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Former doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs believes Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios’ Battle of the Sexes match has done a lot of damage for women’s sport as “there are idiots in the world that now want to have a go at female athletes”.

The controversial match between reigning WTA No 1 Sabalenka and world No 671 Kyrgios took place in Dubai the past weekend, and it was the latter who emerged with a 6-, 6-3 victory with the encounter drawing criticism not only from the world of tennis, but the wider sporting community.

Despite the players and their management group stating it was a good advert for tennis, the match failed to live up to the pre-match hype and it was heavily criticised with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski stating “I just don’t think we need this for our sport”.

Former world No 11 Alize Cornet questioned why four-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka “accepted” to play the match under modified rules – the Belarusian’s side of the court was reduced by 9% while each player only had one serve.

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The Frenchwoman added “it’s really about diminishing and undervaluing Aryna Sabalenka’s skills”.

Four-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion Stubbs was also unimpressed by the “money grab” as she raised concerns about the damage it has done.

“Didn’t watch 1 point of #BOS But judging by my 5 min on social media, the nonsense being written by people about it is the reason it was a event. Misogynists out in droves, people going after the trans community in women’s sports (fyi look up Renee Richards) & for what? $$$$,” she wrote on X.

“Let’s just call it was it was, shall we. It was a money grab for both players & their management group. Entertaining? U decide. Important? No. No top woman can compete with a good male player, it’s NOT PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE! But $$$ got got! So i hope it was worth it.”

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The Australian believes the “idiots” will now be out in force to question women’s athletes.

Stubbs added: “It’s just annoying that there are idiots in the world that now want to have a go at female athletes for being ‘less then’ which is NONSENSE!!!

“They train as hard, compete as hard & deserve RESPECT for how good they are! So if you’re going to be a misogynist, you’re the problem.”️

But Sabalenka insisted after the encounter that there were a lot of reason to be positive as it brought more attention to tennnis.

“Honestly, I don’t understand how people can find negatives in this event,” she said. “Regarding the WTA, I think I showed that I was able to play at a high level, it was an entertaining match; yes, he won, but it was a competitive duel, not a 6-0, 6-0.

“It was a contested, fun, interesting match to watch, it has drawn many eyes to this sport, gathered several legends, many important people sent me messages saying they would be watching the match… so I think we have brought more attention to our sport.”

The post Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios ‘money grab’ exhibition gets scathing verdict – ‘I hope the money was worth it’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Two-time Grand Slam winner Yevgeny Kafelnikov did not mince his words about Carlos Alcaraz’s father’s alleged “interference with the process” following the split with Juan Carlos Ferrero.

After seven highly successful years, the Alcaraz-Carlos Ferrero partnership is no more with the player announcing shortly after the conclusion of the season that he had parted ways with his long-term mentor.

Alcaraz won 24 singles titles – including six Grand Slams and eight ATP Masters 1000 events – and claimed two year-end No 1 trophies while he was also named ATP Player of the Year in 2022 and 2025.

Ferrero, meanwhile, was named Coach of the Year in both those years, although he shared the award with Samuel Lopez – who joined the Alcaraz coaching set-up ahead of this season – this year.

But while the split was a shock to the tennis community, insiders have revealed that there has been tension between Alcaraz entourage – which includes his father Carlos Alcaraz Senior – and Ferrero for quite some time.

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It had been speculated that the Alcaraz camp wanted to get rid of the 2003 French Open winner at the end of the 2024 season, but the player himself was not in favour of the move.

With several reports of meddling from Alcaraz Senior, Kafelnikov believes it is time for the world No 1 to make his own decisions.

“The biggest mistake is when parents interfere with the process,” he told CLAY. “I don’t know the background of Carlos’s father, but I never liked it when someone does that…

“For example, in my family it was me who was making all the decisions. My father never interfered in how much money I was paying a coach or whether I was buying this or that.

“From what I heard, there was a big dispute between Juan Carlos and Carlos’s father. I’ve always said that these kinds of situations will, in the end, affect the player negatively – when parents interfere.

“Carlos is a grown man, he is the one who can make all the decisions now. I don’t know why he didn’t tell his father: ‘Look, it’s my own deal, we’ve been very successful together, won so many Slams, made so much money…’

“That part is a bit disappointing for me.”

