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Italian tennis legend Adriano Panatta thinks Carlos Alcaraz “made a mistake” by splitting with his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

In December, the tennis world was shocked when Alcaraz and Ferrero brought an end to a seven-year partnership that featured 24 titles, including six of his seven Grand Slams.

Alcaraz started attending Ferrero’s academy in Villena in 2018 when he was 15, and he became the youngest ATP world No 1 in history after winning his maiden major at the 2022 US Open aged 19.

Samuel Lopez, who coaches at Ferrero’s academy, is now Alcaraz’s head coach, having previously worked in tandem with Ferrero.

In his first tournament after splitting with Ferrero, Alcaraz secured his maiden Australian Open title to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz then won the Qatar Open in February before falling in the semi-finals in Indian Wells and the third round in Miami in March.

The 22-year-old was beaten by Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final earlier this month. Alcaraz suffered a wrist injury that ended his campaign at the Barcelona Open last week and also forced him out of the Madrid Masters.

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Adriano Panatta, who won the French Open in 1976, argued Alcaraz is missing Ferrero’s presence in his team.

“In my opinion, he made a mistake leaving Ferrero, who is a tough, demanding coach, but also a great tennis expert,” the former world No 4 was quoted as saying by We Love Tennis.

“At 21 or 22, with all the trophies he’d won, Carlos became more ambitious and he made an error. I would be happy for him if he went back to Ferrero.

“The relationship between coach and player is visceral: coaches dedicate their lives to the players they coach and follow every single day, sacrificing their families.

“A coach must first and foremost understand tennis and have no gaps in their knowledge. He shouldn’t be a parent or a confessor, but he must be able to help you reach that next level of quality, depending on your age.

“If you stay with a father figure as a coach your whole career, there’s a risk the relationship will deteriorate.”

READ NEXT: What ‘really upset’ Jannik Sinner was ‘desperate to prove’ with incredible run – Boris Becker’s theory

The post ‘Carlos Alcaraz made a mistake by leaving Juan Carlos Ferrero’, claims Grand Slam winner appeared first on Tennis365.

Boris Becker thinks Jannik Sinner was “really upset” by his loss to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and assessed that it has inspired the Italian’s dominant run of form.

Sinner was beaten by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in a thrilling five-set semi-final at the Australian Open in January — a result that ended his bid for a third straight title in Melbourne.

It was Sinner’s first loss before the final of a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2024, while it ended his five-match winning streak against Djokovic.

The four-time major winner then suffered a shock three-set defeat to Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals at the ATP 500 event in Doha in February.

After that loss, Sinner won 17 consecutive matches — dropping just one set in the process — as he secured Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.

The 24-year-old’s victory in Monte Carlo saw him overtake Carlos Alcaraz to return to world No 1, and he is now set to compete at the Madrid Open.

Victory in Madrid would see Sinner become the first player in history to win the first four ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in a season.

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In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Becker lauded the level Sinner has produced during his incredible run.

“I’d say the current Sinner is the best we’ve seen so far,” said the six-time Slam champion.

“Winning the ‘Sunshine Double’ is something extraordinary; for me, in terms of difficulty, it’s on par with winning a Grand Slam: West Coast, East Coast, time change, four weeks of commitment.

“And then going to Monte Carlo and winning the tournament while losing just one set… he’s done something incredible, a feat whose sporting, physical, and mental value seems inestimable to me.

“Jannik is a humble guy; he’s not one to go around talking about how good and strong he is, but if you sit down and analyse his performance over the past few weeks, it’s incredible.”

Asked if he expected Sinner to find this form, Becker said: “I think Jannik was really upset about losing to Djokovic in the fifth set in Melbourne; he wasn’t expecting it.

“The loss to Mensik in Doha was definitely easier to digest. He went to Indian Wells, where he’d never won, with a fist in his pocket, desperate to prove that what happened in Melbourne was an exception.”

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz has been given a big warning over his future – will he now start to listen?

