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The final few months of the 2025 WTA Tour season are approaching, and the penultimate WTA 1000 tournament of the season is set to get underway this week.

Since the event first held a women’s singles tournament back in 2004, the China Open has become a popular stop on the tennis calendar, with an array of memorable champions crowned inside the Beijing National Tennis Center.

Twelve months ago, it was Coco Gauff who reigned supreme at the WTA 1000 tournament, downing Karolina Muchova in the final to kickstart a stunning end to her 2024 season; here, we make our predictions for who will triumph in 2025.

First Quarter

Projected Q/F: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (5) Jessica Pegula

Back in top form this summer — and fresh off her Korea Open triumph — Swiatek will be determined to win back the title she won in 2023, having been provisionally suspended for her 2025 title defence.

A likely opener against Yulia Putintseva should be an early sighter for the Pole, who could then face tests from 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya and 16th seed Emma Navarro if she wishes to reach the last eight.

If Swiatek does reach the quarter-final, she could well face fifth seed Pegula, one of the few players to forge a significant rivalry versus the world No 2.

However, Pegula could face a tough early test versus 30th seed Emma Raducanu in round three, before a potential fourth round versus 12th seed Naomi Osaka.

The 2019 champion in Beijing, Osaka will be looking to build on the momentum she built during a resurgent hard-court summer.

Prediction: Swiatek def Osaka

Second Quarter

Projected Q/F: (4) Mirra Andreeva vs (7) Zheng Qinwen

2025 has not gone the way Chinese star Qinwen would have wanted it to, and she now faces a huge chunk of ranking points to defend this Asian swing after her recent surgery.

Returning at the event she was a semi-finalist at in 2024, the seventh seed could take on 26th seed Linda Noskova in the third round, before a round four against either 10th seed Clara Tauson or 21st seed Victoria Mboko — two of the most improved players on tour this year.

All that could lead to a quarter-final against fourth seed Andreeva, in what would be a rematch of a last eight clash from twelve months ago.

After a stunning spring and solid French Open and Wimbledon campaigns, the 18-year-old’s momentum has somewhat cooled, and 29th seed Dayana Yastremska could prove a stumbling block in round three.

However, should Andreeva make it through that, the rest of her mini-section looks comfortable, with out-of-form 14th seed Daria Kasatkina the highest-ranked player she can face before the quarter-final.

Prediction: Andreeva def Tauson

Third Quarter

Projected Q/F: (6) Jasmine Paolini vs (3) Amanda Anisimova

Fresh off her latest Billie Jean King Cup heroics in Shenzhen, can Paolini end what has been an up-and-down season on a high — and secure her WTA Finals spot?

The Italian’s hopes have certainly been boosted by a kind mini-section in Beijing, with the sixth seed facing Anastasija Sevastova or Kimberly Birrell in round two.

Paolini’s projected pathway of 27th seed Sofia Kenin and then 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova — with 11th seed Elina Svitolina having withdrawn — seems very winnable, though Anisimova could prove a stern quarter-final test.

Anisimova has not been in action since her US Open final loss, but after rebounding well from her defeat in the Wimbledon final, the 24-year-old will likely be back and ready to play well in Beijing.

A potential fourth-round against 13th seed Muchova or 18th seed Paula Badosa, herself a semi-finalist last year, will likely be the American’s toughest test in her mission to reach at least the last eight.

Prediction: Anisimova def Paolini

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Fourth Quarter

Projected Q/F: (8) Elena Rybakina vs (2) Coco Gauff

The final quarter will likely see all eyes on world No 3 and defending champion Gauff, with many intrigued to see how the American fares following a difficult summer with her serve.

It is hard to know what to expect from Gauff’s game, and her draw is not the easiest early on, though she has a strong record against 25th seed Leylah Fernandez — her projected round-three opponent.

However, she could then face a tricky fourth round against either 15th seed Belinda Bencic or 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko, two women she has competitive head-to-heads against.

