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Maria Sharapova has opened up on the financial rewards of winning a Grand Slam title, in comments that give a snapshot into the kind of life-changing moment Emma Raducanu lived through when she won the US Open four years ago.

Sharapova’s interview on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast was compelling from first to last, as an athlete who became a superstar way beyond the boundaries of tennis opened up on all aspects of her career and her new life as a mother and businesswoman.

Sharapova’s honesty and the comfort she felt speaking to a long-time acquaintance made for wonderful viewing and when it came to the rewards in tennis, Sharapova gave an eye-opening account of how her life changed after she won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004.

A run to the French Open quarter-finals a few weeks earlier had seen Sharapova emerge as a star in the making, but few expected her to beat Serena Williams and win the Wimbledon title at such a tender age.

With her stunning good looks and precious talent instantly ensuring her global fame after her Wimbledon triumph, Sharapova was showered with offers from sponsors who wanted a slice of her story.

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Agent Max Eisenbud, who later worked with Raducanu after her breakthrough Grand Slam win, oversaw the rise of Sharapova’s empire off the court, as she became the highest-paid female athlete in the world for many years.

And when she spoke about the finances coming her way after that famous win at the All England Club 21 years ago, Sharapova revealed the kind of finances involved in a sporting breakthrough of that magnitude.

Raducanu was handed a host of mega money sponsorship deals after she cam through qualifying and won the US Open in stunning fashion, yet her poor form since then has seen some of those deals come to an end.

Sharapova is better placed than anyone in tennis to reflect on a story like Raducanu’s, as she suggested a young player in her position has to take advantage of the financial rewards of a Grand Slam win, even though the pressure that comes with trying to hold on to a big sponsor is a huge burden to carry.

“I understand their position,” said Sharapova. “You are a young athlete and you win a Grand Slam in your sport and based on my own experience, you’re pretty much guaranteed that for the next two or three years, you are not making less than $1m on a deal, on any deal.



“Say it’s a three-year deal, at the end of the second year, (if) you are not consistent with your results and you are not going deep into second weeks at (Grand Slams), guess what?
“You are going from millions in your bank account every year to something different. At the end of that second year, every brand has their eyes on you.

“They are following your ranking, they are following your results, they are following how you are doing and every player knows that.

“So there is a part of me that understands they will pack in the s*** out of every deal and I will have a little piggy bank and who know what will happen in three years.

“Am I going to get injured? Am I never going to play at the same level? Am I going to find another interest? You never know.

“It’s a very fine balance of taking advantage which you absolutely should of a big moment in your career. To finally see that reward is significant, but you also have to understand that in two years, if your results are not consistent, no one is re-signing you.”

Raducanu’s impressive form in recent weeks suggests she is rising back to the top of the game and sponsorship deals that may have slipped away from her might now start to come back if she emerges as a contender for the top titles all over again.

The longevity Sharapova achieved in her career after that initial Grand Slam breakthrough is a model Raducanu will look to follow, as she prepares to return to the scene of her greatest triumph later this month.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu made ‘one of the best appointments’ with new coach

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Aryna Sabalenka was full of praise for Emma Raducanu and made a prediction about the Brit after the pair’s epic Cincinnati Open showdown.

The world No 1 overcame 39th-ranked Raducanu 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) in an intense third round Cincinnati contest lasting three hours and nine minutes.

After the pair split the first two sets, Sabalenka prevailed in a decisive tiebreak after a marathon 90-minute third set.

The three-time major champion now holds a 3-0 record against 2021 US Open winner Raducanu, although all three encounters have been competitive.

In their third round Wimbledon meeting last month, Sabalenka won 7-6(6), 6-4 in a pulsating clash after saving a set point in the first set and recovering from 1-4, 30-40 down in the second.

Following the match at the WTA 1000 tournament in Ohio, Sabalenka hailed Raducanu’s development.

“I’m super happy once again to see her back and fighting,” said Sabalenka.

“Every tournament, I feel like she’s improving and getting better, and she definitely gonna get back into the top 10.

