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Jasmine Paolini has been punching above her weight in the top ten of the WTA Rankings for the last couple of years and as she sat down for an extended chat with Tennis365 at last week’s Wuhan Open, she was in reflective mood on her stunning rise to the top.

Standing at just 5’4”, Paolini faces bigger and stronger opponents most times she steps onto the court, but her results confirm she can match the best.

A French Open and Wimbledon finalist last year, Paolini has pieced together another impressive season that included her win in the WTA 1000 event in Rome, with her victory celebrated in front of an adoring Italian public.

Here is our revealing with Paolini, with the 29-year-old living up to her reputation as one of the most engaging players in tennis as she spoke at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre in Wuhan.

After a breakthrough year in 2024, how tough was it to back that up this year?

I think the key is always to trust the process, trust the work you are doing. You have to put the work in to improve every time you go on court because if you keep the same level, you are going down. You always have to improve. That’s the key to staying at this level. I like being here, so I want to stay. This year has been a bit less consistent than last year, but it has still been a good year.

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Is there a key shot you have been working on?

The serve is always the key in tennis. I need to be more precise and I need to hit it harder. That is something we are really working on.

You are often smaller than your opponents. Is that intimidating?

When I am playing against these players, I can see that they are bigger than me. When I stand at the net before the match, you can really see it. But I am not thinking about it. It is only when I see pictures of the handshake after the match and then you realise how much bigger they are than you. The key in tennis is always to use your weapons the best way possible and that’s what I try to do.

You had an amazing win against Iga Swiatek in Wuhan. How satisfying was that success?

It was one of those days that I was enjoying every moment. I was really focused and I was really enjoying my tennis. So it was really a great, great day.

Italian tennis is on such a high. What do you put that down to?

We had a lot of tournaments put on in our country a few years ago and now they are improving many of these tournaments. In the men’s draws for these events, you can see many, many Italians in there. The federation was behind that and they are always helping us with the physios at the big tournaments. They have done an amazing job. There are so many of us and that means who push each other on.

Do you speak to Jannik Sinner or Lorenzo Musetti about improving your game?

At the Davis Cup finals last year, my ex-coach Renzo (Furlan) was speaking with Jannik and I was surprised because he said I wasn’t doing something on the court. I can’t say what it is because my opponents will know then! Then my coach came to me and said: ‘See, Jannik has said you have to do this’. So I thought, if Jannik has said this, then we have to do it (laughing). 

How important has Sinner’s success been for Italian tennis? 

He is doing unbelievable things on the court and I think people like how he is behaving on and off the court because he is a really nice guy. He is a good role model. That is very good for our sport in Italy and it is good for our sport. Tennis is growing in Italy because of him.

When was the first time you realised you were famous?

I think after the gold medal in the Olympics last year. Then the Wimbledon final as well. After those two, something changed. I get more recognised. It’s nice, but it is strange as well. After the gold medal, it was something different. People were watching this on the TV and everyone was recognising me after that. In the Grand Slams, people who are not always watching tennis are looking at these events and then the Olympics, well that is something else.

Was your win in the WTA 1000 events in Rome your best moment?

I don’t know. It was close to being there with the Olympics and the Wimbledon final. I didn’t expect to win Rome at all. Maybe I haven’t event realised yet what I did. I used to go there to watch that event and for an Italian to win Rome was very special. 

Is playing doubles useful to help your development on court?

I think it is very good for me. It’s not a coincidence that I started playing better at singles when I did well at doubles. Now that we have long tournaments, playing doubles keeps you in the competitions if you lose early in the singles. 

READ NEXT: Jasmine Paolini reveals Jannik Sinner advice – and why she felt obliged to follow it

The post Jasmine Paolini interview – Jannik Sinner’s advice, defeating the giants and her best moment appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Zverev’s search for a new coach continues as the legendary Toni Nadal has reportedly turned him down while tennis great Boris Becker admits he is “a little worried about what’s going to happen next”.

After finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner at this year’s Australian Open, many thought Zverev would be a threat to the Italian and Carlos Alcaraz in terms of the Grand Slams and the No 1 ranking for the rest of the season.

