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Novak Djokovic has the desire to continue playing until at least the 2028 Olympic Games, according to the CEO of Lacoste — his clothing manufacturer.

The tennis legend has been a brand ambassador for iconic French designer sports company Lacoste since 2017, and he extended his agreement until 2025 in 2021.

Questions have been raised about Djokovic‘s tennis future in recent months, with the Grand Slam record holder enduring a difficult season.

Djokovic produced encouraging performances at both the Australian Open and the Miami Masters, but he has lost his first match at four of the seven tournaments he has entered in 2025.

The former world No 1 is set to turn 38 later this month, and he is on a three-match losing streak after defeats in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Miami.

The Serbian withdrew from the ongoing Italian Open without giving a reason, suggesting his desire to compete outside the Grand Slams is limited.

Djokovic won his 24th and most recent major at the 2023 US Open, while he secured his 99th and latest singles title at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Thierry Guibert, Lacoste’s CEO, expressed his confidence that Djokovic will renew his deal with the brand and claimed retirement is still a long way off for the world No 6.

“Novak wants to go at least until the Los Angeles Games [in 2028],” Guibert said in an interview with L’Equipe.

“I have no doubt that we will find common ground in the coming weeks. We are mainly discussing the type of renewal.

“Since we signed him, he has won half of his Grand Slams with us. He has contributed a lot to the brand.”

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Following his historic gold medal triumph in Paris in August, Djokovic expressed his appetite to defend his Olympic title in Los Angeles.

“I still want to play in Los Angeles,” Djokovic said.

“I enjoy playing for my country, and the Olympic Games particularly, and Davis Cup, being part of the team.”

Djokovic, who delivered an incredible performance to down Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match at Stade Roland Garros, added: “Everything that I felt in that moment when I won really surpassed everything I thought or hoped that it would.

“I thought that carrying the flag at the opening ceremony [at the 2012 London Games] was the best feeling ever until I experienced this today.

“And being on that court with the Serbian flag raising, singing the Serbian anthem, with the gold around my neck, I think nothing can beat that in terms of professional sport. It definitely stands out as the biggest sporting achievement I had.”

Djokovic is next scheduled to compete at the French Open, where he will revisit the site of his Olympic triumph for the first time.

READ NEXT: The 22 active players who have won an ATP Masters 1000 title after Casper Ruud’s Madrid triumph

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Dan Evans has branded Jannik Sinner’s return to the professional tour at the Rome Masters ‘pretty convenient’, ahead of the Italian’s anticipated comeback.

The statements come just days after Sinner’s three-month suspension from competing came to an end, with the world No 1 returning to action on Saturday.

Sinner accepted the suspension in February after a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), one which made clear that both sides agreed that the Italian did not ‘intend’ to intake the banned anabolic steroid clostebol.

“The whole thing is pretty convenient,” Evans commented, whilst speaking on BBC Five Live Sport.

“I think a lot of the players are thinking [that] the comeback in Rome, which massive for Italian tennis, it seems pretty convenient. By the way, like Broads said, this is not Jannik’s problem, this is a tennis problem.

“From the outside, from the public, they’re looking in and thinking that he’s had preferential treatment. The ranking being where it is [ATP world No 1] kind of adds to that as well, and I think it’s a difficult one to pick the bones out of.”

The controversy first started in August, after it was announced that Sinner had failed two doping tests in March 2024.

These results were not revealed until late summer, due to an independent tribunal finding that the world No 1 had ‘no fault or negligence’ for the failed tests.

“I think that the issue has been that people felt that he’s received preferential treatment,” Naomi Broady added.

“I think that’s what a lot of the players have not been happy about. It’s the lack of consistency. Even the fact that you can come to an agreement for how long you are banned, it should just  – the goalposts shouldn’t move.

“If you’ve tested positive, that’s your ban. I don’t know why you should be able to negotiate, that, to me, doesn’t make much sense.

