Carlos Alcaraz is heading into Wimbledon as the firm favourite to make it three wins in succession at the All England Club, but he might be keen to avoid Belgian veteran David Goffin in the opening rounds.

Goffin is one of the few players in the game who has a winning record against five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, as he has sealed victory in two of his three matches against the young Spaniard.

The most recent of those triumphs was the most surprising of them all, as he beat Alacarz at the Miami Open in March, with Goffin giving Tennis365 an insight into his three wins against the defending Wimbledon champion as he competed at The Boodles exhibition event at Stoke Park.

He started by reflecting on his opening match against Alcaraz four years ago, when he admitted he didn’t know if he had been beaten by a young kid who had a lucky day or a superstar in the making.

“I remember the first match against him and it came during the pandemic in Melbourne the week before the Australian Open in 2021,” said Goffin. “I didn’t know him at the time, but I knew he was good and he had amazing potential.

More Tennis News

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu romance rumours set to be fuelled over the next few weeks

Jannik Sinner told how to ‘add small details, to evolve’ by Toni Nadal

“We had no crowd that day, but all the Spanish players came out to see him and I was like ‘what is happening here, everyone wants to see him’.

“He went on to kill me in straight sets and I remember thinking he had just had the best day of his life, or he will be a very special player in the future. I guess we now know what happened next for him.”

After that chastening experience against a teenage Alcaraz in Melbourne, Goffin may have feared the next generation in the men’s game had too much firepower for him to contend with, yet his last two matches against the Spanish star ended in victory.

Goffin beat Alcaraz in straight sets in the Astana Open in 2022 before recording one of the shock wins of this year when he beat the then-four-time Grand Slam champion in a thrilling contest at the Miami Open and admits he may have “got lucky” in the timing of those matches.

“The other two times I played against him may have been at the right moment for me,” continued Goffin.

“In my second match against Alcaraz, he had just won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open and he was maybe a little bit tired towards the end.

“Then I beat him in Miami this year and I played an unbelievable match. It was his first match of the tournament and he was struggling a little with his confidence. That doesn’t appear to be the case any more!

“That’s why I say it was the right moment to beat him, but I also had to play great tennis to beat him.”

Goffin went on to suggest that Alcaraz is the complete player at the age of 22, as he heaped praise on the player who heads into Wimbledon as defending champion and favourite to retain his crown.

“He has everything,” added Goffin. “He has speed, great hands when he comes to the next and, of course, his groundstrokes are amazing. Especially his forehand. He is still young and has a great career in front of him.”

Alcaraz will be keen to get another crack at Goffin soon to ensure the Belgian does not head into tennis retirement with a record that suggests he had the magic formula to beat him.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz & US Open mixed doubles stars slammed for ’embarrassing’ comments by former No 1

The post How to build a winning record against Carlos Alcaraz by one of the few men to do it appeared first on Tennis365.

Rafael Nadal wasn’t initially adored by tennis fans as many preferred the “most loved player” Roger Federer, but things changed once Novak Djokovic arrived on the scene.

That is the view of former world No 6 Gilles Simon in a wide-ranging interview.

The Big Three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer dominated men’s tennis for the best part of two decades as they shared 66 Grand Slams between them and set numerous other milestones along the way.

Federer initially led the way as he made his major breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2003, but his stranglehold was broken when Nadal arrived in 2005 with his French Open title and they formed the Big Two.

Djokovic – who won his first major at the 2008 Australian Open – then made it the Big Three and he eventually went on to broke several of Federer and Nadal’s records, including the Open Era Grand Slam record as he sits on 24 with Nadal on 22 and Federer 20.

But Djokovic has not always received the love and affection of Federer and Nadal as fans didn’t like the fact that he broke up the original Big Two.

In an interview with RG Media and CLAY, Simon says Nadal was also initially an outcast.

“Remember, Roger was the most loved player, maybe ever. And most fans didn’t like Rafa when he showed up,” the Frenchman said.

“But they started liking him more when Novak came on the scene. I’m 100% sure of it. Rafa became more appreciated once fans started comparing him to Novak instead of Roger.”

He added: “Novak was already better than most when he arrived, but he was still behind Roger and Rafa.

“I don’t think many people believed he’d surpass them — not even Roger and Rafa themselves. So when he started doing it, people didn’t like it. Everyone loved the Roger–Rafa rivalry. They didn’t want a third guy.”

Tennis News

How Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal changed the culture in the locker room for the better

The 10 greatest male grass court players of Open Era – ranked!

