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The first clay-court WTA 1000 tournament of the season is drawing to a close in Madrid, and there will be some notable moves when the WTA Rankings update next week.

Here, we look at the Madrid Open winners and losers from a rankings perspective.

WTA Rankings Top 10 pre-Madrid

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,768
2. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 7,383
3. Jessica Pegula, United States – 6,208
4. Coco Gauff, United States – 6,073
5. Madison Keys, United States – 4,999
6. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 4,930
7. Mirra Andreeva – 4,781
8. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,193
9. Paula Badosa, Spain – 3,821
10. Emma Navarro, United States – 3,797

The women’s singles final at La Caja Magica is set, with Aryna Sabalenka set to face Coco Gauff in the Spanish capital.

World No 1 Sabalenka has stretched her lead at the top after reaching her second consecutive final in Madrid.

The Belarusian sits on the 10,768 points she started the tournament with after defending her runner-up points, and she could increase her total to 11,118 if she lifts the trophy.

Iga Swiatek was the defending champion, but the world No 2 has dropped 610 points after falling in the semi-finals this year — taking her points total from 7,383 to 6,773.

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Gauff started the Madrid Open in fourth position, but she has displaced third-ranked Jessica Pegula in the Live WTA Rankings with her run to the final.

The 21-year-old American has boosted her tally by 530 points to 6,603, and she can take the No 2 spot from Swiatek if she claims the title.

Pegula also had the chance to finish the tournament ranked second, but her third round exit ended her hopes.

Live WTA Rankings before Madrid final

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,768
2. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 6,773
3. Coco Gauff, United States – 6,603 (+1)
4. Jessica Pegula, United States – 6,273 (-1)
5. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 4,875 (+1)
6. Madison Keys, United States – 4,824 (-1)
7. Mirra Andreeva – 4,781
8. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,193
9. Emma Navarro, United States – 3,797 (+1)
10. Paula Badosa, Spain – 3,761 (-1)

Jasmine Paolini will climb above Madison Keys into fifth place after the latter fell a round short of her last four result in 2024.

Emma Navarro’s single victory before losing in the third round will be enough to see her replace Paula Badosa — who withdrew through injury — as the world No 9.

Winners outside the top 10

Diana Shnaider’s run to the last 16 has seen her rise from 13th to a new projected career-high of 11th in the live rankings.

Elina Svitolina is up three places from 17th to 14th after her excellent semi-final result.

Marta Kostyuk started the event ranked 36th, and she has surged to 27th position due to her quarter-final run.

Moyuka Uchijima, who progressed to the last eight, will leap nine spots from 56th to a new career-high of 47th.

Yuliia Starodubtseva reached the fourth round after coming through qualifying, and she has been rewarded with a 19-place climb to world No 79.

Losers outside the top 10

Elena Rybakina’s third round loss will see her drop a sizeable 325 points, taking her from 11th to 12th, as she was a semi-finalist in Madrid in 2024.

Beatriz Haddad Maia, who made the last eight a year ago, has dropped out of the top 20 (from 19th to 22nd) after her third round exit.

Ons Jabeur is set to fall from 28th to 36th after falling well short of her quarter-final effort in 2024.

Mayar Sherif’s first round defeat has seen her drop from 50th to 64th in the live rankings as she made the last 32 last year.

READ NEXT: Coco Gauff explains how she made Iga Swiatek ‘uncomfortable’ during their semi-final

The post WTA Rankings Winners & Losers Madrid Open: Gauff rises, Swiatek & Pegula suffer blows, Sabalenka dominant appeared first on Tennis365.

In a year of surprise defeats, Iga Swiatek was handed her worst yet.

The Pole looked erratic and out of ideas in a stunning 6-1, 6-1 loss to Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open on Thursday, her title defence coming to a screeching halt inside the Caja Magica.

It is the second-worst loss Swiatek has ever faced in WTA Tour-level clay-court match, with her 6-1, 6-0 loss to Simona Halep at the 2019 French Open – when she was just 18 – her only heavier defeat on the dirt.

