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The draw for the 2025 Monte Carlo Masters has been revealed, with all of the top three seeds – Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic – being handed tough opening matches.

At the most recent edition, Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-4 to lift his third trophy in the principality.

Past winners include Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andrey Rublev, Fabio Fognini, and Stan Wawrinka.

World No 4 Taylor Fritz and world No 22 Hubert Hurkacz both withdrew due to injury. Miomir Kecmanovic replaced in the Pole, whilst Roberto Bautista-Agut took the American’s place.

Alexander Zverev’s Quarter

At the top of the draw, top seed Zverev will face either a qualifier or – more likely – Matteo Berrettini in his opening match. The German will be seeking to somewhat close the gap between himself and Jannik Sinner, whose suspension from competing will end in May.

Berrettini and Zverev have met on clay on three occasions, splitting two meetings in Rome, before the higher-seeded player won their 2021 Madrid final. However, the Italian did win their last meeting – with a straight-sets win in the third round of Wimbledon in 2023.

Should Zverev get past the former Grand Slam finalist, he would face one of Lorenzo Musetti –  the 13^th seed – Sebastian Korda, and Jiri Lehecka in the third round. All of the potential opponents have solid clay-court resumes, with Musetti winning both of their meetings last season – including one on the red brick surface.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune are the other two seeds in this quarter. Zverev would undoubtedly rather face the Dane, winning their last three encounters, with the Greek holding a 5-1 clay-court record over the world No 2.

Novak Djokovic’s Quarter

Djokovic will be looking to make a quick turnaround from his tough Miami Open final loss against Jakub Mensik, and may need to be at a high level to defeat Stan Wawrinka. The three-time Grand Slam champion will be the Serb’s opening opponent, should he get past a qualifier.

Whilst out of form and past his prime, the Swiss is at his most dangerous on the clay – particularly in the early rounds.

Grigor Dimitrov awaits in the third round, with Jan-Lennard Struff and Nicolas Jarry as other potential options. The Bulgarian got hammered by the 24-time Grand Slam champion in Miami, but may take solace in his last clay-court meeting with Djokovic – a three-set battle – as well as his sole victory arriving on the same surface.

At the bottom of the top half of the draw, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur will compete for a spot in the last eight. Should the two meet, it promises to be a tight affair, with the Australian winning their only clay-court meeting at Roland Garros in 2024 – however, there are signs of the Russian’s level improving over recent weeks.

Casper Ruud’s Quarter

Defending finalist Casper Ruud has had an unremarkable season so far, with a 12-4 record.

The Norwegian opens against either Robert Bautista-Agut or Brandon Nakashima, with the Spaniard having significantly greater clay-court prowess and a 3-1 head-to-head over Ruud.

Frances Tiafoe has a 6-6 record in 2025, failing to get consecutive victories at any tournament. The American is Ruud’s projected third-round opponent and would be the heavy underdog, should they both meet.

2025 Indian Wells champion Jack Draper is the event’s fifth seed and sits at the top of the bottom half of the draw – with Ben Shelton the other seed in his section. Both lefties lack clay-court experience, in a section which contains ‘dirt ballers’ such as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Tomas Etcheverry.

Ruud has yet to meet Draper and has won his last two matches against Shelton, including one on clay.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Quarter

Alcaraz, the tournament’s second seed, may have won many clay-court titles, but is yet to win a match in Monaco. In 2022, he lost a three-set match to Sebastian Korda and withdrew due to injury at the last two editions.

It won’t start easily for the Spaniard, facing the winner of Fabio Fognini and Francisco Cerundolo. The Italian won the title in 2019, where he defeated 11-time champion Rafael Nadal along the way, but has yet to meet the Argentine.

Should he collect his maiden victory, in-form Felix Auger-Aliassime – who has won two titles in 2025 – lies in waiting, with retiring Richard Gasquet and Matteo Arnaldi as other options.

In the last eight, 2023 champion Andrey Rublev is Alcaraz’s projected opponent, with Frenchman Arthur Fils, who loves the clay, also competing for a quarter-final spot.

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The tennis world was stunned when Novak Djokovic revealed he hired Andy Murray as his new coach for the 2025 season, but the move appears to have had a big impact in one key area of his game.

