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Emma Raducanu has struggled to build any momentum in an injury and illness-hit 2026 season and now she is about to suffer an inevitable slide down the WTA Rankings.

The British No 1 is currently on the sidelines once again with a stress fracture in her foot that ended her hopes of playing in her home Grand Slam at Wimbledon.

Raducanu confirmed the injury emerged after she played three matches in quick succession to reach the final of the WTA 500 tournament at the Queen’s Club in June, with her time on the sidelines set to be costly to her ranking.

The 2021 US Open champion reached the semi-finals at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington this time last season, but those ranks are about to drop off her ranking and the live WTA list highlights the impact that will have.

The updated list shows that Raducanu will slide down 12 places to No 49 in the updated rankings and that slide is likely to get even worse by the time she returns to the court.

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She had already pulled out of upcoming WTA 1000 tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati and that will ensure more valuable rankings points drop off her tally.

If she then pulls out of the US Open, and that seems highly likely at this stage of her recovery, another 130 points will come off her record.

It means that by the time she returns to action, Raducanu could be ranked around No 85 and that would not be enough for her to gain entry into top tier WTA events.

Her status as a Grand Slam champion earned her plenty of wildcards in the period after her US Open win, but that was a long time ago and there are more credible candidates for tournament organisers to add to their draw now.

So Raducanu may be forced to enter qualifying events if she wants to continue to play top level events and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski admits she faces a challenging period when she returns.

“I think you have to be in the team to really know what the issue is,” said Rusedski on his podcast.

“It depends on how you’re training, how you’re loading, what’s happening. I don’t have enough information, but all I know is we have a lot of talented players in Britain and we need to find a way to keep them healthy.

“Also, consistency of team helps, consistency of training. You can’t take long periods of time off. Even when you’re on holiday, you still need to hit balls. You still need to go to the gym. You need to keep it going because stop starting.

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“I remember when Roger Federer was at the peak of his powers and he was still hitting tennis balls when he went on holiday with his family. That’s what you need to do.

“I’m a recreational player now, but if I stop for a few weeks and then I got a seniors event or something, I’m sore. I’m stiff. I don’t bounce back as quickly. So it’s easier for me if I’m just training consistently.

“You need the same approach as the pros. And you have to get that sort of impact and volume. And for Emma at Queen’s, the problem was she’s played so many back-to-back matches.

“So she wasn’t trained for her body to be able to do that. You can say it’s bad luck, but you have to be prepared sometimes to play two matches in a day and maybe back-to-back two matches.

“I just wish her well. I want to see her healthy. I want to see all our Brits healthy and going in the right direction. But you’ve got to have a look at the sports science behind it as well because something is not right when we have this many of them injured all the time.”

READ NEXT: Can Emma Raducanu contend for Grand Slams again? Legendary coach makes strong statement

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In the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev has stepped up to the plate and done everything he can to compete with Jannik Sinner.

The star ended his wait for a first Grand Slam title by winning Roland Garros earlier this year, capitalising on Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic’s early exit.

He continued his good form into Wimbledon, a tournament he a never previously succeeded at. Prior to the 2026 event, Zverev had not made it past the fourth round of the grass court Grand Slam.

Buoyed by the fact he is now a Grand Slam champion, Zverev reached the final for the first time and pushed Sinner in a high quality final on Centre Court.

Zverev took the opening set against Sinner, but eventually lost the final in four sets.

Now at World No 2 in the ATP Tour rankings, Andrea Petkovic believes the German now has what it takes to reach the summit of the ATP Tour for the first time in his career.

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Speaking to Sport1, Petkovic said: “I think that window of opportunity is definitely there. If Sascha continues where he left off at Wimbledon, the chance is absolutely there.

“Of course, Sinner and Alcaraz will continue to set the tone, so it will be anything but easy. At first, I had the feeling that the old and the new Alexander Zverev were on the court at the same time. The longer the season went on, the more the new style of play prevailed.

