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Carlos Alcaraz has claimed that he is “not really focusing” on usurping Jannik Sinner and challenging for the world No 1 ranking.

Reigning world No 1 Sinner is currently serving a three-month suspension and is not competing in Indian Wells this year, with the 23-year-old not set to return at the Italian Open in May.

That opens the door for world No 2 Alexander Zverev and world No 3 Alcaraz to potentially challenge for the world No 1 ranking, though Sinner holds a commanding lead.

The Italian is 3,195 points ahead of Zverev in the rankings, a lead that will only increase following the German’s exit to Tallon Griekspoor in his opening Indian Wells match.

He holds a significant 3,820-point lead over Alcaraz, who is defending 1,000 ranking points as the defending Indian Wells champion; Sinner has no points to defend, having been stripped of last year’s points as part of his doping sanction.

Alcaraz will almost certainly need to defend his Indian Wells title to have any chance of returning to world No 1 amid Sinner’s absence, and he started his campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Quentin Halys.

A return to No 1 is in “the mind” of Alcaraz, but the 21-year-old admits that he is not allowing it to be his main focus.

“Well, it’s something that it is in the mind, but I’m not really focusing on it,” said Alcaraz.

“Because in every tournament I just focus on myself, I focus on, okay, I really want to play good tennis, I am focused on how I can be better, [be a] better player.

“You know, if I’m doing the right things in every tournament, the No 1 is going to come after. So if I’m thinking about the No 1, I have to do good results, I have to win tournaments.

“If I’m focusing on it just to recover the No 1, I’m putting extra pressure on myself, which I don’t want. So I just keep going, focus on the things that I have to improve on myself, and we will see.

“But right now, even though Jannik is not here, it’s really difficult to recover the No 1. So let’s see in a couple of weeks.”

Alcaraz’s potential path to No 1 return

Alcaraz has already held the world No 1 ranking for 36 weeks, and his Indian Wells title defence is crucial for his chances of usurping Sinner during the latter’s suspension.

The Spaniard will still be 3,820 points behind Sinner should he retain his crown, and allowing that gap to increase with a potential defeat will surely end his hopes of a quick return.

However, victory in the desert could open the door further.

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World No 1 Sinner will lose 1,000 points due to his inability to defend his Miami Open title, while Alcaraz only has 200 quarter-final points to defend in Florida.

Alcaraz won the Miami Open in 2022, and the ranking points deficit will work to his advantage – with a 1,800-point swing between the two men possible.

After that, the Spaniard will head to the European clay courts – and has few points to defend before Sinner’s return in Rome.

Alcaraz withdrew from the Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo and the ATP 500 event in Barcelona last season before a quarter-final showing in Madrid.

The world No 3 has rarely played in Monte Carlo but is a two-time champion in both Madrid and Barcelona, and has just 200 points to defend across the three points.

In contrast, Sinner has 400 points in Monte Carlo and 200 points in Madrid, which he will be unable to defend – meaning this part of the season will prove crucial for Alcaraz’s hopes.

Zvcrev will also have an opportunity, though he will need to turn around a recent slump in form.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘focus’ admission amid Jannik Sinner world No 1 battle appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic was making all the right noises ahead of his opening match at the Indian Wells ATP Masters tournament, but he didn’t have any of the answers he needed on court as he slumped to a shock defeat against Botic van de Zandschulp.

The Dutchman who stunned Carlos Alcaraz with a straight sets win at last year’s US Open now has another huge scalp on his record as he beat 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

Van de Zandschulp lost in the second round of qualifying for Indian Wells, but was handed a place in the draw as players dropped out due to injury and he has certainly made the most of his second life in this tournament.

“I kept my cool during the whole match,” said Van de Zandschulp. “The second set was very tough, but I started really well in the third set and broke him to turn it around.

“It’s tough conditions out here and everything is struggling a bit, but I got through. Against the big guys I know I need to stay cool to have a chance.”