Djokovic is chasing 100th career title in what may be his final year on the tour, with a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title also in his sights before he calls time on his remarkable career.

Murray’s presence in his coaching box seems to have lifted his levels of desire and the Scot may also have had an impact on his former rival’s serve.

After years of competing against each other at the highest levels of the game, Djokovic and Murray are now working in tandem and one statistic stands out when comparing this Djokovic year to others.

His first serve percentage for 2025 is a highly impressive 69 per-cent and this is a big step forward from the numbers he was producing when he was at his best and playing against Murray in Grand Slam finals.

Djokovic was in stunning form in 2011 as he won three Grand Slam titles and dominated the men’s game, but his first serve percentage for that season was down at 65 per-cent.

Then in 2016, when he also won three Grand Slam titles, his first serve percentage was also at 65 per-cent.

His service percentage was at 65 per-cent when he won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in 2021 and at 64 per-cent when he won three Grand Slams two years ago.

While we are only a third of the way through the season, Djokovic’s impressive serving displays at the Australian Open and last month’s Miami Open have bumped his number of 2025 up to the highest it has been in his career.

A five per-cent leap in service statistics may not seem hugely significant, but that would be the equivalent of a sprinter knocking a quarter of a second off personal best in the 100m or a soccer player adding five goals a season to his total.

At the top end of sport, fine margins are all important and the impressive numbers don’t end there for Djokovic on his serve.

In the 203 service games he has played, he has won a massive 76 per-cent of the first points on his serve and 89 per-cent of his service games.

They are impressive numbers for a player who will celebrate his 38th birthday next month, with Djokovic admitting he has surprised himself with the quality of his serving his season.

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“I wouldn’t say particularly we paid so much attention to the serve prior to this tournament that it needed to be worked on separately from all the other shots in order to get it to a desired level,” said Djokovic after his win against Grigor Dimitrov in the Miami Open semi-finals.

“I think I’ve been serving pretty well this year. Maybe some other elements in my game haven’t been working particularly well, but the serve was solid.

“I mean, this is a whole different level of serving, obviously. I mean, I did not expect myself to top the serving performance of last match, where I had 83%, and I had 87% today. I missed I think five or six serves in the whole match. So that’s really amazing, amazing standard, really high standard.

“I wouldn’t say particularly we paid so much attention to the serve prior to this tournament that it needed to be worked on separately from all the other shots in order to get it to a desired level,” said Djokovic.

“I think I’ve been serving pretty well this year. Maybe some other elements in my game haven’t been working particularly well, but the serve was solid.

“I mean, this is a whole different level of serving, obviously. I mean, I did not expect myself to top the serving performance of the last match, where I had 83%, and I had 87% against Dimitrov. I missed I think five or six serves in the whole match. So that’s really amazing, amazing standard, really high standard.”

It will be fascinating to see if Djokovic can continue this pattern of impressive serving and if he can, a player widely recognised as the greatest returner of serve the game has seen will be a big threat to challenge for glory at the French Open and Wimbledon in the next few months.

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The clay-court season is about to slip into top gear with the Monte Carlo Masters the first of the three ATP 1000 marquee events ahead of the French Open next month.

Adapting from hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami to the slippery, slower-paced clay court surface is a tough task, with surprise results likely in the opening weeks of the clay court story.

Here is your Tennis365 guide of what to expect as the ATP Tour’s biggest stars get ready to get their shoes and socks messy on the clay courts of Europe.

Monte-Carlo Masters

Date: April 6-13

Defending champion: Stefanos Tsitsipas

The opening clay-court event of the season for most of the big names on the ATP Tour throws up some big challenges and that often leads to some unexpected results.

The sell-out crowds at the Monte Carlo Country Club give this event a Wimbledon vibe as the rich and famous mingle with tennis fans and this could be a week for Carlos Alcaraz to send out a statement of intent.

Injury has prevented Alcaraz from shining at the Monte Carlo Masters over the last couple of years, but he has been practising hard in Spain ahead of his return to clay at the French Open champion could be the player to beat.

One to watch: Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti is a threat on clay courts and he will be a dangerous floater in this draw.

Verdict: Alcaraz to shine in the Monaco sunshine.

