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Novak Djokovic has revealed that participating at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 motivates him more than playing at the four Grand Slams – calling the event ‘unique.’

The former world No 1 may have had a relatively disappointing last 18 months – if only by his own very high standard – but seemingly has no plans to hang up his racket any time soon.

Most recently, Djokovic lifted his 100^th ATP Tour title at the ATP 250 event in Geneva, a milestone only reached by Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109), and is currently on the search for his 25^th Grand Slam at the French Open.

However, whilst one more Grand Slam would put him above any singles player – male or female – the Serb revealed that he is even more motivated to participate at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, when he would be 41 years old.

“The only thing I currently have in my vision it’s interesting when we talk about those achievements and the Olympics, which stands out alongside the Davis Cup, what gives me motivation is the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and playing for my country,” Djokovic stated, whilst speaking to Croatian footballer Slaven Bilic.

“And yes, the Grand Slam tournaments, but not even they motivate me as much as the Olympics.”

After three semi-final defeats at the 2008, 2012, and 2021 Olympic events, the 24-time Grand Slam champion finally got his hands on the gold medal when the event arrived in Paris in 2024.

Djokovic was in vintage form, not dropping a set in any of his six matches, and played his best match in the final against Carlos Alcaraz, where he prevailed 7-6(3), 7-6(2).

In doing so, the former world No 1 became the third man to complete the Career Golden Slam (winning all four Grand Slams and a gold medal in singles), after Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal.

Once he had won the event, Djokovic joked that had ‘completed tennis’ after winning nearly every event that there is to win.

“Yes, I mean if you solely look at it from the perspective of completing achievements and the game itself? Then, yeah, I mean I guess,” stated the Serb, after being asked by GQ if he had, indeed, ‘completed tennis.’

“Both publicly and privately, a lot of people told me they think it’s best if you leave on a high, which I understand, don’t get me wrong, I do understand that.

“But if I still physically am capable and I still feel like I can beat the best players in the world in Grand Slams—why would I want to stop now?”

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Despite the victory, Djokovic believes that nothing comes close to the atmosphere of the Olympic event – even on days when he is not competing.

“I just want to be at the Olympics, to be an Olympian,” he said.

“To experience that moment wearing my country’s crest, walking through the Olympic Village with the world’s best athletes, that feeling is sport itself.

“Anyone who hasn’t experienced it can’t fully understand, but for athletes who have had the privilege to experience it, it is unique.”

The 2028 LA Olympics is due to take place from July 14 – 30, with the location for the tennis category not yet chosen by the tournament organisers.

The post Novak Djokovic reveals the thing that is an even greater motivation than Grand Slams appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s 2025 clay-court swing has come to an end and the focus will shortly switch to grass with at least three big events on her calendar.

The 22-year-old played a full campaign on the red dirt for the first time since 2022 as she made only her second main draw appearance at the French Open.

After starting with a three-set win over Wang Xin in Paris, Raducanu was dispatched by defending champion Iga Swiatek as the four-time Roland Garros champion secured a one-sided 6-1, 6-2 victory.

“It just shows, I guess, the distance that I have to improve,” the British No 2 said after the defeat.

Raducanu’s highlight on clay was at the Italian Open when she reached the fourth round while she has also had a decent boost in the WTA Rankings as she started the season at No 48, but is expected to finish inside the top 40 as she sits at No 37 in the Live Rankings.

Despite her disappointing exit from Roland Garros, the 2021 is ready for what’s to come on grass.

“I don’t feel demotivated,” she said. “I feel like since Miami I’ve really started building some momentum compared to where I came from at the start of the year and it makes me just want to keep going after a couple of days off and then get on the grass.”

Raducanu’s 2024 grass events and points

Last year Raducanu played in two events before Wimbledon as she started her campaign at the Nottingham Open and she reached the semi-final of the WTA 250 event before losing against eventual champion Katie Boulter in three sets.

Next up was the Eastbourne International and she claimed a first top-10 win as she defeated Jessica Pegula before losing in the quarter-final.

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At Wimbledon she claimed the scalp of ninth seed Maria Sakkari in the third round before a three-set defeat to Lulu Sun in the next round.

She picked a total of 446 points during the three events.

Raducanu’s 2025 grass-court schedule

The former world No 10 will once again play two warm-up events before Wimbledon and both tournaments are new to her calendar.

She will make her debut at the Queen’s Club Championships as the tournament returns to the WTA calendar for the first time in more than 50 years.

