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Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka have both been nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards just days after it was confirmed that Jannik Sinner had been removed from contention.

The Laureus Awards are among the most prestigious accolades within sport, and the ceremony will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a star-studded ceremony in Madrid on April 21st.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz and current WTA world No 1 Sabalenka will be among those contesting the Sportsman of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year prizes, respectively.

Alcaraz has been nominated following a year which has seen the Spaniard win his first French Open title and successfully defend his Wimbledon title, before claiming Olympic silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The 21-year-old faces stiff competition from swimmer Leon Marchand, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, cyclist Tadej Pogacar, and Formula 1 star Max Verstappen.

Sabalenka’s nomination comes after winning both the Australian Open and US Open titles in 2024 and ending a WTA season as the year-end world No 1 for the first time.

The Belarusian is nominated alongside legendary gymnast Simone Biles, footballer and 2024 winner Aitana Bonmati, and athletics stars Sifan Hassan, Faith Kipyegon, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

There is also recognition for wheelchair tennis star Tokito Oda, who has been nominated for the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award.

However, one notable absentee is Sinner, who matches Alcaraz by winning two Grand Slam titles in 2024, finishing the year with a dominant lead as the world No 1.

Laureus announced in a statement last week that the 23-year-old, who won a second Australian Open title in January, had been removed from the initial shortlist due to his three-month doping suspension.

“Following discussions by the Laureus Academy it has been decided that Jannik Sinner’s nomination for this year’s Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award is to be withdrawn,” Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

“We have followed this case, the decisions of the relevant global bodies and – whilst we note the extenuating circumstances involved – feel that the three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible. Jannik and his team have been informed.”

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Tennis success at Laureus

Should Alcaraz, Sabalenka, or Oda triumph, they will join an esteemed list of tennis players to triumph at the Laureus Awards.

Tennis is the most successful sport in the Sportsman of the Year category, with the most wins (12) and most nominations (22) of any sport.

Roger Federer (2005-8, 2018), and Novak Djokovic (2012, 2015-16, 2019, 2024) hold the joint-record for most wins with five triumphs apiece, while Rafael Nadal won in 2011 and 2021.

Serena Williams holds the record for most wins in the Sportswoman of the Year category, triumphing in 2003, 2010, 2016, and 2018.

Jennifer Capriati (2002), Justine Henin (2008), and Naomi Osaka (2021) have also triumphed, with a total of seven wins and 26 nominations overall for tennis players in the category.

Oda would follow in the footsteps of Esther Vergeer (2002, 2008) and Diede de Groot (2024) should he prevail.

Read Next: ATP Rankings: Alexander Zverev misses out, Stefanos Tsitsipas in top 10, Ben Shelton, Tomas Machac milestones

The post Carlos Alcaraz & Aryna Sabalenka nominated for award that snubbed Jannik Sinner appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff united with Serena Williams at the Oscars after playing a starring role at Hollywood’s biggest night of the year.

World No 3 and 2023 US Open champion Gauff was among the biggest names gracing the red carpet ahead of the iconic awards ceremony, which saw Anora dominate with five victories.

The 20-year-old wore a custom yellow MiuMiu gown with crystal embroidery for the ceremony and then changed into a yellow and green gown for the famous Vanity Fair After Party, where she shared a photo alongside 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams.

Speaking with Oscars ambassador and interviewer Amelia Dimoldenberg before the ceremony, the US star revealed what it was like getting ready for her evening.

“It was a lot,” joked Gauff. “Hair, make-up, the whole do – I play tennis so I’m not used to this glam, but it’s nice to get dressed for the day.”

She also opened up further about her competitive nature when asked to draw comparisons with the WTA Tour and the Oscars race.

Gauff added: “Definitely [a competitive person], but more like when it comes to on court stuff.

“Off the court, like board games and stuff, of course. UNO, like, I get a lot of fights for that, but with this [the ceremony], I’m just here for the vibes, just enjoying it, and just trying to take it all in.”

Fellow tennis star Williams was not the only famous face that Gauff was pictured with during the event in Los Angeles.

Gauff’s mum, Candi, shared a picture with herself, her daughter, and acting great Samuel L. Jackson – a former nominee and 2025 award presenter – from backstage.

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Candi also shared a photo of herself with former host and Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, who presented an award alongside Oprah Winfrey on Sunday.

Who were the big winners at the Oscars?

Gauff may have been among those starring on the red carpet, though attention turned quickly to who would pick up the golden statuettes at the 97th Academy Awards.

The biggest winner was Anora, with five awards – including a history-making run for Sean Baker.

He became the first person to win four awards for one film, claiming the Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture prizes.

Anora’s big night was capped off by a triumph for Mikey Madison in the Best Actress category.

Elsewhere, Adrien Brody lifted his second Best Actor Oscar for his performance in The Brutalist, while Zoe Saldana won Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Perez and Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain.

Outside of Gauff, there was little tennis representation, with Challengers having controversially received no nominations.

Read Next: How many points will Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu drop in March?

