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  • Novak Djokovic’s Shanghai opponent’s comment at the net sparks ‘bizarre’ verdict

    Novak Djokovic overcame Zizou Bergs in straight sets at the 2025 Shanghai Masters to advance to a record-extending 80th semi-final at ATP Masters 1000 level.

    The 24-time Grand Slam champion downed Bergs, the world No 44, 6-3, 7-5 in the last eight to reach the semi-finals in Shanghai for a record-extending 10th time in his 11th appearance at the event.

    Djokovic has become just the second player after Rafael Nadal to reach the semi-finals at multiple Masters events 10 or more times, having made the last four of the Italian Open on 13 occasions.

    After what was the pair’s first meeting, Bergs suggested to Djokovic at the net that his admiration for the legendary Serb had affected his performance.

    “Man, I’ve got to stop idolising you,” the 26-year-old Belgian told Djokovic, before the pair shared a warm embrace.

    Colin Fleming, a former world No 17 in doubles who now works as a tennis analyst, gave his verdict on Bergs’ comment.

    “Bergs told the whole story there. ‘I have got to stop idolising you’, as he walked to the net,” Fleming said on Sky Sports.

    “I mean, that’s slightly bizarre in my opinion. But I get it, playing Djokovic for the first time. I think that tells the story of the match.

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    “I think he just overplayed it (the match) in his own mind. Playing Djokovic for the first time. Physically and in terms of his skill set, he handled it, but he couldn’t sustain the level.

    “It was a rollercoaster from him. Entertaining at times, but ultimately costing him in the end.”

    Former British No 1 Barry Cowan also gave his reaction to Bergs’ words in his role as a commentator for Tennis TV.

    “Nice words from Bergs. I mean, you’ve only got to be honest, right? It did feel a bit like that,” Cowan said.

    “Obviously the biggest match [for Bergs], in terms of the first [Masters] quarter-final, the biggest quarter-final he’s played.

    “Obviously playing someone like Djokovic but I think there was enough information there for Bergs that he can cause the top guys some damage. It’s just, can he do it over a sustained period — which we know Djokovic can. Competitive spirit is absolutely still there for Djokovic.”

    In an on-court interview with Tennis TV, Djokovic was asked what it has taken him to get to this stage of the tournament.

    “Pretty much everything, just trying to stay alive to be honest on the court,” said the 38-year-old.

    “First encounter with Bergs, great guy. Obviously a lot of firepower in his game. At times, I just tried to play an extra ball in the court, make him miss the ball. That’s what happened.

    “I should have closed out the match at 5-4, he played a good game. Again, I was a little bit too passive. Just very challenging conditions these few weeks for all the players and, you know, just trying to stay alive on the court and glad to overcome this hurdle.”

    Djokovic, the world No 5, will face 204th-ranked Monegasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot in the semi-finals.

    READ NEXT: What Novak Djokovic said after health and injury concerns in Shanghai Masters win

    The post Novak Djokovic’s Shanghai opponent’s comment at the net sparks ‘bizarre’ verdict appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Novak Djokovic’s easy Shanghai path clears further in quest for 41st Masters 1000 trophy

    Novak Djokovic has been the favourite to win the Shanghai Masters since Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal and the tennis great’s chances of winning only his second title in 2025 have received another big boost.

    With world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the tournament, defending champion Sinner retiring from his third-round match and third seed Alexander Zverev losing early, Djokovic became most people’s pick to win the title.

    And the draw gods certainly shone down on him with a favourable path as after receiving a first-round bye, he took on world No 94 Marin Cilic in the second round, No 150 Yannick Hanfmann in the third round and world No 41 Jaume Munar in the round of 16.

    He earned a quarter-final clash against world No 44 Zizou Bergs, and although the Belgian enjoyed a few moments of brilliance, Djokovic emerged with a 6-3, 7-5 victory to keep his hopes of a fifth Shanghai Masters crown alive.