Barcelona and Munich

Date: April 14-20

Defending champions: Casper Ruud (Barcelona), Jan-Lennard Struff (Munich)

Carlos Alcaraz is due to lead the draw in Barcelona after he missed out on playing in front of his home fans at this tournament last year, with the French Open champion the clear favourite for the ATP 500 tournament.

However, this event is often influenced by the events in Monte-Carlo the week before and if Alcaraz has a deep run in the principality, he may be vulnerable in the early rounds in Barcelona.

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In Munich, all eyes will be on local favourite Alexander Zverev, who has been in horrible form of late.

He went to South America to play in clay court events ahead of Indian Wells and Miami as he looks to get his game in shape on the surface ahead of his latest bid to win the French Open,  but he needs to find his form quickly to have any chance of realising that dream.

One to watch in Barcelona: Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the final in Barcelona last year and his win in Dubai last month suggested he should be ready to shine on his favoured clay courts.

One to watch in Munich: Francisco Cerundolo is a handful on any surface, but especially on clay. This Argentine could be a dark horse to win the title.

Verdict: Tsitsipas will be a title contender in Barcelona, but Alcaraz could blow the field away and may be back as world No 2 if he wins this tournament and does well in Monte Carlo. In Munich, look out for Cerundolo to take the trophy.

Madrid Open

Date: April 23 – May 04

Defending champion Andrey Rublev

Russian star Rublev overcame serious illness to find a way to win in Madrid a year ago and he will be under pressure to defend the 1,000 points he collected from that win in May.

He will slide outside the top 10 of the ATP Rankings if he fails to defend his title and that task will be made all the more difficult this year as Alcaraz was struggling with an injury when he played in Madrid a year ago and Novak Djokovic skipped the tournament.

With this event played at altitude, it is the fastest clay court event of the season in Europe and that opens the door for the likes of Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper to use their power game to make progress.

One to watch: Britain’s Jack Draper has not had too much success on clay so far, but he could be primed to take advantage of the slick conditions in Madrid.

Verdict: Look out for Djokovic to make a run for the title, but Alcaraz is the player to beat once again.

Italian Open

Date: May 7-18

Defending champion: Alexander Zverev

This event will be dominated by the return of world No 1 Jannik Sinner.

The sport seems to have airbrushed the reason for Sinner’s absence out of the narrative in recent weeks, with his name rarely mentioned in Indian Wells and Miami as he was absent due to his doping suspension.

Yet he will be back to perform in front of his adoring Italian fans and will be instantly installed as a favourite for this Masters 1000 tournament.

As Sinner missed Rome last year due to injury, he could take a leap forward in the ATP Rankings in this event and a showdown with Alcaraz would be box office viewing if it takes place.

One to watch: Djokovic has shone in what can be cool and wet conditions in Rome and he will be a contender to win a seventh title in Rome.

Verdict: Returning hero Sinner to win the title.

Hamburg

Date: May 18-24

Defending champion Arthur Fils

An ATP 500 tournament in Hamburg will be played the week before the French Open, with many of the biggest names on the ATP Tour already likely to be in Paris preparing for the second Grand Slam of the season.

Yet after a limited build-up due to his suspension, Sinner has entered to play this tournament and he will be keen to get as many matches in as possible.

Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are likely to be his biggest challengers, with Holger Rune and Jan-Lennard Struff also in the mix

One to watch: Rublev is a tough player to beat on clay when he gets on a roll and in a week when the field may be diluted, he is a contender for a deep run.

Verdict: Sinner is the class of this field and any field, but a run to the final may impact his preparations at Roland Garros.

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Emma Raducanu’s decision to pull out of Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup ties next week may have disappointed her team-mates, but it looks like the right move for the 22-year-old ahead of a crucial phase in her season.

Raducanu’s run to the quarter-finals at the Miami Open confirmed she is getting back towards her best form, with her rise back into the top 50 of the WTA Rankings confirming she is taking strides in the right direction.

It comes after a challenging start to 2025 that included a run of defeats after the Australian Open and the alarming incident in Dubai when she was confronted by what was described as a ‘fixated’ fan.

The trauma of that incident forced Raducanu to ponder whether she would play at the WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, but her decision to fly to America was justified by her thrilling return to form in Miami.

