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Tennis icon Bjorn Borg has claimed that a handful of players in his generation “were using things they were not supposed to use” as he discussed doping in tennis and the recent controversy surrounding Jannik Sinner.

Former world No 1 Borg is one of the most beloved and celebrated tennis players of all time, winning 11 Grand Slam singles titles across the 1970s and early 1980s.

One of the biggest names in the sport, the tennis world was rocked earlier this year when the Swede revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, a revelation made in his upcoming autobiography, Heartbeats.

Despite his recent illness, Borg has remained a prominent figure in tennis in recent years, and captained Team Europe at the Laver Cup for the final time in 2024.

Doping in tennis is an issue that has come to the forefront in recent years and months, with several players — including Sinner and Iga Swiatek — falling foul of drug testing rules over the past 18 months or so.

And, in a new interview with BBC Breakfast, the tennis icon revealed that doping had also been a prominent issue during his era of tennis.

“When we played, my generation, I know for a fact, I know some players, they were using things they were not supposed to use,” said Borg.

“I don’t want to get into names, it’s not important. But today, I think it’s good, they test themselves, and sometimes I understand players have to test themselves so many times.

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“I think it’s good, it’s important to keep tennis a clean sport.”

Borg was also directly about Sinner’s case, with the world No 2 embroiled in significant controversy over recent months.

It was announced in August 2024 that the Italian was of “no fault or negligence” for two failed drug tests in March 2024, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepting his explanation that he was contaminated by a member of his team.

However, Sinner was later banned from February to May 2025, after settling with the World Anti-Doping Agency following the organisation’s appeal of the verdict of his case.

Borg, who spent 109 weeks as the world No 1 across his tennis career, admitted he was “surprised” by the mechanics of Sinner’s case.

He added: “I think I was very surprised when I read that.

“I think it happened twice. I mean if it happened one time…but it happened twice, I think. So, I think that’s very strange.

“What happened, I don’t really know. I hope really nothing serious happened.”

Borg also further discussed his cancer diagnosis, revealing he was going to have to “fight in the future” despite being in remission.

“I spoke to the doctor and he said this is really, really bad,” said Borg.

“He said you have these sleeping cancer cells [and] it’s going to be a fight in the future.

“Every six months, I go and test myself. I did my last test two weeks ago. It’s a thing I have to live with.”

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The post Bjorn Borg’s verdict on Jannik Sinner drugs test scandal as he discusses doping in tennis appeared first on Tennis365.

The draw for the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna has been revealed, with Jannik Sinner and Italy looking in a strong position to successfully defend their title on home soil.

Italy triumphed at the 2023 and 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, with world No 2 Sinner playing a leading role in both victories, and will look to become the first nation since the United States in 1971 to win three consecutive titles.

The host nation and reigning champions, captained by former player Filippo Volandri, have been handed a favourable draw in the Finals, though the same cannot be said for a handful of other nations — including Carlos Alcaraz’s Spain.

When can Alcaraz and Sinner meet?

Excitingly for tennis fans, Alcaraz and Sinner could potentially face off in the final of the Davis Cup this year, with Spain and Italy on opposite sides of the last eight draw.

However, that was also the case in 2024, when Spain were beaten in their quarter-final by the Netherlands, who ultimately went on to face Italy in the final.

And, there could well be a similar story in 2025, with Spain handed a tough quarter-final versus fourth seeds Czechia.

Assuming he plays, Alcaraz would be the favourite for any singles rubber, though the Czech team has huge strength and depth, with the likes of Jiri Lehecka, Jakub Mensik, and Tomas Machac to call on.

Czechia will also be buoyed by its impressive run to reach the Davis Cup Finals, having beaten the United States away from home in the second round of qualifiers this week.

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The winner of that quarter-final would then face a tough semi-final against either Argentina or the second seeds Germany.

German hopes may well sit on world No 3 Alexander Zverev, who chose not to play the Finals in 2024, while Francisco Cerundolo and doubles star Horacio Zeballos could well lead Argentina’s line-up.

The other side of the draw sees two-time defending champions and top-seeded nation Italy as arguably the clear favourite to reach the final.

Outside of star act Sinner, the nation has huge strength and depth to call on, including Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli, and the doubles pairing of Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli.

Italy will be overwhelming favourites to beat Austria in their quarter-final, and will then also be favourites to defeat third seeds France or Belgium in the last four.