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Lopez has taken over as Alcaraz main coach following Ferrero’s departure, but his management team could still add another coach to the set-up.

There is no doubt that the best coaches in the world will line up to mentor one of the biggest stars in men’s tennis, but Kafelnikov says anyone who joins the team should take an early stand about his parents.

“If you ask me, I personally would not want to deal with the parents. If Carlos approaches someone directly, that’s okay,” he said.

“The first thing a new coach should ask for is that the parents stay away from the coaching process. They can sit in the box, they can travel with the team, but they can’t interfere.

“A father cannot be an agent, taking care of all the deals, scheduling, and everything else. I’m honestly not sure who could take the helm now.”

The post Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘biggest mistake’ revealed after reported fallout between his father and coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala has revealed that Rafael Nadal gave her some “tips” for her game during a special practice session between the two earlier this year.

A graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Eala was one of the big breakout stars of the 2025 season, reaching the last four of the WTA 1000 Miami Open and winning her first Grand Slam match at the US Open, among other feats.

The world No 53 will now look to build on her historic 2025 campaign in 2026, and got the chance to hit with tennis icon and 22-time Grand Slam singles champion Nadal during a training session at his eponymous academy in Manacor.

Footage of the hit between Eala and Nadal was shared on the academy’s social media channels at the time, attracting huge interest from the fan bases of both players.

Now, the academy has shared a short new video of Eala opening up about what it was like to hit with one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Speaking in the video, the 20-year-old revealed how Nadal gave her key advice to help her improve on her forehand ahead of 2026.

She said: “It was so special for me. Obviously training with Rafa is something people and young kids can only dream about. So it was such a pleasure to share the court with him.

“He gave me some tips on my forehand and a few other small advices.

“This is the first time I’ve ever hit with him in my life and it’s just a memory that will last forever.”

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Eala’s 2026 season will begin in the first full week of the 2026 WTA Tour season, with the Filipina set to be among the top-seeded players at the WTA 250 Auckland Open.

Action in Auckland will take place from January 5-11, with Eala then heading to play at the Kooyong Classic — a famed exhibition event — in Melbourne the following week.

That will then be followed by the opening Grand Slam event of the season at the Australian Open, with main-draw action set to begin on Sunday, January 18, inside Melbourne Park.

It will be the first time that Eala has ever competed in the main draw of the Australian Open, having not made her Grand Slam debut until the French Open this past May.

Eala has previously competed in the event’s qualifying draw on three separate occasions, though lost in the opening round of qualifying in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

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The post Alex Eala reveals Rafael Nadal ‘gave me some tips’ as she opens up on unique practice session appeared first on Tennis365.

Acclaimed tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou has hailed the “extraordinary” rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner after a dominant 2025 for the two ATP Tour stars.

World No 1 Alcaraz and No 2 Sinner were far and away the two best male players of the season, with the pair sweeping all four Grand Slam titles between them, and combining to win 14 titles in total.

Top-ranked Alcaraz won eight ATP Tour titles in total in 2025 — his highest-ever season tally — with victories at the French Open and US Open, while Sinner’s haul of six titles include Australian Open, Wimbledon, and ATP Finals triumphs.

The pair became the first men in the Open Era to meet in three Grand Slam singles finals in the same season, while also meeting in the final of the ATP Finals, and in Masters 1000 finals at the Italian Open and Cincinnati Open.

Alcaraz edged their 2025 head-to-head 4-2 and leads their overall head-to-head 10-6, with the rivalry set to develop even further in 2026 and beyond.

The pair are comfortably clear at the very top of the ATP Rankings, and acclaimed coach Mouratoglou has now delivered his verdict on their duel.

Writing on LinkedIn about his five ‘strongest’ moments from tennis in 2025, Mouratoglou celebrated the “tennis history” achieved by Alcaraz and Sinner over the past twelve months.

He wrote: “This rivalry is simply extraordinary. Three Grand Slam finals in a row. Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, US Open. Plus the ATP Finals final. This has never happened in tennis history.

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“The level, the dominance, the way they push each other to improve… and the gap they’ve created behind them says everything. We’re witnessing something rare and it’s going to be very hard for anyone else to break into that circle in the coming years.”