“Even the way that he was still able to play whilst the case was ongoing, for all of the other players, if you test positive, you sit on the sidelines and you wait. We seen that, with Simona Halep, you sit on the sidelines and wait. For some people, it is years, it can take a really long time.”

Sinner was found to have ‘no fault or negligence’ due to the Italian claiming that his physio had used an over-the-counter cream – which contained the steroid – to treat a minor finger wound on himself, before giving a massage to the Italian.

However, WADA sought to overturn the independent tribunal’s findings and argued that the three-time Grand Slam champion carried some level of responsibility for his team’s actions – dropping their appeal after the settlement was reached.

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Since the August revelation, Sinner has split with fitness coach Umberto Ferrara and physio Giacomo Naldi – the former of whom recently joined the team of Matteo Berrettini.

“Even though he knew he had tested positive because of the physio [in April], they only parted ways when he received the ban,” said Broady.

Evans further argued: “One of his best friends [Berrettini] is using the same physio, the Italians have no issue with this physio, clearly. For three months, he’s clearly not bothered about what has happened and the process of it all.”

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Patrick Mouratoglou has admitted he was “very surprised” by the comments Juan Carlos Ferrero made about Carlos Alcaraz’s commitment to tennis.

Alcaraz‘s Netflix documentary series, Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, was released last month, and the Spanish star’s approach to his career was the central theme.

The four-time major champion stressed that he wants to achieve his lofty ambitions without compromising his happiness.

“Right now my biggest fear of all is ending up seeing tennis as an obligation,” Alcaraz explained.

“Sometimes I feel like I am enslaved to tennis and that causes anxiety, frustration, doubts.”

Ferrero, who has coached Alcaraz since September 2018, also featured in the series.

The former world No 1 made a revealing admission about Alcaraz’s philosophy being at odds with the way his team sees the sport.

“His understanding of work and sacrifice is so different from ours,” said Ferrero. “It’s so different that it makes me doubt whether ‘his way’ of doing things will help him become the best in the world.”

Mouratoglou, a renowned coach who currently works with Naomi Osaka, gave his verdict on Ferrero’s choice to publicly question Alcaraz.

“First of all, what Carlos has accomplished at a young age is unbelievable,” the Frenchman said in an Instagram video.

“I was very surprised to read that his coach said publicly that he was not committing 100%. It will bring a lot of criticism. It’s really difficult to manage that.

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“Apparently, the way he deals with pressure is to not commit 100%, which is actually a behaviour that is quite usual for professional athletes. That’s a way to take pressure away.

“Is it the right way? For sure not. I would try to solve the problem between him and me. He (Ferrero) probably did try and probably doesn’t work, so probably, he goes to the next level. Ferrero is trying to motivate his player.

“Is it the right way? I don’t know. If it works, then bravo. If it hurts the player and hurts the relationship between the two, then I would say it’s not a good job.

“So, we will see what are the consequences — the positive one or the negative one, or maybe a bit of both. Let’s see how Carlos received it. Maybe he will have a reaction to that, a positive one. But it’s risky.”

Alcaraz will play Yoshihito Nishioka or Dusan Lajovic in his first match at the Italian Open as he seeks his third title of the 2025 season.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev: Battle for world No 2 at Italian Open

The post Juan Carlos Ferrero’s public criticism of Carlos Alcaraz labelled ‘a risky move’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Former world No 1 Carlos Moya has asserted that Carlos Alcaraz’s goal of becoming the greatest player of all time in his own way will be “complicated.”

Alcaraz opened up about his philosophy to his life and tennis career in his recently released Netflix documentary series: Carlos Alcaraz: My Way.

The four-time Grand Slam champion explained: “What I would like is to be the best in history. It’s my dream, but one of the keys for me is to enjoy myself. I’m the type who likes to spend time at home, which tennis doesn’t allow you to do.

“I’ve lived a short time and I have a lot left to live. And right now I want to decide for myself. And if I make a mistake, I want to make it for myself. I’m paving my way to becoming the best player in history. And I want to do it my way.”

