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Concerns around Emma Raducanu’s health have grown after the star required treatment during her defeat at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

In a match full of twists and turns and momentum swings, world No 67 Antonia Ruzic battled from an early break down to defeat world No 25 Raducanu 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in the opening round of the WTA 1000 event.

World No 25 Raducanu had been handed a late change of opponent in Dubai, with Ruzic stepping in as a lucky loser to replace Elisabetta Cocciaretto after the Italian’s withdrawal.

The Brit had spent a week off court since her retirement against Camila Osorio in the opening round of the Qatar Open, and Ruzic was, on paper, more of a favourable draw than the in-form Cocciaretto.

Ruzic had lost her last five matches heading into this contest against Raducanu, including an opening-round loss in Dubai to Rebecca Sramkova.

However, the Croatian made light work of Raducanu in the opening set, breaking the out-of-sorts Brit twice on her way to taking the first set 6-1.

The Brit then called for the trainer in between the first and second sets, and was seen taking a tablet given to her during the medical assessment, before the resumption of play.

Raducanu looked in better shape during points of the second set, and rallied from 5-3 down to force a deciding set — breaking Ruzic as the Croatian served for the match at 5-4 up, before again breaking two games later.

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Raducanu extended her streak to six games in a row as she moved an early break up in the decider, only for Ruzic herself to win six straight games and storm to victory.

Raducanu had looked in fine form at the Transylvania Open earlier this month, with the star picking up four straight wins on her way to a first final since the 2021 US Open.

However, the world No 25 was beaten soundly by Sorana Cirstea in the final, and has now lost three straight matches — requiring on-court treatment of some sort in all three defeats, and retiring in Doha last week.

Concerns will grow about Raducanu’s health and fitness, though the star will now have a longer period of rest as she looks to get back into strong form.

Raducanu is not set to be in action again until Indian Wells, the third WTA 1000 event of the year.

Action in Tennis Paradise will begin in early March, and will be swiftly followed by the Miami Open — the second half of the Sunshine Double.

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Read Next: WTA Rankings: Rybakina poised to overtake Swiatek as Mboko makes top-10 debut, Muchova +8

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will both star at the 2026 Qatar Open, and the seven-figure sum that the leading duo have reportedly received to appear at the event has been revealed.

The ATP 500 tournament in Doha is taking place from 16 to 21 February, and Alcaraz and Sinner are both playing their first event since the Australian Open.

Alcaraz and Sinner, who are seeded first and second in Qatar, are the only top 10 players competing after Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Bublik all withdrew.

What are appearance fees at tennis tournaments?

Separate to official prize money, appearance fees can be paid to attract players at non-mandatory tournaments.

In men’s tennis, appearance fees are most common at ATP 500 and ATP 250 events, and they tend to be paid to high-ranked players and other big-name stars.

Appearance fees for top players are often well in excess of the prize money they could earn for winning the tournament.

How much money have Alcaraz and Sinner received to play the Qatar Open?

According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Alcaraz and Sinner have each received an eye-watering US$1.2million to appear at the Qatar Open.

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What prize money is on offer at the Qatar Open?

The total prize money pot for the ATP Qatar Open is US$2,833,335, with $529,945 awarded to the champion and $285,095 received by the runner-up.

Winner – $529,945
Finalist – $285,095
Semi-finalist – $151,935
Quarter-finalist – $77,625
Second round – $41,435
First round – $22,095

What ranking points are on offer at the Qatar Open?

The winner of the Qatar Open will collect 500 ATP ranking points, while the losing finalist will leave with 330.

Winner – 500
Finalist – 300
Semi-finalist – 200
Quarter-finalist – 100
Second round – 50
First round – 0

Alcaraz and Sinner are both seeking a maiden Qatar Open title

Both Alcaraz and Sinner are vying to win the Qatar Open for the first time.

Alcaraz is making his second appearance in Doha after a quarter-final run last year, while Sinner is making his debut after he was forced to withdraw from the 2025 event due to his ban for failed doping tests.

In the opening round, Alcaraz will face Arthur Rinderknech, while Sinner will take on Tomas Machac.