The manner of the defeat, a third straight to Gauff after previously leading their head-to-head 11-1, brings about plenty of problems for the five-time Grand Slam champion.

And, perhaps most significant of all, it could prove to have an unfortunate impact on her WTA ranking.

How many ranking points will Swiatek lose?

Swiatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka in an extraordinary final to lift her first Madrid Open title twelve months ago, meaning she was under notable pressure as the reigning champion in 2025.

The Pole earned 1,000 ranking points for her triumph in 2024, and came into this year’s event with a total of 7,383 points.

Her semi-final run in 2025 has earned her 390 points, though that means 610 points will drop from her ranking when the WTA Rankings update next Monday (May 5th).

Swiatek will hold 6,773 ranking points when the rankings update – and may no longer even be the world No 2.

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How could Swiatek lose her world No 2 ranking?

When it comes to Swiatek potentially losing her world No 2 ranking, the mathematics are quite simple.

While the Pole will fall to 6,773 points in the WTA Rankings, Gauff has provisionally moved up to 6,603 points after her emphatic semi-final triumph.

That is a current increase of 530 points on the US star’s pre-tournament total of 6,073 points, after eclipsing her fourth-round exit from 2024.

The world No 4 heading into the tournament, Gauff is already guaranteed to move back above current world No 3 Jessica Pegula next Monday, reclaiming her US No 1 ranking.

However, the 21-year-old would also leapfrog above Swiatek and move back to her career-high of world No 2 if she wins Saturday’s final at the WTA 1000 final.

Victory over one of world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka or world No 17 Elina Svitolina would see Gauff hold 6,953 ranking points next week, putting her 180 points ahead of the Pole.

Swiatek has not been ranked outside the top two since March 21, 2022, spending 125 weeks of that period as the world No 1.

Even if Gauff is unable to win the final and replace Swiatek as the world No 2, the Pole’s ranking is still under threat over the next month and a half.

The world No 2 is defending 1,000 points as the Italian Open champion, and 2,000 points as the reigning French Open champion.

Read Next: Meet the lucky loser enjoying an incredible run of fortune at the Madrid Open

The post Iga Swiatek set for huge WTA Rankings blow after shocking Madrid Open exit appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff handed Iga Swiatek one of the most one-sided defeats of the Pole’s career as the American stormed into her first-ever Madrid Open final.

In an astonishing contest inside the Caja Magica, Gauff just dropped just two points behind her first serve and broke an erratic Swiatek five times on her way to a 6-1, 6-1 triumph, needing just 64 minutes to seal victory.

Swiatek once had a commanding 11-1 lead in the head-to-head between the two women, though Gauff now appears to be turning the tables with three straight wins, all in straight sets.

Gauff beat Swiatek in the round-robin stage of the 2024 WTA Finals and the final of the United Cup back in January, before Thursday’s lopsided affair in the Spanish capital.

“I think I was aggressive and played with margin,” said Gauff in her post-match interview.

“Maybe it wasn’t her [Swiatek’s] best level today, but I kind of forced her into some awkward positions. I’m really happy with how I played.

“Especially when you’re playing someone like Iga, you know at any moment she could come back and play great tennis. For me, it was just making sure my level stayed the same.

“I knew in that second set I had to raise it [my level], especially because she could come back, so I’m really happy with how I played.”

It was a clinical display from Gauff, who is now into her third WTA 1000 final.

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The American previously reached the final of the 2023 Cincinnati Open and 2024 China Open, winning the title on both occasions.

Gauff, aged 21 years and 39 days, is now the third-youngest player to reach WTA 1000 finals on clay and hard courts since the format was revamped in 2009, behind Caroline Wozniacki and Swiatek.

The world No 4 has also now handed Swiatek one of her worst-ever WTA Tour losses, and her second-worst loss on clay in terms of games lost.

