Author: admin

Alex Eala is gearing up for a rematch against Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff after a thrilling three-set win over Dayana Yastremska on her Indian Wells debut.

World No 32 Eala battled late into the night against former Australian Open semi-finalist Yastremska, with the Ukrainian serving for the match deep into the deciding set.

However, the Filipina was able to turn the match in her favour, taking advantage of a late string of double faults from her opponent to win the final three games of the match and claim a 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 victory.

Triumph for Eala saw her pick up her first-ever win in Indian Wells, with 2026 marking her tournament debut in Tennis Paradise.

However, the 20-year-old now faces one of the toughest tests in tennis in the form of world No 4 Gauff in the third round.

Gauff defeated Kamilla Rakhimova to get her campaign underway at the WTA 1000 event on Friday, and dropped just two games when she defeated Eala at the Dubai Tennis Championships last month.

Just weeks on from that encounter, Eala is gearing up for the chance to once again test herself against the reigning French Open champion.

“No, I’m excited, like I said the other day when you asked me,” said Eala.

Tennis News

Amanda Anisimova makes Emma Raducanu ‘high quality’ comment ahead of Indian Wells meeting

Juan Carlos Ferrero reveals if he would coach Carlos Alcaraz again as he debunks claims about split

“It was a tough match for me last time. I think she played really well. So all I can do is take the learnings that I have from our last match and try to implement that in our next one, yeah.”

Eala has plenty of fan support wherever she plays and is usually the crowd favourite, including when she faced off against Gauff in Dubai last month.

However, the tables will likely turn in Indian Wells, with American star Gauff likely to have the bulk of her home crowd behind her.

Despite that, Eala does not feel that she will be intimidated by the occasion.

She added: “Well, it’s not my first huge match. I think it’s definitely going to be a tough one. Coco is an amazing player and playing at home. I’m expecting, you know, a big crowd to rally behind her just because she’s amazing.

“But it’s like every other match. You know, today I had to dig really deep, so I’m expecting that the next match I have to do even more, you know. So I’m ready, and I’m looking forward to it, yeah.”

After her thrilling win over Yastremska in round two, the world No 32 is provisionally up four places to 28th in the WTA Live Rankings.

That takes her above her previous career-high of 31st in the WTA Rankings, and means that she could make her top-30 debut when the rankings officially update post-tournament.

A top-30 debut is not yet secured for Eala, however, with several rankings rivals still also battling out in Tennis Paradise.

The Filipina will face off against Gauff at some point on Sunday, and the winner will then face either Sorana Cirstea or 14th seed Linda Noskova in the fourth round.

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

Read Next: Iga Swiatek drops to world No 4, Aryna Sabalenka has narrow lead, Coco Gauff 8th – alternative rankings

The post Alex Eala ‘excited’ for Coco Gauff rematch after prevailing in Indian Wells thriller appeared first on Tennis365.

Amanda Anisimova is set to do battle with Emma Raducanu in Indian Wells, and the world No 6 is fully aware of the challenge she could face from the 2021 US Open champion.

Sixth seed Anisimova and 25th seed Raducanu will face off for the first time in 2026 when they meet in Indian Wells on Sunday, after both women secured impressive opening wins at the tournament on Friday.

After receiving an opening-round bye, Raducanu was the first of the two on court on Friday and wasted little time in progressing to the third round, making light work of Anastasia Zakharova in a 6-1, 6-3 triumph.

Meanwhile, world No 6 and home favourite Anisimova faced a slightly sterner test early on against Anna Blinkova, though rallied from dropping the opening set to prevail 5-7, 6-1, 6-0.

The two are known to share a close relationship off the court, and this will be the fourth meeting between the two, with Raducanu holding a narrow 2-1 head-to-head advantage.

The Brit defeated Anisimova in straight sets in the second round of the Australian Open last January, before a comprehensive 6-1, 6-3 win over the American at the Miami Open twelve months ago.

However, Anisimova earned her revenge at the Canadian Open last August, comfortably dispatching Raducanu 6-2, 6-1 in the third round.

Anisimova surged up the WTA Rankings in 2025 and is now well established as a top-10 player, arguably making her a warm favourite for this encounter.

Tennis News

Victoria Mboko’s stunning ranking rise continues after opening Indian Wells win

Iga Swiatek drops to world No 4, Aryna Sabalenka has narrow lead, Coco Gauff 8th – alternative rankings

However, when speaking about Raducanu in her press conference on Friday, the 24-year-old certainly did not underestimate the threat the Brit could pose.