Many would argue her success in Florida was due, in part, to an increased tournament schedule this era, as she has got match practice in and rediscovered some of the form that propelled her to the top of the sport in double quick time with her US Open win.

Yet this feels like a good moment for Raducanu to step back and take some time away from the court ahead of the bigger challenges in 2025.

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She has very few points to defend on clay courts over the next few weeks and therefore has a huge chance to leap up the WTA Rankings ahead of the French Open next month, while she will also be keen to steer clear of injuries heading into the grass court season in Britain.

That is where she will face the task of defending ranking points, with her run to the semi-finals at the Nottingham Open and her last-16 appearance at Wimbledon yielding big ranking points.

So taking some time away from the court now to ensure her body is ready for the challenges that lie ahead seems like the right decision, with Billie Jean King Cup ambitions a long way from the top of her priority list this season.

Raducanu’s decision to take a step back for a brief period is reminiscent of Jack Draper’s move to pull out of the ATP Tour in Dubai in February, as he looked to get himself physically ready for the Indian Wells Masters.

That proved to be a shrewd decision as he went on to win that ATP Masters 1000 event, breaking into the top ten of the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career.

Finding a balance between chasing ranking points and entering plenty of tournaments and allowing your body to recover ahead of the next big challenge is a task all the top players face and Draper certainly got it right with his decision to opt out of playing in Dubai.

Now Raducanu will be eager to get herself ready for the clay court season by practicing on the LTA’s indoor clay surface at their National Tennis Centre, with her comments last year suggesting she is eager to develop her skills on clay courts.

“I’ve not spent so much time on clay over the past few years,” she said.

“It was interesting at the beginning but I think I learned pretty quickly. I’m starting to feel a lot better on the surface. I think in the future it’s going to be a surface that actually suits me. I’m maybe a little bit away from that right now but I’m enjoying it and I’m enjoying the challenge.

“I do love moving on clay, sliding, I find it very fun. It’s interesting, I think it’s different.

“It’s not necessarily the surface that I’m most comfortable on or my most preferred surface, but it’s something that I enjoy the challenge of.”

Raducanu is entered to play at the Open de Rouen in France later this month, but she could opt to delay the start of her clay court season to the Madrid Open at the start of May.

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Jannik Sinner’s former physical trainer Umberto Ferrara has shed further light on the Italian star’s doping saga as he spoke for the first time since he was fired over his role in the positive tests.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced in February that Sinner had been suspended from tennis for three months for failing two doping tests in March 2024.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced in August that Sinner would not serve a ban as he carried “no fault or negligence” after testing positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol during and after last year’s Indian Wells Masters.

An independent tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the substance had entered his body when receiving a massage from his former physio, Giacomo Naldi, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on his finger.

However, WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the verdict in September as they sought to impose a ban of between one and two years on the world No 1.

The appeal was set to be heard at CAS in April, but WADA confirmed it had reached an agreement with Sinner’s legal team for the Italian to serve a suspension from February 9 to May 4. Following the ITIA’s ruling in August, Sinner parted ways with both Ferrara and Naldi as he pointed to the pair’s “mistakes.”

“I want to start with [saying] that they have been a huge part of my career,” the 23-year-old said.

“We made an incredible job, bringing a lot of success and then having a great team behind me. Now, because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them. “I was struggling a lot in the last months. Now I was waiting for the result, and now I just need some clean air.”

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrara explained he uses the medication containing clostebol and blamed Naldi for the mistake that led to Sinner’s positive tests.

“I have been using it for years as prescribed by a specialist as a support drug for a chronic disease,” Ferrara said. “I was perfectly aware of the ban and I have always kept it with the utmost caution, in my personal beauty case. I could have needed it for my pathology and to have it available, being abroad.

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“I didn’t give anything to Naldi, I suggested using it because he had a cut on his finger that wouldn’t heal and made his job difficult. “I was very clear in communicating to Naldi the nature of the product and the need for it not to come into contact with Jannik for any reason.

“In fact, I allowed its use only inside my personal bathroom. Naldi didn’t deny having been informed, but said he didn’t remember.” The Italian, who is now working with Matteo Berrettini, also revealed his reaction to the news of Sinner failing doping tests.

