Category: Articles

  • Emma Raducanu reveals new haircut as she puts her trust in an Italian stylist

    Emma Raducanu has made another fashion statement after the 2021 US Open champion revealed a new haircut as she counts down to her return to action at the end of next month.

    The British No 1 appeared on the Instagram feed of Italian hairdresser Nicola Noviello, as she gave a first glimpse of her new look that was created at the plush Hershesons Belgravia hairdressers in London.

    The unveiling came with a message from Noviello as he said: “A fresh new look for Emma Raducanu. Grazie for trusting me with your style!

    “Sempre un piacere vederti (Always a pleasure to see you). Creating something beautiful with my Italian touch is always special.”

    Raducanu is known to be a big fan of fashion and design and this new look comes after fans spotted she had noticeably longer hair in her recent birthday images that appeared on her Instagram account as she toasted her 23rd birthday.

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    While Raducanu has clearly been enjoying her break away from the rigours of the WTA Tour, she has also been working hard at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre, as she counts down to her return to action at the end of next month.

    The 23-year-old cut short her season after struggling with the heat and humidity while playing in China and the Asian swing of the WTA Tour and she also pulled out of lucrative exhibition events in America next month.

    She made those decisions to ensure she was ready to be at her best for the start of the 2026 season, with Raducanu’s first event set to be the United Cup team tournament, where she will team up with fellow Brit Jack Draper in Australia.

    She will then look to make an impact at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where she looks set to be among the seeded players after finishing 2025 in the top 30 of the WTA Rankings.

    Raducanu spoke to Tennis365 at last month’s Wuhan Open and confirmed a seeded berth for the Australian Open is a big goal.

    “It is a target of mine, I think for the next few weeks, is to try and be seeded in Australia and do my best to be in that position,” she told us.

    “I think the higher you can go, the better, maybe the more probability you have to make progress. But even still, you can be seeded and play one of these top players who are now seeded.

    “It really depends on the luck of the draw. It’s just doing the best you can in that situation, giving yourself a better chance.

    “I think I’ve just been happy with the improvements in the last few weeks I’ve made in my game, and I just want to keep going with that.”

    Raducanu will be hoping her bold new look will encourage a style start to the 2026 tennis season, as she looks to build on a year that saw her make progress up the rankings.

    The post Emma Raducanu reveals new haircut as she puts her trust in an Italian stylist appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner forced to give up millions in cash after facing ATP penalty

    Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner knew it was coming, but the full extent of the financial blow they have both been handed has been confirmed.

    The top two players in men’s tennis was always on course to finish top of the ATP Tour’s bonus pool rankings, with huge financial payments handed out to players who break into the list.

    Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been forced to give up millions after infringing ATP Tour rules. who earn the most ATP Rankings points at marquee events on the men’s tour.

    The total of this Bonus Pool is $21 million, up from $11.5 million in 2022, but there are strict rules around the distribution of cash and they have affected Alcaraz and Sinner.

    Alcaraz topped the bonus pool list for 2025 and was entitled to $4.8million, but there’s a rule that reduces a player’s reward by 25 per cent for every Masters 1000 tournament missed due to withdrawal or injury.

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    As Alcaraz missed the Canadian Open and Shanghai Masters and his payment was therefore reduced by 50 per-cent.

    He also missed the Madrid Open, but he was not punished for that absence, as he showed up at the event and completed his media duties, which ensured he would not be punished.

    It means Alcaraz will get a $2.4million payment from the ATP bonus pool, which can be added to his $18,803,427 prize money for the season.

    Sinner had also paid a heavy financial price for missing four ATP Masters 1000 tournaments this year, as that absence means he will not be eligible for a payment.

    He missed three of those events due to the doping ban he was serving between February and May, when he missed the Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid Masters events.

    Sinner was also absent from the Canadian Open, as he opted to skip the event after winning Wimbledon a few weeks earlier.

    Missing four ATP 1000 events means he doesn’t qualify for any bonus pool payments, even though he would have got more than $2m after finishing second in the 2025 table behind Alcaraz.