Swiatek’s worst ever defeat on the dirt came when she was an 18-year-old back at the 2019 French Open, falling 6-1, 6-0 to former world No 1 Simona Halep in the fourth round.

Gauff is now just the second player to drop fewer than five games on the clay against the Pole, who has dominated on the clay in recent years.

However, the world No 2 has now failed to reach a final since lifting the 2024 French Open final, and has lost her last six semi-finals on WTA Tour-level.

Swiatek, who was the defending champion in Madrid, will now have to complete a significant reset ahead of the Italian Open in Rome, where she is also defending her title.

Meanwhile, Gauff will await to see whether she faces world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka or Elina Svitolina in Saturday’s final.

If the 21-year-old lifts the title, she will move above Swiatek and return to her career-high of world No 2 in the WTA Rankings.

Read Next: WATCH: Aryna Sabalenka’s rival says she ‘is never winning a sportsman award’ after Madrid Open controversy

The post Coco Gauff hits stunning milestones as she thrashes Iga Swiatek in Madrid Open shocker appeared first on Tennis365.

Casper Ruud achieved a rare Masters 1000 feat previously claimed by Rafael Nadal as he sealed his spot in the last four of the Madrid Open.

Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ruud has fallen to world No 15 in the ATP Rankings after a disappointing start to his clay season, with significant points dropped in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

However, he is yet to drop a set inside the Caja Magica, and the 14th seed has now backed up a fourth-round win over third seed Taylor Fritz with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over ninth seed Daniil Medvedev.

“Daniil and I, we play a very different game,” said Ruud on Sky Sports Tennis.

“He [Medvedev] plays much flatter than me, but he serves well and moves great. It was an interesting match and I’m very happy with the level.”

Ruud’s match on Thursday was his seventh quarter-final at a clay-court Masters 1000 event, and ultimately his seventh win.

After beating Medvedev, the former world No 2 joins an exclusive club of just three men to win his first seven Masters quarter-finals on clay since the format was introduced in 1990.

Casper Ruud – 7

Ruud is into his second semi-final at the Madrid Open, and a seventh Masters 1000 semi-final on clay thanks to Thursday’s triumph.

The Norwegian won his first clay-court Masters quarter-final at the Italian Open in 2020, defeating fourth seed Matteo Berrettini, and has gone on to win further Rome quarter-finals in 2022 and 2023.

He has also won both his quarter-final matches at the Monte Carlo Masters, reaching the last four on his tournament debut in 2021, and ultimately making the final in 2024.

Ruud beat Alexander Bublik in the last eight in Madrid back in 2021, and is now a perfect 7-0 in such quarter-finals after beating Medvedev.

Guillermo Coria – 7

A former world No 3 and one of the leading clay-courters of his era, Coria also won his first seven Masters 1000 clay-court quarter-finals.

Coria made his Monte Carlo Masters debut in 2001 and reached his first semi-final at the event, defeating Alberto Martin in his maiden clay Masters quarter-final.

The Argentine won three more Monte Carlo quarter-finals during his seven-match run, winning a last-eight match every year from 2003-05, going on to lift the title in 2004.

Coria won back-to-back Hamburg Open quarter-finals in 2003-04 and an Italian Open quarter-final in 2005, before falling to Roger Federer in the last eight in Hamburg in 2005.

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Rafael Nadal – 23

Unsurprising, Nadal is well out in front when it comes to this statistic.

The ‘King of Clay’ reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final on the surface at the 2005 Monte Carlo Masters, and would win nine straight quarter-finals at the event, lifting the title eight times.

Nadal also won eight quarter-finals at the Italian Open during his run, only failing to reach the last eight once, and also found success in both Hamburg and Madrid.

He won his two Hamburg quarter-finals before the event was downgraded, and then won his first four Madrid Open quarter-finals during his 23-match quarter-final winning streak on clay.

Nadal’s run of 23 wins from 23 clay-court Masters 1000 quarter-finals was snapped at the 2014 Monte Carlo Masters, beaten by compatriot David Ferrer in straight sets.

