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Andy Murray has revealed why Roger Federer stopped practising with him and never trained with Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic throughout his career.

At his peak, Murray competed with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic during what was a golden age of tennis.

During a career spanning from 2005 to 2024, Murray secured 46 singles titles, including three Grand Slams, and spent 41 weeks as the world No 1.

Djokovic, Nadal and Federer make up the top three on the all-time men’s Grand Slam title list, with 24, 22 and 20 majors respectively.

What is Andy Murray’s record against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?

Murray played 85 matches combined against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and compiled 29 victories over the legendary trio.

• 11-14 vs. Federer
• 11-25 vs. Djokovic
• 7-17 vs. Nadal

What Andy Murray said about practising with his biggest rivals

Murray discussed practising with his ‘Big Four’ rivals with snooker legend Stephen Hendry during an appearance on the Stephen Hendry Cue Tips YouTube channel.

“I would practise with them, I’d practise with Djokovic and Nadal,” said the two-time Olympic champion.

“When I first started, I would practise with Federer. But then he, after like a year or two, stopped. He wouldn’t practise with me anymore.

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“And he never practised with Djokovic or Nadal, I think if he considered them to be a competitor to him.

“I like practising with them just because it gave me the chance to see where my game was at.

“I wouldn’t practise with them a couple of days before a big match, but a couple weeks out from a major tournament, then I would practise with those guys.

“I was never going for dinner with them, whereas now, I’d love to do that — see them a few times socially.”

Murray was asked if he had friends when he was at the top of the sport.

“No, not at the top of the game. Generally, if I’m socialising with friends and family, you want to feel like you can tell them if you’re struggling with something,” Murray explained.

“But if you’re competing against them, you wouldn’t do it.”

The former world No 1 also shared an interesting insight from his time coaching Djokovic.

“A two-handed backhand, you use that left hand a lot,” Murray said.

“Djokovic, when I was helping him, with all the sessions, he’d start just using his left hand warming up.”

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The post Andy Murray makes Roger Federer practice revelation as he shares Novak Djokovic insight appeared first on Tennis365.

There is one big fear rippling through women’s tennis when the increasingly heated debate over the upcoming ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios is discussed – but it may never become a reality.

World No 1 Sabalenka will face 2022 Wimbledon champion Kyrgios in a contest that has sparked a huge amount of interest since it was announced.

In a bid to neutralise some of the physical advantages Kyrgios would have, both players will only have one serve per point and Sabalenka will play on a slightly smaller court.

It will be a fascinating contest and it’s safe to assume that even its biggest critics will be watching, with the concern around the match focused on a potential heavy defeat for Sabalenka.

A fully fit Kyrgios would expect to see off his opponent pretty comfortably if they were contesting the match in conventional conditions, but the changes that have been made to balance the playing field are designed to give Sabalenka a chance to compete.

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So if the world’s best female player is well beaten by an opponent who has been unable to play too many competitive matches due to injury over the last three years, it would not be a good look for the women’s game.

Of course, there is a strong chance that Sabalenka will give a less-than-fully fit rival a real match and if she could pull off a famous victory, this showpiece contest would be a good moment for the women’s game.

The interest the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match will generate has to be good for tennis as it will get eyes on the sport at a time of the year when there are very few competitive tournaments for fans to watch, but the Dubai battle continues to attract plenty of negativity.

Respected broadcaster Catherine Whittaker has been among the most outspoken opponents of the Sabalanka vs Kyrgios match, as she offered up these strong views on The Tennis Podcast.

“Nick Kyrgios is a man who stands for something and that’s not an accident. He is choosing to stand for and represent misogyny,” said Whittaker.

“This is what Nick Kyrgios will be representing and fighting for in the self-titled Battle of the Sexes. A validation of his belittling of women’s tennis and the way he perceives women and women’s sport of being lesser purely on the basis of brute power.

“This event is a dog whistle. It feels like a dog whistle publicity stunt. A symbol of the populist Trumpian age of do-whistles and division and stupidity.”

Sabalenka hit out at the controversy around this match, as she insisted the contest will be a positive showcase for the women’s game.

“It’s not going to be an easy match for Nick,” Sabalenka said. “I’m going to be there competing and showing women are strong, powerful and good entertainment. He’s in a lose-lose situation. I’m in a win-win situation.

