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Elena Rybakina ended her Asian swing struggles with an impressive run to the title in Ningbo, and the Kazakh now has her sights firmly set on returning to the WTA Finals.

Having beaten Ekaterina Alexandrova to pick up the 10th title of her career — and second of 2025 — at the Ningbo Open, world No 7 Rybakina boosted her chances of a third appearance at the year-end championships, having previously qualified in 2023 and 2024.

However, while Kazakh has her fate in her own hands, she still needs to overtake Mirra Andreeva in the WTA Race to Riyadh, and that may be easier said than done, with Rybakina handed a tough draw at the Pan Pacific Open.

As it stands

Seven of the eight spots at the WTA Finals in Riyadh have now been secured, with Jasmine Paolini qualifying last week to join Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, and Madison Keys in the field.

That means it is a straight shootout between Rybakina and Andreeva for the final spot, with no other player in contention for the eighth and final position.

Champion at WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Indian Wells this season, teen star Andreeva holds 4,319 points for the season, with her chances of qualifying faltering during what was a difficult hard-court summer and Asian swing.

Meanwhile, having won WTA 500 titles in Strasbourg and Ningbo this year, Rybakina holds 4,305 points after a topsy-turvy season for the former world No 3 — just 14 points behind Andreeva.

This is the final week that contributes to WTA Finals qualification, and, with her rival not in action, Rybakina has the chance to stamp her authority and secure her place in Tokyo this week.

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What Rybakina needs to do

With Paolini having withdrawn from the WTA 500 event in Tokyo, presumably due to her own WTA Finals qualification, Rybakina is now the top seed at the Pan Pacific Open.

You would assume that makes life straightforward for her in terms of qualifying for the year-end championships in Riyadh, and that is the case from a points perspective.

The Kazakh receives a round-one bye at the tournament and, while 100 points for reaching the quarter-final would not factor into her race standings, her points from reaching the semi-final would.

Should Rybakina reach the last four, she would earn 200 ranking points — and secure her WTA Finals qualification.

However, she will have to beat two players she has lost to in 2025 to do just that, with her draw in Tokyo an incredibly tough one.

Rybakina will start her campaign with a round-two match against Leylah Fernandez, who also comes into this event off the back of a title — having triumphed in Osaka this weekend.

The Canadian beat Maria Sakkari in round one of Tokyo and has won two of her three meetings against Rybakina, including a Citi D.C Open semi-final win back in July.

If Rybakina were to beat Fernandez, she would then face either Victoria Mboko or Eva Lys in the quarter-finals, two players she has both tasted defeat two in recent months.

The former Wimbledon champion was stunned by Mboko in the Canadian Open semi-finals this summer, with the teen star having won her first match since Montreal in the opening round of Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the much-improved Lys shocked Rybakina in the third round of the China Open just a few weeks back.

WTA Finals Race (as of October 21, 2025)

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 9,990 – Q
2) Iga Swiatek, 8,303 – Q
3) Coco Gauff, 6,573 – Q
4) Amanda Anisimova, 5,897 – Q
5) Jessica Pegula, 5,183 – Q
6) Madison Keys, 4,395 – Q
7) Jasmine Paolini, 4,325 – Q
8) Mirra Andreeva, 4,319
Cutoff
9) Elena Rybakina, 4,305

Read Next: WTA Rankings: Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Anisimova, Keys punishment confirmed for breaking rule

The post Elena Rybakina vs Mirra Andreeva: Kazakh’s ‘tough’ pathway to WTA Finals qualification revealed appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner’s decision not to be part of Italy’s Davis Cup team has been described as a “slap in the face,” despite the world No 2 explaining the reasons for his absence.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner has been a key part of the Italian team in recent years, guiding Italy to the title in 2023 — their first success since 1976 — before helping his nation successfully defend their title in 2024.

This year’s Davis Cup Finals are set to be held in Bologna next month, with many having expected the former world No 1 to lead his nation once again in front of a raucous home crowd, as the nation looks to become the first since 1971 to win three straight titles in the men’s team event.

However, Monday’s Davis Cup Finals team announcements revealed that Sinner was not part of captain Filippo Volandri’s squad, with Lorenzo Musetti and Flavio Cobolli set to lead Italy’s charge.

Having won the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh this past weekend, the 24-year-old returns to official ATP action at the Vienna Open this week.

And, quizzed about his surprise decision, Sinner revealed that his focus was on a strong start to 2026.

He commented: “I’m a two-time Davis Cup winner.

“My team and I made this decision because the season is very long at the end of the year and I need an extra week of rest to start my preparation earlier. The goal is to get off to a good start in Australia.