Read Next: The 6 Italian men to reach top 10 in ATP Rankings as Musetti joins Sinner and Berrettini

The post Casper Ruud matches stunning Rafael Nadal feat with Madrid Open quarter-final triumph appeared first on Tennis365.

Marta Kostyuk made a comment about Aryna Sabalenka’s sportsmanship after a controversial moment during the pair’s tense clash at the 2025 Madrid Open.

Sabalenka prevailed 7-6(4), 7-6(7) against world No 36 Kostyuk in a pulsating quarter-final encounter lasting two hours and 32 minutes.

The world No 1 saved a set point when Kostyuk served for the opening set at 5-4 and survived three more in the second set tiebreak after failing to convert a match point when serving at 6-5.

With Kostyuk leading 5-4 in the second set tiebreak, Sabalenka asked the chair umpire if play could be stopped due to rain after she missed her first serve.

After the umpire said, “I don’t think it’s that bad yet to stop. We can still play a bit”, Sabalenka returned to the baseline to hit her second serve, but refused to play after catching her ball toss.

This time, the umpire allowed the match to be paused as Sabalenka returned to her chair, which led Kostyuk to protest as this meant the Belarusian would receive a first serve when play resumed.

“She was waiting for five minutes to serve! Yeah, and then she tried to serve again — how is this possible? Why is it first serve? Why is it first serve again?” Kostyuk asked the umpire.

“But wait, she stopped by herself — nobody stopped her. It was like two minutes when she served first time and then she stopped. She could have served ten times, and she voluntarily stopped.

“It wasn’t you [who] stopped her. No, wait. First time she came [to the chair umpire], you told her she has to keep going and she stopped again by herself, again. By herself! No, but she said ‘I do not serve.’ Nobody stopped her. How is is first serve?”

During the delay, Kostyuk talked to her team courtside and could be heard saying: “She (Sabalenka) is never winning a sportsman’s award, that’s for sure.”

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LMAOOO https://t.co/PyGgRZ8IRS pic.twitter.com/xShuiP5D66

— ۟ (@904tr) April 30, 2025

When play resumed, Kostyuk won the point to take a 6-4 lead, but she was unable to convert her set points as Sabalenka held her nerve in a thrilling conclusion.

In her on-court interview, Sabalenka said: “That was a battle. Conditions were incredibly tough. It wasn’t about tennis. It was about how you handle your emotions. I’m super proud I was able to handle myself in such a difficult situation.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion also explained she stopped play because the rain was making it “impossible” to serve.

“Oh my God…! Serving while the rain was falling was impossible. I tried with the first serve, but I realised that I had to stop because the water was getting into my eyes. It was impossible,” said the 26-year-old.

“I knew I was going to double fault, and I didn’t want that to happen, so I decided that the game couldn’t continue. I’m glad I did it.”

Sabalenka will face another Ukrainian, Elina Svitolina, in the semi-finals in Madrid.

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The post WATCH: Aryna Sabalenka’s rival says she ‘is never winning a sportsman award’ after Madrid Open controversy appeared first on Tennis365.

Lorenzo Musetti’s run to the quarter-finals of the 2025 Madrid Open has seen him clinch a significant breakthrough in the ATP Rankings.

The Italian star is yet to drop a set during his campaign at the clay-court Masters 1000 event, having claimed three decisive wins.

Musetti booked his place in the last eight in the Spanish capital with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 victory against world No 7 Alex de Minaur.

The 23-year-old did not face a single break point in the fourth round contest against the Australian.

In the third round, Musetti prevailed 7-5, 7-6(3) against Stefanos Tsitsipas after trailing 1-4, 15-40 in the opening set. In his opening match, he saw off Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(3), 6-2.

Musetti, who started the tournament as the world No 11, has increased his points tally by 150 points — from 3,200 to 3,350.

This has lifted Musetti up to ninth in the Live ATP Rankings, and he is guaranteed to be a top 10 player for the first time when the rankings update next week.

