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Iga Swiatek’s worrying defeat against Jelena Ostapenko in the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals was the first part of a nightmare scenario that could see her face a huge WTA Rankings slide over the next few weeks.

World No 2 Swiatek’s dominance on clay courts made her defeat against Ostapenko all the more unexpected, even though she has now lost all six of her matches against an opponent who clearly knows how to take her out of her comfort zone.

What comes next could define not only Swiatek’s story for the rest of 2025, but also for the long term as she has a glut of ranking points to defend over the next month.

The WTA Rankings are compiled over a 52-week rolling period that sees points drop off a player’s total after a year and she has a massive 4,000 points coming out of her current haul after she won the Madrid Open, Rome Open and French Open in 2024.

Swiatek’s mastery of the red European dirt was confirmed during her glorious run of form in April, May and June of last year, but it does mean she is under huge pressure to defend those points over the next few weeks.

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Ostapenko is one of the few players that appears to give Swiatek real trouble, but her confidence may have been rocked by this latest setback and she may now head to Madrid with uncertainty as one of her biggest enemies.

If she were to lose half of the ranking points she collected in this period of 2024, she would drop face the prospect of dropping out of the top two of the WTA Rankings and if she lost more points than that, he position in the top six or six positions could be under threat.

The Polish star has struggled to find her best form consistently this season and while some of her performances have been clinical and dominant, others have been uncharacteristically erratic.

She has suggested criticism from the media in her Polish homeland has not helped her cause, but this four-time French Open champion should be confident of finding plenty of wins on her favourite surface over the next month.

“It’s still a challenge because it’s not like I come to play [on clay] and everything is perfect suddenly,” Swiatek said at Stuttgart Media Day on Monday. “We play on a hard court most of the year, so coming to clay court I still need some time to adjust to.

“But for sure, I feel like I’m in the right place. With a good amount of work and focus, I’m going to be able to start playing my game.”

Swiatek leads the statistics for clay court wins on the WTA Tour, but she will be keen to avoid Ostapenko in upcoming draws as the Latvian star clearly appears to have found a way to beat her.

Swiatek has not won a title since the French Open last June and she will be keen to snap that run in double quick time as she looks to avoid a rankings meltdown.

READ NEXT: Everything Iga Swiatek said after her loss to Jelena Ostapenko at the Stuttgart Open

The post Iga Swiatek facing desperate rankings slide unless she starts winning clay court titles appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has arrived in Spain ahead of his first appearance at the Madrid Open since 2022 and he has confirmed his intentions to challenge for the title by bringing Andy Murray with him in his coaching box.

Djokovic’s partnership with his old rival Murray has been one of the most compelling tennis storylines of the year, with the three-time Grand Slam champion a surprise pick to work with the 24-time major winner at the Australian Open in January.

It was unclear whether their partnership would continue after that experience in Melbourne, where Djokovic reached the semi-finals before he was forced to pull out with an injury in his semi-final against Alexander Zverev, but they worked together again at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters tournaments last month.

Djokovic then admitted he ‘didn’t know where Murray was’ as he played his first clay court tournament in Monte Carlo, with some question marks over whether the Serbian would play in the Spanish capital after he slipped to a defeat against Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match.

Djokovic described that loss and his performance as ‘horrible’, with some observers suggesting he may skip the Madrid Masters as he looks to build towards his primary target in the clay court season, which is the French Open at Roland Garros at the end of May.

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“I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I’m going to play this way,” said Djokovic after his loss in Monte Carlo.

“I don’t know. Just horrible. Horrible feeling to play this way, and just sorry for all the people that have to witness this.

“I expected myself at least to have put a decent performance. Not like this. It was horrible. I did not have high expectations, really.

“I knew I’m gonna have a tough opponent and I knew I’m gonna probably play pretty bad. But this bad, I didn’t expect.”

Djokovic’s downbeat press conference has not encouraged him to skip the Madrid Open, with his eagerness to play more tournaments in 2025 emphasised by his decision to bring Murray with him to Madrid.

