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Concerns that Emma Raducanu could withdraw from the 2026 Wimbledon Championships have grown after she cut short a practice session.

Raducanu‘s participation at Wimbledon already appeared far from certain after she was seen wearing a protective boot on her right foot, although her team insisted she was “absolutely fine.”

The British star did not practise at the All England Club for several days, but she returned to the court on Saturday for a practice session with world No 20 Anna Kalinskaya.

The 2021 US Open champion appeared with her right ankle and lower calf area strapped in protective tape, and she reportedly ended the session around 10 minutes earlier than expected after losing four games in a row.

Raducanu was then due to attend her Wimbledon pre-tournament press conference on Saturday afternoon, but it has since been rescheduled to Sunday.

The world No 32 has not played since her defeat to Donna Vekic in the final at the Queen’s Club Championships on 14 June.

She earned straight-set wins against Anna Blinkova, Sorana Cirstea, Kamilla Rakhimova and Iva Jovic to progress to the final at the grass-court WTA 500 event.

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Following her impressive run at Queen’s, Raducanu pulled out of the WTA 250 tournament in Nottingham the next week.

Staying healthy has been a consistent problem for Raducanu throughout her career to date.

Raducanu did not play for over two months after Indian Wells this year due to a post-viral illness, having contracted a virus during the Middle East swing in February.

The former world No 10 ended her 2025 season early in mid-October having dealt with physical issues at tournaments in China. Her preparations for the 2026 campaign were then disrupted by a bone injury in her foot that restricted her ability to train.

In May 2023, Raducanu underwent surgeries on both her wrists and her ankle, which ruled her out for the remainder of the year.

Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon draw

Raducanu is seeded 30th at Wimbledon, and she has been drawn against 60th-ranked Antonia Ruzic in the opening round.

She could then face Jelena Ostapenko or Harriet Dart in the second round, while world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is her projected third round opponent.

READ NEXT: Ben Shelton warns tennis has become ‘unsustainable’ after 16 players withdraw from Wimbledon

The post Emma Raducanu cuts practice short & postpones press conference as Wimbledon withdrawal fears grow appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner raised a “very important topic” and also refused to answer two questions about the prize money protest in his press conference ahead of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.

World No 1 Sinner is the defending champion at Wimbledon, where he will aim to win his fifth career Grand Slam title and first of the 2026 season.

The Italian star is playing his first tournament since he suffered an alarming physical collapse during his shock second round loss at Roland Garros last month. The 24-year-old addressed the medical tests he underwent after Paris.

Sinner is among a host of top players protesting Grand Slam prize money by limiting their press conferences at Wimbledon to a maximum of 15 minutes.

Here is everything Sinner said to the media ahead of the grass-court major at the All England Club.

Q. What exactly were the tests like after Roland Garros and what did you learn from them?

SINNER: No, were general tests to see health-wise how I was, to be sure that all is okay with the body, which is. All tests were really good. Even though we are very sure we need to practise in hotter conditions. I feel like everywhere where we play is going to be very hot. Every year is getting warmer and warmer. It a very important topic. But at the same time I’m happy the work we’re doing. We try to improve in the best possible way, then we see how it goes in the future.

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Q. You’re doing the limited media today, the first week. Do you feel any progress is being made?

SINNER: Yeah, I think it’s getting better, even though we are not at the point where we are 100% happy. In the same time we have seen improvement. Again, it’s not about the money – not only about the money. It’s the whole scenario we take into consideration with welfare and everything else. Let’s see. But yeah, it’s in the future.

Q. You played a lot going into Roland Garros. Obviously not played as much coming into Wimbledon. How do those two methods compare and how you’re feeling?

