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Alex Eala cemented herself as one of the most popular players on the entire WTA Tour at the beginning of the year, but it’s only recently that she has begun to play like a truly elite star.

The 21-year-old came into her own on the grass court swing. She captured the Birmingham Open to begin the swing and then picked up victories against Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina en route to the semi finals of the Berlin Open.

Her fortunes continued at Wimbledon as she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.

Eala defeated Renata Zarazúa, Maya Joint, and Iga Swiatek to reach the Wimbledon fourth round, before she was defeated by Jasmine Paolini in three sets.

The star has returned to the Philippines following her breakout Grand Slam run, where she received a heroes welcome from her biggest fans in the nation.

The star has taken part in a press conference back home, where she has opened up about a number of topics in the sport.

Speaking at a BPI press conference, Eala was asked if there are any misconceptions that fans have about professional tennis players.

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The Filipina star responded: “Maybe a misconception that’s popping into my head… I’ve heard, I don’t know if this is true, people say that tennis players can be self-centred.

“I don’t think that’s true. And if someone is self-centred I don’t think it’s because they are a tennis player. I think maybe they’re just being self-centred because that’s who they are.

“It’s true that in tennis, to a certain point, when it comes to competition you have to put yourself first, and you have to think of yourself.”

Eala is enjoying a well-deserved break following Wimbledon, but she has already ear-marked her next tournament ahead of the North American hardcourt swing.

The Filipina star is set to play the Washington Open, which is set to take place between July 27th and August 2nd.

Eala will be joined by Jessica Pegula, Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Naomi Osaka, Paolini, Iva Jovic, Diana Shnaider, and Anna Kalinskaya at the event.

Venus Williams and Qinwen Zheng have also been awarded wildcards for the tournament, so it will not be easy for Eala to continue the excellent form she has shown on the grass.

Following the Washington event, Eala is then expected to play the Canadian Open in Toronto as she prepares to get ready for the US Open at the end of August.

The post Alex Eala responds to recent criticism she’s heard about professional tennis players appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner was at his brilliant best to beat Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev back-to-back to retain his Wimbledon title.

But there is a gaping chasm left in men’s tennis courtesy of the injured Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard has not played on the ATP Tour since suffering a wrist injury in mid-April at the Barcelona Open.

The seven-time major winner shocked fans when he pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon, and rumours are mounting that he may miss the US Open, too.

Not only does the 23-year-old arguably have the most exciting game on tour, but he is also a very likeable character, with a healthy dose of charisma.

And according to the co-host of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Caitlin Thompson, the sport is much worse off without the injured Alcaraz on our screens.

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Thompson, who is the founder of ‘Racquet Magazine’, feels that French Open winner and Wimbledon runner-up Zverev is a “major step down” from the former world No 1 and men’s tennis needs Alcaraz back and fast.

She said on the latest episode of the podcast, “I do think we have a major charisma problem on the men’s tour when Carlos Alcaraz is not playing tennis. Maybe it’s because I talk with more casual fans who are a little disappointed to see somebody like Alex Zverev, who’s a major step down.

“Although to your point, he played a great tournament, and he’s certainly improved. He’s hitting harder serves. He’s hitting more accurate serves.
He’s hitting harder forehands. He’s not as passive on point construction.

“But yeah, I mean, it’s not close, certainly in the charisma, but also in the skill set. So, you know, Alex Zverev getting through nobody seeded in the top 10 to get to the final was sort of like, ugh, this guy again?”

Stubbs, who is currently part of Serena Williams’ coaching team, was quick to sing the praises of Sinner, who now has five Grand Slams to his name.

The four-time doubles major winner believes the 24-year-old is an “incredible” player to watch and his shot making skills are “unbelievable”. But once again, Thompson was less enthusiastic.

Stubbs said on Sinner, “I mean, the guy is just phenomenal when he gets that first serve in the court. When he’s at his best, he’s just incredible to watch as a tennis player.