On paper, it should be eighth seed Rybakina awaiting in the last eight, though the Kazakh herself has not had an easy time on court throughout 2025.

Rybakina could have an early sighter against 32nd seed Iva Jovic, before a potential round-four clash against ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, the recent Seoul runner-up and one of the most solid players of the year.

Prediction: Alexandrova def Bencic

Semi-final prediction

Swiatek def Andreeva

Anisimova def Alexandrova

Final prediction

Swiatek def Anisimova

Exclusive Interview: Mirra Andreeva gets huge Grand Slam prediction from Serena Williams’ ex-coach

The post WTA China Open predictions: Swiatek’s resurgence, Gauff’s title defence, Anisimova returns appeared first on Tennis365.

Nikola Pilic, a former Croatian tennis star and coach who left an indelible mark on the sport, has died at the age of 86.

According to reports in the Croatian media, Pilic passed away in the Croatian city of Rijeka on Tuesday September 23.

Pilic, who was born in the Croatian (then Yugoslavian) city of Split on 27 August 1939, played amateur tennis from 1960 and turned pro when the Open Era began in 1968

He won nine singles titles and was ranked as high as 12th in the ATP Rankings in 1973. His standout singles result was reaching the final of the 1973 French Open, which he lost to Ilie Nastase.

The Croatian also won six doubles titles, including the 1970 US Open, before retiring in 1978.

Pilic’s absence from a Davis Cup tie between Yugoslavia and New Zealand in May 1973 led to a suspension from the ILTF (now ITF), meaning he could not enter the 1973 Wimbledon Championships.

In protest against Pilic’s ban, 81 players formed the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and withdrew from that year’s edition of Wimbledon.

This remains the biggest protest in tennis history, and the ATP Tour has become the global governing body of men’s tennis.

Following his retirement, Pilic ran a tennis academy in Munich, where he mentored a host of players, including Novak Djokovic, Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic and Ernests Gulbis. He also coached Boris Becker.

In addition, Pilic achieved the remarkable feat of captaining three different countries to Davis Cup titles: Germany (1988, 1989 and 1993), Croatia (2005) and Serbia (2010).

Djokovic, who is considered by many to be the greatest tennis player in history, attended Pilic’s academy for four years starting in 1999.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has credited the key role Pilic played in his development.

“Nikola is my tennis father. A mentor. A man who selflessly shared his knowledge and experience about tennis and life with me,” Djokovic was quoted as saying by Montenegrin news outlet Vijesti.

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“Niki’s lovely wife Mija and he welcomed me with open arms to their tennis academy in Germany and treated me like their own child.”

Pilic remained one of Djokovic’s biggest supporters and always took the opportunity to praise his former student when he spoke publicly.

In a 2024 interview with Novosti Rs, Pilic shared an anecdote about Djokovic from the Serb’s time at his academy.

“I once invited five players under the age of 15 to my office. I ask them what they want to achieve,” Pilic said.

“One says he would like to be a good tennis player, the other wants to play in the Bundesliga [tennis league]. And Novak said – I would like to be number one in the world!

“The other four laughed. I didn’t laugh. I didn’t know if it would be first, third, eleventh, or twenty-fourth, but, by all possible parameters, I knew it would be international class.”

Pilic added: “In the first few months, my wife Mija played an extremely large role.

“She felt he needed support. He was small, he came at the age of 13, and Serbia was bombed at that time in 1999.

“She said that Novak had clear eyes. She would say to me, ‘When he talks about tennis, he has sentences similar to yours.’

“He made a lot of progress, he was extremely focused. Every day he had 15 different ideas.”

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic starts a new life with his family that could be part of his retirement plan

The post Novak Djokovic’s ‘tennis father’ Nikola Pilic dies at 86 – and he leaves a remarkable legacy appeared first on Tennis365.

The draw for the 2025 China Open men’s singles tournament is out, and five of the top 10 players in the ATP Rankings are set to star.