    He is into his 80th Masters semi-final, having won a record 40 titles, and at the age of 38 years and four months, he is also the oldest ATP Masters 1000 semi-finalist.

    The 24-time Grand Slam winner finished runner-up to Sinner in the 2024 Shanghai final and he is looking for his first ATP Masters 1000 title since winning the 2023 Paris Masters trophy.

    But there will be no Sinner this time around or Alcaraz, Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Lorenzo Musetti or Holger Rune to stop him.

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    Fritz, Shelton and Rune were all in the bottom half of the draw, but they have all exited the tournament with Rune the latest to fall after being shocked by world No 204 Valentin Vacherot in the quarter-final.

    And Djokovic will now go on to face qualifier Vacherot following his 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 upset win over the 10th seeded Dane.

    The Monegasque player is looking forward to facing one of the Big Three.

    “This is only my fourth season on the professional tour. I started my first full season when it was in 2022. So I missed Roger [Federer]. Roger stopped in 2022.

    “I think I played maybe one tournament the same as Rafa [Nadal]. So I had no chance to play Rafa in my career.

    “And if I, who knows whenever Novak is going to retire, we know it’s rather sooner than later. So if I can play Saturday Novak it will be, it would just be, it would mean a lot to play at least one of the guys of the big three in my career.”

    There are still a few danger men in the top half of the draw with former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev taking on Alex de Minaur in one quarter-final and 12th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime up against Arthur Rinderknech.

    Although the former world No 1’s tropies have dried up in recent years as last year he won only one tournament – it was a big one as he won the singles gold at the Paris Olympics to complete his Career Golden Slam – and so far in 2025 the Geneva Open is his only title.

    But Djokovic is now just two wins away from a 101st ATP Tour singles title and fifth Shanghai crown.

    The post Novak Djokovic’s easy Shanghai path clears further in quest for 41st Masters 1000 trophy appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Jasmine Paolini makes ‘die on court’ comment after Jannik Sinner injury

    Jannik Sinner’s alarming cramping issue forced him to retire from the Shanghai Masters and now his Italian compatriot Jasmine Paolini has given her verdict on the challenges of playing in hot conditions.

    This week’s W1000 event in Wuhan and the ATP Masters tournaments in Shanghai are being played in challenging conditions, with the sweltering conditions affecting Sinner as he cramped severely and was forced to quit his match against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.

    Emma Raducanu was among those forced to call time on her efforts at the Wuhan Open, where the roof was closed on Thursday to protect the players and fans from the extreme heat.

    Now world No 5 Paolini has given her verdict on the issue of tennis matches being played in extreme heat, as she suggested it may be too hot for courts that do not have a shade to be used when temperatures hit dangerous levels.

    “I think what we saw in Shanghai with Jannik is was really, really hot and then it can happen,” said Paolini.

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    “When it’s too humid and too hot, it’s something that can happen, you know, to everybody.

    “Here in Wuhan, I have to say in the Center Court, it’s not that bad, but outside here as well, when I warm up outside, I’m like, it’s fine, 30 minutes we go in the air conditioning inside, because was too hot.

    “It’s not easy, because every year the weather changes. I feel like last year here was okay, and this year also in the outside court it’s so hot.

    “I’m glad that we have the rules that if it’s too hot and too humid, we stop playing, because nobody wants to, you know, to see people dying on the court.”

    Paolini’s top ten rival Jessica Pegula had an alternative view on the hot conditions, as she suggested elite players need to learn how to manage warm weather.

    “I think the roof situation obviously helps. It was super humid today,” she said, responding to a question fron Tennus365 in Wuhan.

    “I honestly wasn’t bothered by the heat at all. It was just very humid. So I was just sweating a lot, but having that little bit of shade, I think, definitely helps.

    “The other day was very, very hot. I’m from Florida and I’m used to the heat, but it was hot. I was feeling it. I think everyone who had to play that day was really struggling.

    “But the heat rule went into effect until it calmed down? So I think it’s just something that we have to keep looking at the heat rule.

    “The heat, honestly, is part of the conditions and it’s part of our sport.

