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It has been revealed where Novak Djokovic will play next – and the tennis great is set to stick to his intended tournament schedule despite concerns over his fitness.

The Serbian’s participation at the Indian Wells Masters has been confirmed, with the tournament’s social media account posting a picture of Djokovic with the following caption: “A legend returns to the desert.”

Indian Wells, which is the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, will be held from March 5 to 16.

Djokovic suffered a tear in his left hamstring during his four-set win against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open last month.

The injury forced Djokovic to retire after the first set of his semi-final with Alexander Zverev in Melbourne, but he made a swift recovery to return to action for this week’s Qatar Open.

The 37-year-old was beaten 7-6(4), 6-2 by Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament and insisted afterwards that he felt fine physically.

“I didn’t have any pain or discomfort in that sense. I was outplayed by just a better player today,” Djokovic told reporters in Doha.

“Yes, I wasn’t at my desired level, and it could be that I’m still not moving the way I want to move, but, I mean, I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that.

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“He was just the better player. I think he played a masterclass match, to be honest, tactically, and served very well, so just a very deserved win from his side.”

Djokovic also played two matches in the Qatar Open doubles event as he reached the quarter-finals with Fernando Verdasco at the Spaniard’s last-ever event.

Despite Djokovic’s assertion that he played without pain, a video emerged of him appearing to limp as he entered an airport to depart from Doha.

This raised some fears that the world No 7 could have made his comeback from the hamstring tear too soon and suffered a recurrence, or that a different injury had surfaced.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s commitment to play in Indian Wells, though, suggests he is not worried about his physical state.

Djokovic has revealed he is “likely” to resume his player-coach collaboration with Andy Murray in Indian Wells after a hugely positive start to the relationship at the Australian Open.

The Serbian suffered a shock defeat to Luca Nardi in the third round of the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. That was his first appearance at the tournament in the Californian desert since 2019.

Djokovic is a five-time Indian Wells champion.

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Mirra Andreeva became the youngest WTA 1000 title winner since 2009 and with it came a big winner’s cheque and a massive points haul.

Aged 17 years and five months, Andreeva defeated world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-final and world No 6 Elena Rybakina in the final to reach her maiden WTA 1000 final.

She then topped Clara Tauson 7-6 (7-1), 6-1 to win the Dubai Tennis Championships and with it comes a rise into the top 10 of the WTA Rankings for the first time in her career.

Points Earned

The teenager, who reached the semi-final of the French Open in 2024, started the week at No 14 in the rankings and will rise to a career-high No 9 on Monday.

That is thanks to her points tally of 1,000, although she effectively earned “only” 990 points.

Having lost in the first round of the 2024 Dubai WTA 1000 event, Andreeva dropped 10 points at the start of the tournament while she earned 1,000 points for her title run, meaning there was a 990-point swing.

The Russian was on 2,730 points before the tournament and will move to 3,720 when the rankings is updated, just behind Zheng Qinwen on 3,780 in eighth place while there is a bigger gap to Rybakina in seventh place.

Runner-up Clara Tauson was at No 33 before the Dubai tournament, but she will surge to No 22 after picking up 648 for her run to the final.

Rybakina and Karolina Muchova lost in the semi-finals and 390 points are on offer for those reaching the last four and the latter got the full compliment as she didn’t play last year.

Rybakina, though, left with 175 points as she reached the quarter-final in 2024.

Swiatek, Sofia Kenin, Sorana Cirstea and Linda Noskova all lost in the last eight where 215 points are awarded and only Kenin (+155) and Noskova (+200) left in the positive when their 2024 points dropped.

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Five-time Grand Slam winner had a -175-point swing and Cirstea also lost 175 points as she was a semi-finalist last year.

But Jasmine Paolini was the biggest loser as she was the defending champion, but exited in the round of 16, thus dropping 880 points.

What About Money?

According to the WTA, Andreeva had earned $501,920 in prize money for the year before the Dubai event while her career earnings sit at $3,202,867.

The 17-year-old picked up a cheque of $597,000 for winning the title while Tauson will double her earnings for the year to date as she won $351,801 to add to the $302,299 before the tournament.

The two losing semi-finalists were awarded $181,400 and the quarter-finalists $83,470.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka exited in the round of 16 and won $41,600 in prize money while she earned 110 points (she was defending 10 points from last year) while No 3 Coco Gauff lost in the second round so she lost 205 points after reaching the quarter-final last year, but she did receive a cheque of $23,500.