However, he has fallen away badly as he failed to win any of the remaining Grand Slams and has also failed to ATP Masters 1000 tournament so far this year with his only trophy coming at the ATP 500 Bavarian Championships in April.

The German turned to Nadal – the former coach and uncle of the great Rafael Nadal – in an attempt to turn his form around as he worked with the Spaniard at the Rafa Nadal Academy midway through the season.

Although ‘Uncle Toni’ made it clear that he would not be able to commit to working with Zverev in the short term, the world No 3 was hoping to convince him to join his set-up when time allows.

However, when asked about working with Zverev, Nadal told RTL/ntv and sport.de: “He wanted that. He asked me if I would like to work with him, but I said, ‘I’m no longer a coach, I’m not a tennis coach anymore. I have a different job.’”

So What Is Wrong With Zverev?

After his run to the Australian Open final, Zverev also made it to the quarter-final at Roland Garros, but then slumped to a first-round exit at Wimbledon and lost in the third round at the US Open.

Nadal was asked about Zverev’s struggles and replied: “Today, in my opinion, he’s a little bit passive sometimes.”

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And Nadal is not the only one who has thoughts on the German’s woes, as former world No 1 Becker admitted he expected more from the 28-year-old this year.

“I thought in the summer, after his break after Wimbledon, that his performance would improve,” the six-time Grand Slam winner said on the “Becker Pektovic” podcast: “I thought he was knocking on the door of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz; he’s the third force in world tennis. But that’s Novak Djokovic now, at 38. And Sascha is really chasing his form.”

Zverev’s father, Alexander Zverev Sr remains part of his coaching set-up while his brother Mischa is part of his management team, but the 28-year-old has made it clear that he is looking for a new mentor to take him to the next level.

“Nothing new is happening in his box either. There’s his father, there’s his brother, there are the same faces as for years and years,” Becker said.

The three-time Wimbledon champion added: “If things were going well, I’d be the first to congratulate him and say: ‘We now have a superstar!’ But I’m a little worried about what’s going to happen next.”

The post Alexander Zverev ‘rejected’ by Toni Nadal as Boris Becker is left ‘a little worried’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s difficult 2025 Asian Swing continued as she suffered a surprise loss to Zhu Lin in the first round of the Ningbo Open after struggling with physical issues.

The 22-year-old fell 6-3, 4-6, 1-6 to Zhu, a 230th-ranked Chinese wildcard, in just under two and a half hours at the WTA 500 tournament.

Raducanu battled hard to win an opening set that featured five breaks of serve, converting her fifth set point in a 17-point final game.

Renowned commentator Nick Lester, who was covering the match for Sky Sports, assessed in the sixth game of the second set that Zhu was “letting Raducanu off the hook” as she was looking the “stronger player physically.”

Zhu did made the breakthrough in that game, though, as Raducanu double faulted to lose serve. However, Zhu surrendered her break lead in the next game as she double faulted twice either side of an excellent Raducanu return.

Raducanu then called for the physio and had her blood pressure checked during a lengthy medical timeout. She netted a forehand on set point to lose serve for the third time in the second set.

The Brit’s physical struggles were clear in the early stages of the third set, and she double faulted to lose serve in the second game.

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The former US Open champion received treatment on her lower back after breaking back in the third game, but it did not improve her fortunes as Zhu won the next four games to seal the upset.

After Raducanu floated a tame forehand into the net on match point, Lester summarised: “A rather timid finish to Emma Raducanu’s campaign in Ningbo.”

When will Raducanu play next?

Raducanu has signed up to play the Pan Pacific Open and the Hong Kong Tennis Open in the next two weeks, but the prospect of her playing again in 2025 is uncertain after her latest health setbacks.

As Raducanu left the court, Lester said: “Not the Asian Swing that Raducanu had in mind right now. It remains to be seen whether she will cut the season short and get ready for 2026.”

The former world No 10’s preparations for Ningbo were significantly impacted after she was forced to retire due to physical issues in her opening round match at the Wuhan Open last week.

She revealed four days after that match that she was at the doctor’s in Wuhan, which cast doubt over her participation in Ningbo.

What does the loss mean for Raducanu’s ranking?