    “So I also think, you know, a lot of these tournaments now that have roofs, like, they’ll half close it, and it’s kind of like, oh, well, like, is it an indoor tournament or an outdoor tournament? Or an outdoor tournament?

    “I also think that it can get a little bit confusing when the conditions can kind of change drastically based on a tournament just deciding that they want some shade for fans, that can really change conditions as well.

    “Sometimes I don’t necessarily think it is always the right thing to do, or maybe totally fair as well, because at the same time, you know, if it’s listed as an outdoor tournament, you should be ready to play in the heat.

    “If there’s a heat rule and it’s way too hot and it’s unsafe for kids and ball kids and players to be out there, then 100% that should be in effect. And we should just wait for it to get better.
”

    The debate over safe levels of heat for tennis to be played in has rumbled on for many years, with the ATP 1000 event in Shanghai also being played in brutal heat in China this week.

    Novak Djokovic was sick on court during his hard-fought three-set third round win over Yannick Hanfmann and admitted he conditions were hard to deal with.

    “It’s the same for every player out on the court, but it’s brutal,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

    “It’s brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal.”

    READ NEXT: What Novak Djokovic said after health and injury concerns in Shanghai Masters win

    The post Jasmine Paolini makes ‘die on court’ comment after Jannik Sinner injury appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Jessica Pegula gives her verdict on heat dangers after Emma Raducanu’s Wuhan exit

    The swelteringly hot conditions in Wuhan have been a talking point throughout the final W1000 event of the year, with Emma Raducanu among those struggling to deal with the humid heat in China.

    British No 1 Raducanu quit her first round match in Wuhan against America’s Ann Li due to dizziness, while Jelena Ostapenko also pulled out of her opening match due to the heat.

    Now world No 6 Jessica Pegula has waded into the debate over the levels of heat that are acceptable to play tennis and she offered up some pointed comments.

    A heat rule has been used in Wuhan this week that kicks in when temperatures are soaring, with the roof on Centre Court partially closed to protect players and fans in attendance.

    Responding to a question from Tennis365 in Wuhan after her draining three-set win against fellow American Hailey Baptiste, Pegula suggested players need to deal with the conditions and have to be prepared for intense heat.

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    “I think the roof situation obviously helps. It was super humid today,” she began.

    “I honestly wasn’t bothered by the heat at all. It was just very humid. So I was just sweating a lot, but having that little bit of shade, I think, definitely helps.

    “The other day was very, very hot. I’m from Florida and I’m used to the heat, but it was hot. I was feeling it. I think everyone who had to play that day was really struggling.

    “But the heat rule went into effect until it calmed down? So I think it’s just something that we have to keep looking at the heat rule.

    “The heat, honestly, is part of the conditions and it’s part of our sport.

    “So I also think, you know, a lot of these tournaments now that have roofs, like, they’ll half close it, and it’s kind of like, oh, well, like, is it an indoor tournament or an outdoor tournament? Or an outdoor tournament?

    “I also think that it can get a little bit confusing when the conditions can kind of change drastically based on a tournament just deciding that they want some shade for fans, that can really change conditions as well.

    “Sometimes I don’t necessarily think it is always the right thing to do, or maybe totally fair as well, because at the same time, you know, if it’s listed as an outdoor tournament, you should be ready to play in the heat.

    “If there’s a heat rule and it’s way too hot and it’s unsafe for kids and ball kids and players to be out there, then 100% that should be in effect. And we should just wait for it to get better.
”

    The debate over safe levels of heat for tennis to be played in has rumbled on for many years, with the ATP 1000 event in Shanghai also being played in brutal heat in China this week.

    Novak Djokovic was sick on court during his hard-fought three-set third round win over Yannick Hanfmann and admitted he conditions were hard to deal with.

    “It’s the same for every player out on the court, but it’s brutal,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

    “It’s brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal.”