According to Simon, Djokovic has always been “true to himself” and his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 proved that.

The Serbian was infamously deported from Australia in 2022 after he refused to get inoculated and he subsequently missed several other big events, including the 2023 US Open.

“He was the ‘villain’ early on, but here’s what I admire the most — he’s true to himself. For example, refusing the vaccine even if it meant giving up Slam records. He didn’t fake it,” the 14-time ATP Tour singles title winner said.

“In the beginning, he tried to please everyone, get more attention, and that came off as inauthentic. Eventually, he said: ‘This is who I am. I’m Novak Djokovic. Like me or not—I know who I am.’ That kind of stance earned him respect.”

The Frenchman feels the 24-time Grand Slam winner is finally getting the love he deserves, stating: “When he said he wanted to break Roger’s and Rafa’s records, people thought it was arrogant.

“But now that he’s done it — you have to tip your hat. He’s earned the respect, and now he’s even getting love from fans and the whole tennis world. That wasn’t there in the beginning.”

The post ‘Novak Djokovic refused the vaccine even if it meant giving up Slam records, he didn’t fake it’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Make no bones about it, Emma Raducanu knows how to fight.

Down 5-2, double break in the third and final set of her Eastbourne Open round-two clash versus Maya Joint, the Brit looked to be slumping out of the tournament.

But, while she ultimately went down, she went down swinging, pushing her younger rival to the brink in a pulsating end to this tense and often unpredictable clash.

Raducanu broke Joint twice as the 19-year-old Australian, vastly inexperienced on grass, tried to close out the match – and the same scenario repeated itself when Raducanu broke again at 5-5.

The 2021 US Open champion could not quite pull off what could have been one of her greatest comebacks, but the end of the match did highlight one of her biggest qualities.

She rarely makes herself easy to beat, and she certainly highlighted her growing experience, pressing a less-experienced opponent into making big mistakes at key moments.

However, while her strengths were on display, so were her two key weaknesses.

Raducanu is undoubtedly a skilled grass-courter, but Joint’s weight of shot, particularly her huge and heavy forehand, proved a nightmare to handle at times.

But, while her struggles against big hitters remain one issue, the most pressing concern remains her fitness.

Tennis News

Emma Raducanu dealt major blow as Eastbourne Open hopes ended in Round 2

Exclusive: Chris Evert has won her toughest battle and now she wants others to follow her lead

There were no medical timeouts in this match, but watching courtside at Eastbourne, it was obvious that the Brit was moving uncomfortably at points.

Raducanu has been dealing with an ongoing back spasm for several weeks, the latest in the line of physical issues that have afflicted her since her stunning breakthrough four summers ago.

“I think I’ve just been managing it, like I’ve said,” commented Raducanu, in her post-match press conference.

“I mean, normal fatigue, after playing a long match, but, yeah, hopefully I can recover.

“I still have a few days before Wimbledon, so, yeah, I’m looking forward to kind of recovering and hopefully it’s all good.

“I wouldn’t say it’s like I can’t move. I just say like a lot of athletes, we all carry kind of something that we’re managing and playing through.

“But I’d just say that it’s okay, I can play, and I can still put out some pretty decent tennis in the situation.”

World No 39 Raducanu now has less than one week until her opening match at Wimbledon, where she will be among the star attractions for fans at the All England Club.

The Brit reached the fourth round of the tournament in 2024, just months after skipping the 2023 Championships due to a multitude of injury concerns.

It would be easy to cast doubt on Raducanu’s physical state heading into the tournament, considering her chequered history in recent years.

But it seems Wimbledon fans need not fear a potential withdrawal, with Raducanu perhaps more determined than ever to battle against the best at SW19.

She added: “I am going to rest tomorrow, just take it day by day, get some practice in.

“I think it could be a blessing in disguise, you know, having some rest right now. I think I’m looking forward to heading back and then getting on the grass at Wimbledon.

“I think I will likely step on the court regardless.”

Read Next: BBC’s full broadcast team for Wimbledon 2025: Regulars return as Nick Kyrgios axe confirmed

The post Emma Raducanu’s key strengths cannot overcome her most pressing issue appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon hopes were dented significantly after falling in the second round of her final warm-up event on Wednesday.

World No 38 Raducanu was toppled 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) by teen star Maya Joint at the Eastbourne Open, the Australian prevailing in two hours and 33 minutes

Raducanu battled back to beat Ann Li in her opening-round match on Tuesday, though concerns were high about the 22-year-old’s physical state, with her ongoing back spasm issue appearing to trouble her.

