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Emma Raducanu is set to be presented with a chance to reclaim the British No 1 ranking if she can find some winning form at the WTA 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.

Raducanu made it through to the third round at the prestigious tournament in California last year, meaning she will need to better that run to add ranking points to her total.

She then has a big chance to make a rankings leap when she plays at the Miami Open, as she missed that event last year due to injury and has a maximum of 1,000 points to go after in Florida.

Lengthy runs in either tournament will give Raducanu a chance to break back into the top 50 of the WTA Rankings for the first time since she returned from injury in January 2024, while she will also have a chance to edge closer to British No 1 Katie Boulter.

Raducanu is currently 359 ranking points behind her compatriot, but the gap between the two has shrunk dramatically after the 500 points Boulter collected for her win in the WTA 500 tournament in Colorado a year ago, which is coming off her ranking.

That will see Boulter drop down to No 38 in the live rankings and she has 130 points to defend at Indian Wells and Miami.

Boulter was knocked out in the first round of Indian Wells by Italy’s Camila Giorgi last year and then enjoyed a run to the last-16 in Miami.

If more points drop off Boulter’s ranking in March, Raducanu would not need to win too many matches to get close to overhauling her.

It would be her second stint as British No 1, as she held the position for a lengthy period following her iconic US Open win in 2021.

Raducanu has made the decision to play in Indian Wells, despite an alarming incident in Dubai last month, when a fan displayed what was described as ‘fixated behaviour’ left her in tears during her match against Karolina Muchova.

Raducanu completed the match, but admitted the incident had left her shaken, with Dubai Police confirming the 22-year-old had opted against pressing for a conviction against her unwanted pursuer.

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“Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress,” read their statement.

“While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments.”

Raducanu also reflected on the incident in a post on her Instagram account as she said:

“Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match.

“Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”

It has been reported that Raducanu will be given extra security at the Indian Wells tournament, with the 22-year-old eager to put her latest difficult experience behind her as she looks to set her focus back on tennis.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu’s ranking, prize money, sponsors and her next tournament

The post Emma Raducanu handed a chance to reclaim No 1 ranking in crucial month appeared first on Tennis365.

The month of March is another opportunity for players on the WTA Tour to earn a lot of points as the back-to-back Sunshine Double – the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open – are the two big tournaments on the calendar.

Of course, it also means players are dropping points from the corresponding two events from 2024 and some will be hit harder than others.

Iga Swiatek and Danielle Collins are two of the players who are defending more than 1,000 points over the next month, while Maria Sakkari is in real danger of slipping further down the rankings if her poor run of form continues.

Current WTA Rankings Top 20 (February 24 update)

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 9,076 points
2. Iga Swiatek – 7,985
3. Coco Gauff – 6,333
4. Jessica Pegula – 5,196
5. Madison Keys – 4,680
6. Jasmine Paolini – 4,518
7. Elena Rybakina – 4,328
8. Zheng Qinwen – 3,780
9. Mirra Andreeva – 3,720
10. Emma Navarro – 3,704

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is assured of remaining ahead of Iga Swiatek until after the Sunshine Double as her points buffer is big enough and that lead will likely only grow as the Pole is defending a lot more points.

Three-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka had a poor hard-court swing last year as she lost in the fourth round in California (120) and third round in Florida (65), so she will drop only 185 points.

Swiatek, meanwhile, is defending 1,120 points as she is the defending champion in Indian Wells (1,000) and earned 120 points at the Miami Open. She will remain at No 2, even if she ends up winning both tournaments for a combined 2,000 points.

Unless someone enjoys an outstanding swing, Coco Gauff should be safe at No 3, irrespective of her results. The American had a run to the semi-final of the first event (390), lost in the fourth round of the second tournament so will drop 510 points.

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Jessica Pegula is dropping 225 points (Indian Wells 10 and Miami 215) while Madison Keys is defending 185 points (65 and 120).