She has received a wildcard entry into a high-class WTA 500 field with Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Zheng Qinwen, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka also in the draw.

Instead of playing in Nottingham this year, Raducanu has signed up for another WTA 500 event as she will play in the German Open in Berlin.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Pegula, Keys, Jasmine Paolini and Osaka have also signed up.

Then it is off back to the United Kingdom for Wimbledon where she will look for another deep run.

Sitting at No 37 in the rankings means Raducanu is on the cusp of being seeded for a Grand Slam with the top 32 getting the nod, however she does have 206 points to defend before Wimbledon.

But there is good news for Raducanu as, unlike last year when she played in two WTA 250 events, she will feature at a couple of WTA 500 tournaments with more points on offer.

Reaching the quarter-final of a 250 event is worth 54 points while you earn double that a 500 tournament.

The post The 2025 grass-court events that Emma Raducanu will play and her Wimbledon seeding chance appeared first on Tennis365.

Two key members of Novak Djokovic’s team were absent from his player’s box during his second-round win at the French Open following a medical emergency.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner took on Corentin Moutet in the afternoon session on Court Suzanne Lenglen, but physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic and fitness trainer Gephard Gritsch were not at Roland Garros for the straight-set victory.

The reason has now been revealed as Amanovic – who is also Djokovic’s godfather – had to be rushed to the hospital to undergo surgery and Gritsch was with him to offer support.

Serbian journalist Saša Ozmo explained on X: “Amanovic Amanovic underwent sinus surgery a few weeks ago, and now a complication has occurred. Specifically, there was a nosebleed that could not be stopped by usual means and had to be treated at the hospital.”

Djokovic also gave an update after his victory over Moutet

“Unfortunately, Miljan is in the hospital,” he told Sport Klub. “He had a serious situation and an operation. I wouldn’t want to go into more than that.

“We were all worried. He’s fine at the moment, but not ideal. He has to be in the hospital for a few days. We’re all worried. I hope everything will be fine.”

Amanovic is one of the longest-serving members on Team Djokovic as he first teamed up with the tennis great in 2007, but then stopped working with the Serbian in 2017 and later that year Amanovic suffered a heart attack.

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He made a full recovery and not long after Djokovic re-appointed Amanovic as his physio, but in 2024 it was announced that the Croatian would no longer travel with him as he wanted to spend more time with his children and also accepted a new role at the Novak Djokovic Academy in Belgrade.

In Dominic Bliss’ book “Novak Djokovic: The greatest of all time”, Amanovic said: “I survived a severe heart attack.

“I was resuscitated four times. Now I can say that it was God’s will in the true sense of the word, because if only one link in the chain of events had not been in place that day, I would probably have left this earthly life. They say that they fought for me for 40 minutes.”

However, the physio is back travelling with the former world No 1 and he is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the coming days.

Back in 2023, Djokovic stated: “Miljan is one of the closest people in my life. He has been working a lot these days, always gives his best. I am very grateful to Miljan, it would be a lot harder without him.”

The post Novak Djokovic gives update after emergency surgery for team member appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s quest to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title is one of the dominant stories of this year’s Roland Garros, yet plenty of critics have insisted the 38-year-old is fighting a losing battle.

Djokovic won his 100th career title as he picked up an ATP 250 title in Geneva last weekend and now he is through to the third round in Paris after a straight sets win against France’s Corentin Moutet.

With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz sharing the last five Grand Slam titles between them, Djokovic is facing an uphill battle to clinch the final major title he needs to move ahead of Margaret Court in the all-time Grand Slam title list.

Yet former world No 1 Mats Wilander has told Tennis365 that Djokovic can win another major title, even if he is not a favourite to emerge victorious on the Paris clay.

Wilander spoke to this website in the broadcast centre at Roland Garros and suggested the Serbian legend still has moments of glory left in him.

“I cannot understand why anyone would say Novak should stop and, in fact, I think he is adding to his legacy by going out and winning a title like he did in Geneva last weekend,” Wilander told Tennis365 in his role as a TNT Sports analyst.

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“I love it. I think great champions should show that when he is not at the peak of his powers and he is not winning everything that he will still compete and still fight

“A great champion is not just the guy who wins the big tournament. It’s also the guy who finds a way to compete when he is not at his best and that is what we are seeing from Novak now.

“I think it’s just amazing that he is still competing against players from a different generation. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may be the favourites to win Roland Garros this year, but Novak is still and he still believes he can win. It’s great to see.”

