Author: admin

The debate around prize money in tennis has moved up a level in recent weeks with players openly campaigning for an increase in their returns at major championships, but how do their earnings compare to golfers?

As individual sports, tennis and golf have plenty of similarities and challenges, as they both compete for attention in a crowded global sporting landscape.

Yet golf has found a way to ensure its biggest stars earn more money than elite tennis players each year, as they have reshaped their calendar to ensure majors are played in the first half of the year and big money prizes are on offer for lucrative events in the second half of a season.

World No 1 golfer Scottish Scheffler topped the PGA Tour prize money list last year with a stunning $29,228,357.

By contrast, Jannik Sinner earned the most in on court earnings in tennis in 2024, as he took home almost half that amount at $16,946,149.

Two-time major winner Xander Schauffele was second on the prize money list for golf in 2024 with $18,385,320, with Carlos Alcaraz the second-highest earner in tennis last year with $9,850,338, against pretty much half the earnings.

More Tennis News

2025 ATP prize money leaders: Novak Djokovic & Jakub Mensik surge into top 10, Jannik Sinner still top

Carlos Alcaraz beats Jannik Sinner to ATP Tour prize money milestone

A comparison of the two prize money lists for 2024 confirms male golfers are taking home double the amount of cash when compared to their tennis counterparts, with Rory McIlroy already up to $13,257,558 in winnings for 2025 after his epic Masters win on Sunday.

Those numbers will further enhance the claims of tennis players who believe they should be earning more from their sport, amid suggestions that less than a third of revenue from Grand Slam tournaments is paid to players.

The top 20 players from the men’s and women’s tour sent a letter to the organisers of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open calling for an increased share of revenue last month.

In addition, the Professional Tennis Players Association filed a legal action against all tennis chiefs last month that included a demand for increases in prize money and more freedom for players to play in exhibition events.

Golf’s FedEx Cup is a lucrative end-of-season event that allows the top players to collect huge sums of cash, while the breakaway LIV Golf Tour – backed by Sauri Arabian cash – paid out huge sums to its star names last year.

Former Masters champion Jon Rahm earned $34,754,821 on the LIV Tour, while Joaquin Niemann won $24,381,666 and Spain’s Sergio Garcia collected $17,087,143.

McIlroy has already earned well over $100m in prize money during his stunning career, with his commercial sponsorship deals already hugely lucrative prior to his Masters win.

The Irishman’s victory at Augusta allowed him to join Gene Sarazen (completed in 1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Gary Player (1965), Jack Nicklaus (1966) and Tiger Woods (2000) as the only man to win all four majors in golf, with his emotional victory at the Masters completing his already golden legacy.

“It’s a dream come true,” McIlroy said. “I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember.

“Watching Tiger (Woods) here in 1997 do what he did, winning his first green jacket, I think that inspired so many of my generation to want to emulate what he did.

“It feels incredible. This is my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time.

“The last 10 years coming here with the burden of the grand slam on my shoulder and trying to achieve it, I wonder what we’re going to talk about going into next year.

“I’m absolutely honoured, thrilled and proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion.”

After so many years of near misses at the Masters, McIlroy’s win revived memories of Scotland’s Andy Murray finally winning Wimbledon for the first time amid emotional scenes back in 2013.

So many of McIlroy’s fans around the world have been urging him to win the Masters since his last major title win back in 2014, but he kept coming up short.

The vulnerabilities and failings McIlroy shows when the pressure is applied are so relatable to the wider sporting public and are similar to what we saw from Murray as he faced the daunting challenge of taking on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Murray is a huge fan of golf and has spent time with tennis fan McIlroy talking about their respective experiences, with the two iconic sportsmen as great examples of heroes who have made the most of their natural talents to achieve greatness.

READ NEXT: Tennis365 Heroes and Villains: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide

The post Tennis and golf prize money compared after Rory McIlroy confirms he is the Andy Murray of his sport appeared first on Tennis365.

Action at the Stuttgart Open is underway, with most of the WTA Tour’s biggest names in action on the indoor clay over the next week or so.

Defending champion Elena Rybakina is not in action, but world No 2 and two-time winner Iga Swiatek will look to win her third title, while world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka hopes to triumph after three previous final losses.

