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Barbora Krejcikova, Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa have all climbed the WTA Rankings after their efforts last week, while Alex Eala and Emma Raducanu have also moved positions.

None of the top 20 players in the WTA Rankings played last week, which was the week after Wimbledon, and the top 25 is unchanged.

Two WTA 250 events were held last week: the Athens Open (played on hard courts), and the Iasi Open (a clay-court tournament in Romania).

Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion and former world No 2, defeated Greek home favourite Sakkari 7-6(5), 6-3 in the final in Athens.

The Czech’s triumph has lifted her six places from 32nd to 26th in the rankings, while Sakkari has risen four spots from 37th to 33rd.

At the Iasi Open, Mayar Sherif was leading 6-4, 4-0 in the final when Paula Badosa was forced to retire due to injury.

Sherif has jumped 24 places to 73rd after her title win, while former world No 2 Badosa’s runner-up result has taken her from 115th to 93rd.

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Oleksandra Oliynykova has made a seven-place jump to a new career-high ranking of 45th after her run to the semi-finals in Iasi.

Eala did not compete last week, but she has dropped from her career-high ranking of 28th to 29th due to Krejcikova’s rise.

Raducanu has not played since losing the Queen’s Club Championships final last month, but the 2021 US Open champion and former world No 10 has risen one place from 38th to 37th.

Tereza Valentova has suffered a 14-place slide from from 49th to 63rd, while Talia Gibson has dropped from 58th to 70th.

Lilli Tagger is up 11 spots to a new career-high ranking of world No 74

WTA Rankings Top 20 (Monday 20 July)

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 8,550
2. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan – 8,143
3. Jessica Pegula, United States – 6,301
4. Coco Gauff, United States – 5,649
5. Mirra Andreeva – 5,293
6. Karolina Muchova, Czechia – 5,618
7. Linda Noskova, Czechia – 5,119
8. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 4,539
9. Amanda Anisimova, United States – 4,353
10. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine – 4,351
11. Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine – 3,926
12. Victoria Mboko, Canada – 3,570
13. Naomi Osaka, Japan – 3,146
14. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland – 2,845
15. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 2,783
16. Iva Jovic, United States – 2,636
17. Sorana Cirstea, Romania – 2,502
18. Diana Shnaider – 2,458
19. Ekaterina Alexandrova – 2,301
20. Anna Kalinskaya – 2,300

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu decision that ‘made no sense’ questioned by Serena Williams’ former coach

The post WTA Rankings: Barbora Krejcikova +6, Paula Badosa +22, Alex Eala drops, Emma Raducanu climbs appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz was in jubilant mood as he celebrated Spain’s victory in the World Cup final against Argentina in the World Cup final, with the reigning US Open champion playing a prominent role in the final in New Jersey.

Alcaraz appeared on the pitch prior to kick-off as he brought the World Cup trophy on the pitch and he was then handed a prominent seat in the stands as he watched Ferran Torres score the winning goal to give Spain their second World Cup.

The cameras panned to Alcaraz on a few occasions during the match and they then showed him celebrating when the final whistle sounded.

While the world No 3 was clearly overwhelmed with joy as he watched the Spanish team win their second World Cup, his fans will have been concerned by the sight of a bandage still supporting his right wrist.

Alcaraz has not played a tennis match since he was forced to pull out of the Barcelona Open in April due to an injury he sustained during a match against Otto Virtanen.

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Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon and he recently released footage of his tentative return to the court.

The footage showed Alcaraz gently hitting balls, as he appeared to be at a formative stage of his comeback.

It inspired many observers to suggest Alcaraz will struggle to return in time for next month’s US Open, but he has left his name on the entry list for next month’s Cincinnati Masters as he keeps his options open over a return date.

Now there will be fresh speculation over whether he will play in that tournament after he attended the World Cup final with a support still attached to his right wrist.

If Alcaraz still needs a supporting strap for his wrist for everyday life, he may be struggling to play high-level tennis in Cincinnati or at the US Open that gets underway soon after.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek revealed he is not concerned about Alcaraz returning to “his full form” following his injury.

“There hasn’t been too much information. They’re much tougher injuries — these wrist or elbow injuries,” said the Dutchman.