“She’s moving well, she’s a smart player. She’s serving well, even though sometimes you can see where she’s going. But the speed, the spin is very difficult to adjust to. She’s basically doing everything [well].”

The Belarusian added: “As I said at Wimbledon I am really happy to see her healthy – mentally and physically.

“Every time she is improving and I can see she is getting back to her best. I’m enjoying fighting against her – she is such an incredible player.”

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In an interview with Tennis Channel, the 27-year-old admitted Raducanu had made her feel “old” during the match.

“The whole time I’ve been thinking this is what they call aging,” Sabalenka declared.

“I was like, ‘This is how it feels to be old.’ I looked at Emma and she was pumped and ready to play the next point and I was still trying to recover my breath. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’

“I couldn’t believe I’m getting old. I looked at Jason (her fitness coach), didn’t say anything, but we need to do something because I’m getting old.

“I was just trying to control my breath. I was just trying to do those slow exhales, just make sure I can breathe normal. And I was hoping that I’m going to be able to stay there in these conditions and get the win.”

On playing matches of such intensity, Sabalenka said: “It’s fun to watch, not fun to play. I go for the shots and I pray. My team is always cramping up watching me, but it’s fun afterwards — especially if you win.

“I never go for crazy amounts of practice during a tournament, but we’ll do some extra recovery, stretching, mobility — just to make sure my ‘old’ body will be ready.

“I just did the cold plunge for ten minutes. The last time I did it in Florida, I could only last one minute. That’s how hard it felt today — I didn’t even want to get out. But I had to, because I had to talk to you guys.

“I was brave enough to come to the net and go for some risky shots I’ve been working on in the last couple of weeks.

“[New coach] Max [Mirnyi] is happy with my volley, but at the same time, he’s like, ‘That’s too risky.’ Still, I was pretty happy with those shots. I think I just made quite brave decisions, and that’s why I got the win.”

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu gets strong verdict on top 10 and Grand Slam hopes from Serena Williams’ ex-coach

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Victoria Mboko was the talk of tennis after her stunning breakthrough win in front of her home fans and her ranking received a stunning lift after her win in Montreal.

The 18-year-old received a wildcard entry into the Canadian Open and she certainly cashed on that opportunity by pulling off a staggering win that fired her up to No 24 in the updated WTA Rankings.

That represented a stunning rankings rise of 61 places for Mboko, who is now on course to be seeded at the US Open later this month.

She is positioned even higher in the UTR Rankings, which offer an alternative view of where the best players in the world are ranked using a different system compared to that of the official WTA Ranking.

Victories against higher-ranked players are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA Ranking, meaning they offer a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.

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So it was no surprise to see Mboko receive a huge rankings boost in the updated UTR Rankings, as she broke into the top 20 for the first time.

The UTR Rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The UTR Ranking is open to players of all levels of the game and the algorithm used provides an intriguing insight into the current form of the top players in the game.

Emma Raducanu is another player who has made a big move in the UTR Rankings after her impressive run of form in recent weeks.

The Brit pushed world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka all the way in a thrilling three set contest in Cincinnati that went the way of the defending champion from Belarus in a third set tie-break.

Yet it is clear that Raducanu is playing tennis at a higher level than her current WTA Ranking of No 39 reflects and she is positioned at a more appropriate No 12 in the latest UTR list.

Mboko and Raducanu may both be contenders to break into the top ten of the UTR Rankings if they continue their good form at the US Open and with both players having limited WTA Ranking points to defend for the rest of 2025, they can also expect a big leap in those rankings.

Intriguingly, Coco Gauff leads the current URT Rankings ahead of WTA No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with these rankings offering plenty of talking points.

