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  • ATP Tour star reveals what it’s like to practice with Novak Djokovic in training session

    ATP Tour star Mattia Bellucci has revealed why the “pressure was enormous” when he took to court for a practice session with Novak Djokovic at the US Open.

    Widely considered the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis, Djokovic has won a staggering 24 Grand Slam titles and 101 overall ATP Tour titles during his legendary career, also spending a record 428 weeks atop the ATP Rankings.

    Though he has not added to his Grand Slam trophy cabinet over the past two seasons, the Serbian is still defying the odds, with the 38-year-old finishing 2025 ranked fourth in the world — despite playing just 13 tournaments.

    One of the highlights of Djokovic’s year was the Serbian reaching the semi-final of all four Grand Slam tournaments, including at the US Open in September.

    It was in New York that world No 74 Bellucci was handed the chance to practice with the Serbian for the first time.

    The 24-year-old Italian — who reached a career-high of 63rd in the world this July — was competing in the main draw of the US Open for the second time, while Djokovic was making his 19th tournament appearance.

    Speaking on the Spazio Tennis podcast, Bellucci revealed he felt huge pressure practising with Djokovic, and what he noticed about the Serbian during their time on court.

    He said: “Unlike other big names, training with Nole involves a much higher level of expectation.

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    “He demands extreme precision from himself and his team, and if things don’t go as planned, he gets angry. I tried to make this training session useful for him — the pressure was enormous.

    “In terms of emotion and intensity, this session allowed me to progress, to become stronger. Reaching such a level of expectation with the greatest player of all time… I never imagined I would find myself in such a situation.”

    Both Bellucci and Djokovic were beaten by the same player in New York: eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.

    Bellucci was beaten 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 by the Spaniard in the second round, before Djokovic fell 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 to Alcaraz in the semi-final of the men’s singles event.

    2025 proved to be a career-best year for the Italian, who cracked the top 90, top 80, and top 70 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, before ultimately finishing the year 74th.

    That was a significant improvement on his 2024 year-end ranking of 103rd, with Bellucci’s season highlighted by a run to the third round of Wimbledon and a semi-final showing at the Rotterdam Open.

    It was also a positive year for Djokovic, who ended the year ranked fourth after starting the year as the world No 7.

    Outside of reaching the semi-final of all four Grand Slam events, the Serbian was also champion at the Geneva Open — where he lifted his 100th career title — and at the Hellenic Championship.

    Read Next: Alex de Minaur opens up on his agonising press conference and makes an honest confession

    The post ATP Tour star reveals what it’s like to practice with Novak Djokovic in training session appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Bjorn Borg reveals his big ‘regret’ about his early retirement from tennis

    Bjorn Borg has opened up about why his early retirement from tennis was a “stupid decision” as he revealed what he regretted about stepping away from the game.

    Tennis icon Borg is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time and was the leading male player of his era, winning a staggering 11 Grand Slam singles titles during his career.

    The Swede famously won five straight Wimbledon titles from 1976-80, and was also the winner of six French Open titles — a tally that only Rafael Nadal can beat among men in the Open Era.

    Borg was also a four-time US Open runner-up and spent 109 weeks atop the ATP Rankings, winning 66 ATP Tour titles in total.

    However, after losing in the final of the US Open for the fourth time in 1981, Borg played just twice in 1982, and ultimately announced his retirement from the sport in January 1983.

    The Swede was just 26 at the time, and had not properly competed on the tour since he was 25.

    Speaking in a new interview with Marca, the 68-year-old revealed that despite losing his motivation, there was still some “regret” about the way he left the game.

    He said: “I wasn’t even 26, but I’d lost my motivation.

    “It’s not that I regret it because I needed to be mentally perfect to continue, and I wasn’t. What I regret is quitting tennis.

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    “It was a stupid decision because I had so many friends. I often asked myself why I did it. I chose another life instead of keeping the one I had, and that’s what I regret.”

    Borg’s interview came following the release of his new autobiography Heartbeats: A Memoir, which was released earlier this year.