There were gasps around Indian Wells as the crowd tried to appreciate what they had just witnessed in the desert, with an out-of-sorts Djokovic suffering another early exit at Indian Wells.

He lost against outsider Luca Nardi at Indian Wells last year and while this defeat against van de Zandschulp was not as big a shock, the manner of it will set alarm bells ringing for Djokovic.

With coach Andy Murray urging him on from the sidelines, Djokovic’s first set display was alarming as he looked less than interested in the battle in a performance that offered flashbacks to the form he showed for long periods of 2024.

The fire was ignited inside Djokovic as he produced a battling display in the second set, but he faded badly after being broken early in the decider and ended up winning just one game in the third set.

His 37 unforced errors were evidence of his wayward performance as he backed that up with just 16 winners before a red-faced Djokovic made a swift exit from the court to ponder what went wrong and what might come next.

Djokovic has stated his intention to play at the Miami Open this year, but a defeat like this could force him to change his plans and he may now consider taking a break until the clay court season gets underway in Monte Carlo next month.

The wider picture must also be a concern for Djokovic and as he approaches his 38th birthday a few weeks from now, questions over his future in the sport will inevitably be raised once again.

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“Yeah, hard to appreciate anything now, really. I’m disappointed that I lost, but I guess, you know, if you put things in that larger perspective, of course l’ve had an incredible career,” said a downbeat Djokovic.

“Being consistent for so many years, obviously you have high expectations of yourself.

“You know, things are different obviously for me the last couple of years. I’ve been struggling to play on the desired level.

“Every now and then, I have couple good tournaments, but, you know, mostly it’s really a challenge. It’s a struggle for me. So it is what it is.

“You know, I guess nothing can prepare you for that moment, in a sense. You have to experience it and try to deal with it in the best possible way.”

While Van de Zandschulp played some good tennis in this match, Djokovic appeared to be battling against himself for large parts of this match.

He also continually stretched out his shoulder and he will need to regroup and consider where his desire and ambition are taking him as he decides when to play next.

Djokovic came into 2025 with renewed ambitions to finish his career with a flourish, but setbacks like this will test his resolve to fight on against what may be increasingly long odds at this stage of his career.

The version of Djokovic who beat Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open in January would be a threat to win the game’s biggest tournaments, but he is getting more and more defeats like this against Van de Zandschulp in the final chapters of his career and there may come a point where he concludes his winning days are over.

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The post Novak Djokovic crashes to shock Indian Wells defeat – what went wrong? appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz got his Indian Wells title defence off to a flying start with a 6-4, 6-2 win against France’s Quentin Halys.

Alcaraz has won the last two editions of the Indian Wells tournament, but he expressed his surprise that a new surface had been laid for this year’s event.

Despite those doubts, Alcaraz showed no signs of nerves or uncertainty as he blasted his way through to the third round and backed up his status as the favourite to win once again in the Californian desert.

“I feel at home,” he said after his 13th straight win in Indian Wells.

“I feel really calm off court. That’s important to show good tennis on the court. The conditions and the court are good for me. I love it here. The fans have always been good to me. I appreciate that love and support.

“I was really nervous, it wasn’t easy to control the emotions. I had to be focused to calm down, to take control of the nerves and try and play good tennis. I think it did pretty well. I’m really happy to get through and start the title defence.”

When asked whether the conditions this year are different than they were a year ago, he added: “It’s slow. It bounces a lot. Off the court is also really important for me.”

With top seed Alexander Zverev crashing out in his first match at Indian Wells on Friday, the chance is there for Alcaraz to claim another Indian Wells title and this performance was a statement of intent as he set up a third round clash against a resurgent Denis Shapovalov.

Alcaraz saved the only break point he faced against Halys, who arrived in Indian Wells on the back of the best performance of his career as he reached the semi-finals of the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai last week.

Yet Halys has no answer to Alcaraz’s pace and power and the win ensured he notched his 30th win in the ‘Sunshine Double’ tournaments that are staged in Indian Wells and Miami each March.