The Frenchman also celebrated the Roland Garros final that Alcaraz and Sinner contested back in June, a match that has already been recognised as one of the best in history.

At five hours and 29 minutes in length, it became the longest French Open final of the Open Era, and saw Alcaraz rally from two sets to love down — and save three championship points — to seal an incredible triumph.

Mouratoglou noted both the men’s and women’s singles finals at Roland Garros in his post, and he hailed Alcaraz and Sinner’s “unreal” encounter.

He commented: “On the men’s side, the Alcaraz–Sinner final belongs in the top five Grand Slam finals of all time. Five and a half hours of unreal tennis, constant momentum shifts, total uncertainty until the very last point. If I had to remember only one match from 2025, it would be this one.”

After their dominance in 2025, and having won the last eight major tournaments between them, all eyes are on Alcaraz and Sinner heading into the 2026 tennis season.

The pair are set to compete against each other at an exhibition match in South Korea in early January, and will then officially start their seasons at the Australian Open.

Alcaraz and Sinner will be the first and second seeds in Melbourne, respectively, and all eyes will be on whether they can meet in the final of a fourth straight Grand Slam tournament.

The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam event that Alcaraz has yet to win, with the Spaniard looking to become just the sixth man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam.

Meanwhile, Sinner enters the event as the two-time defending champion and will look to join Novak Djokovic as the only man in the Open Era to win the title in three consecutive years.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s ‘simply extraordinary’ rivalry hailed by acclaimed coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Amanda Anisimova will start the 2026 campaign at a career-high No 3 in the WTA Rankings as a slight change in the calendar means points will drop before the actual season gets underway.

The American finished 2025 behind Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff in the rankings with her rise coming on the back of an outstanding year that saw her finish runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open, while she also won her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open and followed it up with a second at the China Open.

It was a remarkable achievement for Anisimova as only two years ago she was down at No 370 in the rankings following her decision to take a break from tennis to focus on her mental health.

The decision was a masterstroke as by the end of 2024 she had risen back up to No 36, then made her top-20 debut following her Qatar success, while she reached the top 10 for the first time after her run to the Wimbledon final, and the top five after the US Open.

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Anisimova finished 2025 on 6,287 points – just 476 behind Gauff – and with the United Cup points from earlier this year dropping in the Live Rankings, she has moved ahead of her compatriot.

Year-End WTA Rankings Top 10

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,870
2. Iga Swiatek – 8,395
3. Coco Gauff – 6,763
4. Amanda Anisimova – 6,287
5. Elena Rybakina – 5,850
6. Jessica Pegula – 5,583
7. Madison Keys – 4,335
8. Jasmine Paolini – 4,325
9. Mirra Andreeva – 4,319
10. Ekaterina Alexandrov – 3,375

Gauff is dropping 500 points following her undefeated run at the United Cup in January, putting her on 6,273 points while Anisimova remains on 6,287 points as she lost in the first round of the ASB Classic in Auckland at the start of this year.

The 2026 season will only get underway on January 2 with the United Cup while the Brisbane International and ASB Classic start on January 4.

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Gauff will once again be in action at the United Cup, where she will look to defend her 500 points, while Anisimova will play in Brisbane and will look to capitalise on any slip-ups from the two-time Grand Slam winner by enjoying a deep run.

Although most players in the top 10 have dropped points from January 2025, the Gauff-Anisimova swap is the only change.

Live Rankings

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,490
2. Iga Swiatek – 8,178
3. Amanda Anisimova – 6,287 (+1)
4. Coco Gauff – 6,273 (-1)
5. Elena Rybakina – 5,850
6. Jessica Pegula – 5,583
7. Madison Keys – 4,335
8. Jasmine Paolini – 4,236
9. Mirra Andreeva – 4,125
10. Ekaterina Alexandrov – 3,375

World No 1 Sabalenka won the Brisbane International this year and drops 500 points, but her gap is big enough to remain well clear of Swiatek, who in turn dropped 325 points after reaching the final of the United Cup.

The post WTA Rankings: Amanda Anisimova reaches new milestone as she moves ahead of Coco Gauff appeared first on Tennis365.

Former world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov has given his take on Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to part ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero and has suggested “it must have been hard to deal with him [Alcaraz] lately” due to “off-court temptations”.