Jasmine Paolini has slipped two places in recent weeks after she failed to defend her WTA Qatar Open crown and she will drop 120 points in Indian Wells and 65 in Miami.

Elena Rybakina missed the first leg of the Sunshine Double last year and then finished runner-up at the Miami Open so she is only defending 650 points while Zheng Qinwen will drop 65 points, Mirra Andreeva 10 and Paula Badosa 35 (she missed Indian Wells in 2024).

Points Dropping in March – WTA Top 10

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 185 points
2. Iga Swiatek – 7,985
3. Coco Gauff – 1,120
4. Jessica Pegula – 225
5. Madison Keys – 185
6. Jasmine Paolini – 120
7. Elena Rybakina – 650
8. Zheng Qinwen – 65
9. Mirra Andreeva – 10
10. Emma Navarro – 335

Selected Others

Danielle Collins, currently at No 14 on 2,823 points, won the Miami Open last year and reached the second round of the Indian Wells Open so 1,035 points are coming off.

World No 30 Sakkari lost the 2024 Indian Wells final against Swiatek (650) and reached the quarter-final in Miami (215) so she is defending a 865 points. The Greek is 2-5 in her last five tournaments.

There is an opportunity waving world No 55 Emma Raducanu as she only has 65 points to defend from Indian Wells after missing Miami last year while former world No 1 Naomi Osaka (No 57) will drop 130 points over the two events.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas has been struggling to find his best form over the last year, but he confirmed he is back to his very best with stunning win against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Championships.

Greek star Tsitsipas achieved a career-high ranking of No 3 back in 2021, but he has not been at his best since his win in the Monte-Carlo Masters last April.

After slipping out of the top ten of the rankings, the 26-year-old was struggling for belief as he continued to slip to disappointing defeats, but he will be back up to No 9 in the rankings after his 6-3, 6-3 win against Auger-Aliassime in Dubai.

This was the first ATP 500 title of Tsitsipas’ career after he lost all of the previous 11 finals he contested at this level and the bigger picture must be the instant impact his new racket has made.

There has been plenty of discussion over what frame Tsitsipas is using after he stepped away from the Wilson Blade as the racket he has used in Dubai does not appear to have any distinctive markings.

It is just a black frame with the Wilson logo emblazoned on the strings and he spoke about the new racket ahead of his final against Auger-Aliassime.

“Comfort is one thing that it brings to my game,” he said about the new racket. “That is something that I was trying to kind of add into my game.

“I’ve been receiving some of that extra help. I’ve spoken about how balls and courts have changed over the last couple of years. That’s just me trying to adapt to that. That’s all.

“It’s let’s say foolish of me not to try and make the change because it’s too obvious that it doesn’t really benefit me or help me. These changes sometimes are necessary because you don’t want to be stuck in the same pattern over and over again.

“I feel like it’s something refreshing and a good addition so far. It definitely brings that refreshing feeling, let’s say, and adds a bit of life and enthusiasm, let’s say, to my everyday going to work in a way.”

When asked about his changed mentality in Dubai he added: “It’s a combination of everything. I feel like there are certain things that I have been training for. It sort of pays off in the match. It’s always something that you expect to happen in a match.

“It’s the right preparation. It’s where preparation just meets everything: the psychological part, the actual fitness part, how fit you are on the court, and how long you can maintain that.

“The biggest battle that happens on the tennis court, I feel like it’s the mind. It all goes down to the mind, the way you process information, the way you deal with certain situations, big moments that might emerge during a match. These kinds of things separate us from who’s the best and who’s not.”

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Whatever set-up Tsitsipas had in his racket and string combination certainly worked as he appeared to have more punch on his backhand returns and he produced a high-level of consistency throughout against Auger-Aliassime.

There were moments during the match when his focus could have dipped and over the last year, Tsitsipas has allowed matches to slip away from his grasp in the key moments.