“The accuracy, I was sitting in the Last 8 Club members, so I was sitting with other tennis players, and we just marvel. We just go, ‘This is just ridiculous’. The shot making that he can produce is unbelievable.”

Thompson replied, “It’s optimised. It’s hard to get excited about it for me, but I’m glad he won. I was rooting for him. I’m glad that he repeated. But yeah, his style of play is optimised, is what I would say. I miss Carlos Alcaraz a lot.”

Stubbs conceded that point, before talking up the Italian again. For all of Sinner’s accomplishments, they would, arguably, be even more impressive if Alcaraz was on the other side of the net, or at least back fit again. However, his return date is far from certain.

READ MORE: ‘Carlos Alcaraz’s injury is hell for tennis – we’ve lost some of our magic’

The post ‘I’m glad Jannik Sinner won Wimbledon but men’s tennis has a major charisma problem without Carlos Alcaraz’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz’s absence from tennis has left a deep hole in the sport, with many fans, pundits, and even players expressing their desire for him to return.

The Spaniard has been out of action since the Barcelona Open in April, where he suffered an unfortunate wrist injury in his first round match against Otto Virtanen.

It’s kept him out of two Grand Slams, at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as well as several Masters events on the European clay court swing.

There is, as yet, no confirmation as to when the World No 3 will return, although we do know it will not be as early as the Canadian Open at the beginning of August.

Alcaraz has been tipped to return at the Cincinnati Open, although the likes of Greg Rusedski and Boris Becker have predicted he might miss the US Open.

As his absence is set to hit its fifth month, Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, has applauded Alcaraz for not returning to tennis too soon.

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Speaking on social media, the Tennis Hall of Famer said: “The Spanish magician will be back doing magic tricks soon. Playing the long game with this injury was beyond smart.

“Once he returns and feels it and deals it in live action, his comeback will gain traction. Soon there is there is no hesitation or no delay confidence will soar and his breathtaking magic act will once again be on full display.”

After losing his World No 2 status to Alexander Zverev, thanks to his run to the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz does not really have anything to worry about ranking wise during his absence.

The Spaniard is still 3420 ranking points ahead of Felix Auger-Aliassime, who currently occupies the World No 4 spot.

Auger-Aliassime reached the semi-finals of the US Open last year, so he will have to match that performance at this year’s event in order to add to his tally.

That is very unlikely, which means Alcaraz will likely hold the World No 3 position even if he doesn’t play for the rest of the year.

It’s a testament to Alcaraz’s level at the top of the ATP Tour that he can afford to miss most of the year without losing very much ground at all when it comes to the rankings.

After the US Open last year, Alcaraz only claimed one ATP title for the rest of the season. That came at the Japan Open, so Alcaraz does not have many ranking points to defend.

He also suffered an early exit at the final Masters event of the year in Paris, so he will be confident even if he does end up missing the rest of the season.

The post Carlos Alcaraz praised for making ‘beyond smart’ decision during absence from tennis appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz continued to worry fans after his name was not on the entry list for the Canadian Open, which is set to start at the beginning of August.

Alcaraz has already missed Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to a wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open in April, and many expected him to return for the North American hardcourt swing.

However, the Spaniard will not play the Canadian Open and there has been no official confirmation that he will return to tennis anytime soon.

Greg Rusedski has claimed Alcaraz will not play the US Open and Boris Becker has also cast doubt about the star coming back to tennis in the next few months.

However, a new report has suggested there is positivity in the Alcaraz camp that he will return before the US Open.

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According to Spanish outlet Laverdad, the World No 3’s absence from the Canadian Open entry list is nothing to be worried about and entirely part of the plan for his recovery.

“Alcaraz’s team has chosen to focus all their efforts on arriving in the best possible condition for Cincinnati, a tournament that begins in mid-August,” said the report.

Alcaraz might have worried fans and pundits with his recent training video, in which he was not hitting balls with any force, but his wrist is reportedly healed.