“I am not putting myself at any risk. We’re there to have fun and bring great tennis. Whoever wins, wins. It’s so obvious that the man is biologically stronger than the woman, but it’s not about that. This event is only going to help bring women’s tennis to a higher level.”

The world will be watching on December 28 and Sabalenka will be doing all she can to confirm her power on a tennis court can be a tough test for a big hitter like Kyrgios.

The post Hate Aryna Sabalenka is getting for ‘Battle of the Sexes’ stems from a fear that may not become a reality appeared first on Tennis365.

Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis has predicted which of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will win more Grand Slam titles and named the ATP player who he thinks can break the pair’s duopoly.

Alcaraz has won six Grand Slams, having defeated Sinner in four sets in the US Open final in September to secure his most recent major.

Sinner has claimed four majors, with his most recent coming at Wimbledon in July this year, where he overcame Alcaraz in four sets in the championship match.

Between them, Alcaraz and Sinner have each won four of the last eight Grand Slams, and the duo separated themselves from the chasing pack in 2025. They met in the finals at five consecutive tournaments they both competed in (from the Italian Open to the US Open).

In an exclusive interview, Tennis365 asked Baghdatis whether he thinks Alcaraz or Sinner will finish with more majors.

“Very tough question. I would go with Alcaraz because he has more variety to his game, I can say,” said the former world No 8

“But he’s mentally maybe less consistent than Sinner, so it can backfire. But yeah, I would go with Alcaraz.”

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Baghdatis identified 19-year-old Brazilian star Joao Fonseca as the next man who will break through and win a Grand Slam in the coming years.

“Maybe Fonseca, I would say. That’s one of them who could, and I think will,” assessed the Cypriot.

“But other than Fonseca, especially in a Grand Slam in a five-setter, I don’t see [who can stop Alcaraz and Sinner]… Yeah, maybe [Alexander] Zverev can win here and there, one or two. But it’s gonna be tough.”

Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominance has seen them compared to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Baghdatis, who faced each of the Big Three during his own career, addressed how Alcaraz and Sinner’s level compared to that of the three icons in their prime.

“Honestly, it’s very tough to compare,” Baghdatis said.

“What I can say, I see the whole of tennis right now and I think… my opinion is that before; the Roger, the Rafa, the Novak, the Andy [Murray]’s – they had so many people pushing them behind them.

“When I say so many, you had the [Stan] Wawrinka’s, you had the [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga’s, you had the [David] Ferrer’s. So that’s where I think they stand out a bit – because their competition was much better.

“So yeah, that’s what I think. Maybe I’m wrong, but what’s what I see. But to compare… the only way you could compare Alcaraz and Sinner to those three, four players was to put them there.”

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The post Who can break Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner’s dominance? Marcos Baghdatis predicts appeared first on Tennis365.

Serena Williams appears to be flirting with a stunning tennis comeback at the age of 44 and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has predicted when he might make what could be a brief and final appearance on a tennis court.

Williams has added herself back onto the anti-doping list that all professional players need to sign up to if they want to compete on the tennis tour.

That decision inevitably led to speculation that the 23-time Grand Slam winning legend is planning an audacious return to the sport, more than three years after she called time on her career at the 2022 US Open.

A full-time return to tennis appears to be unlikely for the mother of two, but Rusedski suspects Williams has a plan in mind and it might be linked to a final appearance on court for her sister Venus.

“For me, I think she might play some doubles with Venus,” said Rusedski, speaking on the first episode of his new podcast, Off Court with Greg, which goes live on Monday.

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“If Venus is hanging up the rackets, I think she has gone on the (doping) list to sign off with Venus, which started the Williams sisters story.

“What an amazing story. I think it’s the greatest story ever. You look at the Dad and they have made a movie out of this, King Richard. He said I don’t have one Michael Jordan, I have two Michael Jordans.

“What Serena and Venus did coming from Compton is incredible, so I think she has put herself on the and will play doubles with Venus. It could be Wimbledon, it could be the US Open and boy, would I love to see that. I hope I’m there to see that in person if it happens.”

Serena’s former coach Patrick Mouratoglou also gave his verdict on a potential comeback for his former player, as he backed the tennis legend to return to the game.

“I think when Serena wants something and when she puts her heart in it, there are not much things that are impossible,” said Mouratoglou. “So I guess, if she thinks about her comeback, she will only [do it] if she thinks she can compete with the best.