“I had an elbow injury myself. It’s really difficult to reset when you start playing again [after this type injury]. So, you hit a little bit… You need to go step by step.

“It’s not as clear-cut as tearing the ligaments in your ankle, which they say is three or four months, and it’s always three or four months, and then you can play again.

“So yeah, it takes a bit of time, but he’s young, and I think he’s got good healing power.

“I’m not concerned that he will play, and I’m not concerned that he’s going to return to his full form.

“But it’s a question of when. Is it gonna be for the hard courts [in North America]? Is it gonna be for indoors? But still, I think it’s going to be this year.”

READ NEXT: US Open Mixed Doubles dream teams – Alcaraz, Serena, Eala & Sinner in the mix next month

The post Carlos Alcaraz sparks fresh injury fears as he celebrates Spain’s World Cup final win appeared first on Tennis365.

The tennis rankings do not always reflect form in the current game, with the rolling data for 2026 offering an intriguing insight into what may be a more realistic view on the current form in the women’s and men’s game.

The WTA and ATP Tour rankings are calculated over a 52-week rolling period, yet results from this time last year are not always relevant to what we are seeing on court now.

So the statistics that focus solely on this year may be a more accurate reflection of where players are ranking and the news is looking pretty bleak for British No 1 Emma Raducanu.

The 2021 US Open champion has won just 11 matches across the entirety of this year, with injuries and the ‘ongoing effects of a virus’ keeping her off court for long periods.

The WTA Rankings suggest Raducanu is still the 38th best tennis player in the women’s game, but the rankings for 2026 alone have her at No 54.

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Raducanu is currently out with a stress fracture in her foot and while medical experts have predicted she may have a chance to return to play at next month’s US Open, her medical history suggests a quick return may not be realistic.

If Raducanu did miss all of the US Open warm-up events and then the final Grand Slam of the year, she would be in danger of sliding out of the top 50 of the WTA Rankings and that would impact her hopes of playing in elite-level events.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mirra Andreeva’s ranking for 2026 confirms she is the form player of the year.

Andreeva may have been disappointed with her early exit at Wimbledon, but her French Open win a few weeks before was a breakthrough moment for the teenager and it propelled her to the top of the rankings for this calendar year.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka has suffered some big setbacks in recent weeks, but she is still at No 2 in the rankings for this year, with Elena Rybakina in third spot ahead of Karolina Muchova and new Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is at No 7.

Alex Eala from the Philippines is at No 25 in the WTA rankings for this year, which is a snapshot reflection of her fine form on grass courts in recent weeks. She is at No 28 in the WTA Rankings.

In the men’s game, Jannik Sinner is well ahead of his nearest rival, Alexander Zverev, in the 2026 rankings, with the top two cementing their status after they played each other in the Wimbledon final.

Flavio Cobolli is up to No 9 in the ATP Rankings after his run to the French Open final and the last eight at Wimbledon, but his impressive form this season sees the Italian positioned at No 4 in the rankings for this year.

Daniil Medvedev is another eye-catching name in fifth place since the turn of the year, with the Russian down in eighth place in the official ATP Rankings.

Spain’s Rafael Jodar is 17th in the 2026 rankings, even though he is down in No 25 in the ATP list after his breakthrough season.

Britain’s Arthur Fery is another big riser, with his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals firing him up to No 27 in the rankings for this year, while he has jumped up to No 36 in the ATP list.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu told she may need to change her lifestyle to sustain a career in tennis

The post Alex Eala and Emma Raducanu’s true ranking may be reflected by alternative list appeared first on Tennis365.

Speaking to Tennis365, legendary coach Rick Macci has said it made “no sense” for Emma Raducanu to split with Andrew Richardson following her US Open victory.

Raducanu won her only career title to date in astonishing fashion at the 2021 US Open, where — as an 18-year-old, 150th-ranked qualifier — she won 10 matches without dropping a set across qualifying and the main draw.

Shortly after her triumph, Raducanu made the shock move to part ways with Richardson — a former British player who coached her during her stunning run in New York.

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

The Brit rehired Richardson as her coach in May, and she reached the final at the Queen’s Club Championships in June in just her third tournament since they reunited.