The draw for the ATP 500 event in Beijing features 32 players, with eight seeds and no byes. The eight seeded players are: Jannik Sinner (1), Alexander Zverev (2), Alex de Minaur (3), Lorenzo Musetti (4), Karen Khachanov (5), Andrey Rublev (6), Jakub Mensik (7) and Daniil Medvedev (8).

Carlos Alcaraz was the 2024 China Open champion, having beaten Sinner in last year’s final, but the Spaniard chose to play in Tokyo instead this year.

Sinner is competing for the first time since his defeat to Alcaraz in the US Open final — a result that saw his rival displace him as the world No 1.

The 24-year-old Italian will take on 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic, who is currently ranked 59th, in the opening round.

The four-time major winner would then play either Chinese wildcard Zheng Zhizhen or a qualifier in the second round, while he is projected to meet world No 10 and fifth seed Khachanov in the quarter-finals.

If he reaches the semi-finals, Sinner could meet either de Minaur, the world No 8 and third seed, or Jakub Mensik, the world No 17 and eighth seed.

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The world No 2 could face any of Zverev, Musetti, Rublev or Medvedev in the final. Sinner is chasing a second title in Beijing after his triumph in 2023.

Zverev arrives in Beijing after losing both of his matches at the Laver Cup in San Francisco last week to de Minaur and Taylor Fritz. He was beaten by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round of the US Open in his last tour-level event.

The world No 3 will begin his campaign in China against world No 44 Lorenzo Sonego and would meet either Corentin Moutet or Tallon Griekspoor in the second round.

Kings in Beijing #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/KtOcq5IkgB

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 23, 2025

The German is projected to meet Medvedev — a former world No 1 and 2021 US Open winner currently ranked 18th amid a difficult season — in the last eight.

Zverev could then meet either fourth seed Musetti or sixth seed Rublev in the semi-finals. The 28-year-old is aiming to win his maiden China Open title.

China Open 2025 projected men’s singles quarter-finals

Jannik Sinner (1) vs Karen Khachanov (5)

Alex de Minaur (3) vs Jakub Mensik (7)

Lorenzo Musetti (4) vs Andrey Rublev (6)

Alexander Zverev (2) vs Daniil Medvedev (8)

READ NEXT: WATCH: Jannik Sinner seen practising new serve technique ahead of return to action

The post ATP China Open Draw: Jannik Sinner learns his path as Alexander Zverev on course to play his nemesis appeared first on Tennis365.

Legendary tennis coach Rick Macci has identified a quality that sets Mirra Andreeva apart as he made a claim about how many Grand Slam titles the teenage star will win in her career.

Andreeva, who celebrated her 18th birthday in April, has already reached lofty heights since turning pro in 2022 and has been at a career-high ranking of world No 5 since July.

The Russian has won three singles titles, having lifted her maiden title at the WTA 250 event in Iasi in 2024 and secured back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Indian Wells earlier this season.

Andreeva’s best Grand Slam result to date was reaching the semi-finals at the 2024 French Open, while she was a quarter-finalist at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this summer.

In an exclusive interview Tennis365, Macci did not hesitate to name Andreeva when asked who he expects to challenge the top WTA trio of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.

“No doubt about it, the new sheriff in town: Mirra Andreeva. She’s one of the best young prospects I’ve seen in a long time,” the American said.

“And the reason why: mentally, she is cut from a different cloth, she’s a brutal, brutal competitor. She’s more mature now. But what she does a little bit different, she changes direction of the ball very early in the point.

“And we all know there’s a fine line between courage and stupidity. At the end of the day, this is what she does and she gets you out of your comfort zone. So that’s number one and she does that with conviction and with confidence.

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“And people gotta take a step back and understand, she’s only 18 and she’s five in the world. So I see greatness, and the thing about her game, once she gets into that number one category — one, two [in the rankings] — she’s not going anywhere, because she has too much competitiveness.