The post Coco Gauff unites with Serena Williams as she stars on Oscars red carpet appeared first on Tennis365.

There was no change in the top five of the WTA Rankings with Aryna Sabalenka still comfortably ahead of second-placed Iga Swiatek while it was a good week for the American trio of Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro and McCartney Kessler.

Most of the players inside the top 10 of the rankings didn’t feature in week eight of the WTA Tour as they opted to take a breather ahead of the hectic Sunshine Double in March with the Indian Wells Open starting on 5 March before the Miami Open gets underway a fortnight later.

The top three were unchanged in terms of position and points with Sabalenka sitting on pretty at No 1 on 9,076 points for a healthy 1,091-point advantage over Swiatek while Coco Gauff is another 1,652 points adrift in third place.

Three-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka’s lead is likely to grow at the back-to-back WTA 1000 events in the United States as she is defending less than 200 points while Swiatek will drop more than 1,000.

The Belarusian has now spent 28 weeks at the top and is set to move up to 15th in the all-time list for most weeks at No 1 as Angelique Kerber is ahead of her on 34 weeks.

Pegula and Navarro were the two top-10 players in action last week and they were richly rewarded as they both enjoyed WTA title runs with the former winning the ATX Open while the latter walked away with the WTA 500 Merida Open trophy.

Pegula won her seventh title with a straight-set win over Kessler in Texas, but she remains in fourth place in the WTA Rankings with 5,251 points. Kessler is up eight spots to No 48, one spot below her highest-ever position.

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Navarro has returned to her career-best No 8 following the biggest title of her career as she won her second WTA trophy more than a year after lifting the WTA 250 Hobart International.

There is one more change to the top 10 with Paula Badosa returning to No 10 and Mirra Andreeva dropping to 11th after the Spaniard’s run to the quarter-final in Mexico.

Ekaterina Alexandrova and Yulia Putintseva both move up two places to No 19 and No 20 respectively while Marta Kostyuk dropped five spots to No 24.

British No 1 Katie Boulter started last week at No 26, but she didn’t defend the points she won from her title run at San Diego last year due to injury and, as a result, slipped to No 38.

Grand Slam winners Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka are at No 55 and No 56 respectively.

Emiliana Arango was the beaten finalist in Merida and the Colombian has surged 53 places to a career-high No 80 having come through qualifying to reach her maiden WTA Tour final while 18-year-old Australian Maya Joint is up 18 places to No 85 (a new best) after reaching the last eight.

WTA Rankings Top 20

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 9,076 points
2. Iga Swiatek Poland – 7,985
3. Coco Gauff United States – 6,333
4. Jessica Pegula United States – 5,251
5. Madison Keys United States – 4,679
6. Jasmine Paolini Italy – 4,518
7. Elena Rybakina Kazakhstan – 4,328
8. Emma Navarro United States – 4,009
9. Zheng Qinwen China – 3,780
10. Paula Badosa Spain – 3,746
11. Mirra Andreeva – 3,720
12. Daria Kasatkina – 3,116
13. Diana Shnaider – 2,908
14. Danielle Collins United States – 2,823
15. Karolina Muchova Czech Republic – 2,734
16. Barbora Krejcikova Czech Republic – 2,675
17. Beatriz Hadid Maia Brazil – 2,369
18. Amanda Anisimova United States – 2,326
19. Ekaterina Alexandrova – 2,158
20. Yulia Putintseva Kazakhstan – 2,138

The post WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka’s healthy lead, Emma Navarro back at career high, Katie Boulter -12 appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz will be the favourite to win a third successive Indian Wells titles at the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament, but he may face very different conditions when he arrives in California.

Alcaraz was in sensational form in this tournament last year, as he beat Jannik Sinner in an epic semi-final before seeing off Daniil Medvedev in the final.

He was equally dominant in 2023, as he beat Medvedev in the final once again, but the surface used for those two tournaments will be changed for this year’s edition of the tournament.

While it will still be an outdoor hard court providing a stage for the best male and female players at Indian Wells, the company supplying the court has changed for 2025.

The tournament was previously played on Plexicushion and will now switch to Laykold, with the difference likely to change the pace of the court and maybe even the bounce.

The Laykold courts serve up a lower bounce and a faster surface overall, but the conditions in the California desert will be a factor in how the courts play at Indian Wells.

Laykold is the company that has provided the courts for the US Open in recent years and they were also charged with supplying the courts for last month’s Abu Dhabi Open and the Miami Open later this month.

“Known for its pace precision and consistency, the key markers of a high-performance tennis court and one of the biggest challenges professional events face, Laykold courts deliver 10 x greater consistency than the accepted industry standard,” reads a report on the Laykold website.

“As the official court surface of the US Open for the last 5 years, Laykold has consistently maintained Flushing Meadows’ court pace to within 0.6 of a point, year on year, court to court.

“This unrivalled precision is now being exported across events, elevating playing conditions and allowing the players to be the best they can be.