When asked whether he believes Djokovic will achieve his dream of winning a 25th Grand Slam title, Wilander offered up a defiant response.

“Of course he can win another Grand Slam,” he added. “Anyone who writes off Novak Djokovic is making a mistake.

“I would say that Wimbledon may be his best chance and it will be hard for him to get past Alcaraz and Sinner, but this is Novak Djokovic. This is not a normal tennis player. I would not be surprised for one second if he wins another Grand Slam.”

Djokovic’s win against Moutet in the second round in Paris came after he suffered an injury scare with a blister on his foot, as he admitted he needed to maintain his focus against an unpredictable opponent on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

“Mentally, I had to stay concentrated and prepared for a match like that,” said Djokovic.

“Corentin is a player who has great speed, it was a great battle, especially the third set. I saved a set point… At that moment, anything is possible. I found a shot to stay in the set, a good service. I think in general I played well, I managed to stay calm on court, which wasn’t easy at times.

“Things got complicated with the blister and the atmosphere was electric in the third set when he got close to winning it. The fans got involved and it was not easy for me, but I got it done.

“The crowd is very close on Suzanne Lenglen. They get very loud. When you experience the match from up close, you get more involved. It was a younger crowd, I noticed that.”

Djokovic will not have a day to recover ahead of his next match on Saturday and he cheekily asked Roland Garros organisers if he could avoid being put on the Saturday evening slot as he wants to watch the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, as he confirmed he will be supporting the French team.

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Former world No 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas looks set to make a major coaching appointment following his disappointing early defeat at the 2025 French Open.

A report by Greek journalist Vicky Georgatou for the SDNA website claims Tsitsipas will start working with Goran Ivanisevic next week ahead of the grass-court season.

Ivanisevic, a former world No 2 who won Wimbledon in 2001, helped tennis icon Novak Djokovic win nine Grand Slam titles during an incredibly successful coaching collaboration between June 2019 and March 2024.

The 53-year-old Croatian also briefly worked with former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at the start of this season, while he coached compatriot Marin Cilic to his only major title at the 2014 US Open.

According to Georgatou, Ivanisevic’s partnership with Tsitsipas “has no duration and will initially be a trial.”

In addition, Ivanisevic will reportedly be the “absolute boss” as the only coach on Tsitsipas’ team.

The Croatian is set to be in Tsitsipas’ coaching box for the first time at the Halle Open, an ATP 500 grass-court tournament that will begin on June 16.

Many have called for Tsitsipas to appoint a coach with a proven track record at the elite level of tennis – and Ivanisevic certainly fits that description.

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As a former Wimbledon champion and three-time runner-up at the All England Club, the Croatian will bring no shortage of grass-court expertise to the table.

Tsitsipas has been coached by Greek Davis Cup captain Dimitris Chatzinikolaou since ending his coaching relationship with his father Apostolos in August 2024.

While Tsitsipas impressively won the Dubai Championships in March, his 2025 season has been difficult on the whole.

The 26-year-old Greek was upset 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 by world No 167 Matteo Gigante in the second round of the French Open – his earliest loss at Roland Garros since 2018.

That concluded an underwhelming clay season for Tsitsipas, who has dropped to 25th in the Live ATP Rankings.

After his loss to Gigante, Tsitsipas said: “I still want to be the best player in the world and I still want to do great things around this sport that I chose to play. My attention and focus is always to try and improve any aspect of my game.

“I’m an optimistic person. I don’t want to, you know, use any excuses or anything like that, so my entire focus is on how can we come to solutions, solve certain things.

“It’s a constant puzzle. I’m ambitious and I want to prove it on the tennis court. Things have definitely changed over the last couple of years and I know that I find myself in a completely different position now.

“I just need to use my experience a little bit more wisely, I would say. My experience sometimes kind of stabs me I feel like, instead of utilising it in a more professional and profound way.”

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The post Stefanos Tsitsipas set to appoint Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach after shocking French Open exit – report appeared first on Tennis365.

John McEnroe has called on Emma Raducanu to solve an “ongoing issue” that he believes is holding the Brit back from consistently competing at a high level.

Raducanu fell to a resounding 1-6, 2-6 defeat to No 5 seed and five-time major champion Iga Swiatek in the second round of the 2025 French Open.

The world No 41 downed 43rd-ranked Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the opening round at the clay-court Grand Slam.