Updated UTR Rankings

1. Coco Gauff

2. Aryna Sabalenka

3. Iga Swiatek

4. Mirra Andreeva

5. Zheng Qinwen

6. Ekaterina Alexandrova

7. Elena Rybakina

8. Elina Svitolina

9. Madison Keys

10. Jessica Pegula

11. Marketa Vondrousova

12. Emma Raducanu

13. Jasmine Paolini

14. Liudmila Samsonova

15. Paula Badosa

16. Amanda Anisimova

17. Elise Mertens

18. Belinda Bencic

19. Victoria Mboko

20. Naomi Osaka

READ NEXT: Why Emma Raducanu was treated badly by the umpire in what was is hailed as a ‘ridiculous’ incident

The post Victoria Mboko and Emma Raducanu closing in on stunning rankings breakthrough in alternative list appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu found herself caught up in a storm she would not have wanted any part of when umpire Miriam Bley served up an unexpected response to her valid complaint during an epic clash against Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati.

If an unruly fan was shouting at crucial moments and distracting players as they were about to serve, there is an assumption that they will be removed from the stadium.

When the attendee making a noise is a small child, the balancing act between fairness to the players and expectations of spectator behaviour can become a little blurred.

So when Raducanu asked umpire Miriam Bley whether a crying baby could be asked to leave, she got a response that instantly made the player and not the baby the talking point as the chair umpire said: “It’s a child… do you want me to kick the child out of the stadium?”

The inference from Bley was that Raducanu was being mean-spirited by asking for a baby to be removed from the stands, but that was the wrong way to look at this story.

Instead, we could question why a baby was taken to a sporting event where some level of control is expected from spectators and this is nothing new.

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Babies are often present for major tennis matches and they often cry when the crowd roars and they are naturally scared by the commotion around them.

Maybe the bigger question here is whether there should be an age limit for spectators in tennis and this point was aired by media personality and Simon Jordan, former of Premier League club club Crystal Palace,  gave his pointed verdict on his talkSPORT radio show.

“I don’t think it’s very helpful for an umpire to have responded that way,” said Jordan.

“The umpire was trying to maintain some popularity with the audience because, ultimately, the tennis players were distracted.

“If a tennis player is in the middle of serving and someone shouts out, they’d be the first person to be reprimanded and told the audience has got to be quiet and mindful.”

“I’m not sitting there being some horrid person, it’s me looking at it thinking – it’s ridiculous.

“I wouldn’t bring a young child, theatres don’t allow people to bring young children into an auditorium when actors are in the middle of acting, so they can scream out.

“The fact of the matter is, it’s not appropriate. It’s not mean-spirited, I’m simply saying it’s not appropriate. I would suggest that there should be an age limit in place.”

Jordan is right to suggest that a baby screaming at a play or a performance of an opera would not be tolerated, so why should tennis have different rules when one of the players was clearly being distracted by a young spectator?

When Raducanu suggested the baby could be asked to leave, even temporarily, a large section of the crowd screamed ‘yes’ to give her their backing.

As a parent, I would never have brought my daughter to a top level sporting event when she was still as young as the child who was crying during the Raducanu match.

Children under the age of five are not allowed to enter the show courts at Wimbledon and that feels like an appropriate rule to ensure the environment is right for the players and other spectators who have paid big money for tickets to watch the action.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu, the crying baby, her vocal coach Francisco Roig and breaking the rules

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The first hard-court Grand Slam event was not held until 1978 but, less than five decades on, the surface is the most common on the ATP Tour.

Several all-time greats of the sport have found huge success on hard courts across the globe, but who are the greatest hard-court players of all time?

Here, we rank the 10 greatest male hard-court players of the Open Era.

Grand Slam success is a factor, though we also factor in that the US Open was not on hard until 1978, and the Australian Open was not on the surface until 1988.

We also look at overall impact and legacy on the surface, big titles and overall titles won, match wins and win percentage, and the era each player was competing in.

Agree or disagree with our list? Let us know in the comments.

10) Jannik Sinner

It may feel a little presumptuous to put Sinner on this list, though the world No 1 is one of just three men to have won three consecutive hard-court Grand Slam titles.

The Italian already has back-to-back Australian Open titles and a US Open title to his name, with a further four victories at Masters 1000 level and an ATP Finals title on hard courts.

At the end of 2024, Sinner’s hard-court career win percentage (79.13%) was the eighth-highest of all time, and it feels as if the best could be yet to come for the 23-year-old.