Since 1990, Alcaraz at 21 years and 309 days is now the second-youngest player to claim 30 singles match wins in Indian Wells and Miami, with only compatriot Rafael Nadal at 21 years and 304 days bettering his record.

Alcaraz continues to set records and another Indian Wells title would push him closer to the world No 2 ranking currently held by Zverev and he will be keen to claim that position ahead of the French Open.

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With four Grand Slam titles already in his collection, it is hard to find too many holes in his game, but former USA Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe has told Tennis365 that Alcaraz could have even more success if he adds a layer of consistency to his game.

“Alcaraz is electric and he is electrifying when he gets on a court and the only issue would be that he has, at times, hit his way out of a match by going for too much,” McEnroe told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview.

“He is so fun to watch because he can hit every shot, but that talent can hurt him when he is not having his best day.

“We have seen it a few times and last year’s US Open comes to mind as being a moment when he didn’t have answers when he was not hitting the winners he expects.

“That was the case against Djokovic at the Australian Open as well. He was clearly unnerved by Djokovic appearing to be injured and then getting back up and playing at such a high level again by the end.

“So he may need to reel it in sometimes because we can all see what he is capable of and he has shown that by winning four Grand Slams at the age of 21.

“If he does reel it in, then he might become more effective and consistent, but he may not be as much fun to watch. We all like to watch him and let’s not forget what he has already achieved.

“He has won four majors on all the different surfaces in tennis so I would not want to nitpick his game too much.”

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As the 1980s dawned, the notoriously intrusive British media were getting very excited about a bright young star who captured plenty of headlines.

Teenager Annabel Croft was the darling of the tabloid press as she emerged through the junior ranks impressively and started a rapid rise up the WTA Rankings.

The hype machine started to roll around her and by the time she struck her first balls as a professional, expectations were already at a lofty level.

Croft may have had the talent to go all the way and win Grand Slam titles, but life on the tennis tour proved to be a challenge she did not want to embrace and at the age of 21, she retired as a professional player.

“I just woke up one day and decided ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’ It was as simple as that,” said Croft in an interview with Tennis365.

“Tennis had been my life since I was really young and the only thing I’d ever done was wake up and get into a tracksuit. I needed to put on normal clothes in the mornings and not worry about my tennis.

“I was really unhappy. I wasn’t enjoying tennis at all. I remember my mum saying to me: ‘Your heart’s not in this anymore, is it?’ That was a relief.”

Croft remains a prominent voice in tennis almost 30 years since she called time on her career as a player, with her passion for the sport and excellence as a broadcaster shining through in her numerous TV and radio roles.

Yet she would be the first to confirm that loving tennis and loving being a tennis player are two very different stories.

Life on the road involves long hours in hotel rooms alone, enduring battles with injury problems and the constant pressure to live up to your billing and deliver to an audience that doesn’t care about the problems you may be going through.

Roll the clock forward three decades and Croft’s story has so many similarities to that of Emma Raducanu.

While Raducanu’s breakthrough in tennis was so much more dramatic as she won the 2021 US Open to announce her arrival to the world, the tale since has been laced with negativity and anguish.

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Raducanu has been forced to deal with stalkers threatening her safety, online trolls constantly battering her and a negativity that some of her critics seem to enjoy delivering whenever her name is mentioned.

With plenty of money in her bank account after her instant tennis success story, life away from tennis may be a whole lot easier for Raducanu, but respected tennis broadcaster Marcus Buckland hopes that is not the end game of this brief and enchanting sporting story.

“I think it’s really tough for her and I hope she doesn’t come to the conclusion that she doesn’t need tennis,” Buckland told Tennis365.

“Of course, if she gave up tennis tomorrow, she has earned enough from the sport not to worry about money and she could pursue other areas she is interested in. She has mentioned a banking career.

“One of my best friends in tennis is Annabel Croft and she retired from tennis at an even younger age than Raducanu at 21. She had a wonderful junior career, she got into the top 20 on the main tour and she decided the lifestyle just did not suit her.

