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Carlos Alcaraz may have sent an unwanted message to his biggest rivals with his brutal honest verdict on his defeat at the hands of Jack Draper in a compelling Indian Wells semi-final.

Losing to the rising star of men’s tennis was no disgrace for two-time defending Indian Wells champion Alcaraz, but elite sports stars rarely offer up the kind of comments the 21-year-old Spaniard made as he spoke to the media.

Athletes tend to hide their insecurities for fear of allowing their rivals to gain an advantage, but it would be hard not to draw additional inspiration from Alcaraz’s comments if you are in the Draper camp.

The young Brit beat Alcaraz on a grass court at the Queen’s Club last June, so his three-set win against the four-time Grand Slam winner in Indian Wells was not a major surprise.

Yet it was surprising to hear Alcaraz suggesting he was ‘nervous all day’ in the build up to his latest meeting with a player who clearly unsettles him.

He even revealed details of a conversation he had with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero prior to the match that revealed more about his mindset ahead of the Draper clash.

“I think today has been a difficult day for me. I didn’t practice well. I didn’t feel myself well on court,” said Alcaraz in his press conference.

“You know, even in the warming up on court, I was missing a lot. I didn’t feel my shots. So that’s why I was talking with Juan Carlos on the bike, because I was a little bit mad with myself about the way I warmed up on court.

“As I said, I didn’t approach the match in the best way that I could. So I was nervous during the whole day, in the practice before the match, and I think that affect, you know, to the match. So that’s why I had the conversation with Juan Carlos on the bike.

“I always say that I have to be focused on myself, on my own game. I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself.

“So I think that’s was a big problem to me, that I was always thinking about his weakness than my best things. So when you’re thinking more about the opponent than yourself, then it is a big problem.

“So that’s what happened today. Since the beginning of the day, since the morning, I was thinking about his game, because he’s really tough, he’s really solid, and it’s going to be a really physical match. So I was thinking all these things since the beginning of the day, and I think that a big problem.”

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Alcaraz’s honesty is one of the reasons why he is so easy to relate to as a tennis fan, but you would not hear Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal discuss how nervous they were prior to a match and especially after a defeat.

There is no doubt that Alcaraz was gripped with tension as he was blown away by Draper in the opening set of his 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 defeat, but his opponents and others in the locker room may take an additional confidence boost after reading those comments from Alcaraz.

The great champions build an aura around them that leads their rivals to conclude they are invincible, yet Alcaraz showed his vulnerabilities in his post-match press conference after his first defeat at Indian Wells in three years and it will have been noted by those looking to knock him off his perch.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz crashes out of Indian Wells after controversial double video replay

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Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Indian Wells Masters in a sensational match against Jack Draper, with a controversial call at the start of the deciding set sparking a huge debate.

Draper’s second career win over Alcaraz will see him break into the top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career, with his 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 win laced with intruige from start to finish.

This bizarre match started with a blaze of powerful hitting from Draper, as he blew Alcaraz off the court to win the first set in double quick time.

With Alcaraz spraying errors at an alarming rate, he appeared to be a little rattled as he faced some powerful hitting from Draper.

Yet the young Spaniard is not a four-time Grand Slam champion for nothing and he powered back into the match with a stunning second set that he claimed without dropping a game.

Draper appeared to be struggling with the heat in Indian Wells as his game fell apart in that second set, but the real drama was still to come.

With the scores tied at 1-1 in the deciding set, umpire Mohamed Lahyani inserted himself into the story as he declared Draper had got to a short ball before it bounced twice.

Draper instantly called for a video review and it was clear the Brit had got his racket under the ball, with Lahyani then declaring the point should be replayed.

To add to the drama, Draper then asked for another video review as he claimed the point should be his as Alcaraz failed to get the ball back into play.

The correct decision may have been to replay the point, but it was awarded to Draper and he went on to break the Alcaraz serve.

He backed that up with another break of the Alcaraz serve as errors started to flow once again from the Spaniard, with Draper finally getting over the line after he served for the match for the second time.

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“I’ve watched a lot of Carlos here and I was expecting him to come out all guns blazing,” said Draper. “It was the opposite. There were a lot of errors.

“Then in the second set, I lost concentration, the energy was drained from my body and I don’t know what happened.