The 23-year-old was then forced to miss Wimbledon due to a stress fracture in her right leg.

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In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci — a former coach of Serena and Venus Williams — weighed in on Raducanu’s choice not to keep working with Richardson in 2021.

“Yeah, that made no sense back in the day, and I told everybody,” said the American.

“But when you get fame and fortune… I don’t know if it’s her decision at that age.

“You got agents involved, and you got parents involved, and they think the grass is greener… and it became a little more slippery.”

Asked if coaching stability is what Raducanu needs, Macci said: “It cuts both ways. Sometimes, a different voice can be good. It depends on who’s saying it. It’s such a tricky thing.

“It’s like Iga Swiatek, she went to [Rafael] Nadal, and these people are helping her on clay, and you can say, ‘Okay, well that didn’t work out too well.’

“Everybody’s a little different. On the pro tour, it’s not as much technical or reconstructive surgery. It’s a little more motivational and strategic.

“So, there’s no reason for her (Raducanu) to flip the script and have so many different coaches. I never could figure that whole situation out.

“But her best coach, who has all the answers, is the one in mirror.”

READ NEXT: Exclusive: Agnieszka Radwanska tells Iga Swiatek ‘the problem’ she must solve to get back to her best

The post Emma Raducanu decision that ‘made no sense’ questioned by Serena Williams’ former coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Players missing big tournaments due to injuries continues to be a prominent storyline in the 2026 tennis season, with the upcoming Canadian Open the latest event to be affected.

The Canadian Open, which is a combined ATP/WTA 1000 event, is a key part of the North American hard-court season, and it is the next big tournament on the 2026 tennis calendar.

The men’s and women’s events at the National Bank Open — as the tournament is known for sponsorship reasons — alternate between two Canadian cities: Toronto and Montreal.

This year’s edition of the Canadian Open will be held from 1 to 13 August, with the men’s event taking place in Montreal and the women’s event staged in Toronto.

In 2025, Ben Shelton and Victoria Mboko secured the Canadian Open men’s and women’s singles titles in Toronto and Montreal respectively.

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Mboko, though, is one of six players who have already withdrawn from the 2026 Canadian Open across both the women’s and men’s main draw entry lists.

The 19-year-old Canadian has not played since suffering a knee injury during her opening round singles match at the Queen’s Club Championships last month.

WTA Canadian Open withdrawal list

Mboko is one of five women who have pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto, with world No 6 and Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova the latest to join the list.

Muchova revealed on social media that she underwent a “small surgery” after Wimbledon.

“I had to undergo a small surgery that will keep me off the court for a few weeks. Everything went well, and I’m already working on my recover,” wrote the 29-year-old Czech.

“Sad to be missing Toronto this year. I was really looking forward to making my debut there, but recovery comes first.”

Emma Raducanu, Hailey Baptiste and Dayana Yastremska are the other WTA players who have withdrawn.

• Karolina Muchova (world No 6)
• Victoria Mboko (world No 12)
• Hailey Baptiste (world No 33)
• Emma Raducanu (world No 38)
• Dayana Yastremska (world No 74)

ATP Canadian Open withdrawal list

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz is currently the only man to pull out of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal.

The 23-year-old Spaniard has not played since April due to a right wrist injury.

• Carlos Alcaraz (world No 3)

READ NEXT: Caroline Wozniacki defends Aryna Sabalenka from criticism as she answers ‘mentality’ question

The post Canadian Open withdrawal list: 6 stars out as Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu joined by Wimbledon finalist appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic took on a rare role away from the tennis court as he interviewed Lionel Messi ahead of the 2026 World Cup final, with the two sporting icons sharing a fascinating conversation about pressure, success, and handling defeat.

The Serb most recently competed at Wimbledon, where he reached his eighth consecutive semi-final at the All England Club before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic has long been recognised for his exceptional ability to handle pressure, with perhaps the clearest examples coming during two deciding-set tiebreaks at Wimbledon – against Roger Federer in the 2019 final and Felix Auger-Aliassime in this year’s quarter-final.

Across those two crucial moments, Djokovic played a combined 24 points and did not commit a single unforced error, showcasing the mental strength that has helped him become one of the most successful athletes in sporting history.