“Disbelief and amazement. Hearing about clostebol, the connection with Trofodermin (the medication) was immediate,” he said. “In a few hours, we reconstructed the steps that led to Jannik’s contamination and I provided evidence of the purchase of the spray at a pharmacy in Bologna.”

Ferrara added: “With hindsight, it’s easy to say that I wouldn’t do the same things again. I certainly wouldn’t rely on the behaviour of others. “I was hurt by the superficiality, sometimes aggravated by bad faith, with which many people treated my position in the affair.”

The physical trainer also praised Sinner for the way he has dealt with the ordeal. “Despite his 23 years, he has shown an extraordinary maturity in dealing with the situation, in my opinion supported by the correct belief of being right,” Ferrara said.

“He has a special work ethic and dedication, this approach leads him to continually raise the bar. Working with Jannik is rewarding and stimulating. “The last time we saw each other was in Doha and we said goodbye. I was very saddened by the end of the relationship, but I was aware that it could be one of the possible epilogues.”

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Carlos Alcaraz is counting down to the start of the clay court season and he has put in some practice sessions at two different locations near his Murcia homeland in recent days.

Alcaraz is coming off the back of a challenging opening to the 2025 season, which included a fine win in the ATP 5000 event in Rotterdam, but has also featured more than a few low points.

His defeat against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals was a setback and he was stunned by the veteran David Goffin in his opening match at the Miami Open.

Now Alcaraz is eyeing up a return to clay courts and he has a huge opportunity to make big strides forward in the ATP Rankings after a challenging start to his clay court campaign in 2024.

He missed last year’s Monte-Carlos Masters due to an elbow problem and was also absent for the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona that follows a week later.

That means he has a chance to challenge for 1,500 new ATP Ranking points if he wins in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, which would fire him above Alexander Zverev and into second place in the rankings ahead of the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

Alcaraz has only 200 ranking points to defend from the ATP Tour events on clay in 2024, with the 2,000 points from his French Open win last June set to be defended when he arrives at Roland Garros next month.

Having grown up on Spanish clay courts, Alcaraz is at home on the surface and he has picked a couple of familiar venues to train in recent days.

A small crowd watched him go through his paces at Real Murcia Club de Tenis earlier this week and he then took his team, including coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, to La Manga Club, where many of Spain’s top players have trained down the years.

Juan Carlos Ferrero …

Carlos Alcaraz se sigue machacando de cara a la gira de tierra, esta vez en La Manga Club pic.twitter.com/7pPrZzlw6S

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) April 2, 2025

Alcaraz then posed for photos with young fans after his practice session at La Manga sporting a new haircut that includes a tight shave around his ears, with the images quickly appearing on social media platforms.

There is some uncertainty over Alcaraz’s form heading into the clay court swing on the ATP Tour, but former world No 1 Andy Roddick believes the hype around a perceived slump in form needs to be put into perspective.

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“His inconsistency almost sometimes makes him relatable and you can see him churning the wheels of decision-making in real time,” said Roddick on his Served podcast.

“Right now when he is not playing well or feeling comfortable, he goes more aggressive. That is hard. Right now when he is not feeling perfect it almost feels like he gets more aggressive.

“I don’t think he likes getting winners hit on him. I think he likes to be the one that dictates. That’s his superpower. Sometimes our superpowers can also be weaknesses when not used at the right moment.

“I think as soon as he gets comfortable knowing that he can get into a 10 or 12 ball rally and they can’t really go anywhere, he’s that fast, I can create that much speed from the baseline, it’s probably too boring for him.

“Honestly, I think he needs to be bored sometimes when he’s playing. But listen, you bet against Carlos Alcaraz at your own peril, especially when the footing’s not perfect.

“By the way, he didn’t have a clay court season last year. He had two matches, then he won the French Open.”

Reaching the No 2 spot in the ATP Rankings ahead of the French Open would be a boost to Alcaraz, as it would mean he would avoid a potential meeting with world No 1 Jannik Sinner until the final.

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The dust around the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) lawsuit against the ATP and WTA has barely settled and another storm has hit tennis.