“Wimbledon finally showed me that he now completely believes in this game. This is no longer a short-term adjustment, but his new identity on the court. He is more mature, more robust today and knows very well which path he wants to take.”

Zverev is next set to be in action at the Canadian Open, where he will be the top seed after Jannik Sinner confirmed he would not play the Masters event.

The German has not won the Masters event since 2017, when he defeated Roger Federer, Denis Shapovalov, and Kevin Anderson to lift the title.

He will be the overwhelming favourite to win the Canadian Open now, as Novak Djokovic is not playing the event either. If he does win the Canadian Open he will earn yet more ranking points and continue to close the gap between he and Sinner.

After Wimbledon, 4970 ranking points split Zverev and the World No 1, so there is still plenty of work to do for the Roland Garros champion. However, things can change very quickly on the ATP Tour.

The post Alexander Zverev told he now has an ‘opportunity’ to become World No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.

With the withdrawal list for tennis tournaments having become as big a talking point as the matches on the court, it is clear that the sport now has a problem.

It was no surprise when Canadian Open organisers confirmed that both world No 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have joined the injured Carlos Alcaraz by confirming they will not be playing in Montreal next month, with the eagerness for elite players to add breaks into their season leaving this first Masters 1000 event of the North American hard court swing open to withdrawals.

Sinner and Djokovic can use the Cincinnati Open later in August as their warm-up event for the US Open and it leaves the Canadian tournament grappling for credibility as it has become the tournament players are happy to skip.

The ATP 1000 tournaments are mandatory events and dropping out of them means players receive a smaller pay-out from the ATP bonus pool payments at the end of the season.

Yet money is not a huge motivation for wealthy superstars like Sinner and Djokovic’s status, as their bank balances have not been a motivating factor for many years now.

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The reason why this latest withdrawal announcement felt different was the reaction that came from Canadian Open officials, as they confirmed talks are underway with the ATP Tour to try and alleviate the issues of persistent withdrawals.

“We are obviously very disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be joining us in Montreal this year, especially after they also withdrew from last year’s tournament in Toronto,” said the Canadian Open’s tournament director Valerie Tetreault.

“We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players’ health must remain the priority.

“That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for our sport.

“Masters 1000 events are among the flagship tournaments on the tour, and fans rightfully expect to see the world’s best compete.

“We are already in discussions with the ATP to ensure this matter receives serious consideration.”

Would the ATP Tour consider a rule change that could see top players punished if they don’t play in Masters 1000 events? That seems highly unlikely.

The financial incentives the ATP Tour have put in place to encourage players to play in their nine marquee events may be the only weapon tennis chiefs have to encourage them to play, as the prospect of punishing players by taking ranking points away from them would cause an internal rift that would not be welcomed.

Changing the calendar is another option, but finding space for extra weeks to move tournaments has been hugely hampered by the ATP Tour’s decision to move most of their Masters 1000 events into 12-day competitions rather than a traditional one-week event.

Once again, that decision was inspired by a drive to increase revenues and give players more prize money, so reducing those events back down to seven days would negatively impact both the rewards for players and the improvements of facilities at tournament venues.

The brutal truth must be that the Canadian Open has now become the most diluted Masters 1000 event of ATP Tour year and it would be no surprise if more big names pull out over the next week.

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It is a real shame for Canadian tennis fans who have also seen a host of big name withdrawals in the WTA Tour 1000 event also being staged in their country in the opening week of August, but there is no obvious solution to a crisis driven by the desire to regenerate as much revenue as possible for players who are demanding more and more cash from those running the sport.

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The post Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner decision not enough to force tennis chiefs into radical rule change appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have once again confirmed they will be missing the Canadian Open as the debate about the intensity of the tennis schedule continues to rumble on.

Masters events are the seconds biggest tournaments on the ATP Tour calendar, behind only the four Grand Slams.