As he moves further into the twilight of his illustrious career, Djokovic’s ability to manage his emotions and deliver under pressure against the world’s best could prove increasingly important in his pursuit of further success.

Messi, meanwhile, will contest his second World Cup final on Sunday as Argentina faces Spain for just the second time in the tournament’s history.

In their only previous World Cup meeting, a 1966 group-stage encounter, Argentina defeated Spain 2-1 at Villa Park in Birmingham.

The Argentine superstar also guided his country to World Cup glory in 2022, defeating France in a dramatic final decided by penalties.

In this year’s semi-final, Argentina recovered from a 1-0 deficit against England to secure a 2-1 victory and book their place in another final.

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At FIFA’s Fanatics Fest, just 48 hours before the final, Djokovic turned the tables on the football legend by asking how he has remained composed throughout one of the greatest careers in sporting history.

“How did you learn to block out pressure and stay true to your playing style?” questioned the tennis legend.

“I never thought too much about pressure,” replied Messi.

“I always saw it as something natural: going out to play, enjoy, and compete.

“We are highly competitive and always want to win, but we also understand that this is a sport, that the opponent also plays, and that winning is not always possible.

“Over time, I learned that you lose much more than you win. Understanding that helped me grow as a person and as a player.”

Djokovic, for his part, is next scheduled to return to action at the Cincinnati Open, the season’s seventh Masters 1000 tournament, which takes place from August 13-23.

He is also expected to attend the World Cup Final on Sunday, with Carlos Alcaraz also expected to do the same.

READ NEXT: WTA Rankings Race: Andreeva still No 1 as Muchova, Noskova soar & Swiatek drops to 12th

The post Novak Djokovic & Lionel Messi share powerful exchange on handling pressure appeared first on Tennis365.

Former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki defended Aryna Sabalenka as she spoke to Tennis365 after the Belarusian’s defeat at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.

Sabalenka suffered a 2-6, 6-7(2) loss to No 14 seed Naomi Osaka in the last 16 at Wimbledon — a defeat that ended her stellar run of reaching the quarter-finals or better at 14 consecutive majors.

The world No 1 is a two-time champion at both the Australian Open and the US Open, while she is yet to win either the French Open or Wimbledon.

The 28-year-old has occupied top spot in the WTA Rankings since overtaking Iga Swiatek in October 2024, and she has been by far the most consistent player in women’s tennis during this period.

It is surprising, though, that Sabalenka has won just one of the last seven Grand Slam titles since securing her third major at the 2024 US Open.

Sabalenka was a runner-up at each of the last two editions of the Australian Open, as well as the 2025 French Open.

At Roland Garros this year, she collapsed to a shock three-set quarter-final loss to Diana Shnaider after she was up a set and a double break at 4-1 in the second set.

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Sabalenka has faced some criticism over her results at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, with tennis great Jimmy Connors saying the world No 1 is “going to have to start proving herself.”

In an exclusive interview, Tennis365 asked Wozniacki if a mentality issue has been a factor in some of Sabalenka’s difficult recent losses at Grand Slams.

“No, I think it’s hard, right? We expect so much from her,” said the Dane, who won the 2018 Australian Open.

“We expect her to just get to the finals easy every week and win everything, but she’s human, as well.

“There’s a lot of players out there who are working hard every day, who are following her and seeing every single movement she makes on court. It’s difficult. As humans, we will go up and down a little bit.

“And you’ve gotta give credit where credit is due. I think Naomi played extremely well, I think she deserved to win that match, just with the tennis that she played. I think it was the best tennis I’ve seen from her in a while.

“Sometimes, you’ve just got to say congratulations [to the opponent], and I hope that she is enjoying a little bit of vacation and enjoying just being away from the court a little bit.

“And I have no doubt that we’ll see her back on the hard-court swing fit to fight and fully ready to win.”

READ NEXT: Exclusive: Agnieszka Radwanska tells Iga Swiatek ‘the problem’ she must solve to get back to her best

The post Caroline Wozniacki defends Aryna Sabalenka from criticism as she answers ‘mentality’ question appeared first on Tennis365.