Raducanu’s defeat means she has missed the opportunity to continue her climb up the WTA Rankings, having jumped from 30th to 29th this week.

The 22-year-old had briefly moved up one place to 28th in the Live WTA Rankings, but she is back down to 29th after Dayana Yastremska defeated Victoria Mboko in her opening match in Ningbo.

Raducanu could drop to 31st, depending on the results of Veronika Kudermetova and McCartney Kessler — who are still in action in Ningbo.

READ NEXT: WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka set for year-end No 1, Coco Gauff wins Amanda Anisimova battle

The post Emma Raducanu’s Ningbo Open came to a ‘timid’ end amid concerning health and injury blows appeared first on Tennis365.

Leading athlete welfare and injury prevention expert Stephen Smith has discussed Novak Djokovic’s remarkable longevity, and also the legendary Serb’s ongoing battle with his body.

Smith, who is the founder and CEO of Kitman Labs — the world’s leading sports science and data company — also offered his take on the possible impact of Djokovic’s approach to scheduling.

For the first 20 years of Djokovic‘s staggering career (2003-2023), he was able to remain healthy consistently and largely avoided major injuries. An elbow injury that emerged in 2016 and required surgery in 2018 was the most serious physical issue Djokovic sustained in this period.

However, Djokovic — who turned 38 in May — has been affected by injuries far more frequently over the last 18 months, particularly in the latter stages of Grand Slams.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner tore the medial meniscus in his right knee at the 2024 French Open. He made an incredibly quick recovery from knee surgery to reach the final at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships and win the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he has faced a host of problems since.

The former world No 1 retired from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev in January due to a hamstring tear and was visibly hampered in his Wimbledon semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner in July.

Djokovic then looked physically spent after just two sets of his US Open semi-final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz last month, having looked short of fitness throughout the event.

He also faced physical difficulties throughout his Shanghai Masters campaign and was clearly suffering in his semi-final loss to Valentin Vacherot.

While Djokovic refused to shed light on what he was dealing with against Vacherot, he gave a clear insight into his struggles with his his body after his quarter-final win in Shanghai.

“There’s always something happening with the body pretty much every match that I play right now,” the world No 5 said after beating Zizou Bergs at the Masters 1000 event.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Smith shared his thoughts on Djokovic’s ability to remain at the elite level into his late thirties, and also the injury issues he is being derailed by.

“It’s testament to both probably his genetics and I think his professionalism, as well and the investment he’s made in his body and his career,” Smith said.

“But when you look at him and compare him to other athletes in the same sport of the same kind of age profile, et cetera, and that exposure to the same level of game and demands, I think he’s a unicorn, for sure.

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“I think, obviously at his age, and I think with the amount that he competes, wear and tear… he’s had a hamstring issue that forced him out of the Australian Open semi-final earlier this year, he had a groin injury at Wimbledon and a meniscus issue last year at the French Open.

“I think all of these bits and pieces are indicative of wear and tear. But also, if you think of the impact, it’s kind of looked like, his career, he was extremely healthy, and now he’s sort of had four of five injuries that have popped up in a row.

“I think sometimes that time off that you get when you’re nursing an injury means that your training load drops and then you come back in and you’re expected to compete at the same level, and that can cause a cascading sequence of injuries.”

In the latter years of his career, Djokovic has played far more sparingly than he did in his physical prime, with the intention of peaking for the four Grand Slams. He played only 11 events in 2024, while Shanghai was just his 12th event of 2025.

There is an argument that Djokovic’s limited schedule could be a factor in the problems he has encountered when he has gone deep at majors in 2024 and 2025

Asked whether playing more outside the Grand Slams could help Djokovic, Smith said: “Absolutely, I think we often see this where player management kicks in and we try to rest our players more and give them more time off.

“And then it turns out that that actually backfires because the physicality of our games, the intensity of our games, regardless of sport today, have only got bigger, faster and stronger.

“And then we end up, we try to rely on, ‘He’s got a lot of miles in the bank, can we just rely on that and pop back in and do less?’

“But you’re still expected to play at the same physicality and the same intensity, you’re still expected to back it up, day after day, in the middle of those big competitions as well. And that takes an enormous toll on your body.