All that changed in Dubai and he will head to next week’s Indian Wells Masters looking to continue the momentum and after going out in the last-16 in that tournament last year, he has a big chance to challenge for more ranking points when he lands in California.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner’s big problem revealed after ‘convenient’ drug suspension

The post Stefanos Tsitsipas seals Dubai title as ‘mystery racket’ gives him huge lift appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner will never be able to erase the stigma of his positive doping tests and his ban from the sport, according to respected tennis broadcaster Marcus Buckland.

World No 1 Sinner ‘reached a deal’ with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to accept an immediate three-month suspension from tennis after he failed two doping tests for the anabolic steroid clostebol last year.

The Australian Open champion is suspended from February 9 until May 4 and will be back in time to play at the second Grand Slam of the year at the French Open.

His ban will conclude just before the Italian Open tournament in his homeland, with the timing of the ban one of many talking points emerging from the biggest talking point in tennis over the last year.

While Buckland is convinced Sinner is not guilty of deliberately doping, he suggests the 23-year-old will always be associated with a doping story that started with his positive tests in March of last year.

“The worst thing from Sinner’s point of view is how this looks and the timing of the suspension,” Buckland told Tennis365.

“Most people will confirm he was not trying to cheat, but the biggest problem for him is the outcome.

“This convenience issue is a big problem. The fact that he has been banned for three months, in between Slams and he can come back for Rome in his home country, I don’t think that has done him any favours at all.

“The saddest thing for him is that this will now be associated with him for the rest of his career, whatever he achieves on the court.

“This story is coming to an end now, but tennis has become so tribal and this issue will not leave Sinner.

“You see on social media and that Novak Djokovic fans are so passionate defending their man and that all hate Rafael Nadal.

“Now we are seeing people who are massively with Sinner or totally against him. It’s like football tribalism and in some ways that’s good for the sport and we want people to be talking about tennis, but it can lead to an antagonism in the sport that I’m a little uncomfortable with.

“Of course you can have your favourites, but you can respect the achievements of other players as well.”

Buckland also suggested tennis authorities need to rebuild some trust in a doping system that has come under fire due to what have been perceived to be inconsistencies with players who post positive doping tests.

Sinner successfully convinced investigators in his case that the clostebol got into his system after a member of his team used cream to treat a cut and then transferred the substance to the Italian during a massage.

By contrast, his fellow Italian player Stefano Battaglino is currently serving a four-year ban after he tested positive for clostebol and also claimed it got into his system during a massage.

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“There has got to be more transparency around this whole area,” added Buckland.

“We had the case of Stefano Battaglino, an Italian tennis player who tested positive for clostebol after arguing it got into his system via a massage and yet he ended up with a four-year ban.

“Battaglino is a lot lower in the rankings, he couldn’t afford to hire lawyers, couldn’t track down the physio who did something similar to the Sinner team and now he is out of tennis.

“Of course the world No 1 is always going to be able to deal with an issue like this than someone well down the rankings, but we just need more transparency of the process and more consistency of the suspensions.

“I always feel a bit uncomfortable because at the end of any analysis of this story, the biggest thing is none of us know exactly what happened,” he added.

Sinner had been hoping to train at the Monte Carlo Country club as he counts down to his return to tennis in May, but that option has been cut off after the venue that hosts the ATP Masters 1000 clay court event each April confirmed they are subject to WADA rules and would not be able to accomodate Sinner.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner suffers major setback as training plans during ban are dented

The post Jannik Sinner’s big problem revealed after ‘convenient’ drug suspension appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has claimed it will be “practically impossible” for he and his ATP Tour contemporaries to come close to matching the rivalry of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer

Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer redefined dominance in the men’s game, combining to win a total of 66 Grand Slam singles titles.

Djokovic and Nadal’s 60 meetings is an Open Era record for two male players, while Djokovic and Federer met 50 times, and Federer and Nadal 40 times.

With Nadal and Federer both now retired and Djokovic turning 38 later this year, many have looked to Alcaraz as the leading star of the post-‘Big Three’ era.

The Spaniard, who does not celebrate his 22nd birthday until May, has already spent 36 weeks as the world No 1 and has won four Grand Slam singles titles.