“I went to the toilet at the end of the set, looked in the mirror and said: ‘You are in the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 and a win to make the top 10 in the world against Carlos Alcaraz in a full stadium. I had to give everything I’ve got. Don’t worry about nerves. I had to go for it. Now I have to lift myself for the final.”

When asked about breaking into the top 10 he added: “It feels unbelievable. When they said it on the court, I got emotional. I’ve been through so much in recent years with injuries. This is such a tough sport, we give so much to it. It feels incredible.”

The magnitude of Draper’s win was highlighted by the reality that he ended Alcaraz’s 16-match winning run at Indian Wells and if the hype around the young Brit wasn’t already reaching fever pitch, it will go into overdrive now.

READ NEXT: Jack Draper’s brutally honest confessions highlight how tough his journey has been

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Jack Draper’s coach has stated that the Brit believes that he ‘belongs’ at the highest level of tennis, competing against the ‘best players, on the biggest stage.’

The world No 14 defeated Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5 in his quarter-final match, continuing his impressive form in 2025 – just two weeks after making the Doha final.

Draper’s coach James Trotman – who the player has previously called a ‘one of a kind’ –  has given his insight into the various improvements made to the Brit’s game.

Whilst speaking to Tim Henman for Sky Sports, Trotman stated:

“I think a lot of hard work has gone on in those years [since their partnership started], a lot of game development which we are always focusing on.

“I think he has started to believe a lot more in himself, he feels like he belongs at this level and can perform with the best players, on the biggest stage.

“It’s been a fantastic start to 2025, but there have been limited tournaments, still. He picked up a little niggle in the off-season and had a great run down in Australia – considering the lack of tennis he had – final in Doha, and again in the semis here.

“So, when he’s performing, he’s been performing well, but it would be nice to get a few more tournaments under the belt and I think the bigger picture stuff, we’re going to keep working on his body, keep making the right decisions around what he needs at the time.

Trotman – who is a former junior Grand Slam champion – first started working regularly with Draper in late-2021 when he was the LTA’s men’s National Coach, with the Brit ranked outside of the world’s top 250.

Speaking about his first impressions of the current world No 14, Trotman stated: “I remember watching him on a trip to Spain in those early days. He was unbelievably competitive, but he was up and down emotionally and also on the court. It was like an emotional roller-coaster watching him compete.”

The Indian Wells semi-finalist will compete against world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who has lifted the event’s trophy at the last two editions and has won 32 of his last 34 sets at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

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“Look, he’s going to have to serve well, there’s no doubt about it,” Trotman stated, about his player’s last four encounter against Alcaraz.

“If Jack’s serve is firing, it’s a weapon against anybody in the world, and, if he can build pressure through that, it’s going to help his chances and help him relax, let him play a little bit more aggressively.

“Certainly against Carlos [Alcaraz], he’s not the sort of player where you want to drop your ball speed too much and allow him to dictate and get his physicality onto court.”

The two players have met on four occasions, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head 3-1. Draper did manage to get a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory against the four-time Grand Slam champion at the ATP 500 in London in 2024 – albeit on grass

Their most recent clash occurred at the 2025 Australian Open, with the Brit retiring after going down two-sets-to-love due to hip discomfort.

The post Former Grand Slam champion on Jack Draper: ‘Feels like he belongs at this level’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Action has been bubbling over nicely in Indian Wells, and, while we are only at the semi-final stage, there is plenty to look at from an ATP Rankings perspective.

Here, we take assess the rankings winners and losers – and look what could pan out over the coming two days.

ATP Top 10 pre-Indian Wells

1) Jannik Sinner, 11,330
2) Alexander Zverev, 8,135
3) Carlos Alcaraz, 7,510
4) Taylor Fritz, 4,900
5) Casper Ruud, 4,045
6) Daniil Medvedev, 3,930
7) Novak Djokovic, 3,900
8) Andrey Rublev, 3,480
9) Stefanos Tsitsipas, 3,405
10) Alex de Minaur – 3,335

Despite his current absence amid suspension, world No 1 Sinner’s cushion is so large that, no matter what happened in the desert, he was guaranteed to remain on top.

However, the key question was whether Alcaraz and Zverev could stay in touch or, in the latter’s case, even close the gap to the Italian.

With 1,000 points to defend as the reigning champion, Alcaraz came in knowing that anything other than a successful defence would probably end his hopes of a return to No 1 in the near future.

There was also pressure on world No 6 and fifth seed Medvedev, who had finalist points to defend from 2024 and, after a poor run of form, was at risk of dropping out of the top 10.