“And if we don’t have that kind of resilience built in, we’re not constantly training to that level, then that can be a huge issue.

“So yes, I do think at times that too much rest and too much recovery can also have a negative impact. We’re always trying to find that perfect balance between what’s the right amount of stimulus to keep people healthy without overloading them and breaking them, or without underloading them and leaving them susceptible to injury as well.”

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The post Novak Djokovic is a ‘unicorn’ – but is his schedule contributing to his injuries? Leading expert reveals appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff revealed she is “very stubborn” as she explained why she was motivated to prove her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel wrong after her victory at the 2025 Wuhan Open.

The world No 3 overcame Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in the final in Wuhan to secure her maiden title at the tournament and her second title of 2025 after the French Open.

Gauff did not drop a set during her impressive run at the WTA 1000 event as she also saw off Jasmine Paolini, Laura Siegemund, Zhang Shuai and Moyuka Uchijima.

Prior to Wuhan, Gauff reached the semi-finals at the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, where she fell to a heavy 1-6, 2-6 defeat to eventual champion Amanda Anisimova.

The two-time major champion arrived in Asia after a 3-6, 2-6 loss to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round of the US Open. With the help of biomechanical expert Gavin MacMillan, who Gauff hired to replace her former coach Matt Daly, she changed her service motion in the week before the US Open.

Gauff has been coached by Jean-Christophe Faurel, a former French player, since 2019.

During the trophy ceremony in Wuhan, Gauff revealed Faurel did not want her to play in Asia after her difficult US Open campaign.

“It was a great Asian swing,” said the American.

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“I’m going to call JC (Jean-Christophe Faurel) out. He originally didn’t want me to come because I had a tough US Open, but I had to prove him wrong.

“I’m a very stubborn person, so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here.”

The 21-year-old also spoke warmly about world No 6 Pegula — her former doubles partner.

“You’re the three-set queen, so I was determined not to let you get there today because I felt like the odds would be in your favour in the third set,” Gauff said to Pegula.

“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms and that really goes a long way and still goes a long way, so I appreciate you.

“It’s great to finally play in a final against you and I hope for many more. It’s an honour to share the court with you.”

READ NEXT: WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka set for year-end No 1, Coco Gauff wins Amanda Anisimova battle

The post Why ‘very stubborn’ Coco Gauff wanted to prove her coach wrong with Wuhan Open title appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner will reportedly not play at the Paris Masters or the Davis Cup after his bid to retain the world No 1 spot was mathematically ended.

After Carlos Alcaraz took the top spot following their clash in the US Open final, Sinner’s retirement in Shanghai meant the Spaniard would remain at No 1 until the end of the year.

With that in mind, Europsport Italy’s journalist Simone Eterno reports that Sinner will sit out the Paris Masters and the Davis Cup but will feature in Vienna and at the ATP Finals.

The Vienna Open will begin later this month while the ATP Finals kick off in Turin on November 9.

Sinner’s decision to sit out Paris means he will have gone the whole year without winning an ATP 1000 event, with his last success coming in Miami last year.

As for the Davis Cup, Sinner has largely carried Italy to success in recent times and was their star player last season when he beat Tallon Griekspoor to secure a 2-0 win against the Netherlands. In total, Sinner has played 18 Davis Cup matches, winning all but three of them.

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Sinner’s Shanghai injury had brought concerns about his immediate playing future, but he will, however, feature in the exhibition matches at the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia which could earn him up to £6m.

A victory at the ATP Finals event could end what has been an up-and-down season for the Italian. He started the year by winning his second Australian Open but then was given a three-month ban for doping.

He returned to action to lose a dramatic French Open final to Alcaraz but got his revenge with victory at Wimbledon.

It was to be the Spaniard who had the last laugh with his US Open victory confirming his return to the No 1 spot.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley suggested those two could be the “greatest” rivalry tennis has ever seen.

“We’re witnessing the birth of what could be the greatest rivalry tennis has ever seen,” Tiley said.

“Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are pushing each other to extraordinary levels. They force each other to new heights every time they compete; their contrasting styles make for electric matches and they both fight to the final point.

“This is a rivalry that could define the sport for years to come.”