The Spanish star added: “Right now my biggest fear of all is ending up seeing tennis as an obligation. Sometimes I feel like I am enslaved to tennis and that causes anxiety, frustration, doubts.”

Moya, who coached tennis legend Rafael Nadal from 2017 until his retirement last year, shared his thoughts on the approach Alcaraz outlined in the documentary.

“It’s a viable option if you want to win Grand Slams in the short term. In the long term, it’s complicated because tennis is a long-distance race,” Moya said at an event with businessman Pedro Escudero.

“I see myself a bit like Alcaraz. I was 21 too, but it’s true that I was at a different level than him. The thing is, my ambition was never to be the best in history. Perhaps that’s what’s shocking. Wanting to be the best in history in that way.

“Can he become one [of the best in history]? I see it as difficult even if he has a normal life. Being a slave to tennis is already very complicated… Although it’s clear that, given his level, he can be.

“Of the three who have achieved it, no one has done it the way he says, but he’s still a guru or a pioneer and he’ll achieve it.

“On the other hand, that’s what he thinks now at 21. Maybe in two years he’ll get a little tired of what he says about living life. Maybe in two years he’ll reach the maturity to live those two years to the fullest.

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“He’s living in the moment and he also has the right to; he’s earned it. He’s a great player; he’s won four majors. Sometimes we forget about this, but it’s incredible.”

The 1998 French Open champion continued: “Perhaps Alcaraz is demanding something of himself that doesn’t exist. He may be close to perfection at times, but he’s 21. He’s going to improve, he’s going to stabilise, and that will give him time.

“You can’t rush certain things. Nobody comes close to perfection at 21. Experience, life, and past situations are what lead you to that.

“No matter how much he’s lived and won, he still has a lot of life left to live, and those things are what will take him to his highest level, whatever that may be. He’s becoming a unique player, and everyone enjoys watching him play.”

Moya also shut down the notion that Nadal was a “slave to tennis.”

“Rafa had a great life outside of tennis, perhaps not so much attending events, Formula 1, or motorcycling, but he had a very full life off the court,” the Mallorcan added.

“I know him well and I know he had his hobbies and enjoyed his free time. Rafa was not a slave to tennis.

“It’s impossible to win what he (Alcaraz) has won without discipline, without hard work. He’s 21 years old and has the right to live what he’s saying. He doesn’t hurt anyone and he keeps winning.

“Is that sustainable in the long term? It’s difficult, but he already has his team, who advise him, who direct him, and who tell him things as they see fit.”

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The post Rafael Nadal’s ex-coach warns Carlos Alcaraz about his ‘best in history’ ambition appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu believes her coaching agreement with Mark Petchey and Jane O’Donoghue is “working pretty well”, but former world No 21 Dan Evans has raised concerns about the long-term future.

2021 US Open winner Raducanu started working with Petchey during the Miami Open and they enjoyed instant success as she reached the quarter-final of the WTA 1000 event, resulting in a return to the top 50 of the WTA Rankings.

Both parties have made it clear that for now it is an ad-hoc partnership as Petchey also works as a tennis commentator, meaning he won’t be able to mentor Raducanu at all tournaments.

But that is where Jane O’Donoghue, a former Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) national women’s coach, comes into the picture as she is expected to step in when Petchey is unavailable.

Although the agreement is off to a solid start, former British No 1 Evans feels things will get complicated when Raducanu starts to lose matches.

“It can’t last if she starts losing matches and Petchey is in the commentary box. That’s not going to work,” he told BBC 5 Live Tennis.

“I think Emma will be looking for a new coach again pretty soon if she starts to lose some matches on the grass into the US swing. I’m not sure how that can last as it is.”

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Both Petchey and O’Donoghue – who is currently on a sabbatical from her full-time job – are with Raducanu in Rome this week for the Italian Open, but the latter’s agreement is also short-term as she won’t be available next year when she returns to her job in finance.

“It’s been working pretty well,” the world No 49 told BBC Sport.

“Mark is doing his commentary work and around that he is going to help me as much as he can and hopefully the times align that he can be there with me in the matches.