The post What ‘really upset’ Jannik Sinner was ‘desperate to prove’ with incredible run – Boris Becker’s theory appeared first on Tennis365.

Elena Rybakina has upped her consistency and is ready to challenge Aryna Sabalenka for the world No 1 ranking, according to Andy Roddick.

Sabalenka, who has been top of the WTA Rankings since October 2024, has a very handy 2,395-point lead over Rybakina ahead of this week’s Madrid Open, but there is no doubt that the gap between the two has decreased significantly in the past few months.

The four-time Grand Slam winner started the year with a 4-640-point advantage over the Kazakh player, who was down in fifth place ahead of the season-opening Grand Slam, but Rybakina’s Australian Open title run coupled with a runners-up finish at the Indian Wells Open and another title at last week’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has seen her edge closer.

During the same period, Sabalenka won the Sunshine Double at the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open and also finished runner-up to Rybakina in Melbourne.

In the latest Served with Andy Roddick podcast, former world No 1 Roddick discussed the battle between the two.

“Rybakina wins a 500 in Stuttgart, she’s in this No 1 conversation for the year, folks. I’m just telling you like she is firmly not having a lot of off weeks,” the American said.

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The 2003 US Open champion added: “This consistency over a four or five-month period is not something we’ve seen from Rybakina before. We know what the top shelf looks like,I think anyone with eyeballs can watch her and say, ‘Oh, her top level is as good as anyone’s’.

“But the difference being she doesn’t do it every time out, you know, over the course of a year, six months, whatever it may be. This feels different from what it’s been before with her as far as I can tell.

“I think she is firmly in this conversation [for being the No 1 player in the world]. If she’s winning on clay consistently, we know she can win on grass, she’s won Wimbledon,

“We know maybe not her best results in in New York in the past, but I know this is going to be fun. You you want someone to come for the throne, obviously Aryna is wearing it [the crown] very comfortably right now, but this is fun. The more in the mix, the merrier.

And Rybakina will get another chance to get even closer to Sabalenka at this week’s Madrid Open as the Belarusian is the defending champion so dropped 1,000 points at the start of the event while the Kazakh player won’t drop any points.

A title run for Rybakina, coupled with an early exit from Sabalenka, could result in the difference between the two being under 1,000 points when they head to Rome for the Italian Open.

The post Andy Roddick says Elena Rybakina is ‘coming for Aryna Sabalenka’s No 1 ‘throne’ in WTA Rankings appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala recorded only her second win at WTA 1000 level on a clay court win after a straight sets win at the Madrid Open and now she will be looking to take strikes up the WTA Rankings.

Eala beat 2021 French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the Spanish capital, with the Russian player struggling with physical issues as she was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by her rival from the Philippines.

“I feel really great, I love Madrid, it’s an amazing tournament,” said Eala after the match.

“I think at this level, every match is a battle, all of us players, we fight until the end. She’s been on the Tour many years, so I’m really happy with this win.

“I think she is a great player, so I’m really happy to be in the next round.”

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Eala suffered a big slide in her ranking last month, as the points she gained from her run to the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami in 2025 dropped off her record.

That saw her ranking dip from inside the top 30 and down into the mid-40, which would not be enough to secure her a seeded position for next month’s French Open.

This win against Pavlyuchenkova fired Eala up to No 41 in the live WTA Rankings and if she can win her next match against Elise Mertens, she will start to get close a return to the top 32 of the rankings, which would give her a seeding for Roland Garros.

At the age of just 20, these are early days in the career of Eala, with her recent experience of practicing with former world No 1 and four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek a useful development in her clay court story, according to former world No 4, Greg Rusedski.

“No question [that practising with Swiatek will help Eala],” said 1997 US Open finalist Rusedski on his podcast.

“They had this lovely picture where they showed them at the [Rafa Nadal Academy] graduation ceremony for Eala. And Swiatek was the one giving the speech for the day.

“For me, it’s great to step up the level. You want to see if you can do it with the very best at the highest level. And she’s beaten Swiatek already. She’s beaten a lot of great players. Why not?