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The post Jannik Sinner reportedly set to miss major 2025 events after missing out on No 1 spot appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has declared that players “need to push harder physically” at this stage of the season following her concerning retirement at the 2025 Wuhan Open.

The 2021 US Open winner’s campaign at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan came to an early and unfortunate conclusion as she retired when trailing Ann Li 1-6, 1-4 in her opening match.

Raducanu appeared to struggle physically throughout the match, which was played in brutal heat and humidity, and she had her blood pressure checked by the doctor in the second set before deciding to pull the plug.

Four days after the match, Raducanu gave an update on her condition as she took to Threads to post a photo of herself sitting on a hospital bed.

The 22-year-old captioned the post with: “Last day at the doctor’s in Wuhan… feeling better now, shame I couldn’t continue there but thank you for the messages.”

Raducanu’s participation at this week’s WTA 500 tournament in Ningbo had been in doubt, but she has recovered in time to compete. On Sunday, Raducanu shared an image from inside a gym on Threads.

The Brit will face 230th-ranked Chinese wildcard Zhu Lin in her opening match in Ningbo on Tuesday.

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Raducanu spoke about playing in China ahead of her debut in Ningbo.

“I think it’s a special feeling. I feel very comfortable,” she said.

“I feel like I get amazing support here, which is so nice. I love how invested the Chinese fans are and how much support they give.”

The world No 29 also addressed the physical challenge that comes with competing in the latter part of the season.

“I think where it’s different is just, it’s at the end of the season, so you need to push harder physically, you’re feeling it a bit more, and mentally as well, to just focus. That’s probably the biggest difference,” Raducanu added.

Raducanu spoke to Tennis365 in Wuhan and revealed that being seeded at the 2026 Australian Open is a big motivation for her.

“Being seeded for Australia is a big target for me over the next few weeks,” said the former world No 10. “I think the higher you can go, the better it is, but it is still down to the luck of the draw.

“I’ve just been happy with the improvements in the last few weeks I’ve made in my game, and I just want to keep going with that.”

READ NEXT: How does Coco Gauff’s Wuhan Open triumph affect WTA Rankings battle with Iga Swiatek?

The post Emma Raducanu makes ‘need to push harder physically’ statement after health concerns appeared first on Tennis365.

The schedule for the second edition of the lucrative 6 Kings Slam has been confirmed, but Jannik Sinner won’t receive a bye despite being No 2 in the ATP Rankings.

The exhibition tournament will run from October 15 to 18 at the anb arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it will feature six of the biggest names on the ATP Tour.

Six-time Grand Slam winner and reigning world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz will headline the tournament, and he will be joined by four-time major winner Sinner, world No 3 Alexander Zverev, world No 4 Taylor Fritz, No 5 and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and world No 24 Stefanos Tsitsipas.

How Does The 6 Kings Slam Work?

The tournament is by invitation only, and with big money involved, organisers try to get only the best in the business involved.

Last year, they managed to lure five Grand Slam winners as Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner were joined by Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev with Holger Rune the odd man out as he hasn’t won a major yet.

This year, the Grand Slam winners are down to three with Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner in the draw.

As for the format, there will be quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

The top two seeds receive byes and head straight into the semi-finals while the other four players have to battle it out for two spots for the honour to face the top two.

Who Are The Two Seeds?

World No 1 Alcaraz is the top seed and headlines the semi-final in the top bracket while Djokovic headlines the bottom bracket and has also received a bye.

If you are wondering why Djokovic, and not Sinner, is seeded second, the reason is simple: organisers select seedings based on Grand Slams and the Serbian has won 24 compared to Sinner’s four.

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As for the rest of the draw, Fritz will take on Zverev with the winner going on to face Alcaraz in the semi-final, while Sinner and Tsitsipas will battle it out for the honour of taking on Djokovic.

What About The Schedule?

Although the tournament runs from October 15-18, it will only be played over three days (October 15, 16 and 18) due to an ATP rule that prevents players from competing for three consecutive days at an exhibition tournament.

So you will have quarter-final matches on Wednesday, the semi-finals on Thursday, a rest day before the third-place play-off match and the big final take place on Saturday.