9) Andy Murray

Across his career, Murray won 34 of his 46 ATP Tour titles on hard courts – a tally that only five men in the Open Era can beat.

The Brit triumphed at the US Open in 2012 and achieved a further five Australian Open runner-up finishes, also winning Olympic gold on the surface at Rio 2016.

Murray won 12 Masters 1000 and the 2016 ATP Finals title on hard courts, and holds an overall career win percentage of 74.08% on the surface – with an impressive 503 match wins.

8) John McEnroe

Tennis great McEnroe was one of the leading players when hard courts became more prominent in the sport, and the US star found huge success on the surface.

McEnroe won 22 hard-court titles across his career, ranking him joint-11th in the all-time standings, with an impressive four US Open crowns his standout successes.

The American won 81.36% (288-566) of his hard-court matches across his career, the sixth-highest win percentage in ATP history.

7) Ivan Lendl

One of the dominant forces of the 1980s, Czech great Lendl cemented his place as one of the leading hard-court stars of his era, and one of the best of all time.

The Czech won three straight US Open titles on the surface, reaching eight finals in a row in New York across the 1980s, and also claimed back-to-back Australian Open titles once the event switched to hard.

Lendl’s record of 82.45% ranks as the fourth-highest win percentage on the ATP Tour, with only six men having won more hard-court titles (31) than the former world No 1.

6) Jimmy Connors

Though the gradual move to more hard-court events came midway through Connors’ career, the US icon more than made his mark on the surface.

His 45 hard-court titles rank him fourth all-time, with his 530 match victories also the fourth-most among men recorded on the ATP Tour.

Three of Connors’ five US Open titles came on hard courts, with a highly impressive overall win percentage of 82.55% on the surface.

5) Pete Sampras

Sampras was the leading player of the 1990s, and a significant chunk of his success came on hard courts across his legendary career.

The American won an impressive 36 titles on the surface, including five US Open and two Australian Open titles, alongside one of his five ATP Finals triumphs across the 1990s.

Sampras’ overall match wins (426) and win percentage (80.53%) both rank him seventh in ATP Tour history.

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4) Rafael Nadal

Up against the No 1 and No 2 picks on our countdown (more on them shortly), Nadal well and truly held his own on hard courts in a hugely competitive era.

Despite his opposition, the Spaniard managed to pick up four US Open and two Australian Open titles, with 25 overall titles on the surface – including 10 victories at Masters 1000 level.

Nadal’s 516 match wins are the fifth-most in ATP Tour history, with an overall win percentage of 77.48% across his career.

3) Andre Agassi

Agassi found success on all surfaces across his career, though hard courts proved to be his happiest hunting ground.

Forty-six of his 60 ATP Tour titles came on the surface, the third-highest tally in tour history, with 14 Masters titles, with a total of 596 match wins across his career on hard courts.

Agassi won two US Open titles in the 1990s and was a four-time Australian Open champion, despite not playing the event for the first decade of his career.

The American’s CV on the surface is boosted by an impressive win rate of 78.94%, the ninth-highest on the ATP Tour.

2) Roger Federer

Few have dominated on hard courts quite like Federer, whose 71 tour titles on the surface is an Open Era record.

Eleven of those titles came at Grand Slam-level, with five straight US Open titles won from 2004-08, coupled with an impressive six Australian Open titles.

The Swiss won 22 Masters titles on hard courts and has an overall career win percentage of 83.26%, the second-highest on the surface.

Federer won a total of 776 matches on hard courts, the most of any man.

1) Novak Djokovic

Though Djokovic and Federer are level with 71 hard-court titles, the tilt of other stats in the Serbian’s favour means he is our pick as the greatest male hard-court player.

No man has won more Grand Slam titles than Djokovic on hard courts, with a record 10 Australian Open crowns joined by four US Open triumphs across his career.

The Serbian has also won a record 29 Masters 1000 titles on hard courts, with his 708 wins (as of the end of 2024) only beaten by Federer.