    The tennis icon revealed in the book that he had privately been battling prostate cancer, though had now recovered.

    However, Borg also laid bare the extent of his battle with alcohol and drug addiction following his retirement, struggling throughout most of the 1980s.

    After overcoming his addictions in the late eighties, the Swede made a brief return to action in the 1990s, when in his mid-thirties.

    While this was largely unsuccessful in terms of results, Borg revealed to Marca that he “wouldn’t have survived” had he not made his brief return to tennis.

    “The problem is that I put tennis aside,” added Borg.

    “I had to rediscover myself after getting involved with drugs. And I can say that I had enough mental strength, the same strength I had as a player. Nobody helped me except my parents.

    “I briefly returned to the courts in Monte Carlo, not because I wanted to come back, but because I wanted to live and have a life. If I hadn’t gone back to playing, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now because I wouldn’t have survived.

    “I needed to have a plan again, a schedule to follow. I spent many years struggling alone, and it was very hard.”

    Read Next: Exclusive – ATP icon who played Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer explains who had ‘highest peak’

    The post Bjorn Borg reveals his big ‘regret’ about his early retirement from tennis appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Anastasia Potapova accused of ‘copying’ Daria Kasatkina’s social media post about citizenship change

    Daria Kasatkina has reacted on social media after fellow WTA Tour player Anastasia Potapova was accused of ‘copying’ her former compatriot’s message regarding her own citizenship change.

    World No 51 Potapova announced on Thursday that she would begin to represent Austria from the start of the 2026 season, becoming the ninth Russian to change citizenship since the nation’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

    Since March 2022, Russian and Belarusian players have been competing as neutral athletes on the ATP and WTA Tours, and were initially banned from Wimbledon in 2022.

    Potapova’s decision to change citizenship has come as somewhat of a surprise and has been met with a rather cool reception within Russian tennis, with former world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov bidding “good riddance” to the 24-year-old.

    Her announcement comes just days after she competed at the controversial Northern Palmyra Trophies exhibition in St. Petersburg, an event sponsored by Gazprom — a company accused of funding Russia’s invasion.

    The winner of three WTA titles, Potapova’s decision to change citizenship follows less than nine months since Kasatkina made the same decision in March 2025.

    A former world No 8 and winner of eight WTA Tour titles, Kasatkina is by far and away the most high-profile player to change citizenship since February 2022, announcing an immediate switch to Australia earlier this year.

    The 28-year-old is openly gay and has openly spoken out against Russia’s strict anti-LBGTQ+ laws, while she has also condemned the invasion of Ukraine.

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    Now, the world No 37 has reacted online after one fan pointed out clear similarities between the statement Potapova issued on Thursday, and her own statement from March.

    Both statements start with the exact same phrase: “I am delighted to let you all know that…”

    There are further apparent similarities between the two statements, most notably a similar section in both statements that reads: “…a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home.”

    Reacting to a post highlighting the similarities on X, formerly Twitter, Kasatkina merely quote-tweeted the post — with an image of the two statements together — with a skull emoji.

    The 28-year-old further clarified that she and Potapova were not from the “same agency”, dismissing suggestions that the same PR team could have drafted similar messages.

    Below, both Potapova’s and Kasatkina’s statements are presented unedited and in full.

    Anastasia Potapova’s full statement (December 2025)

    “I am delighted to let you all know that my application for citizenship has been accepted by the Austrian Government.

    “Austria is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Wien and look forward to making my second home there. As part of this I am proud to announce that starting from 2026 I will be representing my new homeland Austria in my professional tennis career from this point onwards.”

    Daria Kasatkina’s full statement (March 2025)

    “I am delighted to let you all know that my application for permanent residency has been accepted by the Australian Government. Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home. I love being in Melbourne and look forward to making my home there. As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland, Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards.

    “Obviously, there are parts of this decision that have not been easy. I want to express my thanks and gratitude to my family, coaches, and everyone who has supported me throughout my tennis journey to date. I will always have respect and fond appreciation for my roots, but I am thrilled to start this new chapter in my career and life under the Australian flag.