Last year, Sinner beat Medvedev, Djokovic and Alcaraz to win the big prize.

Prize Money Available

Mind-blowing totals are available to all players with the winner cashing in one of the biggest prize cheques in sport.

Each player is guaranteed a participation fee of $1,500,000 and the last man standing will earn an extra $4.5 million to take his tally to $6 million total.

The post Why is Novak Djokovic seeded ahead of Jannik Sinner at the 6 Kings Slam? appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff was the big winner at the 2025 Wuhan Open as she won the trophy and also secured the American year-end No 1 ranking, while Aryna Sabalenka did enough to virtually wrap up the year-end No 1 spot in the WTA Rankings.

Following the in-form Amanda Anisimova’s title run at the China Open, Gauff’s position at No 3 as well as the top American woman in the rankings came under threat with only a handful of events left on the calendar.

However, she was first boosted by Anisimova’s withdrawal from the Wuhan event due to a calf injury and then completed the job by going all the way, defeating former doubles partner and fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 to win her second title of the year following her success at Roland Garros in June.

Gauff has increased her lead over Anisimova to 1,900-odd points with the gap big enough to secure third place in the rankings despite the 1,300 points she will drop at the upcoming WTA Finals.

Anisimova, who doesn’t have any points to defend for the remainder of the year, had initially signed up for this week’s Ningbo Open where a title run would’ve kept the race alive, but later withdrew from the WTA 500 event.

Ahead of the two Americans are Sabalenka at No 1 and Swiatek at No 2.

Sabalenka was the defending champion in Wuhan, but her title defence was ended by Pegula in the semi-final and, as a result, she dropped 610 points. However, Swiatek’s quarter-final exit means she now has a 1,632-point lead with only the WTA Finals to come.

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With a maximum of 1,500 points available at the season-ending event, Sabalenka is set to be the year-end No 1 for the second consecutive year, although there is still the small matter of a WTA rule that could come into effect.

Both Sabalenka and Swiatek have not played the required number of WTA 500 events in 2025 and it could result in points being docked, but for now the WTA is yet to make an announcement.

Pegula’s run to the final has seen her move up to fifth place and she could still pass Anisimova before the end of the year while there is one new entrant to the top 10 with Ekaterina Alexandrova making her bow.

There were also minimal changes in the rest of the top 20 with Karolina Muchova back at No 20 while Daria Kasatkina dropped two places to No 22.

Outside the top 20, the likes of Victoria Mboko and Emma Raducanu had opportunities to climb up the rankings after Wuhan, but their first-round exits meant limited changes with Mboko staying at No 24 while Raducanu is up one spot to No 29.

Maya Joint No (34), Iva Jovic (No 35), Ann Li (No 42), Eva Lys (No 44), Emiliana Arango (No 46), Elsa Jacquemot (No 61), Priscilla Hon (No 94), Simona Waltert (No 97), Janice Tjen (No 98) and Sára Bejlek (No 100) are the players to claim new career-highs in the top 100.

WTA Rankings Top 20

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 10,400 points
2. Iga Swiatek Poland – 8,768
3. Coco Gauff United States – 7,873
4. Amanda Anisimova United States – 5,934
5. Jessica Pegula United States – 5,183 (+1)
6. Mirra Andreeva – 4,643 (-1)
7. Madison Keys United States – 4,449
8. Jasmine Paolini Italy – 4,331
9. Elena Rybakina Kazakhstan – 4,113
10. Ekaterina Alexandrova – 3,158 (+1)
11. Zheng Qinwen China – 3,028 (-1)
12. Clara Tauson Denmark – 2,789
13. Elina Svitolina Ukraine – 2,606
14. Belinda Bencic Switzerland – 2,564 (+1)
15. Emma Navarro United States – 2,515 (-1)
16. Naomi Osaka Japan – 2,444
17. Linda Noskova Czech Republic – 2,376
18. Luidmila Sansonova – 2,159 (+2)
19. Diana Shnaider – 2,056 (-1)
20. Karolina Muchova Czech Republic – 2,023 (+2)

The post WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka set for year-end No 1, Coco Gauff wins Amanda Anisimova battle appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2025 Shanghai Masters was a tournament played in brutal conditions and defined by shock results, but how have the ATP Rankings been impacted by events in China?