SINNER: Yeah, I feel good. I think grass is very different surface obviously. You come here trying to do your best. In the same time if you play a tournament before here, maybe it’s not going the way you would like to, you come here with some doubts. If you don’t play any tournament, you don’t have these doubts, you just go and play. Look, last year I lost second round in Halle. I came here and I played very well. Every year is different. I try to have as much confidence as possible in my shots and in my abilities. First rounds, they’re always going to be very tough. I know that mentally. We are preparing ourself in the best possible way.

Q. On the welfare issues you’re wanting the Slams to address, why have the players not taken up Wimbledon’s offer of setting a player council to discuss these issues?

SINNER: I just think it’s better if we don’t discuss here. I don’t like to talk about this at the moment. Thank you.

Q. You’re saying you needed to train in hotter conditions. I know the time is short from French Open to Wimbledon. Have you done anything, changes in your fitness routine, to be in better shape for the hot weather?

SINNER: Yeah, of course you cannot simulate 100% what you feel in a match because of tension-wise everything going around before and after match. We did some changes. I don’t say big, big changes. But I always believe in small details and small changes. We are happy at the moment with what we are doing. The result we’re not going to see here. It’s a long process. There’s no magic behind. But yeah, we are doing as much as we can. I’m very happy with the work we did in the last two and a half weeks. Very long days. I feel well-prepared.

Q. On the prize money, if you’re making progress, why continue the protest? Would you describe it as being closer to a solution, closer towards moving
toward a boycott?

SINNER: Look, I think we talked enough about this at the moment. The Grand Slams know what we ask, then we see how it goes. Again, I’m here now to talk about tennis.

READ NEXT: Ben Shelton makes ‘dangerous’ comment when asked if he is a threat to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon

The post Everything Jannik Sinner said in his Wimbledon press conference as he raises ‘very important topic’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was one of the biggest selling points of tennis for over two decades.

The pair split 66 Grand Slam titles between each other during their careers, with Djokovic still looking to build upon that in the 2026 season.

Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer – dubbed the ‘big three’ by fans – often met at the latter stages of the biggest events in the sport, with the Serbian just about winning more Grand Slams than his rival.

Djokovic has, to date, claimed 24 Grand Slam titles, while Nadal won 22 and Federer earned 20 in their illustrious careers.

There have been question marks around the trio’s relationship off the court, although they have reunited at times following the retirements of Federer in 2022 and Nadal in 2024.

Speaking ahead of Wimbledon, Djokovic said he would like to continue to combine with his former rivals in the near future.

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According to Puntodebreak, Djokovic said: “I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with the two of them, just the three of us, without interruptions or distractions, and be able to talk about everything, about how we felt playing against each other, about what we thought of each other. I’m sure there would be a lot to say at that table.”

Following Federer and Nadal’s retirements from the game, in 2022 and 2024 respectively, Djokovic was confirmed to have a winning record against both of his key rivals following their two-decade battles.

The Serbian played Federer 50 times on the ATP Tour and he managed to win 27 matches against the Swiss legend. That included victories over Federer in the finals of both the US Open and Wimbledon, and in the semi-finals of Roland Garros and the Australian Open.

Djokovic and Nadal, meanwhile, met 60 times during their incredible rivalry. The Serbian just about ended the rivalry with a winning record, with 31 victories to Nadal’s 29.

That’s particularly impressive from Djokovic as Nadal won seven of his first 10 matches against the Serbian, so he certainly learned how to play against the King of Clay throughout his career.

That even included an astonishing nine victories for Djokovic on clay against Nadal, the most any player ever managed against the Spaniard. Second was Dominic Thiem, who only managed 4 victories against Nadal on the surface.

Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer reunited at Roland Garros last year to celebrate the King of Clay, who won the Grand Slam an incredible 14 times.

If Djokovic’s latest words are anything to go by, there could be another reunion between the three greatest players the sport has ever seen very soon.

The post Novak Djokovic explains what he would ‘love’ to do with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal soon appeared first on Tennis365.

Plenty of experienced tennis voices have hit back at claims Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have taken tennis to a new level in recent years, but now a player who has competed against all the greats in the modern game has made a bold claim.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic enjoyed a long era of dominance that appeared to be the golden age of the men’s game.