ATP Live Rankings (as of 15/02/2025)

1) Jannik Sinner, 11,330
2) Alexander Zverev, 7,945
3) Carlos Alcaraz, 6,910
4) Taylor Fritz, 4,900
5) Novak Djokovic, 3,860
6) Casper Ruud, 3,855
7) Daniil Medvedev, 3,680
8) Andrey Rublev, 3,440
9) Stefanos Tsitsipas, 3,405
10) Alex de Minaur, 3,335

Currently, there has not been too much of a shift in the top 10.

With Zverev losing in round one, Sinner’s lead as the world No 1 has grown despite his absence; he had no points to defend, having already had his Indian Wells points removed as part of his sanction.

Alcaraz is still in the hunt to defend his title and stay on 7,510 points, though he still needs to win two more matches in the desert to ensure that is the case.

There has also been good news for Medvedev, who is provisionally at world No 7 in the live rankings, and will be back as the world No 5 should he win Saturday’s semi-final against Holger Rune.

Djokovic has provisionally moved up two places despite his early exit, though this will be a rise of one spot if Medvedev reaches the final.

The Big Winners

Sinner is undoubtedly a big winner from this fortnight, with closest rival Zverev falling a further 190 points behind him; the gap between the two now set to be 3,385 points.

Even if it only proves to be one spot, a move back up the rankings is also a positive for Djokovic despite his recent struggles with form and fitness.

It also looks like there could be good news for Jack Draper, who is provisionally rising three spots to a career-high of world No 11.

However, should he shock Alcaraz in Saturday’s semi-final, he would crack the top 10 and move up to world No 8 in the ATP Live Rankings.

If Draper is beaten in the semi-final and Rune wins his semi-final against Medvedev, Draper would be ranked 12th and Rune would be 11th – and the Dane will return to the top 10 if he wins the title.

Lower down the rankings, Arthur Fils will rise three places after his impressive quarter-final run, hitting a new career-high of world No 18.

Tallon Griekspoor is also closing in on a return to the top 30 thanks to his quarter-final showing, with the Dutchman provisionally up nine places to world No 34.

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The Big Losers

Towards the top of the rankings, there are no significant slips, though Zverev may be frustrated at falling further behind Sinner.

The German holds a 4-4 record since his Australian Open final defeat and will need to turn his form around quickly if he wants any chance of rising to world No 1 in 2025.

Casper Ruud will fall at least one place to world No 6 when the rankings update, behind Djokovic, and will fall two places to world No 7 should Medvedev win his semi-final.

The Norwegian was defending quarter-final points in the desert, though he was beaten in the second round.

Alex de Minaur will fall out of the top 10 if Draper wins his semi-final or if Rune wins the title, and Tsitsipas will also drop back out should both of those scenarios occur.

Ben Shelton has also dropped two places to world No 14, in part due to Draper’s rise.

Read Next: WTA Rankings Winners & Losers Indian Wells: Sabalenka’s lead, Andreeva +3, Raducanu -5, Sakkari -22

The post ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Indian Wells: Sinner’s lead grows, Djokovic moves up, Alcaraz steady appeared first on Tennis365.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic rewrote the tennis record books over the course of their remarkable careers, but which one of the ‘Big 3’ earned the most money in their careers?

There is a clear winner when it comes to prize money, as Djokovic’s longevity at the top of the sport and his success in winning more Grand Slams and Masters 1000 tournaments gives him the prize money edge, but Federer may be the overall winner in the cash battle.

MONEY EARNED ON COURT

Novak Djokovic is the big winner here, with his $186,249,969 placing him top of the all-time prize money list in tennis.

Nadal’s $134,946,100 puts him second on the all-time list of earnings in men’s tennis, with Federer not far behind with $130,594,339.

These figures do not include appearance fees that are handed out at non-mandatory tournaments, with all three certain to command huge fees from events desperate to add these three icons to their playing field.

WHAT ABOUT ROGER FEDERER’S SPONSORS?

Federer continues to be a hugely attractive option for sponsors, with his clean cut image and global popularity ensuring any brand he endorses gets a boost.

He currently has deals with Wilson, his long-time racket manufacturer and clothing brand Uniqlo, who signed Federer up on a long-term deal that ended his long-standing partnership with Nike.