“Otherwise, she will not. That’s not her mindset. That’s never been her mindset. Maybe this (comeback) is something that crossed her mind because she’s in super shape, as everybody saw.

“She looks like she’s back to being a top athlete after being a mother. To open an opportunity and to come back, there is, I think, a long way to go, so I guess we’ll know in a few months if it happens.”

Williams has downplayed talk of a comeback, but the tennis world will be waiting to see if we get a final burst of magic from the Williams sisters in 2026.

The post Serena Williams comeback date and location predicted by former British No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.

Roger Federer has confirmed he will make a return to the Australian Open next month, as the Swiss legend is set to be part of an exhibition match with three fellow former world No 1s in Melbourne, but could we see even more of the 20-time Grand Slam champion in 2026?

Federer won the season-opening Grand Slam in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017 and 2018, with his victory against Rafael Nadal in his penultimate Australian Open win one of the most emotional in his career as he won unexpectedly after returning from injury.

Now Federer has confirmed he will get a chance to wave a final farewell to the Australian fans in Melbourne, as he will take to the court with four-time Australian Open champion and eight-time major champion Andre Agassi, two-time US Open champion Patrick Rafter and two-time major winner Lleyton Hewitt in a star-studded encounter on January 17.

“It feels like a lifetime ago that I coined the phrase the ‘Happy Slam’ for the Australian Open, and it still makes me smile when I think about all the moments I’ve had here,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said.

“I’ve experienced so many emotions on Rod Laver Arena … the joy of lifting ‘Norman’ six times, the honour of playing in front of Rod Laver himself, the challenge of competing against my biggest rivals, and always the overwhelming love and support of the Australian fans.

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“Coming back to win the AO in 2017 is one of my most treasured Grand Slam memories and backing it up to win in 2018 was another dream come true in Melbourne. I can’t wait to come Down Under again to the AO and create more fantastic moments with all the Aussie fans.”

Federer recently suggested he is stepping up his hours on the tennis court, with the knee problem that ended his career no longer troubling him.

He has also hinted that he would like to start playing exhibition matches and that could spark a whole new chapter in his story.

Federer fans would pay big money to watch their idol back on court and he is open to an exhibition tour that could also provide funds for his charitable foundation.

He commented on his plan last year, amid suggestions that he could revive his rivalry with Rafael Nadal.

“I would love to start playing two or three times a week and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court and fill up a few nice around the world. I have no plans yet,” he stated.

Nadal confirmed on Friday that he has undergone surgery on a hand issue, so that would rule out any prospect of a return to action against Federer in the opening months of the New Year, but there is every chance we will see what was arguably the greatest tennis rivalry of all-time revived in a less competitive environment in 2026.

The post Roger Federer comeback to tennis may be set to move to the next level in 2026 appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios are due to face off in a highly-publicised exhibition match on December 28, a contest organisers have framed as a modern-day nod to the iconic 1973 ‘Battles of the Sexes.’

The event, which will be held at the Coca-Cola Arena, has already generated intense discussion across the sporting world, with players, legends, and commentators divided on whether the clash will celebrate – or retract – progress.

The original ‘Battle of the Sexes’ saw Billie Jean King prevail 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 over the 55-year-old Bobby Riggs, a victory which proved to be a major step forward for women’s tennis.

More than half a century on, comparisons to that encounter have been met with much scepticism.

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka enters the exhibition at the peak of her powers, having finished the season as the US Open champion and the year-end No 1.

The Belarusian dismissed concerns over the potential negative symbolism of such an event.

“I am not putting myself at any risk,” she stated to BBC Sport.

“We’re there to have fun and bring great tennis. Whoever wins, wins.

“It’s so obvious that the man is biologically stronger than the woman, but it’s not about that.

“This event is only going to help bring women’s tennis to a higher level.”

The Belarusian believes that, despite any biological differences, she has a realistic chance of beating Kyrgios during the Dubai showdown – with little pressure on her.

“It’s not going to be an easy match for Nick,” Sabalenka later surmised.

“I’m going to be there competing and showing women are strong, powerful and good entertainment.

“He’s in a lose-lose situation. I’m in a win-win situation.”

Nick Kyrgios

If Sabalenka is the embodiment of consistency, Kyrgios is the exact antithesis of exactly that – especially in 2025.