Djokovic’s hard-court win percentage of 84.09% (as of 2024) is the highest of all time, cementing his place our No 1 pick.

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Emma Raducanu’s 2025 Cincinnati Open campaign has come to an end as she lost in three sets against world No 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, but how much money and points did she earn for her run?

Playing at the Ohio WTA 1000 event for only the second time following her debut in 2022, Raducanu was seeded 30th and it meant she had a bye into the second round.

She started with a straight-set win over Olga Danilovic, but that seeding didn’t give her much of a boost as she then faced top seed Sabalenka in the round of 32 on Monday.

Sabalenka won the first two encounters against the British No 1 and she extended her head-to-head lead to 3-0 with a 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) win in an excellent contest that lasted three hours and 10 minutes as she equalled her third-round result from 2022.

WTA Ranking Points Earned & US Open Seeding

Raducanu – who also lost in the third round of the Canadian Open – started her final US Open warm-up event at No 39 in the WTA Rankings and she moved up five places to No 34 in the Live Rankings following her win over Danilovic.

By reaching the third round, Raducanu picked up 65 points as she increased her ranking points tally to 1426. However, she was unable to pick up additional points following her defeat to Sabalenka.

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She has also dropped one place in the Live Rankings to No 35 with Veronika Kudermetova moving ahead of her while she could still drop further if one or two players behind her enjoy an extended run at the WTA 1000 tournament.

It means Raducanu is unlikely to be among top 32 players at the 2025 US Open with the Cincinnati Open the cutoff event before seedings are confirmed.

Of course, if there are several withdrawals from players ahead of her in the rankings, then she could still be bumped into the top 32 seeds.

Prize Money Earned At Cincinnati Open

Raducanu started the tournament with career prize money earnings of $5,337,073 with $1,068,016 coming 2025 alone.

The 22-year-old has added another $32,840 to her earnings after her run to the third round.

What’s To Come For Raducanu

Raducanu will now switch focus to the 2025 US Open, but a lack of seeding at the season-ending Grand Slam could result in a tough draw as she could face any of the top players in the first round.

She will no doubt hope to avoid the likes of Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek in the opening few rounds at Flushing Meadows.

The post Emma Raducanu’s points and prize money from Cincinnati Open run appeared first on Tennis365.

Legendary coach Rick Macci has proclaimed that Iga Swiatek will “go down as one of the greatest players ever” as he lauded the Pole’s accomplishments.

Swiatek secured her maiden Wimbledon crown and sixth Grand Slam title overall with a demolition of Amanda Anisimova in the title match at the London major last month.

The 24-year-old star is unbeaten in Grand Slam championship matches and has lost just a single set across her six victories.

Currently ranked third in the WTA Rankings behind Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, Swiatek has spent 125 weeks as the world No 1.

Following Swiatek’s Wimbledon win, Macci predicted that Swiatek will reclaim the No 1 ranking by the end of the 2025 season.

The American, who coached tennis icon Serena Williams between 1991 and 1994, also tweeted that Swiatek was “the best player this century”

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci clarified his stance on Swiatek’s greatness when asked about his previous claim.

“It was kind of misconstrued. Basically what I was saying is, from 2020 through this decade, she’s the most accomplished player,” Macci explained.

“Let’s face it. When we get into 21st century, there’s all kinds of ways to frame that up. But since 2000, Serena’s the GOAT and the best player of all time, and I don’t think anybody is even in the passenger side when you talk about Serena.

“But Iga deserves a lot of credit… simply because, since 2020, she’s been the most dominant player by far. Especially when she gets to the finals [at Grand Slams] — she’s won every time. That 37-match win streak. I mean, go back in time, you don’t see much of that.

“And you also gotta look at, there’s been a lot of ‘bagels’ (6-0 sets). She’s beat people badly. And now people might say, ‘Oh, there’s not as much depth’, and I get all that stuff, but she doesn’t decide who she plays and she doesn’t decide all that.

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“I think whenever you can dominate like that at the highest level, it’s rare air.”

The 70-year-old coach went on to predict how many majors Swiatek will win.