The Swiss legend is also associated with Barilla, Credit Suisse Group (ADS), JURA, Lindt & Sprungli, LVMH Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, Mercedes-Benz, NetJets, On, RIMOWA, Rolex, Sunrise Communications AG and Switzerland Tourism.

The On deal is the most lucrative, as he was given equity in the company when he became a brand ambassador, with some estimates suggesting that slice of the shoe brand could now be worth in excess of $350m.

RAFAEL NADAL’S SPONSORSHIP DEALS

The 22-time Grand Slam winning legend also has an enduring appeal to sponsors, even though he hung up his racket for the final time last November.
Nike, racker supplier Babolat, Santander, Emporio Armani, Heliocare, Telefonica, Banco Sabadell, Tommy Hilfiger and Mapfre have all been associated with Nadal in recent years and he recently closed out a mega deal to sell part of his tennis academy in his Malaga homeland.

Reports in Spain suggest Nadal’s business accounts have seen a huge leap in revenue over the last year after a private investment firm took a 44.9% stake in Nadal’s Academy in Mallorca.

The deal has boosted the wealth of a player who won almost $135 million in his playing career by a whopping almost €100 million after the sale of the stake in his Academy brought in €94.1million.

The Academy, set up in Mallorca, welcomes some of the best young players in the game to learn the techniques that took Nadal to the top, with this sale to private investment firm GPF highlighting the value of the brand.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S SPONSORS

The brands who have confirmed sponsorship deals with Novak Djokovic are ASCIS, Head, Hublot, Lacoste, Lemero, NetJets, Peugeot, Raiffeisen Bank International and Ultimate Software Group.

Djokovic’s management team have also been active in signing up new sponsorship deals, with Qatar Airways, Waterdrop and luxury hotel brand Aman are among among those now working with Djokovic.

As is the case with his former on-court rivals, Djokovic’s status as a global icon not just of tennis but all of sport ensures he will continue to work with many of his current partners when his tennis career comes to an end.

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WHO TOPS THE TENNIS RICH LIST?

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have earned financial windfalls that put them in at the top of the tennis rich list and such is their appeal that the money will continue to roll in for years to come.

Yet Federer may end up being the biggest winner in the money stakes as his deal with On could end up becoming one of the most lucrative in all of sport.

The Swiss shoe company has been valued at around £12billion and that makes Federer’s slice of the company’s shares a valuable commodity if the owners look to sell up or merge with a rival brand.

What is not in doubt is the legacy Federer, Nadal and Djokovic created on a tennis court will ensure they will be appearing on sporting rich lists for many years to come.

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The post Who tops the tennis rich list? Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic battle it out appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz admits he is “excited” about the challenge of facing a fit and in-form Jack Draper ahead of their Indian Wells semi-final clash.

Second seed Alcaraz and 13th seed Draper meet in the second of two men’s singles semi-finals in Tennis Paradise, after 12th seed Holger Rune takes on fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.

It is Draper’s first semi-final at Masters 1000 level, while Alcaraz is the two-time defending Indian Wells champion.

The Spaniard leads the head-to-head between the two 3-1 and is arguably the favourite to prevail, having lost just twice in 22 matches at the tournament.

However, two of his victories over Draper have come via retirement, with the Brit retiring injured in the fourth round of Indian Wells two years ago, and in the fourth round of the Australian Open this January.

Alcaraz defeated Draper 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 when they met at the 2022 Swiss Indoors, while Draper prevailed 7-6(3), 6-3 when they met at the Queen’s Club last summer.

World No 14 Draper has risen up the rankings significantly in recent months, and world No 3 Alcaraz believes the “ambitious” Brit will prove a dangerous opponent.

“Well, I think he has a lot of rhythm, a lot of pace, great shots,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion.

“I think his style of play suits pretty well to these conditions. I think his forehand with topspin bounces a lot, and [he has a] big serve.

“I mean, the times that I have played against him, I think two of them he got injured, and the last one recently in Australia, so I’m just excited about playing him again.

“It seems he’s in really good shape right now. I think he’s ambitious, and he always go for it – so that’s makes him a really tough opponent.

“I’m pretty sure he’s going be one of the toughest on the tour in the future or in the next year.

“I’m just really happy to share these kind of moments with him. I also think it’s going to be a really good match to watch and to play.”

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Alcaraz is on a 16-match winning streak in Tennis Paradise, just three short of Novak Djokovic’s record of 19 consecutive wins at the tournament.

