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At long last, it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to Carlos Alcaraz’s return to tennis.

Alcaraz has been missing since April, when he suffered a wrist injury in the first round of the Barcelona Open.

The unfortunate injury has caused him to miss both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but there are whispers he could return to action on the North American swing.

Alcaraz is reportedly focusing on a return at the Cincinnati Open, which is set to begin on the 11th August.

The Spaniard won the event last year so if he does return he would be defending his title, and 1000 ranking points, at the hardcourt tournament.

The potential return of Alcaraz has delighted former professional Boris Becker, who took to social media to celebrate the Spaniard’s upcoming return.

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On X, the former Wimbledon champion said: “Finally some good news regarding the injury of Alcaraz! Hopefully he will be back for the Cincinnati Open and the US Open… fingers crossed!”

Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open for the first time in 2025, but he has previously performed very well at the American tournament.

As well as his title triumph, Alcaraz has also reached the final and the quarter-final of the Cincinnati Open.

Ahead of his potential return at the Ohio event, Alcaraz holds an impressive 12–4 win-loss record at the tournament, which equates to a 75% win rate.

Despite missing so much action this year, there is still plenty to play for if Alcaraz returns ahead of the US Open. The star will be looking to capture the eighth Grand Slam of his career at Flushing Meadows.

If he achieves that, he will be confirmed to win two Grand Slams in a calendar year for the second consecutive year.

The star could also achieve a couple of first time feats too at the Masters events at the end of the year.

Alcaraz is yet to win either the Shanghai Masters or the Paris Masters, so he will be hoping to lift the title at both of those events as he tries to return to at least World No 2 in the ATP Tour rankings.

The Spaniard has never reached past the quarter finals of either event in Shanghai or Paris and the latter is quite easily his worst performing Masters event.

He’s only picked up five victories at the indoor Masters event in his first five appearances at the Paris Masters. Alcaraz has also been knocked out at the second round stage on two occasions, which is quite incredible for a player of his stature.

The post Boris Becker reacts to the news that Carlos Alcaraz could be returning soon appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner claimed his first Grand Slam title of the year by defeating Alexander Zverev to win Wimbledon for the second year in a row.

There was uncertainty heading into Wimbledon for Sinner, after his early exit from Roland Garros a month prior. The Italian opted not to play a grass court event in the lead-up to Wimbledon, but it worked in his favour as he swept the title.

Sinner took a little while to reach his top level in the opening week of the Grand Slam, but he produced two stellar performances to knock out Novak Djokovic and Zverev in the semi finals and finals.

The World No 1 will now turn his attention toward the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, where he is looking to continue his perfect stretch at Masters events so far this year.

Just days after winning the Wimbledon title, there has been an update on Sinner as he takes a mini-break from the sport once again.

According to Sky Sports Italia, “Jannik Sinner underwent a routine checkup at J Medical after his Wimbledon victory.

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“The world number one arrived shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15th, and left the Turin facility around 10:30 a.m. Jannik showed his usual helpfulness, and before leaving J Medical, he spent time with some fans present for photos.”

Sinner did exactly the same following his exit from Roland Garros, so it could be a good omen for the Italian as he heads into another busy period.

It is not yet certain whether Sinner will play the Canadian Open, although it would be a shock to see him miss out on a slice of tennis history.

Sinner has won Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Monte Carlo Masters, the Madrid Open, and the Italian Open already this year in a clean sweep of the Masters events.

With five out of the nine already claimed, there is every chance the star can become the first tennis player in history to win every Masters event available in a calendar year.

The Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, the Shanghai Masters, and the Paris Masters remain, all of which Sinner has won previously.

If he can get through the North American hardcourt double in Montreal and Cincinnati, then he will be the overwhelming favourite to achieve the clean sweep.

If Sinner does play the Canadian Open, he will be buoyed by the fact Carlos Alcaraz is not set to play the event as he continues his rehab from the wrist injury that has kept him out for five months.

The post What Jannik Sinner has done since winning Wimbledon as he seeks more history appeared first on Tennis365.

After a five-month absence, Carlos Alcaraz looks to be returning to action at the Cincinnati Open in mid-August.