She said: “I think the last time I faced her, I was just playing really well. I played the way I wanted to play.

“Yeah, at the end of the day, I mean, there is a certain way I like to play. I think I also had found my rhythm. I think it might have been the second or third match I played [against Raducanu] last year.

“Yeah, it was a great match. She’s not an easy opponent to face. She always brings high-quality tennis.

“Yeah, I have had some great matches with her. Hoping for another good one.”

An official order of play for Sunday is yet to be announced, but this is one of the highest-profile third-round matches taking place — and will likely receive a preferable court allocation.

Whoever triumphs will match their career-best run in Indian Wells, with Anisimova having reached the fourth round on debut in 2018, and Raducanu having progressed to that stage in 2023.

The victorious player will face either tenth seed Victoria Mboko or 23rd seed Anna Kalinskaya in the second round.

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

Read Next: Emma Raducanu’s ongoing health issues need to be resolved before she can flourish

The post Amanda Anisimova makes Emma Raducanu ‘high quality’ comment ahead of Indian Wells meeting appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu turned in one of her best performances of 2026 as she crushed Anastasia Zakharova 6-1 6-3 to march into the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Playing in a Uniqlo outfit for the first time after she started her lucrative new deal with the Japanese company, Raducanu was true to her word as she reverted to familiar tactics to see off her Russian opponent.

Raducanu parted company with coach Francisco Roig after the Australian Open, after confirming he was not confident with the tactics she was working on with the experienced tactician.

The British No 1 suggested she wanted to revert to the tactics that helped her to win the 2021 US Open, based on an attacking philosophy that she feels has been ‘coached out’ of her in recent years.

Roig was keen to add variety to Raducanu’s game, but she looked more comfortable striking the ball big from the back of the court against Zakharova.

More Tennis News

Emma Raducanu explains Francisco Roig split and why she reunited with Mark Petchey

Emma Raducanu: Why the British No 1 may be wary of hiring a female coach

With coach Mark Petchey back in her box after he agreed to return on a temporary basis, Raducanu’s serve appeared to be in great order as she fired in 72 per-cent of her first serves and seemed to be striking the ball with more venom.

“It was a really good match, I’m so pleased with it,” Raducanu told Sky Sports.

“I’ve not played a match out here and my opponent has already played three, but I was really pleased with the prep I’ve done in the last week and felt like my game was heading in a better direction. To see that proved on the match court was really rewarding.

“That was a great kind of show of my game today. I played really well. It was nice to see the things we have been working on on the practice court transfer.

“For me, returning is such a strength of mine and when I’m returning well, it makes me a different player. It’s not perfect yet, but it better than I have been feeling over the last couple of months.”

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

Raducanu has plenty of WTA Ranking points to defend in the Miami Open later this month after her impressive run to the quarter-finals of that event last year, but she has a chance to make some leaps up the ranking list in Indian Wells.

This victory against Zakharova sees her move up to No 23 in the provisional rankings and a run to the latter stages in Indian Wells may well secure her return to the top 20 for the first time since September 2022.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu’s ongoing health issues need to be resolved before she can flourish

The post Emma Raducanu closing on a major rankings breakthrough after crushing Indian Wells win appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka holds a sizeable lead over her rivals in the WTA Rankings, but an alternative rankings list suggests her advantage is far narrower.

Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are both above Iga Swiatek, who has slipped down the list, while Coco Gauff is well below her WTA ranking position.

With the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells underway, we look at how the UTR rating systems ranks the top players in women’s tennis.

What is the UTR ranking system?

While the WTA Rankings count points earned in the last 52 weeks, Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) is based on an algorithm that places more weight on recent results and wins against higher-ranked players.

The UTR Rating system is open to players at all levels of tennis, and all players — regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level — are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on match results.

Only matches within the last 12 months are counted towards the rating, and the algorithm uses the last 30 matches a player competes in (or fewer if they played fewer than 30 in the last 12 months).

WTA Tour News

Indian Wells Open: Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff get warning from Martina Navratilova

Indian Wells Open: Emma Raducanu, Victoria Mboko, Alex Eala sign up for women’s doubles with matches confirmed

The women’s UTR ratings

Sabalenka has not played since her defeat to Rybakina in the Australian Open final at the end of January, while she won the Brisbane International in her only other event in 2026. The world No 1 has 10,675 points in the WTA Rankings, which gives her a 3,087-point advantage over second-ranked Swiatek.

The Belarusian also tops the UTR ratings with a score of 13.26, but her closest challenger on this list is Rybakina.