The report continued: “Before that, he will need to be medically cleared and the plan is for doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro to grant it this week he saw him last Friday in Barcelona and the impressions were very positive. The wrist is healthy, completely healed and they are gradually increasing the training load.”

Alcaraz will not lose any more ranking points by missing the Canadian Open, as he withdrew from the event last year.

He did, however, win the Cincinnati Open last season so he will be defending the full 1000 points if he does return to the Masters tournament.

The one thing that is for sure, however, is that tennis has missed Alcaraz more than many expected.

That is a sentiment that has been echoed by World No 1 Jannik Sinner.

Speaking in his post-match Wimbledon press conference, after claiming the title, Sinner said: “Big, big respect to Sascha, because he’s doing something amazing. His game is growing and growing.

“In the same time, that’s exactly what’s good, because you have always someone who is pushing you to the limit. We hope that Carlos is coming back, as well, because tennis needs him.

“Having Novak [Djokovic] still around, having all the young players coming, it’s really, really nice. At the same time, you always need to work hard and have moments like this.”

The post What Carlos Alcaraz has done in the last week to aid wrist injury recovery appeared first on Tennis365.

Rennae Stubbs has proposed a radical change to the latter stages of Grand Slams in light of Novak Djokovic’s gruelling quarter-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Jannik Sinner and Linda Noskova won the men’s and women’s Wimbledon titles, respectively, last weekend as punters were treated to two engaging finals.

The Italian came from a set down against Alexander Zverev to retain his title, while Noskova finally got over the line against fellow Czech Karolina Muchova in three sets after serving for the match in the second.

One of the most anticipated contests of the tournament was, arguably, between world No 1 Sinner and the man who beat him in five sets at the Australian Open, Djokovic.

The 39-year-old won a remarkable quarter-final over Auger-Aliassime in five hours and 15 minutes, but he didn’t have much left in the tank against Sinner, who saw him off in straight sets.

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As a result, Serena Williams‘ coach, Stubbs, feels that the men should should play four sets and then finish with a tiebreak instead of playing a fifth set and the women should adopt that from the quarter-final or semi-final stage.

On the latest episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, her co-host, Caitlin Thompson, said she wished the women played best of five sets from the quarter-final or semi-final onwards to “guarantee” higher-quality matches and avoid situations like Amanda Anisimova’s double bagel defeat to Iga Swiatek in last year’s Wimbledon final.

In response, the four-time Grand Slam doubles winner said, “I don’t agree with that. You and I have been talking about getting rid of best of five forever. I think a balance of four if it goes two sets all and then we play a 10-point tiebreak, which is basically the same thing anyway.”

Thompson then chimed in, “You’re just throwing in an entirely new format that nobody plays on any tour whatsoever, I love that!”

Stubbs said that a best of five set match for the women would go on even longer as their serves aren’t as potent as the men. She cited how Djokovic was “dead” for his semi-final with Sinner and if his Auger-Aliassime match was an hour or so shorter, it could have been a better last four contest.

She continued, “If we’re talking about women’s tennis and no offence to the women or men, the women are going to be playing longer matches because they don’t have the big serves.

“You saw the men’s, they are playing long rallies as well now, but they do have huge serves and they win a lot of points on their serve, particularly on grass.

“You won’t see that quick a point all the time, and certainly not on clay with the guys, they are going to be playing 40-ball rallies every time. If we’re going to do it for both, let’s do it for both, and when it’s two sets all, play a 10-point tiebreak.”

“I’m a tennis purist, I love watching great tennis. But I don’t want to see it for five hours and 15 minutes like we had to with the quarter-finals with Novak and FAA. Arguably that **** Novak for the next match against Sinner; he was dead!

“Jannik played the most perfect match in the semi-final. I was there, I watched it in person, and Novak was just a step slow on everything. Now is it because he’s 39? Probably.

“Is Jannik the best player in the world when he’s on? Probably. But if it doesn’t go five and a half hours in the previous match, maybe four hours, does Novak have a little bit extra in his tank? Probably.”