    “Thank you all for your understanding and continued support.”

    Read Next: Ranking the 10 most surprising Grand Slam women’s singles champions – ft. Emma Raducanu & Iga Swiatek

    The post Anastasia Potapova accused of ‘copying’ Daria Kasatkina’s social media post about citizenship change appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Casper Ruud finds a word to describe the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

    Casper Ruud finds a word to describe the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

    Casper Ruud has described the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the top of men’s tennis as ‘a little bit annoying’, as he paid tribute to two champions at the top of the ATP Rankings.

    Sinner and Alcaraz have separated themselves from the chasing pack over the last couple of years, with Ruud and the rest left to pick up the scraps they are leaving behind in the sport’s biggest tournaments.

    Now Ruud has given his verdict on how the rest of men’s tennis feel, as he also joined the debate over whether Sinner and Alcaraz have taken tennis to the next level after starting a new era following the end of the years that saw Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic rewrite the record books.

    Intriguingly, Ruud believes Sinner and Alcaraz are striking the ball harder than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, in comments that add to an always compelling comparison between the best five players in men’s tennis in the 21st Century.

    “You can discuss back and forth as much as you want about different eras, but the fact for me is that Sinner and Alcaraz hit the ball with more speed than the ‘Big 3’ did,” Ruud told Tennis365, ahead of his appearance at the UTS Grand Finals in London.

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    “Rafa always went full out on his forehand, but he had more spin on his backhand and now we have Carlos and Jannik… no side is a weakness. It doesn’t matter if its the backhand or forehand, they will rip it. Also, they move well, physically. They just move great.

    “Jannik could always rip the ball, but one are he has taken to the next level is his movement. You see him sliding, defending anywhere on the court. The same with Carlos and I feel they defend in a way that Novak did.

    “You feel like you have them on the defence and in one shot, they are on the offensive again. It has been really, really impressive and at times a little bit annoying how good they have become, but you just have to accept it and we just have to do better to beat them.”

    Ruud would have been one of the players hoping the end of the Federer, Nadal and Djokovic era would have opened the door for them to challenge for the biggest titles in tennis and that may be why he used the word ‘annoying’ to describe the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz.

    Casper Ruud at the UTS Grand Final in London

    Casper Ruud at the 2023 UTS Grand Final in London

    Yet he doesn’t believe they will continue to win all the Grand Slam titles indefinitely, even though they have won claimed all eight of the biggest tournaments in the sport between them over the last couple of years.

    “We all spoke about the day when Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were not there any more and we would have new champions of Grand Slams, but that has not been the case because of those two,” he added.

    “Maybe they (Sinner and Alcaraz) had the same idea when the Big 3 were not there any more. They maybe felt this was the time for us to shine.

    “But I still believe over the next five to ten years, you will have several Grand Slam champions and guys that can bring it to them.”

    Ruud is playing at the UTS Grand Finals in London this weekend, as the dynamic brand of tennis devised by coaching guru Patrick Mouratoglou is set to be played out in front of big crowds at London’s Copper Box Arena.

    There are still a few tickets left for the day and night sessions on Saturday and Sunday, as Ruud is joined by star names like Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Francisco Cerundolo competing for a prize fund of $1,865,000.

    The post Casper Ruud finds a word to describe the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Alex de Minaur opens up on his agonising press conference and makes an honest confession

    Alex de Minaur opens up on his agonising press conference and makes an honest confession

    Alex de Minaur has offered up some honest reflections on the emotional press conference he gave after a disappointing defeat against Lorenzo Musetti at the ATP Finals last month.

    De Minaur was crestfallen after he missed out on a chance to win his first match at the end-of-season tournament, even though he had chances to secure the victory in the third set.

    The Australian could not hide his despair in the post-match press conference, with images of the tearful De Minaur trying to complete his media duties sparking suggestions he should not have been forced to go into a press conference when he was still reeling from the defeat.