A showdown between Sinner and Alcaraz inside the Supertennis Arena in Bologna would be something special, though the latter may have a trickier time of things getting to that stage.

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Emma Raducanu has the chance to surge up the WTA Rankings across a busy Asian swing, and her mission started with a gutsy opening win at the Korean Open on Wednesday.

After an elongated wait to take to court due to multiple rain delays across Tuesday and Wednesday, Raducanu produced a gritty display to beat Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets in Seoul, sealing a crucial boost in the WTA Rankings in the process.

Now, world No 33 Raducanu will return in round two looking to seal victory and match her quarter-final run at the WTA 500 event from 2024, though it will be far from easy against world No 39 Barbora Krejcikova — one of the most accomplished players of recent years.

Krejcikova’s success

Krejcikova’s career has been extraordinary, and what she has achieved is well above her current ranking.

The Czech has won three Australian Open mixed doubles titles and is a Golden Career Slam in women’s doubles, though she is also a two-time Grand Slam singles champion.

She stunned the tennis world with her shock triumph at the 2021 French Open, winning the title unseeded, before another surprising victory at Wimbledon in 2024.

Krejcikova peaked at world No 2 in February 2022 though her ranking has ebbed and flowed since then, and she was down outside the top 70 following a third-round defeat during her Wimbledon title defence this summer.

However, after nightmare injury struggles earlier in the season, the 29-year-old has found form this summer, capped off by an impressive run to her second US Open quarter-final.

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That has propelled her back inside the top 40 of the rankings, and she is provisionally up to world No 36 in the WTA Live Rankings ahead of this second-round clash.

Krejcikova looked in fine form in round one, dropping just three games versus Tatiana Prozorova.

This will be the first career meeting between Raducanu and Krejcikova and, with just six places between the two in the current rankings, there may be little to choose between.

When will the match take place?

The good news for both players — particularly Raducanu — is that the weather looks much improved in Seoul on Thursday, which means the match is likely to take place as scheduled.

Krejcikova and Raducanu’s clash will be the fourth and final match on Centre Court on Thursday, taking place not before 19:30 local time, around 11:30 UK time or 06:30 on the US East Coast.

Play will open at 14:00 local time, with French Open star Lois Boisson facing a tough test against second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, in the latter’s first match of the tournament.

That will be followed by the Korean Open debut of world No 2 and top seed Iga Swiatek, who faces off against Sorana Cirstea.

Night session will begin not before 17:30 local time, with qualifier Katerina Siniakova facing fourth seed and 2024 finalist Daria Kasatkina, before Raducanu and Krejcikova take to the court.

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The post Who is Emma Raducanu’s Korea Open Round 2 opponent? Grand slam star Barbora Krejcikova appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu kickstarted her Asian swing with a gritty straight-sets win over Jaqueline Cristian at the Korea Open, though things aren’t set to get any easier for the former US Open champion.

World No 33 Raducanu and Cristian finally made it onto court at the WTA 500 event on Wednesday night local time, with the match again pushed back in the order of play due to rain — having previously been scheduled to take to court on Tuesday.

And, it was the British star who sealed victory, beating world No 41 Cristian 6-3, 6-4 to book her place in the second round of the Korea Open for the second straight year.

However, it was far from easy for Raducanu, with the match taking over two hours to complete inside the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center.

Raducanu faced a staggering 12 break points in the opening set and, though she saved 11 of them, found herself an early break down and had to rally from an early break down to claim an hour-long opening set.

The second set was also not easy but was marginally more straightforward, the world No 33 and Cristian trading early breaks before Raducanu sealed the decisive break in the ninth game, successfully serving out the match after two hours and two minutes.

Raducanu has quarter-final points to defend in Seoul and, while she has not defended all of those points quite yet, she has received a significant boost in the WTA Live Rankings.

The 22-year-old is provisionally up one place to world No 32 in the live rankings, moving ahead of Wang Xinyu — who is not in action on the WTA Tour this week.

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Should Raducanu successfully reach the quarter-final for a second consecutive year, she would remain at world No 32 in the WTA Live Rankings, though she would push into the top 30 if she were to progress any further.

Cracking the top 32 would be significant for Raducanu ahead of 2026, with the Brit looking to be seeded at the Australian Open next January.

However, she faces an incredibly tough test in her next Korea Open match, with Barbora Krejcikova awaiting in the second round.

A two-time Grand Slam champion and world No 2 at the very peak of her powers, Krejcikova has struggled with injury throughout 2025.