“She said to me that playing tennis felt like having a very public argument in the office every day and she has never regretted walking away from the sport.

“So it’s perfectly possible that Raducanu could do the same, but you are retired for a very long time.”

Raducanu is currently sitting just outside the top 50 of the WTA Rankings and you wonder whether he appetite to push for more Grand Slam glory will wane if it becomes evident over the course of 2025 that either her body or her desire is not at the level required to compete at the top, she may decide her previously mentioned desire to study at Cambridge University offers her a more enjoyable life.

Buckland suggests an early retirement could be avoided for Raducanu if her enduring search for a long-term coach finally ends at some point this year.

Nick Cavaday was the latest coach to part ways with Raducanu after the Australian Open in January and her next coaching appointment may be something of a ‘make or break’ decision as she needs to find a winning formula quickly.

“What Raducanu needs to do is find a coach she can have a meaningful relationship with for an extended period of time, at least a couple of years,” added Buckland.

“She needs to find that consistency on court and build some momentum. I think the key for her is to establish a strong team off the court to give her the strength to deal with everything else that comes her way.

“There is a lot of mental scarring from everything that has happened to her since she won the US Open.

“It’s been such a roller-coaster ride, but she has a wonderful game.  She can mix it with the best, but does she really believe that?

“Until she starts getting some big wins against the top players, those doubts are going to persist and that’s why she might start to ask why she is putting herself through this.”

Tennis needs shining stars like Raducanu to promote the message of the WTA Tour and the sport needs to hope she retains the desire to stay in the game for long enough to realise all of her potential.

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The post Emma Raducanu could ‘walk away from tennis’ like another British starlet appeared first on Tennis365.

Patrick McEnroe has hailed Carlos Alcaraz as the shining star of men’s tennis, but he believes he has a wild side to his game that may need to be tamed.

McEnroe, who reached a career high ranking of No 28 and is the younger brother of Grand Slam legend John McEnroe, believes four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz may learn to dilute the fiery side of his game that occasionally costs him in the heat of battle on court.

At the age of 21, Alcaraz has already won two Wimbledon titles, as well as lifting the French Open and US Open titles, but he had a rawness to his game that is natural for a player of his tender years.

His defeat against Botic van de Zandschulp at last year’s US Open and his loss against Novak Djokovic a the Australian Open in January were examples of Alcaraz’s frustration getting the better of him, with McEnroe assessing how the youngster could improve his game as he spoke to Tennis365 in his role as joint-President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“Alcaraz is electric and he is electrifying when he gets on a court and the only issue would be that he has, at times, hit his way out of a match by going for too much,” McEnroe told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview.

“He is so fun to watch because he can hit every shot, but that talent can hurt him when he is not having his best day.

“We have seen it a few times and last year’s US Open comes to mind as being a moment when he didn’t have answers when he was not hitting the winners he expects.

“That was the case against Djokovic at the Australian Open as well. He was clearly unnerved by Djokovic appearing to be injured and then getting back up and playing at such a high level again by the end.

“So he may need to reel it in sometimes because we can all see what he is capable of and he has shown that by winning four Grand Slams at the age of 21.

“If he does reel it in, then he might become more effective and consistent, but he may not be as much fun to watch. We all like to watch him and let’s not forget what he has already achieved.

“He has won four majors on all the different surfaces in tennis so I would not want to nitpick his game too much.”

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McEnroe went on to suggest Alcaraz is in a league of his own in the popularity stakes among tennis fans, as he continues to steal the headlines away from world No 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam king Djokovic.

“He’s the most popular player in tennis right now. He’s not the world No 1, but he is an attraction and people want to see him,” he added.

“The way he plays the game, people look at him and say ‘wow’, I didn’t even know that shot was possible. People love to watch Alcaraz and we are lucky to have him in our sport.”

The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) officially opened its Letters to Greatness booth at an event hosted by ITHF Presidents, Patrick McEnroe and Kim Clijsters.