    Speaking to Tennis365 as he prepares to play in this weekend’s UTS Grand Final in London, De Minaur offered up a thoughtful reflection on what was clearly a tough moment to live through.

    “Ultimately, I don’t think it’s the worst thing to be completely honest and open,” he began. “A lot of the time as players, we try to put on a brave face, but certain losses are a lot harder.

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    “We would probably be lying if we said this defeat has not affected me, I’m happy with the result and all that stuff.

    “For me, it was a chance for me to be completely honest with myself and speak from the heart.

    “Ultimately, for me, that’s the way I can learn from those moments and experiences and try not to make the same mistakes again.”

    De Minaur went on to reflect on a stellar year, as he achieved some impressive consistency and maintained his position at the top of the men’s game.

    Going to the next level and reaching Grand Slam finals will be on his mind when he plays on home soil at the Australian Open next month, but he was happy with the consistency he displayed over the course of the season that came to an end with his appearance in the ATP Finals.

    “Overall, it was my best year to date,” he stated. “There were some great moments and also some disappointments that I can learn from.

    “Two guys in Jannik (Sinner) and Carlos (Alcaraz) won a lot of the big events and the challenge for all of us is to try and close the gap those two have opened up.”

    Before he turns his thoughts to 2026, De Minaur is back in London to play at the UTS Grand Finals, where he was crowned as champion a year ago.

    Alex de Minaur wins the UTS Grand Final

    Alex de Minaur wins the 2024 UTS Grand Final

    The fast, all-action format of tennis devised by Patrick Mouratoglou is proving to be a huge hit with packed audiences expected over the three-day event at London’s Copper Box and De Minaur is excited to be part of the show.

    “It’s an exciting format of tennis,” he added, ahead of playing in an event that gives players on serve in matches divided up into four quarters. “I enjoyed playing here last year and can’t wait to get back out there again.

    “It’s exciting and something different and it gives you a different view of how to play points. I’ve played a few of the UTS events now and I’ve enjoyed it. Having only one serve is an interesting mindset change and I enjoy trying to adapt to it.

    “I find the noise and chaos of UTS a little easier to deal with when I know it’s coming and that’s the case in UTS. When everything is quiet, you hear every noise, but it’s never quiet at UTS and it showed me that I can play like that.

    “You get used to the fact that the crowd are going nuts, screaming and the music is playing and it means you have to find a different way to focus in on playing points.”

    The post Alex de Minaur opens up on his agonising press conference and makes an honest confession appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Bjorn Borg picks between Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner and ‘never misses’ their matches

    Tennis icon Bjorn Borg has revealed he does not miss any matches between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as he lauded the pair’s rivalry.

    Borg was arguably the best player of his era and remains one of the sport’s all-time greats, having won 11 Grand Slams (six French Open titles and five Wimbledon titles) between 1974 and 1980.

    The Swede, who won 66 singles titles in total, shocked the tennis world with his retirement in 1983 at the age of just 26. He made a comeback in 1991 before playing his last-ever match in 1993.

    Bjorn Borg speaks about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

    • Bjorn Borg has described Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry as “best thing that could have happened to tennis”
    • The former world No 1 admitted he was “surprised by what a great guy” Alcaraz was when he spent time with the Spaniard at the Laver Cup
    • Borg also explained why he prefers Alcaraz’s playing style to that of Sinner

    Alcaraz and Sinner‘s separation from their rivals on the ATP Tour in 2025 is evidenced by the year-end rankings. World No 3 Alexander Zverev is 6,890 points behind top-ranked Alcaraz and 6,340 points behind second-ranked Sinner.

    The dominant duo met in six big finals this season, while they have each won four of the last eight Grand Slam tournaments.

    What did Bjorn Borg say about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry?

    In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, Borg was asked if he expected two players of Alcaraz and Sinner’s quality to emerge after Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

    “It’s the best thing that could have happened to tennis,” Borg said. “I don’t miss any of his (Alcaraz) matches against him (Sinner).

    “It will be interesting to see how the major titles are distributed next season.”

