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Former doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs has revealed Elena Rybakina’s banned coach Stefano Vukov wanted to sue her for voicing concerns about his “very negative” coaching.

Rybakina and Vukov worked together for over five years until they parted ways in August 2024.

However, despite hiring Goran Ivanisevic as her coach at the end of last season, Rybakina divulged on January 1 that Vukov would be returning to her team this year.

The day after Rybakina’s surprise move, it emerged that Vukov had been provisionally suspended by the WTA Tour pending an investigation into a breach of their code of conduct.

The WTA announced last week that Vukov will remain banned from coaching the 2022 Wimbledon champion in an official capacity, with The Athletic reporting it is a one-year ban.

In a statement, the WTA said: “The WTA confirms that the independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA Code of Conduct by Stefano Vukov has concluded.

“Following this process, the suspension remains in place. To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details.

“We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA Code of Conduct.”

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The Athletic has also reported shocking details of the “mental abuse” Rybakina was subjected to from Vukov and disclosed that the pair’s relationship was described as “toxic” in a letter by the WTA’s chief executive Portia Archer.

Rybakina has publicly maintained that Vukov “has never mistreated” her and she has expressed her disappointment at the ban.

Speaking on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Stubbs explained that Vukov “came after” her for saying things about him years ago that have since been proven to be true.

“He came after me and wanted to sue me, okay, for saying things about him that were true, that have been now investigated for years are now true,” the six-time Grand Slam doubles champion said.

“He has been banned for a year now because what I told them years ago has been now backed up by several other people who are in her actual team.

“I have seen him yelling at her, I could have been one of those witnesses. And I probably was one of those witnesses because they interviewed me years ago about him because I made comments on this podcast years ago about him.

“And I never said anything about him abusing her. I just said he was very negative. And I felt like with a positive coach, wow, how much better could she be? Imagine how good she could be with a really positive coach.

“And so, those are the comments I made about him. And then he actually contacted the WTA and wanted to come after me for making those comments.”

READ NEXT: Coco Gauff on Elena Rybakina, Stefano Vukov saga: ‘I know she doesn’t like the decision’

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Novak Djokovic has admitted it is becoming “more challenging” for him to take care of his body at this stage of his career after he lost on his return from injury at the Qatar Open.

The tennis icon was upset 7-6(4), 6-2 by world No 35 Matteo Berrettini in the opening round of the ATP 500 tournament in Doha.

The Serbian was unable to break Berrettini’s serve as the Italian delivered one of the finest performances of his career.

Berrettini, a former world No 6, had not beaten Djokovic in four previous encounters — including a showdown in the 2021 Wimbledon final.

Djokovic was playing his first singles match since a hamstring tear forced him to retire from his Australian Open semi-final match with Alexander Zverev last month.

The 37-year-old sustained the injury early in his four-set quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz at Melbourne Park.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s ability to avoid and recover from injuries has been remarkable for much of his career, but he has dealt with more physical issues in recent seasons.

Last year, Djokovic tore the medial meniscus in his right knee at the French Open but managed to recuperate from surgery in time to play at Wimbledon — where he reached the final. He then secured the Olympic gold medal in his next tournament.

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In his press conference after losing to Berrettini, Djokovic discussed how he is still trying to improve as a player and also addressed his recent increase in injuries.

“I am trying to improve my game, as everybody else. But my game is not going to change now drastically,” he explained.

“I’m not going to play serve and volley, maybe every once in a while, but my game is what it is, the core is going to be the same. I’m going to try to adjust depending on the surface that I play on and so forth.

“There are more injuries. Things are not the same as 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it’s more challenging now, no doubt. I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances.”

Berrettini gave his reaction to Djokovic describing his performance as a masterclass.

“I think he told me at the net at the end,” the 28-year-old said. “But everyone was screaming and I was trying to tell him that I had finally beaten him (laughs). We spoke in Italian and I was very happy.

“I think I heard him say that, but at the time I didn’t quite understand. It’s obviously a huge honour when someone like him says that about your game. I really think it was one of the best matches of my career. I felt good from the first point.

“But against Novak, you know you’re going to have to maintain that level for potentially two or three hours. I had prepared for it and I’m very proud of my performance. The more the match went on, the more I felt good about it. In general, it’s a good sign.”

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic makes ‘no excuse’ admission about Qatar Open defeat

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Iga Swiatek has weighed in on the concerning safety incident involving Emma Raducanu at the Dubai Championships and divulged that she avoided a “scary” fan experience of her own in the past.