McEnroe and Clijsters were joined by ITHF CEO, Dan Faber and upcoming 2025 Inductees, Bob and Mike Bryan, to kick off the event by recording their own Letters to Greatness – congratulatory messages to Maria Sharapova and the Bryan Brothers ahead of their formal induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame later this summer.

The Letters to Greatness booth will remain open throughout the remainder of the BNP Paribas Open, where tennis fans will have the chance to record or pen their own personal messages to the Class of 2025.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz hailed as ‘more popular’ than Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner by leading tennis voice appeared first on Tennis365.

Former world No 12 and Madrid Open tournament director Feliciano Lopez has questioned why “innocent” Jannik Sinner is serving a three-month doping ban.

World No 1 Sinner is currently serving a three-month suspension after twice testing positive for banned steroid clostebol in March 2024.

The three-time Grand Slam champion settled with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February 2025, agreeing to a three-month ban, spanning from February 4th to May 4th 2025.

That came after WADA appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s decision to hand Sinner no suspension after finding him to be of “no fault” in its ruling, which was announced in August 2024.

Sinner successfully argued that he had accidently been contaminated by a team member and, while WADA did not contest this, they did challenge the severity of the 23-year-old’s sanction.

The case was set to be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April 2025 before a settlement was reached between the two parties.

Sinner’s case has proven to be hugely divisive, but he has received significant support from Lopez, who oversees the combined ATP and WTA 1000 event in Madrid.

The World No 1 will miss the event due to his suspension, with the Italian not set to return until the week after action concludes in the Spanish capital.

Speaking to Marca, the former world No 12 offered a strong defence of Sinner and admitted he did not “understand” why Sinner had ultimately been handed a suspension.

“I have said from the beginning that I believe he is innocent,” said Lopez.

“He has proven that he is not responsible for his positive test. In that sense, I do not understand why he should be out of action for three months.

“I can understand why people say that he is the one ultimately responsible for his career, but it seems to me that if a player is innocent and has not cheated in any way to improve his performance, he should not be banned for a single day.

“I respect all opinions, but that is mine – and I think that the sooner he returns, the better.”

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The Madrid Open is one of four Masters 1000 events Sinner will miss due to his suspension, starting with action in Indian Wells this fortnight.

That will be followed by the Miami Open, where the world No 1 is set to drop 1,000 ranking points after lifting the title last March.

Sinner will then miss both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open on clay before returning to action on home soil at the Italian Open in Rome.

Main draw action in the Italian capital begins on May 7th, three days after the 23-year-old’s ban comes to an end.

He has never made it past the quarter-final of his home event in Rome and withdrew from last year’s tournament due to injury.

After the conclusion of the Italian Open, he will then be clear to compete at the French Open – the second Grand Slam tournament of 2025.

Sinner has won three of the last five Grand Slam tournaments and reached the last four in 2024, falling to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets.

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Novak Djokovic has been warned that he cannot “cheat time” and avoid his “tennis death” by former ATP Tour star Dmitry Tursunov.

Djokovic has so far faced a mixed 2025 season, beating Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable Australian Open quarter-final victory before retiring injured against Alexander Zverev in the last four.

That was the fifth straight Grand Slam tournament not won by Djokovic, and 2024 proved to be the first season since 2017 that the Serbian did not lift at least one major title.

The Serbian was then beaten 7-6(4), 6-2 by Matteo Berrettini at the Qatar Open last month – his first, and to date only, match since his Australian Open exit.

Dealing with injury issues has proven a significant challenge for Djokovic over the past year, and things are unlikely to get any easier for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, with his 38th birthday looming in May.

Now, the former world No 1 has been warned that the end of his career could be coming sooner rather than later.

Speaking to SportKlub, former world No 20 Tursunov – a past coach of Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka, among others – claimed that Djokovic’s toughest “opponent” was now his body.