“For me, I’m always optimistic about her. I always think she’s challenging herself. She has a great team of people around her. She’s fully committed and she’s got great support.

“And everything’s kind of new at the moment. We’ve talked about, yes, the serve needs to be better. Yes, when she comes up against a big hitter, sometimes she struggles and gets hit off the court. But you gotta consistently put yourself out there.

“She’s gonna get stronger physically, she’s gonna get more tactically astute, she’s gonna start hitting the ball harder. And she’s got a great training facility. So there’s no reason why she can’t add those areas.

“And the team around her is very good. When you have Rafa as your adviser, it doesn’t get any better (smiles).”

Rusedski recently expressed his hope that Eala could break into the top 20 for the first time during the clay season.

“I’d love to see her in the top 20; she is great for the WTA,” the former British No 1 said on his podcast. “We need more stars, we need more names, and we need new people. And she opens up a marketplace, and people just love her.

“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.”

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READ NEXT: Alex Eala +3 in WTA Rankings with excellent Madrid Open win

The post Alex Eala eyeing a significant rankings breakthrough as she makes progress on clay appeared first on Tennis365.

Injuries are an unpredictable facet of any athlete’s career, but Carlos Alcaraz may be reflecting that he could have avoided what may become one of the most significant setbacks of his career.

Alcaraz looks increasingly likely to miss next month’s French Open due to a wrist injury he sustained after deciding to play in back-to-back ATP Tour events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

While Rafael Nadal often made light work of winning those two tournaments when he was at the peak of his clay court powers for a decade and more, Alcaraz has now been injured while attempting the Monte Carlo/Barcelona double for the last two years.

He won the first leg of the clay court double last year and then picked up an injury during his defeat against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final that forced him to pull out of the Madrid Open the following week.

That injury proved to be a minor inconvenience, as he went on to win the Rome Masters and also picked up the title at Roland Garros after wins against Jannik Sinner in the final of both tournaments.

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Alcaraz made it through to another Monte Carlo final this year, but he was beaten by Sinner and once again, he opted to make the trip to Barcelona to play in the ATP 500 tournament.

Spanish hero Alcaraz would command a huge appearance fee for playing in Spain and walking away from that money and the potential for ranking points and prize money may be tough for the 22-year-old.

However, he may now be thinking that would have been the more sensible step.

The wrist injury that has left Alcaraz on the sidelines could have happened in a practice session this week and may have flared up even if he skipped the Barcelona Open and waited to play in the Madrid Masters.

Yet with his big rival Sinner taking a more cautious approach and giving himself a week before making a decision on whether to play in Madrid, there is a clear difference in approach from the top two players in the men’s game.

Sinner admitted he was considering skipping the Madrid Open and focusing on playing in front of his home fans next month, but he has shown up in the Spanish capital and will be a strong favourite to win the title in Alcaraz’s absence.

He will also be a strong favourite to win the French Open if Alcaraz is absent, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski suggesting the world No 2 needs to reconsider his approach.

“He gets a lot of appearance money, and I think it’s about scheduling and getting rid of the exhibitions, because he’s got enough money,” said Rusedski on his podcast.

“I think he signed something like a $200 million contract with Nike. So it’s not about getting that appearance money, but scheduling properly.

“Being Spanish, you want to play Barcelona, you want to play Madrid, so you maybe miss the Monte Carlo Masters series after the hard courts to have a little bit of a longer spell [of rest].

“Play Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, week off, then get ready for the French [Open]. And knowing Carlos and his attitude, when he signs up, he’s committed to play.”

Alcaraz’s former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, shared Rusedski’s view that Alcaraz needed to take a step back and play less events and exhibitions in a bid to avoid the kind of injury he is now nursing.

His absence from the French Open would be a high price to pay, but it may also be a moment for Alcaraz to reflect on whether his current schedule is sustainable.