READ NEXT: Alcaraz and Sinner’s rival reveals how they ‘bring something different’ to Djokovic, Nadal, Federer

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Polish tennis journalist Dominik Senkowski has described reports that Iga Swiatek has parted ways with Wim Fissette as “disinformation”

Six-time Grand Slam Swiatek started working with renowned Belgian coach Fissette in October 2024 and the partnership was initially off to a slow start with the Pole failing to not only win a title, but also reach a final during the first few months of 2025

However, things clicked during the grass-court season as Swiatek reached her first final of the year at the Bad Homburg Open, finishing runner-up to Jessica Pegula, before going on to win Wimbledon to complete the Surface Slam.

She also won the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open and WTA 500 Korea Open to take her career singles tally to 25 before helping Poland to the United Cup title at the beginning of January.

But Swiatek will be the first to admit she has been sluggish in recent months as she lost in the round robin of the WTA Finals last November, while she was beaten in straight sets by Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and in three sets by Maria Sakkari at last week’s Qatar Open.

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Following her recent struggles, rumours swirled that she has split from Wissette, but Sport.Pl journalist Dominik Senkowski.

“As I’ve managed to confirm, this is FAKE NEWS. Iga Świątek is not parting ways with Wim Fissette,” he wrote on X.

“Generally, I’d brush off the topic, but I see that more media outlets and tennis journalists have started repeating this information. We really need to watch out for disinformation these days.”

The social media post added that Swiatek has decided to work with Argentina’s Carlos Rodriguez – who has coached Justine Henin and Amanda Anisimova – on a trial basis.

Senkowski added: “And the tweet from that Twitter user has already been deleted. Just like, for example, the post from the Spanish tennis portal Punto de Break, which was referring to it, and then the further reposts/shares by journalists of that Spanish post, etc.”

Swiatek admitted after her loss to Sakkari that she needs to go back to the drawing board to figure out what is going wrong in matches, but there was no hint of splitting with Fissette, who has coached the likes of Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Naomi Osaka.

And Swiatek and Fissette will have a lot of time to eke out the problems as the Pole won’t be in action at this week’s Dubai Tennis Championships due to a “schedule change” with her next tournament the Indian Wells Open in March.

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Ben Shelton saved three match points to beat fellow American Taylor Fritz in the Dallas Open final to win his fourth career title and with it came a handy cheque and a good haul of points.

Playing in his sixth ATP Tour singles final, Shelton found himself up against in the 10th game of the deciding set as he faced three match points, but saved them all and then broke in the next game.

The 23-year-old then came out to serve for the match, but this time Fritz saved two match points before Shelton got the job done on match point number three for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.

“This was a crazy match to be part of,” Shelton said during the trophy presentation ceremony.

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He then told Fritz: “I thought your level was amazing. What you’ve done this year, dealing with adversity, fighting through injuries, the competitor you are – you’re an inspiration to all.

“Every kid at home should watch how hard you compete, day in and day out when you’re not feeling 100 per cent.”

ATP Ranking Points Earned

The ATP uses a 52-week rolling, cumulative system so players have to defend points from the same period 12 months ago.

Players earn 500 points for winning an ATP 500 event and Shelton collected 500 points for winning the title, but he added only 490 points to his rankings total as he dropped 10 points from 2025 when he lost in the second round.

A run to the final is worth 330 points, but Fritz earned only 280 points once his points from last year came off.

Shelton’s title, though, means the two are neck-and-neck in the ATP Rankings with Fritz on 4,220 in eighth place and his compatriot one spot behind on 4,050.

Fritz, though, will have a chance to edge further away from Shelton as he will feature at the Delray Beach Open this week, while the world No 8 will only return to action next week at the Mexican Open.

Prize Money Earned

Shelton collected $529,945 for winning the title to take his 2026 prize money earnings to $1,052,025 while his career tally now sits at $12,261,196.

Fritz added another $285,095 to his total to move to $29,818,479 with $922,187 of that coming in 2026.

FYI: Fritz is 18th on the all-time list with Stan Wawrinka in 10th place “just” $8,392,740 ahead of him.

Shelton, meanwhile, is down in 80th place, but he still has a long career ahead of him.

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Alex De Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime faced off against each other in the final of the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, with the Australian triumphing – but how much prize money and how many ranking points did they collect along the way?