However, she has been in resurgent form this summer, with the Czech back inside the top 40 of the WTA Rankings after reaching the last eight of the US Open earlier this month.

Krejcikova was also in impressive form in her opening-round match of the Korea Open on Wednesday, dropping just three games against Tatiana Prozorova to progress.

This will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam winners, and the winner could then go on to face top seed Iga Swiatek in the last eight.

Read Next: Emma Raducanu on the brink of reaching rankings goal and she may only need a couple of wins

The post Emma Raducanu seals key WTA Rankings boost with gutsy Korea Open Round 1 win appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka’s hopes of a dominant Asian swing have been dented after the four-time Grand Slam champion was confirmed to be withdrawing from the upcoming China Open.

World No 1 Sabalenka, who won her second US Open title less than two weeks ago, will miss the WTA 1000 event in Beijing due to what the tournament has described as a “minor injury”, with the Belarusian releasing a statement via the tournament.

She said: “Due to an injury sustained at the US Open and the ongoing recovery process, I regretfully announce that I will withdraw from this year’s China Open. I will focus on my recovery and strive to return to 100% condition as soon as possible.

“I can’t wait to see my fans in China! I look forward to returning to Beijing next year and wish you all the best for the tournament.”

Sabalenka’s withdrawal means she will likely not be in action until the Wuhan Open, the final WTA 1000 event of 2025, where she will be looking to win the title for a fourth straight edition of the event.

After a busy year which has seen her go deep at the vast majority of events she has contested, it may be wise for the 27-year-old to pull out of Beijing if there are any potential niggles that could be worsened by her participation.

However, her decision has also opened the door in the WTA Rankings for leading rival Iga Swiatek, whose hopes of a return to world No 1 by the end of the year have been boosted by Sabalenka’s decision.

How could it affect world No 1 race?

Sabalenka currently has a 3,292-point lead over Swiatek in the WTA Rankings (11,225 points to 7,933), though she is only 2,077 points ahead in the WTA Race to Riyadh, which monitors points won in 2025.

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While that is still a comfortable cushion for the Belarusian for now, Swiatek has the chance to significantly close the gap before the world No 1 returns to court.

Swiatek is in action at the WTA 500 event in Seoul this week and is still currently set to compete in Beijing next week.

Should the Pole triumph at both events, she would earn a combined 1,500 points — moving her within just 600 points of Sabalenka in the points standings for the season.

And, even if Swiatek does not triumph at one or both events, she can still close the gap on Sabalenka in the world rankings.

The Pole only has 400 points from the WTA Finals to defend for the rest of the season, having been provisionally suspended from the Korea Open, China Open, and Wuhan Open last year.

In contrast, Sabalenka has 400 points at the WTA Finals to defend herself, but has 1,000 points in Wuhan, and 215 quarter-finalist points in Beijing.

Should Swiatek triumph in Beijing this year — she won the event in 2023, so it is a distinct possibility — that would mean a 1,215-point swing between the two at one event.

She also has no points to defend in Wuhan, so, assuming she plays, she can close the gap on Sabalenka regardless of how the Belarusian fares in her title defence.

Both women are now also likely to be affected by rules concerning mandatory WTA events and points, though it will be the world No 1 who is affected more by this as things stand.

Sabalenka’s China Open withdrawal does not guarantee that she will lose the world No 1 ranking, and she still has a cushion for now.

However, it does open the door for Swiatek, whose chances of a third year-end No 1 finish have now increased.

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The post Aryna Sabalenka makes shock withdrawal as world No 1 battle set to heat up appeared first on Tennis365.

When Roger Federer and his long-time agent Tony Godsick came up with the idea of a team tennis event while he was still winning Grand Slam tournaments, he might not have imagined this plan would have exploded in the manner it has.

The Laver Cup returns for its ninth edition this week in San Francisco, with sell-out crowds and hugely lucrative hospitality packages making this a money-spinning event that has gathered momentum.

Initially, 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer admits he was unsure if the event could be slotted into the hectic tennis schedule, but the initial pessimism from many in the tennis world evaporated as Team World captain John McEnroe and Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg were high-profile leaders of the event.

Federer played in the initial editions of the Laver Cup and when he reflects on its origins, he does so with real pride.

“At the beginning, it was just an idea, talking and discussing on long car rides with my agent Tony,” said Federer.