Novak, welcome back to Madrid: the home of tennis @DjokerNole | @atptour | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/WVornaDmwV

— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 19, 2025

Djokovic and Murray practised at the Madrid venue on Saturday night, with the three-time Madrid Open champion looking in focused mood as he prepares for a draw where he will be the No 4 seed.

The case to win a 100th career title is clearly driving on Djokovic, with his near miss as he made it through to the Miami Open final last month before losing against Jakub Mensic.

“Ever since I won my 99th, which was the Olympic Games in Paris, I’ve been playing with the prospect of winning the special hundred titles,” said Djokovic in Miami.

“I played finals of Shanghai. I was close there. Semi-finals of Australia. Then been trying to find that necessary and much-needed level of tennis that will put me in a position to fight for a trophy, a big trophy.

“Clearly it is something I want to do, but I know it won’t be easy.”

READ NEXT: The 7 men with the highest ATP win percentage on clay: Rafael Nadal No 1, Novak Djokovic with 80.3%

The post Novak Djokovic sends out bold statement of intent as Madrid Masters coaching team is revealed appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz is the form player in men’s tennis after he backed up his thrilling win in last week’s Monte Carlo Masters with a run to the Barcelona Open final – but he might still be about to lose the world No 2 ranking.

Alcaraz extended his winning run at the Barcelona Open to a hugely impressive 14 matches with a comfortable victory over Arthur Fils in the semi-finals in front an enthusiastic Barcelona crowd.

This was a much more comprehensive win than Alcaraz served up against Fils in a classic semi-final in Monte Carlo, as he had far too much firepower for the 20-year-old Frenchman as he beat him 6-2 6-4.

“The first thing we have to be grateful for is the sun,” Alcaraz said, after a week of less than warm conditions in Barcelona.

“The sun was out, it wasn’t raining. There was [however] a lot of wind today, so I had to survive. It wasn’t about playing fantastic tennis, brilliant shots… It was about making the shots you have to do, no more than that.

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“Since I was a little kid, I was here on Sundays watching the final. I played twice here so being in a final here in Barcelona again means a lot.

“In front of my people, my friends who came from Murcia, and of course, the people here in Barcelona. It’s been a really fun and great week, and let’s see if we can end tomorrow with a trophy.”;

Alcaraz won the title in Barcelona in in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year’s tournament through injury and even though he is picking up fresh ranking points this week, he could still be ousted as world No 2.

Alcaraz remains some distance behind Jannik Sinner in the battle for the world No 1 ranking, but he returned to the No 2 ranking after his Monte Carlo Masters win last week.

Now he could be one defeat away from losing that ranking, as he needs to beat an in-form Holger Rune in Sunday’s final to hold onto the No 2 ranking.

Alexander Zverev has been struggling for form throughout 2025, but he has battled his way through to the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Munich this week and will overtake Alcaraz in the rankings if he wins his final against Ben Shelton and Rune wins in Barcelona.

“It’s awesome, the entire week has been amazing,” said Zverev as he commented on the Munich event that has been upgraded to ATP 500 level.

“The spectators have been really enjoying the weather, the new centre court and the new tournament. I’m enjoying it myself and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow.

“I thought I played quite a good match. I lost focus once in the first set on my serve, but apart from that I thought it was a good match. I thought Fabian played extremely well and I’m just happy to be in the final.”

Zverev openly admitted he was lacking on confidence after his poor results in recent months, so this revival in front of his German fans could be significant as he prepares for a crucial few weeks that will include the defence of the Rome Masters title he won last year.

The battle between Zverev and Alcaraz for the world No 2 ranking is significant, as the player who comes out on top would avoid a clash with world No 1 Jannik Sinner in next month’s French Open final until the final in Roland Garros.

READ NEXT: Holger Rune secures stunning rankings breakthrough as he seals Carlos Alcaraz showdown

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Holger Rune suffered a slump in form after his initial breakthrough on the ATP Tour, but now the impressive Dane is heading back to the top 10 of the ATP Rankings after some thrilling performances at the Barcelona Open.