De Minaur defeated his Canadian rival 6-3, 6-2 to claim his 11^th singles title, with his latest trophy being the first at an indoor event.

It was Auger-Aliassime who had led their head-to-head 3-1 heading into the showpiece match, having also not dropped a set en route.

ATP Ranking points Earned

The ATP uses a 52-week cumulative, rolling system for the rankings, with players effectively having to defend points from the corresponding period 12 months prior.

As a result of his victory, De Minaur has collected 500 ranking points, an increase of 170 from the year prior – having lost the 2025 final of Carlos Alcaraz.

However, based on the scheduling this year, the Live ATP Rankings show him gaining 415 (after having also gained 90 ranking points in Doha in 2025).

Overall, he leapfrogs the Canadian and jumps from the eighth spot to the world No 6 position.

Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime net-gained 280 points and dropped one spot.

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Full Rotterdam ATP ranking points breakdown:

First round: 25 points

Round of 16: 50 points

Quarter-finalists: 100 points

Semi-finalists: 200 points

Runner-up: 330 points

Champion: 500 points

Rotterdam Prize Money Earned

De Minaur gained $460,555 in prize money for his impressive victory, whilst Auger-Aliassime garnered $247,800.

Full WTA Brisbane prize money breakdown:

First round: $19,205

Round of 16: $36,015

Quarter-finalists: $67,470

Semi-finalists: $132,060

Runner-up: $247,800

Champion: $460,555

What did Alex De Minaur say after the final?

“That’s what it’s all about: just doing my best to rise to the occasion,” De Minaur commented after his victory.

“As the tournament goes on, you try and find ways out of solutions and try to give yourself the best chance to play better the following day, and I did exactly that.

“I’m super pleased with the performance today.

“Third time lucky… I’m super stoked, super happy. It ended up being a great week here in Rotterdam. It’s a place where I always feel really good.

“I was just a step short in the previous years, so it feels great to finally be able to lift the title.

“It’s been one of my favourite spots on the calendar. I love coming back here in Rotterdam. I’ve played some of my best tennis here and I finally get the reward.”

What did Felix Auger-Aliassime say after the final?

“Congrats to Alex and your team,” Auger-Aliassime stated.

“We’ve played a lot of matches throughout the years… I tried my best today, but you were just a little bit too good. [It’s your] third time in the final here, so congrats on the win.”

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Coco Gauff has dismissed calls for WTA players to lose rankings points from late withdrawals after the Dubai tournament director endorsed the hypothetical move.

The comments came after Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the WTA 1000 event in the United Arab Emirates just one day prior to the draw being made.

The Pole’s reason for the decision was a supposed ‘change of schedule’, whilst the Belarusian cited a hip injury – after having also skipped this week’s action in Doha.

Salah Tahlak, the Dubai tournament director, labelled the withdrawal an ‘unfortunate surprise’ and presented the idea that players should be punished via a reduction in their ranking points.

“I think a fine will not do anything,” he commented.

“I feel they should deduct points from the players. A monetary fine won’t help. Many years ago, Serena Williams withdrew and was fined $100,000.

“But what is $100,000? She would play someplace else and make $1,000,000. So the fine isn’t a big deal.”

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Gauff, who is the current world No 5, recently made the last eight at the Australian Open – losing out to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.

The American then fell to world No 57 Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her first match at the Qatar Open.

She will next participate in the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, opening her campaign against either Jelena Ostapenko or Anna Kalinskaya.

No 1 seed and recently-crowned Melbourne champion Elena Rybakina lurks in the semi-finals, whilst second seed Amanda Anisimova the projected opponent in the final.

During her pre-tournament press conference, Gauff pushed back on Tahlak’s idea of a reduction in ranking points for those who withdraw early.

“Yeah, I mean, for me, I don’t think I’ve ever really pulled out of a 1000 that I can remember off the top of my head,” she commented.

“I definitely don’t think players do it, like they just don’t want to play. I don’t think it’s that decision.

“You look at, like, burnout throughout the year. Although maybe it might not affect you now, it will affect you later.

“I feel like for me, this part of the season I have always struggled I think just because of the transition and things like that.”

Late withdrawals for events may affect the preparation of other players, who might travel based on the entry list, whilst others also may – instead – have opted into qualifying for the event.