    In addition to the bonus pool payments, the ATP Tour also offer more cash to their leading players via a profit-sharing distribution scheme based around successes at ATP Masters 1000 events.

    These figures were announced in October, with the 186 players who earned ATP Rankings points at Masters 1000 events in 2024 receiving a share of the cash pot.

    Sinner ($1,333,770) and Alexander Zverev ($1,228,472) were the top earners for 2024, with Andrey Rublev ($698,474), Alcaraz ($600,197) and Daniil Medvedev ($589,667) all earning big pay-out.

    The profit-sharing distribution payments for 2025 have yet to be confirmed, but Alcaraz and Sinner are likely to benefit once again.

    There is also a bonus pool from ATP 500 events, which Alcaraz topped and he will get more money from that in due course.

    FINAL STANDINGS IN 2025 BONUS PAYMENTS TABLE FOR MASTERS 1000 EVENTS

    1. Carlos Alcaraz
    2. Jannik Sinner
    3. Lorenzo Musetti
    4. Jack Draper
    5. Alexander Zverev
    6. Ben Shelton
    7. Alex de Minaur
    T8. Casper Ruud
    T8. Felix Auger-Aliassime
    10. Daniil Medvedev
    11. Taylor Fritz
    12. Jakub Mensik
    13. Valentin Vacherot
    14. Holger Rune
    15. Francisco Cerundolo
    16. Karen Khachanov
    17. Novak Djokovic
    18. Grigor Dimitrov
    19. Arthur Rinderknech
    T20. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
    T20. Arthur Fils
    22. Tommy Paul
    23. Andrey Rublev
    T24. Alexei Popyrin
    T24. Alexander Bublik
    26. Gabriel Diallo
    27. Stefanos Tsitsipas
    28. Brandon Nakashima
    29. Frances Tiafoe
    30. Matteo Berrettini

    The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner forced to give up millions in cash after facing ATP penalty appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Novak Djokovic praised for turning down ‘mega money deals’ most athletes would take

    Novak Djokovic’s revealing interview with Piers Morgan threw up so many compelling talking points and one evolved around the huge sums of money turned down by the Serbian superstar after he was offered potential sponsorship deals.

    Djokovic’s eagerness to stand by his principles and only work with brands that aligned with his beliefs was a costly approach, with the Serbian revealing he rejected a multi-million dollar offer from a fizzing drink supplier as part of his conversation with Morgan.

    While Djokovic has collected huge sums from sponsors like Lacoste, ACICS and Aman luxury hotel partnerships, he could have earned even more if he were willing to snap up the offers that came his way.

    “I refused a lot of the big brands and big paychecks in my career because I cannot represent something that I don’t believe in,” declared Djokovic during the interview.

    Now coaching guru Patrick Mouratoglou has given his verdict on those comments, as he suggested Djokovic’s principles are an impressive part of his personality that highlight his authenticity.

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    “Most athletes dream of huge sponsorship deals. Novak Djokovic has turned down some of the biggest. And the reason says everything about him,” said Mouratoglou on LinkedIn.

    “In his conversation with Piers Morgan, Novak Djokovic said something that reveals who he truly is: this is one of the reasons why I’ve always liked Novak so much. He is a true person.

    “It’s almost ironic: for years, people said he was the “fake” one. Yet he is probably the least fake person in the entire tennis world.

    “Novak has real convictions and money will never make him do something that goes against what he believes. Most people don’t realize how rare that is.

    “I know for a fact that he has turned down many deals over the years: because he didn’t believe in the product, because he didn’t align with the company’s values, because he didn’t think video games were good for kids, even if the contract was huge for instance…

    “Whether you agree with his views or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that he acts according to them.

    “Manny will say, ‘It’s easy for him, he’s rich’. But let me tell you something: Most players who make the same kind of money do not turn down contracts for personal beliefs.

    “And second: Don’t think that people who have a lot of money don’t want more. For most, it’s never “enough.”

    “That’s human nature, especially in a career where you spend 20 years earning almost nothing before finally having a 10–15 year window to secure your financial life.