Rybakina, who secured the first Grand Slam title of the year in Australia, is just behind Sabalenka with a 13.21 UTR rating.

Pegula has climbed to third on the UTR list — two places above her WTA ranking — after her victory at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai last month took her UTR rating to 12.99. The American was also a semi-finalist at the 2026 Australian Open.

Swiatek, who exited both the Australian Open and the Dubai Championships in the quarter-finals, has a 12.97 rating, and she has fallen to the No 4 spot.

Amanda Anisimova, who is ranked sixth on the women’s tour, is fifth on the UTR list with a rating of 12.91.

World No 4 Gauff is ranked eighth by UTR with a rating of 12.83, which puts her below Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova.

UTR Ratings Women’s Top 20

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 13.26 (WTA Ranking – 1)
2. Elena Rybakina – 13.21 (WTA Ranking – 3)
3. Jessica Pegula – 12.99 (WTA Ranking – 5)
4. Iga Swiatek – 12.97 (WTA Ranking – 2)
5. Amanda Anisimova – 12.91 (WTA Ranking – 6)
6. Elina Svitolina – 12.90 (WTA Ranking – 9)
7. Karolina Muchova – 12.84 (WTA Ranking – 13)
8. Coco Gauff – 12.83 (WTA Ranking – 4)
9. Mirra Andreeva – 12.72 (WTA Ranking – 8)
10. Marketa Voundrousova – 12.72 (WTA Ranking – 46)

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu’s ongoing health issues need to be resolved before she can flourish

The post Iga Swiatek drops to world No 4, Aryna Sabalenka has narrow lead, Coco Gauff 8th – alternative rankings appeared first on Tennis365.

Juan Carlos Ferrero has spoken about his split with Carlos Alcaraz and revealed if he would be open to coaching the world No 1 again in the future.

In December, the tennis world was stunned when Ferrero and Alcaraz ended a seven-year partnership that featured 24 titles, including six Grand Slams.

Alcaraz started attending Ferrero’s academy in Villena in 2018 when he was 15, and he became the youngest ATP world No 1 in history after winning his maiden major at the 2022 US Open aged 19.

Ferrero, a former world No 1 and French Open winner, admitted he wished he “could have continued” as Alcaraz’s coach in an emotional message reacting to the split.

Samuel Lopez, who coaches at Ferrero’s academy, is now Alcaraz’s head coach, having previously worked in tandem with Ferrero.

Alcaraz holds a perfect 12-0 record in 2026 after winning the Australian Open and Qatar Open in his two events since parting ways with Ferrero.

In an interview with El Cafelito, Ferrero addressed how he was coping with the split and shut down claims it was related to money or training locations.

“Emotionally I’m fine, it’s been three months already, and we have to move forward,” said the 46-year-old.

Carlos Alcaraz News

Juan Carlos Ferrero calls for Carlos Alcaraz meeting after ‘separating himself’ from world No 1

Carlos Alcaraz’s coach reveals world No 1’s ‘ambitious’ target that would see him upstage Djokovic, Nadal, Federer

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

“At the beginning, it was complicated because when I see Carlos play, there’s a mixture of wanting him to do very well and the sadness of not being there.

“The contract I had would be renewed at the end of the year if there were no changes. It wasn’t about money or him not wanting to train in Villena.

“In the end, we didn’t think the same way about how to continue working together, we couldn’t reach an agreement, and it was due to private matters that happened internally.”

After Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam with his 2026 Australian Open victory, he did not mention his former coach, which sparked criticism from some, including Toni Nadal.

Ferrero has insisted it did not “bother” him that Alcaraz did not thank him after his historic achievement in Melbourne.

“It didn’t bother me that he didn’t mention me. Obviously, if he had done it, I would have liked it, but I understand that he and his circle have decided not to talk about it anymore, and that’s it,” Ferrero said.

“I stick with the message he sent me when we parted ways, thanking me for everything we experienced and saying that I was crucial in getting him where he has reached.”

The Spanish tennis great also confirmed he will coach again on the tennis tour and said he would accept the chance to re-join Alcaraz’s team.

“I will return to the circuit; I feel I still have a lot to offer and have already received many offers, but I do not yet have the necessary drive to accept any of them. I know that if Carlos ever asked me to return, I couldn’t say no,” Ferrero explained.

READ NEXT: Tim Henman admits he was ‘finding it hard to believe what he was seeing’ with Novak Djokovic

The post Juan Carlos Ferrero reveals if he would coach Carlos Alcaraz again as he debunks claims about split appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s challenging start to 2026 has not just included another coaching change and a series of injury issues and defeats on the court, as she has also been battling ongoing health issues.

