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Carlos Alcaraz’s fine record at the Barcelona Open continued with a hard-fought opening win over American qualifier Ethan Quinn.

Just two days after his triumph at the Monte Carlo Masters, world No 2 Alcaraz was back on court on Tuesday in Barcelona against the world No 126, who did not make life easy for the Spaniard.

Quinn held a set point in the second set tiebreak, having broken Alcaraz while serving for the match, though the four-time Grand Slam champion rallied to secure a 6-2, 7-6(6) victory.

Victory for Alcaraz continues an impressive run of form for the 21-year-old at the ATP 500 event, having won the tournament in both 2022 and 2023, before withdrawing from the tournament last year due to a forearm injury.

In fact, the only person to have so far beaten Alcaraz in Barcelona is Frances Tiafoe, who defeated the Spaniard – as a 17-year-old wildcard – 6-4, 7-6(2) in the opening round back in 2021.

That means that Alcaraz has an 11-1 record from his first 12 matches at the Barcelona Open, a record only one man in the Open Era can beat.

That man happens to be tennis legend Mats Wilander, a former world No 1 and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion.

Wilander held a perfect 12-0 record in his first 12 matches in Barcelona, winning six matches on his way to the title on his maiden appearance in 1982, before successfully defending his title in 1983.

The Swede would remain unbeaten after winning a third title in 1984 and would ultimately win his first 23 matches at the tournament before his run was snapped by a defeat to Thierry Tulasne in the 1985 final.

While Alcaraz cannot match Wilander’s perfect record from his opening 12 matches, the 21-year-old can still match the clay-court great by winning his third Barcelona Open title in 2025.

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Alcaraz is considered by many to be the favourite for the title at the ATP 500 event and he will be a significant favourite for his second-round match against Laslo Djere.

Much like Quinn, Djere is a qualifier into the main draw, though he has now won three straight matches in Barcelona after a 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-2 opening-round main draw win over Arthur Rinderknech.

Alcaraz is then projected to face fifth seed Alex de Minaur in the quarter-final, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas – who he beat in the 2023 final – in the last four, and then second seed Casper Ruud in the final.

In Alcaraz’s absence, Ruud claimed the title in Barcelona a year ago, beating Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-3 to win what remains the biggest title of his career.

The Norwegian began his title defence with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Daniel Elahi Galan on Tuesday, while four-time runner-up Tsitsipas breezed past Reilly Opelka 6-2, 6-2.

Read Next: The 11 men to win multiple Barcelona Open titles: Rafael Nadal unrivalled, Carlos Alcaraz on 2

The post Carlos Alcaraz hits Barcelona Open milestone bettered by only one former No 1 after opening win appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has opted to take some time away from tennis after her fine run to the Miami Open quarter-finals, but that decision has drawn some criticism.

Raducanu produced her best tennis since her famous 2021 US Open win as she stormed into the last eight in Miami, beating top 10 player Emma Navarro and recent WTA 1000 tournament winner Amanda Anisimova before losing to Jessica Pegula in a tight three-set match.

The 22-year-old then decided to opt out of playing for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup last week, while also pulling out of the WTA 250 tournament in Rouen this week.

She is still on the entry list at the Madrid Open later this month and is also due to play in the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome at the start of May, but there is no word yet whether she will play in either event.

Raducanu decided to take a break from tennis to allow her body to recover after her five matches in Miami, but former world No 1 Andy Roddick has questioned that decision.

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In the latest episode of his always-entertaining Served podcast, Roddick expressed his surprise at Raducanu’s move to take a step back from the game as he clearly feels she should have tried to build on the momentum she built up in Miami.

“She just found her form… why is she recalibrating? What does that mean?” asked Roddick. “She looked great. She looked like a top 10 player in Miami. Why stop now?

“I get so frustrated. I’m such a fan of hers. I like listening to her reasoning on things, but you get to the quarter-finals, you are finally getting momentum and then you stop.