The unpredictable showman played just five singles matches this season, last being seen during his second-round match against Karen Khachanov at the Miami Open.

Kyrgios has struggled with wrist issues for over 24 months, despite undergoing reconstructive wrist surgery in late 2023.

“By the way, all the negative comments towards the Battle of the Sexes are doing nothing but giving it more attention,” he argued on an Instagram post.

“At the end of the day, Aryna will go down as one of the greatest players to play this game.

“I will have entertained crowds around the world. We are 2 humans who are good friends who want to put on a show and get more eyes on tennis.

“Sit back and enjoy the show. We both love the challenge and are going into this with no real experience. No one cares what you have to say.”

The 2022 Wimbledon champion is currently ranked as the world No 672.

Billie Jean King

Whilst King’s 1973 victory over Riggs went well beyond tennis, the American argued that the context could not be more different.

“The only similarity is that one is a boy and one is a girl. That’s it,” she told BBC Sport.

“Everything else, no. Ours was about social change; culturally, where we were in 1973. This one is not.

“I hope it’s a great match – I want Sabalenka, obviously, to win – but it’s just not the same.”

Garbine Muguruza

Former world No 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza, who retired in April 2024, echoed a similar sentiment to that of the American.

“A guy who is ranked 1,000 in the world or doesn’t even have a ranking could be far superior to a top-10 player on the WTA circuit,” Muguruza said to Spanish outlet Cope.

“When I was at my best level, being world No 1, I wouldn’t have even beaten a junior.

“It’s more of a show — it has nothing to do with the Battle of the Sexes, with what Billie Jean King versus Bobby Riggs meant. That was incredible.

“This is entertainment. I think they’ll play seriously, but the idea is for it to be a show and for the fans to have a good time.”

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Catherine Whittaker:

Whilst many have criticised the Battle of the Sexes sequel for the biological differences and lack of the same social meaning that was present in 1973, Whittaker, a host of The Tennis Podcast, went even further.

The British host made a pointed critique of Kyrgios, himself, after the Australian admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2021.

“Nick Kyrgios is a man that stands for something and that’s not an accident. He is choosing to stand for and represent misogyny,” analysed Whittaker on the popular podcast.

“This is what Nick Kyrgios will be representing and fighting for in the self-titled Battle of the Sexes. A validation of his belittling of women’s tennis and the way he perceives women and women’s sport of being lesser purely on the basis of brute power.

“This event is a dog whistle. It feels like a dog whistle publicity stunt. A symbol of the populist Trumpian age of do-whistles and division and stupidity.”

Roger Rasheed

Former tennis player and coach Rasheed believes Sabalenka will only harm herself and other female athletes by participating in the event, even if she is victorious over the Australian.

“I’m not a fan of it, to be honest,” Rasheed said to ABC Sports.

“I think it’s a lose-lose for the women’s side … I actually think it’s quite insulting, to be perfectly honest.”

“I don’t see where there’s one minute, one second of win for the number one player in the world.

“If you are looking after Sabalenka commercially, is this a place where you want to be?”

The post Battle of the Sexes: Who said what? The controversial takes on the ‘show’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka is confident she will be able to match Nick Kyrgios in their controversial Battle of the Sexes clash, but former world No 1 Garbine Muguruza has sent a stark warning when it comes to women facing men.

The exhibition will be staged on December 28 in Dubai and it has received a lot of attention in recent weeks with many feeling it will be damaging to women’s sport, but Sabalenka begs to differ.

“I don’t agree,” the four-time Grand Slam winner told BBC Sport. “I am not putting myself at any risk. We’re there to have fun and bring great tennis. Whoever wins, wins.”

She added: “It’s so obvious that the man is biologically stronger than the woman, but it’s not about that.

“This event is only going to help bring women’s tennis to a higher level.”

Sabalenka is currently ranked No 1 while Kyrgios is outside the top 600 on the ATP Rankings and will likely be rusty as he has played very little tennis in recent years.

The best-of-three sets contest will also not be played under normal tennis rules as Sabalenka’s side of the court will be nine per cent smaller, and each player will be limited to one serve.

While Sabalenka is confident about her chances, two-time Grand Slam winner Muguruza has given her honest assessment about facing male tennis players.