    READ NEXT: What Novak Djokovic said after health and injury concerns in Shanghai Masters win

    The post Jessica Pegula gives her verdict on heat dangers after Emma Raducanu’s Wuhan exit appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Why Daniil Medvedev’s astonishing Shanghai Masters win could be a turning point in brutal season

    “I’m done,” Daniil Medvedev said multiple times to his coaching team during a gruelling and dramatic contest at the 2025 Shanghai Masters.

    Late in the second set of his last 16 match with Learner Tien at the prestigious Chinese event, Medvedev was ready to retire as cramping took hold. At one stage, Medvedev appeared to start walking to the net to shake hands, but he decided to keep playing.

    Medvedev‘s refusal to quit gave him the opportunity to claim a remarkable 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 6-4 victory against the 19-year-old American rising star.

    The context of Medvedev’s history with Tien, who he held a 0-2 record against before this match, makes the win even more impressive.

    The Russian lost a marathon Australian Open second round battle to Tien in January in a fifth set tiebreak after failing to serve it out.

    More significantly, there were uncanny parallels between this Shanghai match and the pair’s meeting at the China Open just over a week ago.

    In the Beijing semi-finals, Medvedev was forced to retire when trailing Tien 0-4 in the third set due to cramping. In a similarly physical battle, Medvedev had lost the second set 5-7 after serving for the match at 5-4. His body then broke down early in the decider.

    History looked set to repeat itself for Medvedev in Shanghai, where seven players have pulled out mid-match due to the brutal heat and humidity at this year’s tournament.

    Medvedev asked his team to give him pickle juice — which is used to combat cramping — early in the second set. He managed to build a 3-0 lead and had a break point for 4-0, but his physical condition worsened as the set progressed.

    The 29-year-old won only one point in the second set tiebreak as the cramps visibly affected his movement.

    Medvedev had won a pulsating 75-minute opening set on a tiebreak, and his chances looked slim heading into the decider against Tien, who is renowned for his physicality and consistency.

    His first serve took over in the third set, though, and he incredibly prevailed in a two-hour-and-52-minute epic.

    Although he expressed his frustration at the situation several times, Medvedev did not let it boil over and maintained the composure and grit he needed to survive significant adversity.

    This is notable after some of Medvedev’s on-court meltdowns this season — particularly the one in his opening round US Open loss less than two months ago.

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    Medvedev, a former world No 1 who won the US Open in 2021, is currently ranked 18th having endured a largely torrid 2025 campaign by his lofty standards.

    The 20-time ATP Tour titlist has reached only four semi-finals in his 20 previous events this year, and staggeringly, he won just one match across the four Grand Slam events.

    Clinching a win that had looked near impossible against an opponent who had been a nemesis feels hugely important for Medvedev.

    The Russian hired Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke as his new coaches ahead of the Asian swing, having parted ways with long-time coach Gilles Cervara after the US Open.

    It has been a positive start for the new-look team; Medvedev is now 7-2 since Johannsson and Goetzke arrived having been 23-18 for the season beforehand.

    Medvedev applauded Tien as his opponent left the court and he lauded the current world No 36 in an on-court interview with Tennis TV.

    “I mean, the toughest part is that we played two times and in my opinion, he’s an unbelievable player, because he doesn’t have a great serve and serve is so important in tennis,” he said.

    “And without the serve, he’s 19, he’s 30 in the world and only going up. And in my opinion, he’s such a good tennis player. He feels the game so well.

    “There are so many guys right now — it’s where tennis is going — that just hit strong, and just every ball they have, they hit full power. They have amazing serves, so that makes them stay in the tennis match.

    “He (Tien) doesn’t have it and he manages to play so good without it. And so for me to beat him, I thought I was going to lose, I was cramping again… and I’m just super happy to manage to do it.”

    Asked how much it could help him to come through a match like this, though, Medvedev played down the value of this win alone and pointed to the toll it took on him.

    “I mean, I will be honest, I don’t think this helps. I’m dead. Luckily I don’t play tomorrow, so I have one day to recover and I’m probably gonna be fine,” he said.

