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Emma Raducanu has been putting in the hard work in the gym as it has resulted in an improvement in her movement on clay, according to Marion Bartoli as she also shared her thoughts on the world No 49’s coaching arrangement with Mark Petchey.

After exiting the Madrid Open in the second round, Raducanu has now gone one better at the Italian Open after getting the better of Jil Teichmann, winning 6-2, 6-2, at Foro Italico.

It is only the second time that the 22-year-old has reached the third round of one of the WTA 1000 clay-court events as she also made the round of 32 in Madrid in 2022.

Raducanu, though, will also be the first to admit that she has limited experience on clay as this is only her fifth main draw appearance at the Madrid-Rome swing.

But there has been a noticeable change in the way she is sliding on the surface, according to 2013 Wimbledon winner Bartoli.

“I think she’s moving better which is crucial on clay. The surface is lively and you’re sliding all over the place so you need to get your legs extremely strong,” she told Sky Sports Tennis.

“You need to feel the ground really well and when I look at her muscle from the lower body she has been really putting in the work in the gym, which is probably why she decided to take a break after Miami to get those hours in the gym to make sure she was physically ready for the clay and grass too.”

Raducanu has been working with Petchey since the Miami Open, but for now it remains an interim solution as he is not able to fill the role on a full-time basis due to his work as a television commentator.

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Petchey as well as long-term mentor Jane Donoghue are in her box in Rome and Bartoli explained why they are a perfect fit for the 22-year-old.

“Emma is probably looking for a coach who is not too technical,” the Frenchwoman said. “She will really need someone on the court with her every day if she wants to work on her technique. She’s probably wanting someone to explain to her how the tactics work for that specific opponent.

“They had to reposition her around the court because she had to cover the left side of the court [against Teichmann] so when you have the experience of someone as Mark, you can bring that on the table very quickly and sometimes that takes away the stress from the player.

“I think that’s what she’s looking for in that dynamic. She’s going to her box quite often with eye contact which means she trusts the people inside that box.”

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Emma Raducanu produced an impressive performance against Jil Teichmann to reach the third round of the Rome Masters.

The Brit was due to face world No 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova, but the Russian was forced to withdraw just hours before their scheduled meeting due to a shoulder injury.

“To be honest, it was pretty mental,” Raducanu said during her post-match interview.

“I was warming up for my match against Alexandrova, practising with Mirra [Andreeva], and all of a sudden I get told I’m playing Jil and then, on top of that. She’s a lefty. So it’s a completely different challenge.

“I honestly haven’t practised with a lefty; I haven’t played one since [Marketa] Vondrousova in February in Abu Dhabi. So it was a challenge. First few games I was adjusting to the way the ball curls, but I’m really proud of myself, how I fought through.”

Despite the switch, the Brit looked in solid form during the match, winning an impressive 73% of her first-serve points and 65% of her second-serve points – partly aided by a slight change in her service motion, brought on by team member Mark Petchey.

“If you look at my serve now compared to Australia, compared to the Middle East, even Miami, I changed after Miami with some tweaks and it’s a completely different motion, trying to make it a bit more fluid, a bit longer so it’s hopefully more robust under pressure, but it’s by no means a finished product,” analysed Raducanu.

“I feel there’s so much more room to grow it. I think this way, I can maximise the potential.”

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Currently ranked as the world No 45 in the WTA live rankings, Raducanu has an outside chance of being seeded at the French Open – needing to be inside the world’s top 32, if there are no withdrawals.

“I still don’t really feel comfortable on clay but in a way it helps me, because I have to be super focused on every single point, just get my feet right and try and not fall over, so it is a big challenge,” said the one-time Grand Slam champion.

“The points are long, the balls do get heavier, and when I was serving it out, it was getting slower and slower, so it is physical but I’m slowly finding my feet.”

Her win also allows Raducanu to spend longer in the Italian capital, something which she has sought to maximise with some sightseeing.

“I tried to come to site pretty late,” the Brit stated.

“I actually managed to go to the Trevi Fountain but I didn’t make a wish though, the queue was too long and I didn’t have a coin!

“It was nice to kind of see the sights and then I had a nice lunch outside on a terrace somewhere on the street, it was pretty chill.”

The 2021 US Open champion will next play Veronika Kudermetova in the third round of the Rome Masters.

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Brad Gilbert has called Jannik Sinner’s three-month suspension ‘a joke’ and warned that the Italian will have to be ‘careful’ during his return to tennis.