“His own body is now his greatest opponent,” said Tursunov. “No matter how he plans to cheat time, ‘tennis death’ will await him.

“Of course, he still has the motivation to play at the highest level, but in tennis, you lose the feeling of immortality much faster than in other sports. Previous achievements are quickly forgotten.”

Djokovic starts his Indian Wells campaign on Saturday against Botic van de Zandschulp, who progressed to round two after Nick Kyrgios retired injured in their opening-round match.

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Van de Zandschulp famously defeated Alcaraz at the US Open in 2024, though Djokovic is still a significant favourite to win their second-round contest in the desert.

However, Tursunov believes the 37-year-old could struggle should he go on to face world No 3 and second seed Alcaraz in their projected quarter-final.

Djokovic defeated the Spaniard in their last two meetings, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and 2025 Australian Open – though Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion in Indian Wells.

Tursunov added: “Djokovic is in a very difficult situation; his chances are slim if he faces Carlos Alcaraz.”

World No 7 Djokovic is the sixth seed in Indian Wells and is one of the most successful players in the tournament’s history, with a joint-record five men’s singles titles to his name.

However, the Serbian has not won the title since 2016 and did not play in the tournament between 2019 and 2024.

On his return last year, Djokovic defeated Aleksandar Vukic in his opening match before a shock loss to lucky loser Luca Nardi in the third round.

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The post Novak Djokovic sent ‘tennis death’ warning after recent injury struggles appeared first on Tennis365.

Before August 2021, the name Emma Raducanu was only known by those in tennis circles.

The Canadian-born Briton turned professional in 2018, winning her first tournament in May, but a surprise call-up to Britain’s Fed Cup team saw her dubbed as “the British player with the most potential of her generation” by British newspaper the Telegraph.

But for Raducanu, now 22, there is unquestionably life before and after the 2021 US Open.

The Fairytale of New York it was described. A 150-ranked qualifier, not just unfancied but unheard of, winning 10 matches without even dropping a set to stun the tennis world. By the time of her final appearance, the UK in particular was gripped by tennis fever in a way it had not been since Andy Murray. Her final was broadcast on free-to-air television, an honour usually reserved only for Wimbledon.

Come the morning, Raducanu’s face was on every newspaper. MIRACLE one read, ABSOLUTE EMM-ENSE said another. In the space of two weeks, the teenager from Bromley had been jettisoned from an up-and-coming talent to a bonafide star.

Life back then was pretty sweet for the newly-minted Grand Slam champion, the first British female for 44 years to win one of the big four. She rose 332 places in the rankings, received congratulatory messages from the late Queen Elizabeth II and a MBE. She was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Sunday Times. The Guardian ranked her final as the 47th best TV show of the year. She was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first tennis player since Murray in 2016 and the first female player since Virginia Wade in 1977. Life would have felt its most surreal to her when attended fashion’s most famous night, the Met Gala, in the same city where her triumph had occurred a few days before.

But tennis has a short memory. The idiom ‘you are only as good as your last match’ rings true in all sports but the nature of single’s tennis means there is nowhere to hide when the tide turns against you.

That first sign of trouble came less than two weeks after the US Open win.

A straight-sets defeat in the opening match of the delayed Indian Wells tournament. Dismissed as a post-US open hangover, there was not too much concern about the career trajectory of Raducanu at the time who many would assume would do like all greats before her and go from success to success.

And yet, it is at the Indian Wells venue that her latest crushing defeat has occurred – a 6-3, 6-2 battering at the hands of Moyuka Uchijima. It is a defeat, her fifth this year, that has shone an even brighter spotlight on her.

That spotlight which hangs around Raducanu like a ball and chain was put into ugly context during the Dubai Championships in February when the Briton was approached by a stalker. Hiding behind the umpire’s chair, Raducanu held back tears while the man was removed from the stands and subsequently given a restraining order.
It was a horrible incident for the young woman, a breakin of the inner sanctum of safety that tennis courts are supposed to be for athletes and yet another unwanted discretion for her to have to navigate.