“Why put a speed bump in the middle of your season? It just happens over and over.

“You got to the quarters, let’s build. Let’s keep it rolling. I don’t think clay is going to be her best surface, but she is really good on grass. Let’s hope she sticks to the strategy this time.”

Raducanu is reported to be in talks to bring Mark Petchey on board as her new coach after the former British Davis Cup player made a positive impact in her camp during the Miami Open.

Petchey is a prominent member of the Tennis Channel’s broadcast team and will need to find a way to manage that agreement to also include work with Raducanu, with Roddick suggesting she may be running out of coaches.

Raducanu sacked her latest coach Vladimir Platenik after working with him for just one match, as he joined a list of former coaches that also included Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs and Nick Cavaday.

Roddick believes that the amount of change would make it hard for Raducanu to attract a top coach to her team, as he suggests her familiarity with Petchey could make it the perfect fit.

“I love Petchey. The Tennis Channel was accommodating his commentary schedule around working with Emma in Miami,” he added.

“Petchey is a great fit. I love Mark Petchey. He has a great tennis game and he is endlessly curious about the game.

“But based on the churn, she hires people for two days at a time, three weeks at a time. She needs Petchey now. It’s tough to enter into a new agreement and give up whatever else you have going on in life knowing this could be a two-week situation.

“You are narrowing the pool of coaching talent based on you having this quick trigger on firing people. That’s rational right?

“I don’t think you can get any feedback [on a new coach] on an eight-day trial. I don’t even know what you are doing. It’s the craziest thing I’ve heard since the [Denver] Nuggets sacked Mike Malone.

“I hope it all works with Petchey. I hope she gives a coaching relationship a chance to sink it. She is just so good for the game and she is so good at tennis.

“The last thing we want is in four years time having the same conversation that we’ve had for the last three and a half years.

“I think the world of Petch and I think the world of Emma. I think she is phenomenal. I just hope there is a tolerance for something being uncomfortable and not just this knee-jerk reaction to change.”

READ NEXT: Who is Mark Petchey? Emma Raducanu’s rumoured new coach

The post Emma Raducanu’s ‘crazy’ decisions questioned by former world No 1 as coaching appointment looms appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has asserted that “talking is easy and free” as he addressed those who have criticised his form and results in 2025.

The world No 2 secured his second title of the season at last week’s Monte Carlo Masters, where he came from a set down to defeat Lorenzo Musetti in the final.

Alcaraz, who also won the Rotterdam Open in February, improved his 2025 record to 20-4 (83.3%) with the five victories he earned at the clay-court Masters tournament.

Prior to his Monte Carlo triumph, Alcaraz faced harsh scrutiny from some quarters over his performances in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami.

The 21-year-old fell in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open to Jiri Lehecka, the semi-finals in Indian Wells to Jack Draper and the second round in Miami to David Goffin.

Alcaraz was also criticised after his Australian Open quarter-final loss to Novak Djokovic in January.

The Spaniard will aim to build on his perfect start to the clay season at this week’s Barcelona Open, where he is seeking a third title.

Prior to his campaign at the ATP 500 event, Alcaraz was asked about the high expectations placed on him.

“I suppose winning all matches 2-0, never losing (laughs),” he told reporters.

“I don’t know, the level of demand is high, although I recognise that there have been some results that, for some people… even for myself, have not been as expected.

“We are four months into the year and I have learned many things, now I give importance to what truly matters.

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“There have been certain defeats that may have felt insufficient to many, but for me, there is no defeat that feels insufficient anymore; they are all learning experiences.

“So, I need to move forward. Talking is easy and free, particularly when someone has expectations and doesn’t fulfil them, that’s all I can say.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion also admitted he had not expected to secure the title in Monte Carlo.

“I can say that I gained a lot of confidence in Monte Carlo; I didn’t expect to win,” Alcaraz added.