The world No 1 is due to return to professional tennis at the Rome Masters after a three-month suspension for failing two doping tests in March 2024.

Sinner’s last match was the final of the 2025 Australian Open, where he defeated Alexander Zverev to lift the third Grand Slam of his career.

Gilbert, a former coach of Coco Gauff and Andre Agassi, aired his views on the Italian’s suspension and his much-anticipated return to tennis whilst speaking on the Tennis Channel.

“If you are out through injury it’s probably easier [than being suspended],” stated Gilbert.

“This is a much more difficult scenario to come back from because mentally, how do you keep practicing for this?”

“I think the whole goal is to get matches at Rome, Hamburg and then be ready for Paris and Wimbledon.

“Those are the two most important. It’s not about what he does in Rome, but it’s how he peaks physically so that he is ready to play best of five in Paris. I think that is the most important thing.”

12 months ago, Sinner was forced to withdraw from his quarter-final match at the Madrid Masters – due to hip pain – before pulling out from the Rome event just a week later.

The importance of injury prevention was something which was emphasised by the esteemed coach.

“They have to be careful when they come back that they don’t go too hard, you don’t want to get hurt,” remarked Gilbert.

“But I expect by Paris that he is going to be ready and he will be one of the top three favourites to win that tournament.

“On the ban I thought that whole thing was a joke. Any time any player has one billionth of something that is nothing and it should be just a warning like missing a drug test.”

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The world No 1, himself, also made clear that his main goal is the French Open, downplaying expectations for the Rome event.

“It feels like the first day when you go [back to] school again,” joked Sinner, during his pre-tournament press conference.

“You never know exactly what to expect.

“I’m very happy though to be here, and in Rome. It’s a very special place, for an Italian to make a comeback here, it’s going to be very special.

“And everything together, I’m just happy. Not many expectations at all, I’m just trying to get back on court and having a good feel with what’s happening on the court and with the crowd all together, so yeah let’s see.

“It’s a lot of attention [on me], a lot of people, but in my mind I know how much these people give me, they supported me throughout this whole process, especially in these last three months. I’m very happy.”

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Novak Djokovic will for the second consecutive year play in an ATP 250 tournament the week before the French Open after making a late change to his calendar.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner has accepted a late wildcard entry into the Geneva Open with the move coming on the back of his withdrawal from the Italian Open.

The world No 6 will join Taylor Fritz (No 4), Casper Ruud (No 7), Grigor Dimitrov (No 15) and Tomas Machac (No 20) as the highest-ranked players in the draw at the event.

It is certainly a move away from the traditional schedule for the top-ranked players as they often prefer not to play competitive matches the before a Grand Slam.

Djokovic will start the tournament on a three-match losing streak as he lost in the final of the Miami Open and followed it up with defeats in his opening matches at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open.

Having played only two competitive matches on clay – one each in Monte Carlo and Madrid – his decision to skip the Rome ATP Masters 1000 event raised eyebrows as many felt he was undercooked on the surface.

But Djokovic has maintained in recent years that his main focus is the Grand Slams and he hopes to peak at Roland Garros.

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“I was hoping I can play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo,” he said after his defeat to Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid.

“Kind of new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament.

“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it’s kind of a challenge for me mentally to really face these kind of sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in the tournaments.

“But, you know, that’s, I guess, the circle of life and the career (smiling), eventually it was going to happen.

“Now I’m trying to, you know, use this as a driving force for the future. Obviously Grand Slams, I was saying many times, are the most important tournaments for me.”

The Geneva Open – which runs from May 18-24 – will now give him an opportunity to get more matches on clay under his belt before the French Open starts on May 26.

Djokovic had a similar calendar in 2024 as he played at the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open, but skipped the Madrid Open and then signed up for the Geneva Open.

He will defend 100 points at the Swiss event as he defeated Yannick Hanfmann in his opener and Tallon Griekspoor in the quarter-final before going down in three sets against Machac in the last four.

The post Novak Djokovic’s next move confirmed with key schedule change appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic started the European clay court season eyeing a move back into the top four of the ATP Rankings, but he is now facing a huge slide backwards after a couple of thumping defeats.

Djokovic raised hopes that he could still compete with the young guns on the ATP Tour as he made it through to the Miami Open final in March.

Even after a defeat against Jakub Mensik in the Miami finale, Djokovic should have been inspired by his encouraging performance, but he has failed to back that up in his opening two clay court events.