So why are the likes of Djokovic and Sinner so happy to withdraw from them and subsequently miss out on a potential 1000 ATP Tour ranking points?

Andy Murray predicted this last season when he sent a fierce warning to ATP Tour organisers about what might happen due to the new two-week format of Masters events.

Speaking at the Madrid Open last year, Murray suggested the potential sanctions for missing a Masters event were not strong enough to convince players to play the tournaments.

At present, players can automatic ranking penalties, financial fines, and potential suspension from tournaments, although there have not been many severe examples in recent years.

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“I never made decisions based on bonus pool, but it would be more about: Will I get a zero point, or might it affect my ranking, this might have been something I would have considered, but then as I got older and when I reflect on it, and also as I’ve said to some coaches who work with younger players: You don’t have to play those events,” he said.

“Everyone says the schedule is very long, which it is. It’s definitely a long season. And now, with the two-week events, it’s quite demanding. But you also always have the choice not to play.

“Yes, you might get a zero point, lose a few ranking points, or not be part of a bonus pool. But that’s a decision, either you’re saying, ‘I don’t want to play,’ or ‘I’m making a decision to play because it’s better for me financially.’

Sinner and Djokovic’s withdrawals from the Canadian Open is not likely to change their ranking, or subsequent career, and that is also something Murray acknowledged last year.

“Players have the option not to play if they don’t want to,” he said. “It’s not like anything really bad happens. It’s not like you get a suspension or you can’t play future events. It’s just a zero pointer on your ranking. It’s not a big deal.”

Either the ATP Tour needs to make changes to the hectic nature of the tennis calendar or it needs to double down and start providing bigger sanctions on players who miss the biggest events in the calendar.

Otherwise there will be more withdrawals from key events across the season.

The post Andy Murray has already suggested the reason for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic’s Canadian Open withdrawals appeared first on Tennis365.

Doubles is becoming increasingly more under threat recently, with the ATP Tour unveiling plans to cut the amount of tournaments in half.

Doubles specialist have spoken up about the matter and have suggested the format is down to a lack of marketing from the ATP Tour, rather than the popularity of doubles.

The likes of Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who won Wimbledon together in 2025, have hit back at the ATP Tour’s newest ideas.

“We’re all members of the ATP, we all pay membership and the reason it was set up was to protect players,” said Cash in an interview with BBC Sport. “It’s not to try and kill parts of the sport.”

Now, another doubles star has suggested what singles stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, could do to try and save doubles.

In a new interview, as shared by Tennis Temple, Sadio Doumbia explained why doubles is failing while singles action is as popular as ever.

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“Today, what sells are the great champions: Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, or the players from the host country. Location also matters, of course.People also go to Roland Garros or Wimbledon for the charm of the place, and the stands are always full.”

Doumbia believes more stars need to start playing doubles and he’s suggested Alcaraz and Sinner’s double debut would be huge news for the format.

“What generates revenue are the tournaments, and the stars. If Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz played doubles together tomorrow, everyone would go see them instead of a singles between two top 20 players,” he said.

“People would rather watch Jannik practice than a match between world No. 50 and No. 80.If tomorrow Sinner and Alcaraz played doubles together, everyone would choose to watch them rather than a singles between two top 20 players.

“We live in an era of extreme ‘starification’. People prefer watching Sinner practice rather than an official match between world No. 50 and No. 80. We are fascinated by stars. The problem is not doubles, but the lack of true superstars in this specialty.”

Doubles tends to be very popular with audiences at Grand Slams, particularly at this year’s Wimbledon, but it is at smaller events where crowds seem to dwindle.

Nevertheless, it is extremely short-sighted by the ATP Tour to cut back on doubles events, rather than try and promote them better and get them seen by a wider audience.

Promoting doubles stars and matches view their social media pages would be a terrific start, but it is certainly not time to scrap a format that has been the backbone of tennis for a very long time.