The incident took place early in Raducanu‘s 6-7(6), 4-6 loss to Karolina Muchova in the second round of the WTA 1000 event on Tuesday.

After losing the second game of the match, a visibly distressed Raducanu spoke to the umpire before she hid behind the official’s chair while crying.

Muchova consoled Raducanu, while the umpire spoke to security officials and the tournament supervisor on her walkie-talkie and had a lengthy discussion with both players before the match resumed.

The WTA has since revealed that a man first approached Raducanu in public on Monday and that the same individual was removed from her match with Muchova.

A statement from the WTA Tour read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.

“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.

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“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events. The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.

“We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”

In her press conference after beating Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 6-0 to reach the Dubai quarter-finals, Swiatek discussed the Raducanu incident and shared a similar experience she had.

“We were able to avoid one, like, incident that might have been scary back in the day when I was hosting my own event in Poland,” the world No 2 explained.

“Yeah, there are fans that are kind of, I don’t know, everywhere. But I’m pretty sure that they don’t have any bad intentions.

“Obviously, you know, we are public persons, so we should always keep our eyes open and ready to react if we feel uncomfortable. I’m sure it must have been tough for Emma.

“I know the WTA banned this person from going on-site anywhere on any tournament. So I guess the reaction was pretty solid.

“I like that because it’s WTA’s kind of responsibility to keep us safe, for that environment to be safe for us. I guess with their help it’s fine. But, yeah, it’s hard probably to avoid these situations before.”

The five-time Grand Slam champion also revealed she is conscious of her safety with the way she uses social media.

“I try for my Instagram feed to be up to date and everything,” the 23-year-old Pole added.

“But yeah, sometimes we are posting one day after I left someplace or just after, I don’t know, the event and everything.

“On the other hand, it’s kind of natural anyway because then you have photos to post. I guess it’s all about the timing and also if I stay in a nice hotel and I know that I’m going to be there for a longer time, it’s also nice for this hotel to be ready to accommodate us in a way that it’s safe, getting some, I don’t know, different entrance, yeah.

“But it all depends on the situation, I guess. Usually people are helpful with that because they understand that I’m in a situation where I’m kind of exposed.”

READ NEXT: Top 7 players in WTA Rankings’ last back-to-back defeats: Iga Swiatek hasn’t lost two in a row in 200+ matches

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Emma Raducanu has given her first statement since an incident during her match in Dubai – where a man exhibited ‘fixated behaviour’ – left her in tears, calling the incident a ‘distressing experience’.’

During her first-round match at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, at 2-0 down in the first set to Karolina Muchova, Raducanu appeared in tears whilst she was speaking to the umpire. The Brit stood behind the umpire’s chair as Muchova consoled her.

It later emerged that a man in the crowd, who had already approached the Brit the day prior, was displaying ‘fixated behaviour’ towards her, leading to her emotional state.

The crowd member was duly removed from the stands by the tournament officials.

“Thank you for the messages of support,” the Brit stated. “Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match.

“Thank you to Karolina [Muchova] for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”

In the end, the Czech was victorious 7-6(6), 6-4 against the 2021 US Open champion in their opening round match in Dubai.

Shortly after the incident, the WTA released an official statement on the matter: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.

“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected.

“He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.

“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.”

The association went on to state: “The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support. We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”

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Raducanu’s statement comes amidst a past battle against a man who received a five-year restraining order and was sentenced to ‘community service’ for stalking her.

During a 2022 court case, it was heard that this man walked for 23 miles towards the then-teenager’s home, before leaving various notes and stealing her father’s shoes.

After the man was sentenced, Raducanu stated: “Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.

“Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home which is where I should feel safest.”

Emma Raducanu is next scheduled to play at Indian Wells, which will be held from March 2–16.

The post ‘Difficult experience’ – Emma Raducanu speaks for first time since distressing Dubai incident appeared first on Tennis365.

More shocking details have emerged about Stefano Vukov’s behaviour towards Elena Rybakina, which prompted the WTA to ban the Croatian coach.

Concerning incidents of Vukov’s conduct towards Rybakina first made headlines at the 2024 Australian Open as he was seen shouting at her several times during matches.

The 2022 Wimbledon winner publicly defended her mentor, but she missed several tournaments over the next few months due to illness and injury.