The battle between world No 3 Jessica Pegula and world No 4 Coco Gauff for the US No 1 ranking looks set to intensify, with the pair seeded third and fourth, respectively.

Two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and in-form rising star Mirra Andreeva are also in action, while Emma Navarro and Diana Shnaider round out a strong top eight seeds at the WTA 500 event.

Usually, this event is run in the same fashion as most one-week events, but there is a key schedule difference in 2025 that looks set to affect several leading title contenders.

Why is there a change?

The Stuttgart final is usually held on a Sunday, but in 2025 it will take place on Monday.

This is because the upcoming Easter weekend and state rules in Baden-Wurttemberg, of which Stuttgart is both the capital and largest city.

Rules in the state – the third-largest in Germany – prohibit any form of sporting event from taking place on Good Friday, which this year falls on April 18 – midway through the tournament.

That means that the tournament will not be able to hold matches inside the Porsche Arena on Friday, and will instead pause for one day.

The rules are specific for Baden-Wurttemberg, and rules differ state by state, which is why the Munich Open is unaffected.

The ATP 500 event, held on outdoor clay, will run as normal on Good Friday due to no such law or rule in the state of Bavaria.

Tennis News

Elena Rybakina forced to skip Stuttgart resulting in WTA Rankings knock

T365 Week 16 Fantasy Predictions: Alcaraz backed in Barcelona, Sabalenka vs Swiatek in Stuttgart

What impact does it have on the schedule?

Up until Friday, the schedule in Stuttgart will run as normal, with the first handful of opening-round matches taking place on Monday (14 April).

As the top four seeds, Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, and Gauff have all received round-one byes and will begin their campaigns in round two, with their matches set to be held across April 16-17.

With no play on Good Friday, the last eight players left in the draw will return on Saturday for the four quarter-finals, and then the semi-finals will take place on Sunday.

That will then be followed by Monday’s final, which is set to start at 1pm local time.

Main draw action at the upcoming Madrid Open will begin on Tuesday, 22 April, though the seeds in the Spanish capital receive opening byes – meaning the turnaround should not be too brutal.

Read Next: Tennis365 Heroes and Villains: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide

The post Explained: Why leading Stuttgart contenders face a Monday final at WTA 500 event appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz sent out a big statement to his rivals as he confirmed he is the man to beat on clay courts with his win at the Monte Carlo Masters.

The date of this exciting Spaniard’s victory was also a significant moment for his biggest rival, Jannik Sinner.

In the first of a Monday ‘Heroes and Villains’ columns highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly in tennis, here’s a look back on the week that was.

Player of the Week – Carlos Alcaraz

The newly promoted world No 2 has been brutally honest in his comments over the last few weeks, as he admitted the pressures of dealing with the expectations he has created around himself have been a big burden.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz set the bar so high with his sparkling start to his career, but he continues to find a way to back it up with more success and he was magnificent for periods of his run to victory in Monte Carlo.

The injury to Lorenzo Musetti may have taken some gloss away from his victory in the final, but Alcaraz confirmed he is the king of clay with his dynamic and thrilling win.

On the way down – Stefanos Tsitsipas

With a huge haul of ATP Ranking points to defend over this period of the season, Tsitsipas was under incredible pressure to defend the Monte Carlo Masters title he won last year.

Yet he was always likely to come up short and his quarter-final exit ensured he dropped out of the top ten of the rankings, with his position likely to get worse.

Tsitsipas was a finalist at last year’s Barcelona Open and, with those points dropping off his ranking this week, he is down at No 19 in the Live ATP Rankings.

The Greek needs to find his best form on clay quickly or his time at the top of the game may be coming to an end.

Why was April 13th significant?

Carlos Alcaraz’s Monte Carlo Masters win was a significant moment in the tennis season on Sunday, yet his victory came on a day that has been circled in the diary of his greatest rival for several weeks.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner has not been permitted to practice with professional players during the opening phase of his three-month drug suspension, but April 13 was the day he was allowed to get back on court ahead of his comeback at next month’s Rome Masters.

We can expect to see images on social media of Sinner returning to full-time training over the next few days, with the tennis world holding its breath for the comeback of the man still dominating at the top of the ATP Rankings.

