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The US Open mixed doubles event has already seen some big-name withdrawals and more may follow after a tight turnaround at the conclusion of this week’s marquee tournament in Cincinnati.

The final big event before the last Grand Slam of the year has a Monday finish next week, as the extended format of ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments sees events spread over almost two weeks.

With this week’s tournament starting in a mid-week slot as it followed extended men’s and women’s events in Canada, the traditional weekend finish for tennis tournaments has been ripped up for the two big warm-up events ahead of the US Open.

While the flight to New York is not taxing for tennis players who are used to extensive travelling, the finalists in Cincinnati will have a decision to make if they play a tough final on Monday and are then expected to be at Flushing Meadows to take part in the new-look mixed doubles event that gets underway next Wednesday.

Carlos Alcaraz is due to play alongside Emma Raducanu in that tournament, while Jannik Sinner is scheduled to compete with America’s Emma Navarro.

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Yet if we are treated to another Alcaraz vs Sinner epic in the Cincinnati Masters final on Monday, neither player may have the appetite to play in mixed doubles the following day in New York.

If rain delays the final in Cincinnati, that would further complicate the issue and may end the debate over whether the top two players in the men’s game will play in the mixed doubles at the US Open.

Iga Swiatek is also progressing in Cincinnati and could face a quick turnaround if she continues her run, with Coco Gauff among those opting against playing in the lucrative mixed doubles event as she has prioritised her preparation for the US Open singles, which gets underway the following weekend.

“For me, it was just because I know the free week of the US Open is already packed for me, for sponsor things, and it was just like a whole other thing. And I’m very competitive; if I were to lose, I would not be happy,” the two-time Grand Slam winner revealed. “So, I didn’t want to waste mental energy on that.

“Then on top of the sponsor stuff, the pre-week, and then knowing that this finished on Monday and potentially having to play on Tuesday. Well, you would have to play on a Tuesday. So I just knew it wasn’t going to work out for me, scheduling-wise.

“It’s just that I plan my sponsor weeks literally like a year out, sometimes a year and a half out. And when this whole thing was coming up, I was already booked and busy.”

Respected coach of Wimbledon doubles champion Julian Cash told Tennis365 last month that he expected plenty of big-name withdrawals from the US Open mixed doubles, with Barry Fulcher telling this website that the format of the competition means it should not come with a Grand Slam title being handed to the winners.

“This exhibition event will be great fun, but it is not a Grand Slam and it shouldn’t be viewed as such,” Fulcher told Tennis365.

“It’s not just about the prize money and more about removing a mixed doubles Grand Slam opportunity.

“My own personal view, it is all just posturing at the moment and I will be fascinated to see how many of those 16 pairings that were announced a few weeks ago will turn up and play.

“I’d be very, very surprised if a lot of those pairs end up taking to the court and the only reason they would release that list is to get everyone talking about it.

“It’s almost like they have put their names down, but there is no obligation to play.

“For me, the best doubles pairing on that list they released is Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and it will be interesting to see if some doubles players who end up playing if the singles players drop out.

“I’m a fan of innovation and trying to bring new things into tennis, but I don’t agree with calling it a Grand Slam event.”

The eight teams in the field of the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship via direct entry are:

Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner

Paula Badosa and Jack Draper

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud

Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz

Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune

Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev

Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul

Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev

In addition, six teams received wild cards into the field:

Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz

Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe

Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic

Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori

Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka

READ NEXT: Legendary coach breaks down how Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner are ‘changing the game’

The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may be forced to pull out of the US Open mixed doubles appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz rated his fourth round win over Luca Nardi as his best display of the Cincinnati Masters so far, but the match also featured a dispute involving the Spanish star.

The five-time major champion defeated world No 98 Nardi 6-1, 6-4 to progress to the quarter-finals in Mason, Ohio.

During the match, Alcaraz was irked by a request made by chair umpire Greg Allensworth.

Allenworth asked Alcaraz to cover the Evian logo on his water bottle, but the 22-year-old — who is sponsored by Evian — refused.

Here is a transcript of the exchange.

Allensworth: “This is what we’ve been told because of the logos and the sponsors.”

here he goes https://t.co/pKmle9keFG pic.twitter.com/4DJ3jtst37

— f (@fvaeey) August 14, 2025

Alcaraz: “Yeah, but it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t my fault. Why it should be covered (the water bottle)… because it wasn’t my fault.”

Allensworth: “Yeah, but in all honesty, I would have had you cover it up anyway.”

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Alcaraz: “It wasn’t my fault, why I have to cover it if it wasn’t my fault?”

Allensworth: “It’s my fault because I didn’t touch it sooner.”

Alcaraz: “Yeah, so because it’s your fault I have to cover it? You know, it doesn’t work like this. It was your fault, it’s always your fault and then I have to pay for that because of your fault…”

Allensworth: “We have to get going now.”

Alcaraz: “No, I’m not going to cover it.”

What did Alcaraz say after the match?

In his on-court interview, Alcaraz said: “I think this match was the best so far for me in this tournament.

“At the beginning of the tournament, I just really wanted to get better every day, after every practice and every match.

“I think I’m doing it, which I’m really proud about. I’m just really happy with the way I felt the ball today and the way that I moved.”

Who will Alcaraz play next?

The world No 2 will take on 11th-ranked Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals after the 27-year-old Russian cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 fourth round win against Francisco Comesana.

Alcaraz holds a 3-1 head-to-head record against Rublev, having prevailed in four sets in the pair’s most recent clash in the last 16 at Wimbledon last month.