Many have looked to Alcaraz’s rivalry with Jannik Sinner as a rivalry that can continue to push the sport to new heights, with the likes of Joao Fonseca also seemingly set to star at the top of the men’s game.

However, speaking to El Nuevo Dia, Alcaraz stressed that this was a different era of tennis – and that no rivalry would come close to matching the intensity of the ‘Big Three’.

“They have set the bar for tennis and what can be done at an astronomical level,” said the Spaniard.

“There are many players capable of winning Grand Slams, of beating the best. Young players, including myself, who can really be fighting for great things.

“But getting to the point of that rivalry between Rafa, Federer and Djokovic, the truth is that it will be practically impossible to repeat that. We will have our battles; I will have my battles with great players, but a rivalry like theirs will be practically impossible.

“The era of [John] McEnroe and all those players has been very different from that of Federer, Rafa and Djokovic. And our stage, our moment is going to be different from that of them.

“Tennis is changing: the tournaments, the speed of the balls, everything changes. And we have to keep changing as tennis evolves.

“I think that Rafa, Federer and Djokovic have accustomed us in a certain way, but tennis will continue to evolve and we will evolve.”

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Alcaraz never played Federer in an official ATP match, though has played Djokovic eight times, and faced compatriot Nadal three times.

The 21-year-old revealed it had been a “source of pride” for him to play Djokovic and Nadal and spend time with all three across his career.

He added: “Well, I’ve played much less with Federer. I’m still fighting with Rafa in his last years and with Djokovic.

“But it’s a source of pride; in the end, they are three of the best in the history of our sport. To have played even briefly with some, and with others more, has been incredible for me. They are role models.

“Rafa has been my idol and the other two, I have great respect for what they have done, and great admiration. So, to have shared time with them, for me, has been incredible.”

Alcaraz was speaking in Puerto Rico, where he will face Frances Tiafoe in an exhibition in San Juan on Sunday.

Following that, the world No 3 will head to California as he looks to win a third straight title in Indian Wells.

Should he triumph once again, he would join Federer and Djokovic in being one of just three men to win three straight titles at the famed Masters 1000 event.

Read Next: Carlos Alcaraz to win Indian Wells again, Novak Djokovic makes his point – 5 big predictions

The post Carlos Alcaraz discusses comparisons to Djokovic, Nadal, Federer ‘rivalry’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has suffered a major blow in his mid-suspension training plans after the Monte-Carlo Country Club confirmed it was subject to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

World No 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner is serving a three-month suspension after he and WADA agreed to a settlement in his doping case.

The Italian’s suspension was confirmed on February 15th and backdated to February 9th, meaning he will be able to return to ATP Tour action from May 5th.

However, under the terms of his suspension, the 23-year-old is not allowed to train at recognised venues until mid-April.

The  WADA statement read: “Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Sinner will serve his period of ineligibility from 9 February 2025 to 11:59 pm on 4 May 2025 (which includes a credit for four days previously served by the athlete while he was under a provisional suspension).

“As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Mr. Sinner may return to official training activity from 13 April 2025.”

Sinner is based in Monte Carlo, and it was initially reported that the world No 1 would be able to train at the state’s famed country club.

The Country Club is a private members club and was thought to not be subject to affiliate rules, connecting it to any official tennis body.

However, in a new statement, the club has confirmed that the venue is affiliated with both the French and Monegasque tennis associations, and Sinner is therefore ineligible to practice there until April 13.

The statement read: “The Monte-Carlo Country Club is affiliated with both tennis federations: French and Monegasque.

“It is a private club but this does not exempt it from its obligations, namely that of affiliation: Monegasque because it is the tennis club of the Principality, but a club of such size could not have been built on Monegasque territory, and French because it is located on French territory in Roquebrune Cape Martin.”

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The venue is best known for playing host to the Monte Carlo Masters, one of the most famed and prestigious titles up for grabs on the ATP Tour.