In an interview on El Partidazo de COPE, the Spaniard said: “I’ve had so many [male] hitting partners, and every time I had to play a practice set against them, I’d end up super frustrated.

“How can it be that I can’t win a set against someone who isn’t even a professional player, someone who’s just a sparring partner?”

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The 2017 Wimbledon champion added: “The difference is huge. It’s not just power – physically… the muscles, the stamina a man has to play a match… There are so many things. I have two brothers and I’ve never beaten them.

“A guy who is ranked 1,000 in the world or doesn’t even have a ranking could be far superior to a top-10 player on the WTA circuit. When I was at my best level, being world No 1, I wouldn’t have even beaten a junior.”

Sabalenka and Kyrgios insist the match will help women’s tennis, just like the original Battle of the Sexes encounter between the great Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.

Muguruza added: “It’s more of a show — it has nothing to do with the Battle of the Sexes, with what Billie Jean King versus Bobby Riggs meant. That was incredible.

“This is entertainment. I think they’ll play seriously, but the idea is for it to be a show and for the fans to have a good time.”

The post Former WTA No 1 makes honest confession – ‘An unranked man can be far superior to a woman in top 10’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff has been told that she needs to win two Grand Slams per year for a decade if she is to stand any chance of reaching 20 majors with Rennae Stubbs offering a mixed assessment of the American’s 2025 season.

Aged just 20, Gauff doubled her Grand Slam tally this year as she won the French Open to go with the US Open trophy she lifted in 2023 while she also won one WTA 1000 title and finished runner-up at two more 1000 events.

The American finished the campaign at No 3 in the WTA Rankings with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No 2 Iga Swiatek well ahead on the list.

Gauff will no doubt be happy with what she achieved this year, but four-time women’s doubles Grand Slam winner Stubbs says the 20-year-old will be disappointed in the bigger scheme of things.

Speaking on the Rennae Stubbs podcast, she said: “She’ll be super disappointed in a lot of ways, but then the other side of me is like, no… the reason that flipped in my mind is when you said it’s because Coco said she wants to win the most Grand Slams. She’s put it out there that she wants to be one of the greatest of all time. That’s her words, not mine.

“She has consistently sort of put it out there and not been afraid to say that she wants to be as great as Venus [Williams] or Serena [Williams]. And I’m like, okay, well, they won a lot of major titles when they were 18, 19, 20.

“They were racking at that point at your age, and you’ve got two unbelievable, at your age to do what you’ve done. So if you want to get to 20, you gotta win two for 10 years, or you’re gonna win a lot in a short period of time, depending on how long you want to play for.

“So I think in some respects that’s disappointing because she wants to rack them up.”

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For the record, 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena won the 1999 US Open as an 18-year-old and then had to wait nearly three years to double her tally in 2002, but that year was fruitful as she won the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open before turning 20.

Venus, meanwhile, won her first two titles in the year she turned 20 as she lifted the Wimbledon and US Open crowns and the following year she won those events again.

Although Gauff is determined to become one of the best, she has also made it clear that winning is not the be-all and end-all.

Stubbs is impressed by that attitude, but also feels there were a lot of concerning moments for the American during 2025.

“The other part of me is like, Coco is such a balanced human being that she has also talked about ‘I know that winning doesn’t define me as a person’ and she talked about that a lot this year.

“I don’t know whether she’s going to therapy or what’s happening, but she has got this different perspective on winning and losing as well, where she’s very adamant that it doesn’t change her as a person.

“So in that respect, she would look at this year as a success right and be like, I’m doing great, I’m making a lot of money, I won another major title.

“But also at the same time, we saw the breakdowns, the crying on the court again, the double-faulting, the forehand woes as well. Coco this year had such a Coco year where you’re like, ‘oh, she’s unbelievable,’ and then you’re like ‘oh, what is going on?’

“I don’t know how she would look at this year, I think this again, if she looks at it like Sabalanka, which was a learning year of what can I get better at in 2026, then sure this was a great year for her to look at winning a major title and then looking at it and going ‘okay, I know how much better I can get.’

“There are a lot of parts of her game that she can get better at.”

The post Should Coco Gauff be disappointed with her 2025 season? Former world No 1 shares opinion appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has a glorious chance to jump back into the top 20 of the WTA Rankings in the opening few weeks of 2026, but the British No 1 needs to make a fast start to maintain the progress she made in this season.