Missing out – Billie Jean King Cup

Some great stories were written on court during the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, but they struggled to steal the media limelight amid the excitement of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The final line-up for September’s Billie Jean King Cup final in China will see Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, USA and the host nation battle it out for the biggest prize in women’s team tennis in Shenzhen this September.

Tennis News

Money and points earned by Alcaraz, Musetti, Fils and Djokovic at Monte Carlo Masters

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal react to Carlos Alcaraz’s Monte Carlo Masters title win

Yet will the world be watching as the Billie Jean King Cup battles for space on a crowded media landscape? Sadly, it seems as if this competition is fighting a losing battle to retain attention and that is a shame because it deserves to retain a strong place on the tennis stage.

Stat of the week

Jannik Sinner may be banned from tennis as he serves his doping suspension, but he continues to hold a strong lead at the top of the world rankings.

Now he is joining some big names on the ATP list as since the inaugural ATP Tour season in 1990, only four players have had a longer opening run as world No 1 than Sinner, who is toasting his 45th week at the top – Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Shot of the week – Carlos Alcaraz’s tweener lob

Ridiculous! pic.twitter.com/05eGwJc9Q4

— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) April 10, 2025

The post Tennis365 Heroes and Villains: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz’s maiden Monte Carlo Masters title has drawn reactions from Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and other stars of the sporting world.

The Spanish star defeated Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the final of the clay-court Masters 1000 tournament to secure his second title of 2025.

Alcaraz became the sixth Spanish player to win the Monte Carlo Masters after Manuel Orantes, Sergi Bruguera, Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Nadal.

The 21-year-old has now secured four of the nine different Masters 1000 crowns, having also triumphed in Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid.

The four-time Grand Slam winner has overtaken Alexander Zverev to claim the world No 2 spot in the ATP Rankings.

In reply to Alcaraz’s Instagram post celebrating his victory, 11-time Monte Carlo champion Nadal wrote: “Congratulations! Great week in a very special place.”

Djokovic, a Monte Carlo winner in 2013 and 2015, posted: “Congratulations titan.”

Guillermo Coria, a 2004 Monte Carlo Masters champion and former world No 3, replied: “Grande Carlitos. You gonna have to buy a separate ticket for that trophy.”

Fabio Fognini, who won the tournament in 2019, wrote: “Now if you can talk (laughing emojis).”

Stan Wawrinka, Bianca Andreescu and Jakub Mensik were among the other tennis stars to congratulate Alcaraz.

Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz — players for Alcaraz’s beloved Real Madrid — also shared their support with congratulatory emojis.

Carlos Alcaraz News

Carlos Alcaraz reveals key lesson he has learned after Monte Carlo Masters triumph

Money and points earned by Alcaraz, Musetti, Fils and Djokovic at Monte Carlo Masters

Following his triumph in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz addressed whether he had proven a point.

“I don’t feel that way,” he told the media. “I always say that, let’s say freak talk, when you’re not winning or people have high expectations of you when you don’t win tournaments or matches they probably talk a lot.

“I just realised that I don’t have to think about all they are talking about and just focus on myself. So I’m not going to say I just proved them wrong.

“I’m just really happy to be able to refocus on the important things and just be focused on myself and the part that I have to follow with my team. Just playing for myself. So I’m just really happy that I was able to do it.”

He continued by stating: “It’s been a tough month for me. On and off the court. I don’t want to say in public, but I was struggling stepping on the court. It’s been difficult to find a way to not think about everything.”

READ NEXT: ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Monte Carlo: Alcaraz No 2, Djokovic No 5, Tsitsipas -8, Musetti rises

The post Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal react to Carlos Alcaraz’s Monte Carlo Masters title win appeared first on Tennis365.

Elena Rybakina is set to drop out of the top 10 of the WTA Rankings for the first time in two years as she was forced to make a tough decision over her Stuttgart Open title defence.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion won the WTA tournament last year after beating then world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-final and surprise finalist Marta Kostyuk in the showpiece match.

But she opted not to return to Germany this year for the Porsche event due to scheduling conflicts as she instead decided to focus on representing Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King qualifying tournament.

And the decision has come at a cost as it will affect her position in the rankings.