“I just want to get into the rhythm, the matches, and the hours on clay. Winning the title gives you confidence for what’s to come.

“I’m very happy to come here, with the Monte Carlo title, with confidence and feeling very good physically. I’m ready to compete, feel the love of my people, play in Barcelona, in Spain. It will be an incredible feeling.”

Alcaraz, who is the top seed in Barcelona, will take on world No 126 Ethan Quinn in his opening round match.

READ NEXT: The 11 men to win multiple Barcelona Open titles: Rafael Nadal unrivalled, Carlos Alcaraz on 2

The post What Carlos Alcaraz said about criticism and expectations he has faced in 2025 ahead of Barcelona bid appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu is reportedly set to hire a new coach.

Reports have claimed that the 22-year-old is in discussions with Mark Petchey, who previously stepped in to assist her at the Miami Open last month.

Petchey is a well-known name to many tennis fans – but who exactly is the man who could be guiding Raducanu across the next stage of her career?

Playing career

Before his move into broadcasting and coaching, Petchey was a professional tennis player himself.

The Brit turned professional in 1988 and would go on to win three Challenger Tour singles titles, reaching a career-high of world No 80 in August 1994.

Petchey reached the second round of the US Open in 1994 and competed in the main draw of the Australian Open in 1995, though he is probably best remembered for his Wimbledon campaign in 1997.

Competing at his home Slam, Petchey defeated Jan Kroslak and Tommy Haas to reach the third round, where he was beaten by three-time champion Boris Becker.

He won one ATP Tour doubles title at the 1996 Nottingham Open alongside Danny Sapsford, before retiring from the sport in 1998.

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Coaching career

Before his work with Raducanu, Petchey was probably best known for being an early coach of Andy Murray.

Before their split in April 2006, he had guided the future world No 1 to the third round of Wimbledon on his debut in 2005, to a first ATP title at the 2006 San Jose Open, and inside the top 50 of the ATP Rankings.

Petchey has also had success on the WTA Tour, previously guiding WTA star Silvija Talaja into the world’s top 20, and helped Tina Pisnik rise inside the top 30 of the WTA Rankings.

He also coached Maria Sakkari for a temporary spell when the Greek was beginning to work her way towards the top of the WTA Tour.

Before 2025, he also had experience working with Raducanu, having coached her while she was still a teenager during the summer of 2020 – when events were still not taking place due to COVID.

Petchey returned to her box in a temporary capacity for the Miami Open and proved a huge success, with Raducanu progressing to her first WTA 1000 quarter-final and ultimately returning to the top 50.

Broadcasting career

Outside of his coaching career, Petchey has also made his name as one of the most prominent and successful commentators of recent years.

The Brit has worked for multiple broadcasters in the UK, most notably for the BBC during Wimbledon, for ITV when they had French Open broadcast rights, and for both Amazon Prime and Sky Sports.

However, Petchey’s most prominent role has been with Tennis Channel, becoming one of the organisation’s chief commentators in recent years.

Petchey’s role with Tennis Channel is currently thought to be a key point in his discussions with Raducanu.

It is believed that Petchey would still want to continue in this role should he start work with the former US Open winner, though it is uncertain whether that is a possibility.

Read Next: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide – Tennis365 Heroes and Villains

The post Who is Mark Petchey? Emma Raducanu’s rumoured new coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner is set to return to full training ahead of his comeback to tennis and he has picked a high-profile training partner to get his match sharpness back.

Sinner accepted a three-month suspension from tennis as his legal team cut a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency following his two failed doping tests in March 2024.

As part of that agreement, Sinner was not allowed to play against professional tennis players until April 13, with that date marked last Sunday as his great rival Carlos Alcaraz was winning the Monte Carlo Masters title.

Sinner needed to find a strong practice partner to get himself back into match shape ahead of his return to the ATP Tour in front of his home fans at the Italian Open next month and he has found the perfect man for the job.