“This step-up in playing conditions is not the result of a one-size fits all formula.

“Each stop on the elite tennis circuit has its own requirements and identity which need to be upheld and celebrated.

“Famed for following the sun, each of hardcourt tennis’ stops, nonetheless, has its own unique climatic conditions to contend with, from extreme heat to atmospheric dust, humidity and air density.

“To deliver consistent court pace and quality, each surface has to be tailored to the individual tournament.”

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Alcaraz clearly relished the conditions at Indian Wells over the last couple of years, but he should not be hugely concerned by the change of surface.

After all, he confirmed he can be a dominant force on Laykold court in recent years, with his 2022 US Open win confirming he is a threat on any surface.

The Spaniard is heading to Indian Wells in confident mood as he prepares to return to play in the desert for the first leg of the ‘Sunshine Double’ that will conclude with the Miami Open later in March.

“I’m really looking forward to going to Indian Wells already; it’s a place I love to play and love to be at,” said Alcaraz. “I think the last two years have shown how comfortable I am there. Hopefully, this year it happens again.

“We’re going to try to do our best, prepare well these days, this week, to start the tournament strong, and hopefully, we can achieve that milestone of winning three consecutive times. So, let’s see this year.”

READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz opens up about ‘letting my feelings go’ after painful Novak Djokvoic defeat

The post Why Carlos Alcaraz faces a new challenge as he prepares to defend Indian Wells title appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic still has a chance to claim a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title before he calls time on his remarkable career but one big factor may block his late big ambition in the sport, according to respected tennis broadcaster Marcus Buckland.

Djokovic and Australian legend Margaret Court jointly hold the record for the most Grand Slam titles, with their haul of 24 ensuring they lead the way in the major tournament history books.

Now Djokovic has set his sights on claiming that record for himself and the form he showed in the opening Grand Slam of 2025 suggested he could still be a contender in the biggest tournaments in tennis.

Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz in thrilling fashion in the Australian Open quarter-finals in January, but he was forced to pull out with injury in his semi-final against Alexander Zverev.

That may be the recurring story for Djokovic as he approaches his 38th birthday in May, with Buckland telling Tennis365 that the Serbian legend may be fighting a losing battle with his body in the chapters of his career.

“It’s all going to be down to his fitness,” began Buckland, speaking exclusively to Tennis365.

“I saw images of him the other day limping, so we don’t entirely know where he is physically heading into Indian Wells. There are one or two question marks there.

“The guy is almost superhuman, but he can’t go on forever and it has suddenly started to look a little more difficult for him to do what he wants to do.

“It’s difficult to find your consistent best if your body is not allowing you to do that.

“Give him a half decent draw, his experience and he obviously has the chance to challenge anywhere when he is at his best, but it is getting harder.

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“It is the same with Murray as you never want to write off these great champions until they have given every last ounce to revive their glory days, as these guys love to prove people wrong.

“He will be doing everything he can to be as fit as he can be and come Roland Garros and Wimbledon, given a favourable draw and if his body doesn’t let him down, of course he has a chance.”

Djokovic was booed off court when he was forced to quit his semi-final with Zverev in Melbourne, on what was the latest ugly spat between the most successful male tennis player of all-time and tennis fans.

Despite his success, Djokovic has never been a fan favourite around the world and Buckland believes that narrative needs to change, as he is the last man standing from an era of great champions that also featured serial winners Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

“We have to relish the fact that Djokovic is still around,” said Buckland. “I was so lucky during my time at Sky Sports and the early stages at Amazon as well to watch Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray performing at such a high level every week.

“We thought it would go on forever as they were all so good and they started to dominate the sport for a long, long time.

“Now Djokovic is the only one left and we have to respect him more and more. I would love to see him do it once more.

“As for the crowd reaction to Djokovic in Melbourne. Well, we have seen it before and it happened again.

“The crowd in Australia can get a little over-excited. Also, when they have paid a lot of money and they are not getting the match they wanted, you can understand their disappointment, but that was not an excuse to boo a great champion.

“I would like to think that 90 per-cent of those that booed him regret it, but we have this tribalism in our sport and if you are not a Djokovic fan, it can inspire some people to voice their annoyance at him when he does something they don’t approve of.”

Buckland is also relishing the prospect of Djokovic continuing his unexpected partnership with his former rival Andy Murray, who has confirmed he will extend his coaching role in the Serbian’s camp after a successful start to their working relationship at the Australian Open.

“We have got the excitement of the Djokovic and Murray player coaching combination continuing and that was fascinating to watch at the Australian Open,” he added.

“We don’t know what events Andy will be going to, but it will be great to see how that develops.”

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic set for huge rankings boost opportunity as he returns to action

The post Novak Djokovic’s biggest threat is no longer on the court claims leading tennis voice appeared first on Tennis365.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Current WTA Rankings Top 20 (February 24 update)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Points Dropping in March – WTA Top 10

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

Selected Others

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

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

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

The post How many points will Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu drop in March? appeared first on Tennis365.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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