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    Asked whether Alcaraz or Sinner’s style appeals to him more, Borg went for the Spaniard because of his feel.

    “I think Jannik is more aggressive, but if I have to choose, I’d say Carlos because of how he feels the ball.”

    What did Bjorn Borg say about spending time with Carlos Alcaraz?

    Borg was Team Europe’s Laver Cup captain from 2017 until 2024, and in Berlin last year, Alcaraz made his debut at the team competition.

    The Swede shed light on getting to know Alcaraz during the event, which Europe won 13-11.

    “He’s an incredible player and person. You feel very comfortable around him. Everyone loves him,” Borg explained.

    “I was surprised by what a great guy he is. The way he plays… For me, he’s the fastest on the court. I was impressed by his personality and I wish him all the best.”

    READ NEXT: ATP icon who played Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer explains who had ‘highest peak’

    The post Bjorn Borg picks between Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner and ‘never misses’ their matches appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Comparing Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s longest win streaks of 2025

    Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were a class apart from the rest of the men’s game in 2025, with the two continuing their dominance on the ATP Tour.

    The pair combined to once again win all four Grand Slam titles on offer and combined to win 14 titles overall, with world No 1 Alcaraz and No 2 Sinner comfortably ahead of the rest of the field in the ATP Rankings.

    Considering their dominance this year, it comes as no surprise to see that the pair swept the five longest winning streaks of the 2025 ATP Tour season, with both embarking on multiple impressive runs across the season; here, we look at the five longest ATP win streaks of the past 12 months.

    =4) Jannik Sinner – 12 consecutive wins

    From: Australian Open R1 to Italian Open Final

    Sinner started the year with an unbeaten run of 12 matches, though his three-month suspension meant that it still took five months to complete.

    The Italian started 2025 with a successful title defence at the Australian Open, with victory over Alexander Zverev in the final, capping off a run of seven impressive victories.

    Banned from February until early May, the 24-year-old then made a strong return to action at the Italian Open — his home Masters 1000 event.

    Sinner won five straight matches on his way to reaching the final for the first time in Rome, though his unbeaten run was ended by Alcaraz in the championship match.

    =4) Jannik Sinner – 12 consecutive wins

    From: Wimbledon R1 to Cincinnati Open Final

    The second of two 12-match win streaks for the Italian this year, an impressive summer for Sinner was highlighted by victory at Wimbledon.

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    After a surprise loss to Alexander Bublik in Halle, Sinner bounced back in style at the All England Club, becoming the first Italian to lift the title.

    Sinner defeated Ben Shelton in the last eight and Djokovic in the semi-final, before snapping a five-match losing streak against Alcaraz in a four-set triumph in the final, ending his rival’s reign.

    That was then followed by the Italian winning five matches on his way to a second straight Cincinnati Open final, though the reigning champion retired after just five games versus Alcaraz in the final.

    3) Carlos Alcaraz – 14 consecutive wins

    From: Cincinnati Open R2 to Laver Cup (second singles match) 

    Alcaraz’s defeat in the Wimbledon final ended a lengthy winning run (more on that later), but he responded in kind with another strong streak off the back of it.

    In his first post-Wimbledon tournament, the Spaniard headed to the Cincinnati Open and lifted the title for the first time, beating Zverev in the last four before Sinner’s retirement in the final.

    Having won six straight matches in Cincinnati, Alcaraz then continued his fine form at the US Open, defeating Djokovic in the semi-final before regaining his title with a four-set win over reigning champion Sinner in the championship match.

    Riding a 13-match win streak, he defeated Francisco Cerundolo to make it 14 wins in a row at the Laver Cup — though he was then stunned by Taylor Fritz in his second match in San Francisco.

    2) Jannik Sinner – 15 consecutive wins

    From: Vienna Open R1 to present

    The 2025 season is over, but Sinner will ride into 2026 with plenty of momentum after winning his final 15 matches of the year.

    Sinner was forced to retire in the third round of the Shanghai Masters back in October, though he bounced back at his very next event.