When their era of excellence came to an end, a new dawn began almost immediately as Alcaraz and Sinner started collecting Grand Slam titles at a rapid rate.

That inspired former Grand Slam champions like Mats Wilander to suggest the new ‘Big 2’ in men’s tennis were already playing at a higher level than the greats that went before them.

It was a view that divided opinion, but former Australian Open doubles champion Thanasi Kokkinakis is well placed to pass judgment, as he has played against all five of the players who feature in this debate.

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Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 at The Boodles event at Stoke Park, Kokkinakis made some bold claims about Alcaraz and Sinner and was quick to suggest they are more than a match for Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

“I have played them all and I don’t feel personally like the ‘Big 3’ back in the day were any better than these two we’ve got now,” declared Kokkinakis.

“
I think tennis is always evolving. Of course, I would still say playing Nadal on clay is still the toughest challenge, but what Roger, Rafa and Novak did back in the day and what Alcaraz and Sinner are doing now, it’s amazing.

“It’s hard to pick who is the toughest to play against. Obviously, Djokovic has got all the records, but I think any one of those five on their day can beat anyone.”

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When asked whether Alcaraz and Sinner will get close to challenging the Federer, Nadal and Djokovic’s totals of Grand Slam titles, with all three winning 20 or more of the biggest titles in tennis, he suggests it’s possible.

“It’s such a crazy figure to think about when you think of what can happen over the course of two weeks of a Slam,” he added.

“You have matches that go against you and you need to stick in there. Also, you can’t get sick and you have to stay healthy.

“For Novak to win 24 Grand Slams, that’s just absurd. The tennis level is there for Alcaraz and Sinner to get there, but the consistency of the Big 3 was insane we we have to wait and see if these two can play for that long.

“Also, they will be battling each other for the next few years, so they will be sharing the titles around and we also have some pretty good young players coming through, so it’s an interesting time for men’s tennis.”

READ NEXT: Andrey Rublev makes surprising Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz confession ahead of Wimbledon

The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are ‘as good as the Big 3’, claims Grand Slam champion appeared first on Tennis365.

Hubert Hurkacz is sensing an opportunity to return to the top 10 again.

The 29-year-old reached a career-high of six in the world less than two years ago, but currently, he is 90 places below that.

The Pole has two Masters 1000 titles to his name and boasts thumping wins over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal towards the tail end of their respective careers.

After a steady rise towards the summit of the men’s game, off the back of many years of hard work and sacrifices, the 6ft 5in player is having to rebuild.

A year ago, Hurkacz had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, where doctors removed an overgrown synovial membrane to help relieve the pain.

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He ended 2025 with a ranking of 73, and after fours years inside the top 20, the former Wimbledon semi-finalist has found it more difficult to clamber up that mountain again.

But at a time when seven-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz is out injured, Novak Djokovic is approaching 40, and Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton are the third and fourth seeds at Wimbledon respectively, Hurkacz senses a window of opportunity.

When asked if he believes he can return to the heights he once scaled, Hurkacz told Tennis365, “Yes, of course, you know, that’s why I wake up every day, that’s why I put in the work. I think the game may not have changed as much, apart from Jannik and Carlos, who raised the level.

“I think there are more opportunities now at this point. The players are not as consistent as maybe a few years ago. That’s why maybe the top 20 is very, very strong and anyone, you know, can have a big run at any point.”

Alexander Zverev was able to cash in on that opportunity, after overwhelming favourite Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Djokovic lost early in Paris, as he faced just one top 10 seed on his way to a maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this month.

Hurkacz – who is now coached by Daniil Medvedev’s former mentor Gilles Cervara – has a long way to go before he can be in contention for the biggest tournaments, as he is 10-13 on the year.

Indeed, the Polish star has only reached the quarter-final stage at a major on two occasions but he is remaining positive.

