass-court season lasts around a month, from the week after Roland Garros until the end of Wimbledon, and it is the only surface that does not host an ATP or WTA 1000 tournament.

After Paul beat van de Zandschulp on Thursday, Tennis365 asked the 29-year-old if he would like the grass-court season to be longer, and if he thinks there should be a 1000 level event on the surface.

“Yeah, absolutely. We talk about that all the time. I think so, for sure. That would be great,” Paul told Tennis365 in a mixed zone interview at Queen’s Club.

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“I mean, it’s the only surface that we don’t have a Masters 1000 on.

“It is tough, obviously with the schedule. We complain about too many tournaments, but then here I am asking for a Masters 1000 on grass.

“But I don’t see why we don’t. I think it [grass court tennis] is kind of how the tennis started. It’s the tradition in tennis.

“I think that we should have every level of tournament on the surface.”

Paul was also asked why the grass at Queen’s Club suits his game.

“When a lot of players think about Queen’s, they think about a traditional grass court. Much faster, maybe more slippery,” Paul assessed.

“And I think the fact that I’m pretty comfortable moving on the surface allows me to go after something that maybe some people would be a little bit uncomfortable going after, or running down a ball and staying on my feet rather than falling. I think that helps.”

Paul, who was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2024, will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last eight at Queen’s on Friday.

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The post Tommy Paul calls for longer grass-court season and a Masters 1000 event on grass appeared first on Tennis365.

With the start of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships just over a week away, the number of players to withdraw from the grass-court Grand Slam has now reached double figures.

Main draw action at the 139th edition of Wimbledon, which is the world’s oldest tennis tournament, will get underway on Monday 29 June and conclude with the men’s singles final on Sunday 12 July.

By Wednesday, there were eight players — four men and four women — who had pulled out across both main draw singles entry lists.

A further two men and one woman have since withdrawn, taking the total number of singles withdrawals to 11.

Tomas Machac and Sebastian Korda are the two latest players to pull out of the men’s singles event, while Veronika Kudermetova is the latest woman to withdraw.

Machac said: “Unfortunately, the tear in my left foot has not healed enough, and I have to withdraw from Wimbledon.

“It’s a disappointing moment, but I’m doing everything possible to return for the American swing this summer. Thank you all for your support. See you soon.”

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Korda has not played since the Miami Open in March due to a back injury, while former world No 9 Kudermetova has not competed all year after undergoing surgery at the end of 2025.

ATP Wimbledon withdrawal list

Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti and Valentin Vacherot are the three players ranked in the top 20 of the ATP Rankings to withdraw from Wimbledon.

• Carlos Alcaraz (world No 2) – replaced by Jan Choinski
• Lorenzo Musetti (world No 15) – replaced by Matteo Berrettini
• Valentin Vacherot (world No 20) – replaced by Sho Shimabukuro
• Tomas Machac (world No 42) – replaced by Jesper de Jong
• Sebastian Korda (world No 46) – replaced by Alexandre Muller
• Arthur Cazaux (world No 81) – replaced by Alex Molcan

Alcaraz has not competed since suffering a right wrist injury in his opening round win at the Barcelona Open in April, and he pulled out of Wimbledon over a month before the start date.

“My recovery is going well, and I feel much better, but unfortunately, I’m still not ready to be able to play, and that’s why I have to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen’s and Wimbledon,” the seven-time Grand Slam champion said last month.

Musetti withdrew on Wednesday due to a quadricep problem that has sidelined him since the Italian Open last month.

“Unfortunately, as I have not yet been able to begin a full athletic training program, and after careful evaluation, we have come to the difficult conclusion that I will not be able to participate in Wimbledon this year,” the Italian wrote on social media.

“It is not an easy decision, but it is the right one. My priority is to return to the court at 100%. Thank you for your continued support – see you soon.”

WTA Wimbledon withdrawal list

Victoria Mboko and Hailey Baptiste are the two players in the top 30 of the WTA Rankings to pull out.

• Victoria Mboko (world No 9) – replaced by Darja Vidmanova
• Hailey Baptiste (world No 30) – replaced by Hanne Vandewinkel
• Varvara Gracheva (world No 71) – replaced Sinja Kraus
• Sonay Kartal (world No 72) – replaced by Paula Badosa
• Veronika Kudermetova (world No 86) – replaced by Francesca Jones

Mboko’s withdrawal came after she was forced to retire in her opening singles match at the Queen’s Club Championships last week.