“That’s why Jane is here for when he’s not able to make it to the session.

“While she’s not working it’s nice to have her as much as possible, but she will go back to work and then I need to figure another solution out.”

The big question is who will support Petchey when O’Donoghue is no longer available.

Raducanu added: “I just need to work on who that person is.”

With both Petchey and O’Donoghue by Raducanu’s side for now, they have been tasked to help her to take her game to the next level.

“I feel slightly better than I did in Madrid,” the British No 2 said.

“I want to use this period of the clay season to try and work on certain things in my game that I think are going to help me bridge the gap to the next level.

“I want to take more balls on, I want to be more aggressive in certain points – I want to structure the points more on my terms.

“I know I may make more errors doing that, but I’m willing to go through that.”

The post Emma Raducanu’s agreement with Mark Petchey not a long-term solution, warns former British No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.

After a stunning exit at the Madrid Open, Iga Swiatek will look to right the ship in Rome.

The manner of Swiatek’s 6-1, 6-1 loss to Coco Gauff shocked many, with the world No 2 suffering one of the worst losses of her career to an opponent she had never previously lost to on clay.

The Pole ultimately failed to defend her title in the Spanish capital but will hope for better fortune at the Italian Open, where she is looking to defend her title, and win the event for a fourth time overall.

However, she is under significant rankings pressure heading into action at the WTA 1000 event, with both Gauff and Jessica Pegula closing in.

As it stands

As of Monday (May 5), Swiatek held on to her world No 2 ranking but dropped to 6,773 points after her Madrid Open semi-final exit, failing to defend her title – and 1,000 points – from 2024.

Having made her first Madrid Open final, Gauff moved back up to world No 3 on 6,603 points; she would have overtaken the Pole had she won the title in the Spanish capital.

Falling behind Gauff in the WTA Rankings was Pegula, who dropped one place to world No 4 despite increasing her points tally to 6,243.

However, despite being the world No 4 in the WTA Rankings, it is Pegula who is currently world No 2 in the WTA Live Rankings.

With no points to defend in the Eternal City, the 31-year-old is currently up to second in the provisional rankings due to Swiatek and Gauff’s projected loss of points.

Gauff is currently dropping 390 points after her semi-final run in 2024, with 6,213 points on her live ranking – though she remains as the world No 3 as things stand.

However, with 990 points dropping off her ranking as the defending Rome champion, Swiatek is currently down to 5,783 points – and to world No 4.

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Remaining as the world No 2 could be crucial for Swiatek’s hopes of success at the French Open, which starts later this month, though she must significantly better Gauff and Pegula’s result in Rome.

With Pegula on 6,243 live points and Gauff on 6,213 live points, the Pole must reach at least the final to have any chance of staying as the world No 2.

A runner-up finish would leave Swiatek on 6,423 points once the event is complete, while a run to the title would see her stay on her official pre-tournament total of 6,773 points.

However, if she were to lose in the semi-final, she would earn only 390 points in Rome and hold 6,163 points once the event is complete, behind what both Pegula and Gauff have already secured without hitting a ball.

If Gauff was to reach the semi-final and defend her 390 points from last year, Swiatek would need the American to lose in the last four and ultimately defend her title to stay in front.

Gauff and Swiatek are on opposite sides of the draw and, should they meet in the final, the American would be guaranteed to overtake the Pole regardless of the result.

The American will hold 7,203 points with a run to the title and 6,853 points with a runner-up finish, both ahead of Swiatek’s maximum achievable total of 6,773 with the title.

Pegula is on the same side of the draw as Swiatek, and the two are projected to meet in the semi-final.

Due to the WTA Rankings system, she can achieve a maximum of 7,135 points if she were to win the title, below Gauff’s tally – despite being ahead in the WTA Live Rankings.

To stay ahead of Pegula and remain as the US No 1, Gauff must beat Pegula’s result by at least one round.

If they were to meet in the final, whoever lifted the title would end the tournament as the world No 2, with the runner-up as the world No 3.