And at a time when a host of top stars have withdrawn from Wimbledon due to injury, players further down the rankings have to play as much as possible to accumulate as many points as they can.

He added, “I think also grass is a difficult surface in general, but now, of course, it’s very, very busy and you don’t really have any other choice than to play all the weeks because if you don’t, the others are going to play and if you’re not in the top three of the rankings, you don’t have this comfort to choose.”

Hurkacz will hope he can have a big run of his own when SW19 starts on Monday. The unseeded Pole takes on 11th seed and clay court specialist Casper Ruud in round one, a player who famously quipped that “grass is for golf players”.

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The post ‘Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz raised the level – but there are more opportunities now’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu appears to be facing a battle to be fit to play at Wimbledon amid concerns over a fresh injury and her mood will not have been improved by what appears to be a tough draw.

Rumours have been swirling in recent days suggesting Raducanu has been struggling with an injury that has required her to wear a protective boot on her foot.

The official word is that Raducanu is nursing a ‘nagging injury’, but her absence from the practice courts at Wimbledon in the days before her home Grand Slam may be telling.

There was some suggestion that he may be close to pulling out of the tournament before the draw was made, but her name did appear in the Ladies’ singles line-up and if she was hoping for a comfortable start, the No.30 seed was disappointed.

If Raducanu is fit to play, Antonia Ruzic will be her opponent, with the Brit having a losing 2-1 record in her previous matches against the Croatian.

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If she were to get through that match, experienced grass court player Jelena Ostapenko could lie in wait in round two and a clash top top seed Aryna Sabalenka could then be on her agenda in what would be a repeat of last year’s epic contest between the duo at the same stage of the competition.

Raducanu has suggested she was keen to get into a seeded position for Grand Slams, but being seeded at No 30 has not helped her on this occasion as the unseeded duo of Ruzic and Ostapenko are players she would have been keen to avoid.

Ostapenko’s withdrawal from the Eastbourne Open semi-finals on Friday cast a doubt over her Wimbledon preparations, but the official reason for pulling out of her semi-final against Tatjana Maria was sickness, so she will be hopeful of recovering for next week.

The biggest concern ahead of the start of Wimbledon on Monday must focus around Raducanu and if she is forced to withdraw from Wimbledon, it will be the latest hammer blow in the career of a player who has suffered one setback after the next since her US Open win in 2021.

The WTA Tour dared to believe they had a new superstar in the game after Raducanu’s victory in New York, but the fifth anniversary of that triumph is approaching with real question marks over where her career is heading.

A thrilling set of performances at the Queen’s Club earlier this month fired Raducanu into the final and she turned in a battling performances against Donna Vekic in what turned out to be a thrilling contest.

Yet the brutal reality is that Raducanu has appeared in just two WTA Tour finals since winning the US Open and she failed to win either of them.

She played just 21 tennis matches in 2026 and has lost 10 of those, with her ranking certain to slide if she pulls out of Wimbledon and the 130 ranking points she collected in the tournament last year drop off her record.

Tennis is a better place when Raducanu is smiling and winning on court, but the challenges she continues to encounter will spark more debate over her ability to sustain a career at the top of the game with her body continuing to let her down.

READ MORE: Emma Raducanu Wimbledon withdrawal? Rumours swirl over possible announcement

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Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are on a collision course for the semi-finals at Wimbledon, while Jack Draper has been handed a brutal first-round draw.

On Friday, the tennising world watched on as all the Wimbledon draws were announced, which included a number of eye-catching openers.

Perhaps the most tantalising of them all was former British No 1 Draper being handed a tough test against 2025 Wimbledon semi-finalist Taylor Fritz.

The 24-year-old would have liked an easier contest to start off with but equally, the sixth-seeded American may not be relishing this encounter, either.

Elsewhere, three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka will lock horns with 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, while 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic will come up against eighth seed Daniil Medvedev.