“She will definitely go down as one of the greatest players ever. Iga will be a double digit Grand Slam winner. As long as she has the desire,” Macci continued.

“And remember, she’s only 24. And let’s face it, the women’s game is a little fluid. Even though [Aryna] Sabalenka has more firepower and Coco [Gauff]’s the Olympic sprinter.

“This thing’s fluid, there’s no one that’s really been there and done that. There’s a lot of people that make a cameo, they win a Slam and go in an out.

“It’s fluid, but I have no doubt whatsoever (about Swiatek) because, to me, she’s proven. She has those six Slams in her back pocket and nothing beats proven. And no doubt, double digit Grand Slams are on the horizon.”

As well as Serena and Venus Williams, Macci has coached Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick, Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and Sofia Kenin.

Swiatek is currently in action at the Cincinnati Open after losing to Clara Tauson in the last 16 at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu gets strong verdict on top 10 and Grand Slam hopes from Serena Williams’ ex-coach

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Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic has never been afraid to speak his mind, and he made a Grand Slam prediction involving Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal back in 2019.

Ivanisevic started coaching Djokovic in June 2019 and helped the Serbian win nine majors, two ATP Finals crowns and seven Masters titles before the pair parted ways in March 2024.

Djokovic has collected 24 Grand Slam titles (10 Australian Opens, seven Wimbledon titles, four US Opens and three French Opens), which is the all-time men’s singles record. His most recent major win was the 2023 US Open.

Nadal, who called time on his career in November 2024, sits second on the list with 22 Grand Slams (14 French Opens, four US Opens, two Wimbledon titles and two Australian Opens).

Roger Federer, who retired in September 2022, is third in the men’s Grand Slam standings with 20 (eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Opens, five US Opens and one French Open).

In September 2019, Ivanisevic revealed why he felt Djokovic was the best of the Big Three.

“For me, let’s put it this way, if everyone plays their best in 10 matches, I’d say Novak wins at least eight matches. He’s the most complete player of the three,” Ivanisevic was quoted as saying by Tennis World ES.

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At the time Ivanisevic was speaking, Djokovic had won 16 Grand Slams, while Nadal had just secured his 19th major at the 2019 US Open.

The Croatian backed both Djokovic and Nadal to win over 20 majors — a prediction that has aged well.

“Rafa will definitely win a few more Roland Garros and will surely surpass 20. Novak will surpass 20,” Ivanisevic declared.

On Federer, Ivanisevic added: “Roger, you can’t underestimate him.

“He’ll still be thinking about Wimbledon (the 2019 final, where Federer had two championship points against Djokovic), when people were already saying he was (on) 21 (Grand Slams).

“That hurts, but Roger will definitely be hoping for another one.”

After Ivanisevic’s words, Nadal won the French Open in 2020 and 2022, as well as securing his second Australian Open crown in 2022.

Djokovic, meanwhile, has since won three Australian Open titles (2020, 2021 an 2023), two French Open titles (2021 and 2023), two Wimbledon titles (2021 and 2022) and one US Open title (2023).

The 38-year-old Serb will aim to become the oldest major singles champion in history at the 2025 US Open.

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The post Goran Ivanisevic’s prediction about Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in 2019 that came true appeared first on Tennis365.

The US Open is less than two weeks away, with the final Grand Slam tournament of 2025 set to provide a thrilling fortnight of action in New York.

The seedings for the men’s singles event are not official yet, but things are starting to take shape amid the start of the Cincinnati Open.

Here, we look at what we know so far, and what to watch out for across the rest of the tournament.

What do we know?

While there is plenty of potential change lower down in the rankings, the status of the top two seeds is secure.

Defending US Open champion and world No 1 Jannik Sinner will be the top seed, with world No 2 and 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz the second seed.

Alcaraz cannot rival Sinner’s No 1 ranking in Cincinnati, though the Spaniard himself holds a comfortable cushion as the world No 2 over Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.

World No 3 Zverev and No 4 Fritz will round up the top four seeds, though Fritz could move up to the No 3 position with a strong run in Cincinnati – coupled with an early Zverev exit.