“She’s actually a very good mover, even though it was a little shaky on the clay and it took her a while to get going on the grass – I’m not worried about that.

“And let’s face it, most of the tournaments are on hard-court. But Mirra Andreeva’s the real deal and I think her future is as bright as anybody. A double digit Grand Slam winner.”

Macci continued: “I called this a couple of years ago, I knew where this was going. She (Andreeva) is gonna be number one.

“I think on hard courts, her movement is 20 to 25% better than on clay. I think she gets in and out of the corners better on the hard-court, and she uses the forehand slice.

“And I know a lot of coaches don’t like the kids or people to do that, but listen, the game is very different than even six years ago, 10 years ago.

“The game is so much faster and quicker, the ball speed, movement’s a premium, stroke mechanics is at an all-time high and you gotta have the forehand slice!

“I counted one match against Sabalenka, she did it over 30 times when she was out wide to live another day. She resets the point, but what she does different, she’s resetting the point low. She’s hitting the ball back with underspin.

“When you keep it out of the strike zone… so here’s Andreeva, that’s a part of her toolbox, that’s a part of her playbook, she chips the ball and keeps it in play where a lot of people reset it with topspin — and I’m not saying that’s wrong — but the people can step up and drive it from the shoulder. So when you keep it low, she lives another day.

“So that’s one piece that I love about her game. And she’ll throw in the drop shot, a lob and she’ll throw in the backhand slice and she’s not afraid to volley and take the ball out of the air.”

READ NEXT: The youngest players to win WTA titles in 2025: Teenagers 7-0 in finals as Andreeva and Mboko feature

The post Mirra Andreeva gets huge Grand Slam prediction from Serena Williams’ ex-coach appeared first on Tennis365.

The draw for the 2025 Japan Open men’s singles tournament has been made, and Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz could be set for a rematch after their Laver Cup clash.

There are 32 players in the draw at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo, with eight seeds and no byes. The seeds are: Alcaraz (1), Fritz (2), Holger Rune (3), Casper Ruud (4), Tomas Machac (5), Ugo Humbert (6), Denis Shapovalov (7) and Frances Tiafoe (8).

Arthur Fils was the 2024 Japan Open champion, but he was forced to withdraw from the event due to a back injury. Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, Jiri Lehecka and Alexei Popyrin also pulled out having entered.

Alcaraz won the China Open in the same week of the calendar last year, but he chose to play in Tokyo instead of Beijing this week.

The world No 1 competed at the Laver Cup last week, posting a 1-1 record in singles and a 2-0 record in doubles as Team Europe lost 9-15 to Team World. Prior to that, the Spanish star claimed his sixth Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Alcaraz, who is making his debut in Japan, will take on world No 41 Sebastian Baez — against whom he holds a 2-0 record — in the opening round.

The world No 1 is then due to face either Zizou Bergs or Alejandro Tabilo in the second round, before a potential last eight meeting with eighth seed Tiafoe. Ruud and Shapovalov are the two seeded players Alcaraz could face in the semi-finals in Tokyo.

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If he reaches the championship match, Alcaraz could take on any of Fritz, Rune, Machac and Humbert — all of whom are in the bottom half of the draw.

Fritz inspired Team World to victory at the Laver Cup by collecting five points for his two singles wins against Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.

The American will start his Tokyo campaign against Gabriel Diallo and faces a potential second round showdown with Yosuke Watanuki or Nuno Borges, before a possible quarter-final matchup against No 5 seed Tomas Machac.

The world No 5 is projected to meet either third seed Rune or sixth seed Humbert in the last four.

Tokyo’s time to shine

The 2025 @japanopentennis singles draw

Who’s making it to the final? pic.twitter.com/wQvHETIwHV

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 22, 2025

Japan Open 2025 projected men’s singles quarter-finals

Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Frances Tiafoe (8)

Casper Ruud (4) vs Denis Shapovalov (7)

Holger Rune (3) vs Ugo Humbert (6)

Taylor Fritz (2) vs Tomas Machac (5)

READ NEXT: Every word Taylor Fritz said as he reveals how he beat Carlos Alcaraz

The post ATP Japan Open Draw: Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz on collision course after Laver Cup clash appeared first on Tennis365.