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“I was always talking about how little prize money the past generation was making and I was saying how I am forever grateful for what they have done for our generation of players, that we can play in massive stadiums, they are pretty much sold out, prize money is at an all-time high.

“How can we thank them and preserve that? Also, maybe create a weekend where we have the best time all together, it’s not two weeks like a grand slam, but make it high intensity.

“This was the idea of the Laver Cup. To pay tribute to the past generation, bring in the new generation and then morph it all together Ryder Cup style with a concept that would work over the weekend.

“The first year, you’re not sure how ticket sales are going to go and you don’t know how every player is going to play, how they’re going to embrace the format, but I thought was that they wouldn’t have to work that hard,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

“I know it’s super intense but it’s just three days and it’s once a year so I just thought that could be a concept that could really resonate with everybody but that everybody would get so into it and be so pumped up and pleased about it. I mean, that is beyond my wildest expectations to be honest.”

When your name and legacy are a grand as Federer’s, most ventures you attach your name to have a good chance to turn to gold and that has been the story with so much of what this sporting icon has done in recent years.

His shareholding in On shoes is believed to be worth several hundred million dollars and he also has ongoing business deals with Uniqlo and Wilson that have carried over from his playing career.

Yet when he speaks about the Laver Cup, you get the impression it is a success story that means so much to him.

First of all, it gives him a chance to pay homage to his own hero, tennis great Rod Laver, while it has also served up some incredible memories for those who have taken part.



The most iconic moment came back in 2022, when Federer used the Laver Cup stage to play his final match as a professional, competing alongside his great rival Rafael Nadal in a double match.

The tears that flowed that night were shared among Federer fans around the world and he admits the thrill of playing in a team event adds to the joy for tennis players so used to taking on the sporting world on their own.

“Being in a team environment, I think for an individual athlete, like a tennis player is a great, great thing,” added Federer. “And that’s why I’ve always been a big team player. And for me, the Laver Cup is an amazing combination of all that.

“Being on the team with other heroes and being together, having dinner together, lunch together, talking tennis all day, and just feeding off one another, and hopefully leaving the Laver Cup motivated and inspired to go on and do great things and win every tournament you possibly can.

“I feel like the Laver Cup did that for me as well. It really gave me something to look forward to. And then also something to talk about after I had left it.
“I think for us individual athletes sometimes it’s tough, you know. When you win you’re alone on the courts, right? And it’s game, set and match and you win and you’re there all by yourself. You’d like to hug the whole crowd, but they’re tucked away.

“And that’s why I think winning in a team is a great thing and can release a lot of great emotions.”

Athletes often struggle to fill the void in their lives when they are not longer competing at the top level, but Federer is a shining example of a sporting giant who has found a way to stay relevant in tennis long after he has struck his final ball in anger.

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Laver Cup captain and former world No 3 Yannick Noah believes that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance at the top of the sport is unlikely to stop any time soon.

World No 1 Alcaraz and No 2 Sinner have been by far and away the leading players of the past two seasons, with both men currently over 5,000 points ahead of world No 3 Alexander Zverev in the official ATP Rankings.

Thanks to their recent US Open final, the two are now the first men in the Open Era to meet in three Grand Slam finals in the same season, after previously doing battle at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2025.

The pair have now also won the last eight Grand Slam singles titles between them, with four major titles apiece since the start of 2024.

Sinner is now the winner of four Grand Slam singles titles and will compete for their Career Grand Slam at the 2026 French Open, while six-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz will look to complete the set of majors at the Australian Open.

All eyes are on whether and when anyone could disrupt their duopoly at the very top of the men’s game, with several names being put forward as potential rivals for the pair in the near future.

However, 1983 French Open champion Noah, who will captain Alcaraz for Team Europe at the Laver Cup this week, does not see anyone stepping up to challenge them soon.

Speaking on the Super Moscato Show ahead of his Laver Cup captaincy debut, the former world No 3 predicted big things for Alcaraz and Sinner at Grand Slams over the coming years.

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“For now, there are two of them, not three like back then, with [Andy] Murray in tow,” said Noah.

“Apart from Alcaraz and Sinner, I don’t see who could win one of the next eight Grand Slams. These two players can reach 20 Grand Slam titles.

“They mustn’t get injured, but I think they’re fresh. I think the coaching staff is top-notch. The structure is super well-oiled. You see Alcaraz, the kid is mentally happy. He’s happy. Sinner at 24, you get the impression he has the maturity of a 35-year-old.