READ NEXT: Toni Nadal sends blunt message to Carlos Alcaraz about his hopes of playing the French Open

The post Carlos Alcaraz has been given a big warning over his future – will he now start to listen? appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz is facing a race against time to bit fit to defend his French Open title next month and he has been given some candid advice by a former Grand Slam finalists who has urged the Spaniard to show some caution.

Alcaraz is nursing a wrist problem that he picked up playing at the Barcelona Open and has admitted he is weighing up whether he will have time to recover to play at Roland Garros.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion will be reluctant to miss the second major of 2026, but former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski believes he needs to be careful with his next decision.

At the age of 22, Alcaraz needs to avoid any threat of a wrist injury becoming a long-term problem and Rusedski suggests he may be wise to skip the French Open and ensure he is fully fit for the long-term if there are any question marks over an are of the body that is always a major area of concern for tennis players.

“He needs to look at the long-term picture and say I’ve got a 10-year career,” said Rusedski on the latest episode of his podcast.

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“He can’t afford to have a wrist injury that is serious. Look at Juan Martin del Potro, one of the greats of our game. He never solved his wrist problem and never came back to the player he once was.

“So take your time, make sure it’s 100 per-cent ready to go. Don’t rush it back. So I don’t think he really overall cares about the ranking points. It’s about health is your wealth.

“The four majors are what really define you as a great of the game. He’s already won seven. He’s only three away from 10 already at such a young age, which is incredible.

“I heard there’s rumors in Monte Carlo in the finals he wasn’t feeling his best with the wrist. Maybe had a little niggle there and sometimes he pushed through and that’s normal to have niggles, aches, pains in certain areas.

“He did the right thing to pull out of Barcelona with the injury and if I look at this picture, even if he misses the French, it’s not such a big deal.”

Rusedski went on to compare the scheduling plan being followed by world No 1 Jannik Sinner and his great rival Alcaraz.

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Sinner looks to take breaks between events, while Alcaraz played back-to-back tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona before picking up his injury.

“You look at Jannik Sinner and this guy has got great scheduling,” he added. “His preparations are always perfect. He’s always the first one to the tournament and when he plays he’s ready to go. He’s had very few injuries. He manages his body well but also you got two different personalities.

“You look at Carlos, he loves to have a good time. He likes to go out and partying. He likes to go on his boat.

“Sinner’s more relaxed, more focused on the tennis, more serious about his recuperation. One of the key ingredients is sleep, relaxation, and time away. And that’s what the best players balance out so well. And if you can’t do that, then you get these niggles, these pains, and these injuries, and it’s finding that balance.”

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner on ‘quite unique’ Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic situation at Madrid Open

The post Carlos Alcaraz told to consider ‘long term picture’ amid big French Open injury fear appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s longevity is almost as impressive as his stunning record of success on court, with former top 20 player describing the Serbian legend as ‘crazy’ when he reflects on his dedication to the sport.

Djokovic will toast his 39th birthday next month, but he remains a live contender for the biggest title in the men’s game as he looks to make another challenge in the upcoming Grand Slam tournaments at the French Open and Wimbledon.

The Serbian is a notable absentee from the Madrid Open, but his presence at the top of the men’s game remains huge as he counts down to his 39th birthday.

While Djokovic decided to sit out the Madrid tournament once again as he continues to nurse an injury issue, the 24-time Grand Slam-winning legend spent some of his time away from court presenting the Laureus World Sports Awards in the Spanish capital on Monday.

Djokovic confirmed he is planning to be ready to return to action at the French Open next month, with his eagerness to continue in the sport a source of inspiration and amazement for some of his former rivals.

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The Serbian is one of the few players who has challenged Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner over the last couple of years, as he continues to defy the sands of time to remain competitive at the top of the game.

In the opinion of former world No 18 Benoit Paire, Djokovic is displaying hugely impressive tenacity as he presses to challenge for what would be a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Paire admitted he was in awe of Djokovic as he continues to compete long after most players who have enjoyed the unprecedented levels of success he has engineered would have walked away from the sport.