Rybakina was part of the team that beat Australia and Colombia in Group D action at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane as she won both her singles matches over the weekend.

With that event taking place in Australia, Rybakina would have had to scramble to get back to Europe in time for the Stuttgart tournament had she entered the event.

Instead, she chose her country over her title defence.

“I know that the schedule overall is very packed, and it’s not easy to even schedule Billie Jean King Cup,” the former world No 3 said.

“But ideally, if we go to one part of the world, it will be nicer to play the same part. Now, for example, the clay court [season] starts and [some have] already played even tournaments on clay.

“So to come back and play hard, it’s a bit tricky. And ideally, if there is a tournament, it’s better to schedule it closer to where we want to be.”

Kazakhstan’s 2-0 win in the qualifiers helped them to secure their place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in September with the tournament being staged in Shenzhen, China.

WTA News

WTA Stuttgart draw: Iga Swiatek and nemesis Jelena Ostapenko on collision course, with others in action

WTA Madrid Open 2025 Entry List: Will Raducanu and Eala play? Sabalenka, Swiatek top seeds

She added: “I can’t play all the tournaments. Of course Stuttgart is nice, but I always like to play team competitions.

“It’s nice to play for your country, so I’m happy to make this decision and I’m happy to play finals [in Shenzhen].”

The 25-year-old will lose 500 ranking points this week, resulting in her dropping out of the top 10.

Rybakina is currently at No 10 on 3,808 points and for now the “punishment” is not too bad as she has slipped just one spot to No 11 in the Live Rankings.

The last time she was outside the top 10 was in January 2023 as she started the year at No 21, but surged back up the list after finishing runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open.

Rybakina’s next two events are the WTA 1000 Madrid Open and Italian Open before she heads to Paris for the French Open.

The post Elena Rybakina forced to skip Stuttgart resulting in WTA Rankings knock appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has dismissed outside expectations as ‘freak talk’ as he looks to put a ‘difficult’ month behind him after triumphing at the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters.

The Spaniard battled from a set down to beat Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 and lifted his first trophy since his 2024 Wimbledon victory.

Alcaraz looked far more comfortable on the clay courts of Monaco than over the last few months, where he had most recently lost to David Goffin in the second round of the Miami Open.

“I don’t feel that way,” stated Alcaraz, when asked if his win had ‘proved a point.’

“I always say that, let’s say freak talk, when you’re not winning or people have high expectations of you when you don’t win tournaments or matches they probably talk a lot.

“I just realised that I don’t have to think about all they are talking about and just focus on myself. So I’m not going to say I just proved them wrong.

“I’m just really happy to be able to refocus on the important things and just be focused on myself and the part that I have to follow with my team. Just playing for myself. So I’m just really happy that I was able to do it.”

He continued by stating: “It’s been a tough month for me. On and off the court. I don’t want to say in public, but I was struggling stepping on the court. It’s been difficult to find a way to not think about everything”.

Whilst the Spaniard had only played one match at the Monte Carlo event prior to this season’s edition, he has had plenty of history with his next two tournaments.

In Barcelona, Alcaraz is a two-time champion (2022 and 2023) – withdrawing from the event in 2024 due to forearm issues.

Additionally, at the Madrid Open, he is also a two-time champion (2022 and 2023). It was in the Spanish capital where he truly announced himself to the tennis world at large, being the first – and only – player to beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the same clay-court event.

“I’m pretty sure that it’s going to be difficult months ahead because a lot of people have high expectations of me having a really good clay season,” Alcaraz admitted.

“Probably they want me to win almost every tournament, so it’s going to be difficult to deal with it, I guess.

“But one thing that I learned the last few months is I have to think about myself. I have to think about myself. I have to just think about my people, my team, my family, my friends, my close friends.

“No matter what happens on the court, if I win, if I lose, I just have to leave the court happy.

“I’m proud about everything I have done. So that’s something that I learned, and I think I did it this week and it paid off.”

Latest ATP News

‘He has a kind of aura’ – Lorenzo Musetti heaps praise on ‘legend’ Carlos Alcaraz after final defeat

Jannik Sinner’s doping case ‘handled differently’, claims Italian Olympic champion

The former world No 1 was also quizzed as to if he will approach the upcoming tournaments any differently, given that he has now won his first title of 2025.