The only players who could overtake Musetti are Daniil Medvedev and Casper Ruud, who face each other in the last eight in Madrid.

The Italian’s Madrid exploits come after his outstanding run to his maiden Masters final in Monte Carlo, where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz.

Following his quarter-final win against de Minaur, Musetti asserted that he has the mentality of a top 10 player.

“I’m not surprised [to be in the quarter-finals], I’m surprised with myself,” Musetti said in his on-court interview.

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“After Monte Carlo, something changed in myself, a positive click forward. That’s something I have been waiting for for a long time.

“I feel more secure on what I have to do on the court. Of course I can lose, but I have the attitude and mentality of a top 10 right now, so I’m really happy about that.”

The 23-year-old has a great opportunity to continue his ascent as he will face 78th-ranked Gabriel Diallo in the quarter-finals.

Victory against the 23-year-old Canadian would see Musetti leapfrog Holger Rune into the world No 8 spot in the Live ATP Rankings.

If Musetti were to win the title in Madrid, his points tally would surge to 4,150 — and he could climb as high as fifth position.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev slammed for ‘disastrous’ form during Jannik Sinner’s absence

The post Lorenzo Musetti achieves major rankings breakthrough with Madrid Open run appeared first on Tennis365.

The latest showdown between Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek is set.

A rallying 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory for Swiatek over Madison Keys powered the world No 2 into the Madrid Open semi-final, where world No 4 Gauff awaits after a 7-5, 6-1 triumph against Mirra Andreeva.

It will be the 15th meeting between the two Grand Slam champions, and while Swiatek has a comfortable head-to-head lead, it would be unwise to rule Gauff out.

The American trails 3-11 in their head-to-head but has won the last two times the pair have met, beating the Pole in the 2024 WTA Finals and at the United Cup back in January.

Swiatek will be determined to regain full control of their rivalry and ultimately reach a third straight Madrid Open final, with the second seed looking to defend her title in the Caja Magica.

However, there is more than just a place in the final at stake, with this semi-final proving crucial when it comes to the WTA Rankings.

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As it stands

Coming into the tournament, Swiatek was the world No 2, comfortably ahead of world No 3 Jessica Pegula and world No 4 Gauff.

However, with 1,000 ranking points to defend as the defending champion, there was plenty of pressure on the five-time champion coming into Madrid.

In contrast, Gauff only had fourth-round points to defend while Pegula had no points to defend, having skipped the event due to injury back in 2024.

Potentially, both US stars could have moved above Swiatek in the WTA Rankings, though that possibility has now been ruled out.

Pegula was unexpectedly beaten in round three by Moyuka Uchijima and will hold 6,273 ranking points come next Monday (May 5).

And, Gauff’s quarter-final victory over Andreeva has boosted her haul of ranking points by 270, moving up to 6,343 ranking points.

That means Gauff is guaranteed to be back as the US No 1 come next Monday’s ranking update, no matter how she fares throughout the rest of the tournament.

In the live rankings, Swiatek is still dropping 610 points and falling to 6,773, though she remains as the world No 2 for now.

What does Gauff need to become world No 2?

Gauff was briefly ranked as the world No 2 last summer, and the equation for her to return to that ranking in Madrid is quite simple.

To overtake Swiatek in the rankings next week, she needs to win the title; if she does not do that, she will be the world No 3

If Gauff were to win her semi-final against Swiatek, she would hold 6,603 ranking points – though that would not be enough to overtake her rival.

However, if the American were to claim the title, she would hold 6,953 points, ahead of Swiatek’s total of 6,773 after a hypothetical semi-final loss.

Swiatek can guarantee she stays at world No 2 with victory in the semi-final.

The Pole will hold 7,033 points if she finishes the tournament as the runner-up, and 7,383 points – her current tally – if she successfully defends her title.

However, she will remain well behind world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who holds 10,333 points ahead of her quarter-final – and would hold a staggering 11,118 points if she were to win the title.