The post ATP doubles champion says what would happen if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played doubles together appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz is due to make a major step forward in his recovery from a wrist injury that has kept him away from professional tennis for nearly four months, with the Spaniard reportedly eyeing a return at the upcoming Cincinnati Open.

The world No 3 last played at the Barcelona Open, where he won his opening-round match before taking a medical timeout and withdrawing from his following match due to wrist discomfort.

Since then, Alcaraz has been quietly resting and following the necessary recovery steps, most recently being seen lightly hitting tennis balls during an indoor practice session.

However, according to a new report from Spanish newspaper El Pais, the seven-time Grand Slam champion is expected to move to outdoor conditions in the coming days – marking a major step forward given the additional challenges presented by such a change in environment.

The outlet also reported that Alcaraz has already received the official tennis balls for the upcoming Cincinnati Open, which takes place from August 13-23.

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The Spaniard is defending a whopping 1000 ranking points at the Ohio event after winning the tournament for the first time 12 months ago.

Alcaraz has already dropped more than 5000 ranking points and, as a result, has been leapfrogged by Alexander Zverev in the rankings for the first time since May 2025.

Indeed, his main rival, Jannik Sinner, now sits 5290 points ahead of the Spaniard following a string of triumphs in Alcaraz’s absence, including all three clay-court Masters 1000 titles and a successful Wimbledon title defence.

However, El Pais’ recent report will come as welcome news for Alcaraz’s army of fans and provides an indication of his potential return date.

Just a few days earlier, Javier Varela, a journalist writing for La Verdad – an outlet based in Alcaraz’s home city of Murcia – reported that the world No 3 is expecting to return at the Cincinnati Open.

Similarly to El Pais, the report stated that, should he participate, he will treat the tournament as a warm-up event for the season’s final Grand Slam, the US Open.

“The progress, however, is positive. Alcaraz is already hitting the ball, albeit still at a moderate intensity, and the goal is to gradually increase his training pace in the coming weeks,” the report said.

“The expectation is that he will be able to travel to the Cincinnati Masters 1000 with the intention of competing, although his participation is not guaranteed and, if he does play, he will not necessarily be at peak physical condition.”

The New York event takes place from August 30 to September 13, where Alcaraz is the defending champion.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz handed huge injury boost with Cincinnati Open return targeted appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner’s decision to withdraw from the Canadian Open seems a bizarre one on paper, but he has actually made a very wise decision.

“After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal,” he wrote in a statement, after joining the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz by not playing the tournament.

“It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritise my health,” he added. “I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future.”

Sinner had the chance to continues his incredible Masters streak in 2026, as he had already won the first five on offer this season, but it’s clear the Italian is prioritising other things.

While Sinner’s decision might seem strange to some, particularly as he has only played one tournament since his early exit at Roland Garros, many need to remember just why the Italian exited the Paris Grand Slam.

Sinner crumbled against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round, due to what seemed like fatigue.

That came after Sinner put himself through a gruelling schedule to win Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Monte Carlo Masters, the Madrid Open, and the Italian Open back-to-back.

Sinner showed wear and tear throughout that historic Masters run and it ultimately cost him the chance to earn the Career Grand Slam by the age of 24.

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He looked ropey in matches against Andrey Rublev in Monte Carlo and Daniil Medvedev at the Italian Open, and his energy levels blew up in his face at Roland Garros.

It’s clear Sinner is prioritising not just his health, but the opportunity to win more Grand Slams. They are the tournaments that matter once you’re retired and the Italian’s form is far better than the five he has achieved so far in his career.

The fact Sinner has only been able to claim one of the three Grand Slam titles during the 2026 season is a huge faux pas, and one he is clearly looking to rectify by missing the Canadian Open.

Sinner might miss the chance to claim all nine Grand Slams in a single year, but he has given himself the best possible chance to claim Grand Slam number six at the US Open later this year.