However, it is a frequent training base for several tennis players, many of whom are based in Monte Carlo.

Sinner was a semi-finalist at the event in 2024, falling to eventual champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets in the last four.

However, not only will he not be able to train at the venue until mid-April, but he will also be unable to compete at the tournament this year.

The event will be held from 7-13 April, meaning the world No 1 will still be suspended when the event takes place.

It is one of four Masters 1000 events that Sinner will miss during his suspension, alongside Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Madrid Open.

Sinner is the defending Miami champion and will lose quarter-final points in Madrid, though he was stripped of his Indian Wells semi-final points when first sanctioned for his doping violation.

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The post Jannik Sinner suffers major setback as training plans during ban are dented appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has made it clear that he is no longer motivated by climbing the ATP Rankings, but he will appreciate the significance of the next few weeks as he returns to action on American hard courts.

The former world No 1 is playing a reduced tournament schedule in the final chapters of his career, as he looks to find a balance between avoiding injuries and getting in enough match practice.

That plan didn’t work out for Djokovic in the first Grand Slam of 2025, as he was forced to pull out of his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev with a hamstring problem.

Yet he is back to full fitness ahead of the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season, with the opportunity to leap up the rankings there for Djokovic to grab.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is defending just 50 points after he was beaten by Luca Nardi in his second match at Indian Wells last year, so he will add 950 points to his tally if he wins the title in California for a sixth time.

He opted against playing at the Miami Open last year and while there is a strong chance he will follow that approach once again, he could change his schedule and chase the 1000 points that will be on offer in that tournament.

Djokovic is currently at No 7 in the ATP Rankings and if he were to win the Indian Wells title, he could leap back into the top four.

More points in Miami could cement his position in the top four heading into the European clay court season, where he could also pick up valuable ranking points ahead of the French Open.

While chasing ranking points is no longer a focus for Djokovic, he would benefit from a return to the top four of the ATP Rankings ahead of the French Open.

That would ensure he avoids a meeting with defending Roland Garros Carlos Alcaraz, world No 2 Alexander Zverev and world No 1 Jannik Sinner before the semi-finals in Paris.

The impact of Djokovic falling out of the top four in the ATP Rankings was in evidence at the Australian Open, as he played a gruelling match against Alcaraz in the quarter-finals that led to his withdrawal against Zverev a few days later.

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“Older players fall into this trap every time that they are trying to save their body and they don’t always get a good balance on playing enough matches,” said former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, in an exclusive interview with Tennis365.

“You tend to see older players start to lose five-set matches or have more bad days and that’s natural.

“That’s match toughness. I know Novak has played a lot of matches over the course of his career, but he still needs to be match-tough going into a best-of-five-set Grand Slam tournament.

“We often say you can’t afford to get into tough five-set matches in the first week of a Slam as you need to stay fresh and that’s especially true when you get older.

“If you don’t have enough matches under your belt and you play a long one early on, I tell you what, you are going to be so sore.

“That’s the big secret for Novak in the next few months. If he can get his schedule right and make sure he has the right number of matches under his belt, he can win again.”

Djokovic has just 600 ranking points to defend from 2024 ahead of the French Open and if he can up to 1,500 ranking points to his total, he will have a good chance of being among the top four seeds heading into Roland Garros.

The Serbian has made it clear that a 25th Grand Slam title is the primary target in his sights in 2025 and his best chance to achieve that goal will be boosted if he can jump up the ATP Rankings in March.

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Andy Murray’s Uber Eats advert appeared to create a positive stir when it was released in Australia, but it has now been confirmed that he has been taken off air.

Murray had planned to fly to Australia to film the high energy advert before he was asked by Novak Djokovic to be his coach for the first Grand Slam tournament of 2025.

The advert saw Murray answering the door of his hotel and looking surprised by the presence of the Uber Eats delivery man and woman.

When they inform him they have arrived to collect him and not make a delivery, Murray quickly turns on his James Bond mode and runs for safety.