In the past, women have played best of five set matches. Indeed, between 1984 and 1998, the WTA Tour finals’ championship match utilised that longer format.

Logistically, a Grand Slam would not be wrapped up in two weeks if women also played best of five set tennis but perhaps if Stubbs’ idea was brought in for the end of the tournament, that could work.

Stubbs finished by saying, “I think there’s one way to get around this and we can satisfy everybody. From the semis, quarters maybe, you play best of five and you play best of four with a 10-point tiebreak. What’s the difference? What a great culmination of four amazing sets to go, ‘Okay, 10 points for the match’.”

These would be quite radical reforms for the sport but Stubbs thinks she’s found the sweet spot. Despite that, such changes seems highly unlikely.

READ MORE: Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon loss to Alex Eala left Agnieszka Radwanska ‘worried’ for one reason

The post Serena Williams’ coach proposes radical Grand Slam overhaul after Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon exit appeared first on Tennis365.

Polish tennis great Agnieszka Radwanska has spoken to Tennis365 about Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon exit and revealed the one thing that “worried her.”

Swiatek, who was the defending champion at Wimbledon, saw her reign at the All England Club end with a 6-7(9), 2-6 third round defeat to 29th seed Alex Eala.

In an enthralling 84-minute opening set, Swiatek battled back from 3-5 down to force a tiebreak and had two set points before Eala prevailed.

The 25-year-old Pole did not respond well to this setback as she fell 0-4 behind in the second set, and she did not recover.

The former world No 1 has endured a difficult 2026 campaign by her high standards, and she has dropped to eighth in the WTA Rankings after Wimbledon.

Swiatek has not reached a final since she won the Korea Open in September, while her sixth and most recent Grand Slam title was her Wimbledon triumph last year.

Radwanska, a former world No 2 who was a Wimbledon finalist in 2012, assessed Swiatek’s Wimbledon loss in an exclusive interview with Tennis365.

“Well, that match, it was a good match. Eala played really solid tennis,” said Radwanska. “The first set was really intense and good quality.

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“Obviously, it was a couple moments that Iga had it there, and the tiebreaker could have gone either way.

“But the only thing I was a little bit worried about was: the beginning of the second set went so quickly to Eala.

“3-0 and two breaks in five minutes, I think. That was a really slow start [for Swiatek], and that cost her the set.

“Obviously, then she was fighting and coming back, and there were a lot of long games, but when you play someone at that level, you have to keep going.

“You cannot have that many ups and downs — that’s going to cost you.”

Having turned pro in 2005, Radwanska retired from tennis at the age of 29, in 2018, after struggling with injuries.

During a glittering career, Radwanska secured 20 WTA Tour singles titles, finished eight years ranked as a top 10 player and earned $27,683,807 in prize money.

She was the most successful player in the history of Polish tennis before the emergence of Swiatek.

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The post Agnieszka Radwanska reveals what ‘worried’ her about Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon exit appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Zverev fell slightly short in his quest to win the Wimbledon title, as he was beaten in four sets by Jannik Sinner.

Zverev was looking to become just the seventh man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back, but it wasn’t to be for the big serving German.

Zverev looked sensational for the first two sets, which were split with each man winning a tie-break, but a break of concentration, and a worrying fall, allowed Sinner to come into the match.

Many believed Zverev falling over on the baseline, after being duped by a cheeky Sinner drop shot, was one of the reasons for the German’s defeat.

Jim Courier, however, believes Zverev made plenty of mistakes that allowed Sinner to grab a stranglehold on the Wimbledon final.

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Speaking on The Tennis Channel, Courier said: One takeaway that I will have, the one break point that he had today, the story is going to be, and we’ve highlighted it multiple times, that he slipped in.

“That cost him a chance in that point, but he made mistakes prior to that, that he sliced a couple of shots in that rally. He was hoping for help instead of taking it.

“And if he wants to have more success against someone like Jannik Sinner, you can’t afford to ask for help. You’ve got to take what’s yours and he didn’t right there.”