Alcaraz has been out of action since April, when he suffered a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open., and he’s subsequently had to miss Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

There were fears that Alcaraz could miss the US Open, but a new update suggests he could be back in time for the Cincinnati Open, the Masters event he won last season.

The World No 3 had a complaint during his run to the title last year and it appears to have been listened to by the American hardcourt tournament.

Speaking during his Cincinnati Open press conference last year, Alcaraz had a complaint about the final being played on a Monday, rather than the traditional Sunday.

The Spaniard said: “It is going to be weird playing a final on a Monday. I am going to feel like what is going on? I don’t know. It’s a different feeling.

“I love playing the final on Sunday. But it’s everything that you have to see in another perspective, because as I say, I am going to have dinner late, I am going to have treatment late, and go to bed late.

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“So having that day is going to be much better to be ready for Monday. But at the same time, we are used to seeing a final on Sunday, and it’s going to be weird.”

This year’s event has confirmed its schedule and the Cincinnati Open final will now take place on Sunday, August 23rd.

That means the Masters event will be an 11-day event this year rather than the now traditional 12 days for ATP 1000 events, which started during the 2025 season.

This could have major consequences for a potential appearance for Alcaraz at the US Open Mixed Doubles Challenge too, as the format is set to begin on August 25th.

Alcaraz will now get a days rest in between the tournaments, whereas last year he flew directly from Cincinnati to New York to play alongside Emma Raducanu without a day off.

There have been whispers of Alcaraz playing the doubles event alongside Serena Williams, so there is now a bigger chance that all-star team can now happen at the doubles event.

No teams for the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament have been confirmed as yet, although last year’s teams included Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, as well as Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.

The event was eventually won by Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani.

The post Carlos Alcaraz had complaint about the Cincinnati Open in 2025 and they appear to have listened appeared first on Tennis365.

The period following a Grand Slam is often a bit of a lull, but it is being felt more than ever following the events of Wimbledon this year.

Wimbledon was an utter delight this year, with Jannik Sinner claiming the men’s title and Linda Noskova winning her first-ever Grand Slam title.

There were plenty of talking points and it felt like the entire world had their eye on tennis following the events of the grass court event.

However, that could not be further from the case as the ATP Tour has thrust itself back into a clay court swing, with events in Umag, Gstaad, and Bastad.

The three ATP 250 tournaments are often lowkey events, but something feels very different this year.

Only six members of the top 20 are playing at the three events, which take place in Sweden, Croatia, and Switzerland. The likes of Flavio Cobolli, Casper Ruud, and Alexander Bublik have decided to play the events, but they are certainly lacking in star power.

That’s not necessarily a problem, as ATP 250 events are usually for the lower-ranked players in the top 100, but they don’t appear to be playing it either.

Only 34 players from the top 100 have decided to play an event directly following Wimbledon, so there is little demand for them – and it’s quite easy to see why.

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The clay court events following Wimbledon is not only a big risk to players’ health, with a completely different play style needed for the clay to the grass, but it also really doesn’t make sense for players to focus on playing on the dirt right now.

While some clay court specialists will likely flourish at the events, why on earth would anyone preparing for the North American hardcourt swing want to play on the dirt?

With two Masters events coming up at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, as well as several ATP 500 events, including Winston-Salem and Washington, players would clearly be better suited to getting in some hardcourt preparation.

The clay court swing is a major section of the ATP Tour, with three Masters events and a Grand Slam between April and June. These events should either be moved there and they should be scrapped altogether.

With players complaining about the amount of tournaments on the busy ATP Tour schedule, it’s clear that the events in Gastaad, Bastad, and Umag should be the first to go.

If they are not scrapped completely, they should at least be slotted in with the European clay court swing instead.

The post The ATP Tour needs to make a major scheduling change after what’s happened post-Wimbledon appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2026 grass-court season is done and dusted and now the focus switches back to hard courts with Canada and the United States hosting the North American swing.

Last year’s hard-court campaign was productive for the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova, which means they have a lot of points to defend in the next few months.

The North American swing gets underway on 27 July with the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington DC and the Memphis Classic before attention turns to the WTA 1000 scene with Toronto hosting the Canadian Open from 3 August and Mason staging the Cincinnati Open from the 13th.