Matteo Berrettini is the man who will be working with Sinner as he attempts to get back to his best for his comeback, with the 2021 Wimbledon finalist hitting with the world No 1 at the Monte Carlo Country Club.

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That is the same venue that saw Alcaraz lift the trophy last weekend, with Gazzetta.it revealing Sinner’s coaching team including Aussie Darren Cahill working with him in Monte Carlo.

Sinner and Berrettini are expected to take to the court on Wednesday and Thursday in what will be key steps towards the comeback of the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Berrettini pulled out of this week’s ATP 500 tournament in Munich with an injury, but it may be that he opted to train with Sinner rather than play another competitive event after his run to the third round in Monte Carlo included a win against top seed Alexander Zverev.

Sinner and Berrettini are close friends, so it is no surprise that the Australian Open champion has reached out to a compatriot to ease him back into action.

Berrettini has spoken in glowing terms about Sinner, who he teamed up with to secure a second successive Davis Cup victory for Italy last November.

“We had never seen anyone hit so hard, so flat and make so few mistakes,” said Berrettini as he spoke about Sinner during their time together on the Davis Cup team.

“As you have seen, he is the most humble player there is. He came here as if he had not won the ATP Finals. He showed great respect for the team.

“His tennis is incredible, but it is about how he manages everything off the court and the way he relates to people.”

Sinner has given one major interview since his ban from the sport, as he opened up on his emotions as he has been forced to take time away from the sport.

“In the end, you have to choose the lesser evil and I believe that is what I have done,” said Sinner, speaking to Sky Italy.

“Even if sometimes it seems a bit unfair, all that I’m living, but then if I look at things from a different perspective it could have been worse. Even more unfairness. This is the way it is.

“The decision to take the three-month suspension was rather quick. We accepted it quite quickly, even though I didn’t agree completely.

“There was a bit of back and forth with my lawyer and the people around me. After we took this decision, it took me a while to find myself again.

“I was very fragile after what happened. I would tell a lie if I said I was a person without feelings or emotions.

“In life you learn, every year I learn more about myself, also about my value. It was not easy, very hard at times, but the people around me gave me the strength to understand what had happened.

“I am calm because in the end I know that what I want to do is to play tennis and be serene. That’s the end of the story.”

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz knocks Jannik Sinner off No 1 spot – but not in the race that matters most

The post Jannik Sinner’s training location and hitting partner revealed as he plots his comeback appeared first on Tennis365.

The debate around prize money in tennis has moved up a level in recent weeks with players openly campaigning for an increase in their returns at major championships, but how do their earnings compare to golfers?

As individual sports, tennis and golf have plenty of similarities and challenges, as they both compete for attention in a crowded global sporting landscape.

Yet golf has found a way to ensure its biggest stars earn more money than elite tennis players each year, as they have reshaped their calendar to ensure majors are played in the first half of the year and big money prizes are on offer for lucrative events in the second half of a season.

World No 1 golfer Scottish Scheffler topped the PGA Tour prize money list last year with a stunning $29,228,357.

By contrast, Jannik Sinner earned the most in on court earnings in tennis in 2024, as he took home almost half that amount at $16,946,149.

Two-time major winner Xander Schauffele was second on the prize money list for golf in 2024 with $18,385,320, with Carlos Alcaraz the second-highest earner in tennis last year with $9,850,338, against pretty much half the earnings.

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A comparison of the two prize money lists for 2024 confirms male golfers are taking home double the amount of cash when compared to their tennis counterparts, with Rory McIlroy already up to $13,257,558 in winnings for 2025 after his epic Masters win on Sunday.

Those numbers will further enhance the claims of tennis players who believe they should be earning more from their sport, amid suggestions that less than a third of revenue from Grand Slam tournaments is paid to players.

The top 20 players from the men’s and women’s tour sent a letter to the organisers of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open calling for an increased share of revenue last month.

In addition, the Professional Tennis Players Association filed a legal action against all tennis chiefs last month that included a demand for increases in prize money and more freedom for players to play in exhibition events.