    “That’s why Novak is different. For him, money is not a value. Security matters. Stability matters. But not at the price of his integrity.

    “Whether you like Novak or you don’t, this part of his personality deserves respect.”

    Djokovic’s army of fans around the world will echo Mouratoglou’s sentiments, with the $191,252,375 he has won in prize money on court over the course of his record-breaking career helping him to turn down the big money offers he did not want to be identified with.

    The post Novak Djokovic praised for turning down ‘mega money deals’ most athletes would take appeared first on Tennis365.

  • 2026 ATP Tour calendar changes: Longer break between Wimbledon and Canada, no Monday finish at Cincy

    The ATP Tour has officially confirmed the schedule for the 2026 season and there are a few important tweaks for next year, but all the biggest events remain largely unaffected.

    In total, there will be 63 tournaments in 29 different countries on the men’s tennis calendar in 2026 with the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open organised by the Grand Slam Boards, the Davis Cup is run by the International Tennis Federation while the Laver Cup is also run independently.

    Besides the four Grand Slams, the other traditional events are the ATP Finals that will take place at the end of the regular season in Italy while the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments remain in their usual slots with small changes.

    Seven of the Masters 1000 events will take place across 12 days with the Monte Carlo Masters and Paris Masters the exception as it will be played across one week, while there will be 16 ATP 500 tournaments and 29 ATP events.

    A Look At The Biggest Events

    The season-opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open, will start a week later than usual as it will run from Sunday, January 18 until Sunday, February 1 at Melbourne Park.

    The French Open stays in its usual slot with the clay-court major starting on Sunday May 24 with the men’s final taking place on Sunday, June 7 at Roland Garros in Paris.

    Wimbledon gets underway on Monday, June 29 on the grass courts at the All England Club with Championship weekend taking place on July 11 and 12 while the US Open runs from Monday, August 31 until Sunday, September 13 at Flushing Meadows.

    Grand Slams

    Australia Open – January 18 to February 1
    French Open – May 24 to June 7
    Wimbledon – June 29 to July 12

    As for the nine Masters events, the Sunshine Double will once again be staged in March with the Indian Wells Open running from March 4-15 and the Miami Open taking place from March 18-29.

    The Monte Carlo Masters marks the start of the clay Masters swing and it runs from April 5-12 while the Madrid Masters takes place from April 22 to May 3 and the Italian Open runs from May 6-17.

    There is, of course, no grass court Masters event with the next focus on the North American hard-court swing.

    But there is good news for players wanting more time off between Wimbledon and the Canadian Open as there will now be a three-week break as the ATP 1000 event only starts on August 2.

    However, the Canadian Open will once again have a Wednesday final as it will end on August 12.

    That, though, is good news for the Cincinnati Open as, unlike this year, the two Masters events won’t overlap as the Mason tournament runs from August 13 to 23.

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    The 2025 Cincinnati final was staged on a Monday and that had a major impact on the revamped US Open mixed doubles event as many players had to rush to New York to compete.

    “We feel strongly that a Sunday final will deliver the best tournament experience,” Cincinnati Open Tournament Director Bob Moran stated recently.

    “We appreciate the ATP and WTA Tours working with us to make this change, which will benefit our attendees, partners, players and global broadcast audience.”

    With next year’s Cincy final taking place on the Sunday, players will have a bit more rest ahead of the US Open.

    The Tour heads to Asia for the Shanghai Masters from October 7-18 before the final ATP 1000 event, the Paris Masters, runs from November 2-9.

    ATP Masters 1000 Events

    Indian Wells Open March 4-15
    Miami Open – March 18-29
    Monte Carlo Masters – April 5-12
    Madrid Open – April 23-May 3
    Italian Open – May 6-16
    Canadian Open – August 2-12
    Cincinnati Open – 13-23
    Shanghai Masters – October 7-18
    Paris Masters – November 2-9

    Other Changes…

    Marseille (Open 13) and Metz (Moselle Open) have dropped off the calendar with Lyon (Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes) and Millennium Estoril Open (Estoril) added.