After missing the Canadian Open, it looks likely Sinner will play the Cincinnati Open and the US Open back-to-back, much like he did last year.

The star reached the final of both tournaments in 2025, but he lost to Alcaraz each time.

The post Jannik Sinner’s biggest mistake in 2026 has just been rectified appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have made the decision to miss the Canadian Open once again and it should a wake-up call for the ATP Tour.

Sinner is set to miss the Masters event for the second year in a row, while Djokovic has not played the Canadian tournament for seven years now.

“After carefully considering all the factors together with my team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Montreal,” said Sinner in a statement released by Tennis Canada.

“It is never easy to miss such an important event, but we believe this is the right decision to prioritise my health. I’m disappointed not to be there, but I look forward to returning to Montreal in the future.”

The Canadian Open took place two weeks after Wimbledon last year and the authorities changed that to three weeks for the 2026 tournament, but that is clearly not enough.

The top players are clearly not interested in starting their North American hardcourt swing so early and that should absolutely push the ATP Tour into a major change.

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The Canadian Open should either be moved back further or pushed off the calendar entirely at this point, because a Masters event without the top two seeds, and a 24-time Grand Slam champion is simply not good enough.

While Carlos Alcaraz’s omission cannot be helped, Sinner and Djokovic have had around 20 days to recover for the tournament since their last match at Wimbledon.

If they were truly keen to play the tournament, they surely would have.

The most worrying aspect of the situation is Sinner was given a very good reason to play the Canadian Open this year.

The World No 1 has won the first five Masters events of the year and could have become the first player in tennis history to win all nine in a calendar year.

The fact that he opted out of achieving something that would likely never be achieved again just goes to show how gruelling the tennis calendar has become for the players.

Another reason for their withdrawals could be the extended nature of the Masters event. It would be interesting to see if Sinner and Djokovic would be more inclined to play the Canadian Open if it reverted back to its one-week format.

Both men have been outspoken about change to a two-week format for Masters events, with only the Paris Masters and the Monte Carlo Masters taking place over the traditional week.

In 2025, Sinner offered his verdict on the Masters expansion.

“My personal view, I love the one-week events. I love it when you see that the tournament in Monaco, for example, you have for Monte Carlo, you have this one-week event, and you have the first-round matches, which are incredibly good,” he said.

“And if one good seeded player loses, the next match is an incredible match still, and you have the quarterfinals and you know exactly when you buy the tickets.”

Djokovic, meanwhile, has a similar view on Masters events currently.

“To be quite frank with you, I don’t enjoy the two-week Masters events anymore,” he said last year. “It’s just way too long for me. My focus is mostly on the Slams, and I have said that before.”

If something does not change with the tennis calendar, the top players will continue to miss the biggest events in the sport.

The post The ATP Tour needs to make a crucial change after what has just happened to Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic appeared first on Tennis365.

Former British No 1 Kyle Edmund has told Tennis365 that Carlos Alcaraz “can’t have any doubts” when he returns from his wrist injury.

In April, Alcaraz sustained a right wrist injury in his first round Barcelona Open win against Otto Virtanen, and he has not played since, having missed the rest of the clay season and the grass-court swing.

Alcaraz is reportedly aiming to make his comeback at the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati next month ahead of the 2026 US Open.

The 23-year-old Spaniard holds a 22-3 record in 2026, having won his first 16 matches of the season — a run that featured titles at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Edmund assessed that Alcaraz‘s injury “seems significant” and revealed he “loves watching” the seven-time major winner.

“Alcaraz, it doesn’t feel like a minor injury; it seems significant because he’s had to take serious time out and miss Grand Slams,” said the former world No 14.

“When you’re missing Grand Slams, that’s a proper thing. Those guys, that’s their career: winning Slams.

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“For people that enjoy tennis, we don’t need those guys out. I love watching him, so I would like him back. He’s just got to be careful with the wrist.