Trying to put that incident behind her, she headed for California and Indian Wells, a tournament she described as her favourite outside of the slams, but the result has been concerningly predictable.

Three long years have come and gone since Raducanu’s last final, In WTA 100 events, she has never made it past round four, only once getting that far in 2023. Raducanu has tried everything to rediscover that Slam-winning form that continues to elude her. Coaches have changed, surgeries have been had, she even tried working with different types of balls to get back to how she played in 2021. But even her most ardent supporter will find it hard to suggest she has lived up to her potential.

Or maybe she has? Trying to decipher Raducanu poses a conundrum. Was the real Emma Raducanu the US Open winner? Or is it the one that keeps departing tournaments at early stages?

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She would never admit it but the US Open win has proven to be both a blessing and a curse for Raducanu. A life-defining moment but one that raised expectations so high for a player who may never reach that height again.

More than Uchijima at Indian Wells, more than Swiatek at the Australian Open, more than any other opponent – Raducanu is playing against the very idea of who she is.

There is no shame in the career she has had. $4,685,567 in prize money, 11 Grand Slam appearances. She is one of just 131 women in the history of tennis to have won a Grand Slam, and yet the crowning moment of her career has come right at the start of it, placing an unrealistic expectation on her for the rest of her playing days and making every defeat amplified.

At 22, time is on her side but with every passing year that goes by, it is becoming increasingly clear which is the real Raducanu and which is the fairytale version.

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Novak Djokovic might only be the best tennis player of all-time, but he could be edging himself towards the title of the greatest athlete of the modern era, according to Patrick McEnroe.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 at Indian Wells in his capacity as International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) President, McEnroe suggested the time has come to put Djokovic in the mix for the title of the ultimate athlete in the history of all sports as he suggested his longevit at the top has taken his reputation to the next level.

Djokovic has already won his battle to be etched into the tennis history books as the most successful player of all-time after he claimed more Grand Slam titles than his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Now McEnroe has told us that the Serbian’s achievements may be even more remarkable than enduring champions like soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, NFL star Tom Brady and basketball giant LeBron James.

“You are seeing this kind of longevity from great athletes in a few other sports, but what Novak is doing may be the best of the lot,” McEnroe told Tennis365.

“We have Cristiano Ronaldo at the age of 40 still playing on the biggest stages. Tom Brady continued his career for a long time, then you look at LeBron James doing what he is doing in baseball, but I would argue what Novak is doing is even more impressive.

“With tennis being an individual sport, it is harder to compete for as long as Novak has done and given everything he has won in the sport, his passion and drive for more is so impressive.

“There’s nowhere to run or hide in tennis. If you are Ronaldo, you have some protection from your team mates and may only need to contribute for sections of a game.

“Tom Brady has all that protection from his teammates and LeBron is a team player, but tennis is all about doing it on your own.

“That’s why I would say what Novak Djokovic is doing is one of the greatest achievements in the history of sport.

“He is about to be 38 and the fact that he is still competing as well as he did in a major as he did in Australia was amazing.

“He obviously hasn’t won a major in over a year now, but he did win the Olympics last year and he is still beating players like Carlos Alcaraz, so he is still right there.

“Who knows whether he will win another major. Wimbledon may be his best shot this year, but he obviously still loves the game and he is doing everything he possibly can to win again.”

McEnroe went on to suggest Djokovic’s drive to improve and grow as an athlete has allowed him to stay focused on tennis, as he cited an example of his attention to detail as he prepared for a Grand Slam tournament.

“I remember last year at the US Open in the week prior to the tournament, we were doing our shows on ESPN and he was going through his return of serve in incredible detail,” said McEnroe.

“He had his team filming him, what position his elbow was in and where his wrist was. It was really detailed stuff.

“I was looking at it and thinking this is the greatest tennis player of all-time, with the greatest return of all-time and he is still dissecting his game and trying to get better. I guess this is one of the reasons why he has been so successful. His attention to detail is like no other.