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Jannik Sinner “knows he’s done absolutely nothing wrong” and remains “very comfortable in himself” following his positive doping tests in 2024, but he did need some convincing from his legal representative to accept the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) offer of an immediate ban.

That is according to his lawyer Jamie Singer, who has given more insight into talks with WADA that led to the case being settled ahead of their tribunal hearing.

The world No 1 twice tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol in March last year and he was provisionally suspended before his lawyers successfully argued his case and he was allowed to continue playing.

In August the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared Sinner of any wrongdoing as they accepted his explanation that the substance entered his system when his physiotherapist – who used a product containing clostebol – gave him a message.

But WADA then appealed the decision as they felt despite the Italian bearing “no fault or negligence” he should still have been banned and they demanded a suspension of between one and two years.

The case was set be heard by the Court of Arbitration in Sport for April, but the parties reached an agreement on 14 February and details were made public the following day.

A statement read: “The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, with the player accepting a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation that led to him testing positive for clostebol, a prohibited substance, in March 2024.”

Many believe it was a good deal for Sinner, but the three-time Grand Slam winner wasn’t initially too keen on settling with WADA.

In an extensive interview with BBC Sport, Singer said it was “quite tricky” to persuade him to take the offer.

“When I was saying ‘well, look, maybe we should settle for three months’, he was saying ‘well, why would we do that if the first independent tribunal found it was no ban at all, why would I accept three months now?’” Singer said.

“My advice was ‘one never knows what’s going to happen at a hearing, we know that WADA are pushing for a year, if we don’t accept their offer then they will go to court looking for a year and who knows what those three judges could do’.

“So the possibility of three months, in my view, was a good possibility.”

Sinner won’t miss any Grand Slams as he will be able to return to action on 4 May, just ahead of the Italian Open with the French Open starting later in the month.

The timing certainly worked well for the 23-year-old, but Singer insisted they had no input on the date of the ban.

“We can’t get away from the fact that you can’t choose when these things happen,” he explained.

“So the fact that WADA approached us and in the next three months there are no Grand Slams, that seemed to me to make their offer more compelling.”

Several current and former players have lashed out at the agreement with the likes of Nick Kyrgios, Stan Wawrinka and Marion Bartoli all criticising the decision.

But Sinner remains unperturbed, according to Singer.

“Jannik is a very resilient young man, and in his own mind he knows he’s done absolutely nothing wrong and the process has been absolutely by the book. So I think he’s very comfortable in himself,” he said.

“He keeps off social media where there are an awful lot of people with a platform, and who don’t necessarily know the facts of the case, or investigate the facts of the case as much as they might do.”

And while some were surprised that WADA offered to settle, the organisation has made it clear that they have reached 67 agreements since 2021.

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WADA’s general counsel Ross Wenzel says they have 67 agreements while he again insisted Sinner did not intentionally dope.

“This was a case that was a million miles away from doping,” he told BBC Sport.

“The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing.”

He added: “I’m not sure that a sanction of 12 months in this case – if we’d have forced the tribunal into that position – or a case of ‘no fault’ would have been a good outcome.

“One would have compromised an important principle under the code. The other one, in our view, would have been an unduly harsh sanction.”

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Rafael Nadal will receive a ‘necessary’ retirement tribute at Roland Garros during the tournament’s 2025 edition, according to the French Tennis Federation’s president Gilles Moretton.

The 14-time champion will be honoured at a tournament which he dominated more than any other player in the sport – perhaps in any sport.

Nadal said his goodbye to professional tennis at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, after he fell to Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4 – with Spain losing the overall tie to the Netherlands.

“There will, necessarily, be something for Rafael Nadal, a very big tribute,” Gilles Moretton, the president of the French Tennis Federation, said to Europe 1 radio.

“A real tribute, very important. We are attached to it. The [Davis Cup] tribute was not really the one that we had to pay him We were ready last year and he wasn’t ready, he was still a player.

“We went to see him at home, at the beginning of December, with Amélie Mauresmo to talk to him about this tribute that we will organize for him, and talked to him about the future.”

Moretton also hinted at a future direct relationship between Nadal and the Parisian Grand Slam: “We will give the outlines in some time of this role of ambassador that he can hold with us. The two ‘brands’, Rafael Nadal and Roland-Garros, are one. So yes, we are considering things with him.”

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Long-time rival Novak Djokovic harshly criticised the tribute that the Davis Cup Finals gave the Spaniard, upon his retirement in Malaga.

