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The clay court season is set to move through the gears over the next few weeks, with this phase of the tennis season set to reach a crescendo at the French Open in Paris.

There will be plenty of twists and turns and lots of ranking points up for grabs between now and that second Grand Slam of the year at Roland Garros.

Here are your Tennis365 predictions on five of the biggest names who will be striving to make their mark on the red dirt.

Carlos Alcaraz

Status: World No 1 and French Open champion

Alcaraz has admitted he will lose his world No 1 ranking to his big rival Jannik Sinner imminently and the change at the top could come as early as next Monday.

Sinner will be back on top of the rankings if he wins the Monte Carlo Masters and if he doesn’t take the No 1 spot next week, he will almost certainly be at the top of the pile when he gets to Roland Garros.

Alcaraz is a potent threat on clay courts and will believe he has the edge over Sinner on this surface, but the young Spaniard has admitted he is feeling the pressure as one of the big scalps for all his rivals.

His brilliance will take him close to another Grand Slam title in Paris, but Sinner will fancy his chances of knocking him off his perch.

Verdict: Alcaraz will win clay court titles, but he may not take the one he really wants at Roland Garros?

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Iga Swiatek

Status: Looking to bounce back with new coach Francisco Roig

The Queen of Clay is a four-time French Open winner, but she is heading into this phase of the season with clouds of uncertainty hanging over her.

Swiatek parted company with coach Wim Fissette after the Miami Open and has teamed up with Francisco Roig.

That has opened the door for Swiatek to spend some time on court with the 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in recent days, as Roig called in the legend he once worked for to give his new charge some tips.

Swiatek has lost her way and her aura has been shattered over the last year, but she will be a threat on clay once again.

Verdict: Swiatek to roar back to form under coach Roig.

Jannik Sinner

Status: Eyeing up a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open

Sinner has achieved so much over the last couple of years, but there is one glaring void on his trophy-laden record.

The French Open title was a point away from his grasp on two occasions in his remarkable final against Alcaraz last year, but it eluded him in the final analysis and that will fire his desire to get the job done at Roland Garros this time.

Before that, Sinner will want to win the ATP 1000 title in front of his home fans in Rome and ensure that he has a comfortable buffer at the top of the ATP Rankings at the end of the clay court season.

Verdict: Sinner to be the big winner in this clay court season, including at Roland Garros.

Alex Eala

Status: Looking to make her mark on clay

The Filipina star continues to create a stir in the women’s game, but she needs to prove she has what it takes to shine on clay courts.

Eala has a couple of wins on her record at the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, but she has yet to win a match in the main draw at the French Open and has only won one match in a Grand Slam event.

She lost in the second round of the tournament in Linz at the start of her clay court campaign and may struggle to get past the game’s big hitters on a surface that will not give her too much assistance.

Verdict: Eala may perform better on grass courts this summer, but she has a big chance to get back into the top 32 of the WTA Rankings during this clay court season.

READ NEXT: ‘Andy Murray would be a good fit to coach Jannik Sinner’, says the Italian’s ex-coach

The post Carlos Alcaraz, Alex Eala, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek – our big clay court predictions appeared first on Tennis365.

Joao Fonseca has been spoken about as the rising star of men’s tennis over the last couple of years, but he has taken a little time to find his feet in the professional ranks.

Now the Brazilian wonderkid is starting to make waves at the Monte Carlo Masters, after he stormed into his first quarter-final at an ATP 1000 tournament with an impressive win against experienced Italian Matteo Berrettini.

Fonseca came through a tight contest 6-3, 6-2 in front of a packed crowd at the Monte Carlo Country Club, with the 19-year-old relishing his best run at one of the marquee events on the ATP Tour.

“It is super special. I was looking for this result for a long time,” Fonseca said.

“Of course I want more. I am very confident and focused. I was very happy with the way I fought today.

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“From the beginning, putting a lot of pressure. Playing huge return games and very good serve games. I was putting a lot of pressure and that helps you stay more calm during the match.”

Fonseca is now making steady progress up the ATP Rankings and this run in Monte Carlo has taken him up five places to No 35 in the live rankings.

One more win would in this tournament would see him leap into the top 30 of the rankings and put him on course to secure a seeded position at the French Open next month.