A stunning Korea Open triumph has seen Iga Swiatek gain ground on world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka as the Pole looks to return to the top of the WTA Rankings this Autumn.

World No 2 Swiatek sealed her third title of 2025 — all within the last three months — in Seoul on Sunday, battling back to down Ekaterina Alexandrova in a three-set thriller and claiming the 25th WTA Tour title of her career.

It was Swiatek’s debut appearance at the Korea Open, having been forced out of the WTA 500 event a year ago due to a provisional suspension, and she has gained a full complement of 500 ranking points as a result.

That sees the 24-year-old move from 7,933 to 8,433 points in the ranking, increasing her cushion over world No 3 Coco Gauff in the WTA Rankings.

However, it also sees her draw closer to world No 1 Sabalenka, who was not in action this week — and will also not be competing at the upcoming China Open in Beijing.

Sabalenka still holds a significant lead in the WTA Rankings for now, with 11,225 points to her name, though she has 1,615 points to defend for the rest of the season, compared to just 400 for Swiatek.

A 500-point gain in Seoul has moved Swiatek narrowly closer, though she can make significant ground in Beijing this week, where she will look to regain the title she previously won in 2023.

There has been no movement inside the top 10 of the WTA Rankings this week, though there have been some shifts further down.

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Failing to defend her Korea Open finalist points from 2024 amid a disappointing year to date, Daria Kasatkina has dropped from 16th to 20th in the rankings, pushing Belinda Bencic, Emma Navarro, and Paula Badosa up.

Defending Korea Open champion Beatriz Haddad Maia was beaten in the second round of the tournament this past week, and as a result, falls 15 places to world No 40.

That has worked to the advantage of Emma Raducanu, who has moved up to one place to world No 32, her highest ranking in over four years.

On paper, that will be enough for the British star to be seeded at the Australian Open next January — her big rankings goal for the remainder of the season — and she will hope to consolidate her position over the coming weeks.

Above Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez has moved up three places to world No 25, while Sofia Kenin has risen four places to world No 26.

Barbora Krejcikova, the woman who beat Raducanu in Seoul this week, is up five places to world No 34 after her run to the last eight at the WTA 500 event, continuing her recent resurgence after dropping down significantly post-Wimbledon.

Elsewhere, Korea Open semi-finalist Maya Joint has sealed an impressive new career-high ranking, surging 10 spots to world No 36 thanks to her impressive run, while fellow semi-finalist Katerina Siniakova moves up 15 places to world No 62.

French star Lois Boisson is also up eight places to a new career high of world No 41, while rising star Ella Seidel seals her top 100 debut, moving up 10 spots to world No 95.

WTA Top 20 (September 22, 2025)

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 11,225
2) Iga Swiatek, 8,433
3) Coco Gauff, 7,873
4) Amanda Anisimova, 5,109
5) Mirra Andreeva, 4,793
6) Madison Keys, 4,579
7) Jessica Pegula, 4,383
8) Jasmine Paolini, 4,006
9) Zheng Qinwen, 4,003
10) Elena Rybakina, 3,833
11) Ekaterina Alexandrova, 3,253
12) Clara Tauson, 2,775
13) Elina Svitolina, 2,606
14) Naomi Osaka, 2,489
15) Karolina Muchova, 2,488
16) Belinda Bencic, 2,334 (+1)
17) Emma Navarro, 2,310 (+1)
18) Paula Badosa, 2,195 (+2)
19) Diana Shnaider, 2,111
20) Daria Kasatkina, 2,106 (-4)

Read Next: WTA China Open Draw: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu learn their fate

The post WTA Rankings: Iga Swiatek closes gap to Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu hits her goal appeared first on Tennis365.