Just a few weeks after the conclusion of the 2025 tennis season, Alcaraz dropped a bombshell as he announced he had split from Ferrero following seven successful years that saw him win six Grand Slams and become world No 1.

The decision was a shock to most in the tennis community, but it has since emerged that there had been tension between Alcaraz’s entourage – which includes his father Carlos Alcaraz Senior – and Ferrero while there have also been reports that the parties could not settle on a new contract.

And now two-time Grand Slam winner Kafelnikov has shared his thoughts on the matter and believes Alcaraz likely struggled to resist the “outside noise” that comes with being successful and made life difficult for the “extremely professional”.

In an interview with CLAY, he said: “Look, it’s always easy to talk when you’re not on the inside and you don’t know exactly what happened behind the scenes.

“Knowing that Juan Carlos is extremely professional – he was exactly the same as a player – I’m sure he wants the very best from his players, and his standards of professionalism are very high.

“Probably, with Carlos being Spanish, very young, and attracted to all the off-court temptations that come with success… it must have been hard to deal with him lately.

“It’s understandable – you’re 22 years old, all the girls are chasing you, there’s fame and everything that goes with it. Nobody could resist that at such a young age.

“Juan Carlos probably saw all of this and was trying to separate the work on court from all the outside noise. That’s probably where the clash happened, at least from my perspective.”

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Ferrero has been in Alcaraz’s box since he made his breakthrough and they won 24 ATP singles titles together while the Spaniard also finished as year-end No 1 twice (2022 and 2025).

He has twice won the ATP Tour Player of the Year Award (2022 and 2025) while Ferrero was named the Coach of the Year in both those years.

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Samuel Lopez, who joined the coaching set-up on a full-time basis ahead of the 2025 season has taken over as coach, but how will Ferrero’s absence affect Alcaraz?

“To be honest, I have no idea how he is going to react. But why would you end such a happy partnership in the first place?” Kafelnikov wondered.

“At least it looked like it was happy… There were never any signs that they would go their separate ways – winning Slams, being number one in the world… I am sure that Carlos’s father has a lot to do with this split, not Carlos himself. Now we just have to wait and see what happens next.”

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The tennis rumour mill has been swirling in recent weeks amid claims that British No 1 Emma Raducanu has ended her long-standing association with clothing brand Nike to sign for a rival ahead of the 2026 season

Raducanu was reported to have lined up a lucrative deal with Uniqlo, which would have seen her follow the path of 20-time Grand Slam-winning legend Roger Federer, who made that move at the back end of his career.

It would have been a big change for Raducanu if she had ended her partnership with Nike, with the sportswear giant snapping up the Brit before she won the 2021 US Open and became an international sporting sensation overnight.

While Raducanu has not won a tournament or even reached a WTA Tour final since that amazing win in New York over four years ago, her commercial appeal remains high as she has a huge social media following an is still one of the most talked about players in the women’s game.

So a move to Uniqlo would not have been a surprise, as the Japanese company would appreciate the value of having a player who has strong roots in Asia thanks to her Chinese mother as one of their brand ambassadors.

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Yet Raducanu has taken to court for the first time ahead of the new season after arriving in Perth ahead of the United Cup event and she was still wearing Nike branding.

There is still a possibility that Raducanu could switch to Uniqlo for 2026 as he Nike deal is likely to run until the end of the year, but it appears she is not breaking from her current clothing and shoe suppliers.

Raducanu’s arrival in Australian also dispelled another rumour that she may be forced to start of her season due to an ongoing foot problem.

Yet speaking to the media at the LTA’S National Tennis Centre in London earlier this month, she talked up her hopes of hitting the ground running in the new season.

“I feel quite content with how things are going on and off the court. I’m in a pretty good place,” said Raducanu.

“I just think, despite any challenges I have been facing with the foot or the health at the end of the season, I feel in a good place, and I’m building back in the gym, to start with.

“And I’m feeling pretty relaxed ahead of next year, which is a good place to be. And I’m just proud of the season that I put in this year and the progress I have made.

“I would say that next year, I hope to play less than I did this year. But I think also just incorporating into my warm-ups, fitness, so it’s not necessarily just my fitness sessions are like separate.