He eventually escapes after jumping through a glass window, with the humorous advert catching plenty of eyes as it was launched around the time of the Australian Open.

Murray declared he had enjoyed making the advert, but the complaints quickly began to flow as the idea that Uber Eats could ‘kidnap’ Murray was criticised.

“Why is kidnapping being promoted as a normal act? It is against the law. The Uber ads will teach children it is ok to kidnap people,” said one social media user.

Another added: “I am very concerned that the violence and criminal behaviour shown, and also heavily suggested, in this series of advertisements is a risk and a danger to the community.

“It is disturbing, unpleasant and uncomfortable to watch, especially seeing the fear and panic depicted by the victim, Andy Murray.”

The complaints were upheld by the as a standards panel in Australia suggested the scenes ‘depicted violent and threatening behaviour’ under two sections of the Australian Association of National Advertisers’ code of ethics.

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In response to the panel’s decision, UberEats commented: “UberEats thanks the Ad Standards Community Panel for its consideration and we acknowledge the valuable role they continue to play to promote responsible advertising.

“We maintain that the scenes broadcast were sufficiently exaggerated for comedic and dramatic effect and that no reasonable viewer would consider them realistic or as an endorsement of unsafe behaviour. Even so, we would like to thank the four members of the community for sharing their perspectives.

“The multi-part series of advertisements follow two delivery people attempting to deliver Andy Murray via the Uber Eats app.

“At the end of the final advertisement, Andy Murray became ‘available for order’ through a competition on the Uber Eats app and the campaign concluded with a meet and greet experience for one app user.

“The advertisements should be considered in the context of this broader storyline played out during the campaign.”

Murray’s trip to Australia ended in disappointment as Djokovic was forced to pull out of the Australian Open due to injury in his semi-final against Alexander Zverev.

Now the Grand Slam winning duo are set to continue their surprise partnership set to continue over the next few months as Murray is expected to continue to coach Djokovic at the Indian Wells and Miami Open events over the next few weeks.

There is also an expectation that they duo will continue to work together through the French Open in May.

READ NEXT: The 5 men who have won the most hard-court ATP 500 titles: Novak Djokovic 2nd, Roger Federer on 21

The post Andy Murray TV advert banned as ‘disturbing’ complaints are upheld appeared first on Tennis365.

Indian Wells is set to welcome the biggest names in the sport to its idyllic tennis garden in the desert, with so much at stake in the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of 2025.

With world No 1 Jannik Sinner absent as he serves a three-month drug ban, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz will be the top seeds and her are five big predictions for the men’s event in California.

CARLOS ALCARAZ READY TO SHINE

The world No 3 will return to Indian Wells to defend his title and if he is fully fit, the Spaniard will be the man to beat.

The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion relishes the slick hard courts in this tournament and he is also a big fans’ favourite in America.

If his serve is firing and that fearsome forehand is ripping through the court at full velocity, Alcaraz will fancy his chances of retaining his crown.

THE NOVAK DJOKOVIC QUESTION

Novak Djokovic was beaten by lucky loser Luca Nardi in this tournament a year ago and that performance provided the first big indicator that Djokovic was losing his desire to play in regular ATP Tour events.

After winning his 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, Djokovic went through a challenging start to last year as the defeat against Nardi was backed up by his split from long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic.

Djokovic’s motivation issues continued for most of last year, as he focused on winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games in August.

Now he appears to have rediscovered some of his motivation and there is an expectation that former world No 1 Andy Murray will join him in Indian Wells to continue their intriguing player-coach partnership.

Djokovic was hugely impressive in his win against Alcaraz at the Australian Open and if he can bring that form with him to America, he could be a contender to lift his 100th career title.

AMERICAN AWAITS

Taylor Fritz won the Indian Wells crown in 2022 with a famous win against Rafael Nadal in the final and he will lead the American challenge once again this time.

A third round defeat at the Australian Open represented a disappointing start to the season for this big serving American and he will expect to post a much better showing in the two ATP 1000 tournaments coming up in Indian Wells and Miami in March.