Rune’s hugely impressive form in Barcelona continued with his finest display yet, as he beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 to seal a fine win that sets up a win against Spanish hero Carlos Alcaraz in a mouth-watering final.

It was enough to fire Rune up to No 9 in the live ATP Rankings and while that some way short of his highest position of No 4, it looks like a more mature and consistent player is now rising to the surface.

He was asked about his return to the top 10 after beating Khachenov and admitted it was ‘definitely a motivation’.

“At the beginning of the week, it’s not really something I think about, but it is great for it to happen,” said Rune.

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“I told myself: ‘Let’s use it as a training week to build’. Now it’s not really a training week, it’s become a very good week.

“I’m super happy to be in the final and back in the Top 10 in the Live Rankings, it feels good.

“I was playing very well from the back of the court, and mixing up the pace very well. He’s very good from the serve, [using] his forehand and backhand. So I tried to make it difficult for him by mixing it up with drop shots, slices, and high balls. It’s all a balance, but I’m happy with how I handled it today.”

Rune has a win on his record against Barcelona final opponent that came during his run to the 2022 Paris Masters title, with another win over Alcaraz likely to be even more significant on Sunday.

Before Alcaraz burst to the top of the game and won four Grand Slam titles in double quick time, Rune was being viewed as the leader of the next generation of superstar players.

He has been left in Alcaraz’s shadow over the last couple of years and told Tennis365 last December that he as made some mistakes that have contributed to his momentum being halted.

“It all happened very fast for me when I won the Paris Masters and that was nice, but it was also stressful in some moments, especially when I started playing bad at the end of 2023,” Rune told Tennis365.

“Now I am back on a better path and improving. Now I’m not looking too much into what happened in the past, but more what is happening now and in the future, as that’s what I can control.

“You can look at pressure in two different ways. You can say there is a lot of pressure, or you can say it’s amazing that people believe in me and have high expectations for me to be a great player. This is my dream and we are living it.

“I don’t think about any expectations on me when I’m playing. I don’t think I need to win this match because of the expectations on me. I am very competitive when I go out there and you need to learn that when you are young, you don’t know everything yet. It’s about finding out how to react after great moments and to practice even harder after great moments.

“I have always believed in myself, but over the last one and a half years, I haven’t put the right work in. Now I am putting the right work in I hope the rewards will come.

“Without the specific tennis, fitness and mental things we are working on, it won’t happen. Everyone can say they want to win a Grand Slam, but you need to put the right work in.

“I can only blame myself because the decisions were all made by me. Every coach I’ve had and every person I’ve had has done the best they can do for my tennis, but it needs to fit the person and I think it’s really, really personal to have the right people.

“There are not hundreds of guys out there, but it’s about having the right people in your team who can give me what I want to improve my game and I feel like I have that now.”

READ NEXT: Holger Rune admits he has made mistakes in brutally honest interview

The post Holger Rune secures stunning rankings breakthrough as he seals Carlos Alcaraz showdown appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has admitted she is not comfortable playing on clay courts, but former British No 1 Laura Robson has insisted she can shine on the red dirt.

Raducanu played only a limited clay court programme last year, as she opted against playing in qualifying for the French Open in favour of preparing for the grass court season.

While that decision reaped some rewards as she enjoyed some big wins in front of her British fans on grass, Robson believes Raducanu should embrace the challenge of playing on grass.

“I think in the future, it’s going to be a surface that will actually really suit me, I think, maybe I’m a little bit away from that right now,” she said whule playing for Great Britain on the surface in last year’s Billie Jean King Cup.

Raducanu’s power packed ground strokes would appear to be perfectly suited to clay, but she has struggled with her movement on the surface at times, which is understandable as she would not have played on the surface growing up in Britain.

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Despite that lack of experience, Robson has backed the 22-year-old to shine on clay this year and insisted she should commit to playing more tournaments.

“I’m sure Emma would like to do well on clay and grass this year and play a full schedule,” said Robson at a Sky Sports Tennis event.

“Clay is great for developing all areas of the game. Tactically, it’s a great surface to learn how to turn around matches when you are behind in slower conditions.