According to French paper L’Equipe, the top 20 players on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour “have co-signed and sent a letter to the four Grand Slam tournaments, demanding a substantial increase in their prize money”.

This move comes just two weeks after the PTPA – which was co-founded by tennis great Novak Djokovic – launched legal action against the ATP and WTA Tours, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) as they accused of them implementing “anticompetitive restraints and abusive practices”.

Twelve plaintiffs were named in the legal documents, but Djokovic’s name was absent with Vasek Pospisil, Nick Kyrgios and Reilly Opelka among the high-profile players.

But Djokovic – currently No 5 in the ATP Rankings – is among the top 20 men’s players with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Jack Draper, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur completing the top 10.

The WTA Rankings are led by Aryna Sabalenka and she is followed by Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva, Zheng Qinwen, Paula Badosa and Elena Rybakina.

L’Equipe reports that the 40 players want more prize money from the organisers of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open, stating: “In essence, this letter calls for a greater distribution of profits generated by the four pillars of the tour to benefit the main stakeholders: the players, without whom the show would not take place.”

The ATP and WTA Players’ Boards have given the letter the green light and while some of the men’s players who has signed letter are yet to comment, some women’s stars have been asked for their opinions.

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World No 4 Pegula told Bounces By Ben Rothenberg: “Yeah, I think that’s something I don’t want to talk about too much. It’s just something that we’re working with our WTA PBR [Player Board Representatives] with, and hopefully we’ll have more information about that soon. But I don’t want to go into that too much just because—I don’t know—I shouldn’t.”

2024 Australian Open runner-up Zheng said: “I think that that’s going to be more benefit for all the players, not only the top players, especially for those players that work hard during all the years and need to get paid from the Slams.

“They have to survive. They also need to pay for a good team to be able to have a good chance to win the match. So I think that’s really positive.”

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Emma Raducanu looks set to take a break from tennis after confirming she will not play for Great Britain in their Billie Jean King Cup ties later this month.

Raducanu was selected to travel with the Great Britain squad for matches against Germany and Netherlands in The Hauge, with captain Anne Keothavong confirming the news in a statement released by the LTA.

“I recognise this has been a difficult decision for Emma,” said Keothavong.

“Of course you always miss a player of her quality on the team, we’ve seen what she can do in the past representing her country, but I have the utmost belief in the players who are travelling next week and will confirm a 5th player in due course.”

The Great Britain team will now be led by Katie Boulter, with star Sonay Kartal, Harriet Dart and doubles specialist Olivia Nicholls also included.

The question over what comes next for Raducanu will now be asked, as she has entered the Open de Rouen in France, a WTA 250 tournament that gets underway on April 14.

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Her decision to pull out of the Billie Jean King Cup matches a week before that date will cast doubt over whether she will now also withdraw from the Rouen tournament, amid suggestions she is planning to put in a training block over the next few weeks.

Raducanu played just two WTA Tour events on clay courts last year, reaching the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 event in Stuttgart and then turning in a disappointing performance as she lost in the first round of the Madrid Open.

She then opted against playing in qualifying for the Italian Open and, controversially, also side-stepped the second Grand Slam of 2024 as she decided not to play in qualifying for the French Open.

That decision was justified as she enjoyed success on grass courts, reaching the semi-finals at the Nottingham Open and securing the first top 10 win of her career when she beat Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne.

A run to the last-16 at Wimbledon completed a strong grass court season for Raducanu and hopes of more success were inflated by her impressive run to the Miami Open quarter-finals last week.

With limited points to defend in the clay court season, Raduacanu has a big opportunity to climb the WTA Rankings over the next few weeks.

Yet she could be set to walk away from that opportunity if she opts to put in an extending training block at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in London.

Raducanu has answered her critics in 2025 who were calling for her to enter more tournaments as she was active in the first three months of the year, but results did not go her way until her sparkling return to form in Miami.

Now she appears to be edging towards taking a step back from the weekly grind of the WTA Tour and if she pulls out of the WTA 250 event in Rouen, she could look to return to competitive action in the WTA 1000 event in Madrid later this month.

An appearance in the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome at the start of May could be another option, as she looks to get in some clay court practice ahead of what would be only her second appearance at Ronald Garros.