“I know from speaking to people about wrist injuries, you’ve got to make sure they’re right when you come back. And there’s a confidence thing to let go, as well.

“I think publicly he’s being quite reserved with it – rightfully so, it’s his personal thing. I don’t know what [the injury] is, in terms of what happened.

“But he’ll be back when he’s ready, and the way he plays is so explosive and physical that he can’t have any doubts in his head. He’s got to be able to trust his body.

“Hopefully he can get there, because the game’s better with him.”

Edmund, who retired from tennis at the age of 30 in August last year, was derailed by a range of injuries in the latter years of his career, including a wrist problem in 2023.

The 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist has suggested that the tennis balls used on tour could be contributing to arm and wrist issues.

“I don’t have stats with the balls, but the arm injuries, the wrist injuries… I had a wrist injury at the back end of my career,” said the two-time ATP title winner. “I never had any wrist injuries before… I don’t what that was.

“I was obviously coming back from a knee injury, so it might’ve just been I wasn’t ready for the demands of playing match after match.”

READ NEXT: Exclusive: Richard Krajicek predicts how long Sinner, Alcaraz & Zverev will remain the top 3 in men’s tennis

The post Carlos Alcaraz sent clear message about his injury comeback by former British No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s run to the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this month sparked a familiar debate that has no clear answer.

At the age of 39, Djokovic continued to prove he is one of the top players in the game and if Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were not as brilliant as they have been over the last two-and-a-half years, the Serbian may now be closing in on 30 Grand Slams.

As it is, Djokovic has been stuck on 24 Grand Slam titles since his last major arrived at the 2023 US Open, with each passing major ensuring his hopes of winning a 25th look more unlikely.

Even if he fails to win any more Grand Slams, Djokovic remains a step ahead of most players in the men’s game and that has led some observers to suggest the chasing pack are falling short of the standards they need to test the veteran champion.

Felix Auger-Aliassime was the latest top 10 ranked player to come up short in a battle with Djokovic, as he lost a compelling Wimbledon quarter-final against the seven-time All England Club champion.

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Their five-hour and 15-minute battle was another example of Djokovic’s incredible staying power, but did it also highlight the lack of quality in the players currently chasing the top prizes in men’s tennis.

Patrick Mouratoglou, who is a former coach of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, has now given his verdict on the Djokovic debate on LinkedIn, as he insisted the brilliance of the Serbian should not be underestimated.

“Every time Novak Djokovic beats a Top 10 player, I read the same comment: “The Top 10 isn’t as strong as it used to be.” I completely disagree,” he wrote.

“People seem to forget who Novak Djokovic is. He is the greatest player our sport has ever seen. And the greatest competitor.

“At 39, of course he’s no longer as fast as he was. His movement isn’t the same, his reaction time isn’t the same. That’s normal. But you don’t lose your tennis, you lose speed, you don’t lose your understanding of the game, your anticipation, your decision-making or the ability to perform under pressure. Those qualities are still there.

“That’s why he can still beat the best players in the world. His five-set victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon is another example.

“Some people saw it as proof that today’s Top 10 isn’t strong enough. I saw something completely different; I saw one of the greatest competitors in the history of sport finding a way to win another huge match.”

Mourtoglou went on to praise Djokovic for his Wimbledon performances as he added: “What impressed me even more at Wimbledon was his level in the early rounds. Against Stefanos Tsitsipas, I thought Novak played his best tennis in a long time. Probably the best I’ve seen since his Australian Open semifinal victory over Jannik Sinner. After that, his level dropped.

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“At the same time, Sinner kept improving round after round. Going into their semifinal, I still believed Novak could raise his level again because he knew exactly what would be required to challenge Jannik over five sets. In the end, Sinner was simply too strong.

“But reaching another Wimbledon semifinal at 39 and continuing to defeat the very best players tells me one thing; Never underestimate greatness. Especially when it belongs to someone who has built his entire career on competing better than anyone else.”

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