Raducanu won a couple of matches at last year’s Australian Open and she will need to repeat that achievement to retain her place in the top 30 of the rankings.

After that, she will have a chance to make progress, as she suffered three successive first round losses after her run in Melbourne last year, before losing in the second round of the WTA 1000 event in Dubai and the opening round at Indian Wells.

Raducanu will believe she can improve on that poor record in 2026, but she will need to add some points to her tally before she gets to the Miami Open in March, where she will be defending 215 ranking points from her impressive run to last year’s quarter-finals.

A return to the top 20 of the rankings would be welcome for a player who has struggled when facing some of the biggest hitters in the sport, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski telling Tennis365 that Raducanu should be aiming high.

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“I know this has been said before, but you need consistency in your coach and where you are going. She didn’t have that,” Rudedski told Tennis365 ahead of the launch of his Off Court with Greg podcast on Monday.

“The reason she is back in the top 30 now is that she has had some consistency with her coaches in recent months, starting with Mark Petchey coming into her team back in March and then with Francisco Roig coming on board, who has worked with Rafael Nadal. She needs that consistency with her coaching now.

“She has got back to where she is in the rankings and has not played a full schedule. So I’d expect her to get back into the top 20 next year and the challenge then is to go beyond that and win titles.

“Tennis players tend to be on a journey. They start by winning smaller events, work their way up the rankings and then they challenge for Grand Slams when they reach the top level.

“Raducanu now has to win tournaments. She needs to get to finals. She hasn’t done that yet and she needs to start building by winning the lesser events on the main tour.”

Winning titles would put a different gloss on the career of the 2021 US Open champion and it would also boost a ranking that has risen from No 56 at the end of 24.

If she stays fit and maintains a stable coaching set-up, there is no reason why Raducanu cannot finish 2026 back in the top 20 of the WTA Rankings heading into a season that could well define whether the 23-year-old has what it takes to compete at the top consistently.

The post Emma Raducanu rankings prediction for 2026 and why she needs a fast start to the season appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner is not always viewed as the most popular player on the ATP Tour, but the Italian has banished any suggestion that he lacks popular support by claiming the ATP Fans’ Favourite award for a third successive year.

Sinner’s ruthless and machine-like winning approach is not as instantly appealing as the smiling brilliance of his big rival Carlos Alcaraz, who is widely hailed as the most popular player in tennis.

Yet even after a year when Sinner missed three months due to a doping suspension that will always leave a negative mark on his record, the world No 2 has claimed the popularity award once again.

“Thank you so much for voting for me,” said Sinner. “Winning the Fans’ Favourite award once again means the world to me, especially because of you guys.

“It has been a very intense year, but you give me so much energy and love, especially when I go on court and perform in front of you.

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“It’s the best feeling for us tennis players, so thank you so much. I will prepare myself in the best possible way to be ready for next year, and see you all very, very soon.”

Alcaraz’s fans will doubtless have been voting in their thousands for their man to win this award, but it is Sinner who claimed a prize that always proved to be elusive for Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer dominated the ATP Fans’ Favourite Award during his time at the top of the sport, winning it for 19 successive years between 2003 and 2019.

His big rival Rafael Nadal then claimed the prize in 2022 before Sinner won it for the first time in 2023.

Sinner and Alcaraz’s rivalry dominated the ATP Tour landscape for a second successive year as the ‘Big 2’ dominated the biggest events, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski telling Tennis365 why these two have separated themselves from the chasing pack.

“Alacarz exploded out and starting winning right away, just like Rafael Nadal did,” said Rusedski ahead of the launch of his new podcast Off Court with Greg. “He has been amazing for the sport and to already have six Grand Slam titles is an incredible number.

“Then you look at Sinner and the way he has used his skills as a skier to move around the court so effortlessly. I’ve never seen a player move like that before.

“You speak to other players and they say they just strike the ball so hard on both sides. Alex de Minaur said they strike it even harder than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

“The Roland Garros final they played this year was one of the best matches we have ever seen, including anything we saw from the Federer, Nadal and Djokovic match-ups.

“That tells you we are looking at two players here who are playing at another level, but whether they ever win as many titles as the ‘Big 3’, that’s a very different debate.

“You have to respect the longevity and the achievements of Roger, Rafa and Novak. Their records will be very tough to beat.”

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