Then on the eve of the US Open, they dropped a bombshell as Rybakina announced she had parted ways with Vukov – who had been her coach since 2019 – and not long after the WTA announced they would be launching an investigation into the Croatian’s behaviour.

Former world No 2 Goran Ivanisevic then joined Rybakina’s staff during the off-season, but Vukov returned to the fray for the Australian Open and Ivanisevic announced his departure not long after.

The WTA’s inquiry was concluded recently and it was confirmed that Vukov would be banned for one year with several disturbing details revealed in the initial report by The Athletic.

Vukov is said to have called the tennis player “stupid” and “retarded” while he also stated she would still be in Russia “picking potatoes” without him.

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But the publication has since released more information about events leading up to last year’s US Open after Rubakina parted ways with him.

It is reported that: “Told by a member of Rybakina’s team that he had been dismissed as her coach and to leave her alone, Vukov instead walked the lobby and hallways of her Manhattan hotel. He flooded her phone with text messages and more than 100 calls — according to sources with personal and professional relationships with Rybakina who were present at the hotel — as he sought another chance to convince Rybakina that her tennis career could not thrive without him.”

Several members of Rybakinas’s inner circle stated their concerns to WTA officials about the player as “they feared for the safety of the 2022 Wimbledon champion”.

A letter from WTA chief executive Portia Archer stated that she “also received an email from Rybakina’s mother requesting that he not make her daughter cry, and refused to coach her at one event as a result. The investigation also concluded that Vukov had violated the WTA’s no-contact directive, with Archer writing that he continued to ‘brazenly defy it even as this letter is penned’.”

The 37-year-old Vukov maintains that he hasn’t done anything wrong, but is yet to confirm if he will appeal against the ban.

The Athletic report claims that the relationship between coach and player “had become personal and romantic” as “Archer’s letter also noted the shift in their relationship. It said there was evidence that they stayed in the same hotel room in Melbourne for the Australian Open and that ‘there is increasing evidence that you are now involved in a romantic relationship’.”

Rybakina is yet to comment on the latest revelations as she previously just stated: “I’m just disappointed with the situation and how the process went. I’m not going to comment much on that any more.”

The post Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov saga: Wimbledon champion’s mother asked ‘that he not make her daughter cry’ appeared first on Tennis365.

The WTA has confirmed there was a safety incident involving Emma Raducanu at the Dubai Tennis Championship following a shocking incident early in her match against Karolina Muchova.

The 2021 US Open winner took on the 14th-seeded Czech in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament on Tuesday, but the encounter was marred by an odd event as early as the third game.

A visibly upset and emotional Raducanu approached the chair umpire and after exchanging a few words, she then went to hide behind the official’s chair.

Muchova then walks over for an explanation before also moving behind the official’s chair to console her young opponent.

After chatting with the tournament director and security officials via her walkie-talkie, the umpire climbs down from her chair to have an extended discussion with both players.

Both players then return to their benches and Raducanu was clearly in distress and could be seen wiping away tears with her towel.

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The match eventually resumes and the 22-year-old British player struggles in the next few games as Muchova opens a 4-0 lead, but she finds her rhythm again to take the opening set to a tie-breaker.

The Czech, though, held firm in the tie-breaker and eventually claimed a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 victory in just over two hours.

The WTA has since issued more details about events leading up to Tuesday’s match as it revealed that a man first approached Raducanu in public on Monday and the same individual was then removed from the match.

A statement from the WTA Tour read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.

“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.

“Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events. The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.

“We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players.”

here is the situation https://t.co/z4Vl23j9DL pic.twitter.com/2C4K2oAEgC

— Lisa ‍ (@lisa_talking) February 18, 2025

There has been no statement yet from Raducanu, but she was stalked as a teenager with a man “five-year restraining order and sentenced to community service” in 2022.

The then 19-year-old admitted: “Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.”

Following her exit from the Dubai event, Raducanu is set to return home to the UK before heading to the United States in early March for the Sunshine Double with the Indian Wells Open starting on 5 March before the Miami Open gets underway on 18 March.

The post Full WTA statement and video after shocking Emma Raducanu incident in Dubai appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s second-round match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships was briefly held up and the British player was clearly upset and crying following an incident.

But what happened?

The WTA has now confirmed that there was a security incident involving “a man who exhibited fixated behaviour” and officials have launched a full investigation while they have also vowed to ensure Raducanu and her team’s “well-being and provide any necessary support” during the rest of their stay in the United Arab Emirates.