Fonseca spoke about his ambitions on clay courts heading into this phase of the season, as he admitted he was not a contender to challenge the ‘Big 2’ of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner yet, after he lost to both in Indian Wells and Miami last month.

“I’m not close yet. I hope in the future, soon, I’ll be. I’ll say it was close matches, but they play like this, like, every match,” said Fonseca, as he was asked about Alcaraz and Sinner.

“I need to be more consistent. I need to work harder. But, yeah, I think I’m in the right path. I think I’m the right way.

“Everyone has their time. My time will come. I’m doing great, so yeah, keep with this routine, keep with this mentality to work quietly and hard, but yeah, I think the expectations are going to come.

“People see young players doing great things, and they pull us into the top of the rankings. People need time. Everyone has their own time, so I want to do my history. I hope I’ll be there competing against them, but people need to understand that I need time to become what they want me to do and I want to become.

“I want to become No. 1, but I know I need to take time. I’m still 40 in the world, so I need to be humble to understand this. Yeah, I think hopefully I can have a bright future ahead.”

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Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has given his verdict on Fonseca, as he suggested the 19-year-old has shown he has the firepower to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz, but he suggests he will need to build for another year at least before he can join the battle at the top.

“Fonseca is a year away from joining that party of three because he’s still learning how to adjust those things,” said Rusedski on the latest edition of his podcast.

“We saw a lot of promise in Indian Wells, but he is the real deal. And you saw by the crowds, not only in Indian Wells, but especially in Miami, how popular this kid is. So this is only good for the men’s game.

“Also, Fonseca said one thing that was really interesting. It’s easier to play Jannik Sinner than it is to play Carlos Alcaraz.

“Alcaraz has those few extra dimensions with the drop shot, change of height, coming forward, transition.

“I wish Fonseca had gotten off to a better start because once you give Carlos the lead, he runs away with it. There were no lapses. As we saw great crowds for that match, this will be a rivalry we can look forward to a year from now.”

READ NEXT: Timeline on when Joao Fonseca will challenge Alcaraz and Sinner set by former British No 1

The post Joao Fonseca closing in on huge rankings breakthrough after Monte Carlo win appeared first on Tennis365.

Kim Clijsters admits she was “surprised” by Francisco Roig’s conduct when he decided to drop Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard for Iga Swiatek.

Following his split from Emma Raducanu after this year’s Australian Open, Roig started working with Perricard at the beginning of March, but a month later he swapped the Frenchman for six-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek confirmed her decision to part ways with Wim Fissette on 23 March following her early exit from the Miami Open and a few days later Roig’s name was mentioned as a possible replacement.

The announcement that the Spaniard – who coached the great Rafael Nadal during his peak – would replace Fissette was made on 2 April and two days later a disappointed Perricard slammed Roig during an interview with L’Equipe over the way he handled the situation, saying: “It was my agent who informed me. He didn’t tell me directly. I trusted his word, what he could bring to the table.

“To throw all that away so quickly seems like a shame to me. Then, it’s a tough, ruthless world.”

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During the latest episode of the Love All podcast, co-host Blair Henley stated: “He [Roig] has had quite a year, he split with Emma Raducanu at the end of January, gets hired by Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

“He was with him for a month-ish and then we hear the announcement about a week ago that he has joined Iga’s team and Mpetshi Perricard went on the record and said ‘Yeah, he didn’t tell me [he was leaving]. He told my agent, he didn’t tell me directly.

“And he used the term, I’m sure it was translated, it’s a ‘ruthless world’.”

Former world No 1 Clijsters replied: “That’s unbelievable.

“It is [tough for Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard] and to me, a little bit surprising, to hear it happened like that.

“I think that everything that’s attached to Rafa [Nadal], you set a very high standard, so it was surprising to hear that there was maybe no [discussion]… unless maybe he missed something! I don’t know, if there was no conversation, that’s understandably disappointing from his side.”

The four-time Grand Slam winner added: “There is a little bit of common sense and respect, even if it is hard news that you have to bring, to kind of just sit down, even if you’re in different parts of the world, but yeah… It is what it is, the world keeps turning.”

The post Kim Clijsters says Francisco Roig behaviour ‘disappointing’ during Swiatek-Perricard move appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz insists he has accepted that he will lose the world No 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner in the coming weeks, but says he will “push” hard to regain top spot from his big rival.