The draw for the 2025 China Open women’s singles event has been made, and Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and other stars have learned their potential paths.

The 32 seeds in the 96-player draw at the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing each receive a first round bye. World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka has opted to skip the event, while Madison Keys, Danielle Collins, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Marketa Voundrousova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Olga Danilovic have also withdrawn.

The top eight seeds are: Swiatek (1), Gauff (2), Amanda Anisimova (3), Mirra Andreeva (4), Jessica Pegula (5), Jasmine Paolini (6), Zheng Qinwen (7) and Elena Rybakina (8).

Swiatek arrives after winning the WTA 500 tournament in Seoul — her 25th career title — last week.

The Polish star will begin her campaign in Beijing against either Yuan Yue or Yulia Putintseva and is projected to meet 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya in the third round.

The six-time major champion could then face 16th seed Emma Navarro in the fourth round, fifth seed Jessica Pegula in the last eight and fourth seed Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals.

In the final, Swiatek could face Gauff, Anisimova, Paolini or Rybakina — all of whom are in the bottom half of the draw.

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Gauff, who is the reigning China Open champion, will face either Lucia Bronzetti or Kamilla Rakhimova in the second round in what will be her first match since the US Open.

The world No 3 and two-time major winner is then projected to meet No 25 seed Leylah Fernandez in the third round, 15th seed Belinda Bencic in the fourth round and eighth seed Rybakina in the quarter-finals.

If Gauff reaches the last four, she could take on fellow American Anisimova, who was a runner-up at the last two Grand Slams. Gauff could face any of Swiatek, Andreeva, Pegula and Zheng in a potential final.

The stage is set.
Here’s how the Top 8 seeds line up for the 2025 China Open WTA 1000!#2025ChinaOpen #allforpassion pic.twitter.com/4WORXhP8l4

— China Open (@ChinaOpen) September 22, 2025

Emma Raducanu is in the top half of the draw and will play either Donna Vekic or a qualifier in her first match, while she could face a third round showdown with Jessica Pegula.

The Brit could meet 12th seed Naomi Osaka if she reaches the last 16, while Swiatek is her projected quarter-final opponent.

China Open 2025 projected quarter-finals

Iga Swiatek (1) vs Jessica Pegula (5)

Mirra Andreeva (4) vs Zheng Qinwen (7)

Amanda Anisimova (3) vs Jasmine Paolini (6)

Coco Gauff (2) vs Elena Rybakina (8)

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu almost certain to clinch her rankings goal as she silences her doubters

The post WTA China Open Draw: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu learn their fate appeared first on Tennis365.

Taylor Fritz followed up his stunning victory over Carlos Alcaraz by beating Alexander Zverev to clinch a third triumph for Team World at the 2025 Laver Cup in San Francisco.

Team World entered the third and final day of the team event with a 9-3 lead over Team Europe after winning all four matches on Day 2, with Fritz‘s 6-3, 6-2 win over Alcaraz having given his side a 7-3 advantage.

Alcaraz and Casper Ruud reduced the deficit to 6-9 after seeing off Alex Michelsen and Reilly Opelka 7-6(4), 6-1 in doubles to start Day 3.

Alex de Minaur then defeated Jakub Mensik 6-3, 6-4 in the second tie to move Team World within one point of victory, before Alcaraz pulled it back to 9-12 with his 6-2, 6-1 hammering of Francisco Cerundolo.

Fritz sealed a 15-9 win for Team World by downing third-ranked Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4) in the last match. The world No 5 has now defeated Zverev six times in a row.

Team World’s lineup featured Fritz, de Minaur, Francisco Cerundolo, Michelsen, Joao Fonseca and Reilly Opelka. Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe all withdrew prior to the event.

Team Europe were the favourites, with a squad consisting of Alcaraz, Zverev, Holger Rune, Ruud, Mensik and Flavio Cobolli.

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In his on-court interview, Fritz said: “We’re going to have a fun night. Definitely popping some champagne in the locker room in a few minutes.