Former world No 2 and Polish legend Agnieszka Radwanska has told Tennis365 the “problem” Iga Swiatek must overcome if she is to return to her best level.

Swiatek’s difficult 2026 season continued with a straight-set loss to Alex Eala in the third round at Wimbledon, where she was the reigning champion.

The six-time Grand Slam winner holds a 23-12 record in 2026, giving her a win percentage of 65.7%, which is well below her career win rate of 79.3%.

The Polish star had an outstanding win percentage of 88.2% in 2022, which is her career-best season to date, while she also won 87.7% of her matches in 2024 and 85% in 2023.

Following her defeat at Wimbledon, Swiatek said: “Honestly, I don’t care anymore about the results. I’ve been so focused on them that it’s hard to continue like that.

“So I’m really trying to, like, let it go. I don’t have good results, so I’m not going to expect for myself good results because they’re just not happening. I’m not on that level yet.

“I need to work from the beginning and try to just get my tennis better.”

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In an exclusive interview, Tennis365 asked Radwanska about Swiatek’s results comment and whether confidence is the issue for her compatriot.

“I think so. I think she meant that she’s focusing on her new tennis, only for going on court and showing the best tennis, so that’s why she said that she’s not really focusing on the results,” said Radwanska.

“But obviously that always comes together, right? If you play good, the results come.

“Obviously, now she’s struggling a little bit with the confidence, and also with the results and [finding] her best tennis.

“I think she’s trying different things to help with her on court and to really show the same things that she’s doing on the practice courts.”

Radwanska, a Wimbledon finalist in 2012, also gave her verdict on whether Swiatek can get back to her best.

“I think so, because she’s such a great player. Actually, mentally and physically, it’s all there,” said Radwanska, who won 20 WTA Tour titles.

“She can still play great tennis, and I think she’s still showing that on court.

“But now, the problem is, it’s a lot of ups and downs during the match, and obviously when you’re on the top and you want to win tournaments, those up and downs can be only for a little bit.

“You cannot lose a couple of games just like that, not being there mentally.

“I think if she’s gonna get there — and I think she will — we’re gonna see her winning titles, for sure.”

Swiatek, who has spent 125 weeks as the world No 1, dropped to eighth in the WTA Rankings after Wimbledon, which is her lowest ranking position since February 2022.

The 25-year-old has not reached a final since she won the 2025 Korea Open 10 months ago.

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Carlos Alcaraz has taken the negative of his wrist injury “and turned it into a positive”, according to a legendary former coach of Serena and Venus Williams.

Seven-time major champion Alcaraz is yet to confirm when he will return to the tour having been sidelined since April due to a right wrist injury that emerged at the Barcelona Open.

Alcaraz has not signed up for the Canada Masters, but he is on the entry list for the Cincinnati Open, which will begin on 13 August.

Earlier this week, a report from Spanish publication La Verdad claimed Alcaraz and his team are targeting Cincinnati for his comeback.

“Alcaraz’s team has chosen to focus all their efforts on arriving in the best possible condition for Cincinnati, a tournament that begins in mid-August,” stated the report.

The report added: “The wrist is healthy, completely healed and they are gradually increasing the training load.”

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Rick Macci, who has coached five players who went on to become world No 1, has declared that Alcaraz’s fitness “is even better than before” as he works towards a comeback.

“The Spanish Magician will be locked loaded and ready to launch when he steps on the court,” Macci wrote in a post on his Twitter/X account.

“The wrist is 100% and he has played many matches and practice sets with other pros.

“He has taken a negative and turned it into a positive and his fitness is even better than before.

“Just needs now to feel the heat in live combat and take the temperature on the key points. Magic show coming to a court near you soon.”

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci said that Alcaraz “will not change anything” as a result of his injury and described him as “the best role model” for young players.

“He’s the Spanish magician, he holds the racket like a paintbrush, and he does a lot of interesting things with his hands and wrist,” said the American coach.

“And we could say this and that [about his technique and playing style], but listen, that’s his DNA. He’s an artist, he’s a virtuoso.

“This is how he plays — from the heart and from the soul. He’s not gonna change anything, and hopefully this will not be a big thing because let’s face it, his charisma, and his spirit… he is must-see TV.

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