Players are at risk of sanctions if they skip a mandatory WTA 1000 tournament without a legitimate justification, such as illness or injury.

That said, each player is permitted three schedule-based absences per season, which result in zero ranking points, but do not trigger any financial penalties.

“Do I think players should be docked points? Not really,” the world No 5 argued.

“We already have the mandatory. We get zeros on our ranking for everything.

“For this point in the schedule, I think it’s hard to play all the tournaments now that they’re two weeks. I think the ask of players are becoming more and more and more.

“I do understand the tournament side. They obviously want the players there. In the past I think top players have always come to Doha and Dubai.

“This draw has historically been a tough draw. I understand it’s unfortunate this year.

“I don’t think it’s fair for players to get docked points. I think, if anything, we should have an optional 1000 like the men do with Monte-Carlo.

“Yeah, I think that’s a little bit harsh in my opinion.”

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The Dubai Tennis Championships tournament director has claimed that players should be docked ranking points for late withdrawals from an event, following Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek’s decision to miss the second WTA 1000 event of 2026.

World No 1 Sabalenka and world No 2 Swiatek both confirmed on Friday that they would not be in action in Dubai, with their withdrawals coming just one day before the draw was made, and two days before the start of the tournament.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka’s withdrawal reason was cited as a hip injury, with the Belarusian also not in action at the Qatar Open this week.

Meanwhile, six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek has withdrawn due to a change of schedule, coming after her quarter-final defeat to Maria Sakkari in Doha.

Both Sabalenka and Swiatek have previously suggested that they would skip a handful of WTA 1000 events in 2026, with several players across both the women’s and men’s game critical of the tennis calendar.

Leading WTA players are expected to contest all 10 WTA 1000 events on the calendar, alongside the four Grand Slam tournaments, and six WTA 500-level events.

The official WTA Rulebook claims that players can face fines should they withdraw from mandatory events, while players are often awarded ‘zero-pointers’ on their WTA ranking if they do not fulfil mandatory requirements.

In quotes reported by The National, Dubai tournament director Salah Tahlak has called into question whether the current rules go far enough to prevent late withdrawals.

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He said: “It was an unfortunate surprise [on Friday] to get news of the withdrawal of Aryna and Iga. And the reasons for withdrawal were a bit strange.

“Iga said she wasn’t mentally ready to compete, while Sabalenka said she has some minor injuries.

“So I don’t know. I think there should be a harsher punishment on the players [for withdrawing], not just fines, they should be docked ranking points.

“I even asked the [tournament] doctor: ‘What is the injury?’ He said it’s a minor injury, not one that would force her to withdraw from the tournament. And for Iga, I asked: ‘Isn’t this a strange decision?’”

Fines have been issued in the past, but with the leading players in the sport regularly making millions of dollars in prize money each season, Tahlak has suggested that ranking points penalties would provide a more significant deterrent.

“I think a fine will not do anything,” he added.

“I feel they should deduct points from the players. A monetary fine won’t help. Many years ago, Serena Williams withdrew and was fined $100,000. But what is $100,000? She would play someplace else and make $1,000,000. So the fine isn’t a big deal.

“We have a meeting coming up in Rome, and I want to shed light on this issue. We have a representative on behalf of the international group [of tournaments] to speak for us with the WTA.

“Because it’s a shame that we’re spending these huge amounts to upgrade our facilities, and in the end, the players are the main part.”

In the absence of both Sabalenka and Swiatek, world No 1 and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina is the top seed in the draw, with world No 4 Amanda Anisimova seeded second.

Sabalenka and Swiatek are both likely to return to action in Indian Wells, the third WTA 1000 tournament of the year.

Action in Tennis Paradise begins in early March, with Sabalenka a two-time finalist at the event, and Swiatek being a two-time former champion.

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Read Next: WTA Dubai draw: Rybakina No 1 seed, Gauff, Raducanu, Eala all in top half

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry has defined the ATP Tour in recent seasons, and they could be set to do battle once again at the Qatar Open this week.

World No 1 Alcaraz and world No 2 Sinner are the top two seeds at the ATP 500 event, with former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, and reigning champion Andrey Rublev also all in action.

The draw for the event in Doha has been made and has thrown up several fascinating scenarios, and here we make our predictions for how things could pan out at the high-profile tournament.