“You just have to try and drip feed as much as you can in for the overall health of your body, little and often, I think, is the biggest thing that’s helped.

“And most of all, I think I found a lot more peace with myself and I’m a lot happier with how I’m approaching my tennis and how I’m approaching the team that I have and just what I’m doing and the environment that I have.

“I think that’s the most special thing because it takes so much work and so many days to get to where we want to be. And just enjoying each day and being able to look at it in a pretty healthy perspective is so important.”

Raducanu is set to play her first event representing Great Britain in the United Cup, but she will not be teaming up with Jack Draper after the British No 1 was forced to delay his comeback to tennis due to an ongoing arm injury.

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The post Emma Raducanu banishes two big rumours as she makes her first appearance in Australia appeared first on Tennis365.

Acclaimed tennis coach Rick Macci has backed Naomi Osaka to climb back inside the top 10 of the WTA Rankings in 2026, with the star looking to build on a resurgent 2025.

Osaka finishes 2025 ranked 16th in the WTA Rankings after a strong second half to the year, which saw the Japanese return to the top 20 for the first time since 2022.

After returning to the sport post-maternity leave at the start of 2024, the four-time Grand Slam champion was ranked 59th by the end of that season.

However, Osaka struggled with her fitness and her consistency towards the end of 2024 and the start of 2025, and ultimately split with coach Patrick Mouratoglou following a second-round exit at the Washington Open in July.

The former world No 1 hired Tomasz Wiktorowski in the aftermath of her split with Mouratoglou, and proceeded to produce by far and away her best tennis since her comeback.

Osaka stormed to the final of the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal and then reached her first Grand Slam semi-final in over four years at the US Open, pushing Amanda Anisimova all the way in a three-set thriller.

Having been ranked just inside the top 50 prior to action in Montreal, her two strong runs propelled her back inside the top 20 of the WTA Rankings.

Now, legendary coach Macci — who worked with the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova, among others — has backed Osaka for another big breakthrough in 2026.

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Posting on Twitter/X, Macci predicted that Osaka would “pull many upsets” across the season, and ultimately finish the year inside the top 10.

He wrote: “Osaka to be the wildcard and pull many upsets this year. Top ten will be her best friend and [she will] be right there in the end. She was a different player last year with the coaching change and had clarity motivation and a better understanding of the geometry of the court.”

Osaka will start her season at the United Cup in Perth, representing Japan in the mixed team competition.

As it stands, the 28-year-old is set to face Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Greece’s Maria Sakarri in the round-robin stage, with further matches to contest should Japan progress to the quarter-final.

Ranking points are on offer at the United Cup, though they vary per the ranking of any player’s opponent.

Osaka will drop points from her run to the Auckland Open final last year, though she has just third round points to defend at the Australian Open — the opening Grand Slam event of 2026.

Action in Melbourne begins on January 18, with Osaka having previously lifted the Australian Open title in 2019 and 2021.

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The post ‘Wildcard’ Naomi Osaka backed for 2026 rankings breakthrough by Serena Williams’ ex-coach appeared first on Tennis365.

At the start of the 2025 season, Victoria Mboko and Alex Eala were still playing lower-tier tournaments, but they will face the very best in women’s tennis when the 2026 WTA Tour gets underway.

Just over 12 months ago, Mboko was setting the world alight on the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour while Eala was competing on the WTA Challenger Tour and fellow rising stars Maya Joint and Iva Jovic featured on the WTA Tour thanks to wildcard entries, while Lois Boisson was out injured.

The five ended up enjoying brilliant breakthrough seasons that earned them nominations for the 2025 WTA Newcomer of the Year award, along with Eva Lys, with Mboko taking the honours on the back of winning the Canadian Open and Hong Kong Open while she also finished at career-high No 18 in the WTA Rankings, having started the year outside the top 300.

But what a difference a year makes as Boisson, Joint, Jovic and Eala are also inside the top 100 of the rankings.

And all five will compete on the WTA Tour in January 2026 as they have gained direct entries into several events, including the Australian Open.

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The fact that they competed at lower-tier events in 2025, means they won’t have too many points to defend in the first few months of the year.

Let’s look at the points they will drop in the first month of the new season.