There is one tournament before the US Open with the WTA 500 Monterrey Open in Mexico taking place from 24 August, before the swing ends with the final Grand Slam of the year in New York (30 August-13 September).

With the WTA Rankings determined via a rolling 52-week, cumulative system, players have to defend the points they earned from the same tournament/period 12 months ago.

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Example: If Player A won the Canadian Open last year, they earned 1,000 points and those points will be removed at the start of the 2026 edition in the Live Rankings, but the player will then earn points for every round at this year’s tournament. The only way they can keep those 1,000 points is by winning the tournament again.

Points The Big Names Will Drop

Aryna Sabalenka – 2,215

The world No 1 – who is under pressure to keep top spot in the WTA Rankings as she is only 407 points ahead of Rybakina – played only two events during the swing last year and that was the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.

Sabalenka lost in the quarter-final in Cincinnati (215) and won the US Open (2000).

Elena Rybakina – 1,215

The reigning Australian Open champion had a busy North American campaign last year as she played in four events, reaching the semi-final in Washington DC (195), the semis in Canada (390), the semis in Cincinnati (390) and the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows (240).

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She won’t defend her points in Washington DC, but is still favourite to overtake Sabalenka at No 1 after the hard-court campaign.

Jessica Pegula – 911

The American climbed to No 3 after Wimbledon and she lost in the second round in Washington DC (1 point), the round of 32 in Canada (65), the round of 32 in Cincy (65) and was a semi-finalist at the US Open (780).

Coco Gauff – 575

The 2023 US Open champion had a poor campaign last year as she was beaten in the round of 16 in Montreal (120), quarter-final in Cincinnati (215) and the round of 16 at the US Open (240).

But with many of the players around her dropping more points, it opens an opportunity for Gauff to edge closer to the top three.

Mirra Andreeva – 165

The reigning French Open champion also has an opportunity to move up the rankings as she will drop 35 points from the 2025 Canadian Open and 130 from the US Open.

Karolina Muchova – 650

Fresh from finishing runner-up at Wimbledon, Muchova will defend 120 points from a round of 16 appearance in Canada, 65 from a round of 32 run in Cincy and 430 from a quarter-final at the US Open.

Linda Noskova – 411

The 2026 Wimbledon winner – who will also drop 163 points next week from Prague 2025 – lost in the round of 64 in both Montreal (10) and Cincinnati (10) last year, but only 10 points will drop as Montreal is non-countable.

Noskova also played in Monterrey in 2025 and reached the quarter-final (108) and the round of 32 at the US Open (130).

Iga Swiatek – 1,550

Having slipped to No 8 in the rankings after her failure to defend her Wimbledon crown, Swiatek is in danger of slipping out of the top 10.

The Pole reached the round of 16 in Montreal 12 months ago and earned 120 points and then went on to lift the Cincinnati Open trophy (1,000) before losing in the quarter-final of the US Open (430).

Amanda Anisimova – 1,455

Anisimova picked up 130 points at the Canadian Open and 35 in Cincy before going on an incredible run at Flushing Meadows as she finished runner-up to Sabalenka and that was worth 1,300 points.

Victoria Mboko – 1,060

The Canadian has already dropped out of the top 10 after she was forced to miss Wimbledon due to injury and she is set to drop a few more spots as she won’t defend her points at Washington DC (60) and Canada (1,000).

Last year, Mboko became the second wildcard to win the Canadian Open, but she has already confirmed she won’t play this year due to her knee injury.

It remains to be seen if she will play at Cincinnati (she didn’t feature last year) or the US Open (10 points after losing in the first round).

Alex Eala – 205

Fresh from a historic run to the round of 16 at Wimbledon, Eala finds herself in a good position as she has 10 points to defend in Canada, 0 in Cincinnati and 70 at the US Open.

Following her second-round exit from the US Open last year, the Filipina entered the WTA Challenger event in Guadalajara and won the event, earning 125 points.

Emma Raducanu – 455

The British No 1 was a semi-finalist in Washington DC last year (195), reached the round of 32 in Montreal (65) and Cincinnati (65) before losing in the round of 32 at the US Open (130).

Raducanu is currently struggling with a leg injury and won’t play in Washington DC while it remains to be seen if she will be fit for the remainder of the swing.