She was also visibly emotional on-court in the immediate aftermath of her win, and revealed afterwards in her press conference she had received some unspecified “bad news” before taking to court.

Despite that, the seventh seed was a hesitant favourite heading into her clash versus Joint, whom she beat at the Italian Open in May, though the Australian had beaten two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur in round one in Eastbourne.

The pair twice traded breaks in a competitive opening set, before Raducanu sealed a crucial third break in the ninth game, ultimately holding with relative comfort to close out the opener.

Things appeared to be heading south after that for the 22-year-old, who was swatted aside in the second set and found herself 5-2, double break down in the decider.

Raducanu fought back and broke Joint twice as the Australian tried to serve out the match, and broke again at 6-5 when her opponent was attempting to serve it out for a third time.

But, ultimately, Joint was able to reach the first grass-court quarter-final of her career, holding her nerve in a tense tiebreak – and gain revenge from Rome.

Tennis News

Exclusive: Chris Evert has won her toughest battle and now she wants others to follow her lead

Emma Raducanu reveals ‘pretty bad news’ as she breaks down in tears after Eastbourne win

“Today was really tough. There were a lot of up and downs, a lot of momentum switches, but I’m really glad I was able to tough it out in the end,” said Joint.

“I definitely remember that match [in Rome], it was a fun match to play, so I was looking forward to today.

“It was a bit different because today’s on grass. We both had to change our game’s a little bit. I’m really glad I was able to win this one.”

Defeat means that Raducanu has contested five grass-court matches heading into Wimbledon, not an insignificant amount heading into the third Grand Slam event of the year.

However, the manner in which she fell to defeat in Eastbourne, coupled with ongoing physical struggles, may be a cause for concern for some.

Raducanu will return to court in the opening round of Wimbledon, with the Brit set to be in action on Monday or Tuesday.

Ranked 38th in the world, the 22-year-old has missed out on a seeding in the draw, meaning her fate is in the hands of the draw gods in terms of who she faces in round one.

Read Next: BBC’s full broadcast team for Wimbledon 2025: Regulars return as Nick Kyrgios axe confirmed

The post Emma Raducanu dealt major blow as Eastbourne Open hopes ended in Round 2 appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic is synonymous with breaking records so no surprise he is once again in line to set new milestones at the 2025 edition of Wimbledon.

His list of achievements is already lengthy and there is only one place to start and that is the outright record for most Grand Slam titles won by a man as he secured his 24th major when he won the 2023 US Open.

Djokovic has also won a record 40 ATP Masters 1000 titles, spent an astonishing 428 weeks at No 1 in the ATP Rankings and sits at No 1 for in the list of all-time career prize earnings with a whopping $187m.

Since this is about Wimbledon, let’s add a few more Grand Slam records as he is the only man to win a triple career Grand Slams (win all four Grand Slams at least three times), he has also won three consecutive Grand Slams four times in his career and holds the record for most major match wins with 387 victories.

We could go on and on and on.

But Djokovic will be the first to admit that winning Grand Slams is becoming more difficult each year as his last title was that record-extending US Open trophy in September 2023.

Since then he has appeared in one final, the 2024 Wimbledon Championship match, but lost against Carlos Alcaraz for a second consecutive year at the All England Club.

He also reached the semi-final at three other majors, but Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have taken over as the men to beat at the Grand Slams.

But there are still three big records on the spell for Djokovic every time he makes an appearance at the Grand Slams and he will be looking at three particular records when he takes part in Wimbledon 2025.

Outright Grand Slam Record

Djokovic has held the record for most Grand Slams won by a man since 2023 when he lifted the French Open trophy as he moved ahead of Rafael Nadal (22) while Roger Federer retired with 20.

Novak Djokovic News

The 10 greatest male grass court players of Open Era – ranked!

The 5 Wimbledon men’s singles title favourites – ranked!

He then moved to 24 when he won the US Open later in the year and that saw him tie Margaret Court’s all-time record. Of course, the Australian’s 24 majors were split as 13 were won before the sport turned professional in 1968 and 11 came during the Open Era.

One more title and he will move ahead of Court.

Oldest Grand Slam Men’s Singles Champion

Djokovic was 36 years, three months and six days when he won the 2023 US Open and he currently finds himself third on the list for oldest men’s winners.

Ken Rosewall holds the record as he was 37 years, one month and 24 days when we won the 1972 Australian Open.