A defeat against Alejandro Tabilo at the Monte Carlo Masters came amid what Djokovic described as a ‘horrible’ performance.

He backed that up with another defeat against Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match in Madrid before confirming he was pulling out of this week’s Rome Masters.

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“Kind of new reality for me, I have to say,” said Djokovic after the defeat against Arnaldi.

“You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament. It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it’s kind of a challenge for me mentally to really face this kind of sensation on the court, going out early now regularly in the tournaments.

“I guess, the circle of life and the career, eventually, it was going to happen. Now I’m trying to, you know, use this as a driving force for the future. Obviously, Grand Slams, I was saying many times, are the most important tournaments for me.

“Which doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win here, of course I wanted to, but Grand Slams are where I really want to play the best tennis. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do that in Roland Garros, but I’ll do my best.”

Djokovic has lost all four of the sets he has played on clay and his next match may be his opener at the French Open in Roland Garros.

Getting into the top four of the ATP Rankings would have ensured he avoided a match against world No 1 Jannik Sinner, No 2 Alexander Zverev and No 3 Carlos Alcaraz before the semi-finals in Paris.

Yet he now looks set to be out of those prized four positions and he could be in line for a slide in the rankings over the next couple of weeks.

Djokovic failed to protect his current position at No 5 in the ATP Rankings after his defeats in Monte Carlo and Madrid and Jack Draper overtook him in that position after his run to the Madrid Open final.

Now Djokovic is facing more threats in the rankings after he opted to pull out of the Italian Open this week.

Casper Ruud confirmed his status as one of the most dangerous players on clay courts when he won the Madrid Open and he is now closing in on Djokovic’s No 6 ranking as he returns to action in Rome.

World No 8 Alex de Minaur also has a chance to over take Djokovic in the rankings if he has a good run in Rome and so does Lorenzo Musetti.

While rankings are no longer a big concern for Djokovic, he will not want to drop out of the top eight of the ATP list, as that would set up the prospect of a match against one of the highest-ranked players in the men’s game as early as the round of 16 at Roland Garros.

Djokovic played Alcaraz at the quarter-final stage in the Australian Open and beat him impressively, but he would be keen to avoid an early meeting with the Spaniard or Sinner in Paris as he will be looking to get back into form after a shaky start to his clay court campaign.

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Iga Swiatek destroyed Elisabetta Cocciaretto at the 2025 Italian Open to begin her title defence at the Foro Italico in style.

The five-time Grand Slam champion crushed Cocciaretto, who is ranked 82nd, 6-1, 6-0 in just 52 minutes on Centre Court in Rome.

Swiatek won 51 of the 71 total points played, including 28 of 35 on her own serve, and she did not face a single break point.

The world No 2 has now won 18 consecutive completed matches at the Italian Open in straight sets — a record at the tournament.

The Pole has won triumphed in Rome in three of the last four years, with her only defeat a retirement at 2-2 in the third set against Elena Rybakina in the 2023 quarter-finals.

Swiatek’s victory was her 27th win in a row in opening matches at WTA 1000 tournaments — a run that started at the 2022 Qatar Open.

Only Martina Hingis (40), Monica Seles (29) and Lindsay Davenport (28) have amassed more opening match 1000 level wins in succession.

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Swiatek’s second set whitewash against the 24-year-old Italian was the 33rd set she has won 6-0 at WTA 1000 tournaments.

This has seen her tie former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka for the most ‘bagel’ sets won at WTA 1000 events since the format was introduced in 2009.

Nine of Swiatek’s 6-0 sets at this level of tournament have come in Rome, which moves her to joint-fifth for the most bagels in the Italian capital with Nathalie Tauziat.

Most 6-0 sets won at the Italian Open (WTA)

=1. Chris Evert – 16

=1. Gabriela Sabatini – 16

=3. Monica Seles – 11

=3. Serena Williams – 11

=5. Nathalie Tauziat – 9

=5. Iga Swiatek – 9

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Perhaps the most telling stats to highlight after Swiatek’s victory are those that prove she is virtually unstoppable as a front runner.

After winning the opening set in matches at WTA 1000 tournaments, Swiatek is now a stratospheric 98-0.

The 23-year-old holds an equally mind-blowing 82-1 record after going up a set in clay-court matches, with the only defeat the aforementioned retirement against Rybakina in Rome two years ago.

Swiatek will face either Danielle Collins or Elena Gabriela Ruse in the third round in Rome as she continues her quest for a first title in almost a year.