“Clay conditions change so much depending on the weather and where you are playing.

“Madrid is always so different to Rome and it might be that one set of conditions suits Emma better than the other.”

The early indicators in Raducanu’s clay court season may not be suggesting she is planning to play more on the surface this year.

She opted against playing for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup finals and then pulled out of a WTA 250 event in Rousen, as she opted to take time away from the game after her run to the Miami Open quarter-finals last month.

That decision inspired former world No 1 Andy Roddick to question Raducanu’s motivation, as he offered up these comments on the latest edition of his Served podcast.

“She just found her form… why is she recalibrating? What does that mean?” asked Roddick. “She looked great. She looked like a top 10 player in Miami. Why stop now?

“I get so frustrated. I’m such a fan of hers. I like listening to her reasoning on things, but you get to the quarter-finals, you are finally getting momentum and then you stop.

“Why put a speed bump in the middle of your season? It just happens over and over.

“You got to the quarters, let’s build. Let’s keep it rolling. I don’t think clay is going to be her best surface, but she is really good on grass. Let’s hope she sticks to the strategy this time.”

Raducanu is currently on the entry list at the Madrid Open and also the Rome Open at the start of May, while her current ranking will be enough to secure her direct entry into the French Open at Roland Garros.

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Iga Swiatek’s bid for a third Stuttgart Open title was dashed as she fell to a sixth consecutive defeat to her nemesis Jelena Ostapenko.

The five-time Grand Slam winner lost 3-6, 6-3, 2-6 to the world No 24 in just under two hours and 10 minutes in the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 tournament.

The world No 2 remains without a win against Ostapenko and now holds a 0-6 record against the 2017 French Open champion.

This was Swiatek‘s first defeat to Ostapenko on her favoured clay courts, with the previous four on hard courts and the first meeting on grass.

Ostapenko surged into a 4-0 lead as she made a blistering start to the match and broke Swiatek three times en route to winning the opening set in convincing fashion.

Swiatek was unable to consolidate a 3-1, break advantage in the second set, but her second break of the 27-year-old Latvian’s serve at 4-3 proved decisive as she levelled the contest.

It ended a run of five consecutive sets Swiatek had lost against Ostapenko, but that momentum was instantly lost as she swiftly fell 0-3 behind in the decider.

The 23-year-old Pole had her only chance to break back in a crucial 11-point seventh game, but Ostapenko held firm before breaking to seal another impressive win.

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Swiatek’s quarter-final exit in Stuttgart extends her title drought. The former world No 1 has not reached a final since winning the French Open in June last year.

Among WTA players who have not been ranked world No 1, Ostapenko is just the third woman to win their first six matches against a former or future world No 1.

Gabriela Sabatini and Agnieszka Radwanska are other players to accomplish this.

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In her on-court interview, Ostapenko was asked: “No one else has beaten Iga 6 times in a row. Which statement is more correct: she hates to play you, or you like to play her?”

The Latvian replied: “I think both.”

Ostapenko followed that up with another great quote as she pointed out her own clay-court pedigree.

“She (Swiatek) is a great clay-court player as well. But you know, I won French Open. So I can say about myself the same thing (smiling).”

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The post Iga Swiatek title drought continues as Jelena Ostapenko becomes 3rd woman to achieve stunning feat appeared first on Tennis365.

Richard Gasquet has named two top ATP stars who were “not nice” as he also shed light on what Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are like behind the scenes.

The 38-year-old will hang up his racket after playing the final tournament of his illustrious career at this year’s French Open.

The Frenchman has won 16 ATP singles titles, while he reached a career-high ranking of world No 7 in 2007.

Gasquet, who turned pro in 2002, played throughout the golden generation of tennis dominated by the legendary Big Three.

He holds a 2-19 record against Federer and a 1-13 record against Djokovic, while he was unable to beat Nadal in 18 encounters on the main tour.

During an episode of the Pause podcast, Gasquet discussed his relationship with top players on the ATP Tour during his career.

In response to the host asking “is there a guy who wasn’t nice?”, Gasquet named both Tomas Berdych and Robin Soderling.