    He was bullish, however, about the tennis he has played in Asia as a whole — and he made a telling comment that he will “be back” if he continues to perform at this level.

    “It’s more the general Asian swing, I was playing good,” Medvedev added. “The two matches I lost, I was serving for the match. I was playing great level and I’m happy with where I’m going. And if I continue like this, I can, one moment, be back (smiles).”

    After his victory, Medvedev — a Shanghai champion in 2019 — wrote on the camera lens: “I don’t want to leave the best city in the world yet.”

    It is hard to believe that the Russian is chasing his first title since May 2023, when he won the Italian Open. He will next face world No 7 Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals, which promises to be another tough physical challenge.

    In the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and a host of other stars, though, this is a good opportunity for the former world No 1 to announce he really is back.

    READ NEXT: Why Federer & Zverev’s controversial Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner theory doesn’t make sense

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  • Aryna Sabalenka reveals details of her practice match with Novak Djokovic in Greece

    Aryna Sabalenka reveals details of her practice match with Novak Djokovic in Greece

    Aryna Sabalenka has revealed details of the practice sessions she had with Novak Djokovic in Greece and urged the 24-time Grand Slam champion to confirm she was a good hitting partner.

    Sabalenka met up with Djokovic while she spent time away in Greece with her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, following her US Open victory last month.

    Djokovic has recently moved to Greece with his young family and appears to have built a strong bond with Sabalenka, as she told Tennis365 in Wuhan that she enjoyed competitive hitting sessions on court with the former world No 1.

    She even went as far as to joke that Djokovic will need to thank her if he wins this week’s ATP 1000 tournament in Shanghai.

    “Well, he was really competitive, and he was screaming when he was winning a point against me,” said Sabalenka with a smile.

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    “I won a lot of points against him for the record. I hope he’s gonna confirm that!

    “We practised a couple of times. I hope I was a great hitting partner. So far, he’s winning in Shanghai. I guess I was, it was a good one. I really hope he’s gonna go all the way. He’s gonna win the tournament. And I’m gonna say it was all down to me!

    “We had some fun time in Greece. I love them, like him and Elena (Djokovic’s wife). He’s always open to giving me advice. They are so fun. We went for dinner. We had so much fun.”

    Sabalenka was pushed all the way in her opening match played in sweltering conditions at the Wuhan Open, as she eventually came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

    The world No 1 struggled in the first set and showed plenty of signs of frustration as she missed too many balls before finding her form to the delight of her fans in China.

    “I am super happy with the win,” stated Sabalenka. “She played incredible tennis in the first set. Not much I could do in that set, but I’m really happy that I found my rhythm and I was able to get the win. Yeah, happy to be to be through.

    “I was just trying to find my rhythm and going into this match, I knew it’s not going to be an easy one.

    “She’s moving well, making the opponent work for every point. And I had a little break. Yeah, I did a great preparation.

    “After the first set, I was more like frustrated with myself, but it was kind of like good frustration, because it gave me that emotional push to to keep keep trying and to keep fighting and to serve better.”

    Novak Djokovic after his win

    Novak Djokovic celebrates

    Sabalenka also suggested the humid conditions in China will be a real challenge for the rest of the week, with the weather in Wuhan set to be very hot until Sunday’s final, when temperatures are due to cool.

    “Honestly, I thought that this year, the US Open was quite humid, but when I came here, I realised that US Open was not humid at all,” she added.

    “The humidity is insane and I think this year, conditions are incredibly, incredibly tough in Wuhan.

    “So I did a great preparation in Greece, and I came here I had like, four or five days to prepare for these conditions for this world, but the court is definitely slower, and, yeah, it’s heavier conditions, but I think I’m ready.”

    READ NEXT: Our ‘real’ WTA tennis rankings revealed – Sabalenka & Swiatek star, Gauff drops, Raducanu climbs

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  • What Novak Djokovic said after health and injury concerns in Shanghai Masters win

    Novak Djokovic made an honest confession about the difficulty of his fourth round win at the 2025 Shanghai Masters as he also sent a message to his fans.