    One ATP 250 event is still to be confirmed for the November 8-14 slot. The Hellenic Championship took place in Athens during that time in 2025, but organisers are yet to announce if it will return in 2026.

    The 2026 ATP Tour season will end with the ATP Finals in Italy with the season-ending event pencilled in from November 15 to 22 before the Davis Cup Finals run from November 24-29 in Bologna.

    The post 2026 ATP Tour calendar changes: Longer break between Wimbledon and Canada, no Monday finish at Cincy appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominance leaves former star ‘concerned’ as lack of rivals addressed

    Former Australian Open finalist John Lloyd has revealed the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner leaves him “concerned” about unbalanced draws at the Grand Slams.

    The past two seasons of ATP Tour action have seen world No 1 Alcaraz and world No 2 Sinner separate themselves from the rest of the men’s game, splitting the last eight Grand Slam titles between them.

    Both men won two Grand Slam titles each in both 2024 and 2025, and while just 550 points separate the two in the ATP Rankings, a staggering 6,340 points split world No 2 Sinner from world No 3 Alexander Zverev.

    While several potential rivals for both Alcaraz and Sinner have been named in recent months, so far few players have been able to make a consistent impact and rival them.

    Events in which both men have either not been in action or have exited early — for one reason or another — have produced a string of surprise champions, most notably Valentin Vacherot winning the Shanghai Masters and Jakub Mensik winning the Miami Open.

    That has not proven to be the case at the Grand Slams, with Alcaraz and Sinner meeting in the final of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in 2025.

    It was the first time in the Open Era that the same two men had met in three major finals in the same year, and more Grand Slam final clashes between the two are expected in 2026.

    However, should one of them suffer a shock exit or an injury at a major, it would potentially open the door for a wide range of players — with apparently little separating their ATP contemporaries.

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    Speaking on the Inside-In Tennis Podcast, former player Lloyd expressed his concern that such a scenario would leave a Slam feeling uncompetitive, with one of Alcaraz or Sinner perceived as a de facto champion without their main rival present.

    “I am a little bit concerned about next year,” said Lloyd.

    “You always think that someone is going to come through and challenge, but at the moment I look at Slams — because that is the bread and butter of our sport — and I look at it and think if one of them at one of the majors, which will happen at one stage, gets injured or gets a day where someone plays lights out.

    “You are going to have such a weak half of the draw in terms of names. You almost feel like you might as well give it to the other one right away.

    “At the Slams, you want it to be competitive all the way through, but these two have just separated themselves. It’s amazing to watch how great they are.”

    Alcaraz and Sinner met six times in total across the year, with all of their encounters coming in finals.

    Sinner won their final clash of 2025, with the Italian defeating his Spanish rival at the ATP Finals to successfully defend his title in Turin.

    However, it was Alcaraz who held a 4-2 head-to-head advantage for the year, and now leads their overall head-to-head 10-6.

    The two will contest an exhibition match in South Korea next January, but the next chance for the pair to meet at an official tournament will be the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2025.

    Alcaraz enters the tournament looking to complete the Career Grand Slam, while Sinner will look to become just the second man in the Open Era to win three straight titles in Melbourne.

    Read Next: The defining ATP Tour rivalries of 2025 – ft. Alcaraz, Sinner, Medvedev, Zverev

    The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominance leaves former star ‘concerned’ as lack of rivals addressed appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Novak Djokovic avoiding retirement rumours as lavish price of his holiday destination is revealed

    Novak Djokovic has yet to reveal if and when he will return to tennis in 2026, with the tennis great revealing where he is spending the off-season as he ponders his next move.

    Djokovic opted to pull out of the ATP Finals in Turin on the eve of the tournament, even though he had already been included in the draw for the most lucrative event on the ATP Tour.

    The Serbian didn’t appear to be too concerned to drop out of the ATP Finals for the second successive year, with his fitness seemingly not an issue as he won the ATP 250 title in Athens the day before the Turin tournament got underway.

    Djokovic has made it clear that he is no longer motivated by regular tour events and after going through a second year without adding to his record-breaking total of 24 Grand Slam titles, sparking increased speculation that he could be considering retirement from tennis.