Forty-six years after Rosewall’s achievement, Federer won the 2017 Australian Open when he was 36 years, months and seven days.

If Djokovic wins Wimbledon this year, he will be the first 38-year-old man to win a Grand Slam as he celebrated his birthday May 22.

Equalling Federer’s Wimbledon Tally

Djokovic moved to joint-second with Pete Sampras on the list for most Wimbledon titles won in the Open Era when he beat Nick Kyrgios in the 2022 final at the All England Club with Roger Federer holding the record with eight.

His other titles came in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

The Serbian had an opportunity to join Federer on eight in 2023, but he lost the Wimbledon final in five sets against Carlos Alcaraz with the Spaniard also denying him the Calendar Grand Slam.

And Alcaraz again prevented him from equalling Federer’s tally last year.

Will it be third time lucky for Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2025?

The post Novak Djokovic in pursuit of three major records at Wimbledon appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu made it through to the second round of the Eastbourne Open with a battling 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 win over American Ann Li, but there were worrying scenes at the end of the match.

Raducanu pulled out of last week’s WTA 500 tournament in Berlin with a recurring back spasm problem and she looked uncomfortable for most of her match against Li.

The trademark smile that Raducanu brandishes when she is winning tennis matches was absent, even as she stormed back into contention after losing an error-strewn opening set.

She also appeared to be flat as she struggled to get out of first gear in front of a muted Eastbourne crowd who looked and sounded a little confused by the lack of energy coming from the 2021 US Open champion.

Yet it was clear that she was struggling to compete physically and that made her ultimate victory all the more impressive.

More Tennis News

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu romance rumours set to be fuelled over the next few weeks

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu ‘a very exciting couple’

Raducanu could not hold back the tears the moment she won the last point of the match, as it became clear that she had overcome a lot of hurdles to secure this win.

“I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview.

“It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.

“It was tough, it was up and down. But from the middle of the second set I think I found another gear and another level.”

While Raducanu’s relief and joy after winning this match was understandable, she has to be concerned about her back problem as her injury concerns continue to rise to the surface.

Even though she is now working with physio Matt Little, who was a key member of Andy Murray’s backroom team throughout his time at the top of the game, Raducanu does not appear to be able to get through long runs on the WTA Tour without breaking down physically.

This back injury appears to be a problem she has struggled to solve, with her comments prior to this match against Li confirming she has been battling to find a solution to the issue for some time.

“I’m still managing it to be honest,” said the British No 1 as she was asked about her back problem.

“I have good days and bad days. I trained a fair bit last week in London and it was good. I was getting a lot of treatment and then woke up pretty stiff at the weekend, took a day off and then trained yesterday and today.

“But it needs a lot of work and it is up and down. I’m just trying to manage it as best as I can.

“I’m doing everything: needles, soft tissue, some muscle stimulation stuff, taping, everything,’ she said. ‘It’s just ongoing.”

From the evidence of what we all witnessed in her opening match in Eastbourne, this problem will not be healed by the time she plays 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint in her next match.

The bigger concern must be Raducanu’s hopes of going on an extended run at Wimbledon, where she reached the last-16 a year ago.

She does not look ready to challenge for a place in the second week at the All England Club this year and as her injury worries continue, there have to be doubts over whether Raducanu’s body will allow her to sustain a career at the top end of the sport.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu overcomes injury concerns as she battles through Eastbourne opener

The post Alarming scenes as Emma Raducanu breaks down in tears after Eastbourne win appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu overcame injury concerns as she roared back from a set down to beat Ann Li in her opening match at the Eastbourne Open.

The seventh seed at the WTA 250 event, Raducanu rallied from a set down to beat world No 64 Li 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 in her first match since withdrawing from the Berlin Open last week.

Raducanu responded quickly after falling an early break down in the opening set to Li, though ultimately spurned a 5-3 lead in the tiebreak to fall behind her US rival.

Concerns grew for the Brit after she was broken in the opening game of the second set, though she was immediately handed the break back following a sloppy game from her opponent.

Raducanu grew in confidence from there and broke twice more to force a deciding set, before claiming victory in two hours and 18 minutes.

“I feel incredible,” said a visibly emotional Raducanu in her on-court interview. “I just want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments.

“It really meant a lot to me, and I’m so proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.

“It was a tough match. Ann was hitting winners all over the place. It was obviously very windy, but I’m really happy just to have come through that.