The Spaniard has been top of the ATP Rankings for the last 22 weeks as he overtook Sinner last October, but he is a man under pressure at this week’s Monte Carlo Masters as the Italian is hot on his heels.

Alcaraz started this week with a 1,190-point lead over the world No 2, but he then dropped 1,000 points as he is the defending champion in the Principality, while Sinner doesn’t have any points to defend after missing the tournament last year.

It effectively means he is just 190 points ahead of the four-time Grand Slam winner and if Sinner outperforms him in Monte Carlo, he will reclaim the No 1 spot.

After starting his title defence with victory over Sebastian Baez, Alcaraz told the media: “To be honest, I’m going to lose the number one of the world. I don’t know if it’s going to be in this tournament or in the next one.

“I defend a bunch of points that are going to be really difficult to defend all.”

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Some were surprised by his comments, but the seven-time Grand Slam winner knows he has a mountain to climb as he is also defending 325 points at next week’s Barcelona Open and another 1,000 points at the Italian Open while Sinner only has 650 points to defend in Rome.

When asked by Eurosport France about his remarks, he replied: “Getting back to Jannik and the world number one ranking, I saw that my statement caused a stir. But I mean it.

“He has several important tournaments coming up where he can earn a lot of points. I have to defend some, and I can’t defend them all. It’s going to be tough, but that’s also what makes our rivalry so exciting.

“He’s going to become world No 1 again, and I’m going to push him as far as I can to take that spot back. This battle for the top spot has been fantastic so far.”

Alcaraz was also asked about areas of his game that he has improved since he won the Australian Open in January.

“If I have to single out one in particular, it’s my serve. I’ve already invested a lot of time in that aspect, not only on the court but also off it,” he explained.

“How to improve my movement, my throw, my technique, my feel. I’ve worked on it a lot; for me, it’s crucial to visualise it both on and off the court.”

His main target at the start of the 2026 season was to win the season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park to complete his Career Grand Slam and now that it has been ticked off the list, it’s about setting new objectives.

The 22-year-old added: “I’ve understood something for some time: when you reach a seasonal goal, you have to take the time to enjoy it. But at the same time, it immediately forces you to start from scratch, to set new short-term goals.

“What I have in mind, very clearly, are the Grand Slam tournaments. I still have three scheduled this year. So I’ve already shifted my attention to preparing for Roland Garros. It’s a fantastic tournament, I love playing it, so I can’t wait.”

The post Carlos Alcaraz surprised that his statement about No 1 battle ’caused a stir’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala failed to make the most of some promising opportunities as she crashed out of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz tournament in a straight sets defeat against Jelena Ostapenko.

The Filipina star looked set to force the contest against the 2017 French Open champion into a decisive set as she raced into a 5-1 lead in the second set, but she could not maintain her momentum and went down to a 6-4, 7-5 defeat.

Eala struggled to maintain her levels of excellence for long enough to secure a win against a higher-ranked opponent and this defeat means she missed out on a chance to make a decisive move up the WTA Rankings.

Eala slipped down the WTA list after she failed to match her run to the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 event in Miami in 2025, with her defeat against Linda Noskova in Florida.

The 20-year-old went into Miami ranked at No 32, but she dropped down to No 46 after the defeat against Noskova, so she would have been hoping for a quick rise as she started her clay court campaign in Austria.

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Eala collected 60 ranking points in this event and has moved up one place to No 45 in the live WTA Rankings after winning her first round match in Linz, with her prize money total coming in at a relatively modest €15,690.

She will now move on to Stuttgart, where she will make her debut in the WTA 500 tournament that will also feature world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, French Open champion Coco Gauff and Poland’s Iga Swiatek.

In the view of former British No 1 Greg Rusedski, Eala needs to add more facets to her game to compete with the best players consistently, as he gave his views on a recent edition of his podcast.

“She’s like Manny Pacquiao, and they’re always so hungry for a new superstar [in the Philippines],” he said on Off Court With Greg Rusedski

“She’s a lovely girl, she’s been at the Rafael Nadal academy for multiple years. We talked about the serve getting better.

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“It’s gonna be harder for people to hit a hole through her [on clay], it’s gonna be much more physically combative.

“Being at the academy with Rafa on clay, he’s spent a lot of time with her, so she knows what to do.

“I’d love to see her in the top 20; she is great for the WTA. We need more stars, we need more names, and we need new people. And she opens up a marketplace, and people just love her.