    The Serbian is expected to play in the Australian Open in January, but it is unclear if he will play any warm-up events ahead of the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne.

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    For now, he is stepping away from the speculation over his future and spending some time in a hotel owned by one of his sponsors.

    Djokovic signed up for a lucrative deal with hospitality giant Aman in August 2024, as he joined fellow tennis legend Maria Sharapova in promoting the company’s collection of luxury resorts around the world.

    Now Djokovic has posted an image of himself enjoying a holiday at one of Aman’s resorts, with his presence at the Amanyara resort in the Turks & Caicos Islands, which can cost up to $8,000-a-night for a room.

    “Basking on the secluded shores of an 18,000-acre nature reserve, Amanyara’s lush tropical pavilions and villas overlook half a mile of white sand beaches and the turquoise waters of Providenciales’ North West Point Marine National Park,” reads a description of the resort on the Aman website.

    “A retreat for all ages, the Turks and Caicos resort offers restorative wellness retreats and endless possibilities for discovery above and below the waves.”

    Aman promotes wellness and tranquillity in their lavishly expensive holiday experiences, with the Serbian legend who has been signed up as their lead ambassador a big advocate of restfulness and relaxation.

    “Mental wellness is an area people are paying more attention to and deservedly so,” said Djokovic.

    “In an individual sport like this, you are on the court yourself and there is no one to help you when things go south. Of course, you have a team supporting you in the stands, but you have to work it out for yourself.

    “I believe half of the mental work you need to put in is done before you even set foot on the court. If you fail to prepare, it is going to be a much more difficult mountain to climb and succeed on the court.

    “You need to have a long-term and short-term strategy to find a way to win in the end and you understand that process more when you play for a long time.

    The post Novak Djokovic avoiding retirement rumours as lavish price of his holiday destination is revealed appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Why Joao Fonseca will not play Next Gen ATP Finals as first qualifiers confirmed

    The ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah are set to take place next month, and the field of rising stars set to be in action is slowly being set.

    The tournament has already crowned an array of memorable champions in its short history, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both former winners, while Joao Fonseca lifted the title in 2024.

    While Fonseca is not set to be in action in 2025, Jakub Mensik and Learner Tien are among the high-profile stars set to compete in an event that will see the hottest prospects in men’s tennis battle it out.

    Why is Fonseca not in action?

    Still only 19 years of age and ranked 24th in the world following a remarkable season, Fonseca would have qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals comfortably, with only Mensik ranked ahead of him.

    However, twelve months on from lifting the title, the Brazilian will not be back to defend his crown in 2025.

    Fonseca — who won two ATP Tour titles in 2025 — is out of the event due to injury, choosing to prioritise his preparations for the 2026 season rather than risk further physical struggles.

    A tournament statement read: “Joao Fonseca has withdrawn from the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF as he continues to recover from an injury sustained at the end of the 2025 ATP Tour season. We wish Joao the best in his recovery and in his preparations for the 2026 ATP Tour season.”

    Who will compete?

    Though the reigning champion will not be in action, the tournament will be boosted by the presence of two other top 30 stars — Mensik and Tien.

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    Twenty-year-old Mensik is the top qualifier for the event with 2,180 points to his name for 2025, his year highlighted by his stunning run to the Miami Open title back in March.

    The Czech, who sits at 19th in the year-end rankings, made his debut at the tournament in 2024, falling in the round-robin stage.

    Also returning to the event in 2025 is US ace Tien, who was the runner-up to Fonseca in Jeddah last year.

    A hugely impressive season has seen Tien reach a career-high of 28th in the ATP Rankings, with the American ending the year by winning his first ATP Tour title at the Moselle Open.

    Tien was also a finalist at the China Open in September and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open as a qualifier back in January.

    The third official qualifier to be announced is Belgian rising star Alexander Blockx, who sits fourth in the race to Jeddah and is currently 115th in the ATP Rankings.

    The remaining qualifiers are set to be announced and confirmed across the next few days, with this the final week in which players can secure qualification points.