“Guys a little less strong [than Federer, Djokovic and Nadal] like Tomas Berdych, Robin Soderling, who were still ranked fifth and sixth in the world,” said Gasquet (translated from French).

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“But the best, the ones who really interest people, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, are polite, respectful, pleasant guys.”

Soderling and Berdych were both ranked as high as fourth in the world and were runners-up at the French Open and Wimbledon respectively in 2010.

Gasquet amassed a 3-2 record against Soderling and a 8-9 record against Berdych.

In a recent interview with Arnaud Clement for Eurosport France, Gasquet highlighted Nadal on a clay court as the toughest opponent he has ever faced.

“It’s so hard to compare. It’s so irrational. From time to time, we’re in a world where it’s so hard to say,”

“The other one (Nadal), he won Roland Garros 14 times, you can’t think anymore. The other one (Djokovic), he won 24 Grand Slams. Federer took the ball on the half-volley all day long, so I can’t think anymore.

“Afterwards, yes, the ultimate level, Nadal on clay when it was very hot. You see that beautiful one bounced 10 meters, it was crazy. It was a ball of incredible power.

“I would say him, I would really say Nadal on clay when it’s hot. Besides, he lost two or three times maybe.”

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The post Richard Gasquet reveals what Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer are really like appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu is yet to compete on clay this year, but she will have the chance to continue her climb up the rankings when she returns to action.

The 22-year-old has not played since her impressive run to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open last month, where she earned four straight wins at a WTA event for the first time since her shock 2021 US Open triumph.

Raducanu is up to 47th in the world after her exploits in Miami, having started the WTA 1000 event ranked 60th.

After Miami, Raducanu opted to delay the start of her clay-court campaign as she withdrew from Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifying ties in the Netherlands and the WTA 250 tournament in Rouen.

The Brit has not confirmed her first event of the season on clay, but it is likely to be the Madrid Open, a WTA 1000 which will run from April 22 to May 4.

Raducanu’s 2024 clay-court results

Raducanu played only six matches on clay in 2024, amassing a 4-2 record.

In April last year, Raducanu defeated both Diane Parry and Caroline Garcia on clay in Great Britain’s BJK Cup win against France in Le Portel.

The former world No 10 next competed at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart staged on indoor clay.

She overcame Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova to reach the quarter-finals, where she was beaten by Iga Swiatek.

Raducanu then played her second clay-court WTA Tour event of 2024 at the Madrid Open, and she lost to Maria Lourdes Carle in the opening round.

The 2021 US Open winner did not play any clay tournaments after Madrid as she chose to take a break and return for the grass season.

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The Brit is, therefore, defending just 118 points during this year’s clay season — 108 from her Stuttgart quarter-final and 10 from her first round Madrid exit.

The world No 47 will lose the 108 points from Stuttgart when the WTA Rankings update following the conclusion of the 2025 edition of the tournament, which is currently ongoing.

Raducanu will, though, have a good opportunity to gain points if she plays the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, and the French Open — having skipped the latter two events last year.

The 22-year-old may also consider adding the WTA 500 in Strasbourg or the WTA 250 in Rabat — both of which are held in the week before Roland Garros — to her schedule.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu’s ‘crazy’ decisions questioned by former world No 1 as coaching appointment looms

The post Why Emma Raducanu could make a big rankings jump during the clay season appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner’s former coach Riccardo Piatti has predicted that the world No 1 will turn the “very unpleasant” situation of his doping ban into “something positive.”

Piatti played an integral role in Sinner’s development as a player, having coached the Italian from the age of 13 until 20. Sinner chose to end the collaboration in February 2022.

Sinner has been unable to play since defending his Australian Open title in January due to a three-month doping suspension that started on February 9 and runs until May 4.

The Italian tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol twice in March 2024 — during and after the Indian Wells Masters.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) revealed in August that Sinner would not serve a ban after an independent tribunal ruled he carried “no fault or negligence.”

Sinner explained that the substance had entered his body when receiving a massage from his former physio, Giacomo Naldi, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on his own finger.