“In the last two years, I haven’t reached my best level because I lacked time, that’s why we made this decision. We’ll see.”

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Though Sinner’s choice may be understandable from a scheduling perspective, it has attracted criticism from some quarters.

And, among those leading the criticism of Sinner is Italian tennis great and Davis Cup icon Nicola Pietrangeli.

No man has played as many or won as many Davis Cup rubbers for any nation as Pietrangeli, who won 120 of 164 matches across both singles and doubles for his country from 1954-72.

Twice a Davis Cup runner-up in 1960 and 1961, and captain of Italy’s successful 1976 campaign, the two-time Roland Garros champion has revealed he does not “understand” Sinner’s decision.

“It’s a real slap in the face for Italian sport,” said Pietrangeli.

“I don’t understand when he says it was a difficult choice. We’re talking about playing tennis, not going to war. When it comes to the Davis Cup, it’s the pinnacle; the goal of every athlete is to wear the blue jersey.

“Unfortunately, I know I’m talking about another era. I see that today’s world is driven by money and that the heart is put aside.”

The Davis Cup Finals in Bologna take place from November 18-23, with Italy facing Austria to start their title defence.

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The post Jannik Sinner slammed by Italian tennis icon as world No 2 explains Davis Cup decision appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has made his feelings clear on the prospect of becoming the fourth player to win 20 Grand Grand Slam titles after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

The Spanish superstar, who turned 22 in May, has already won six Grand Slams, with his most recent triumph coming at the US Open last month.

Alcaraz has won the US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open twice each. Tennis icon Bjorn Borg is the only other man to secure six majors at the age of 22 in the Open Era.

The world No 1 can become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam if he wins either of the next two editions of the Australian Open. Nadal is currently the youngest man to win each of the four majors, having won the 2010 US Open to complete the set at the age of 24.

Nadal won five Grand Slams before turning 23, while Federer and Djokovic each won one. Djokovic holds the all-time Grand Slam singles title record with 24, while Nadal and Federer are second and third on the men’s list with 22 and 20.

In an interview with Marca, Alcaraz was asked if he is aiming to finish his career with more than 20 Grand Slams given he has won more majors than any of the Big Three had managed when they were his age.

“If we look at the next 10 years, it’s a bit of a stretch… to be honest, yes (that is the goal),” said Alcaraz (translated from Spanish).

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“I don’t take anything for granted because every year is different. Players advance, new players emerge, and it’s more complicated.

“I hope it continues at this pace, but in tennis, you have to give your best every season, and that’s the most difficult part.”

Alcaraz also responded to the suggestion that the key to him overtaking Jannik Sinner to return to world No 1 was not thinking about it.

“I think so,” he said. “In the end, up until the US Open, I didn’t really think I was going to regain the number one spot. It was a goal, but it felt very far away. I wasn’t killing myself or eager to achieve it.

“Week after week, I was doing my part to keep moving forward and closing in on Jannik’s points. At the US Open, I realised that returning to number one depended on me.

“I didn’t try to put that pressure on myself. I played my good tennis until I finally got there. It’s something that has come with daily and weekly work, without having that desire.”

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner uses a bleak word to describe his battle with Carlos Alcaraz for No 1 ranking

The post What Carlos Alcaraz said about matching Djokovic, Nadal & Federer’s Grand Slam totals appeared first on Tennis365.

Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz have both spoken out and expressed their concerns about the host of injuries suffered by players on the men’s tour in recent weeks.

Holger Rune has confirmed his Achilles is “fully broken” after being brought to tears having been forced to retire in his Stockholm Open semi-final against Ugo Humbert on Saturday.

Novak Djokovic retired due to injury after losing a marathon opening set in his third place playoff match with Fritz at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh later that day.

Injuries and players struggling physically have been major themes on the ATP Tour since the Asian swing. Seven players were forced to retire mid-match at the Shanghai Masters earlier this month, while world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz was one 13 players to pull out before the event.

Draper, the current world No 9, cut his 2025 season short due to a bruised humerus injury that forced him to pull out of the US Open in late August.

In a post on X after Rune and Djokovic’s retirements, Draper called for changes to be made to the tour as he warned that young players will struggle to have long careers with the current calendar.

Injuries are going to happen… we are pushing our bodies to do things they aren’t supposed to in elite sport. We have so many incredible younger guys on the tour right now and I’m proud to be apart of that, however, the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are gonna…

— jack draper (@jackdraper0) October 18, 2025

“Injuries are going to happen… we are pushing our bodies to do things they aren’t supposed to in elite sport,” said the 23-year-old Brit.