The Canadian hurt her left knee in a nasty fall, and she revealed she sustained an MCL injury.

“Unfortunately, my fall on Wednesday caused an injury to the MCL on my left knee, which sadly means I will miss the remainder of the grass season,” the 19-year-old wrote on Instagram.

“This unfortunately means Wimbledon too, a tournament I had been so looking forward to playing this year.

“I am receiving the best medical care and my team and I are focused on a return to court as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent messages of support, I am so grateful to you all!”

READ NEXT: Leading expert questions if Jack Draper ‘can tolerate elite tennis’ amid injury struggles

The post Wimbledon withdrawal list: 11 players out as Carlos Alcaraz joined by former world No 9 appeared first on Tennis365.

Leading injury prevention and athlete welfare expert Stephen Smith has told Tennis365 the “challenge” Jack Draper is facing as he battles to return to action after a series of injury setbacks.

Draper has not played since he retired during his opening round match at the Barcelona Open in April due to a knee injury.

The British star confirmed he was dealing with an aggravated tendon in his right knee, and he has since pulled out of Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros and the Queen’s Club Championships.

When announcing his withdrawal from Queen’s, Draper revealed his plan to play at the ATP 250 in Eastbourne next week – the week before Wimbledon begins.

In 2026, Draper has played only nine matches across four tournaments and a Davis Cup tie.

The 24-year-old made a comeback in February following over five months on the sidelines due to a bone stress injury in his left arm — which ended his 2025 campaign in August.

Draper reached a career-high ranking of world No 4 in June after an excellent first half of the season, but he is currently 113th in the world after dropping a huge amount of points during the clay-court season.

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In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Smith – who is the founder and CEO of Kitman Labs, the world’s leading sports science and performance intelligence company – discussed Draper’s battles with his body.

“In general, recurring knee tendon related issues, the challenge isn’t just getting back onto the court once,” Smith said.

“Tendon issues are generally repetitive strain issues, they’re generally a build-up, an accumulation of load and pain, swelling, discomfort.

“The real question here is whether Jack Draper can tolerate the density of elite tennis. Consecutive training days, repeated matches, travel, changing surfaces, and recovery demands over time.

“His team will likely be focusing on restoring repeatability. They won’t just be thinking, ‘Can I get him back for this tournament?’

“They’ll be looking at, how do they restore that repeatability, train hard on consecutive days. Can he maintain movement quality under fatigue? Can he recover well day-to-day between practices and matches, so that pain that he’s getting from the tendon is not, let’s say, it’s not too much that he can’t actually tolerate load.”

Smith was also asked if it is concerning that Draper’s knee injury surfaced so soon after he returned from the bone bruising issue.

“If he has bone bruising and it’s right in the joint, it could also alter joint mechanics and movement mechanics,” Smith explained.

“And that means you try to take pressure off one area by moving slightly differently, and you put pressure on another area.

“So you can have compensatory conditions or secondary conditions that evolve from primary conditions. That’s not all that unique.

“I suppose it’s the tennis schedule, the demands that are being placed on him, all those things, it’s a bit of a crescendo, those things together. And it’s hard to break free from that.”

Draper’s arm and knee injuries are the latest on a growing list of physical issues he has been afflicted by in his short career to date. He was forced to miss spells of 2023 and 2024 due to abdominal and shoulder injuries, while hip tendinitis disrupted his off-season ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Smith has previously warned Draper’s career could be cut short

Speaking to Tennis365 last year, Smith admitted he was worried Draper’s career could be cut short if he continued to suffer such frequent injuries as he drew comparison with Juan Martin del Potro.

“I think it’s a sign that there’s something from a management perspective that’s probably missing there,” Smith said.

“Whether it’s having more or less of something, additional strength and conditioning work, adjustments to how he’s being managed through competitions, how is his practice loads being managed.

“Whether it is alterations to his biomechanics and how he plays the game. I think to have the injury history that he’s had at the age that he’s at probably needs to be cognisant of the fact that something needs to change now, or he’ll end up having a career that’s cut short.