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Despite his physical collapse at the French Open, No 1 seed Sinner remains the favourite to retain his title at Wimbledon.

Seven-time winner and seventh seed Djokovic is firmly second favourite, while Draper will do well to reach the second round, as he tries to build on his comeback from injury and a strong run at Eastbourne.

Incidentally, here is Sinner’s potential path to victory at SW19, followed by Djokovic and Draper.

Jannik Sinner

Round one: Miomir Kecmanovic
Round two: Nuno Borges
Round three: Ignacio Buse (31)
Round four: Rafael Jodar (23)/Luciano Darderi (14)
Quarter-finals: Daniil Medvedev (8)/Tommy Paul (21)
Semi-finals: Novak Djokovic (7)/Felix Auger-Aliassime (3)
Final: Alexander Zverev (2)/Ben Shelton (4)/Taylor Fritz (6)

Novak Djokovic

Round one: Yibing Wu
Round two: Stefanos Tsitsipas
Round three: Arthur Rinderknech (25)
Round four: Andrey Rublev (12)/Joao Fonseca (24)
Quarter-finals: Felix Auger-Aliassime (3)/Learner Tien (16)
Semi-finals: Jannik Sinner (1)/Daniil Medvedev (8)
Final: Alexander Zverev (2)/Ben Shelton (4)/Taylor Fritz

Jack Draper

Round one: Taylor Fritz (6)
Round two: Mackenzie McDonald
Round three: Tomas Martin Etcheverry (29)
Round four: Frances Tiafoe (17)/Alexander Bublik (10)
Quarter-finals: Alexander Zverev (2)/Jiri Lehecka (13)
Semi-finals: Ben Shelton (6)/Alex de Minaur (5)
Final: Jannik Sinner (1)/Novak Djokovic (7)/Felix Auger-Aliassime (3)

Aside from that, the full men’s singles draw is below.

The Men’s Wimbledon draw in full:

(1) Jannik Sinner vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Nuno Borges vs Tristan Boyer
Aleksandar Vukic vs Jenson Brooksby
Emilio Nava vs (31) Ignacio Buse
(23) Rafael Jodar vs Felix Gill
Denis Shapovalov vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Shintaro Mochizuki vs Max Basing
Ethan Quinn vs (14) Luciano Darderi
(11) Casper Ruud vs Hubert Hurkacz
Hamad Medjedovic vs Sebastian Ofner
Soonwoo Kwon vs Martin Landaluce
Alexandre Muller vs (21) Tommy Paul
(28) Brandon Nakashima vs Jack Pinnington Jones
Jan-Lennard Struff vs Sebastian Baez
Camilo Ugo Carabelli vs Daniel Merida
Marin Cilic vs (8) Daniil Medvedev

(3) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Aleksandr Shevchenko
Adam Walton vs Dino Prizmic
Adolfo Daniel Vallejo vs Nicolas Mejia
Michael Zheng vs (26) Cameron Norrie
(22) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo
Thiago Agustin Tirante vs Fabian Marozsan
Luca Van Assche vs Marton Fucsovics
Dalibor Svrcina vs (16) Learner Tien
(12) Andrey Rublev vs Roman Safiullin
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Jesper de Jong vs Rinky Hijikata
Roberto Bautista Agut vs (24) Joao Fonseca
(25) Arthur Rinderknech vs Oliver Tarvet
Marco Trungelliti vs Martin Damm
Hugo Gaston vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Yibing Wu vs (7) Novak Djokovic

 

(5) Alex de Minaur vs Roman Andres Burruchaga
Adrian Mannarino vs Titouan Droguet
Mattia Bellucci vs Zachary Svajda
Kamil Majchrzak vs (30) Alejandro Tabilo
(19) Karen Khachanov vs Billy Harris
Yannick Hanfmann vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Tallon Griekspoor vs James Duckworth
Mariano Navone vs (9) Flavio Cobolli
(15) Jakub Mensik vs Toby Samuel
Dane Sweeny vs Grigor Dimitrov
Stan Wawrinka vs Matteo Berrettini
Raphael Collignon vs (20) Arthur Fils
(27) Ugo Humbert vs Zizou Bergs
Sho Shimabukuro vs Jaime Faria
Damir Dzumhur vs Arthur Fery
Otto Virtanen vs (4) Ben Shelton