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To the tennis fans of Italy, Jannik Sinner is their undisputed king.

A little like those defiant Donald Trump ‘fans’ in America, Sinner is an untouchable hero who can do no wrong in the eyes of his followers and they may explain why they may have missed the sensitivities of the events the sport of tennis is trying to navigate this week.

We have to appreciate that Italian tennis has waited a long time for a champion to emerge in a nation craving success, so Sinner’s success in lifting three Grand Slam titles over the last 18 months and guiding his country to back-to-back Davis Cup wins has put him on a pedestal that he may never step down from.

For many years, the travelling Italian media pool has been among the most populous and vocal in the tennis press rooms around the world, even though they didn’t have too much to shout about at the back end of Grand Slam events.

All that has changed with the emergence of world No 1 Sinner, while world No 9 Lorenzo Musetti, former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi are enjoying success on the ATP Tour.

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Jasmine Paolini is leading the Italian charge in the women’s game, with their success in last year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals confirming Italy is the dominant nation in tennis right now.

Yet the brutal reality must be that the outside world may be viewing the ‘triumphant’ return of Sinner in a slightly different light.

The harsh truth is we are talking about a tennis player who tested positive for an anabolic steroid that could be performance-enhancing and is now making a return to action after what was a controversial ban.

Whether you buy into the reason Sinner has given to explain why Clostebol got into his system or not, with his suggestion that the cream used by his former physio to treat at cut inadvertantly entered his system during a massage, the basic facts are that this is a tennis player who failed a drug test and cut a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agenca to conveniently ensure he didn’t miss any Grand Slam tournaments.

So the images of Sinner being cheered into the press room for his pre-tournament press conference will have been condemned by many who are also been accredited to report on this year’s Italian Open.

The general rule in tennis is the media do not clap players on court or in press conferences unless that achieve something truly remarkable or maybe at the end of their career, so applause for a player returning from a drug ban in press tournament press conference will be viewed as embarrassing and unprofessional behaviour from those who took part in the moment.

Scenes of Sinner being lauded with cheers and adoration everywhere he goes ahead of his return to action in the Italian Open will not sit well with some and that may also include the star at the centre of this storm.

It may be that Sinner is also a little uncomfortable with the spotlight that is inevitably shining on him as he makes his comeback in Italy’s capital, but he can’t stop the euphoria building around him.

This likeable sportsman doesn’t appear to be the type who revels in the media glare and he may well have preferred to avoid the relentless rounds of media interviews and questions about his failed drug tests that he knew were coming his way on his media day on Monday.

Yet he politely answered the questions that came his way, with his comments in an interview with Sky Sports Tennis highlighting the challenges he has been through since the positive doping results in March 2024.

“At the start, I was a bit confused because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” said Sinner.

“Then I went home and stayed with my family. I tried to understand better what was important to me.

“I know how many sacrifices I made and my daily routine was always practice, practice, practice. But at that moment, I didn’t have any of that.

“I came to understand that what’s important to me are the people by your side. They give you the strength to move forward and continue smiling.

“I didn’t want to do it in the beginning, and also it was a bit not easy for me to accept it, because I know what really happened,” Sinner said of the ban.

“But sometimes we have to choose the best in a very bad moment, and that’s what we did. So, it’s all over now. So, I’m happy to play tennis again.”

It is not those who live in the tennis bubble who will look in on the acclaim Sinner is receiving in Rome with a critical eye, as we have full knowledge of this story and appreciate that the athlete was almost certainly not cheating when his positive doping test was recorded.

Yet the world No 1 in any sport is a standard bearer and that is why the euphoric reaction from the Italian tennis community to the return of their champion may be seen through a different lens outside of their country.

Those hailing Sinner as the returning hero probably don’t care if critics view their response in a negative light, as they have sided with the player from the start of this story and will make no apology for celebrating his comeback.

Tennis needs to hope the damage caused to its reputation by the image of the world No 1 being banned for a positive doping test is not tarnished further by what some could view as misguided acclaim for a player returning from a doping ban.