The 22-year-old Brit has amassed a 10-5 record across her last five tournaments — a run that includes her reaching the quarter-finals at the Miami Open and the last 16 at the Italian Open. She started a coaching partnership with former British No 1 Mark Petchey in Miami.

Raducanu is up to 37th in the Live WTA Rankings after her opening round win in Paris and is already at her highest ranking position since August 2022 — just before she dropped the points from her 2021 US Open title win.

Speaking at a TNT Sports event attended by Tennis365, McEnroe shared his thoughts on Raducanu.

“I see that she’s still in and out to some extent with injuries. Finding the right team seems to be an ongoing issue,” the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion said.

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“I don’t know why, I haven’t spoken to her. I’ve met her a couple of times in my entire life. I certainly wish her the best. Anyone that’s won a Slam, you want to see them continue to compete at a high level.

“It boils down to sort of getting, to me, the right situation around you so that you can be eager to get yourself as healthy and fit as possible, so that you can then go compete at the level you want to consistently. That’s the key. I don’t know where she’s at there.”

Former world No 1 Jim Courier — another TNT Sports analyst — has also discussed Raducanu’s encouraging recent results.

“It’s a rebuilding year for her, she’s been working on rebuilding her body, now she’s working on rebuilding her confidence,” the four-time major winner said.

“And some of that comes down to also once you get that confidence you get a little bit more aura and you bring some swagger back to the court and that affects how your opponents view playing you as well.

“So, this is going to be a very interesting rest of the year for her. I wish her the best. I hear she’s a wonderful person.

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Chris Evert has told Tennis365 that Emma Raducanu could get back into the top 10 of the WTA Rankings, but her optimism came with a caveat.

Raducanu was resoundingly beaten by Iga Swiatek in a one-sided second-round clash at Roland Garros, with the Polish star beating the Brit 6-1, 6-2.

The chasm in class between the two players was evident throughout the match and Evert has given this website her exclusive thoughts on what comes next for Raducanu.

Seven-time Roland Garros winner Evert believes Raducanu’s 2021 US Open win may have hampered her development, as she suggests the magnitude of that success in New York has had a negative impact on her career.

Evert compared Raducanu’s stuttering career after her maiden Grand Slam win to that of Naomi Osaka, who enjoyed more sustained success but also struggled to deal with the scale of the fame her success generated.

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“I just feel she has lost so many years of her career because of the whole thing around the one big win,” Evert told Tennis365 in her role as a TNT Sports analyst at Roland Garros.

“It’s the same with Naomi. You could through so and all of a sudden you have that one big win.

“Emma is a beautiful girl and that probably didn’t help. The endorsements came in, the coaches were coming in an out and still her expectations are right up there now.

“She’s not there yet. She’s got to build, go back to the drawing board and build-up slowly. Maybe she had to swallow her pride a little because she’s not up there yet.”

Evert went on to suggest Raducanu can aim to get back in the mix at the top of the game, even though she questioned whether that US Open win almost four years ago was as a result of circumstances as much as the brilliance of a then 18-year-old player who shone without any expectations on her shoulders.

“I think she can get top 10 again,” added Evert. “If there is a solid commitment from her, I think top 10 can happen again.

“You have to remember a lot of people [top players] lost when she won that US Open and the player Emma beat in the final, Leylah Fernandez, had nothing left.

“Leylah beat three players in the top five. Emma didn’t beat anyone in the top ten. I remember commenting on the match and you could see that. 

“If Leylah had won, her life may have changed forever, but Emma is the one who had to live through that experience. We will never see a qualifier come through and do what she did again, but it was tough for her after that.”

Former British No 1 Tim Henman also spoke to Tennis365 at Roland Garros, as he suggested Raducanu’s defeat against Swiatek highlighted why the British player needs to set realistic expectations for what she can achieve in her career.

“What is success? It is for her to get back into the top 30 or maybe the top 10? It’s about being the best version of yourself and maximising your potential,” Henman told Tennis365.

“Now she has got a good team around her and I hope she sticks with it. She has played lots of tournaments, been on court for a lot of matches and built up that physical resilience over what is a long season.

“I’m sure she will be licking some wounds after that defeat (against Swiatek) and the upside of finishing early at Roland Garros is she can put the clay court shoes away, head home and get ready for grass. I don’t have any concerns so long as she keeps on this path.”

Raducanu will now take some time off before focusing on the grass court season and while the players at the top of the women’s game appear to be a step or two ahead of her, her tennis story in 2025 is on an upward trajectory.