    The tennis icon prevailed 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 against world No 41 Jaume Munar in a dramatic and physically demanding last 16 contest in Shanghai that lasted two hours and 41 minutes.

    Djokovic received treatment multiple times for what appeared to be a left ankle injury that surfaced when he broke to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

    The Serbian was sick on the court at 5-5 in the second set and he collapsed to the court in exhaustion after losing the set.

    The 38-year-old had his blood pressure checked before the deciding set, but he made a recovery to close out the match in impressively convincing fashion.

    Djokovic did not speak to the media after his win, but he was open about his physical struggles in a post on Instagram.

    “Tough day at the office. Very challenging physically. Luckily, I have the greatest support in the world. I love Shanghai,” Djokovic wrote.

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    The 2025 Shanghai Masters has been played in gruelling heat and humidity, and seven players have been forced to retire mid-match.

    Djokovic was also sick on court during his hard-fought three-set third round win over Yannick Hanfmann, after which he labelled the conditions “brutal” and admitted his age only adds to the challenge.

    “It’s the same for every player out on the court, but it’s brutal,” the world No 5 said.

    “It’s brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal. For me, biologically it’s a bit more challenging to deal with it (smiling).”

    Djokovic’s former fitness coach Marco Panichi, who is now working with Holger Rune, recently spoke about the Serb’s remarkable longevity.

    “It will be difficult to replicate this when others reach his age,” Panichi told Corriere dello Sport.

    “He might have more chances in best-of-three set matches. Not training as much as before, both because of age and motivation, makes energy management challenging, but we can always expect anything from Novak.”

    Djokovic will face world No 44 Zizou Bergs in the quarter-finals in Shanghai. He is chasing a record-extending fifth title at the Masters 1000 event.

    READ NEXT: Which of Novak Djokovic & Serena Williams’ Grand Slam records is more likely to be broken?

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  • Andy Murray reveals why he is fearful of golf crowds and if he misses tennis in exclusive

    Barely a year after hanging up his tennis racket, three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray is making waves in another sport as the tennis legend has enjoyed an amazing few weeks on the golf course.

    Former world No 1 Murray retired from tennis last August with his last-ever professional tournament the 2024 Paris Olympics at Roland Garros, but instead of disappearing from the sporting world, the two-time Wimbledon champion has switched his focus to golf and has fallen in love with the sport.

    And he is not just playing for fun as he has impressed many golfing pundits with the speed with which his handicap has dropped from 20 to single figures inside a year.

    There have been several highs on the greens as he drained an incredible eagle putt from the Valley of Sin on the par-4 18th hole at St Andrews in late August.

    Not long after, he made another 18th hole eagle, this time on the par-5 closer at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship and last week he played in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship where he partnered Eddie Pepperell to a top 20 finish in the team competition.

    The tennis great chatted to Tennis365.com after his round at Wentworth as he discussed swapping his tennis racket for golf clubs, playing with former Wales and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale and the difference between tennis and golf crowds.

    Having turned professional in 2004, Murray enjoyed two full decades in tennis, and he reached the very top as he won three majors, reached No 1 in the ATP Rankings and won two gold medals in the singles at the Olympics.

    Now aged 38, Murray is starting over and he admits that although both are individual sports, it’s completely different.

    “I like that in golf you have time in between shots to reflect and calm down. In tennis, your heart rate can get extremely high, you play a long point, an important point, and the tension builds and builds,” he told Tennis365.com.

    “For me, the hard part about golf is not in-between shots, it’s when you’re standing over the ball, making sure not too many thoughts creep into your head and actually just getting the club moving properly. That’s the hard part.”

    Tennis crowds versus golf crowds

    Murray featured on the biggest stages in tennis as he played on Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court, Arthur Ashe at the US Open, Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros and Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open.

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    He has also had his fair share of hostile crowds so how do tennis spectators compare to golf crowds?