“Great players I played against like [Pete] Sampras, [Roger] Federer or my brother, they had so much natural ability and you didn’t feel they were dissecting the ins and outs of it as much as someone like Djokovic.”

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The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) officially opened its Letters to Greatness booth at an event hosted by ITHF Presidents, Patrick McEnroe and Kim Clijsters.

McEnroe and Clijsters were joined by ITHF CEO, Dan Faber and upcoming 2025 Inductees, Bob and Mike Bryan, to kick off the event by recording their own Letters to Greatness – congratulatory messages to Maria Sharapova and the Bryan Brothers ahead of their formal induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame later this summer.

The Letters to Greatness booth will remain open throughout the remainder of the BNP Paribas Open, where tennis fans will have the chance to record or pen their own personal messages to the Class of 2025.

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Emma Raducanu’s latest defeat has sent her to the bottom of an alarming statistic concerning Grand Slam winners at WTA-1000 events.

Raducanu, whose only title to date came at the 2021 US Open, now has a win percentage of just 42.3% in the WTA Tour events, making her the worst-performing Grand Slam winner since the format was changed in 2009.

Here are the bottom five worst-performing Grand Slam winners in WTA-1000 events, according to Opta.

5. Jelena Ostapenko – 54.7%

Like Raducanu, Latvian Ostapenko had her own incredible run to Grand Slam success at the 2017 French Open.

Unseeded, she had never won a Tour-level title before and did so by not only beating No 3 Simona Halep in the final but fought back from a set and 3-0 down to claim victory.

The 20-year-old’s career since then, however has failed to reach similar heights.

She was knocked out in the first round at Roland Garros the following two seasons and has never returned to a Grand Slam final. Her best effort was the 2018 semi-final at Wimbledon as well as four quarter-final appearances.

In WTA 1000 tournaments, she won the Qatar Open in 2018 and the Cincinnati Open in 2022 but has 17 first-round eliminations on her record.

4. Sloane Stephens – 53.8%

Sloane Stephens won her home Grand Slam in 2017 in an all-American clash against Madison Keys.

Stephens dominated, winning 6-3, 6-0, in the performance of her career, but she struggled to replicate that form in WTA 1000 events.

Her sole title came at the 2018 Miami Open, but since her semi-final at the 2019 Madrid Open, she has failed to make it past the quarters.

3. Sofia Kenin – 51.3%

Another American on this list is Sofia Kenin, who at 26 has plenty of time to move herself up and off this ranking.

An Australian Open champion in 2020, she made the final of the French Open in that Covid-hit season but has not made it past the fourth round in any slam since then.

In WTA 1000 events, she has reached the semi-final three times but has failed to progress past that stage, winning 37 matches but losing 44.

2. Francesca Schiavone – 42.4%

After Kenin, there is a sizeable drop down to Francesca Schivanone, who won less than half of her WTA 1000 matches.

Her Grand Slam success came at the 2010 French Open, the only Slam she made it past the quarters, when she defeated Samantha Stosur. Schiavone then made the final the following year but lost to Li Na.

Despite 110 entries, including some before the 2009 change, Schiavone never won a WTA 1000 event and just once reached the final, at the 2005 Kremlin Cup.

Post-2009, she made it to quarters three times and the semi-final once but was largely eliminated in the opening rounds before retiring in 2018.

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1. Emma Raducanu – 42.3%

Raducanu’s latest defeat at Indian Wells pushed her just marginally below Schiavone, meaning she has the unwanted record of being the worst-performing Grand Slam winner in WTA 1000 events history.

Following the fairytale win at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has struggled to recapture their magic, especially in WTA 1000 tournaments.

Her best effort came at the 2023 Indian Wells event but a fourth-round exit hardly lived up to her US Open exploits.

She has reached the third round on four occasions but has more first-round exits than anything else on her record.

Coupled with a third-round demolition by Iga Swiatek and Raducanu’s 2025 has got off to a rough start.

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