The post WTA Rankings: Points Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Raducanu, Eala will drop during North American swing appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala cemented herself as one of the most popular players on the entire WTA Tour at the beginning of the year, but it’s only recently that she has begun to play like a truly elite star.

The 21-year-old came into her own on the grass court swing. She captured the Birmingham Open to begin the swing and then picked up victories against Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina en route to the semi finals of the Berlin Open.

Her fortunes continued at Wimbledon as she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.

Eala defeated Renata Zarazúa, Maya Joint, and Iga Swiatek to reach the Wimbledon fourth round, before she was defeated by Jasmine Paolini in three sets.

The star has returned to the Philippines following her breakout Grand Slam run, where she received a heroes welcome from her biggest fans in the nation.

The star has taken part in a press conference back home, where she has opened up about a number of topics in the sport.

Speaking at a BPI press conference, Eala was asked if there are any misconceptions that fans have about professional tennis players.

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The Filipina star responded: “Maybe a misconception that’s popping into my head… I’ve heard, I don’t know if this is true, people say that tennis players can be self-centred.

“I don’t think that’s true. And if someone is self-centred I don’t think it’s because they are a tennis player. I think maybe they’re just being self-centred because that’s who they are.

“It’s true that in tennis, to a certain point, when it comes to competition you have to put yourself first, and you have to think of yourself.”

Eala is enjoying a well-deserved break following Wimbledon, but she has already ear-marked her next tournament ahead of the North American hardcourt swing.

The Filipina star is set to play the Washington Open, which is set to take place between July 27th and August 2nd.

Eala will be joined by Jessica Pegula, Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Naomi Osaka, Paolini, Iva Jovic, Diana Shnaider, and Anna Kalinskaya at the event.

Venus Williams and Qinwen Zheng have also been awarded wildcards for the tournament, so it will not be easy for Eala to continue the excellent form she has shown on the grass.

Following the Washington event, Eala is then expected to play the Canadian Open in Toronto as she prepares to get ready for the US Open at the end of August.

The post Alex Eala responds to recent criticism she’s heard about professional tennis players appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner was at his brilliant best to beat Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev back-to-back to retain his Wimbledon title.

But there is a gaping chasm left in men’s tennis courtesy of the injured Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard has not played on the ATP Tour since suffering a wrist injury in mid-April at the Barcelona Open.

The seven-time major winner shocked fans when he pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon, and rumours are mounting that he may miss the US Open, too.

Not only does the 23-year-old arguably have the most exciting game on tour, but he is also a very likeable character, with a healthy dose of charisma.

And according to the co-host of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Caitlin Thompson, the sport is much worse off without the injured Alcaraz on our screens.

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Thompson, who is the founder of ‘Racquet Magazine’, feels that French Open winner and Wimbledon runner-up Zverev is a “major step down” from the former world No 1 and men’s tennis needs Alcaraz back and fast.

She said on the latest episode of the podcast, “I do think we have a major charisma problem on the men’s tour when Carlos Alcaraz is not playing tennis. Maybe it’s because I talk with more casual fans who are a little disappointed to see somebody like Alex Zverev, who’s a major step down.

“Although to your point, he played a great tournament, and he’s certainly improved. He’s hitting harder serves. He’s hitting more accurate serves.
He’s hitting harder forehands. He’s not as passive on point construction.

“But yeah, I mean, it’s not close, certainly in the charisma, but also in the skill set. So, you know, Alex Zverev getting through nobody seeded in the top 10 to get to the final was sort of like, ugh, this guy again?”

Stubbs, who is currently part of Serena Williams’ coaching team, was quick to sing the praises of Sinner, who now has five Grand Slams to his name.

The four-time doubles major winner believes the 24-year-old is an “incredible” player to watch and his shot making skills are “unbelievable”. But once again, Thompson was less enthusiastic.

Stubbs said on Sinner, “I mean, the guy is just phenomenal when he gets that first serve in the court. When he’s at his best, he’s just incredible to watch as a tennis player.

“The accuracy, I was sitting in the Last 8 Club members, so I was sitting with other tennis players, and we just marvel. We just go, ‘This is just ridiculous’. The shot making that he can produce is unbelievable.”