“I saw the video [of the ceremony]. I don’t know, I don’t know if Rafa maybe didn’t want to make too much of a fuss about it in order not to bother other teams, matches. I don’t know, to be honest, but I feel bad that I wasn’t there,” said the Serb, who had planned to be at the tournament if Spain progressed past the Netherlands.

“We were together on the court in Riyadh, that was the moment, a nice moment. I saw him play at Roland Garros, we played each other at the Olympics. The ceremony, if you want my opinion, wasn’t done properly.

“Maybe Rafa himself wasn’t sure whether he’ll play or not, if he can play some more, and then maybe it was too late to do something bigger. I don’t know, really.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion wasn’t the only one who was critical of the tribute.

Nadal’s last coach, and Grand Slam champion, Carlos Moya stated: “The feeling we are all left with is a bit scruffy and shabby. It’s true that it’s a Tuesday night, but this is sport and we knew months in advance that if Spain lost, Rafa would retire. Nadal is far above all this.”

However, Nadal – himself – was often understated, but, by the sounds of it, the tribute in Paris will be significantly more grandeur, at a tournament which he made his second home.

The post Rafael Nadal to receive a ‘very big’ retirement tribute at Roland Garros appeared first on Tennis365.

Despite being officially retired from professional tennis, Juan Martin del Potro had an opportunity to speak at a special press conference at the Rio Open – discussing his struggle with pain and rising star Joao Fonseca.

The Argentinian played his last official ATP match in 2022, before playing an exhibition match with Novak Djokovic in Argentina in late 2024 to mark the definitive end of his career.

Del Potro fractured his right kneecap for the second time in eight months during a match against Denis Shapovalov at the 2019 Queen’s event, with the Argentine undergoing multiple surgeries – all of which were unsuccessful.

“After the farewell with Djokovic in December, I felt that I was no longer a professional player, that a new chapter had begun,” said del Potro, in Rio.

“Before that day, I had always had a slight hope of returning. Tennis was my life. At this moment, I try to understand that I am a former tennis player.”

The former US Open champion has previously stated that, after the injury in June 2019, he was told by his doctor that he would likely be back on tour within three months of the surgery: “I even signed up for three indoor tournaments at the end of the year. Since that moment, I was never able to climb stairs without pain.”

Speaking back at his press conference in Rio, del Potro went on to state: “What do I need to be completely happy? To fully heal my knee. As of today, I feel pain every day.”

The former world No 3 also stated that Rio holds a special place in his heart, mainly due to his success at the 2016 Rio Olympics – where he won the silver medal: “Rio is a very special place for me. I played the Games here in 2016, and I’m very happy to be here.

“That week was one of the happiest in my career. The first round against Djokovic, the semifinals against Rafa… the medal. We broke the Argentina-Brazil rivalry. That football rivalry never happened to me.”

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18-year-old Joao Fonseca, who has lit up the tennis world in recent months, was also a subject of conversation for the one-time Grand Slam champion.

The Brazilian became the second-youngest player to win the Next Gen ATP Finals title in December 2024, before beating world No 10 Andrey Rublev in straight sets at the Australian Open.

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the Brazilian continued the high-quality level of tennis at Buenos Aires, lifting the ATP 250 title – with Fonseca becoming the 10^th-youngest player to win an ATP title, the fourth youngest since 2000.

“The people in Brazil like me a lot, just like Argentinians do with Joao Fonseca,” said del Potro.

“It’s spectacular. He has a very powerful game, with a lot of potential. The speed, his evolution, the way he is improving, but he needs emotional support.

“In Brazil, as in Argentina, people are quick to rate you as the best, but equally quick to say you are the worst. It’s very tough.

“If there is a South American star, perhaps the ATP will treat us differently. We have unmatched fans. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, we have passion and tradition”.

Fonseca was defeated by Alexandre Muller in the first round of the Rio Open, 6-1, 7-6(4), but, after his adventures in Buenos Aires, a deep run in Rio was, perhaps, unrealistic.

The Brazilian superstar will next play at the BNP Paribas Open, in Indian Wells, after he received a wildcard for the event, taking place March 5 – March 16.

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The ATP 500 event in Dubai is about to begin, headlined by Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur – with defending champion Ugo Humbert facing a tough opener.

At the most recent edition, the Frenchman defeated Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-3 in the final to lift his sixth career singles title.

Past winners include Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray.

Daniil Medvedev

World No 6 Daniil Medvedev is the event’s top seed.

The Russian is 550 points behind world No 5 Casper Ruud in the rankings, with the Norwegian participating at the ATP 500 in Acapulco – meaning Medvedev must go further than the two-time Grand Slam finalist during their respective tournaments, if he wants to close the gap.