“I will try to just keep going the same way that I approach this tournament (in Monte Carlo) and not think about the people talking about expectation.”

Alcaraz is also the first Spaniard to lift the singles title in Monaco since Nadal in 2018, which marked the legend’s 11th triumph.

“I hope to win the title here more than once. Thinking about 11 is impossible, honestly,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion.

“I’ve spoken several times with my team about what Rafa achieved on clay. It’s one of the most complicated things in sport in general, not just tennis.

“Winning the same tournament 11 times, 14 Roland Garros, the best tournaments in the world, is impossible to repeat. We’ll see how many I can get. If I stick with just one, I’ll be happy. I’ll be 23 in no time, so I hope to play this tournament for 10 or 15 more years, we’ll see if I can add some more. Now I just want to enjoy this moment.”

The post Carlos Alcaraz hints at a ‘tough month’ minutes after winning the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters appeared first on Tennis365.

Lorenzo Musetti was on the verge of defeat against Yunchaokete Bu in the first round of the 2025 Monte Carlo, but – ultimately – reached the showpiece match.

The Italian defeated the likes of Alex de Minaur, Matteo Berrettini, and three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas to make the biggest match of his life.

However, once there, and faced with Carlos Alcaraz, the former Grand Slam semi-finalist was defeated 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.

Musetti looked the far more comfortable player on the court in the first set, but fatigue and discomfort from the tough week eventually caught up to him – taking a medical timeout in the deciding set.

“We don’t know the specific nature of the injury yet, but it’s clear that we’re going to do some tests in the coming days,” admitted Musetti.

“As you have seen, I couldn’t finish the match as I wanted, but in a final,  I didn’t want to retire. It was the best way to finish, even if I wasn’t able to play much more. It is what it is.

“The toughness of the whole week, of the long matches I played, was what took its toll on me today.

“In this final, I was very clear about what I had to do. Especially after the first set, which I played probably my best tennis, and of course I was feeling the ball really well today. I had a clear mind what I had to do.

“But physically I was struggling, the physical problems and the fatigue and all the, let’s say, stress accumulated in the past days, past matches, they were there. So unfortunately I couldn’t finish the match. I mean, I couldn’t, let’s say, fight till the end.”

Despite the tough end to an impressive tournament performance, the Italian says that he hopes to take away optimistic sensations heading into the rest of the European clay-court season.

“I take a lot of positive stuff. You know, I have reached some of my goals,” reflected Musetti.

“After this, of course, we are already focused on other goals, on trying to be ambitious and motivate ourselves even more, because we have not yet reached the top-10.

“Right now, that’s probably the main goal of the season: we’re close enough to keep fighting and keep dreaming. As I said on court, I don’t want to make any excuses today. Carlos probably deserved to win, but it was a shame that I couldn’t show my best tennis until the last point.

“Now I’ll take a week off, I won’t go to Barcelona, and I’ll play in Madrid. I hope to be there 100%.”

After his Monte Carlo run, the soon-to-be world No 11 now possesses a 64-37 win/loss record on clay courts – with his biggest title arriving on the surface (Hamburg 2022).

“Yes, clay is probably my favorite surface,” stated the runner-up.

“Let’s say it’s my natural habitat. This week gave me the confidence to be more ambitious even in bigger tournaments like this one or, for example, in French Open. That’s a massive point of the season, for me really important, which I don’t have so many points to defend.

“So hopefully I can be prepared, you know, to do some great things there. I think I have the level to be at the top on clay.”

Latest ATP News

Jannik Sinner’s doping case ‘handled differently’, claims Italian Olympic champion

‘I told him to retire’ – Lorenzo Musetti’s coach reveals the Italian’s Monte Carlo final injury

Whilst Musetti will undoubtedly be disappointed in how the final ended, he was quick to further credit Alcaraz for his performance and overall demeanour.

“Carlos is already a legend of this sport, despite being younger than me,” commented the 23-year-old.

“He’s a record-breaking guy, and on the court you feel like he has a kind of aura, so to speak. Today, honestly, I think I played a fantastic first set, which made him change something in his tennis.