Golf’s FedEx Cup is a lucrative end-of-season event that allows the top players to collect huge sums of cash, while the breakaway LIV Golf Tour – backed by Sauri Arabian cash – paid out huge sums to its star names last year.

Former Masters champion Jon Rahm earned $34,754,821 on the LIV Tour, while Joaquin Niemann won $24,381,666 and Spain’s Sergio Garcia collected $17,087,143.

McIlroy has already earned well over $100m in prize money during his stunning career, with his commercial sponsorship deals already hugely lucrative prior to his Masters win.

The Irishman’s victory at Augusta allowed him to join Gene Sarazen (completed in 1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Gary Player (1965), Jack Nicklaus (1966) and Tiger Woods (2000) as the only man to win all four majors in golf, with his emotional victory at the Masters completing his already golden legacy.

“It’s a dream come true,” McIlroy said. “I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember.

“Watching Tiger (Woods) here in 1997 do what he did, winning his first green jacket, I think that inspired so many of my generation to want to emulate what he did.

“It feels incredible. This is my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time.

“The last 10 years coming here with the burden of the grand slam on my shoulder and trying to achieve it, I wonder what we’re going to talk about going into next year.

“I’m absolutely honoured, thrilled and proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion.”

After so many years of near misses at the Masters, McIlroy’s win revived memories of Scotland’s Andy Murray finally winning Wimbledon for the first time amid emotional scenes back in 2013.

So many of McIlroy’s fans around the world have been urging him to win the Masters since his last major title win back in 2014, but he kept coming up short.

The vulnerabilities and failings McIlroy shows when the pressure is applied are so relatable to the wider sporting public and are similar to what we saw from Murray as he faced the daunting challenge of taking on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Murray is a huge fan of golf and has spent time with tennis fan McIlroy talking about their respective experiences, with the two iconic sportsmen as great examples of heroes who have made the most of their natural talents to achieve greatness.

READ NEXT: Tennis365 Heroes and Villains: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide

The post Tennis and golf prize money compared after Rory McIlroy confirms he is the Andy Murray of his sport appeared first on Tennis365.

Action at the Stuttgart Open is underway, with most of the WTA Tour’s biggest names in action on the indoor clay over the next week or so.

Defending champion Elena Rybakina is not in action, but world No 2 and two-time winner Iga Swiatek will look to win her third title, while world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka hopes to triumph after three previous final losses.

The battle between world No 3 Jessica Pegula and world No 4 Coco Gauff for the US No 1 ranking looks set to intensify, with the pair seeded third and fourth, respectively.

Two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and in-form rising star Mirra Andreeva are also in action, while Emma Navarro and Diana Shnaider round out a strong top eight seeds at the WTA 500 event.

Usually, this event is run in the same fashion as most one-week events, but there is a key schedule difference in 2025 that looks set to affect several leading title contenders.

Why is there a change?

The Stuttgart final is usually held on a Sunday, but in 2025 it will take place on Monday.

This is because the upcoming Easter weekend and state rules in Baden-Wurttemberg, of which Stuttgart is both the capital and largest city.

Rules in the state – the third-largest in Germany – prohibit any form of sporting event from taking place on Good Friday, which this year falls on April 18 – midway through the tournament.

That means that the tournament will not be able to hold matches inside the Porsche Arena on Friday, and will instead pause for one day.

The rules are specific for Baden-Wurttemberg, and rules differ state by state, which is why the Munich Open is unaffected.

The ATP 500 event, held on outdoor clay, will run as normal on Good Friday due to no such law or rule in the state of Bavaria.

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What impact does it have on the schedule?

Up until Friday, the schedule in Stuttgart will run as normal, with the first handful of opening-round matches taking place on Monday (14 April).

As the top four seeds, Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, and Gauff have all received round-one byes and will begin their campaigns in round two, with their matches set to be held across April 16-17.