“It’s extraordinary to see all that.”

Alcaraz and Sinner’s rivalry has become the biggest storyline of the men’s game in recent years, with two already meeting not only in three straight Grand Slam finals, but 15 times overall.

It is the Spaniard who has had the edge so far, winning 10 of their previous matches, and his greatest victory may have been his stunning comeback in this year’s French Open final.

In what proved to be the longest French Open final of the Open Era, Alcaraz came from two sets down and saved three championship points to defend his title

Reflecting on watching that match courtside, Noah revealed it was one of the most “extraordinary” matches he had seen.

He added: “For the record, I was sitting in the second row.

“I sat down and from the first point of the match, I don’t know if it was PlayStation, but they were playing at 10,000 miles an hour. Technically and physically, it was extraordinary. They hit in all directions. There was a dramatic side with the match point.

“And what’s more, I found Sinner so classy in defeat. It was so beautiful. It was a very beautiful final on all levels, it had everything.”

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The post Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner told they can win ‘next 8 Grand Slam titles’ in bold prediction appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic was a prominent face in the crowd as Greece played Brazil in a tense Davis Cup tie last weekend and it seems the Greek people will be seeing a lot more of the tennis icon.

Djokovic received a huge ovation from tennis fans in attendance as he took his seat to watch local hero Stefanos Tsitsipas take on Brazilian wonderkid Joao Fonseca, as he opted out of playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup.

The 38-year-old will be pondering what comes next in his career after he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals, as he ended a second straight year without landing the 25th Grand Slam title he is chasing to complete his legacy.

He has stated time and again that he is more focused on spending time with his young family than spending too long away from home playing tennis tournaments, which explains why he has opted out of playing in most ATP Tour events in 2025.

It seems he is also setting up a base for his family once his tennis career comes to an end, with widespread reports suggesting Djokovic and his family have moved permanently to Greece.

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According to Tennis24, Djokovic’s children are enrolled at British school St. Lawrence College near Athens, with the family finding a place to live in the southern part of the region.

Djokovic was also reported to have made an appearance at Kavouri Tennis Club, where he mingled with surprised locals and posed for photographs.

The apparent relocation of Djokovic and his family came after he backed student-led protests against Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic and his government last year.

“As someone who deeply believes in the power of young people and their desire for a better future, I believe it is important that their voice be heard,” said Djokovic, in a social media message that supported the young protesters.

“Serbia has enormous potential, and educated youth is its greatest strength. What we all need is understanding and respect.”

Djokovic has rarely dipped his toes into political waters, but there is a belief among many that he could have aspirations to try and have an influence in his Serbian homeland after he retires from tennis.

His status as the ultimate sporting icon of Serbia would give him a huge head start if he opted to start a political career, but he downplayed those rumours last year.

“I do not have any political inspirations at the moment,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said.

“I don’t feel that this is a world or an environment where I would thrive. But I do think that my popularity in the country and in the region can be used for some other things where I can help contribute to life and society.”

Djokovic has spoken about his passion for a peaceful world many times in his extended interviews, with his thoughtful and forthright views on the world giving him a chance to make a big impression in the political world if that is a pathway he warns to when tennis is in his past.

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Emma Raducanu would have been hoping to kickstart her 2025 Korea Open campaign with a big win on Tuesday — but, unfortunately for the British star, the weather Gods had different plans.

The second day of action at the WTA 500 event in Seoul was greatly affected by rain, with only one match completed inside the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center on Tuesday due to poor conditions in the Korean capital.

That match is of significance to Raducanu and opening-round opponent Jaqueline Cristian, with the winner of that now set to face two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova in round two; the Czech dispatched Tatiana Prozorova 6-1, 6-2 on Centre Court.

With Wednesday’s order of play now reshuffled due to the limited play on Tuesday, Raducanu and Cristian have now learned when they will finally take to the court.

When will Raducanu play her opening match?

Raducanu and Cristian were initially set to be the third match on Centre Court on Tuesday, starting not before 17:30 local time.

As rain delays disrupted the opening hours of play, several matches at the tournament were postponed for the day, including Sorana Cirstea versus Lin Zhu — the match directly before Raducanu and Cristian’s showdown.

However, organisers were ultimately left with no choice but to postpone their match until Wednesday, with the rain returning quickly after Krejcikova’s quick win in the Korean capital.