“Anywhere around the world where there are people from the Philippines, they’re always talking about her: ‘What meal can I cook for her? What can I do?’

“Automatically, her matches sell out, and for me, she is a huge, huge positive. I’d love to see her, on this surface, crack the top 20 in the world.”

READ NEXT: 2026 WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Entry List: Eala joins Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff, Swiatek

The post Alex Eala: How many ranking points and how much money did she win after her defeat in Linz? appeared first on Tennis365.

The uncertainty around Emma Raducanu has been growing in recent weeks, with the British No 1 living through a troubled start to 2026.

After being forced to pull out of events at the back end of last year due to injuries and illness, that pattern has continued into this season.

Raducanu was less than fully fit in some of her early events and when she reached her first regular WTA Tour final in Cluj, she was well beaten in the final in a 6-0, 6-2 defeat against Sorana Cirstea.

Since that match in early February, Raducanu has played one match against Camila Osorio in Qatar, which she failed to finish.

Then she lost in the opening round in Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships against Antonia Ruzic, when she was struggling once more with physical issues.

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One win at the Indian Wells Open was back up by a crushing defeat against Amanda Anisimova, with her absence from the Miami Open later in March due to what was described as an ongoing virus problem.

Raducanu’s plans to return this week were abandoned when she pulled out of the Linz tournament with ongoing physical issues, with the mystery around the reason for her persistent ill health the subject of intense speculation.

Now there are suggestions that Raducanu is eyeing up a return to action at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid that gets underway on April 22.

There has been limited information on Raducanu’s condition and if she doesn’t return in Madrid, there will be big question marks over whether she will return for next month’s French Open at Roland Garros.

“They said in Cluj that she had a chest infection and I was working on the next two tournaments when she retired and then lost in the Middle East,” Sky Sports presenter Gigi Salmon told Tennis365, as she questioned what the issue was for Raducanu.

“I was wondering if it was the hangover from the chest infection. You are probably told not to play and to rest, but you want to play and try and put it behind you and chase the ranking points.

“Is there an element of stress in there for Emma? I’ve asked a few ex-players to try and get my head around what it is. If it continues to happen, I will fall one way than the other.”

Former British No 1 Tim Henman also gave his verdict on Raducanu, as he told Tennis365 that her physical conditioning is the big factor that can take the 2021 US Open champion back to the top.

“She’s 23, you know, and there’s plenty of 18, 19, 20-year-olds now on the tour, who are overtaking her,” added Henman. “You can’t stand still, but she’s still a very good player.

“It’s just my belief, and I think a lot of other people’s belief that she could be a lot better. 
And that’s an exciting, that’s an exciting thing. There’s no doubt that the scrutiny is a lot more for Emma than others, but she is used to that now.

“She’s 25 in the world, but a lot of us believe she can be a lot better. It will be exciting to see whether she can make that step now.

“It has been too stop-start. Whether it is a change of coach or a physical setback. She has to become physically more resilient to be faster and stronger to compete with the biggest hitters.

“I think Raducanu needs to be physically stronger. She needs more physical resilience so she doesn’t get the little injuries that put her away from the court. They stop her building the momentum on the match court.

“You can still do a lot of physical work on the court, whether it’s two on one when you’re hitting and moving and building up that physical resilience to get stronger, to get faster, to hit the ball harder, to serve bigger. If I could pinpoint one area, it would most definitely be fitness.”

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READ NEXT: Alex Eala has already taken Emma Raducanu’s position and there could be much more to come

The post Emma Raducanu’s probable comeback date revealed amid ongoing uncertainty appeared first on Tennis365.

Daniil Medvedev’s stunning meltdown during his 6-0 6-0 defeat against Matteo Berrettini instantly became a viral social media moment, but former world No 1 doubles player Jamie Murray suggested it should ‘never have happened’.

Medvedev was taken apart by a brilliant performance from former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini, who made the most of his wild card in Monte Carlo to secure a convincing win.

The anguish Medvedev was living through was evident long before he lost his temper on court, with the violence of his racket smash leaving the frame in pieces before he put the remains in a courtside bin.

Murray was watching the drama unfold in the Sky Sports commentary box and he was not impressed by what he saw.