And, he will need to win his semi-final against Draper to keep his hopes alive of emulating a special Djokovic and Roger Federer feat.

The Serbian and the Swiss are the only players in Indian Wells history to win three straight titles at the event, doing so from 2014-16 and 2004-06, respectively.

Having triumphed in both 2023 and 2024, Alcaraz is potentially just two wins away from matching that accomplishment.

The 21-year-old beat Medvedev in both those finals, and a third straight championship match between the two is a distinct possibility.

There is also plenty on the line for Draper in this semi-final clash.

Should he triumph, he would be projected to break into the top-10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, moving up to world No 8 in the live rankings.

He would also be the fifth Brit to reach the Indian Wells final, following in the footsteps of Greg Rusedski, Tim Henman, Andy Murray, and 2021 champion Cameron Norrie.

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Action in Indian Wells is coming to a close, and already some significant moves in the WTA Rankings have been set for next Monday’s update.

Here, we look at who will be the big winners – and losers – from a rankings perspective once the tournament has concluded.

WTA Top 10 pre-Indian Wells

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 9,076
2) Iga Swiatek, 7,985
3) Coco Gauff, 6,333
4) Jessica Pegula, 5,251
5) Madison Keys, 4,679
6) Jasmine Paolini, 4,518
7) Elena Rybakina, 4,328
8) Emma Navarro, 4,009
9) Zheng Qinwen, 3,780
10) Paula Badosa, 3,746

Sabalenka was guaranteed to stay as the world No 1 no matter what happened in Indian Wells, with world No 2 Swiatek defending 1,000 ranking points after lifting the title 12 months previously.

Elsewhere, world No 3 Gauff was defending semi-final points at the event, looking to stay in touch with Sabalenka and Swiatek – and ahead of compatriots Pegula and Keys in the battle for US No 1.

Further down the top 10, Badosa’s pre-tournament withdrawal opened the door for the likes of Mirra Andreeva, who had initially made her top-10 debut earlier this season before being pushed back to world No 11.

WTA Live Ranking (as of 15/03/2025)

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 9,606
2) Iga Swiatek, 7,375
3) Coco Gauff, 6,063
4) Jessica Pegula, 5,361
5) Madison Keys, 5,004
6) Jasmine Paolini, 4,518
7) Elena Rybakina, 4,448
8) Mirra Andreeva, 4,360
9) Zheng Qinwen, 3,985
10) Emma Navarro, 3,859

A significant swing in ranking points will see Sabalenka extend her advantage over Swiatek, having made the final – while the Pole was beaten in the last four.

Andreeva’s win over Swiatek extends her winning run to 11 matches and also cements her position in the top 10, with a new career-high guaranteed.

Elsewhere, Gauff dropped 270 ranking points after her fourth-round exit, losing ground on world No 1 Sabalenka – and also losing a chunk of her lead over Pegula and eventual semi-finalist Keys.

The Big Winners

One big winner is world No 1 Sabalenka, who looks primed for a significant stay at the very top of the women’s game thanks to her run to the final.

After losing in Round 4 a year ago, her return to the Indian Wells final – after her 2023 runner-up finish – has already seen her earn 530 points, provisionally moving to 9,606 points.

Should she beat Andreeva in Sunday’s final, the Belarusian would move to 9,956 ranking points, and hold a significant 2,581-point lead over Swiatek, who has dropped 650 points.

It is already good news for Andreeva, who looks set to reach a career-high of world No 8 thanks to a live points score of 4,360 – earning an extra 640 points as things stand.

However, should she prevail in the final, she would move to 4,710 points, and leap five places to a new high of world No 6, usurping both Rybakina and Paolini.

Further down the WTA Rankings, Donna Vekic is set to rise three places and jump back into the top 20 as the world No 19, while Liudmila Samsonova moves up four spots to No 21.

There is also good news for quarter-finalist Belinda Bencic, who is set to rise back into the top 50.

The Swiss, currently 58th in the world, is projected to rise to world No 45 as she continues her impressive return from maternity leave.

While Sonay Kartal, one of the biggest stories of the tournament, will leap 20 spots to a new career-high of world No 63.

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The Big Losers

At the very top of the game, the biggest loser is perhaps Swiatek.

While she is still comfortably the world No 2, the Pole now faces an uphill battle to regain the world No 1 ranking, especially with big points to defend in Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros in the coming months.