“If I had been 100% physically, I could have kept more energy, which is what you need to beat someone like Carlos. I hope to get revenge soon.”

The post ‘He has a kind of aura’ – Lorenzo Musetti heaps praise on ‘legend’ Carlos Alcaraz after final defeat appeared first on Tennis365.

Lorenzo Musetti’s coach Simone Tartarini has given specific details as to the physical issue that hindered the Italian’s efforts to win the 2025 Monte Carlo final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Musetti looked in fine form in the first set, claiming it 6-3 against an impatient Spaniard.

However, in the second set – especially with Alcaraz’s form on the rise – the 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist’s movement seemed somewhat hindered, losing it 6-1.

By the third set, the issues were far more pronounced, and Alcaraz capped off the final with a 6-0 in the third victory.

Musetti’s coach Simone Tartarini, who has been working in that role since the Italian was eight, revealed the details of the discomfort to Ubitennis.

“This morning, during the warm-up, Lorenzo had a problem with his quadriceps,” explained Tartarini.

“We took all the necessary precautions, but, during the match, he felt more and more pain.

“He was already in pain after the first set, then – after playing on top of it at a certain point – he was in a lot of pain. But obviously, he didn’t want to retire since it was a final: he stayed on the court for the sake of it because the final must be played.”

Whilst it was clear that the Italian was in discomfort in the second half of the match, Musetti seemed determined to finish the match – opposing the advice given to him by his team.

“Halfway through the second set I told him to retire, he was in a lot of pain,” stated the future world No 11’s coach.

“I was thinking about the future, there was a risk of getting hurt, but he said he wanted to finish the match. I think the crowd understood, but he wanted to finish.

“We will do the tests, it could be a small strain. Now we will do all the necessary medical things because in the heat of the moment you can’t even do ultrasounds. Maybe a little edema, so a little bit of a stop is definitely needed.”

In his interview after the match, Musetti reiterated a similar sentiment of duty to the final.

“I’m really disappointed that I could not finish the match in the best way, for the crowd, for all of the support I received this week, but you deserve it,” the Italian said.

“I will try to come back for the revenge.”

Latest ATP News

Carlos Alcaraz seals major rankings boost with Monte Carlo Masters triumph

Carlos Alcaraz told he’s ‘making tennis sublime’ in stunning verdict from Justine Henin

After his victory, Alcaraz admitted to noticing Musetti’s leg discomfort.

“It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match,” the newly-crowned Monte Carlo champion admitted during his on-court interview.

“Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results, ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be 100% soon.”

Alcaraz went on to state: “I am really happy to win Monte-Carlo for the first time. It has been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations. I am proud with how I dealt with everything. It has been a difficult month for me, so coming here and seeing the hard work pay off makes me happy.”

The post ‘I told him to retire’ – Lorenzo Musetti’s coach reveals the Italian’s Monte Carlo final injury appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has sealed a significant jump in the ATP Rankings after rallying from a set down to beat Lorenzo Musetti in the Monte Carlo Masters final.

In an intriguing contest, second seed Alcaraz claimed his sixth Masters 1000 title and first Monte Carlo title with a rallying 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 triumph over a tiring and hampered Musetti on Sunday.

It is Alcaraz’s second title of 2025, following his victory at the Rotterdam Open back in February, and is his first Masters 1000 title since winning in Indian Wells back in March 2024.

“This is not the way that I would have wanted to win a match,” reflected Alcaraz.

“Thinking about Lorenzo, I think he’s had a really tough week, really long and intense matches, so I just feel really sorry for him to end [like this].

“One of the best results he has done and ending like this, it’s not easy, so I just wanted to say hopefully it’s nothing serious and hopefully he’s going to be 100% really soon.

“I’m just really happy to have won Monte Carlo for the first time. It’s been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations that I’m really proud of myself, how I dealt with everything.

“It’s been a really difficult month for me outside and on the court, so coming here and seeing how the hard work paid off, I’m really happy.”

Victory for Alcaraz has significant rankings implications right at the very top of the sport, with the Spaniard now set to overtake Alexander Zverev as the world No 2.

The 21-year-old will move to 7,720 ranking points on Monday, with Zverev – who was beaten in round two – dropping to 7,595 points.