“I think he was doing it for the show,” said Murray, as he talked over images of Medvedev smashing his racket time and again amid cheers from a laughing audience in Monte Carlo.

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“You don’t really like to see it. Also, some of the throws when that racket leaves your hand, it’s completely out of your control. Who knows where it’s going to end up.

“It was 2-0 at that point and it didn’t get any better for him.”

When asked about how the crushing defeat will impact Medvedev, he added: “I’m not sure how it’s going to affect him moving forward. I’m sure he’s going to be pretty embarrassed walking back into the locker room.

“I’d be wanting to get off-site pretty quickly if that was the performance I had put in.

“Obviously, he talks about clay not being her favourite surface, he won in Rome and if you can win there, then you can play on clay.

“It was a big surprise to see him go down with a couple of eggs (6-0 sets). Well done to Berrettini because that is not easy to do.”

Remarkably, Medvedev didn’t have a single game point in any of his service games during the match, with his opponent suggesting he played flawless tennis.

“I think it was one of the best performances of my life,” Berrettini said. “I think I missed three shots in the entire match and it is not easy against a tricky player like Daniil. I think the game plan was perfect and my weapons were working.

“I faced two break points in the first game and then after that it felt I was playing better than him. I was not expecting to win zero, zero like that. But I kept my focus as I know one break or two breaks is not enough sometimes, so I kept pushing.”

Berrettini will now take on Brazilian wonderkid Joao Fonseca in the last-16, in what looks certain to be a spectacular contest in front of the Monte Carlos fans.

READ NEXT: WATCH: Daniil Medvedev obliterates his racket in astonishing 49-minute Monte Carlo Masters loss

The post Jamie Murray hits out at Daniil Medvedev and says violent racket smash was ‘just for the show’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has clarified why he was “surprised” that Jannik Sinner decided to compete at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters.

The seven-time major champion crushed 65th-ranked Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-3 in his opening match at the Monte Carlo Country Club on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Spaniard is the defending champion at the Masters 1000 tournament, having secured his maiden title in the Principality last year.

World No 1 Alcaraz is the top seed in Monte Carlo, while his biggest rival Sinner is the No 2 seed.

Sinner, who is chasing his first Monte Carlo crown, cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 win over world No 34 Ugo Humbert in his opener on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Italian has won 13 straight matches and 26 consecutive sets, having triumphed in Indian Wells and Miami in March to complete the Sunshine Double.

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Prior to his first match, Alcaraz admitted he did not expect Sinner to play at the season’s first clay-court Masters event.

“Honestly, I was surprised that Jannik, after Indian Wells, Miami, and the whole tour, came to Monte Carlo to play, but obviously that speaks to the great physical condition he’s in right now, what he’s capable of,” said Alcaraz.

In his press conference after his win against Baez, Alcaraz was asked why he was surprised by Sinner’s presence in Monte Carlo.

“No, I mean, I just think a lot of things ahead of… it feels like we’re guessing, the players, which tournaments they’re gonna play sometimes,” Alcaraz explained.

“Obviously, he was successful in Indian Wells, Miami — a lot of matches, a long swing. And from the last day in Miami until the first day here, it’s like one week, I would say.

“So you’re coming from different time difference, different surface, different everything. Different balls. So it’s tricky when you don’t have that much time to prepare yourself for another surface, another kind of play, another tournament, another environment I would say.

“But it’s up to him obviously, and it’s the decision of every player to go to one tournament or other. So if he decided to come here, that means that he feels good physically, feels good mentally, and he’s excited to come here.

“But I was surprised because he has a lot of matches in the last month, playing on hard-court and not having that much time to rest, time to prepare on clay.

“But we could see that he’s playing doubles, he played great today. So that means the great player he is because he adapts himself really good in such a short period of time from one surface to others.”

READ NEXT: WATCH: Daniil Medvedev obliterates his racket in astonishing 49-minute Monte Carlo Masters loss

The post Carlos Alcaraz reveals why he did not expect Jannik Sinner to play Monte Carlo Masters appeared first on Tennis365.

A former ATP player was left “speechless” after Daniil Medvedev was whitewashed in an astonishingly one-sided loss to Matteo Berrettini at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters.

Berrettini, the world No 90, destroyed 10th-ranked Medvedev 6-0, 6-0 in just 49 minutes in the second round of the clay-court Masters 1000 tournament.