“I don’t know how he can do this,” Paire told Tennis365 with the Roland Garros e-series. “I lost some of my motivation when I won my first tournament!

“Djokovic has won so much and he still wants more. It’s crazy. He is a great champion and that’s why he continues. He wants to win one more Grand Slam and he can show the new generation that he is able to win agains. This may be his last season, but I hope he is going to do it.

“When you see him on court now, even at this age, it’s amazing because he can still move like a 20-year-old. He was very close at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon, I think he has a chance. For me that is where he can win again. At Roland Garros, it will be tough physically, but Wimbledon is his chance.”

Paire beat Djokovic in the 2018 Miami Masters, with that victory a source of great pride for the Frenchman.

“My first experience playing Djokovic was when I was very young and he was No 1 in the world,” he added. “I remember his game was so complete. It’s crazy how he can move. When he is serving, he is very good. His return is amazing.

“Now, all these years later, players from my generation are all going and Djokovic is still there and doing amazing things.

“I beat Djokovic once time and it was something special, even if he was not at his best.

“I did not think I was possible for him to beat Sinner on a hard court. He is so strong physically and mentally, so I was surprised to see Djokovic beat him at the Australian Open. That’s why I believe he can do it one more time.”

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Paire, who is three years younger than Djokovic, is currently nursing a back problem that could bring his career to an end in a manner he is keen to avoid.

He is eager to end his career on his own terms and the same story if true for Djokovic, who has set his sights on the ultimate glory as he eyes up an incredible final hurrah in his historic sporting story.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz gets some candid advice from former top 20 player after injury setback

The post Novak Djokovic described as ‘crazy’ and ‘amazing’ by a former top 20 opponent appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala has kicked off her Madrid Open campaign with a solid win over former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

After being seeded at her two most recent WTA 1000 events at the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open, Eala’s drop down the WTA Rankings resulted in her losing her seeding protection as she started the tournament at No 44.

It meant there was no bye into the second round, but Eala was unperturbed as she was in peak form against Pavlyuchenkova, who has slumped to No 116 following a difficult couple of years.

After saving a couple of break points in game two, the Filipino broke to love in game five and then claimed a second break in game nine to take the opener.

The 20-year-old again took the early advantage in the second set as she broke the world No 11’s serve in game four only to lose her own serve in the next game, but she got a second break in game six and then served it out for a 6-3, 6-3 win 90 minutes on Estadio Arantxa Sanchez.

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The win is Eala’s first in three matches as she was beaten in the round of 16 of the Linz Open by Jelena Ostapenko and then lost her opener against Leylah Fernandez at last week’s Stuttgart Open.

Up next is 19th seed Elise Mertens, who had a bye to the second round.

In terms of the other seeds in the bracket, the winner of the Eala-Mertens match is projected to meet 33rd seed Maria Sakkari in the third round while 27th seed Cristina Bucsa and 34th seed Magdalena Frech are favourites to reach the fourth round.

WTA Rankings Update

Eala reached a career-high No 29 in the WTA Rankings in mid-March, but her failure to replicate her Miami Open semi-final from 2025 resulted in her dropping down the list.

But she is now closing in on a return to the top 40 as she has moved up three places in the Live Rankings to No 41 as she earned 35 points for winning her opener.

And there is an even bigger rankings boost waving at her as she could move up a few more spots if she reaches the third round by beating Mertens.

Eala has now reached the second round of the Madrid Open for three consecutive years as last year she defeated Viktoriya Tomova in her opener before losing against second seed Iga Swiatek while in 2024 she defeated Lesia Tsurenko before Sorana Cirstea ended her run.

The post Alex Eala +3 in WTA Rankings with excellent Madrid Open win appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner admits it will be strange not to have both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the draw at the Madrid Open, but he insists he will still face “many challenges”.

Fresh from winning four consecutive ATP 1000 tournaments with three of those titles coming in his last three tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, Sinner will be looking to become the first man to win five Masters events in a row.