The former world No 1 has not reached a final since collecting her fourth French Open crown in June 2024.

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The post Iga Swiatek extends Italian Open record as she serves up incredible stats with 52-minute win appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has attempted to play down the hype surrounding his return to tennis, but Andy Roddick and Jim Courier have dismissed his pre-tournament comments and backed the world No 1 to return to form with a bang.

Sinner is returning to action after a three-month suspension after he failed drug tests in March 2024 and the Italian has claimed he cannot be expected to return to top form after a long break from the game.

“I have to say I have low expectations for this tournament. I’ve been sitting out for so long and I don’t have any feedback on how I’m going to play,” said Sinner, in a press conference that started when he was bizarrely applauded into the room by euphoric members of the Italian media.

“The goal will be Paris. I’m not here to beat anyone but to try to get through the first round and then we’ll see what can happen. It’s difficult for me to start a new tournament and get back to the rhythm.

“But we’re very calm, we’re physically and mentally well, we’re rested, which will pay off at the end of the season too.”

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Sinner may be keen to suggest he is not the favourite to win the title in front of his adoring fans in Rome, but Roddick has told the Tennis Channel that he has to be viewed as the man to beat in every tournament he enters.

“He is doing a great job of being a rational thinker, but he is No 1 in the world,” said Roddick.

“I understand there are going to be lower expectations, but he is still the No 1 player in the world and he has been the dominant force in tennis for the last 18 months.

“There is only so low that the expectations can go around Jannik Sinner.

“There are more questions surrounding him and there are going to be moments in this tournament when it’s not the perfect version of Jannik Sinner.

“I don’t know if he’s going to win the tournament, but I like him to win two or three matches.”

Courier is also convinced Sinner will bounce back in style, as he suggested the early round in Rome may be his biggest concern.



“The guy hasn’t lost a match since October and the only loss he’s taken recently was from WADA,” said Courier, referring to his drug test case with the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“I have no reason to think that his level is not going to be where it needs to be, but he will be vulnerable in the first couple of matches.

“He is managing expectations. You should not expect pure honesty from players in press conferences. They are protecting themselves.

“If he comes out and says I expect to win this tournament, people are going to start taking shots at him saying he is too arrogant.

“He has the worst draw he could possibly get coming back because he is going to be tested from the third round on.”

Courier went on to suggest a potential match against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo could test Sinner if they meet in the fourth round in Rome.

“The danger match is Cerundolo,” he added. “He is in form, he’s got confidence, he’s got a nasty game on all surfaces bar grass. That’s the game where you really need to be sharp.”

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Emma Raducanu proclaimed that her battling three-set opening round victory at the 2025 Italian Open gives her “a lot of confidence.”

The world No 49 defeated 78th-ranked qualifier Maya Joint 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3 in the opening round at the Foro Italico.

Raducanu recovered from 4-2 down to win the opening set, but she lost the second set on a tiebreak after serving for the match at 5-4.

In the deciding set, Raducanu responded strongly as she surged into a 5-0 lead, and she staved off another fightback from Joint to prevail after two hours and 44 minutes.

The 22-year-old was playing just her second match at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome after a first round defeat in 2022. She missed the event through injury in 2023 and chose to skip it last year.

Raducanu was impressed by Joint and predicted that her 19-year-old Australian opponent will climb the rankings quickly.

“It was a really hard battle. Maya played an amazing match and such a high level. And I think I did as well,” the Brit said.

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“I think that the overall level of the match was really high and she’s flown up the rankings. I mean, playing like this, I think she’s gonna go up really fast, really quick. I’m really proud of myself as well, because that was a great performance, I think, on all fronts.

“It gives me a lot of confidence because it’s not just clay – it’s at night, it’s heavy. I think with the new balls, it was still flying, but the balls got old pretty quickly and it was very cold.

“So I’m really proud. I take a lot of confidence from this win, not just because I won, but I think the level in general was really high, and I think I was committing to my shots, which is what I said I wanted to do, and I was really going for it.”

Jane O’Donoghue was the lone coaching presence in Raducanu’s box as Mark Petchey was preoccupied with his commentary role for American broadcaster Tennis Channel.

“Petch, I think was on comms of my match, so I hope he was nice to me (laughs),” the 2021 US Open champion said.

Raducanu will face 21st seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round in Rome. She holds a 1-1 record against the 30-year-old Russian.

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