“Think of someone like Juan Martin del Potro; incredible talent, with probably one of the most powerful forehands we’ve ever seen in the game, but his greatest strength ultimately ended up being one of his biggest issues. Had all of those wrist issues, had lots of surgeries on it because that wasn’t nipped in the bud.”

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Emma Raducanu and Alex Eala have made good progress up the rankings with their recent performances, giving their chances of being seeded at Wimbledon a big boost.

With the grass-court Grand Slam getting underway on Monday, 29 June, the cutoff date for the top-32 seedings is next week as it will be based on the official WTA Rankings of 22 June.

Following a disastrous clay-court season, Raducanu found herself out of the reckoning as she had slipped down to No 42 in the rankings on the back of her first-round exit from Roland Garros.

But the British No 1 is back among the top 32 on the official list as her appearance in the final of the Queen’s Club Championship resulted in an 11-place surge to No 31 in the rankings.

Raducanu, though, won’t move up the list as she is not in action this week after withdrawing from the Nottingham Open following her heavy workload in London, where she had to play four matches in three days due to rain delays.

The 2021 US Open was not seeded at Wimbledon last year and it meant she faced world No 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka early on and lost the third-round encounter.

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Eala also lost in the round of 128 at the French Open, but then won the WTA 125K Birmingham Open to move up to No 33 before dropping two places after a second-round defeat at the HSBC Championships.

The Filipina, though, won her opener at this week’s Berlin Open to move up one spot to No 34 in the Live Rankings and there is good news and bad news for her ahead of next week’s cutoff date.

The 21-year-old finds herself at No 32 on the list as a couple of seeded players have already withdrawn from the entry list, with world No 9 Victoria Mboko and No 30 Hailey Baptiste both out due to knee injuries.

Eala, of course, can still move up the rankings with an extended run in Germany, but she could also be overtaken by a couple of players lower down the list as if she loses her next match.

Nikola Bartunkova or Diane Parry are the two in contention, but will both need to win the Berlin Open if they are to pull it off as the rising star is on 1,422 points in the Live Rankings while the Czech has 1,140 and Parry 1,128.

A title run would see Bartunkova surge to 1,532 points while the Frenchwoman would be on 1,568 if she is the last woman standing.

Eala was unseeded on her Wimbledon debut last year and she earned a tough opener as she took on former champion Barbora Krejcikova, losing 6-3, 2-6, 1-6.

The post A look at Emma Raducanu and Alex Eala’s Wimbledon seeding chances appeared first on Tennis365.

Jack Draper has barely played on the ATP Tour this season due to some frustrating injuries – but Andy Murray isn’t worried.

Just over a month ago, the three-time major winner joined Draper’s coaching staff following the departure of Jamie Delgado.

Murray has come on board to coach the 24-year-old for the grass court season, and while it may extend into North America, the Scot doesn’t want to spend too long away from his young family.

Draper, on the other hand, hasn’t played since picking up a knee injury at the Barcelona Open on 13 April. Indeed, he has just nine matches to his name this campaign.

As he prepares to make his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour at Eastbourne next week, Murray has issued a positive update on his new charge.

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The two-time Wimbledon winner has also admitted that Draper‘s level has taken him by surprise, saying he’s “bloody good”.

He told The Sun, “He’s been training and getting ready for that. He’s been on the court most days for the last few weeks. His tennis is bloody good. He’s really good.

“Obviously he’s had lots of issues the last year with various injuries. And I feel like he’s starting to come out the other side of that now. The next step is obviously getting on the match court and getting a consistent run of tournaments and weeks under him and building trust again in his body.

“But from a tennis perspective, from what I’ve seen on the practice court, I’ve got no concerns there. He’s a lot better than what I thought. And I thought he was bloody good before I started helping him.

“He’s a quick learner. He’s got very few holes in his game. He’s a more complete player than probably what I expected as well.”

Draper has repeatedly delayed his comeback from injury in recent weeks. The Brit, who missed the French Open due to injury, was scheduled to play at Stuttgart and then Queen’s Club in June, only to miss both.

Draper – who was ranked as high as fourth but has now dropped to 159th – will be hoping to hit the ground running at Eastbourne ahead of this year’s Wimbledon championships in just over a week’s time.

The former US Open semi-finalist has never made it past the second round at SW19 but with Murray in his corner, he will hope to change that. Whether his body holds up is another matter, though.

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