    Moving back to indoor courts, the Italian won five matches on his way to regaining the Vienna Open title he first won in 2023, defeating world No 3 Zverev in a thrilling three-set final.

    That was then followed by a further five wins on his way to a first title at the Paris Masters, with victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final, capping off a near-perfect week for Sinner.

    And, for the second straight year, he then completed an unblemished campaign at the ATP Finals in Turin.

    Sinner defeated Auger-Aliassime, Zverev, and Shelton in the round-robin phase, before further victories over Alex de Minaur and Alcaraz completed a successful title defence.

    1) Carlos Alcaraz – 24 consecutive wins

    From: Italian Open R2 to Wimbledon Final

    Having won the most titles, reached the most finals, and earned the most ranking points in 2025, it perhaps comes as no surprise to see Alcaraz at the top of this list.

    The Spaniard dominated the middle part of the season, and his success was highlighted by 24 straight wins from early May to mid-July — by far and away the longest streak of his whole career.

    After a defeat to Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open final, followed by his Madrid Open withdrawal, Alcaraz got back to winning ways at the Italian Open, winning six matches to lift the title — beating Sinner in the final.

    Alcaraz then beat the Italian in the final of the French Open — saving three championship points — with his successful title defence bringing him up to 13 consecutive wins.

    A strong start to the grass-court season saw him claim five wins on his way to victory at the Queen’s Club Championships, bringing his total win streak to 18 matches.

    And he then reached a third straight Wimbledon final, with six wins from round one to the semi-final, taking him to 24 matches.

    His run was ended by Sinner in the final inside Centre Court, bringing an end to what was conclusively the longest streak of the year.

    Read Next: Exclusive – Marcos Baghdatis reveals why Djokovic, Nadal & Federer ‘stand out’ compared to Alcaraz & Sinner

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  • Carlos Alcaraz practise return date and hitting partner confirmed ahead of 2026 season

    Carlos Alcaraz has set his sights high for the 2026 Australian Open and in order to realise his dream his coaching team have meticulously planned his pre-season campaign.

    World No 1 Alcaraz played his last official match of the 2025 ATP Tour season on November 16 when he lost the ATP Finals showpiece match against Jannik Sinner and, after being forced to miss the Davis Cup Finals due to a hamstring injury, he spent some time at home in Murcia.

    Once the injury cleared up, the Spaniard went on holiday with Miami his preferred destination as he spent some time by the beach, watched some football and was on hand to hand over the MLS Cup trophy to Lionel Messi after Inter Miami won the Eastern Conference Final.

    He also caught some NBA action involving the Miami Heat and attended the Miami Dolphins’ NFL clash against New Orleans Saints.

    The six-time Grand Slam winner will return to a tennis court soon, but it will be in an unofficial capacity as he will play two exhibition matches in the United States with the first against Francis Tiafoe on December 7 in Miami and the second against Joao Felix a day later in New Jersey.

    Carlos Alcaraz’s 2026 Roadmap

    The 22-year-old will have another short break after his final exhibition match on December 8 before he starts his pre-season on December 13 at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy in Alicante.

    But the first few days will consist of physical training before he starts on-court training on December 17 with rising star Flavio Cobolli set to join him.

    Cobolli was due to be his hitting partner in December 2024, but the Italian picked up a shoulder injury and was forced to delay the start of his pre-season training.

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    The Italian, a regular at the Ferrero Tennis Academy, finished the 2025 season at No 22 and won his maiden ATP Tour title at the Țiriac Open in April before lifting a second trophy at the Hamburg Open in May.

    The 22-year-old was also the hero in the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna as he won his singles rubbers in the quarter-final, semi-final and final to steer Italy to a third consecutive title.

    According to Marca, Alcaraz’s pre-season training will stretch over 25 days until January 7 when he leaves for Seoul, South Korea, for his exhibition match against Jannik Sinner on the 10th.

    He will then head to Australia, where he will take part in another exhibition match before the season-opening Grand Slam starts on January 18 at Melbourne Park.