Former British No 1 Tim Henman believes the secret to Raducanu’s success in Miami was her decision to commit to a busy schedule this year, as he encouraged her to continue on that path.

“It’s been great that she’s competed a lot more this year after Australia,” Henman told Sky Sports Tennis.

“She’s played three or four tournaments but the results haven’t been there. But I think that when you’re putting in that hard work in the gym with a physical trainer, I thought her movement both sort of offensively and defensively looked fantastic.

“She talks about having fun and being authentic, that gives her the opportunity of expressing herself on the court. That being said, she does it differently. She is very comfortable. She’s changed coaches.

“That’s not necessarily what everyone else likes to do, but she’s comfortable changing that up.

“But for me, as Marion touched upon, building physical resilience, I think is the most important thing. That is what has been lacking because she’s almost had her career back to front, qualifying, winning that Grand Slam without really the physical foundation.

“When her body was breaking down when she was in competition. I think the big positive this year is that she’s been able to compete more consistently and hopefully the results are going to come.”

Raducanu has yet to make any comment on her next tournament, but she is expected to play at the French Open this season after missing the Roland Garros event for the past two years.

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Novak Djokovic has been warned by former world No 6 Gilles Simon that he is “fighting against something difficult” in his quest to win further Grand Slam and ATP Tour titles.

Former world No 1 Djokovic is considered by many to be the greatest male tennis player of all time, with 24 Grand Slam titles and 99 ATP  titles to his name.

However, the Serbian has faced a difficult 15 months on tour, with several significant setbacks.

2024 proved to be the 37-year-old’s first Slamless season since 2017, and he was ranked as the world N0 6 by the end of the year, having started it as the world No 1.

He retired injured in his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev this January due to a hamstring tear, having pulled out of his 2024 French Open quarter-final due to a meniscus issue.

Djokovic was on a three-match losing streak heading into last fortnight’s Miami Open and, despite an impressive turnaround in form, was beaten by 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in the final.

Former ATP star Simon knows better than most about the challenges of facing an in-form Djokovic, having lost 11 of his 12 meetings against the tennis great.

But the 14-time ATP titleist, who retired in 2022, believes the Serbian’s age is starting to prove a factor in his struggles.

Speaking to Tennis365, Simon warned that Djokovic was struggling to consistently handle the physical challenge of competing into his late 30s.

He said: “If there is one player who knows the way, it’s Novak, but Novak is fighting against something that is difficult and something that you can’t have – and that’s time.

“Time is only going in one direction and he is working a lot, I’m sure, to be as healthy as possible, because the tennis is not a problem – it’s just about the body.

“That’s why when I said once he would not get 30 Grand Slams. I said if he gets to 25, it’s the maximum. Today, we realise yes – time has grip on everyone and he is realising it now.

“I’m sure he realised it before, but he’s feeling it now. We are seeing it even more, but he’s going to have good weeks, and when he has good weeks, he is the player we know he be – and he can win anything.”

Djokovic’s last title came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the 37-year-old stunned gold medal favourite Carlos Alcaraz in the final to claim the one title that had eluded him.

Olympic gold was the Serbian’s main target for 2024 and meant he left the season with a huge positive despite struggles elsewhere, including a shock round-three US Open exit just weeks later.

But, Simon has warned that it will prove an even tougher challenge for the tennis great – who turns 38 in May – to ultimately win a historic 25th major.

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“I think it was a huge achievement to win the Olympics last year,” added Simon.

“We don’t realise it was the main goal of the season and he was ready to have the week he had – it’s crazy. It says a lot about how strong he is mentally.

“Now, for the Slams, there’s only three left this year and next year he’s going to be one year older.

“Let’s see what he’s going to do, but he also needs to be a bit lucky and I think that’s what he maybe starts to understand – because sometimes he is doing maybe the same preparation as before.

“Everything he can control, he is doing it, but when you get older, some weeks you are trying your best and the body is not responding the way it used to respond.

“He’s going to prepare to be ready for the Slams, obviously what he wants to win is a Slam. Let’s see if he’s going to do it, but it’s five sets, it’s two weeks – it’s not like the Olympics where it was three sets, one week.”