Raducanu and Cristian will now be the second match on Centre Court on Wednesday, following the conclusion of the opening match between Cirstea and lucky loser Anastasia Zakharova, who has replaced Zhu in the draw.

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The match between world No 33 Raducanu and world No 41 Cristian will not start before 14:00 local time, which will mean a start time of around 06:00 in the UK, or 01:00 on the US East Coast.

After Raducanu and Cristian’s match, sixth seed and defending champion Beatriz Haddad Maia will take to court for her opening match against wildcard Dayeon Back.

Later on in the day on Centre Court, Maya Joint faces seventh seed Sofia Kenin, before third seed Clara Tauson — who received an opening-round bye — takes on Eva Lys.

Whoever wins between Raducanu and Cristian is set to return to court on Thursday for their match against former world No 2 Krejcikova, who is currently ranked 39th in the world.

Thursday will also see current world No 2 and top seed Iga Swiatek make her debut appearance at the tournament, with the six-time Grand Slam champion facing the winner of Cirstea or Zakharova.

Should Swiatek prevail, she would then face one of Raducanu, Cristian, or Krejcikova in Friday’s quarter-final.

However, rain is also forecast for Seoul on Wednesday, meaning Raducanu, Cristian & co could yet face further delays in the tournament.

The good news for the tournament is that Thursday and Friday currently have clear forecasts as things stand, which would allow the event to catch up on matches should they face further delays.

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The post When will Emma Raducanu play her first Korea Open match after rain delay? appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have been the WTA Tour’s top two players this year in terms of ranking points won, and both will look to finish their strong 2025 campaigns on a high.

Both world No 1 Sabalenka and world No 2 Swiatek have tasted Grand Slam success this season, and will look to add to the growing trophy cabinets this Autumn, with a string of big events to come over the next two months.

Last year’s Asian swing saw a significant rankings manoeuvre when Sabalenka returned to the top at the expense of Swiatek, when the WTA Tour’s controversial mandatory rules took effect, and it looks likely that both women could be impacted by the rule once again in 2025.

What are the current WTA mandatory rules?

Currently, top WTA players such as Sabalenka and Swiatek are expected to compete in potentially 21 events across a season.

That starts with the four Grand Slam tournaments, and is then followed by the 10 WTA 1000 events.

However, that is then followed by the expectation that players enter six WTA 500 events across a season, and then the WTA Finals at the end of the year, should they have qualified.

Ultimately, not all of these events are factored into someone’s WTA ranking, with a maximum of 18 tournaments considered for any woman’s ranking; this is increased to 19 should they reach the WTA Finals.

The 18 events included are all four Grand Slams, six combined WTA 1000 events, one WTA-only 1000 event, and the seven best results from the remaining events of any player.

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If players have not competed in enough events outside of the Grand Slam or WTA 1000 tournaments, what is known as a ‘zero-pointer’ is factored into their WTA Ranking.

This is where zero points from a WTA 500 event a player did not compete at are added onto their ranking, with points from another event removed — usually a higher-level event where the player won the fewest points.

Last year, Swiatek and Sabalenka were both affected by this.

Swiatek’s 120 points from the Miami Open were initially removed, with Sabalenka dropping 10 points from the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The Pole would then lose a further 130 points the following week, with Sabalenka losing a further 65 points.

What WTA 500 events have Sabalenka and Swiatek played?

As it stands, it looks likely that both Sabalenka and Swiatek will miss out on fulfilling the mandatory WTA 500 event requirement for 2025.

Swiatek is set to be in WTA 500 action at the Korea Open this week, in what will be her fourth event at that level this season.

The Pole previously competed at the United Cup, which counts as a 500-level event, as well as at the Bad Homburg Open and the Stuttgart Open.

Swiatek is set to play the WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan before the WTA Finals, and is unlikely to want to add another WTA 500 event into her schedule before then.

Similarly, Sabalenka is likely to only play those three events for the remainder of 2025 and will miss the WTA mandatory requirements if so.

The world No 1 has competed at the WTA 500 Brisbane International, Stuttgart Open, and Berlin Open this season, meaning she is set to fall three events short.

The implementation of the mandatory WTA Rankings requirements will likely take place in the weeks heading into the WTA Finals, when it becomes impossible for a player to achieve the requirements.

The rule is undoubtedly controversial, but it looks set to affect the WTA’s two leading stars once again.

Read Next: WTA Rankings: Swiatek has chance to close gap, Jovic +37, Eala +4, Tjen +27, Rajaonah +83

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