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The post Coco Gauff vs Iga Swiatek: Huge rankings ramifications set ahead of Madrid semi-final appeared first on Tennis365.

Iga Swiatek was on the receiving end of a first set bagel against Madison Keys at the 2025 Madrid Open, but she fought back to keep her title defence alive.

The world No 2 defeated Keys 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 tournament at La Caja Magica.

Keys, the world No 5 and reigning Australian Open champion, lost only nine points in a remarkable opening set as she became the first player to bagel Swiatek on clay since 2019.

Swiatek broke Keys twice in both the second and third sets to gain revenge for her defeat to the 30-year-old American in an epic Australian Open semi-final in January.

In her on-court interview, Swiatek was asked: “You’ve been giving away a lot of bagels in the last couple of years. How did it feel to have to be on the other side for once?”

The Polish star replied: “Well, not good. At least it’s fast, you know (smiles). That’s the only positive thing. But for sure, staying on a court and having 0-6 is… I don’t know, just weird.”

The five-time Grand Slam champion will face Coco Gauff in the semi-finals in Madrid.

Here are five intriguing statistics after Swiatek’s win over Keys.

Emulating Steffi Graf with a rare feat

Swiatek is only the second player in the last 40 years to beat an opponent ranked in the top five after losing an opening set 0-6 at a WTA event on clay.

Steffi Graf is the only other woman to accomplish this, having come back to defeat Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 0-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the 1992 French Open semi-finals.

Eclipsing Serena Williams’ win rate against top 10

By beating fifth-ranked Keys, Swiatek now has the second highest win percentage against top 10 opposition in WTA Tour history.

Her latest triumph has improved her record against top 10 players to an outstanding 49-20 (71%), which sees her edge above Serena Williams (70.9%). Only Graf has a better win rate against the top 10 (75%).

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20th WTA 1000 semi-final

Swiatek is into her 20th semi-final from 36 main draw appearances at WTA 1000 tournaments.

Serena Williams is the only woman to reach the last four at this category of event 20 times from fewer tournaments (31).

Superb Madrid Open record

The 23-year-old has taken her winning streak at the Madrid Open to 10 matches and improved her record at the tournament to 17-2 (89.5%).

WTA 1000 clay streak

The four-time French Open winner has now won 16 consecutive matches at WTA 1000 level on clay, a run that includes her triumphs in Madrid and Rome last year.

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The post 5 sublime Iga Swiatek stats as she reaches Madrid Open semi-finals: ft. Serena Williams & Steffi Graf appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has lost his last three matches on the ATP Tour, with former British No 1 Annabel Croft questioning whether there is a hidden reason for his slump in form.

Djokovic produced some of his best tennis of the year as he reached the Miami Open final, but a loss against Jakub Mensik in the final of that tournament was backed up by a horrible defeat against Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo and a straight-sets loss against Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid.

His latest loss inspired a deflated reaction from Djokovic and confirmation that he will not be playing at the Italian Open in Rome for the first time since 2009.

“After you lose a match, you don’t feel good, but I’ve had a few of these this year where I lose in the first round, unfortunately,” said Djokovic in Madrid.

“Kind of new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament.

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“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it’s kind of a challenge for me mentally to really face this kind of sensation on the court, going out early now regularly in the tournaments.

“I guess, the circle of life and the career, eventually it was going to happen. Now I’m trying to, you know, use this as a driving force for the future. Obviously, Grand Slams, I was saying many times, are the most important tournaments for me.

“Which doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win here, of course I wanted to, but Grand Slams are where I really want to play the best tennis. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do that in Roland Garros, but I’ll do my best.”

Djokovic made it clear last year that he was keen to spend more time with his wife and children rather than playing in regular ATP Tour events, with his family travelling with him to a lot of events in 2024.

The absence of wife Jelena and his two children from tournaments this year has been notable and while that may be because Djokovic is keen to focus on his tennis.

Now the respected Croft has given her verdict on Djokovic’s slump in form, as she spoke to Sky Sports Tennis.