Simon was speaking in his role as an ambassador and team captain for the 2025 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault.

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Alexandra Eala did not leave the Miami Open with her first WTA 1000 title, but she may have won even more in her breakthrough week.

A run to the semi-final for a 19-year-old from the Philippines catapulted Eala into the top 100 of the WTA Rankings and fired the starting gun on a career that has already been getting plenty of attention in her homeland.

The 2022 Junior US Open champion has been talked about as a star in the making for some time and she backed up her credentials in stunning fashion with her run in Miami.

A win against world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals was a stand-out moment, but her wins against Jelena Ostapenko and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys were equally impressive.

She is already the highest-ranked female player to emerge from the Philippines and the question must be what comes next for this superstar in the making.

Seemingly frail in stature, Eala could cope with the power coming at her from some of the biggest names in women’s tennis and that bodes well for her future.

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Eala has been honing her skills at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca in recent years and the presence of Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of 22-time Grand Slam-winning legend Rafa, highlighted the influence their set-up has had on her formative days as a professional.

It is proving to be a prolific academy for rising stars of the game, with Felix Auger-Aliassime a regular visitor to the Nadal Academy and Grand Slam champion Bianca Andreescu also benefitting from her experiences with the coaching team in Mallorca in recent years.

Now Eala could be a poster girl for the success of the Academy, with Nadal’s legacy in the sport continuing with those benefitting from the classy tennis centre that bears is name.

Of course, Eala is a long way from being the finished product as a tennis player, but as was the case with Emma Raducanu when she won the US Open in 2021, the race for sponsors to go on the journey with a player who appears to have it all from a marketing perspective is now on.

She already has a Nike logo on her tennis outfit and that agreement is likely to be upgraded after her impressive run in Miami.

Racket manufacturers Babolat will be eager to ensure they enhance their association with Eala, with the French company that propelled Nadal to the top of the sport now linked to one of the first breakout stars from his increasingly prolific Academy.

Eala is also sponsored by Globe, a telecommunications company in her homeland, with her nationality certain to add to the sponsorship opportunities that may now come her way.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori and China’s Zheng Qinwen have cashed in on some huge endorsement deals in recent years, with sponsors in their homelands eager to be attached to local heroes who attract huge support.

Raducanu’s mother hails from China and her association with that part of the world added to the interest from companies looking to be associated with a player who had a big reach with a huge population that relishes the chance to celebrate and follow athletes that they can associate with.

Now Eala may benefit from in a similar fashion and as Raducanu confirmed after her US Open win, the opportunities to cash in with sponsors can be highly lucrative.

Eala appears to be humble, she handled her media duties impressive as she was thrust into the limelight in Miami and with her Instagram following swelling to 350k after her run in Miami, she is already slipping into the ‘influencer’ category.

She has adored the front covers of glossy magazines Tatler and Vogue in her homeland and can now expect more of that treatment, as she is keen to make an impact for all the right reasons.

“I would love to think that I make a difference,” said Eala. “You know, that’s the only thing I can do to give back to my country is to help inspire, to inspire change and positive change, to inspire people to pick up a racquet, to watch more tennis, watch more women’s tennis.

“I think that tennis in the Philippines has so much potential, because even though it’s not as widespread as other sports, I feel that we have a lot of hidden talent, and if we can have the support to back it up and the exposure to back it up, then I think that Philippine tennis can be a big thing.”

A big fan of five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova in her youth, Eala is eager to follow in her footsteps as she aims for the stars.

“My dreams have stayed the same, stayed constant,” she states. “I have always been a big dreamer. Like I said previously, to win Grand Slams has always been one of the end goals. To become No. 1 has always been one of the end goals.

“I think that this result came at the right time. I try — you know, being a successful junior doesn’t mean that you’re going to be a successful professional, so I made it a point to work hard every day and to trust that my time would come, and hopefully this is the time.”

Raducanu continued to attract attention long after the glow of her US Open win faded and the surge in interest around the Brit exploded as she stormed back into contention at a major event with her run to the Miami Open quarter-finals.

Eala went one better than Raducanu and these two stars could not provide a huge boost for the women’s game at a time when it continues to fight a challenging battle for publicity with the star names of the men’s ATP Tour.

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