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Former world No 1 Boris Becker has explained why he thinks Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are each the greatest in their own way.

The ‘Big Three’ of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are widely considered to be the three best players in the history of men’s tennis.

From Federer’s first Grand Slam victory at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships to Djokovic’s most recent at the 2023 US Open, the legendary trio won 66 of the 81 majors held during two unparalleled decades of combined dominance.

Djokovic has won a record 24 major singles titles, while Nadal and Federer occupy second and third place on the all-time men’s Grand Slam list with 22 and 20 respectively.

Federer retired at the 2022 Laver Cup, while Nadal brought the curtain down on his career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

Djokovic, meanwhile, is still competing at the top level and is currently ranked sixth in the world. The 37-year-old secured his 99th and most recent title at the Paris Olympics in August and was also a runner-up at Wimbledon last year.

Becker coached Djokovic between 2014 and 2016 – during which time he helped his fellow great win six majors and 14 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

In an interview with El Mundo, Becker addressed whether it is possible to choose between the Big Three and give a definitive answer to the tennis GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate.

“I call them the three GOATs for a reason; each has been the greatest in his own way,” explained the German.

“If I had to explain their historical importance, I’d say Djokovic is the most successful, Federer the most popular, and Nadal the most feared.

“If you faced Rafa at Roland Garros, you knew there was nothing you could do. Beating him there was the only impossible feat in a sport where anything is possible.”

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Becker was also asked if the era he played in was the golden age of tennis, given he competed against a host of legends, including John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg, and later: Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

“I wouldn’t say that out of respect for others, but it was certainly one of the best,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion.

“I suppose the other era that comes to mind is that of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal. That was the best generation in history because it had the three GOATs.

“The only thing is that the gap between those three and the next was very large; they only lost to each other. We were ten at the top level.

“There will also be those who say that what happened was that these three were so good that they made the rest look worse than they were [laughs]. In any case, winning a tennis match is always difficult. Extremely difficult.”

READ NEXT: Boris Becker issues warning about Carlos Alcaraz and reveals Rafael Nadal quality ‘no other athlete’ will match

The post Boris Becker asked to compare Djokovic, Nadal, Federer era to his own golden generation appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has revealed she is planning to use the clay-court season to practice for the grass-court and hard-court swings in the second half of 2025.

Raducanu has made no secret of her discomfort on clay courts and she pulled out of playing in qualifying for last year’s French Open as she focused on preparing to play on grass in her British homeland instead.

Now she is showing more eagerness to play on clay and after picking up a win at the Madrid Open and turning in a battling performance despite a defeat against Marta Kostyuk in her second match, the displays provided evidence that she is making progress on clay.

Raducanu is back in the world’s top 50 after her positive performances in Madrid and she has a chance to go higher if she can win matches at the WTA 1000 event in Rome this week and then at the French Open later this month.

Yet it seems she is already looking ahead to a return to grass courts in June and the US hard court swing that will follow in August and September as she prepares to play a qualifier in her first match in Rome.

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“It’s a good challenge for my game,” said said as she spoke about playing on clay in an interview with Sky Sports Tennis.

“I want to work on doing things differently to try and bridge the gap between where I am now and where I want to be.

“I’m going to use the season to take pressure off, try and be more aggressive and play the way I want to more so, so it can help me on the other surfaces.

“I had some time off after Madrid and I’m working on feeling a bit more comfortable on this surface. I don’t think I’m fully there yet, but I’m just putting in the hard work and keeping going.

“It’s a good challenge for my game. I want to try and bridge the gap from where I am now to where I want to be.

“I just want to use this season to take the pressure off and play the way I want to so it can help me on the other surfaces.

“It is exciting, it does feel like a bit of a fresh start with the way I am approaching everything, with the people I have around, with my mindset and outlook.

“I feel more optimistic, I feel pretty positive about things going forward. I’m just taking it day by day and trying to stay consistent.”