Victoria Mboko – 70 points

The teenager was competing on the ITF circuit in January 2025 and she won two W35 titles – the ITF Le Lamentin, France (Martinique) and the ITF Petit-Bourg, France (Guadeloupe) – with each worth 35 points.

Mboko didn’t play any WTA main draw qualifiers so she only has 70 points to defend in the first month of the new year.

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Given that she is currently comfortably at No 18 in the rankings, she has a good chance to surge into the top 10 with good performances at the United Cup 2026, Adelaide International and Australian Open.

Maya Joint – 140 points

World No 32 Joint will drop 98 points from her run to the semi-final of the Hobart International, 32 from Brisbane and 10 from the Australian Open at the start of 2025.

The Australian will play at the United Cup and the Australian Open.

Iva Jovic – 70 points

The American started her 2025 season at the Australian Open and she won on her debut as she beat Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz in the first round before losing against Elena Rybakina.

The teenager, currently at No 35 in the rankings, earned 70 points for her performance.

Jovic will start her season at the ASB Classic in Auckland and that will be followed by an appearance at the Hobart International and the Australian Open.

Lois Bossoin – 0 points

The French star only made her 2025 debut in March as she was recovering from a long-term injury. Of course, she went on to record a memorable run at the French Open, reaching the semi-finals to surge up the rankings.

Boisson is currently at No 36 in the WTA Rankings and, with no points to defend, she could make her top 20 breakthrough at the end of January with a couple of good results.

The Frenchwoman will start her campaign at the United Cup before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open.

Alex Eala – 55 points

The world No 53 featured at the WTA Challenger Canberra International and reached the semi-final (55) while she also lost in the first round of qualifiers at the Australian Open (2) and the second round of the ITF Bengaluru Open (14), but the latter two events are non-countable.

Eala has signed up for the ASB Classic and the Australian Open.

The post WTA Rankings: How many points will 2025 newcomers Mboko, Eala, Boisson defend in January? appeared first on Tennis365.

Nick Kyrgios is pushing to get a wildcard into the Australian Open next month, but former British No 1 Greg Rusedski is not convinced he deserves a free ticket to the opening Grand Slam of 2026.

Kyrgios has barely played a competitive match in three years as injuries have sidelined the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, but he is making another attempt to comeback to the ATP Tour in the new year.

At the age of 30, Kyrgios should have time on his side to get back to the top, but his ranking has slipped to No 671 and from the evidence of his ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match against Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday, he did not look ready to play best-of-five-set matches any time soon.

He is due to play his ATP Tour comeback event in Brisbane in the first week of January, but recent history suggests his wrist and knee problems flare up when he tries to play competitive tennis.

Kyrgios looked jaded at times and was sweating profusely during his 6-3, 6-3 win against the world No 1 female player, which inspired former British No 1 Greg Rusedski to suggest the Aussie is not worthy of a prized wildcard into his home Grand Slam event.

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When asked whether he feels Kygrios justifies a wildcard at this stage of his comeback, Rusedski was quick to offer his verdict.

“I wouldn’t,” he said on an Off Court Cuts edition of his podcast. “He’s have to have some phenomenal results. A win in Brisbane. Go deep or get to quarters or semis in the build-up.

“You have to look at all those up-and-coming Australian players and give them the opportunity to play.

“He’s box office. He brings people into stadiums, but he needs to show some form and from today’s performance [against Sabalenka], he doesn’t look ready to play best-of-five-sets.”

After receiving wildcards over the last couple of years and then pulling out of tournaments due to injury, it would be a big risk for Australian Open chief Craig Tiley to give Kyrgios a wildcard into his event and he admits he is waiting to see his progress.

When asked whether Kyrgios would get a wildcard earlier this month, Tiley said: “I don’t know, we’ll have to wait and see,” said Tiley.

“He’s playing, which is good, he’s been playing events leading in, and I know he wants to play in the summer.

“So if he wants to play in the summer, it means he wants to play the Australian Open, but there’s still a lot of water that needs to go under the bridge.

“I think he’s beyond the period of a protected ranking, so he’s going to need a wildcard to play as far as I’m concerned.”

A decision on Australian Open wildcards is imminent, so Kyrgios needs to show he is ready to compete on the biggest stages again to ensure he is in the mix.

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