However, Maria Sakkari is perhaps the biggest ranking victim of the tournament, with the former world No 3 set to fall outside of the top 50 after her third-round exit to Gauff.

Having already fallen outside the top 30 amid form and injury issues in 2024, last year’s runner-up has dropped a significant 585 points and is projected to be the world No 51 come Monday.

There is also bad news for Emma Raducanu, who dropped 55 ranking points after her round-one exit failed to match her run to the third round in 2024.

The Brit will fall five places from world No 55 to world No 60, and it is a very similar story for former world No 1 Naomi Osaka.

Osaka also dropped 55 points after losing in the opening round, and falls from world No 56 to world No 61.

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Mirra Andreeva defeated Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals at the WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells, and will next face Iga Swiatek. However, the Russian isn’t taking anything for granted, after having beat the Pole in her previous event.

The 17-year-old is now on a 10-match winning streak, the first women’s player under the age of 18 to reach such a feat since Nicole Vaidisova in 2005.

Andreeva won her second – and, by far, the biggest – title of her career in February, at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai.

Along the way, she became the first woman since Maria Sharapova in 2004 to beat three Grand Slam champions at the same event.

“I started to feel it [the confidence] during the tournament in Dubai, but I can say that I got a little help from my sports psychologist that I’m still working with,” stated Andreeva.

“I can say that, you know, it helped me a lot to realize a lot of things and to change something in the way I think during the match or before the match. Also, it helps me to go in the match with the right mindset, and, you know, I think that that was kind of the key for me.

“I can say that it’s working. It’s not bad. So I’m just super happy that I can see the result.”

One of those such Grand Slam champions was Swiatek, herself, who Andreeva defeated 6-3, 6-3 with a stunning performance.

“Yeah, of course it’s always nice to beat a top player. It was my first win over her,” said the Russian, when asked about her semi-final.

“You know, it doesn’t give me any benefit to our match tomorrow, because what happened happened, and the past is in the past.

“Tomorrow is going to be a new day, new match, new conditions, new country. Everything is different.

“You know, I’m going to try my best to prepare in the best way for our match tomorrow, and I’m sure that the match is going to be great, because our head-to-head is 1-All. I think it’s going to be an entertaining match, and we’re just going to see who is going to be better tomorrow.”

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Meanwhile, Swiatek already gained some ‘revenge’ over another rival – Zheng Qinwen – who she fell to in a heartbreaking semi-final match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“It’s not nice to lose to anybody, so for sure you want to have a little, I don’t know, like revenge, but it’s nothing personal. I think every player has that against everybody who they lose to before,” said the five-time Grand Slam champion.

“This was the only match that I lost against Qinwen and I wanted to learn from it, it didn’t really cross my mind that much, because I knew that this is on hard court and I knew what I did wrong in the Olympics.

“Honestly, I would say that clay didn’t help me on the Olympics, because these high spinny balls that came into place, it’s much easier to go forward and to play them when you know exactly how the ball is going to bounce. On clay, you can’t really do that.

“For sure, it was tricky then. Here I thought it’s going to be more clear, and that’s what happened.”

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The 2025 edition of the Indian Wells Masters event has made ATP history, with the singles semi-final line-up featuring three players all born in the 21^st century – a first in that category (or at Grand Slam level, for that matter).

Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune – both born in 2003 – and Brit Jack Draper, born in 2001, have all made their way into the last four at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

In an era defined by three players all born in the 1980s, perhaps this statistic further represents the quickly changing landscape of men’s tennis.

It should also be noted that Daniil Medvedev – born in 1996  – fills the fourth semi-final spot, having beaten Frenchman Arthur Fils in a dramatic third-set tiebreak.

Carlos Alcaraz

The youngest of the three, Carlos Alcaraz is simply on a roll at the Indian Wells event.

Alcaraz has won 32 of his last 34 sets in the desert and is just two match wins away from winning three consecutive titles at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden – something done by only two other players, Roger Federer (2004-06) and Novak Djokovic (2014-16).

The Spaniard was victorious over Francisco Cerundolo, who had produced a sensational performance against Alex de Minaur in the previous round, beating him 6-3, 7-6(4).

After the victory, the four-time Grand Slam champion stated: “Well, I think today was a little bit tougher than yesterday.

“I think it was more wind, colder. So the conditions was really tough. But, you know, I think I didn’t play as good as yesterday, but I think, I mean, tennis is about not having a great day every day.