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Tim Henman believes the expectations of what constitutes success need to be moderated around Emma Raducanu after her latest heavy defeat at the hands of Iga Swiatek.

Four-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek had far too much firepower for Raducanu as she recorded her fifth straight-set win against the 2021 US Open champion in a one-sided second-round match in Paris.

The 6-1, 6-2 scoreline highlighted the gulf in class between the two players, with the noise echoing around Court Philippe-Chatrier emphasising the ball striking abilities of the two players.

Tennis365 were courtside for the Swiatek vs Raducanu match in Paris, with the sound of the ball as it came off Swiatek’s racket delivering more of a thud than that of her beaten rival.

It was one of the reasons why Raducanu was forced to accept an overwhelming defeat and spark fresh questions over whether she would ever compete with the game’s modern greats.

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Now Henman has put some perspective on her defeat and performance at Roland Garros, as he admitted Raducanu has much to do to challenge the players at the top of the women’s game.

Yet he also offered some words of encouragement, as Raducanu looks ahead to the grass court season that should help her game.

“She has just gone up against the best clay court player of her generation and she was overpowered, that’s fair to say,” Henman told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview at TNT Sports studios at Roland Garros.

“Swiatek is a four-time champion here. She is one of the greatest clay court players of all time. There is the bar Raducanu and the rest have to get to.

“Emma has a great game, but it is almost as if Swiatek has an extra gear. She has extra power on both wings, her movement in and out of corners is a bit better.

“That’s a lesson she learned. Emma is the kind of person who will embrace the challenge in front of her and try and find the solutions.

“She can take a lot of positives out of the clay season. She was moving in the right direction on clay and she has had some success on this surface in recent weeks. Now she can go away and work out how she can get better.”

Raducanu will now turn her attention to play at the brand new WTA 500 tournament at The Queen’s Club on grass courts in a couple of weeks, with Henman confident she will have a chance to shine on a surface she favours.

The long-term position of coach Mark Petchey is uncertain given his commitments to broadcasters, but Henman has urged her to embrace stability in her camp and have a long-term vision for her ambitions.

“She is moving onto a surface that will give her little more assistance and will suit her game,” he added. “This is not about the next four weeks for Emma, it’s about the next four years and where she can go.

“What is success? It is for her to get back into the top 30 or maybe the top 10? It’s about being the best version of yourself and maximising your potential.

“Now she has got a good team around her and I hope she sticks with it. Petch has been around the game for a long time and has been good for her.

“She has played lots of tournaments, been on court for a lot of matches and built up that physical resilience over what is a long season.

“I’m sure she will be licking some wounds after that defeat [against Swiatek] and the upside of finishing early at Roland Garros is she can put the clay court shoes away, head home and get ready for grass. I don’t have any concerns so long as she keeps on this path.”

Raducanu could be on course to be back in the top 40 of the WTA Rankings when they are updated after Roland Garros, but she still seems to be a long way from competing with the true greats of the women’s game.

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The ATP Rankings system as well as the tour’s Bonus Pool have come under fire from Casper Ruud as he feels it forces players to compete even when they are not 100% fit.

Two-time Roland Garros finalist Ruud suffered his joint-earliest exit from the tournament as he was stunned by unseeded Nuno Borges in the second round in Paris.

The Norwegian was hampered by a leg injury throughout the 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 defeat as he admitted after the match that he had been struggling for several weeks.

Ruud has played in all the big clay-court events the past two months, losing in the round of 16 in Monte Carlo and the quarter-final in Barcelona before winning the Madrid Open.

He then suffered a last-eight exit from the Italian Open and was due to play in the Geneva Open last week, but withdrew due to the injury.

“Hopefully it is nothing too serious but for the last couple of weeks I’ve been struggling with knee pain,” the world eight stated.

“In practice it is easier to avoid certain movements, certain shots. But when you play matches you can’t control it the same way.

“Sometimes you kind of forget that this is a shot I shouldn’t go for maybe in terms of pain in the knee. I still played good tennis in the first two sets. It’s a Slam, I didn’t want to retire.”

But he then asked about taking an extended period from the ATP Tour to fully recover from an injury and gave a frank reply as he criticised the rankings system and the Bonus Pool.

“It’s kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings,” he started off.

“You feel you’re obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events. You feel like you lose a lot if you don’t show up and play, both economically, point-wise, ranking-wise and opportunity-wise.