Nevertheless, Courier believes Zverev is still delighted with the fact her claimed the Roland Garros title earlier this month.

“You could see it in his post-match comments that he is still riding on that cloud of joy from winning at Roland Garros and the relief that his career is now going to be, in his mind, a success because he’s a major champ to go along with that gold medal,” said Courier.

Zverev has now lost three of his four Grand Slam finals, having been defeated in each of the four major finals.

He was beaten in the 2025 Australian Open final by Sinner; the 2024 Roland Garros final by Carlos Alcaraz, and the 2020 US Open
final by Dominic Thiem before he defeat to Sinner in the Wimbledon final.

Despite his ropey record in the finals, Zverev has become just the 12th player to reach all four major finals. He joins Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Courier, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Sinner.

Only Zverev, Lendl, Federer, and Murray from that group have been defeated in each of the four Grand Slam finals.

The post Alexander Zverev told the key mistake he made against Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner is on top of the world right now, having won the Wimbledon title for the second consecutive year.

The Italian toppled Alexander Zverev in the final in four sets, after losing the first set to the German.

Sinner was in supreme form from the semi-final onwards, as he dispatched Novak Djokovic and Zverev without having his serve broken.

The World No 1 is undoubtedly the best player in the world right now but his coach, Simone Vagnozzi, still believes the Italian can improve.

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Speaking in the post-final press conference, alongside Sinner’s other coach, Darren Cahill, Vagnozzi said: “For a player of Jannik’s calibre, it’s very difficult to go out on court every day with the sole goal of maintaining his current level.

“He always needs a plan, something to work on and improve on. This is what motivates him every day. We’re very pleased with the progress he’s made over the last five years, but we’re convinced there’s still room for improvement.”

Vagnozzi has implored Sinner to introduce more variety to his game following his Wimbledon triumph, namely adding serving and volleying to his game.

“Today, for example, I don’t think he even had a single serve-and-volley,” explained the Italian coach “There was also a rally at 4-3 where he could have closed the point by going to the net, but instead he didn’t, ultimately losing the point.

“There are always areas where we can improve. Our plan is to make him an increasingly aggressive player: going to the net more often, using a few more drop balls at the right times, and further expanding his repertoire.”

That should strike fear into the rest of the ATP Tour, as Sinner has proven to be pretty dominant against every opponent he has faced so far this year.

The star has only lost three matches all year. The first came against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, which saw the Serbian produce one of his best displays in years.

Even then, Djokovic was forced to save plenty of break points and the match went to five sets.

His next defeat came against Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open, as the rising Czech star knocked Sinner out of the ATP 500 event in three sets.

The last came against Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros, as the Argentine capitalised on Sinner’s fatigue issues to knock him out of the second round.

That means Sinner is yet to lose a straight sets match this year, in a season which has seen him rack up 44 victories already, and lift six titles.

The post Jannik Sinner’s coach tells him he must improve in one key area after Wimbledon win appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz arguably has the biggest forehand in tennis.

That is no mean feat for a player around the 6ft mark. Juan Martin del Potro had one of the fiercest forehands in the game but he stood at a towering 6ft 6in.

The fact that Alcaraz can outhit the vast majority of the ATP Tour, despite being on the smaller side for the average player, is quite something.

Not only does the seven-time major winner have generational power, but the Spaniard is also an excellent volleyer, with superb touch and feel. And perhaps his most signature shot, outside of his howitzer forehand, is his drop shot.

In 2024 and 2025, Jannik Sinner won four Grand Slams but lost seven of his nine meetings with Alcaraz, as the 23-year-old’s dazzling power and variety proved too much for the Italian.

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Alcaraz can push a player further and further back behind the baseline due to his punishing groundstrokes and then soften you up with a drop shot.

Now, former world No 1 Andy Roddick believes Sinner has taken a leaf out of the seven-time Grand Slam winner’s playbook following his second Wimbledon triumph on Sunday.

The American remarked how the 24-year-old’s own drop shot was used to devastating effect in his semi-final win over Novak Djokovic and final victory over Alexander Zverev.