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“We have so many incredible younger guys on the tour right now and I’m proud to be a part of that, however, the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are gonna achieve some sort of longevity.”

Fritz, the world No 4, agreed with Draper and went on to argue that conditions are contributing to the increase in injuries.

“Facts, also seeing more injuries and burnout now than ever before because balls, courts, conditions have slowed down a lot making the weekly grind even more physically demanding and tough on the body,” the 27-year-old American said in reply to Draper.

Alcaraz is one of many players who has criticised the tennis schedule in recent months.

“I think that the schedule is really tight,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion during the Japan Open last month.

“They have to do something with the schedule. I think there are too many mandatory tournaments, too many in a row.”

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The post Jack Draper & Taylor Fritz warn tennis chiefs and call for change after Holger Rune horror injury appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has made a major 2025 schedule decision as he will not compete at the 2025 Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, Italy’s captain Filippo Volandri has confirmed.

The four-time Grand Slam champion had already cast doubt over his participation with comments he made when asked about the team competition at the China Open last month.

“The truth is that I haven’t decided whether or not to play the Davis Cup, I’ll make a choice later. I can’t give an answer right now. I’m only focused on the next tournaments I’ll be taking part in,” the 24-year-old told reporters.

Volandri has now revealed that Sinner has chosen not to compete at the Davis Cup Finals this year as he confirmed Italy’s squad for the event.

“Sinner has not given his availability for 2025,” the former ATP player said.

“The Davis Cup is, and will always remain, his home and I am sure that Jannik will soon return to be part of the team.”

This year’s Davis Cup Final 8 stage, which will run from November 18-23, will be the first edition of the competition held in Bologna, Italy.

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Italy’s five man squad features Lorenzo Musetti, Matteo Berrettini, Flavio Cobolli, Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli.

Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis Federation, said: “We understand and respect Jannik’s decision, which is very painful for us.

“[It] comes at the end of a long and intense season, in which he once again demonstrated that he is an extraordinary point of reference for the entire Italian tennis movement.”

Sinner led Italy to win the previous two editions of the Davis Cup Finals, which were held in Malaga.

The world No 2 is in action at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna this week, where he will face 51st-ranked Daniel Altmaier in his opening match.

He is then due to feature at the Paris Masters before ending his campaign at the ATP Finals in Turin. The Davis Cup Finals will take place the week after the ATP Finals.

Sinner defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz to win the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia last week, with his triumph earning him a staggering $6million.

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The post Jannik Sinner makes huge decision on his 2025 Davis Cup Finals participation appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has “made a lot of progress” following his recent struggles against Carlos Alcaraz, but the world No 1 has been told that his victory over the Spaniard at the Six Kings Slam is “worthless” by an Italian great.

Alcaraz has taken a dominant 10-5 lead in his head-to-head with his Italian rival as he has won seven of their last eight meetings – including this year’s French Open and US Open finals – with Sinner’s lone win coming at the showpiece match at Wimbledon.

After losing the season-ending Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows against the Spaniard, Sinner admitted that his game had become predictable, but vowed to get out of his comfort zone in order to find a winning formula against the 22-year-old.

In their first meeting since the US Open final, the two faced each other in the final of the Six Kings Slam and Sinner dominated as he won 6-2, 6-4 and earned a $6m payday as the winner received a cheque of $4.5m on top of an appearance fee of $1.5m.

The manner of the win will no doubt give the 24-year-old confidence ahead of future meetings with Alcaraz, but 1976 French Open winner Adriano Panatta says it is important not to read too much into the exhibition match.

Speaking on Domenica Sportiva, the Italian said: “I don’t want to be a contrarian, but these exhibitions have limited value, both technically and emotionally, because I’ve never seen Sinner smile so many times during a match.

“I’ve played plenty of performances like this when I was playing — and we’re talking about the last century — and I know how little they’re worth. Sinner, however, had an excellent match against Alcaraz; he served and played very well, much better than the Spaniard.”

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The former world No 4, though, was impressed with Sinner’s serve and also feels the four-time Grand Slam winner is “scary” when he hits top form.

“As for his serve, you can see he’s worked hard and made a lot of progress, but, I repeat, these matches are worthless. It’s a good sign to see Jannik so calm and in excellent health,” the 75-year-old said.

“I’ve seen him very solid, and it’s true that against him it feels like a ping-pong match; it’s scary when he plays like that. I would never have been able to play like he does. Jannik is a solid champion; he has a solidity I’ve never seen from anyone in the last 20 years.”

But Panatta feels Sinner will only know how much progress he has made when he meets Alcaraz in an official match.