In a remarkable story, cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech faced off in the championship match in just the third-ever meeting between two unseeded players in an ATP Masters 1000 final.

Vacherot, a 204th-ranked Monegasque qualifier, defeated Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final to complete a fairytale run to his first-ever ATP Tour title. The 26-year-old won nine consecutive matches, including two in the qualifying rounds.

Here, we look at the ATP Rankings Winners and Losers from the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai.

ATP Top 10 Before Shanghai Masters

1) Carlos Alcaraz, 11,540
2) Jannik Sinner, 10,950
3) Alexander Zverev, 5,980
4) Taylor Fritz, 4,995
5) Novak Djokovic, 4,830
6) Ben Shelton, 4,190
7) Alex de Minaur, 3,735
8) Jack Draper, 3,590
9) Lorenzo Musetti, 3,555
10) Karen Khachanov, 3,190

World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew ahead of Shanghai after his title run at the Japan Open, and he has dropped 200 points in the Live ATP Rankings having been a quarter-finalist last year.

Jannik Sinner was the reigning Shanghai champion, but he was unable to take advantage of Alcaraz’s absence as he retired in his third round match with Tallon Griekspoor due to cramping.

The Italian has, therefore, dropped a hefty 950 points, which leaves him 1,340 points adrift of Alcaraz.

Live Rankings ATP Top 10 After Shanghai Masters

1) Carlos Alcaraz, 11,340
2) Jannik Sinner, 10,000
3) Alexander Zverev, 5,930
4) Taylor Fritz, 4,645
5) Novak Djokovic, 4,580
6) Ben Shelton, 4,100
7) Alex de Minaur, 3,880
8) Lorenzo Musetti, 3,645 (+1)
9) Jack Draper, 3,590 (-1)
10) Karen Khachanov, 3,190

Third-ranked Alexander Zverev’s struggles continued as he was upset by Rinderknech in the third round — a result that has seen him drop 50 points.

Taylor Fritz’s third round loss to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has seen him drop 350 points as he reached the last four in Shanghai in 2024.

Novak Djokovic would have replaced Fritz as the world No 4 if he had reached a second successive Shanghai final. However, the Serb’s shock semi-final exit to Vacherot means he has dropped 250 points and will remain in fifth position.

World No 6 Ben Shelton has dropped 90 points after losing his opening match, while seventh-ranked Alex de Minaur has gained 145 points after making the quarter-finals.

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Lorenzo Musetti’s run to the last 16 increased his points tally by 90 points, which will see him displace Jack Draper as the world No 8. Draper ended his season after the US Open due to injury.

Karen Khachanov remains in 10th place after losing his opening match.

The Winners

Vacherot is undoubtedly the biggest winner as the 1,020 points he earned for winning the title as a qualifier has rocketed him 164 places from 204th to 40th in the live rankings. This will see him soar past his previous career-high ranking of 110th.

Rinderknech has gained 620 points for his runner-up result, which has lifted him 26 places to a projected new career-high of world No 28.

Given Sinner’s unfortunate exit, Alcaraz has to be seen as a winner from Shanghai despite not playing.

Daniil Medvedev’s semi-final loss to Rinderknech was a painful end to his encouraging run. The former world No 1 has, though, climbed from 18th to 14th, which is a welcome boost.

The Losers

Sinner’s early exit did significant damage to his already-slim hopes of reclaiming the world No 1 position from Alcaraz this year.

Djokovic, who suffered physically in his semi-final defeat, missed out on securing a top four spot, which could have been beneficial if he does compete in any big upcoming events.

Tomas Machac was a semi-finalist in Shanghai in 2024, but his third round exit this year has seen him slip from 23rd to 30th place.

Grigor Dimitrov, who continues to be sidelined through injury, has dropped from 27th to 32nd.

David Goffin has suffered a 22-place slide from 83rd to 105th after falling in the third round, having been a quarter-finalist in 2024.

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The post ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Shanghai: Vacherot & Rinderknech soar, Alcaraz profits, Sinner & Djokovic miss out appeared first on Tennis365.