With no play on Good Friday, the last eight players left in the draw will return on Saturday for the four quarter-finals, and then the semi-finals will take place on Sunday.

That will then be followed by Monday’s final, which is set to start at 1pm local time.

Main draw action at the upcoming Madrid Open will begin on Tuesday, 22 April, though the seeds in the Spanish capital receive opening byes – meaning the turnaround should not be too brutal.

Read Next: Tennis365 Heroes and Villains: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide

The post Explained: Why leading Stuttgart contenders face a Monday final at WTA 500 event appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz sent out a big statement to his rivals as he confirmed he is the man to beat on clay courts with his win at the Monte Carlo Masters.

The date of this exciting Spaniard’s victory was also a significant moment for his biggest rival, Jannik Sinner.

In the first of a Monday ‘Heroes and Villains’ columns highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly in tennis, here’s a look back on the week that was.

Player of the Week – Carlos Alcaraz

The newly promoted world No 2 has been brutally honest in his comments over the last few weeks, as he admitted the pressures of dealing with the expectations he has created around himself have been a big burden.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz set the bar so high with his sparkling start to his career, but he continues to find a way to back it up with more success and he was magnificent for periods of his run to victory in Monte Carlo.

The injury to Lorenzo Musetti may have taken some gloss away from his victory in the final, but Alcaraz confirmed he is the king of clay with his dynamic and thrilling win.

On the way down – Stefanos Tsitsipas

With a huge haul of ATP Ranking points to defend over this period of the season, Tsitsipas was under incredible pressure to defend the Monte Carlo Masters title he won last year.

Yet he was always likely to come up short and his quarter-final exit ensured he dropped out of the top ten of the rankings, with his position likely to get worse.

Tsitsipas was a finalist at last year’s Barcelona Open and, with those points dropping off his ranking this week, he is down at No 19 in the Live ATP Rankings.

The Greek needs to find his best form on clay quickly or his time at the top of the game may be coming to an end.

Why was April 13th significant?

Carlos Alcaraz’s Monte Carlo Masters win was a significant moment in the tennis season on Sunday, yet his victory came on a day that has been circled in the diary of his greatest rival for several weeks.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner has not been permitted to practice with professional players during the opening phase of his three-month drug suspension, but April 13 was the day he was allowed to get back on court ahead of his comeback at next month’s Rome Masters.

We can expect to see images on social media of Sinner returning to full-time training over the next few days, with the tennis world holding its breath for the comeback of the man still dominating at the top of the ATP Rankings.

Missing out – Billie Jean King Cup

Some great stories were written on court during the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, but they struggled to steal the media limelight amid the excitement of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The final line-up for September’s Billie Jean King Cup final in China will see Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, USA and the host nation battle it out for the biggest prize in women’s team tennis in Shenzhen this September.

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Yet will the world be watching as the Billie Jean King Cup battles for space on a crowded media landscape? Sadly, it seems as if this competition is fighting a losing battle to retain attention and that is a shame because it deserves to retain a strong place on the tennis stage.

Stat of the week

Jannik Sinner may be banned from tennis as he serves his doping suspension, but he continues to hold a strong lead at the top of the world rankings.

Now he is joining some big names on the ATP list as since the inaugural ATP Tour season in 1990, only four players have had a longer opening run as world No 1 than Sinner, who is toasting his 45th week at the top – Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Shot of the week – Carlos Alcaraz’s tweener lob

Ridiculous! pic.twitter.com/05eGwJc9Q4

— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) April 10, 2025

The post Tennis365 Heroes and Villains: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz’s maiden Monte Carlo Masters title has drawn reactions from Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and other stars of the sporting world.

The Spanish star defeated Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the final of the clay-court Masters 1000 tournament to secure his second title of 2025.

Alcaraz became the sixth Spanish player to win the Monte Carlo Masters after Manuel Orantes, Sergi Bruguera, Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Nadal.