The individual first approached Raducanu on Monday in a public area and the WTA revealed: “This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected.”

The WTA 1000 match got off to a later than planned start as it was delayed due to poor weather in and around the Aviation Club Tennis Centre.

Raducanu was broken in the second game of the match as Muchova opened a 2-0 lead and after the lost game the 22-year-old went over to the chair umpire and had a brief discussion.

The world No 61 was in distress and then worryingly went to hide behind the umpire chair. The official then chats via her walkie talking to other presumably the tournament director and security.

Muchova approaches Raducanu to see what is going on and then consoles her rival.

The official then gets off her chair and also chats with Raducanu who then returns to her bench wiping away tears with her towel.

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The encounter was held up for several minutes and Muchova held her own serve before breaking Raducanu’s serve again for a 4-0 lead.

But the 2021 US Open winner managed to regain her composure and broke in game five and again in game nine to take the opening set via the tie-breaker.

She then opened a 5-4 lead and had a set point at 6-5, but this time Muchova held firm and turned things around to win the tie-breaker 8-6.

Raducanu was broken in the opening game of the second set and this time Muchova didn’t relinquish her advantage as she went on to win 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in two hours and four minutes.

Previous stalker case

It was a brave performance from Raducanu given the circumstances and it should not be forgotten that the 2021 US Open winner was stalked as a teenager and a man was given a “five-year restraining order and sentenced to community service”.

During a 2022 court case, it was heard that the man walked 23 miles to Raducanu’s home, took her father’s shoe as a souvenir and at one point left a note telling her he “deserved love”.

After the man was sentenced, Raducanu issued the following statement: “Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.

“Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home which is where I should feel safest.”

There is no doubt this contributed to Raducanu feeling unsafe and “constantly looking over her shoulder” during the Dubai incident.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu under-fire despite following advice of her critics

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Iga Swiatek set and equalled a pair of records that illustrate her outstanding consistency with her opening victory at the Dubai Championships.

The world No 2 steamrolled two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka in her first match at the WTA 1000 event after a lengthy rain delay.

Swiatek broke the 35-year-old Belarusian six times and lost serve only once in a contest lasting an hour and 13 minutes.

The five-time major champion has improved her record against Azarenka, a former world No 1 who is currently ranked 34th, to 4-1.

In an on-court interview, Swiatek paid tribute to Azarenka’s career.

“She’s a legend. I have so much respect for her,” she said. “Her career is outstanding and she’s still playing super good, so I just wanted to be ready.

“And we played couple of times, so I was aware of how she plays, but yeah, I was ready for everything. I’m happy that I was solid and just focused and in the zone.”

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Asked what she did during the rain delay, Swiatek said: “I just read a book. I got a quick nap. I started doing some legos. Then unfortunately I had to go and play… so legos had to wait (smiling).”

Swiatek now holds the highest win rate of any player in opening matches at WTA 1000 tournaments (90.9%) since the format was introduced in 2009. Her last loss in an opening WTA 1000 match was a defeat to Ons Jabeur at the 2022 Cincinnati Open.

The 23-year-old has won her first match at 51 consecutive tournaments, which makes her only the second woman this century after Kim Clijsters to accomplish this.

Swiatek, who is a 10-time WTA 1000 titlist, is aiming to win the Dubai Championships for the first time. She was a runner-up at the tournament in 2023 and a semi-finalist last year.

READ NEXT: WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka widens gap to Iga Swiatek; Amanda Anisimova’s milestone, Naomi Osaka -10

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Elena Rybakina has revealed that no players have offered her any support over the ban of her controversial coach Stefano Vukov.

It was revealed at the start of the year that the WTA had provisionally suspended Vukov pending an investigation into a breach of their code of conduct.

This came following Rybakina‘s announcement that Vukov would re-join her team just months after parting ways with the Croatian prior to last year’s US Open. The Russian-born Kazakh was coached by Vukov from February 2019 to August 2024.

The WTA confirmed last week that Vukov will remain suspended from coaching Rybakina in an official capacity, with The Athletic reporting it is a one-year ban.

In a statement, the WTA said: “The WTA confirms that the independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA Code of Conduct by Stefano Vukov has concluded.

“Following this process, the suspension remains in place. To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details.

“We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA Code of Conduct.”

The Athletic has also reported shocking details of the “mental abuse” Rybakina was subjected to from Vukov and revealed the pair’s relationship was described as “toxic” by the WTA’s chief executive Portia Archer.