Dating back to her final appearances of last season in China, when he was forced to pull out of events amid searingly hot temperatures, Raducanu has been struggling to sustain her energy levels through matches.

Raducanu has had numerous timeouts for treatment from on court medics, with her blood pressure taken on several occasions in recent matches.

Some of the images of Raducanu have been concerning and Sky Sports lead presenter Gigi Salmon is hoping those health problems can be banished as she believes a fit and healthy British No 1 will be a threat on the WTA Tour.

Raducanu reached her first WTA Tour final since her iconic 2021 US Open in Cluj last month and was struggling with illness as she lost heavily in the final against Sorana Cirstea, with Salmon hoping those issues are behind her.

More Tennis News

Indian Wells Open: Emma Raducanu, Victoria Mboko, Alex Eala sign up for women’s doubles with matches confirmed

Emma Raducanu: Why the British No 1 may be wary of hiring a female coach

“They said in Cluj that she had a chest infection and I was working on the next two tournaments when she retired and then lost in the Middle East,” Salmon told Tennis365.

“I was wondering if it was the hangover from the chest infection. You are probably told not to play and to rest, but you want to play and try and put it behind you and chase the ranking points.

“Is there an element of stress in there for Emma? I’ve asked a few ex-players to try and get my head around what it is. If it continues to happen, I will fall one way than the other.

“Chest infections can linger, but if this pops up in Indian Wells, then questions will be asked because it will start to be a run of things.”

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

Men’s British No 1 Jack Draper has spoken about controlling his emotion on court and how that has helped him to avoid the cramping issues that we affecting him early in his career and Raducanu will hope she can now banish her health demons and enjoy a run of success on US hard courts she has always felt comfortable on.

“If she can find some stability, and I know we have spoken about this for a long time now, then she has a chance to have a great year,” added Salmon.

“If she is saying she doesn’t want a full time coach and she is happy with Mark Petchey, that’s good for her. I sometimes wonder whether she actually enjoys what she does because sometimes it doesn’t feel it’s someone who enjoys what she does.

“I cannot imagine what is it like to be her. The pressure and the scrutiny every time she does everything is there, so if she can enjoy herself that will help her play better.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in that kind of spotlight. She does have this appal that transcends tennis and it must be pretty tough to deal with.”

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu explains Francisco Roig split and why she reunited with Mark Petchey

The post Emma Raducanu’s ongoing health issues need to be resolved before she can flourish appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has started the 2026 season with a maiden title run at the Australian Open and his coach Samuel Lopez feels that he has set himself up for a unique challenge this year that would see him achieve something that Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer failed to pull off.

After notching the Surface Slam in 2024 with his first title at Roland Garros, Alcaraz completed the Career Grand Slam on February 1 when he lifted the season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park with a four-set win over Djokovic in the final.

Aged just 23 years old, he became the youngest man to notch up the achievement as he surpassed Djokovic, Nadal and Federer and he is now looking to beat the Big Three again – and this time it is a feat that has eluded them.

With the Australian Open in the bag, the Spaniard has a chance of claiming a Calendar Grand Slam this year with the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open tournaments still to come.

Djokovic won three Grand Slams in the same year four times in his career with the most recent coming in 2023 when he lost the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz. In 2021, he came within one match of completing the historic feat as he won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon before losing the US Open final against Daniil Medvedev.

Federer also won three majors in a calendar year on three occasions as he was denied at the French Open all three times, while the closest Nadal came was in 2010 when he won the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz News

Juan Carlos Ferrero calls for Carlos Alcaraz meeting after ‘separating himself’ from world No 1

Carlos Alcaraz makes confession about Novak Djokovic’s ‘impressive’ record

The great Rod Laver, of course, remains the only man to win the Calendar Grand Slam in the Open Era as he achieved it in 1969, and he also did it in 1962 (before the sport turned professional), while Don Budge was the first to complete the quadruple in 1938.

Lopez, who took over as Alcaraz’s main coach following the Spaniard’s split from Juan Carlos Ferrero after the 2025 season, says they are up for the “ambitious” challenge this year.

“I was motivated by the possibility of coaching a world number one after 30 years in the profession,” he told Spanish media as quoted by Punto de Break.

“In the pre-season, Carlos showed total commitment, paying close attention and showing great intensity in training, and maintaining a very positive attitude at all times, willing to listen and accept help.