In 2023, Medvedev won the title in Dubai after he defeated Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-2 in the final.

The world No 6 opens his Dubai campaign against the dangerous Jan-Lennard Struff. The German lifted the men’s doubles title in Dubai in 2024, but recently lost to Medvedev at the Marseille event in straight sets.

In the second round, the Russian will face either Zhizhen Zhang or the huge-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The latter opponent would be particularly dangerous in the quick conditions, having won the title in Basel at the end of 2024, before reaching the semi-finals of Brisbane at the beginning of 2025. Mpetshi Perricard did withdraw from his last scheduled event, in Rotterdam, but this was attributed to illness.

A hypothetical quarterfinal for Medvedev would likely feature one of Tallon Griekspoor, Jiri Lehecka, or – more likely – Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman won the event at the 2024 edition, and looks in similarly imperious form, recently lifting the title in Marseille.

In the last four, should he make it, the former US Open champion is projected to face Stefanos Tsitsipas or Grigor Dimitrov.

Alex de Minaur

2025 will mark Alex de Minaur’s third participation at the Dubai event, having also played in 2021 and 2022.

The Australian, however, has not won a match at the tournament and will look to end that streak against ATP veteran Marin Cilic. The Croat played an impressive match against Carlos Alcaraz at the Qatar Open, with the world No 2 ultimately prevailing 6-4, 6-4. Cilic has a competitive 2-2 head-to-head with de Minaur.

In the second round, the world No 8 will likely face fellow countryman Alexei Popyrin who is yet to win a match this season. Popyrin may be far from looking like the player who defeated Novak Djokovic at the 2024 US Open, but he did claim victory in his most recent hard-court match against de Minaur,

The world No 8 is projected to face the eighth seed Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals, but the Frenchman has lost as many matches as he has won in 2025. A more likely last-eight opponent is Felix Auger-Aliassime, who lost a nail-biting third-set tiebreak to Andrey Rublev during their semi-final match in Doha. The Canadian has looked in sensational form, winning a title in both Adelaide and Montpeiller in 2025, and was the victor in both of his hard-court clashes against the Australian.

Alex de Minaur is projected to face either Andrey Rublev or Jack Draper in the semi-finals, both of whom made the final at the Qatar Open. The Australian would likely rather face the Brit, holding a 4-1 lead in their head-to-head compared to a 4-4 record with respect to the Russian.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas against Lorenzo Sonego

Stefanos Tsitsipas will open his Dubai campaign against Lorenzo Sonego.

The Italian has had a relatively disappointing few weeks, but did reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2025 Australian Open, where he lost to American Ben Shelton in four sets.

Sonego has a 3-0 deficit in head-to-head matches with the Greek, but their last hard-court meeting did go to a third set and is aided further by Tsitsipas’ lack of consistent form.

Ugo Humbert against Jiri Lehecka

Ugo Humbert will play Jiri Lehecka in the opening round, with both players displaying high-quality levels of play in recent weeks. As stated earlier, the Frenchman won the title in Marseille, with the Czech defeating world No 2 Alcaraz 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in Doha.

The two have never met, and the slick and low-bouncing conditions in Dubai should prove favourable for both.

Karen Khachanov against Dan Evans

In a rematch of the longest US Open match of all-time, at 5 hours and 35 minutes, Karen Khachanov will face off against Dan Evans in the opening round of Dubai.

The Brit has lost six of his last eight matches, including multiple challenger events which Evans has participated in after a disappointing period of results. Meanwhile, Khachanov has lost his last two matches, but those defeats have been to high-quality opponents – eventual finalist Medjedovic in Marseille, and Medvedev in Doha.

Overall, Evans leads the head-to-head 5-0 with their most recent match being that titanic battle in New York.

Matteo Berrettini against Gael Monfils

Finally, Matteo Berrettini plays Gael Monfils in the first round of the ATP 500 in Dubai.

The Italian got his first victory over Novak Djokovic at the Qatar Open, before eventually losing his next match against Jack Draper. Monfils chose to take an extended break following the Australian Open, where he beat Taylor Fritz and reached the fourth round, with the Frenchman having one of his highest-quality Grand Slam runs in recent years.

Berrettini leads the head-to-head 3-0, with both of their Grand Slam meetings going to a fifth set.

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Alexander Zverev squandered a big opportunity to close the gap to Jannik Sinner at the top of the ATP Rankings after his shock exit at the Rio Open.