    Alcaraz will look to become the youngest player to win the Career Grand Slam next year with only the Australian Open missing from his collection.

    “I think [the AO is] going to be great. It’s my first goal, to be honest,” he said in a recent interview. “When I just go to the pre-seasons to what I want to improve, what I want to achieve, Australian Open is there.

    “It’s the first or second tournament of the year, and it is always the main goal for me to complete a Career Grand Slam, Calendar Grand Slam.”

    The post Carlos Alcaraz practise return date and hitting partner confirmed ahead of 2026 season appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Coco Gauff’s wealth continues to soar as she edges Sabalenka on earnings list, Raducanu out of top 15

    Coco Gauff is once again the highest-earning female athlete as she held off world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka to secure the top spot for the third consecutive year on a list once again dominated by tennis players.

    Last year Gauff topped the Sportico list with $30.4m in earnings with $9.4m coming from prize money and $21m from endorsements, and she has earned slightly more this year with her total earnings estimated to be $31m ($8m on court and $23m off court).

    The American’s biggest on-court paycheck came at Roland Garros this year as she won her maiden French Open title, beating Sabalenka in the final, to collect $2,901,024, but that is pale in comparison to the $4.805m she earned at the 2024 WTA Finals.

    But, as usual, players’ earnings are boosted by endorsement deals and Gauff’s biggest sponsor is apparel giant New Balance while she also has links with Bose, Head, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz and Chase Bank.

    Sabalenka set a new record in 2025 for most prize money earned during a single season as she made $15,008,519 – surpassing Serena Williams’ total of $12m in 2013 – with her US Open victory worth $5,000,000.

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    According to estimates, the four-time Grand Slam winner made $30m this year, and it was split 50-50 between prize money and endorsements.

    Iga Swiatek was second in 2024 as she made $23.8m and she is one spot down on the list while her earnings have also dropped as she made “only” $23.1m this year with $10.1m coming on court and $13m off court.

    American freestyle skier Eileen Gu is fourth with Chinese star Zheng Qinwen completing the top five despite an injury-disrupted tennis season that saw her fail to reach any WTA Tour finals.

    Zheng, who has slipped out of the top 10 of the WTA Rankings as she currently sits at No 24, made only $1.6m in prize money with the bulk of her earnings coming from endorsement deals.

    The 2024 Australian Open runner-up is backed by the likes of Nike, Alipay, Audi, Dior, Gatorade and Rolex and, according to Sportico, made $20.6m from endorsements this year.

    2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys sits at No 8 with a total of $13m ($4.4m from prize money and $9m from endorsements) with Elena Rybakina at No 9.

    2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina collected the biggest-ever cheque in women’s tennis as she earned $5.235m or winning the WTA Finals undefeated and that boosted her total on-court earnings to $8.4m with with $4m coming from endorsements.

    Former world No 1 Naomi Osaka didn’t win any titles in 2025 as she finished runner-up at the Canadian Open and Auckland Open with her on-court earnings $2.5m and off-court earnings $10m, which puts her 10th on the list.

    The four-time Grand Slam winner was sixth last year with 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu seventh with $14.7, but the latter has dropped out of the top 15 as her off-court earnings dropped significantly over the past year.

    Three more tennis players feature in this year’s top 15 with Amanda Anisimova sitting at No 12, Jessica Pegula at No 13 and the great Venus Williams at No 14.