Tommy Paul will also get plenty of support from his home fans and the player to watch may be the big-serving Ben Shelton, who will be keen to bounce back from a defeat against Belgian veteran David Goffin in Acapulco this week.

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THE YOUNG GUNS

Plenty of eyes will fall on Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien as they look to make their mark at ATP Masters 1000 level.

Brazilian teenager Fonseca is already a huge star in his homeland and his stunning debut ATP Tour win at the Argentina Open earlier this month highlighted his stunning potential.

Fonseca already looks like a complete player at the age of 18 and he will be a danger to anyone drawn against him.

Tien is a little older than Fonseca at the age of 19, but this young American is making waves this year after he reached the fourth round at the Australian Open.

He lost against Fonseca in the decisive match of the ATP Next Gen Finals last November, but had shown his impressive progress by beating top ten stars Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev this year.

LOOK OUT FOR

Britain’s Jack Draper has not made it past the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, but his time is coming.

A semi-finalist at last year’s US Open, he reached the final in Qatar earlier this month and will relish the conditions in Indian Wells, where he reached the fourth round in 2023.

After losing in round one last year, he has a chance to pick up plenty of ranking points in this event and that could propel Draper into the top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time.

Matteo Berrettini is another player to watch over the next few weeks on America hard courts.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist impressively beat Novak Djokovic in Qatar and his power-packed game is a handful for any opponent when he is firing.

Finally, America’s Alex Michelsen is rising star who could have a big run at Indian Wells after his solid start to 2025 included a run to the last-16 of the Australian Open and a run to the semi-finals of the ATP 250 tournament in Delray Beach earlier this month.

READ NEXT: 2025 Indian Wells: When is the draw? Who are the top seeds? Will Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu play?

The post Carlos Alcaraz to win Indian Wells again, Novak Djokovic makes his point – 5 big predictions appeared first on Tennis365.

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic has claimed there are “not answered” questions following the resolution of Jannik Sinner’s doping case.

World No 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner has been banned for three months after twice testing positive for clostebol back in March 2024.

The 23-year-old  settled with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) earlier this month, having initially been found to be of “no fault” – and handed no suspension – by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

WADA announced its appeal into the ITIA’s ruling last September, though the settlement with Sinner means that the case will no longer be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April.

Had WADA been successful in an appeal to CAS, 23-year-old Sinner could have faced a ban of up to two years in length.

While a three-month suspension may ultimately be seen as a positive outcome for the Italian, the unexpected announcement of a settlement has taken many by surprise.

Among those left surprised was former world No 3 Cilic, who knows better than most the complexities behind doping cases.

The Croatian tested positive for banned substance nikethamide in April 2013 and was initially handed a nine-month suspension, though this was later reduced to four months on appeal.

Speaking at the Dubai Tennis Championships this week, the 36-year-old revealed he did not know it was “possible” to approach a settlement with WADA.

While he also defended Sinner, Cilic expressed his belief that there were still “not answered” issues surrounding the process faced by the Italian.

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He said: “I didn’t know that was possible.

“Looking at it as a player-to-player, I am happy for Jannik that finally he’s going to be out of it. He’s going to have his mind free. I completely believe him in his story.

“I know him for many years. When he was a kid, you could see he’s like a true athlete. [I am] Happy that he can go through, but it raises questions, many questions which are not answered yet.”

Cilic’s Dubai campaign ended with a quarter-final defeat to Felix Auger-Aliassime on Thursday, though his run will still see him jump back into the top 150 of the ATP Rankings on Monday.

Meanwhile, Sinner will not be back in ATP action until the Italian Open in Rome, which starts just days after his suspension period ends on May 4th.

The world No 1 will not be able to defend his Miami Open title and will also miss out on playing further Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.

However, he will return in time for his home event, before playing at Roland Garros later in May.

Read Next: The extensive list of conditions that Jannik Sinner must follow during 3-month ban

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