For instance, when 6-4 up and 3-3 in the second set against Djokovic, Sinner hit a firm backhand up the middle of the court, the Serbian sliced it in response, backed up a couple of steps and then Sinner floated in a sumptuous drop shot.

And at break point down in the third set against Zverev, Sinner pushed his opponent deep behind the baseline, before feathering a drop shot over the net, leaving the 29-year-old completely stranded.

Roddick said on the latest episode of Served, “[It’s] just impressive all around, [he] can beat you in a number of different ways. All of a sudden, now we’re having to respect his drop shot.

“You’ve heard me go on about Carlos and setting the table for the drop shot. Sinner’s doing that. He’s done it on big points.

“He did pull the trigger on one against Novak [on] break point in the second set to go [a] set [and] a break [up]. [He] just kind of figures his way through things.”

Sinner spoke about bringing more variety to his game after his four set US Open final loss to Alcaraz – who is out with a wrist injury – last year. Since then, his serve has improved and the drop shot has come more and more to the fore.

It seems he has added another impressive string to his dangerous bow. In the past, many accused him of being robotic with his metronomic ball-striking. But if he adds more parts to his game, watch out, rest of the tour.

READ MORE: ‘Carlos Alcaraz’s injury is hell for tennis – we’ve lost some of our magic’

The post Former world No 1 says Jannik Sinner is now beating opponents the Carlos Alcaraz way appeared first on Tennis365.

Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki has spoken to Tennis365 about Aryna Sabalenka after the Belarusian’s challenging recent run continued with a fourth round exit at Wimbledon 2026.

Sabalenka, who was aiming to win her maiden Wimbledon title and fifth Grand Slam overall, was beaten 6-2, 7-6(2) by 14th seed Naomi Osaka in the last 16 at the All England Club.

Prior to Wimbledon, Sabalenka had reached the quarter-finals or better at 14 consecutive Grand Slam events — a run that began at the 2022 US Open.

The world No 1’s defeat to Osaka came after she lost the final set 6-0 in matches at both of her previous two tournaments.

The 28-year-old fell 4-6, 7-6(4), 0-6 to Jessica Pegula in the Berlin Open semi-finals following a shock 6-3, 5-7, 0-6 loss to Diana Shnaider in the Roland Garros quarter-finals.

In her defeat to Shnaider, Sabalenka collapsed after she was up a double break at 4-1 in the second set.

While Sabalenka has occupied top spot in the WTA Rankings since October 2024 and been by far the most consistent player in women’s tennis during this period, she has won just one of the last seven majors since the start of 2025.

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Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Lisicki assessed that it took Sabalenka “a while” to recover from her French Open exit and discussed her Wimbledon campaign.

“She’s been playing amazingly, and she’s number one for a reason,” said the former world No 12, who was a runner-up at Wimbledon in 2013.

“We all saw what happened at the French Open, and that’s the tricky part — when you see a draw opening up so much that the player has the feeling, ‘Oh, it’s the title to grab for me now’, that also adds a lot of pressure.

“So, I think we saw that pressure on Sabalenka at the French Open, that she crumbled there. I feel like it took a while for her to recover from it.

“I saw her playing in Berlin, and she was also struggling there, so I actually thought she started really well here [at Wimbledon], she played very good.

“And it’s a close match against Naomi. So close, just a few points here and there. So, I don’t think this match — it could have been a final, to be for real — sometimes the draw just plays out that way, and it is an earlier matchup, because Naomi isn’t seeded high enough yet.

“So, this tournament, I actually think she played pretty good, so I wouldn’t say — yes, it was an earlier exit; not expected for her — but seeing the draw, I don’t think it was a loss that shouldn’t happen.”

READ NEXT: Exclusive: Alex Eala gets glowing ‘great potential’ verdict from Caroline Wozniacki after Wimbledon run

The post Aryna Sabalenka’s struggles met with alternative view by ex-Wimbledon finalist appeared first on Tennis365.