“It was tough, it was up and down, but I really think from the middle of the second set I found an extra gear, I found an extra level. I’m really proud of how I came through that.”

The Brit struggled with injury in her Queen’s Club Championships quarter-final defeat to Zheng Qinwen, with a lingering back issue proving to be a problem.

That forced the world No 38 out of last week’s WTA 500 event in Berlin, and there were lingering questions regarding her fitness heading into Eastbourne.

Tennis News

Emma Raducanu responds to Carlos Alcaraz saying she ‘took a while’ to accept his doubles request

Emma Raducanu praises Wimbledon for ‘amazing job’ after stalker scare

Raducanu appeared to be struggling physically at points in the first set, though she looked to be in fine fettle as she ultimately stormed to victory.

The Brit dropped two places to world No 38 in the WTA Rankings after missing action last week, and she has provisionally fallen to world No 40 in the WTA Live Rankings.

An early exit would have put Raducanu at risk of dropping back out of the top 40 just weeks after returning to that milestone, though victory here has boosted her hopes.

The 22-year-old remains at 40 in the WTA Live Rankings but now holds 1,321 ranking points, ahead of live world No 41 Dayana Yastremska.

Ukrainian Yastremska is also playing in Eastbourne this week and could have overtaken Raducanu with a round-two victory, had the Brit been beaten in round one.

Yastremska made it through to the second round on Tuesday after Magda Linette retired injured in their round-one contest.

Raducanu will now face Maya Joint in the second round, with the Australian having beaten Ons Jabeur on Monday.

Read Next: Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu romance rumours set to be fuelled over the next few weeks

The post Emma Raducanu overcomes injury concerns as she battles through Eastbourne opener appeared first on Tennis365.

The BBC has revealed its broadcast team for Wimbledon 2025 and most of the familiar faces and voices will once again feature while a couple of former tennis stars won’t return to the studios.

Clare Balding – who took over from commendatory icon Sue Barker in 2023 following the 1976 French Open winner’s retirement the previous year – and Isa Guha will again front the coverage at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Former England cricketer Guha will set the Wimbledon ball rolling every morning on BBC Two while Balding will headline the afternoon’s play with the action switching to BBC One in the evening.

Several Grand Slam champions will also form part of the coverage from the BBC studio as tennis legends John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Pat Cash, and Tracy Austin will provide some insight and analysis.

“Top class tennis in the most prestigious setting,” Balding said.

“Epic five set thrillers to keep you on the edge of your seats, informed insight from Grand Slam winning pundits, in-depth analysis and fascinating features that build up the characters on court. John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Tim Henman, Tracy Austin and Pat Cash will all be back.”

The five major champions will be joined by former British stars Tim Henman and Annabel Croft.

Andrew Castle is once again set to be the lead specialist commentator while he will be joined by Cash and Croft while other famous names include Naomi Cavaday, Andrew Cotter, Jo Durie, Colin Fleming, Daniela Hantuchova, Dom Inglot, Abigail Johnson, Anne Keothavong, Robbie Koenig, David Law, Nick Lester, Alicia Molik, Ryan Harrison, John Lloyd and Todd Woodbridge, among others.

BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds’ live coverage will be presented by Gigi Salmon and Clare McDonnell with Steve Crossman on evening duty.

Wimbledon champions Cash and Marion Bartoli will provide insight and analysis along with former world No 1 Clijsters, Croft, Laura Robson, Naomi Broady, Mark Woodforde, Jeff Tarango, Leon Smith, Coco Vandeweghe, Greg Rusedski, and Daniela Hantuchova.

Meanwhile, McEnroe and Henman will be back for Radio 5 Live’s iconic 6-Love-6 feature.

Wimbledon News

The 5 Wimbledon women’s singles title favourites – ranked!

The 5 Wimbledon men’s singles title favourites – ranked!

Three names who are missing from this year’s line-up after appearing in 2024 are former world No 1 Ashleigh Barty, 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios and former British No 1 Johanna Konta.

Barty and Kyrgios made their BBC debuts during last year’s grass-court Grand Slam, but former champion Barty has just given birth to her second child, a daughter named Jordan, while Kyrgios revealed last week that he won’t return.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s probably their loss more than mine,” he told The Guardian.

The Australian added: “When someone’s beaten Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic and has incredible insights, it’s very strange you wouldn’t want that person adding knowledge to tennis fans.”

The post BBC’s full broadcast team for Wimbledon 2025: Regulars return as Nick Kyrgios axe confirmed appeared first on Tennis365.