He added: “Now I want to watch the matches against Alcaraz in Paris (indoors), if they go ahead, and especially at the ATP Finals: those will be real matches.”

The post Jannik Sinner told latest win over Carlos Alcaraz ‘has limited value’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have for the second consecutive year failed to play the minimum number of mandatory WTA 500 events and now they have been punished.

Last year, the top two players in women’s tennis broke the rule that requires all players to enter at least six WTA 500-level tournaments and it had a major impact on the WTA Rankings as Sabalenka replaced Swiatek at No 1 after their zero pointers were added.

And now both have again been docked points, but this time it didn’t affect their rankings with Sabalenka staying at No 1 and Swiatek keeping her second place.

Both players have entered only three WTA 500 tournaments so far this year and the zero pointers have been implemented for the October 20 rankings update.

Zero pointers come into effect when players fail to enter the mandatory number of tournaments, as they earn zero points for a WTA 500 event with points from another tournament removed, which is usually a higher-level event.

Sabalenka has been docked 10 points while Swiatek lost 65 points, but they keep first and second place in the rankings.

WTA Year-End No 1 Battle

The Belarusian remains the world No 1 as she now sits on 10,390 points with Swiatek on 8,703.

Sabalenka now leads the six-time Grand Slam winner by 1,687 points and for now she is assured of being the year-end No 1 for a second year in a row with only the WTA Finals still to come.

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A maximum of 1,500 points are available for an undefeated champion so even if Swiatek goes on to win the tournament without losing a match Sabalenka would stay ahead of her in the rankings.

However, both are still likely to be hit by another zero pointer next week, but it is once again unlikely to have too big an impact on the rankings with Sabalenka set to keep her big points lead.

Gauff And Co’s Punishment

But they were not the only top WTA stars who were handed zero pointers as world No 3 Coco Gauff (-10), No 4 Amanda Anisimova (-10) and No 8 Madison Keys (-54) have also been punished, but none of them lost out in the rankings due to the rule.

Gauff is well adrift of Swiatek in the Race To Riyadh, which is a key indicator for the year-end rankings, while she is only 676 points ahead of Anisimova in the battle to finish the year as the American No 1.

Keys dropped one place from No 7, but she was always going to move down a spot on the back of Elena Rybakina’s title run at the Ningbo Open.

The post WTA Rankings: Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Anisimova, Keys punishment confirmed for breaking rule appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner may have got the better of his big rival Carlos Alcaraz in the Six Kings Slam final in Saudi Arabia, but he admits there is one battle with his big rival that is set to be lost.

Sinner secured a thumping 6-2, 6-4 win against Alcaraz in a one-sided battle in Riyadh, as he snapped back from his defeat against Alcaraz in last month’s US Open final.

A powerful serving display was at the heart of Sinner’s win and Alcaraz must have left Riyadh with some concerns that his nearest rival has taken his game to a level he will struggle to match on a fast indoor court over the next few weeks.

Sinner and Alcaraz could meet against the Paris Masters, the ATP Finals and in the Davis Cup finals to complete a year when they have been the dominant players in the men’s game, sharing all four Grand Slam titles between them for a second successive season.

The duo have also shared the world No 1 ranking during those two years and now the battle is on to finish 2025 at the top of the ATP list.

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While the gap between leader Alcaraz and world No 2 Sinner is just 1,340 points, Sinner will need a lot of factors to go his way if he is to claim the year-end No 1 ranking for a second year in a row.

As the defending champion at the ATP Finals, Sinner cannot add to his points total from that end-of-season event, where he collected 1,500 ranking points last year.

More significantly, Alcaraz only has 300 ranking points to defend over the final weeks of this year after a less-than-impressive end to his 2024 season and that explains why Sinner has all but given up hope of overhauling the Spaniard.

“For me, the end of the year is very important,” Sinner told Netflix after his Six Kings Slam win against Alcaraz. “I’m very lucky because the ATP Finals are in Italy and this gives me a lot of energy with my home people.”

When asked whether he still has his sights set on chasing down Alcaraz for the world No 1 ranking over the next few weeks, he appeared to suggest that the race is already over as he added: “This year, it’s going to be impossible.”

Sinner has entered the upcoming ATP 500 tournament in Vienna and if he secures a win in that tournament, he will gain some ground on Alcaraz.

He needs to win Vienna, the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals to have a realistic chance of finishing 2025 ahead of Alcaraz and getting would also need his rival to lose early in both the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.

The race for No 1 may be in Alcaraz’s hands for now, but there is no doubt that these two great champions will hold the top two seeded positions for the Australian Open in January.