The 29-year-old Italian, who has been ranked as high as sixth, won 50 of the 67 points played in the match.

The 2021 Wimbledon finalist is the fifth player to ‘double bagel’ (win 6-0, 6-0) a player in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings.

Medvedev, a former world No 1 and US Open champion, did not even get to deuce on his own serve as he hit just three winners and committed 27 unforced errors in an abject display.

After losing serve in the second game of the second set, Medvedev’s frustration boiled over as he obliterated his racket.

A Daniil Medvedev tennis racket smash for the ages 😲 pic.twitter.com/IWBz8Iu9gx

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) April 8, 2026

It is the first time Medvedev has lost a match without winning a single game in his ATP Tour career.

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Gilles Muller, a former ATP world No 21, was stunned by what he had witnessed while commentating on Tennis TV.

“I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like this, to be honest. A bit speechless here,” said the Luxembourger.

Muller went on to add: “I’m sure he (Berrettini) doesn’t mind. He’s happy with the win like this. Probably even gonna book the practice court to get some more hitting done.

“Tough to speak about the numbers here. 5.7 the performance rating [for Medvedev], I think that says it all. It shouldn’t take anything away from Berrettini, who was very solid, who was very focused, who did the job.

“It was quite a shocking performance there from Daniil Medvedev. He just got nothing going. Nothing working. It was one of those days.”

Berrettini reacted to his staggering win in his interview with Tennis TV.

“I think it was definitely one of the best performances of my life. I think I missed three shots in the whole match, and it’s not easy, especially with a tricky player like Daniil,” said Berrettini.

“I think the gameplan was perfect and my weapons were working pretty well. I risked a little bit in the first game facing two break points. After that, I felt I was playing better than him. I wouldn’t expect to win like that, it doesn’t happen that often.

“But at the same time, I kept my focus because I know one break, two breaks, it’s not enough sometimes, so I kept pushing and I got the win.”

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz reveals what he ‘regrets’ saying ahead of Monte Carlo Masters title defence

The post WATCH: Daniil Medvedev obliterates his racket in astonishing 49-minute Monte Carlo Masters loss appeared first on Tennis365.

Iga Swiatek’s move to team up with coach Francisco Roig has delivered an intriguing spin-off, with clay court tennis legend Rafael Nadal also having an input into the Polish star’s preparations for her return to the red dirt.

Roig worked with 22-time Grand Slam winning legend Nadal during his remarkable career, with his prowess on a clay court second to none in the history of the sport.

Nadal was virtually unbeatable on clay for most of his career, with his 14 French Open titles a record that is unlikely to be beaten.

So the sight of the clay court master Nadal working with four-time French Open champion Swiatek as she looks to build herself back to the top of the sport sent shivers down the spine of two potential rivals.

Jessica Pegula showed her clay court prowess by retaining the Charlestown Open final last weekend and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys will also be hopeful of making an impact on clay this year.

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Speaking on the latest episode of the Player’s Box podcast, Pegula and Keys didn’t try to hide their concern over the prospect of Swiatek picking up clay court tips from Nadal.

“I feel like it’s perfect for Iga,” said Pegula.

“I saw the clip of them on the clay, and I was like, ‘Ugh, this is bad for everybody.’ I was like, ‘This should be illegal; why is this happening.’”

Key was also less than impressed as she said: “I was, like, ‘Oh God. The last thing we needed Iga to have on the clay was Rafa. No, that’s not allowed.’”

Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has also given his view on Swiatek’s new coaching hire, as he spoke on the latest episode of his Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast.

“Because Iga’s a [former] world No 1, when the agent goes out and looks for somebody: ‘Have you been with another No 1 player? Have you won a Slam?’ And that’s where Francisco fits the mould because the fact that he was with Rafa when he won majors. He’s been in the industry a long time.

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“And that’s what Iga’s brief is to her agent: if you haven’t worked with a No 1, or haven’t coached a player to No 1 or a Slam win, she’s not even having a look at the moment.

“It’s also getting that mentality. Sometimes Swiatek looks a bit too intense. She’s got to learn how to go off court and relax, and then bring the intensity on court.

“I’m sure she’ll get the balance right, but this clay-court season coming up is huge because she was supposed to be the new Rafa in the women’s game; just dominating clay every year, winning Roland Garros. But it hasn’t happened, so interesting to see where that goes.”

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