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First Quarter

Projected Q/F: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs (7) Karen Khachanov

Alcaraz has not been in action since his historic Australian Open victory, having made the wise decision to withdraw from the Rotterdam Open and give himself extra time to recover.

The Spaniard’s first match since Melbourne comes against world No 28 Arthur Rinderknech, an opponent he holds a perfect 4-0 head-to-head record against.

The world No 1’s favourable draw will then see him face Valentin Royer or a qualifier in round two, before a projected quarter-final versus seventh seed Khachanov, the 2024 Doha champion.

World No 18 Khachanov has been handed a challenging opener against Jaume Munar, who consistently improved across 2025.

Should he overcome the Spaniard, Khachanov could also be tested by Marton Fucscovics in round two.

Prediction: Alcaraz def Khachanov

Second Quarter

Projected Q/F: (4) Daniil Medvedev vs (5) Andrey Rublev

Both Medvedev and Rublev are former champions in Doha, with Medvedev having lifted the title back at this event in 2023.

The fourth seed faces an intriguing opener against rising star Jerry Shang, who is continuing his return from injury, and could then face long-time rival Stefanos Tsitsipas in round two.

Looking to return to top form in 2026, the Greek has a fortuitous opener against wildcard Moez Echargui — though has a 4-10 record against Medvedev on the ATP Tour.

Medvedev is projected to face reigning champion Rublev in the last eight, though the fifth seed’s form has been unpredictable in recent months.

Rublev faces Jesper de Jong in round one, and could then face Ugo Humbert in round two, with the Frenchman fresh off a run to the Rotterdam semi-final — where he beat Medvedev.

Prediction: Humbert def Medvedev

Third Quarter

Projected Q/F: (8) Jiri Lehecka vs (3) Alexander Bublik

Bublik has been one of the most-improved players of the past twelve months, and a solid start to 2026 puts him well in contention for a deep run here.

The Kazakh should see off a qualifier in his opening round, but could face an intriguing round-two contest against Arthur Fils, with the Frenchman looking to find some form on his return from injury.

Also in this quarter of the draw is eighth seed and 2025 semi-finalist Lehecka, who defeated Alcaraz at the quarter-final stage of this event twelve months ago.

The Czech’s start to 2026 has not been ideal, and he faces a tough opening match versus America’s Jenson Brooksby, who was in resurgent form across 2025.

Should Lehecka overcome that opening test, he will not face an easier match in round two, with either Zizou Bergs or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard his next opponent.

Prediction: Bublik def Lehecka

Fourth Quarter

Projected Q/F: (6) Jakub Mensik vs (2) Jannik Sinner

Sinner has not been in action since his shock Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic, and it will be interesting to see how he responds at the ATP 500 event.

The Italian faces Tomas Machac in the opening round and, assuming he beats the Czech, could face Alexei Popyrin in round two — though the Australian has not won a match since the US Open last year.

This is a very manageable draw for Sinner early on, and perhaps sixth seed Mensik will provide the world No 2’s first significant test.

Mensik’s breakthrough was a run to the final at this event back in 2024, though he has not played since withdrawing from the fourth round of the Australian Open.

However, the Czech has a good draw early on in Doha, with a qualifier in round one, before a potential clash against Zhang Zhizhen in round two.

Prediction: Sinner def Mensik

Semi-final predictions

Alcaraz def Humbert

Sinner def Bublik

Final prediction

Alcaraz def Sinner

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Read Next: Karolina Muchova and Victoria Mboko’s prize money and ranking points from Qatar Open

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Qatar Open champion Karolina Muchova claimed that Victoria Mboko had “many titles” ahead of her after beating the Canadian in the final of the WTA 1000 event in Doha.

Muchova claimed her first-ever WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open on Saturday, with the 14th seed beating tenth seed Mboko 6-4, 7-5 to lift the biggest title of her career to date.

Victory for the 29-year-old saw her end her wait for a second WTA Tour title, having not lifted a WTA-level title since the Korea Open in September 2019.

And both women are now set for significant moves in the WTA Rankings, with Muchova set to be up to world No 11 on Monday, while Mboko is set to be the world No 10 — cracking the top 10 for the first time.