    Sportico’s 2025 top-15 highest-paid female athletes

    1. Coco Gauff United States – Tennis – $31m ($8m prize money and $23m endorsements)
    2. Aryna Sabalenka – Tennis – $30m ($15m prize money and $15m endorsements)
    3. Iga Swiatek, Tennis – $23.1m ($10.1m prize money and $13m endorsements)
    4. Eileen Gu United States – Freestyle Skiing – $23m ($20k prize money and $23m endorsements)
    5. Zheng Qinwen China – Tennis – $20.6m ($1.6m prize money and $19m endorsements)
    6. Caitlin Clark United States – Basketball – $16.1m ($119,000 prize money and $16m endorsements)
    7. Nelly Korda United States – Golf – $13.8m ($2.8m prize money and $11m endorsements)
    8. Madison Keys United States – Tennis – $13.4m ($4.4 prize money $9m endorsements)
    9. Elena Rybakina Kazakhstan – Tennis – $12.6m ($8.6 prize money and $4m endorsements)
    10. Naomi Osaka Japan – Tennis – $12.5m ($2.5m prize money and $10m endorsements)
    11. Simone Biles United States – Gymnastics – $11m ($0 prize money and $11m endorsements)
    12. Amanda Anisimova United States – Tennis – $10.8m ($7.3m prize money and $3.5m endorsements)
    13. Jessica Pegula United States – Tennis – $10.5m ($5.5m prize money and $5m endorsements)
    14. Venus Williams United States – Tennis – $10.2m ($219K prize money and $10m endorsements)
    15. Jeeno Thitikul Thailand – Golf – $10.1m ($7.6m prize money and $2.5m endorsements)

    The post Coco Gauff’s wealth continues to soar as she edges Sabalenka on earnings list, Raducanu out of top 15 appeared first on Tennis365.

  • ATP icon who played Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer explains who had ‘highest peak’

    Many tennis fans and analysts agree that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the three greatest male players in the sport’s history, but the question of who achieved the highest peak level remains a much-debated topic.

    Marcos Baghdatis is, arguably, better positioned than most to provide an answer, given that he played each of the Big Three in their respective primes.

    The Cypriot was an Australian Open finalist, reached a career-high ranking of world No 8 and won four ATP singles titles during an illustrious career spanning from 2003 to 2019.

    Baghdatis won one of his eight matches with Federer (between 2004 and 2010) and one of 10 matches against Nadal (between 2006 and 2017), while he lost all eight encounters with Djokovic (between 2007 and 2015).

    He faced Federer twice in 2006, Nadal once in 2010 and Djokovic once in 2015 — which were arguably the best seasons of the legendary trio’s careers.

    In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Baghdatis claimed Djokovic reached a higher peak than Federer and Nadal as he argued the Serb was a more complete player.

    “I think Djokovic, and why I say that [is] because he had less weaknesses,” assessed Baghdatis.

    “I think maybe he volleys worse than Roger, but volleying is not a weakness. I’m talking on the baseline, the way he moved, the way he counter-punched, the way he attacked, the way he controlled the whole game — especially when I played against him. I would say that he was the best.

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    “Roger, you know, you could see some weaknesses with his backhand. Rafa, the same a bit. But Djokovic, I think he’s more of a complete player. Maybe less better forehand than those two, but yeah, not too many weaknesses.”

    Baghdatis’s victory over Federer was at the 2010 Indian Wells Masters, while his win over Nadal came at the Cincinnati Masters later that year.

    The Cypriot labelled his triumphs against these two legends as the “biggest” wins of his career, before going on to highlight a less famous moment that is equally memorable to him.

    “I think they are the biggest wins of my career, for sure,” Baghdatis said. “But I cannot say favourite or standout… The feeling of course is different because they were both No 1 in the world back then, so winning against the No 1 in the world, at the time, I think it’s a nice feeling.

    “But I have some other great matches and great moments where I felt like, ‘that’s a great win’. Especially when you’re struggling, and I give you an example: when I fall back to 170 in the world, or whatever, I had to go play some Challengers.

    “And I remember I won two Challengers in a row. And for me, winning 10 matches in a row was a big step because of all the injuries that I had back then.

    “There were other moments where you were in a difficult situation with injuries, and I was out of the tour for two months, and then coming back and going and winning two Challengers in a row, back-to-back weeks, I think that’s also a great achievement, a great feeling. It depends on the moment, it depends on a lot of things.”

    READ NEXT: Marcos Baghdatis picks between Djokovic, Nadal & Federer as he reveals his toughest opponent

    The post ATP icon who played Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer explains who had ‘highest peak’ appeared first on Tennis365.