What else to look out for?

The 5-7 seeds are set to be Jack Draper, Novak Djokovic, and Ben Shelton, though there could be some movement between the three.

Shelton and Djokovic are level on points in the Live Rankings, though, with Djokovic absent, Shelton needs just one more match win to remain at his current actual ranking of world No 6.

With Draper also absent from the Masters 1000 event, the American could move to a new career high of world No 5 – and be the fifth seed at the US Open – with a run to the semi-final.

Alex de Minaur is currently eighth in the live and actual ATP Rankings, though the Australian’s early exit in Cincinnati leaves him susceptible to being pushed out of the top eight.

World 12 Karen Khachanov is up to 10th in the ATP Live Rankings, with Holger Rune currently down to 12th – with his Cincinnati Open semi-final points from last year dropping off as things stand.

Former US Open semi-finalist Khachanov may be best placed to threaten de Minaur’s position, with world No 9 Lorenzo Musetti already out.

Lower down the seedings, Frances Tiafoe faces an uphill task to be a top 16 seed at the event.

The American was a finalist in Cincinnati last summer and, with last year’s points off, is down to 17th in the ATP Live Rankings as things stand.

The withdrawal of world No 21 Grigor Dimitrov means the world No 33 will be seeded in New York; in the live rankings, that is currently Canadian star Gabriel Diallo.

However, the margins in this area of the ATP Rankings are incredibly fine, meaning that there could be plenty of changes over the next few days.

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US Open projected seedings (based on Live ATP Rankings, August 11, 2025)

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

Next in (Live Rankings)

34) Luciano Darderi
35) Lorenzo Sonego
36) Alexei Popyrin
37) Cameron Norrie

Read Next: 2025 US Open projected seedings: Will Victoria Mboko, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu make the cut?

The post 2025 US Open projected seedings: Sinner & Alcaraz top 2, where will Djokovic place? appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Zverev has claimed there has been a significant change to the court speed at the Cincinnati Open.

The world No 3 started his campaign in Mason, Ohio with a 6-3, 6-3 win against 109th-ranked American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy.

Zverev had to contend with a short turnaround to appear in Cincinnati after he reached the last four at the Canadian Open in Toronto. The Canadian Open concluded on the same day the Cincinnati Open started.

The 28-year-old German is seeking his second title at the Masters tournament in Cincinnati after his 2021 triumph, while he was a semi-finalist in both 2023 and 2024.

The hard courts of the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati have long been measured as some of the fastest courts on the ATP Tour.

Zverev, however, has declared that the surface used in Cincinnati is now a lot slower than it used to be.

“Cincinnati was a very fast tournament in the past, but it’s become extremely slow now,” he said in a press conference at this year’s event.

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“I’m not sure what the reason behind this choice is, especially since in New York the courts will be very fast again.

“I’m not a huge fan of this surface. I just hope to play good tennis and get as far as possible.”

After his win over Basavareddy, Zverev said: “I requested [a night match], coming from Toronto, where it’s a lot colder, I need some days getting used to the heat and conditions. I’m happy with the win and happy with how I played.”

Zverev also made a big statement about court speed in Cincinnati last year

During the 2024 Cincinnati Masters, Zverev made an interesting claim when asked if he feels more comfortable on faster courts.

“Yeah, I mean I’m playing [with] an old school racket still, I’m playing [with] quite a heavy tennis racket still,” he told Tennis Channel.

“I mean, some of the young guys don’t do that anymore so they swing a lot faster than me. But when the ball comes with pace, I think a heavier racket helps you, so that’s maybe part of the reason. Some obviously racket things there.

“I mean look, I’m still from the generation from ten years ago, or from five, six years ago, when we had some very fast hard courts, especially when Roger was still around.

“And obviously, tournaments liked him to go deep, so they were making some very, very fast courts.

“So I’m used to it a little bit maybe more than some of the younger generation, but I mean, still some adjustments to be made.”

READ NEXT: How Novak Djokovic fared at the US Open the previous times he missed Cincinnati

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