The 21-year-old has now secured four of the nine different Masters 1000 crowns, having also triumphed in Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid.

The four-time Grand Slam winner has overtaken Alexander Zverev to claim the world No 2 spot in the ATP Rankings.

In reply to Alcaraz’s Instagram post celebrating his victory, 11-time Monte Carlo champion Nadal wrote: “Congratulations! Great week in a very special place.”

Djokovic, a Monte Carlo winner in 2013 and 2015, posted: “Congratulations titan.”

Guillermo Coria, a 2004 Monte Carlo Masters champion and former world No 3, replied: “Grande Carlitos. You gonna have to buy a separate ticket for that trophy.”

Fabio Fognini, who won the tournament in 2019, wrote: “Now if you can talk (laughing emojis).”

Stan Wawrinka, Bianca Andreescu and Jakub Mensik were among the other tennis stars to congratulate Alcaraz.

Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz — players for Alcaraz’s beloved Real Madrid — also shared their support with congratulatory emojis.

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Following his triumph in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz addressed whether he had proven a point.

“I don’t feel that way,” he told the media. “I always say that, let’s say freak talk, when you’re not winning or people have high expectations of you when you don’t win tournaments or matches they probably talk a lot.

“I just realised that I don’t have to think about all they are talking about and just focus on myself. So I’m not going to say I just proved them wrong.

“I’m just really happy to be able to refocus on the important things and just be focused on myself and the part that I have to follow with my team. Just playing for myself. So I’m just really happy that I was able to do it.”

He continued by stating: “It’s been a tough month for me. On and off the court. I don’t want to say in public, but I was struggling stepping on the court. It’s been difficult to find a way to not think about everything.”

READ NEXT: ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Monte Carlo: Alcaraz No 2, Djokovic No 5, Tsitsipas -8, Musetti rises

The post Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal react to Carlos Alcaraz’s Monte Carlo Masters title win appeared first on Tennis365.

Elena Rybakina is set to drop out of the top 10 of the WTA Rankings for the first time in two years as she was forced to make a tough decision over her Stuttgart Open title defence.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion won the WTA tournament last year after beating then world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-final and surprise finalist Marta Kostyuk in the showpiece match.

But she opted not to return to Germany this year for the Porsche event due to scheduling conflicts as she instead decided to focus on representing Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King qualifying tournament.

And the decision has come at a cost as it will affect her position in the rankings.

Rybakina was part of the team that beat Australia and Colombia in Group D action at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane as she won both her singles matches over the weekend.

With that event taking place in Australia, Rybakina would have had to scramble to get back to Europe in time for the Stuttgart tournament had she entered the event.

Instead, she chose her country over her title defence.

“I know that the schedule overall is very packed, and it’s not easy to even schedule Billie Jean King Cup,” the former world No 3 said.

“But ideally, if we go to one part of the world, it will be nicer to play the same part. Now, for example, the clay court [season] starts and [some have] already played even tournaments on clay.

“So to come back and play hard, it’s a bit tricky. And ideally, if there is a tournament, it’s better to schedule it closer to where we want to be.”

Kazakhstan’s 2-0 win in the qualifiers helped them to secure their place in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in September with the tournament being staged in Shenzhen, China.

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She added: “I can’t play all the tournaments. Of course Stuttgart is nice, but I always like to play team competitions.

“It’s nice to play for your country, so I’m happy to make this decision and I’m happy to play finals [in Shenzhen].”

The 25-year-old will lose 500 ranking points this week, resulting in her dropping out of the top 10.

Rybakina is currently at No 10 on 3,808 points and for now the “punishment” is not too bad as she has slipped just one spot to No 11 in the Live Rankings.

The last time she was outside the top 10 was in January 2023 as she started the year at No 21, but surged back up the list after finishing runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open.

Rybakina’s next two events are the WTA 1000 Madrid Open and Italian Open before she heads to Paris for the French Open.

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