    ATP Race to Jeddah (as of November 27, 2025)

    1) Jakub Mensik, 2,180 — announced
    2) Joao Fonseca, 1,635 — withdrawn
    3) Learner Tien, 1,550 — announced
    4) Alexander Blockx, 542 — announced
    5) Dino Prizmic, 487
    6) Martin Landaluce, 455
    7) Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, 450
    8) Nishesh Basavareddy, 349
    9) Rafael Jodar, 349
    10) Rei Sakamoto, 318

    Read Next: Exclusive – Marcos Baghdatis reveals if he is enjoying retirement from tennis as he shares standout memories

    The post Why Joao Fonseca will not play Next Gen ATP Finals as first qualifiers confirmed appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Jack Draper reveals what he needs to improve to compete with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

    Jack Draper was emerging as the primary candidate to take on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of men’s tennis in the first half of this season, but he admits he has to improve the attacking side of his game to reach the very top.

    Draper turned in a dominant performance as he beat Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Alcaraz on his way to winning his first ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells in March, with his class then shining through on clay courts as he battled through to the Madrid Open final.

    That was before an arm injury derailed his season, as he lost against Marin Cilic at Wimbledon and was then forced to pull out of the US Open due to the arm problem.

    Draper is set to make his first appearance on court since the last Grand Slam of the season at next week’s UTS Grand Final event in London, where he will compete against top players like Alex de Minaur in the battle for a big prize money cheque in the high-energy exhibition event.

    Ahead of his comeback, he sat down with The Tennis Mentor at a Dunlop event to discuss where he needs to improve his game, as he pointed to the attitude of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as his main sources of inspiration.

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    “I’m always developing, always learning,” said Draper. “When I was growing up and watching interviews with the greats like Andy, Novak, Rafa and Roger and they are always looking to improve.

    “I’m still at the very start of my journey. I’m still learning all the time and gaining lots of experience from winning matches and losing matches.

    “There are many areas of my game I’m trying to improve. Obviously, tennis a very mental game and I’m trying to keep on improving that. Then my serve, my forehand.

    “The way I’m trying to improve the attacking side of my tennis. I’ve always been someone who is incredibly comfortable in defence, but coming forwards and trying to knock off the point with the volley… that’s where I’d say modern tennis is about going out there and winning. They are not going to let you.

    “As a player, you’ve got to experience losing matches because you are not doing the right thing. I went through a period last year when I lost four matches 7-6 in the third against really top players. It was a moment I had to look at myself and think, I have to go out there and get it. I need to be a complete player and not just let them win.

    “You watch guys like Alcaraz and Sinner, they are playing so freely. That’s a big part of the sport right now. Just to express yourself on court.”

    A fit and firing Draper has confirmed he has too much firepower for Alcaraz after wins against him on grass at the Queen’s Club in 2024 and at Indian Wells earlier this year.

    He will draw inspiration from those wins as he looks to make a big splash in 2026, with Draper set to return to competitive action alongside his fellow Brit Emma Raducanu in the United Cup team event next month.

    The post Jack Draper reveals what he needs to improve to compete with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Emma Raducanu: The 5 key areas she needs to improve to be competitive in 2026

    Emma Raducanu: The 5 key areas she needs to improve to be competitive in 2026

    Emma Raducanu finished her 2025 season on course to secure her big target as she is back in the top 30 of the WTA Rankings and closing in on a seeded position at the Australian Open in January.

    Now she will be aiming for more next season, with the British No 1 having some time to reflect on the progress she made over the last 12 months and evaluate where she can improve.

    Here is your Tennis365 guide to the five big areas Raducanu needs to work on before she returns to action at the United Cup in Australia next month.

    1. Serving consistency

    Raducanu’s best performances this season came when her serve was firing, as this gave her a platform to build around.

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    She has struggled to hold serve too often against big-hitting opponents over the last couple of seasons, but she added pace and accuracy to her serve after Mark Petchey joined her coaching team at the Miami Open in March and she was in dominant serving form in the first two rounds at the US Open.

    She doesn’t have the firepower to compete with some of the game’s top players, but the balance of power can change if she gets plenty of free points on her first service points.