The German lost 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 to world No 86 Francisco Comesana in the quarter-finals of the clay-court ATP 500 tournament.

The three-time Grand Slam runner-up led 4-1 in the third set, but his 24-year-old Argentine opponent won five straight games from that position to seal a sizeable upset.

Following his defeat to Comesana, Zverev said: “Better level than Buenos Aires, but unfortunate to finish the tournament like this.

“I still enjoyed my time in Rio and hope to come back. It’s one of the most beautiful 500s that I’ve ever played. Shame because I was in a winning position.”

Zverev, the world No 2, was the only top 25 player in the draw in Rio following the withdrawals of Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti.

Sebastian Baez, the defending champion and world No 31, is the only top 50 player in the semi-final lineup.

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Speaking earlier in the tournament, Zverev did not hide from the fact that becoming world No 1 for the first time is one of his key objectives.

“I’m not number one in the world yet, but I want to be,” the 27-year-old said. “My goal is to fight for the big titles and the top spot in the rankings with Alcaraz and Sinner. There are things they do better than me. I have to improve.”

With world No 1 Sinner banned from playing on the ATP Tour until May 4 due to failed doping tests, both Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have a chance to make up ground.

Zverev will remain on the 8,135 points he started the week with after his quarter-final exit in Rio, which leaves him 3,195 points adrift of Sinner. He could have collected a further 400 points had he won the 500 event.

Alcaraz also missed an opportunity this week as he fell in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open — leaving him with 7,510 points in the live rankings.

Sinner will drop 1,600 while he is on the sidelines, which will put him on 9,730 points when he makes his comeback at the Italian Open in May.

During this period, Zverev is defending 850 points, while Alcaraz will defend 1,400.

The German, therefore, needs to earn 2,446 points, while Alcaraz will require 3,721 points, to overtake Sinner by the time the Rome ATP Masters 1000 event begins.

Zverev will next compete at the Mexican Open, an ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco which begins next week.

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Emma Raducanu’s former coach Roman Kelecic has shed further light on the “terrifying” behaviour of the man who stalked the British star.

An unusual and concerning incident took place during Raducanu‘s 6-7(6), 4-6 loss to Karolina Muchova in the second round of the WTA 1000 event in Dubai.

After falling 0-2 behind in the first set, a visibly distressed Raducanu spoke to the umpire before she hid behind the official’s chair while crying.

Muchova consoled Raducanu, while the umpire spoke to security officials and also had a lengthy discussion with both players before the match resumed.

A man was removed from the stadium during this break, and the WTA later revealed that the same individual had first approached Raducanu in public the day before the match.

A statement from the WTA Tour read: “On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.

“This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected. He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.

The man – confirmed to be a tourist in Dubai – has since been handed a restraining order, in return for having charges against him being dropped.

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Kelecic coached Raducanu as a junior and worked with her at the tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this month.

In an interview with Croatian publication Net, Kelecic divulged that the stalker also followed Raducanu to her previous three events.

“This man followed her to Singapore, to Abu Dhabi where I was with her, again in Doha, now in Dubai and we noticed him,” the Croatian explained.

“But initially we thought he was a fan, an admirer, because Emma is a really big tennis star with a huge fan base. Until he got physically close to her, started having contact in the form of selfies, hugging, etc.”

The coach then provided terrifying insight into the man’s “calculated” plan to approach Raducanu when she was alone.

“That was the only moment in a month where I, the fitness coach, the security guard who was with us, was not with her at that moment,” he continued.

“So, that man was assessing the situation and looking for the best moment to get closer to her. He had a strategy that was terrifying, he thought everything through, calculated it.

“It’s terrifying how much he, in essence, thought about it all and planned it. His strategy worked, and it was to get closer to her.

“That evening we reported it immediately and again in the morning, when she was playing the match, because her safety is the most important thing to us.

“Three or four hours before the match we have a photo of that stalker. Not only us, the entire security at the tournament has his photo and everyone knows who he is.

“The first game, two points gone, 15-15, Emma is on the other side of the court and she’s showing us something. At that moment we didn’t know what it was. Emma loses the first game and runs to us, crying, shouting, ‘here he is, here he is, here he is’.”

READ NEXT: Iga Swiatek reacts to Emma Raducanu’s shocking ordeal and recalls avoiding her own ‘scary’ experience

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Eight-time Grand Slam champion Jimmy Connors has candidly weighed in on Jannik Sinner being banned from tennis for failing doping tests.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced in August that Sinner was free to play as he bore “no fault or negligence” after testing positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol twice in March.