    “Well, the crowd aren’t in danger when I’m playing tennis, for one thing!” he said jokingly. “In tennis, there were times when the crowd became a norm and others when I used it to my advantage.

    “It gave me positive energy, an adrenaline rush. In golf I’m more aware that there are people watching because you might do something embarrassing, to be honest. I’m more fearful of golf crowds than tennis ones, but that’s because of what I might do wrong!”

    Murray’s short golfing career has already seen him rub shoulders with another sporting legend as he played with Welsh great Bale, but the football star is in a different league.

    “I’ve played with him a few times socially. He’s a member at Wentworth and we message each other on a group chat with another couple of guys,” he revealed.

    “He’s been playing for a very long time and I think he played a lot when he was playing football as well. He’s a very good golfer. I enjoy playing with him.”

    Does Murray miss his first love?

    Following his retirement in 2024, Murray made a quick transition from tennis player to tennis coach as he was appointed fellow great Novak Djokovic’s interim coach. They had limited success with Djokovic finishing runner-up at his year’s Miami Open and not long after it was announced that Murray’s stint had come to an end.

    “I don’t really miss it. I drove past Wimbledon a few times during the Championships and thought it would be nice to still be playing, but that was it,” he said.

    “Not before and not since. It’s the same with coaching. There were bits of it that I liked, but right now I don’t want to be on the road. I just don’t want to do it.”

    The post Andy Murray reveals why he is fearful of golf crowds and if he misses tennis in exclusive appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Jasmine Paolini reveals Jannik Sinner advice – and why she felt obliged to follow it

    Jasmine Paolini has revealed Jannik Sinner gave her a key piece of advice after spotting something she could improve on in her game, but she has refused to reveal what the world No 2 told her.

    Paolini and Sinner are leading the stunning rise of Italian tennis, with the nation currently the reigning champions of the two biggest team competitions in tennis.

    An Italian team propelled by Paolini defended their Billie Jean King Cup title in Shenzen last month, while Sinner will look to fire Italy to a third successive Davis Cup title in front of his home fans in Bologna next month.

    Players from the men’s tour rarely get a chance to speak to their female counterparts about the technicalities of their game, yet Paolini told Tennis365 at the Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open that Sinner spotted a flaw in her game that he suggested she could correct.

    “At the Davis Cup finals last year, my ex-coach Renzo (Furlan) was speaking with Jannik and I was surprised because he said I wasn’t doing something on the court,” Paolini told Tennis365. “I can’t say what it is because my opponents will know then!

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    “My coach came to me and said: ‘Jannik has said you need to do this’. I mean, when Jannik tells you to do something, you just have to do it. How can you say no to Jannik’s advice?”

    Paolini went on to pay tribute to Sinner, as she suggested he was setting a good example with his calm demeanour on court.

    “He is doing unbelievable things on the court and I think people like how he is behaving on and off the court because he is a really nice guy,” she continued.

    “He is a good role model. That is very good for our sport in Italy and it is good for our sport. Tennis is growing in Italy because of him.”

    This rise of Italian tennis is one of the biggest talking points in the sport right now, with Paolini and Sinner joined by Lorenzo Musetti, Sara Errani, Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Berrettini part of a long cast list of names making a big splash in the sport.

    The rise can be traced back to the Italian Tennis Federation hosting a growing list of lower-ranked events that allowed their players to get competitive matches and collect ranking points, with Paolini proud to be part of the golden era of Italian tennis.

    “I think it was really important that the Italian Federation but on so many tournaments and now they are continuing to improve them,” she added.

    “You see there are many Italians in the men’s draw. With the women, it is a little different, but that has been the key to us doing so well. The Federation are behind us players and they have done an amazing job.

    “The fact that there are so many of us, it allows us to push each other to do better and better.”

    We will have lots more from our interview with Jasmine Paolini on Tennis365 in the coming days.

    READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner’s world No 1 hopes dealt huge blow after shock Shanghai Masters retirement

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  • Why Federer & Zverev’s controversial Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner theory doesn’t make sense

    Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev have sparked debate by expressing a controversial theory they share — involving Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner — about tennis court speed.