    2. The power game

    Can Raducanu compete against the game’s biggest hitters?

    The answer to that question remains in doubt after she was blown away by Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, where the chasm in class and power appeared to be too much for the British player.

    Yet she confirmed in her matches against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon and in the Cincinnati Open that she could contain the power of the biggest hitter in the women’s game, even though she came up short in both of those closely contested matches.

    Raducanu has experimented with different string tensions as she looks to find more power on court, but it won’t be easy for her to bridge that power gap on days when she is put under pressure.

    3. Adding variety

    That power problem could be eased if she can add more variety to her game.

    Radcuanu can be a glorious power hitter from the back of the court, but when that plan is not enough to overpower an opponent, she can look lost on court.

    Adding a few more drops shots, taking some pace of the ball and skidding it low to opponents could all be variations that would add to her armoury, but that may take time to develop.

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    4. Reversing the tide

    When Raducanu loses her way in a match, she can slide out of contention very quickly.

    We saw that at Wimbledon in the match against Sabalenka, as a competitive first set was lost and a healthy lead in the second set was also lost.

    Her defeats against Swiatek at the Australian Open and French Open and the loss against Rybakina at the US Open were additional examples of Raducanu appearing to run out of ideas and lose hope long before the end of the match.

    She needs a Plan B when the tide is turning against her.

    5. Adding belief

    Raducanu has not reached a WTA Tour level final since her iconic US Open win in 2021 and the long wait to make a second breakthrough in the game has taken its toll.

    She appears to struggle to string the four or five performances together that will be needed to reach the back end of elite level tournaments and that consistency and physical resilience will need to be added in 2026.

    She could challenge for a WTA Tour title if she played more lower ranked events, but Raducanu always appears to be motivated by the top tier tournaments and that ensures the quality of player she faces will be higher.

    The post Emma Raducanu: The 5 key areas she needs to improve to be competitive in 2026 appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Amanda Anisimova 2026 tennis schedule: US star looks to build on breakout season

    The rise of Amanda Anisimova was one of the WTA Tour’s best stories in 2025, with the US star surging up the WTA Rankings.

    Runs to two Grand Slam finals and two WTA 1000 titles helped propel Anisimova to a new career-high of fourth in the world, and she will be among those competing for the biggest titles in 2026.

    Here, we look at the American’s potential schedule for 2026, and what could await her over the coming year.

    Australian Open — Jan 18 – Feb 1

    Anisimova played in Auckland and Hobart before the Australian Open in 2025, but with an elevated ranking, could she start her year straight away in Melbourne?

    The American was beaten in the second round of the tournament this January by Emma Raducanu, though has previously reached the fourth round on three separate occasions.

    Qatar Open — February 8-14

    Anisimova’s real surge up the WTA Rankings began in Doha this year, with the American storming through the field to win her first-ever WTA 1000 title.

    She beat Jelena Ostapenko in the final this year and will likely be back to defend her crown in 2026, in what is the first of ten WTA 1000 tournaments across the season.

    Dubai Tennis Championships — February 16–22

    The second WTA 1000 event of the season, the world No 4 will be looking for improved form at the Dubai Tennis Championships next season.

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    Anisimova was beaten by McCartney Kessler in the first round this year, and has never made it past the second round of the tournament.

    Indian Wells — March 4-15

    The first half of the prestigious ‘Sunshine Double’, Anisimova will be targeting a strong run in what will likely be her first tournament of the year on US soil.

    She was beaten in her first match of the event by Belinda Bencic in 2025, and has not made the second week since doing so on her tournament debut in 2018.

    Miami Open — March 18-29

    The second of the two ‘Sunshine Double’ events, the American reached the fourth round of the Miami Open in 2025.

    After falling to Raducanu this year, the world No 4 will be — at the very least — eyeing up a first quarter-final at the WTA 1000 event.

    Charleston Open — Mar 30 – Apr 5

    Anisimova started her 2025 clay-court swing at the WTA 500 Charleston Open in 2025, and may look to do so once again to maximise time on US soil.