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

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The appeal was set to be heard at CAS in April, but WADA announced in February it had reached an agreement with Sinner’s legal team for him to serve a three-month ban.

The 23-year-old has missed tournaments in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, while he will also be unable to play the upcoming Madrid Open.

The Italian is set to make his comeback on home soil at the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, which will begin on May 7. Sinner has also added the ATP 500 in Hamburg to his schedule prior to the French Open.

Speaking to SuperTennis TV, Piatti suggested Sinner has a plan to complete a historic Calendar Grand Slam by winning the remaining three majors in 2025.

“This whole situation has been very unpleasant for Sinner, but I’m sure he’ll turn it into something positive,” said Piatti.

“I think Jannik has a very important card up his sleeve in the coming months to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.”

The Italian added: “I’m sure that during these months of hiatus, Jannik hasn’t stopped.

“During the pandemic, for example, it was one of the most important moments of growth for him. He trained physically three times a week and played tennis every day.”

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz makes feelings clear on ATP’s controversial extended Masters 1000 format

The post ‘Jannik Sinner has a very important card up his sleeve to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca turned down a ‘mega-money offer’ when he decided to become a professional tennis player earlier this year, Tennis365 has been informed.

Fonseca has been talked about as one of the rising stars of tennis over the last few years, with the teenager’s huge reputation ensuring he would be a big draw if he agreed to play on the US college circuit rather than becoming a professional player.

With US colleges keen to get the best players onto their teams, players of Fonseca’s reputation and potential are now being offered big financial pay-outs to agree to delay their move into the pro ranks and commit to time developing their skills in the US system.

Top junior players have long been offered a chance to attend top class US colleges for free, but now they are being given even more incentive to make the move with tempting big-money offers on the table.

With all college fees covered and competitive tennis guaranteed in a thriving league system that is producing top-quality junior players, the temptation to delay the start of a pro career is now being complicated by the prospect of a big money ‘signing on’ fee.

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This is similar to what we see in other major sports, but it is a relatively new development in US college tennis.

Fonseca has not spoken about the money he was offered to play US college tennis, but he has admitted he faced a tough choice after an offer to continue his development at the University of Virginia.

“It was an incredibly tough decision for me and my family as I have been dreaming about living a college life in Charlottesville, playing the sport that l love with a wonderful team and coach, but, in the last months, professional tennis called me in a way that I simply couldn’t say ‘no’,” said Fonseca in a statement on his Instagram.

“Although I will not be attending school, I think it is an extremely valuable and viable path for young tennis players [on] their way to professional careers.

“I was never pressured about making a decision towards college tennis. You gave me just the space for this. I can’t thank UVA and coach Andres Pedroso enough for this.”

Fonseca has already made his mark on the professional tennis tour, which suggests he made the right decision over his move to jump straight into the pro game.

He won his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires in February and served up some memorable performances in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in the Miami Open, but college tennis is also proving to be a successful route for some players.

Scotland’s Jacob Fearnley made a big impact on the US college circuit before turning professional last year, with his development period in America helping him to make a quick break into the top 100 of the ATP Rankings.

“I don’t think that college tennis is in any way a step back,” said Fearnley. “It’s actually a step forward. You get to work on your fitness, be part of a team and improve on your fitness.

“So when you come out of college, there is no doubt what you want to be as a professional tennis player. If you use your four years wisely in college, you can set yourself up brilliantly to do some damage on the tour. A lot of the guys are going down the college route now.

“I owe a lot to college tennis. I think all of the experiences I had in those five years, playing against amazing tennis players, different conditions, different atmospheres, different courts, different environments, it all helped me kind of mould my game, and it’s the same on the tour.

“It has been encouraging for me to see I can compete against the best players in the world and I’m learning a lot about my game and what I need to do to get better.”

Tennis365 understands that a host of top junior players are now being offered big money to move to US colleges, with their thriving and competitive league structure overseen by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

While a move to accept the college path delays a move into the professional ranks, it is now a hugely attractive route for aspiring tennis players to take as they have a chance to get a great education as well as furthering their tennis development.

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