“Just seeing these guys on the bench getting pumped up, seeing a legend of the sport like Andre jumping out of his seat cheering for me, it’s impossible not to be so fired up and just give it everything you have.”

It was a dream first campaign as Team World captain for Andre Agassi, who replaced John McEnroe for this year’s edition. Team World have now won three of the last four editions of the Laver Cup.

On facing Zverev, Fritz said: “”You know, at the end of the day, we got to pick the line-up for today, and we sat down as a team, and I was the one that wanted to put myself in the slot that I put myself.”

“So when it comes down to it, I just have to perform. It’s a matchup that I obviously feel somewhat comfortable in.”

Agassi, who won eight Grand Slam titles during a glittering career, spoke glowingly about the experience in the post-event press conference,

“Everybody played a part in making this one of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever spent on a tennis court,” said the former world No 1.

“Just unflappable. They never stopped believing. They laid their heart on the line. On paper, a lot of people said they didn’t see an inroad to pulling this off, but we shocked the world.”

READ NEXT: Team Europe stunned as Carlos Alcaraz reacts to shock Taylor Fritz defeat at Laver Cup

The post Taylor Fritz and Andre Agassi react after Team World’s stunning Laver Cup triumph appeared first on Tennis365.

The old adage that form is temporary and class is permanent is not applicable to world No 3 Alexander Zverev right now.

Roll the clock back to last February and the bombshell news that Jannik Sinner was facing a three-month ban from tennis after posting two positive doping test for a banned anabolic steroid and Zverev appeared to be the player ready to step into the void he left behind.

Zverev was beaten by Sinner in the Australian Open final at the start of 2025, as he confirmed he was the second best player in the world at that time by reaching the first Grand Slam final of the year.

Yet that run in Melborune proved to be the highlight of his season so far, as his decision to take big appearance fees to play in the South American clay court swing in February backfired and he has struggled to find his best form since.

He is still the world No 3, but Zverev’s form does not suggest he is playing anywhere near that level and his crushing defeat against Alex de Minaur in the Laver Cup on Saturday highlighted that slide in fortunes.

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Zverev was hammered into submission by De Minaur, who recorded a 6-1, 6-4 win against his higher-ranked opponent in front of a vocal Laver Cup crowd, said he had been forced to change his game to take on the biggest hitters in tennis.

“I started pretty quickly,” said De Minaur. “I knew it was going to get harder, because he’s a great competitor, he was going to make my life very difficult. But I’m so proud of myself for backing myself.

“It’s a part of my game that I’ve definitely unlocked over the last two years. It’s been a crucial part of me getting into the Top 10 and taking that next step in my career. I’ve got to do more of it. 

“These guys, they hit the ball so hard and so big. I’ve got to find different ways to hurt them. That’s part of my game style.

“I’ve got the ability to use my speed not only to retrieve but also to sneak into the net. The more I do it, the more comfortable I feel, the more points I win, the more dangerous I become.”

Zverev looks a little lost on course for much of the match and that has been the story for much of the year, with his comments in a world exclusive interview with Tennis365 back in June confirming that Australian Open final defeat against Sinner left a lasting mark.

“It did take me a while to get over it because I really went into the match and I thought, I can win this, I’m going to win,” Zverev told Tennis365.

“Then very quickly, I felt like, well, he’s outplaying me on every single aspect. So I felt a bit lost out there at times.

“Jannik was above everyone else the entire tournament and there was nothing else to say, but after that, I made some mistakes.”

“I think I overplayed. Played too many events. I didn’t give myself, my body and my mind time to accept what happened. I just carried on playing and kind of had a little bit of a burnout in the middle of the season.

“It was too much. Some stupid decisions from my end and I paid the price for them, but I still feel my time will come.”

On the evidence of his latest hammering against De Minaur, Zverev has bigger problems than even he may have expected, as his game appears to be sliding backwards at a time when his rivals are threatening to leave him in their rear view mirror.

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