Though she was beaten in Saturday’s final, Mboko’s run sealed her latest breakthrough in the sport and continued her meteoric rise.

The teen star was ranked outside the top 200 twelve months ago, though she has soared up the WTA Rankings, starting with her historic run to the WTA 1000 Canadian Open title last August.

Mboko won her second WTA Tour title at the Hong Kong Open towards the end of 2025, and then reached the Adelaide International final last January.

The 19-year-old was unable to add a second WTA 1000 title to her collection on Saturday, though she still picked up some big wins during her Doha campaign.

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Mboko defeated two top-10 players, world No 7 Mirra Andreeva and world No 3 Elena Rybakina, during her run, also beating former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-final.

Muchova is a former world No 8 at the peak of her powers, reaching the French Open final in 2023, alongside runner-up finishes at the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open and China Open during her career.

And the Czech, who was ranked 19th in the world before her Doha campaign, shared a warm message with Mboko after her victory in Saturday’s championship match.

She said: “It’s been a while since I won a tournament, so it’s just nice to get that feeling again, to be reminded of that victory feeling here in Doha, it’s incredible. Thank you very much.

“I’m very excited, if I can take my words, I’d like to, as well, congratulate Victoria — you’re still a teenager if I’m not mistaken, and you play with so much maturity, and you play incredible. It’s been an incredible week for you.

“Congratulations, I’m sure you have many titles ahead of you. Congratulations to you and your team, congrats guys, and good luck for the rest of the season.”

Mboko will not have too much time to recover ahead of the Dubai Tennis Championships, with the second WTA 1000 event of the year already underway.

The Canadian is the 11th seed at the tournament and begins her campaign against Jaqueline Cristian, and could face a rematch versus Andreeva in round three.

Meanwhile, Muchova has withdrawn from the event.

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Read Next: WTA Dubai draw: Rybakina No 1 seed, Gauff, Raducanu, Eala all in top half

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Former Wimbledon champion and Rotterdam Open tournament director Richard Krajicek has hailed the “unbelievable” rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

World No 1 Alcaraz and No 2 Sinner have been the dominant players on the ATP Tour recently, and the pair have now won the last nine Grand Slam men’s singles titles between them.

Alcaraz’s recent Australian Open triumph came after he and Sinner had won two Grand Slam titles each in both 2024 and 2025, and the pair are the heavy favourites for the remaining three major events in 2026.

Last year also saw the Spaniard and Italian meet in the final of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, marking the first time in the Open Era that two men had met in three major finals in the same season.

Alcaraz and Sinner are well ahead of their contemporaries in the ATP Rankings, and their dominance comes directly after the historic era led by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

Many thought that, following the end of the ‘Big 3’ era, the men’s game would be more open for a few years, with an array of different Grand Slam singles champions crowned.

However, that has ultimately proven to be far from the truth, with Alcaraz and Sinner rarely allowing any other opponent a chance of Grand Slam glory.

1996 Wimbledon champion and former world No 4 Krajicek was among those who questioned the future of men’s tennis after Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

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And, speaking to Bolavip, the Dutchman hailed the emergence of Alcaraz and Sinner’s rivalry as a major positive for the sport.

He said: “Alcaraz and Sinner are both unbelievable players, and they have an unbelievable rivalry. I certainly didn’t expect this to happen to tennis after Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. It is like a miracle.

“Of course, we still have Djokovic left. I want to say this is his last year, but with him you never know, probably he has three years left in him. But I was starting to think about what tennis is going to look like, even being a bit worried, and then these two guys arrived on the stage.

“Of course, they are very different. Alcaraz is very outgoing and has a lot of variety, whereas Sinner is more introverted and disciplined.

“Both of them are so popular and are playing amazing tennis, so I never expected this to happen so quickly after the Big Three.”

As the Rotterdam Open tournament director, Krajicek has had the opportunity to work with Alcaraz and Sinner and see them close up in recent years.

Sinner lifted the title at the indoor ATP 500 event in 2024, defeating Alex de Minaur in the final, while Alcaraz beat de Minaur in the final to lift the title in 2025.

The world No 1 was initially set to return to defend his title this week, though he withdrew following his successful Australian Open campaign.

Alcaraz and Sinner are both set to return to action at the Qatar Open next week.

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