And he will start his campaign in the Spanish capital as the odds-on favourite not only because he is the top seed and world No 1, but his two biggest rivals won’t feature as Alcaraz and Djokovic are missing.

Two-time Madrid Open champion Alcaraz is out with a wrist injury that could also result in him missing the Italian Open and French Open, while Djokovic has said very little about the injury keeping him out of action.

Sinner, who will start his tournament against either Benjamin Bonzi or Titouan Droguet, told reporters: “When they aren’t in the draw, the situation is quite unique.

“We’ve shared many tournaments, but if I want to play Carlos, it will only be in the final. The road to a final is very long, and anything can happen there.

“At the same time, I always take it day by day, with many challenges ahead of me starting with my first match against a qualifier who will already have a couple of matches here. I have to try to figure out how to play on this surface and in Madrid.”

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Since losing in the quarter-final of the Qatar Open in mid-February, the four-time Grand Slam winner has won 17 consecutive matches and there were initially doubts about his own participation at the Madrid Open as he admitted he was feeling tired.

Last year, he missed the Madrid Open as he was still serving his three-month ban, in 2024 he withdrew before his quarter-final match due to injury while he also skipped the 2023 edition.

But he appears to have fully recovered and is good to go for the 2025 tournament.

“I feel pretty good. Now we’re trying to prepare as well as we can,” the Italian said. “The plan is to play and compete as well as possible. I’ll take it day by day.

“I have the challenge of Roland Garros in the back of my mind, where I’ll try to arrive in optimal shape. I’m here to give my best.”

The post Jannik Sinner on ‘quite unique’ Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic situation at Madrid Open appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala is preparing to return to action at the Madrid Open and there are clear areas of her game that need to be ramped up if she is to challenge the leading contenders at the top of the women’s game.

Eala’s stunning breakthrough at last year’s Miami Open, which included a fine win against Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, propelled the Filipina star to global fame.

She backed up that run in Florida by breaking into the top 30 of the WTA Rankings and emerging as one of the most popular players in the game.

Yet finding a way to consistently compete with the best won’t be easy for Eala and here are four big areas she needs to improve:

THE SERVE

Eala’s frame is not packed with power and that means she may have a serve that challenges the game’s biggest hitters.

She is down at 44th in the rankings for service points won on the WTA Tour this year and she is 87th for service games won, after emerging victorious in 64.7% of her service games.

A more punchy first serve could be crucial to Eala’s hopes of getting into the top 20 of the rankings and maybe into the top 10.

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PHYSICALITY

As she looks to move up the levels at the top of the game, Eala is coming up against seasoned professionals who have the physical attributes to win matches day after day.

Eala’s record so far suggests she struggles to back up a win by performing at her best a day later and she has suffered some heavy defeats in the opening weeks of 2026.

Building her physical presence on court will take time and that will be crucial to what comes next.

MENTALITY

When the tide turns against Eala, she has struggled to push it back in her favour.

She lost against Karolina Muchova in Miami after winning just two games and also won just two games in her defeat against Linda Noskova in Indian Wells.

Eala was well beaten by Leylah Fernandez at the Stuttgart Open as she looked to kick-start he clay court season, so she may need to find new tactics to change the momentum in matches that are not going her way.

VARIETY

Eala needs to find a way to knock opponents out of their stride when her Plan A isn’t working.

She can hit a clean ball from the back of the court, and that will give her a chance to hit through lower-ranked opponents, but Eala is now playing in marquee events and her power will not frighten top-ranked opponents.

Drop shots, changing the shape of her ball from the baseline and varying the pace of her shot could all be crucial to what she needs to do next.

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VERDICT

After achieving so much so soon, Eala is dealing with inflated expectations, but there is still plenty of time for this 20-year-old to reach her peak.

She has proved she can match the best when she is fit and firing and the big challenge for all players at this stage of their career is finding a way to win consistently.

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The post Alex Eala: Four big areas the Filipina star needs to improve as she seeks rankings breakthrough appeared first on Tennis365.