An independent tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the substance had entered his body when receiving a massage from his former physio, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on his finger.

In September, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the verdict, seeking to impose a ban of between one and two years on the world No 1.

The appeal was set to be heard in April, but WADA revealed last week that it had reached an agreement with Sinner’s representatives for the three-time major winner to serve a suspension from February 9 to May 4.

Sinner was unable to play at this week’s Qatar Open ATP 500 event, and he will also miss Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid.

The 23-year-old Italian will not, though, miss any Grand Slams, and he will be able to compete at the Italian Open, which begins three days after his ban expires.

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Speaking on an episode of his Advantage Connors podcast, Connors asserted that Sinner’s ban is a blow for tennis and suggested it taints the world No 1’s amazing achievements.

“Well, all I know is tennis is better with Sinner in it. It’s a lot better with him in it,” the former world No 1 began.

“And for him to be away from the game and not playing at a top level and not creating the interest that he does, if he does, you know, with whoever his fans are or whatever, is not good for the game. But, you know, it’s a shame that, you know, that that’s kind of crept into the game right now.

“And it’s taken away from a guy who, over the past 18 months, has had an unbelievable run, a great stretch of wins and exciting tennis and great for his career and even great for the game.

“And to have that tainted a little bit like that, you know, and I’m going to go back and say it, I’m old school. I’m all for doing it all and being as good as you can be on what you are and who you are.

“And if that’s not good enough, then be as good as you can be, whatever that is. But, you know, I don’t think tennis needs that. Tennis needs something to take it to another level up and push it forward for the future generations and the young kids coming in that, you know, that look up to these kids, not to knock it down a peg.”

When discussing Sinner’s case in October, Connors questioned whether the sport could survive a player of the Italian’s status being banned.

“Listen, all I know is that I don’t think tennis at that level could survive that to hit a top player,” the American said.

“They have shown in the past that they are not afraid to hit lower ranked players and discard them from the game. But I don’t know if tennis at that level could take it.”

READ NEXT: When will Jannik Sinner return to training after his ban?

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18-year-old Mirra Andreeva became the youngest-ever woman to reach a WTA 1000 final after beating former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

The No 12 seed was victorious 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 against the Kazakh, and will face Clara Tauson or Karolina Muchova in the Dubai final.

Andreeva’s win made history, with the superstar now the youngest woman to reach a WTA 1000 final since its inception back in 2009.

Additionally, the Russian is the first woman to beat three Grand Slam champions at the same event since Maria Sharapova did so in 2004 at the WTA Finals. She had already claimed the record for the youngest woman to beat multiple such champions during a WTA 1000 event after her prior match.

Dubai finalist Andreeva defeated former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round, before dominating five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, prior to her win over the 2022 Wimbledon champion in the last four.

Maria Sharapova toppled Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Myskina, and Serena Williams en route to the 2004 year-end championships in Los Angeles.

“Honestly it’s crazy because, at first, I was not very positive before coming to Dubai,” said Andreeva, after the win over Rybakina,

“I was like, okay, well, I’m just going to play.

“Last time we played it was a really tough match… She went for her shots and killed me in the end. This time I knew she’d hit hard. I tried to fight for every point and kept believing.

“I just tried to accept when things didn’t go my way. I fought for every point and kept believing and, in the end, it went my way.”

The WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai will be Andreeva’s second tour-level final, with the first occurring at the lasi Open last year – where she defeated Elina Avanesyan in the championship match.

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Prior to the match, Rybakina had made it clear that Andreeva would be a tough test: “She has nothing to lose. I think she was playing very well in the tournament. She’s very dangerous.

“She’s physically very good, very quick. I saw today, a couple of games. She was serving really well. If she plays like that, for sure it’s not easy.”

Whilst the Russian is the youngest-ever woman to make a WTA 1000 final, two other teenagers have reached the same stage.

In 2021, Iga Swiatek defeated Karolina Pliskova in the final of the Rome Masters – at the age of 19.

Two years later, Coco Gauff lifted the trophy at the Cincinnati Open when she was victorious against Karolina Muchova – also at the age of 19.

Her win over Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals had already handed the Russian multiple impressive records.

At 17 years and 297 days, Andreeva became the youngest woman to reach the last four of the event and the youngest-ever player to defeat the Pole.

The No 12 seed, after her victory over Swiatek, was also the youngest WTA player to earn five wins against top 10-ranked opponents since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007 at the age of 17 years and 273 days.

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