“We know that his total focus is on adding to that Grand Slam tally. He wants to become the greatest tennis player in terms of Grand Slam action ever,” said Croft, with Djokovic pushing to pass Margaret Court’s all-time record by winning a 25th Grand Slam title.

“But it’s getting harder and harder, and actually, I always feel like he’s just gone a bit flat on the court as well. He just can’t find it, he can’t find that winning formula.

“He didn’t win a major last year, which was extraordinary for all four majors were slipped between [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcarz and when I look at his results, he’s had some extraordinary losses to very low-ranked players.

“So he’s definitely losing confidence and the last great match that I think he played was against Alcaraz in the Australian Open [in January]. 
I mean, that win was absolutely phenomenal.

“He hasn’t been the same since, so I don’t quite know what’s going on, whether there are distractions [outside of tennis] or he’s just not happy or he’s lost confidence. But whatever’s happening, he’s not looking in great shape, heading towards the French Open.

“He has pulled out of Rome and we know that is an event he absolutely loves. So he’s not in great shape ahead of the French shape.

Croft went on to suggest Djokovic is also struggling to beat opponents who now believe he is vulnerable after a year of shock defeats.

“Everything is just looking very, very tough and uphill, and I think we mentioned the word aura,” she added. “A lot of players now walk onto court thinking, ‘Well, I do have a chance against him, because he’s not playing great’.

“
In the past, they would have been panicking about whether they were going to get games on the board, and now I think, maybe there’s a feeling when more and more players of lower rankings start to beat him, they all feel they have a chance, and that makes it doubly difficult for him.”

Djokovic could opt to play in a lower-ranked clay-court tournament ahead of the French Open, but there must be a chance now that his next match will be his first round encounter at Roland Garros.

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The post Novak Djokovic may have ‘other distractions’ amid slump, says former British No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.

Tennis great Jim Courier has described Novak Djokovic’s decision to withdraw from the Italian Open as “troubling” and “worrying.”

Djokovic pulled out of the prestigious tournament in Rome, which is the third and final Masters 1000 event of the clay season, on Tuesday.

It ends a run of 18 consecutive appearances at the Italian Open for Djokovic, who is a six-time champion. The last time the Serbian did not feature in the main draw of the tournament was 2006, when he lost in the qualifying draw as an 18-year-old.

The 37-year-old’s surprise decision comes after he lost 6-3, 6-4 to Matteo Arnaldi in his first match at the Madrid Open last week.

It was a third consecutive straight-set loss for Djokovic, who was beaten by Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match at the Monte Carlo Masters and Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner will, therefore, enter the French Open with a 0-2 record on clay this year — unless he adds an event to his schedule in between Rome and the Paris major.

On Tennis Channel, Courier struggled to make sense of Djokovic’s decision and found the timing of the announcement “very strange.”

“Has he listed a reason why? That’s troubling, that’s worrying for me as a Novak fan,” said the four-time major champion.

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“It’s worrying because that’s the best place to get ready for Roland Garros, the conditions are very similar, it’s back at sea level.

“If you’re gonna play one between Madrid and Rome, Rome would be the one you’d want to play to get ready for Roland Garros.

“So I don’t know what to make of it, but I don’t like the way it feels in the gut.

“Definitely concerned, it’s a very strange thing to announce to pull out now, well in advance of it. And we’ll see what it all means when we get to Roland Garros.”

Tracy Austin, a former world No 1 and two-time US Open champion, also weighed in.

“He (Djokovic) has lost his last three matches in a row, all in straight sets,” said the American. “He hasn’t won a clay-court match this year, early in Monte Carlo, early here [in Madrid] as well.

“And he just looked a little out of balance, his footwork wasn’t great in his loss the other day against Arnaldi, and he even said, ‘My reality right now is trying to win a match or two.’ And that’s really tough for a guy who’s won 24 majors to be talking like that.”

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The post Novak Djokovic’s Rome decision labelled ‘troubling’ and ‘very strange’ as two tennis icons react appeared first on Tennis365.