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Holger Rune said it was “unbearable” to think of how long he will be away from the court as he posted on social media for the first time since an Achilles injury saw him limp off the court during the Nordic Open semi-finals.

Rune pulled up during the second set in his match against Ugo Humbert and needed help to limp off the court after an injury to his left foot.

He has now confirmed that his Achilles is “fully broken” and said it was “unbearable” to think of how long he will be out.

“It’s gonna be a while before I can step on court again,” he said on Instagram. “It’s tough. I had so much joy on court in Stockholm and it’s unbearable to think that I will not feel this energy for some time now.

“My Achilles is fully broken on the proximal part meaning I need [an] operation already next week and from here rehabilitation.

“Thank you for all your support now and always. Without you nothing would be the same. See you as soon as possible.”

Rune was visibly devastated as he left the court in tears and has been met with an abundance of well wishes on his post.

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One of them came from coach Patrick Mouratoglou who said he knew Rune would come back stronger.

“I feel for you my friend but I know how strong mentally you are,” the French coach said. “You will use that time off to become even better!”

Journalist Nicholas Albek from SpilXperten watched the scenes with Rune and he gave this reaction to Tennis365: “First and foremost, I’m obviously incredibly sorry on Holger’s behalf. He’s one of the biggest Danish names and a fantastic tennis player. In my eyes, he’s still one of the most talented players in the world.”

“That’s why it hurts even more to see his serious injury today. Aneke Rune confirmed to me right after the match that Holger has torn his Achilles tendon. He’ll be getting a scan on Sunday, where he’ll find out whether surgery is needed or not, but according to his team, that doesn’t really change the recovery timeline much.”

“So far, the prognosis is 3–6 months, but I do fear that Aneke might be a bit optimistic. Of course, I’m hoping for the best for him, because Holger is truly a great guy, and I have a lot of respect for him both on and off the court, where he always takes the time to talk to us journalists.”

“It was a very special atmosphere after the match. The mood in the press room was almost one of disbelief. People couldn’t believe their eyes, and there was dead silence. Ugo Humbert came to the press conference shortly after, and he was clearly deeply affected by the situation.”

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The post Holger Rune gives ‘unbearable’ statement after horror injury ends season appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner had far too much for Carlos Alcaraz in the Six Kings Slam final in Riyadh on Saturday and former British No 1 Tim Henman has identified why the Italian was too hot to handle for his Spanish rival.

Sinner sealed a 6-2, 6-4 win against his great rival in the exhibition event that is the richest in tennis, with the victory taking home a massive $6million after his masterclass in Saudi Arabia.

While this result will not count on the head-to-head record for Sinner and Alcaraz, it was evidence that the Italian has bounced back from his comprehensive defeat against the world No 1 in the US Open final last month.

That match in New York was notable for Sinner’s disappointing serving performance and he suggested after the contest that he needed to improve that area of his game.

“I can say that I’m gonna become a better tennis player and I’m gonna change a couple of things on the serve, just small things, but, they can make big differences and then we see how it goes,” said Sinner.

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“I’m looking forward to play these matches again, something new is now that I’m not No 1 anymore. Now you chase, it’s different.

“Maybe I will lose some matches from now on, but I will try to do some changes, trying to be a bit more unpredictable as a player and because I think that’s what I have to do, trying to become a better tennis player.”

They were words that suggested Sinner was inspired to improve after his biggest defeat of the year and he confirmed he has put that work in with his displays at the Six Kings Slam.

The pace and accuracy of his serve appeared to have moved up a couple of levels from that display in the US Open final, with Sinner apparently adding an extra motion to his serve as he appeared to be reaching up a little higher to strike the ball.

The impact was instant and world No 4 Henman told Netflix that the serve is a weapon that could allow Sinner to move away from his rivals in men’s tennis, including Alcaraz.

“It was such a complete performance from Sinner, literally from the first game of the match,” said Henman.

“It was a serving masterclass. The way that he was able to hit the corners with such speed, power and accuracy, it gave Alcaraz so little. He couldn’t get involved in Sinner’s service games and it puts pressure on your own serve. You know that if you lose you own serve, that’s pretty much set over.

“The quality of the returners these days, you can’t just serve fast, you have to hit the corners and he did that time and again.

“His variation was so good, whether he was out wide or down the middle. This serve is a real weapon.

“He was within a couple of feet of the lines in both boxes. Alcaraz didn’t get any break points. It was tough for him.”

A staggering 60 per cent of Sinner’s serves were not returned by Alcaraz, with that area certain to be analysed by his team ahead of his next meeting with his big rival.

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