    Tennis icon Federer claimed that tournament directors are preparing slower surfaces to favour both Alcaraz and Sinner as they want to see the leading duo meet in finals.

    “I understand the safety net that the tournament directors see in making the surface slower,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast during the Laver Cup.

    “It’s for the weaker player — he has to hit extra amazing shots to beat Sinner, whereas if it’s quick, he can only maybe blast a few and, at the right time… and he gets past.

    “So that’s what the tournament directors are [thinking], like: ‘I kind of like Sinner-Alcaraz in the finals, you know? It kind of works for the game’.”

    The Swiss added: “We need to have not only fast courts, but what we would want to see is Alcaraz or Sinner figure it out on lightning fast, and then have the same match on super slow and see how that matches up.”

    Zverev, the current world No 3, criticised the lack of variety in playing surfaces and echoed Federer’s suggestion that this is an intentional strategy that gives Alcaraz and Sinner an advantage.

    “I hate when it’s the same, to be honest,” the German said during the Shanghai Masters.

    “I think the tournament directors are going towards that direction because, obviously, they want Jannik and Carlos to do well every tournament and that’s what they prefer.

    “Nowadays, you can play almost the same way on every surface. I don’t like it, I’m not a fan of it. I think tennis needs different game styles, tennis needs a little bit of variety and I think we’re lacking that right now.”

    Federer and Zverev’s points about the homogenisation of court speeds and conditions are certainly valid. Some tennis analysts and fans have long questioned the lack of court diversity in the modern game.

    There are now far fewer courts at the extreme ends of the speed spectrum than there were in the 1990s or in earlier eras, when there were much quicker grass and indoor courts (hard and carpet), and also slower clay courts.

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    The argument that courts are being made slow to benefit Alcaraz and Sinner, however, makes far less sense.

    Sinner was asked directly about Federer and Zverev’s comments after his first match at the Shanghai Masters.

    “You know, me and Carlos, we don’t make the courts,” said the Italian.

    “It’s not our decision. We try to adapt ourself in every situation. I feel like still every week is a bit different.

    “I’ve played some great tennis even when it was faster courts. But I’m not making the courts, you know, so I just try to adapt and play my best tennis I can, and that’s it.”

    As Sinner alluded to in his answer, he is by no means a slow-court specialist. In fact, Sinner’s record suggests he is actually at his best on quicker surfaces.

    While Sinner has won titles on all four current surfaces (grass, clay, outdoor hard and indoor hard), only one of his 22 titles to date has come on clay (at 250 level in Umag in 2022), which is the slowest court surface.

    The four-time major winner has secured seven titles on indoor hard courts and two on grass, which are generally the fastest surfaces.

    Sinner played arguably the best tennis of his career to date to win the 2024 ATP Finals on a quick indoor hard-court in Turin. He did not lose more than four games in any of his five matches, and this dominant run emphasised how deadly he can be when his serve and baseline aggression are enhanced by quick surfaces.

    Alcaraz is a different case, having won 11 of his 24 titles, and two of his six Grand Slams, on clay courts. He has also thrived on the slow hard courts of the Indian Wells Masters, where he has triumphed twice.

    For all of his success in slow conditions, though, Alcaraz is remarkably complete, and he has already proven he can win on a range of courts.

    At the age of 21, Alcaraz became the youngest man to win titles on all four current surfaces by securing his maiden indoor title at the Rotterdam Open in February.

    The Spaniard, who has secured two Wimbledon crowns and two Queen’s Club Championship titles, also holds a staggering 35-4 record on grass. This gives him an 89.7% grass-court win rate, which is the highest any male player holds on the surface in the Open Era.

    Sinner and Alcaraz are arguably just as difficult to beat on quicker courts, and whatever the surface, they are simply in a different category to the rest of the tour.

    READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic survives injury and health concerns to keep Shanghai Masters bid alive

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