Alcaraz has also closed the gap to world No 1 Jannik Sinner, earning a full 1,000 ranking points in Monte Carlo after missing the event 12 months ago.

Sinner will drop 400 semi-final points after missing Monte Carlo due to his ongoing suspension, though the Italian will still hold 9,930 points on Monday – a cushion of 2,210 points over Alcaraz.

All eyes will now be on whether Alcaraz can close the gap towards Sinner, and hold off Zverev as the world No 2.

Monte Carlo Masters News

Carlos Alcaraz told he’s ‘making tennis sublime’ in stunning verdict from Justine Henin

Carlos Alcaraz makes brutally honest Jannik Sinner confession as he reaches Monte Carlo final

Both Alcaraz and Zverev are in action on home soil this coming week, with the Spaniard competing at the ATP 500 Barcelona Open, and German Zverev competing at the ATP 500 Munich Open.

Two-time Barcelona champion Alcaraz has no points to defend after missing the event in 2024, while Zverev has 50 quarter-finalist points to defend in Munich.

Both men will also be in action at the Masters 1000 event in Madrid before Sinner returns next month.

Despite defeat, there is also good news for Musetti from an ATP Rankings perspective.

A run to a first Masters 1000 final will see the Italian dramatically eclipse his previous career-high of world No 15, with the 23-year-old set to be ranked 11th come Monday.

Read Next: ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Monte Carlo: Alcaraz close to No 2, Djokovic No 5, Tsitsipas -8, Musetti rises

The post Carlos Alcaraz seals major rankings boost with Monte Carlo Masters triumph appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has reportedly been dropped by leading sponsor Vodafone after “demanding too much money”, reports have claimed.

The Mail on Sunday has reported that the 22-year-old, who shot to fame following her stunning US Open triumph back in 2021, will not see her deal with the phone company renewed.

The report states that sources close to Vodafone, who also sponsor the likes of Jack Draper, decided to end the partnership with Raducanu due to her financial demands.

Raducanu was initially announced as a Vodafone ambassador back in December 2021, one of countless sponsorship opportunities that flew her way in the aftermath of her US Open victory.

However, her partnership with Vodafone was thought to have been her most lucrative partnership, with the Brit reportedly raking in £3 million a year thanks to the partnership.

The MoS report claims that this placed her Vodafone partnership ahead of other high-profile deals with the likes of Dior and Tiffany & Co, which allegedly earn Raducanu £2m.

The loss of the Vodafone partnership could come as a significant blow for the 22-year-old, whose struggles since her epic triumph in Flushing Meadows have been well-documented.

Raducanu has famously not won a WTA title since that victory and has struggled repeatedly with injury issues, though she did rise back inside the top 60 in 2024.

A recent run to the quarter-final of the Miami Open saw her reach the last eight of a WTA 1000-level event for the first time and return to the top 50, with Raducanu currently ranked 47th in the world.

Despite her struggles on court, she has remained, up until now, one of the most marketable athletes off it, being named as the seventh highest-paid female athlete of 2024.

WTA Tour News

Why Emma Raducanu has ‘a big chance’ to be seeded for Wimbledon

Emma Raducanu closing in on huge coaching appointment as ‘talks’ progress

The majority of the $14m reportedly earned by Raducanu in 2024 came from sponsorship, and only one non-tennis player – skiing star Eileen Gu – earned more than her.

However, the reported loss of the Vodafone partnership could suggest that her star power may be on the wane – and that her marketability is being affected by inconsistency within her career.

Last year, it had been reported that Raducanu’s longstanding deal with Porsche had ended, though this was later denied by the car manufacturer.

World No 47 Raducanu has not played since her run to the Miami Open quarter-final, which was ended by a three-set defeat to eventual runner-up Jessica Pegula.

The Brit has since gone on to pull out of the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers and the Rouen Open, and is currently expected to return at the Madrid Open.

Read Next: WTA Madrid Open 2025 Entry List: Will Raducanu and Eala play? Sabalenka, Swiatek top seeds

The post Emma Raducanu suffers blow as £3 million-a-year sponsorship deal is reportedly axed appeared first on Tennis365.