 

(6) Taylor Fritz vs Jack Draper
Patrick Kypson vs Mackenzie McDonald
Benjamin Bonzi vs Gabriel Diallo
Lorenzo Sonego vs (29) Tomas Martin Etcheverry
(17) Frances Tiafoe vs Terence Atmane
Vit Kopriva vs Jan Choinski
Kyrian Jacquet vs Vilius Gaubas
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs (10) Alexander Bublik
(13) Jiri Lehecka vs Alexei Popyrin
Alex Molcan vs Daniel Altmaier
Alex Michelsen vs Jacob Fearnley
Jaume Munar vs (18) Francisco Cerundolo
(32) Matteo Arnaldi vs Quentin Halys
Corentin Moutet vs Marcos Giron
Valentin Royer vs Harry Wendelken
Alexander Blockx vs (2) Alexander Zverev

GO DEEPER: Ben Shelton urges tennis chiefs to ‘make a change’ as Carlos Alcaraz among 16 Wimbledon withdrawals

The post Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic on collision course as Jack Draper gets brutal Wimbledon opener appeared first on Tennis365.

When Frances Tiafoe won the biggest title of his career at Halle in the lead-up to Wimbledon, he was, naturally, overcome with joy.

Heading into his final with Taylor Fritz, the 28-year-old had claimed three ATP Tour titles but all of them had come at the 250 level.

He was 0-3 in ATP 500 finals and 0-1 in Masters 1000 finals. But last Sunday, Tiafoe would not be denied against his compatriot, easing to a 6-4 6-4 victory.

The former US Open semi-finalist also secured his first win over Fritz since their first meeting back in 2016, with his countryman still holding a 7-2 head to head lead.

Following his momentous triumph, Tiafoe said, “I’ve lost a lot of 500 finals. I’ve lost a lot of finals in my career. This is big.

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“I just want to say one of my favourite scriptures: The pain that you’re feeling does not compare to the joy that is coming. Obviously, that has been proven very true.

“A couple of weeks ago, I had one of the toughest losses of my career at the French Open, and to come back and have a good week in Stuttgart and win here for my biggest title, beating the players I did, it’s a huge testimony to that quote. It’s something I’ve been living by.”

Tiafoe added, “I returned really well. I had no troubles on my serve the whole match, and it just feels good to get this done. I played a clean match, but I had to.

“He’s [Fritz] a hell of a player and a hell of a competitor too. I knew he was going to make it hard out there at the end and I played some great tennis. Luck was on my way a little bit.”

Tiafoe is the 17th seed at Wimbledon, where he will face Frenchman and world No 51 Terence Atmane in the first round.

While he may be confident fresh off his Halle triumph, there is a graveyard of champions who haven’t translated their success in Germany to SW19.

In fact, something known as the ‘Halle curse’ has been plaguing many past champions since 2011.

For the past 15 years, the likes of Philipp Kohlschreiber, Tommy Haas, Florian Mayer, Borna Coric, Ugo Humbert, Hubert Hurkacz and Alexander Bublik have all won the title in Halle… before losing in round one at Wimbledon.

In that period, only 20-time major winner Roger Federer and world No 1 Jannik Sinner have overcome that ‘curse’.

Since that hoodoo’s inception, the Swiss won Halle in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019 and never fell in the first round at Wimbledon, while 2024 champion Sinner made it to the quarter-finals of the grass court major that year.

Whether Tiafoe will fall victim to that curse at this year’s Wimbledon remains to be seen.