“So you have to play with your best that day. I think today I just survived. I just save, you know, a lot of breakpoints, a lot of chances to his favor. Just really happy about it. Yeah, I think I just played decent match or a good match with that conditions.”

Holger Rune

Born just one month before Alcaraz, Holger Rune has now made the semi-finals in three of the last 4 Masters 1000 events and will be seeking a maiden final at that level.

The Dane made his first quarter-final in Indian Wells in 2024, before losing to Daniil Medvedev – who he will compete against in the last four.

Rune defeated the tricky Tallon Griekspoor, 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 in even trickier conditions, overcoming both his opponent and the strong winds.

“I think today I lost the first set, and things in my mind in the beginning of the second set were a bit tough, because I feel like, you know, no matter what I did, he had an answer to a lot of it,” said the former world No 4.

“I had to change the game plan, and I started playing differently. I saw that it started to hurt him more, so I kept going. Obviously I think I managed to play a way that he didn’t like as much as previously.

“I think I did my part today. I found a way to win, and that’s what matters.”

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Jack Draper

Brit Jack Draper is the eldest of the three 2000s-born semi-finalists, but looks in similarly impressive form.

Draper reached the final of the Qatar Open in February and has carried on the sensational form at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

En route to the last four, the 23-year-old has beaten Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton – beating the latter 6-4, 7-5 to reach his first semi-final.

Draper will next face Alcaraz, who he recently lost to at the 2025 Australian Open.

“I’m always proud of myself, always looking at what I’m doing and thinking that I’m doing a good job and stuff like that,” stated the semi-finalist.

“Unfortunately, obviously in tennis you’re in a sport where there is always the next match and you have to prove yourself every time.

“Certainly for myself, my mindset, unfortunately that, as well, I feel like I’m never content with anything. I always want to have more wins and more opportunities to play top players.”

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Emma Raducanu’s tumultuous 2025 season has been boosted after it was confirmed that the 22-year-old would be in action for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup this April.

Former US Open champion Raducanu has struggled at times in 2025, with just three wins in nine matches to her name so far.

The Brit was beaten in straight sets by Moyuka Uchijima in her opening match in Indian Wells last week, in her first tournament since her nightmare stalking ordeal at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Raducanu will next be in action at the Miami Open, which starts next week, though the world No 55 will again be unseeded – meaning she will face a seed in round two should she win her opening match.

However, Billie Jean King Cup action could provide a much-needed confidence boost for the former world No 10 when action takes place across April 10-12.

The 22-year-old joins British No 1 Katie Boulter, Indian Wells breakout star Sonay Kartal, Harriet Dart, and doubles specialist Olivia Nicholls in captain Anne Keothavong’s squad.

Great Britain will head to The Hague in the Netherlands for the Qualifiers and will face the host nation and Germany as they look to seal their spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

The nation reached the semi-final of the competition last November, with Raducanu playing a starring role for her country.

Raducanu beat Germany’s Jule Niemeier in Round 1, Canada’s Rebecca Marino in the quarter-final, and Slovakia’s Viktoria Hruncakova in the semi-finals last Autumn.

Overall, the Brit holds a 6-1 win-loss record in Billie Jean King Cup action – an impressive record that she will look to build on next month.

With British No 1 Boulter and in-form Kartal part of the squad, Great Britain are arguably the favourites to progress from their qualifying group.

The Germany squad will be led by the likes of Niemeier, Laura Siegemund, and Eva Lys, while Suzan Lamens and Arantxa Rus lead the Dutch team.

Raducanu is far from the only big name set to represent her nation in the Qualifiers next month.

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Though Coco Gauff and Madison Keys will be absent, a strong USA team will be led by world No 4 Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins.

Pegula and Collins will be joined by McCartney Kessler and doubles specialists Desirae Krawczyk and Asia Muhammad in Bratislava, where they will face Slovakia and Denmark.

Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will be part of the Kazakhstan squad that faces Australia and Colombia in Brisbane.

Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk will head to Radom for Ukraine’s qualifiers versus a Belinda Bencic-led Switzerland and Poland.

Hosts Poland will be without the services of Iga Swiatek, while Naomi Osaka will also not represent Japan in their home qualifiers versus Canada and Japan.

Read Next: 2025 Miami Open: When is the draw? Who are the top seeds? Will Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu play?

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