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The 25-year-old has repeatedly said that Vukov “has never mistreated” her since the news of the investigation broke last month.

Rybakina is currently in action at the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai, where she defeated world No 62 Moyuka Uchijima 6-3, 6-2 in her opening match.

Speaking in her press conference after her victory, Rybakina reiterated that she is not happy with the situation as she addressed whether any of her fellow players had reached out to her.

“It’s very disappointing the way it’s been handled, just the outcome,” the world No 7 said.

“No one offered any support. Honestly don’t need [it]. There is couple players I’m in touch [with] more. But to say that I have very, very close friends on tour, it’s I think not true just because we competing against each other. Everybody’s surrounded by their teams.

“I have a couple of good friends, let’s say. But again, it’s all depends on time, how much you can spend outside or not.”

The 2022 Wimbledon winner added: “I need to focus on my tournament. It’s what I’m trying to do. Yeah, hopefully I can just keep on playing, keep on winning.”

READ NEXT: Elena Rybakina, Stefano Vukov saga: The shocking details of coach’s behaviour leading to ban

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Jannik Sinner will miss the next three months of action on the ATP Tour and it could have a big impact on his status as the world No 1.

The three-time Grand Slam winner has been top of the ATP Rankings since June last year as he replaced all-time great Novak Djokovic after the French Open.

Sinner is currently in his 37th consecutive week at No 1 and that total will grow over the next few weeks due to his massive points advantage at the top.

After the latest rankings update in which he dropped 500 points from last year’s Rotterdam Open title run, Sinner finds himself on 11,330 points with Alexander Zverev on 8,135 and Carlos Alcaraz third on 7,410.

With the Italian’s ban running from 9 February until 4 May, he is expected to miss six ATP Tour events (Qatar Open, Indian Wells Open, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, Barcelona Open and Madrid Open).

After reaching an agreement with Sinner’s legal representatives, the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that they won’t strip him of any points or prize money earned during the 2024 season despite the failed dope tests.

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“Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome. As previously stated, WADA did not seek a disqualification of any results, save that which was previously imposed by the tribunal of first instance,” a statement read.

The good news is that he will only drop another 1,600 points from his results from the previous year.

The Miami Open (1,000), Monte Carlo Masters (400) and Madrid Open (200) are the tournaments where he had points to defend. He reached the semi-final in Indian Wells last year, but those points have already been deducted following the initial ruling from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in August last year.

That effectively puts the 23-year-old on 9,730 points (11,330 minus 1,600) before he returns, meaning Zverev has to make 1,596 points to get past Sinner by the time the Italian Open takes place in mid-May while Alcaraz has a 2,321-point deficit to overcome.

But things will get a little more complicated for the world No 1’s two rivals as they will also drop points in the coming months.

Zverev has 850 points to defend until the ATP Masters tournament in Rome while Alcaraz will drop 1,400 points.

So in total, Zverev has to earn 2,446 points (1,596 plus 850) between now and the Italian Open while Alcaraz has a 3,721-point mountain to climb (2,321 plus 1,400).

Of course it is not impossible for either as they both have several tournaments between now and then.

Zverev is set to compete at the Mexican Open (500), Indian Wells Open (1,000), Miami Open (1,000), Monte Carlo Masters (1,000), Bavarian Championships (500) and Madrid Open (1,000) so there is a maximum of 5,000 points to win.

Theoretically, the German could replace Sinner at the top by mid-April if he wins the Sunshine Doule and the Monte Carlo Masters.

Zverev is currently sitting at a career-high No 2 in the ATP Rankings and he would become only the second German men’s world No 1 after Boris Becker while Alcaraz has previously spent 36 weeks at the top of the rankings.

Alcaraz will play at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid while his other two events are the Qatar Open (also 500) and Barcelona Open (500).

If Alcaraz wins four ATP Masters tournaments in a row (Indian Wells to Madrid) then he will pick up 4,000 points.

But even if Zverev or Alcaraz do the impossible, Sinner will get an opportunity to return to the top again at the Italian Open (1,000) as he doesn’t have any points to defend at the tournament.

They will then head to Roland Garros where Alcaraz will drop 2,000 points as the defending champion and Zverev 1,300 after finishing runner-up last year. Sinner, meanwhile, lost in the semi-final so will drop 800 points.

The post Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz’s battle to replace Jannik Sinner as world No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.