“The challenge would be to win all four Grand Slams this year. It’s ambitious, but possible.”

The post Carlos Alcaraz’s coach reveals world No 1’s ‘ambitious’ target that would see him upstage Djokovic, Nadal, Federer appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic is preparing to play his first match since he lost in the Australian Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, with former British No 1 Tim Henman admitting he ‘could not believe what he was seeing’ from the Serbian in the opening Grand Slam of the year.

Djokovic struggled to find his best form as he came into the Australian Open without any match practice since his final event of last season in November and he looked rusty as he made it through to the quarter-finals in Melbourne.

He was then on his way out of the tournament as he lost the first two sets of his last-eight clash against Lorenzo Musetti, before injury struck down the Italian and handed Djokovic a pass to a semi-final against Jannik Sinner.

Henman was in the commentary box in Melbourne for the Djokovic vs Sinner match and he has told Tennis365 that he was not expecting the 24-time Grand Slam-winning legend to challenge an opponent who had beaten him time and again over the last couple of years.

That pessimism was heightened after Sinner dominated the opening exchanges, but Djokovic found a way to bounce back and left Henman stunned as he pulled off a remarkable five-set win.

More Tennis News

Novak Djokovic predicts when Serena Williams could make stunning comeback

Novak Djokovic reveals what he proved at Australian Open in message to Indian Wells rivals

“In the first three rounds, I definitely have my doubts about Djokovic. He wasn’t at the right level.” Henman told Tennis365. “Then he is two sets to nil down against Musetti and you think, he’s going home for sure.

“What was so amazing against Sinner was he lost the first three game and he was completely off the pace. I was sitting in the commentary box thinking, this could be embarrassing. I really felt that you could get taken to the cleaners because his level wasn’t there, but so many people have said in the past, you never write off these great champions and that match was a perfect example.

“The way that he then changed his tactics, second, third, four sets and became so aggressive, going down the line and not missing, it was absolutely incredible. 
You know, I was finding it hard to believe what I was watching. I really was. 
And I’ve watched him for 20 plus years. It was an amazing performance.”

Henman went on to suggest he was starting to believe Djokovic could go on to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final after he took the opening set, but reality struck home for the 10-time Australian Open champion.

“When he won the first set 6-2 against Alcaraz, you’re thinking, ‘wow this could be Grand Slam No 25’, but the difference between Alcaraz and Sinner, I think, was very evident.

“Sinner, you know, didn’t change his game plan because he has been the best hard court player for the last couple of years and he tried to fight fire with fire. He was just going for it. And if anything, that played on Djokovic’s hands.

Whereas you saw Alcaraz, who’s got the far greater variation, start to play with shape, start to just extend some of the rallies, use the slice back end. And that was a big turning point.”

Djokovic is scheduled to meet Alcaraz once again in the semi-finals at the Indian Wells Masters, but the Serbian is certain to face big tests before he is reunited on a court with the Spanish maestro.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz makes confession about Novak Djokovic’s ‘impressive’ record

Sky Sports is the year-round home of tennis. Watch the biggest stars on the ATP and WTA Tours at the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open live this March, exclusively on Sky Sports and NOW.

The post Tim Henman admits he was ‘finding it hard to believe what he was seeing’ with Novak Djokovic appeared first on Tennis365.

An “exhausted” Andrey Rublev has conducted his first interview since reaching Indian Wells via an elongated trip from Dubai, amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

World No 17 Rublev was in action at the Dubai Tennis Championships last week, with the Russian reaching the semi-final of the ATP 500 event before tasting defeat to Tallon Griekspoor.

However, the outbreak of conflict in the region saw flights in the United Arab Emirates grounded from last Saturday, with Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, and Karen Khachanov among a handful of ATP players and staff forced to stay put in the country.

With action in Indian Wells, the opening Masters 1000 event of the season, underway this week, the trio were forced into a long journey to safely reach California.

After delays, all three of Rublev, Medvedev, and Khachanov made journeys via car to reach Oman, before taking a private jet to Turkey, and then ultimately heading to Indian Wells.

Rublev arrived in California on Wednesday night and, in an interview with Sofya Tartakova of Bolshe, the 28-year-old revealed he was in a good mood despite an arduous journey.

He said (translated from Russian): “My mood is fine, I’m just really worn out.

“It wasn’t an easy trip, so long with lots of things happening. So I’m exhausted, plus the jetlag. But in general, everything’s fine.”