    She was a semi-finalist on the green clay back in April this year, retiring injured versus Sofia Kenin in the last four.

    Madrid Open — Apr 22 – May 3

    The first of two WTA 1000 events during the clay-court swing, Anisimova lost to Peyton Stearns in her opening Madrid Open match this spring.

    However, she was a quarter-finalist at the tournament back in 2022, and the altitude inside the Caja Magica should suit her big-hitting game style.

    Italian Open — May 6-17

    Much like in Madrid, the 24-year-old was also beaten in her opening-round match at the Italian Open in 2025, falling to Veronika Kudermetova.

    Anisimova will likely return to the WTA 1000 event in 2026, looking to potentially better her quarter-final run from 2022.

    French Open — May 24 – Jun 7

    Anisimova reached the fourth round of the French Open in 2025, pushing eventual runner-up and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a tight two-set battle.

    The American memorably progressed to the semi-final of the tournament as a 17-year-old back in 2019, and a similar run in 2026 feels like a distinct possibility.

    Queen’s Club Championship — June 8-14

    A strong 2025 grass-court swing for Anisimova started at the Queen’s Club Championship in 2025, with the American reaching the final of the WTA 500 event.

    She beat both Emma Navarro and Zheng Qinwen before falling to Tatjana Maria in the final, and has already signed up for the 2026 edition of the event.

    German Open — June 15-21

    Though she may choose to rest amid the 2026 grass-court swing, she was a quarter-finalist at the WTA 500 event in Berlin last year.

    Anisimova was beaten by Liudmila Samsonova in the last eight, at an event that usually attracts an incredibly strong field.

    Wimbledon — Jun 29 – Jul 12

    Few could forget Anisimova’s incredible run at the All England Club in 2025, with the star beating Sabalenka in a thrilling semi-final to reach her first Grand Slam final.

    After a double-bagel final defeat to Iga Swiatek, the American will look to go one better in 2026.

    Canadian Open — August 1-13

    Anisimova competed at the Canadian Open just two weeks after Wimbledon in 2025, and the extended three-week gap in 2026 means she will likely compete once again.

    The first of two WTA 1000 events during the hard-court summer, she reached round four of the event in Montreal this year — though she was a 2024 finalist in Toronto, where the event is held next year.

    Cincinnati Open — August 13-23

    The second of the two WTA 1000 events held in North America during the summer, the Cincinnati Open has not been Anisimova’s happiest hunting ground.

    She has never made it past the third round of the event in four attempts, falling at that stage to Anna Kalinskaya in 2025.

    US Open — Aug 30 – Sep 13

    The final Grand Slam tournament of 2026, expectations will be high on home favourite Anisimova in New York — especially after her 2025 runner-up finish.

    She memorably beat both Swiatek and Naomi Osaka on her way to the final, before falling to world No 1 and reigning champion Sabalenka in the championship match.

    Korea Open — September 21-27

    Anisimova withdrew from the WTA 500 Korea Open in 2025, though a campaign at the event in 2026 is more than possible.

    Should the US qualify, she may also compete at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals this week.

    China Open — Sep 28 – Oct 11

    Anisimova memorably claimed her second WTA 1000 title of 2025 at the China Open, stunning Coco Gauff in the last four before a three-set win versus Linda Noskova in the final.

    The penultimate WTA 1000 event will likely represent a key stop in the calendar for the American, with big ranking points to defend.

    Wuhan Open — Oct 12-18

    The final WTA 1000 event of the season, Anisimova withdrew from the Wuhan Open in 2025 after her victorious campaign in Beijing.

    However, it will likely be an event on her radar in 2026, as she looks to finish the season on a high.

    WTA Finals — November 7-14

    Assuming she qualifies, the WTA Finals may well bring Anisimova’s season to an end, just as they did in 2025.

    The American was a semi-finalist on her tournament debut this year.

    Read Next: The 5 defining WTA Tour rivalries of 2025 – ft. Sabalenka, Swiatek, Anisimova, Gauff

    The post Amanda Anisimova 2026 tennis schedule: US star looks to build on breakout season appeared first on Tennis365.