READ MORE: British star describes Jannik Sinner fitness snipes as ‘criminal’

The post The pre-Wimbledon curse only Jannik Sinner and Roger Federer have overcome in 15 years appeared first on Tennis365.

Ben Shelton described the tennis schedule as “unsustainable” as he spoke to Tennis365 about injuries ahead of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.

High numbers of players pulling out of tournaments due to physical issues has been an unfortunate and persistent theme in 2026

There are 16 players — nine men and seven women — who have withdrawn from the Wimbledon main draw singles entry lists.

Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti are the two big name ATP players who will be absent at the All England Club, with the duo also having missed Roland Garros through injury.

Shelton continued his Wimbledon preparations with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Casper Ruud at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic exhibition event at the Hurlingham Club on Thursday.

In an interview with Tennis365 after his match at Hurlingham, Shelton was asked about the injury problem on the tennis tour and whether the expanded 12-day Masters 1000 format was a factor.

“Yes, it’s disappointing to see [the injuries],” said the world No 5. “I think that those 12-day events are gruelling.

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“I think it’s no secret that the tennis tour has become – I mean, you hate to say it – but unsustainable for a lot of players. A lot of big talents too, players at the top of the game.

“So, I hope that tennis, or the governing bodies, are seeing this happening and are looking to make a change.

“Obviously, I wish I had all the answers. I don’t have all the answers of what the solution is or what that looks like.

“But I think for certain it’s tough for me to see other players who’ve been on fire, playing really good tennis, and also friends be on the sideline for so long because the body can’t handle the amount of stress that this tour puts on it.”

Shelton’s comments come after former British No 1 John Lloyd spoke exclusively to Tennis365 about the topic of injuries and called for some big changes

“It’s going to get worse,” said Lloyd, a former Australian Open finalist.

“An ideal world — which will never happen — is that they move the Australian Open to March, but it’ll never happen. But at least the better compromise is they make the Grand Slams best of three [sets].”

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The post Ben Shelton warns tennis has become ‘unsustainable’ after 16 players withdraw from Wimbledon appeared first on Tennis365.

Jack Draper has given an update on his physical condition after reaching the semi-finals at the Eastbourne Open to continue his strong comeback to the tour.

The former world No 4 downed 91st-ranked Gabriel Diallo 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 grass-court tournament on Thursday.

Draper impressively broke the big-serving Canadian four times as he earned his third successive straight-set victory in Eastbourne.

The Brit, who defeated Marcos Giron and Jack Pinnington Jones in his first two matches, had not played for over two months before his appearance this week.

Having started the week as the world No 160, Draper has soared 29 places to 131st in the Live ATP Rankings.

In his on-court interview, Draper said: “It feels amazing. I love this tournament. I came here four years ago and I haven’t been back since.

“I missed Queen’s last week and maybe I wouldn’t have played here [if I had played Queen’s], but I’m incredibly happy to be here.

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“To get some matches under my belt is really important and I’m really happy to get some wins under my belt. I’m really proud of my performance today, I thought it was a strong performance against a tough player.

“I think the first few shots were really important. It’s not easy looking down the net – I think I’m tall and he’s just towering over me. It’s a difficult one, especially on the grass, but I think I returned really well and I instilled a lot of doubt in the return games. I returned extremely well.

“It was a better performance today. Each performance has gone that way so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Asked how his body is holding up, Draper replied: “Good. I feel great. Obviously been a difficult year with a lot of injury setback, but I’m gaining more confidence in my body. Winning helps, obviously.

“I’m not sure how good of an idea it is to wear all black. I was definitely feeling it yesterday, but it’s the only kit I’ve got with me, so I hope it’s not hot again tomorrow.”

The 24-year-old will take on world No 30 Ugo Humbert in the semi-finals in Eastbourne on Friday.

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The post Jack Draper reveals ‘how his body is holding up’ amid impressive Eastbourne comeback appeared first on Tennis365.