Thompson replied, “It’s optimised. It’s hard to get excited about it for me, but I’m glad he won. I was rooting for him. I’m glad that he repeated. But yeah, his style of play is optimised, is what I would say. I miss Carlos Alcaraz a lot.”

Stubbs conceded that point, before talking up the Italian again. For all of Sinner’s accomplishments, they would, arguably, be even more impressive if Alcaraz was on the other side of the net, or at least back fit again. However, his return date is far from certain.

READ MORE: ‘Carlos Alcaraz’s injury is hell for tennis – we’ve lost some of our magic’

The post ‘I’m glad Jannik Sinner won Wimbledon but men’s tennis has a major charisma problem without Carlos Alcaraz’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz’s absence from tennis has left a deep hole in the sport, with many fans, pundits, and even players expressing their desire for him to return.

The Spaniard has been out of action since the Barcelona Open in April, where he suffered an unfortunate wrist injury in his first round match against Otto Virtanen.

It’s kept him out of two Grand Slams, at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as well as several Masters events on the European clay court swing.

There is, as yet, no confirmation as to when the World No 3 will return, although we do know it will not be as early as the Canadian Open at the beginning of August.

Alcaraz has been tipped to return at the Cincinnati Open, although the likes of Greg Rusedski and Boris Becker have predicted he might miss the US Open.

As his absence is set to hit its fifth month, Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, has applauded Alcaraz for not returning to tennis too soon.

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Speaking on social media, the Tennis Hall of Famer said: “The Spanish magician will be back doing magic tricks soon. Playing the long game with this injury was beyond smart.

“Once he returns and feels it and deals it in live action, his comeback will gain traction. Soon there is there is no hesitation or no delay confidence will soar and his breathtaking magic act will once again be on full display.”

After losing his World No 2 status to Alexander Zverev, thanks to his run to the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz does not really have anything to worry about ranking wise during his absence.

The Spaniard is still 3420 ranking points ahead of Felix Auger-Aliassime, who currently occupies the World No 4 spot.

Auger-Aliassime reached the semi-finals of the US Open last year, so he will have to match that performance at this year’s event in order to add to his tally.

That is very unlikely, which means Alcaraz will likely hold the World No 3 position even if he doesn’t play for the rest of the year.

It’s a testament to Alcaraz’s level at the top of the ATP Tour that he can afford to miss most of the year without losing very much ground at all when it comes to the rankings.

After the US Open last year, Alcaraz only claimed one ATP title for the rest of the season. That came at the Japan Open, so Alcaraz does not have many ranking points to defend.

He also suffered an early exit at the final Masters event of the year in Paris, so he will be confident even if he does end up missing the rest of the season.

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Carlos Alcaraz continued to worry fans after his name was not on the entry list for the Canadian Open, which is set to start at the beginning of August.

Alcaraz has already missed Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to a wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open in April, and many expected him to return for the North American hardcourt swing.

However, the Spaniard will not play the Canadian Open and there has been no official confirmation that he will return to tennis anytime soon.

Greg Rusedski has claimed Alcaraz will not play the US Open and Boris Becker has also cast doubt about the star coming back to tennis in the next few months.

However, a new report has suggested there is positivity in the Alcaraz camp that he will return before the US Open.

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According to Spanish outlet Laverdad, the World No 3’s absence from the Canadian Open entry list is nothing to be worried about and entirely part of the plan for his recovery.

“Alcaraz’s team has chosen to focus all their efforts on arriving in the best possible condition for Cincinnati, a tournament that begins in mid-August,” said the report.

Alcaraz might have worried fans and pundits with his recent training video, in which he was not hitting balls with any force, but his wrist is reportedly healed.

The report continued: “Before that, he will need to be medically cleared and the plan is for doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro to grant it this week he saw him last Friday in Barcelona and the impressions were very positive. The wrist is healthy, completely healed and they are gradually increasing the training load.”

Alcaraz will not lose any more ranking points by missing the Canadian Open, as he withdrew from the event last year.

He did, however, win the Cincinnati Open last season so he will be defending the full 1000 points if he does return to the Masters tournament.

The one thing that is for sure, however, is that tennis has missed Alcaraz more than many expected.