Mark Petchey is working with Raducanu once again in his role as a part-time coach and she is enjoying the freshness he has brought to her camp since he started working with her during her run to the Miami Open quarter-finals in March.

“He’s not a super technical coach, there are certain tweaks, as always, but that is something I am going away from,” she continued..

“I have been very technical in the past, there has been a time and a place for that because I needed to make improvements.

“But from now on, it’s more about doing the right things, taking the ball on more, and just repetition of certain drills and patterns, which he is very good at setting up.”

Raducanu will discover who her first-round opponent in Rome will be when qualifying finishes on Tuesday and she could then face world No 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova in her second-round match.

Alexandrova is a player she beat at the Australian Open in January, but she may be less confident of getting a result in the re-match on a clay court.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu handed glorious chance to make a rankings breakthrough

The post Emma Raducanu reveals interesting clay-court plan as she is already looking to the next challenge appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has admitted she is not at her best on clay courts, but she is about to be presented with a glorious opportunity to change how the rest of her season could look.

Raducanu showed signs of progress on clay courts as she won her opening match against Susan Lamens at the Madrid Open and then battled hard before losing against Marta Kostyuk in a tight second round encounter.

That win in Madrid allowed her to climb back into the top 50 of the WTA Rankings and there could be much more to come for the 2021 US Open champion as she looks to make further leaps forward.

Raducanu is in Rome for the second WTA 1000 clay court tournament of the season and the draw has given her a big chance to overhaul Katie Boulter to become British No 1 once again and possibly even get into a position to be seeded for Wimbledon in July.

The draw for the Italian Open has been reasonably kind for Raducanu, as she will play a qualifier in her opening match.

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If she wins that opener, Raducanu will face No 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova, who she beat at the Australian Open at the start of this year.

She also lost against Alexandrova at the Qatar Open in February, but the draw could have been much more challenging for unseeded Raducanu as she could have been paired with Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff or any of the highest-ranked players in the women’s game.

If she were to get past Alexandrova, another contest against Amanda Anisimova could be lying in wait in the third round, with her 2-0 winning record against the American making for impressive reading.

Raducanu beat Anisimova at the Australian Open in January and then also beat her convincingly in a one-sided match on her way to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.

World No 3 Coco Gauff is also in Raducanu’s section of the draw and if she were to get to the fourth round, it would represent her best performance in a WTA Tour clay court event.

Three wins in Rome would give Raducanu 120 ranking points and while that would not be enough to move past Boulter and reclaim the British No 1 ranking, she would be knocking on the of that achievement if she gets to the last-16 in Rome.

Raducanu opted against playing the French Open last year, so she has a chance to go for more points at Roland Garros this year, with her boosted ranking set to secure her direct entry into the draw for the second Grand Slam of 2025.

So while she may not be entirely comfortable on clay after playing limited matches on the surface in her formative days in tennis, she could be a handful of wins away from a return to the top 32 and potential seeding for Wimbledon in July.

She will have plenty of ranking points to defend when she gets to the grass court swing of the WTA Tour, so this next month is a great opportunity to find her feet on clay and she admits she is still a work in progress on the surface.

“I think it’s positive to get through and play two matches on the outdoor clay courts,” she stated after losing against Kostyuk in Madrid. “I would say that it is pretty noticeable to me that I don’t necessarily feel very comfortable, but I think that’s something that I can improve on and work on.

“It is my second proper clay season and the first one in three years. So I think I’m just trying to give myself a chance to play as many points as I can on it, and also [I need] time on the court training as well.

“I found moving really difficult. I felt like I was slipping around, but it was taking me a long time to get out of the corners and after the serve as well. I’m not really sure how to improve that, so I guess I’ll just take that back and try to work on it in the next week.”

British players tend to struggle on clay courts as they have little or no experience playing on the surface in a nation that does not have many high-quality courts covered in the red dirt, but Raudcanu has a chance to make some big leaps forward in the rankings if she can master the surface over the next two tournaments.

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The post Emma Raducanu handed glorious chance to make a rankings breakthrough appeared first on Tennis365.