“For me I know these weeks and months are really important for the remainder of the year and for my career. Of course, if my leg is broken, I won’t play.

“But it’s tough anyways, especially when there’s a time with mandatory events to skip them because the punishments are quite hard, in terms of everyone else will play, gain points… and you won’t. Also there’s a certain bonus system set up that is reduced if you don’t show up to the mandatory events.”

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In terms of the rankings, players have to defend their points from the previous year at tournaments and that ultimately determines their position during the season and whether or not they qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals and the Bonus Pool.

According to the official ATP website, “ATP Masters 1000 and Nitto ATP Finals Bonus Pool payments in 2025 will be awarded to the 30 players who earn the most PIF ATP Rankings points at ATP Masters 1000 events and the Nitto ATP Finals this season, subject to participation.

“The total of this Bonus Pool is $21 million, up from $11.5 million in 2022.”

There is also extra money up for grabs for playing in ATP 500 events and as per the official website: “Players also have an opportunity to earn a share of $3 million in the ATP 500 Bonus Pool, which is distributed among the top six players in the standings (also subject to participation).”

Ruud continued: “It’s a questionable system because on one hand you don’t want to show up injured, and you maybe give the spot to other one. I’m not sure if you’re aware.. but if you don’t play a mandatory event, they cut 25% of your year-end bonus.

“You’re kind of forcing players to show up injured or sick, or whatever, when that is not what I think is very fair. Anyways it’s been deal-able, like I said.

“I’ve been able to deal with the pain. It hasn’t been too bad. Some days worse than others. I’m just looking forward to not being on some painkillers for some days now [smiles]. Let it really heal and rest and see where I’m at in a few weeks.”

The post Casper Ruud exposes ‘questionable’ ATP system – ‘It’s kind of a rat race’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will drop to his lowest ATP Ranking in almost seven years after a stunning French Open exit to world No 167 Matteo Gigante.

Greek star Tsitsipas, the 20th seed at Roland Garros, was beaten 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 by Gigante out on Court Simonne-Mathieu, the Italian saving multiple break points as he closed out the match.

It is just the second time that Gigante has played at a Grand Slam tournament and the first time he has reached the third round of a major tournament.

“I feel very, very good for sure,” said Gigante on court. “It was a fight. He’s an amazing player, so I play very well and I’m very happy.

“This is the fruit of the job that I do every day. I say thank you to my team and nothing else.”

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Having come through qualifying to reach the third round of Roland Garros, world No 167 Gigante is projected to rise to 129th in the ATP Rankings, eclipsing his previous career-high of world No 132.

The 23-year-old will face 13th seed Ben Shelton in round three on Friday, with the American having received a walkover into the third round of the event following the withdrawal of Hugo Gaston.

Gigante is the first qualifier in 17 years to defeat a former French Open finalist in the men’s singles, following Eduardo Schwank’s win over Carlos Moya back in 2008.

However, while it was joy for Gigante, a stunning defeat to an opponent 147 places below him in the ATP Rankings cements Tsitsipas’ recent struggles.

The Greek fell out of the top 10 after failing to defend his Monte Carlo Masters title back in April and has now suffered his earliest French Open exit since a round-two exit to Dominic Thiem in 2018.

Tsitsipas had reached at least the fourth round of the tournament every year since then, including runs to the semi-final in 2020 and the final in 2021.

Former world No 3 Tsitsipas was defending 400 quarter-final points at Roland Garros following a run to the last eight back in 2024.

However, with only 50 ranking points offered to those who lose in the second round, the Greek will drop from 2,270 to 1,920 points when the rankings update post-tournament.

Currently ranked 20th in the world, Tsitsipas will drop at least five places to world No 25 on Monday, June 9th.

He will be knocked down to world No 26 in the ATP Live Rankings should current world No 26 Flavio Cobolli defeat Matteo Arnaldi in their second-round clash on Thursday.

Tsitsipas has not been ranked outside the top 20 since August 2018, when he leapt from world No 27 to No 15 after a run to his first Masters 1000 final at the Canadian Open.

A two-time Grand Slam finalist at the peak of his powers, he faces an uphill task to rescue his ranking over the coming months.

Wimbledon and the US Open have traditionally been his weakest Slams, never making it past round four at SW19 or round three at Flushing Meadows.

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The post Stefanos Tsitsipas’ shock slump confirmed after stunning French Open loss to world No 167 appeared first on Tennis365.