That is a sentiment that has been echoed by World No 1 Jannik Sinner.

Speaking in his post-match Wimbledon press conference, after claiming the title, Sinner said: “Big, big respect to Sascha, because he’s doing something amazing. His game is growing and growing.

“In the same time, that’s exactly what’s good, because you have always someone who is pushing you to the limit. We hope that Carlos is coming back, as well, because tennis needs him.

“Having Novak [Djokovic] still around, having all the young players coming, it’s really, really nice. At the same time, you always need to work hard and have moments like this.”

The post What Carlos Alcaraz has done in the last week to aid wrist injury recovery appeared first on Tennis365.

Rennae Stubbs has proposed a radical change to the latter stages of Grand Slams in light of Novak Djokovic’s gruelling quarter-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Jannik Sinner and Linda Noskova won the men’s and women’s Wimbledon titles, respectively, last weekend as punters were treated to two engaging finals.

The Italian came from a set down against Alexander Zverev to retain his title, while Noskova finally got over the line against fellow Czech Karolina Muchova in three sets after serving for the match in the second.

One of the most anticipated contests of the tournament was, arguably, between world No 1 Sinner and the man who beat him in five sets at the Australian Open, Djokovic.

The 39-year-old won a remarkable quarter-final over Auger-Aliassime in five hours and 15 minutes, but he didn’t have much left in the tank against Sinner, who saw him off in straight sets.

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As a result, Serena Williams‘ coach, Stubbs, feels that the men should should play four sets and then finish with a tiebreak instead of playing a fifth set and the women should adopt that from the quarter-final or semi-final stage.

On the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, her co-host, Caitlin Thompson, said she wished the women played best of five sets from the quarter-final or semi-final onwards to “guarantee” higher-quality matches and avoid situations like Amanda Anisimova’s double bagel defeat to Iga Swiatek in last year’s Wimbledon final.

In response, the four-time Grand Slam doubles winner said, “I don’t agree with that. You and I have been talking about getting rid of best of five forever. I think a balance of four if it goes two sets all and then we play a 10-point tiebreak, which is basically the same thing anyway.”

Thompson then chimed in, “You’re just throwing in an entirely new format that nobody plays on any tour whatsoever, I love that!”

Stubbs said that a best of five set match for the women would go on even longer as their serves aren’t as potent as the men. She cited how Djokovic was “dead” for his semi-final with Sinner and if his Auger-Aliassime match was an hour or so shorter, it could have been a better last four contest.

She continued, “If we’re talking about women’s tennis and no offence to the women or men, the women are going to be playing longer matches because they don’t have the big serves.

“You saw the men’s, they are playing long rallies as well now, but they do have huge serves and they win a lot of points on their serve, particularly on grass.

“You won’t see that quick a point all the time, and certainly not on clay with the guys, they are going to be playing 40-ball rallies every time. If we’re going to do it for both, let’s do it for both, and when it’s two sets all, play a 10-point tiebreak.”

“I’m a tennis purist, I love watching great tennis. But I don’t want to see it for five hours and 15 minutes like we had to with the quarter-finals with Novak and FAA. Arguably that **** Novak for the next match against Sinner; he was dead!

“Jannik played the most perfect match in the semi-final. I was there, I watched it in person, and Novak was just a step slow on everything. Now is it because he’s 39? Probably.

“Is Jannik the best player in the world when he’s on? Probably. But if it doesn’t go five and a half hours in the previous match, maybe four hours, does Novak have a little bit extra in his tank? Probably.”

In the past, women have played best of five set matches. Indeed, between 1984 and 1998, the WTA Tour finals’ championship match utilised that longer format.

Logistically, a Grand Slam would not be wrapped up in two weeks if women also played best of five set tennis but perhaps if Stubbs’ idea was brought in for the end of the tournament, that could work.

Stubbs finished by saying, “I think there’s one way to get around this and we can satisfy everybody. From the semis, quarters maybe, you play best of five and you play best of four with a 10-point tiebreak. What’s the difference? What a great culmination of four amazing sets to go, ‘Okay, 10 points for the match’.”

These would be quite radical reforms for the sport but Stubbs thinks she’s found the sweet spot. Despite that, such changes seems highly unlikely.

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