Tennis News

Novak Djokovic reveals what he proved at Australian Open in message to Indian Wells rivals

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s predicted pathways to blockbuster Indian Wells clash

He added: “It was just an unusual travel experience. Learned a lot of new things, like how to cross the border to Oman. I just tried to treat it like a trip.”

Medvedev had spoken to Bolshe earlier in the same evening, and revealed that he had remained calm despite the escalating situation.

Rublev revealed that he also did not try to panic too much about the situation, and instead tried to focus on his plans to reach the Masters 1000 event.

“Same for me — I visited a banya, went to some restaurants. I took it calmly,” commented the Russian.

“I was mostly thinking about how to make it to Indian Wells, what could be done to get there on time. Overall, I felt pretty normal. Why worry about things you can’t control?”

Much like Medvedev and Khachanov, Rublev has the luxury of being a seeded player in the men’s singles draw in Indian Wells — and therefore received a bye in the opening round.

The 17th seed will face a tough opening test against world No 38 Gabriel Diallo, with the Canadian beating Mattia Bellucci in the opening round.

Rublev and Diallo are set to do battle on Friday, and despite the tight turnaround between his arrival in California and the start of his campaign, the former world No 5 is not changing his pre-match approach.

“Doesn’t matter. We work with what we’ve got. You never know.

“You can come a week early, prepare super well, and lose the first match. Or, arrive a week before and win — or arrive the day before and win the tournament, or arrive a day before and lose in the first round.

“So, you just do what you have to do, and that’s it.”

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

Read Next: Indian Wells withdrawal list: 19 players out as Medvedev, Rublev & Khachanov’s presence confirmed

 

The post Andrey Rublev speaks out in first interview since escaping Dubai to reach Indian Wells appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has divulged what he feels he proved to himself and his rivals with his run at the 2026 Australian Open ahead of his return to action in Indian Wells.

The legendary Serbian has not competed since losing to world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in four sets in the Australian Open championship match over a month ago.

Djokovic delivered a stellar display to defeat world No 2 Jannik Sinner in a five-set semi-final in Melbourne as he became the oldest finalist in tournament history at the age of 38.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner had lost his five previous matches against Sinner, including semi-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2025, while he also fell to Alcaraz in the last four at last year’s US Open.

In his pre-tournament press conference in Indian Wells, Djokovic was asked if he is still playing in order to prove himself.

“There are objectives and goals that are always there. You want to win, so you want to get another title and get another Slam, hopefully,” said Djokovic.

“I was close in Australia. Obviously that was an amazing start of the year for me, considering that I haven’t been able to reach the finals since the Wimbledon 2024, and lost to either Sinner or Alcaraz [at] all of the Slams last year.

Indian Wells News

‘GOAT’ Novak Djokovic backed to capture Indian Wells title by former rival: ‘It can be done’

Why Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek would make history with 2026 Indian Wells victories

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

“So it was just incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches that I played in recent times in Australia, and then have another great match with Carlos, who was just too good in the end.

“But, you know, for me, that has been a phenomenal result. So, I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys.

“So my logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and also motivation to do that.”

The world No 3 went on to address his approach to scheduling and asserted that he will “keep on going as long as I feel like it.”

“Schedule is unclear, as it was in the last kind of couple years,” he continued.

“You know, it kind of revolves mostly around Slams, but I kind of pick and choose where I want to play, where I feel like it’s not just from a tennis standpoint but also emotionally, you know, brand-wise, or whatever it is, you know, that inspires me to come.

“And I have my reasons, you know, Indian Wells, as I mentioned, has been always a location that I was really happy to come back to in a tournament that I really love playing.

“I haven’t had great results and performances in the last 10 years, but in the first 10 years of my career, this was one of the best tournaments.

“Yeah, that’s all. I mean, I really enjoy the thrill of competition. I enjoy still getting out there in front of the fans and really being competitive.

“Still No 3 of the world, so I don’t think it’s too bad, you know, in terms of the ranking and results and performances. So still competitive. I still have that edge, and I’ll keep on going as long as I feel like it.”

Djokovic could make history with Indian Wells triumph

Djokovic shares the record of five Indian Wells men’s titles with his former rival Roger Federer, and he is seeking his first crown in the Californian desert since 2016.

The No 3 seed will begin his bid to become the outright Indian Wells title leader against either Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Kamil Majchrzak.

READ NEXT: Indian Wells Open withdrawal list: 19 players out as Medvedev, Rublev & Khachanov’s presence confirmed

The post Novak Djokovic reveals what he proved at Australian Open in message to Indian Wells rivals appeared first on Tennis365.