READ NEXT: Who is Terence Atmane? French qualifier who stunned Taylor Fritz at the Cincinnati Open

The post Watch: Carlos Alcaraz’s dispute with umpire in Cincinnati: ‘It’s always your fault and then I have to pay’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Acclaimed tennis coach Rick Macci has analysed Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s impact on tennis and revealed how the dominant duo are “changing the game.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have established a Grand Slam duopoly by winning the last seven Grand Slam titles between them since the start of 2024, with the former securing four and the latter claiming three.

Alcaraz, 22, has won five majors in total (two Wimbledon titles, two French Open titles and one US Open), while Sinner, 23, has collected four (two Australian Open titles, one US Open title and one Wimbledon title).

The pair faced off in the final of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2025 French Open, with Alcaraz triumphing in five sets after an epic five hours and 29 minutes.

Sinner took his revenge with a four-set win over his Spanish rival in the Wimbledon championship match last month. The overall head-to-head is 8-5 in Alcaraz’s favour.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci assessed that Alcaraz and Sinner are changing the sport in a different way to the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“We’re seeing something special in real time, the game is so much different because of the rackets, because of the strings, because of the athlete, the speed of the ball,” said the American.

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“This is something like no other and they’re changing the game. Sinner’s changing the game on how consistently you hit the ball with quality. And then Alcaraz, how complete… okay, coaches should teach young kids the completeness and obviously the drop shot.

“But they’re changing the game. In some subtle ways, the Big Three did that, but not like these guys. I mean Alcaraz is changing the way you teach the game.

“Even the mechanics, because we’re heavy into the biomechanics (at Macci’s academy), the ATP forehand is modified since I first did this like 15 years ago and explained what was going on out there — there’s all kinds of adaptations and modifications that the Next Gen is bringing with how to get maximum racket head speed and more spin.

“It’s not just the technology, there’s certain ways that they’re figuring out on the fly.”

Sinner and Alcaraz could meet in the final of the Cincinnati Masters, where they are seeded first and second respectively.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz achieves a major milestone as he eats into Jannik Sinner’s ATP Rankings lead

The post Legendary coach breaks down how Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner are ‘changing the game’  appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz is on the brink of a major prize money breakthrough, and he is set to achieve it quicker than anyone in tennis history.

Alcaraz’s rise to the top of tennis has been meteoric, with his 21 ATP Tour titles and five Grand Slam wins securing his place among the all-time greats of tennis at the tender age of 22.

With prize money rising at a rapid rate in tennis, Alcaraz and his big rival Jannik Sinner are already among the big earners in the history of men’s tennis, even though they are only at the start of what looks set to be highly lucrative careers.

Now Alcaraz is closing in on another huge financial milestone, as he is close to taking his career prize money past $50million.

The Spaniard’s prize money at Wimbledon took his total to $47,362,248 and he will add to that with his earnings from the Cincinnati Masters.

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He will then challenge for the biggest ever prize money on offer in a Grand Slam when he looks to win his second title at the US Open and claim a huge $5million in prize money.

This will be even more than the $4,881,500 Sinner collected when he won the 2024 ATP Finals, which is the biggest prize money any player has earned so far.

The overall prize money pool for the US Open has risen to an eye-watering $90m for 2025, up 20% on the $75m available in 2024.

Men’s and women’s singles runner-up prize money has, much like the champion’s haul, increased by 39%, with beaten finalists set to receive $2.5m in winnings.

Alcaraz has always insisted he is not motivated by money, but he did concede his appearance at last year’s Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia was motivated by the massive money on offer for the exhibition.

“I love playing tennis. You know, most of the time I don’t think about the money,” said Alcaraz.

“I just play for love or for fun. But you have to be realistic. You have to think that you want to earn money, you know, and that’s it.

“The money in Saudi Arabia is the most, highest prize money ever in history, so that was a good motivation, at least for me.”

Alcaraz’s staggering prize money earnings are topped up by an increasingly lucrative range of sponsors, with Nike, Rolex, BMW, Babolat, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton long-standing partners for the Spaniard.

He was recently unveiled as an Evian ambassador, as he joined Britain’s Emma Raducanu among their collection of athletes.

Alcaraz and Sinner still have a long way to go before they become the biggest earners in tennis history, with Novak Djokovic way out in front with $188,934,053 in career prize money.

If he continues to play the game for a couple more years and reaches the back end of Grand Slam tournaments during that period, Djokovic could become the first player to break through the $200million barrier in prize money.

Yet Alcaraz and Sinner may be better placed to reach that mark first, as if they continue to win at the rate they have managed over the last couple of years for another decade, they will become the two biggest-earning tennis players of all-time.

1. Novak Djokovic, $188,934,053
2. Rafael Nadal $134,946,100
3. Roger Federer $130,594
4. Andy Murray $64,687,542
5. Alexander Zverev $54,106,074
6. Carlos Alcaraz $47,362,248
7. Daniil Medvedev $46,901,049
8. Jannik Sinner $45,682,097
9. Pete Sampras $43,280,489
10. Stan Wawrinka $37,634,708

READ NEXT: Iga Swiatek up to No 3 on all-time career prize money list with Venus Williams within touching distance

The post Carlos Alcaraz set to crash through prize money barrier quicker than any player in tennis history appeared first on Tennis365.

Two former American ATP stars have become the latest tennis figures to weigh in on Naomi Osaka’s speech after losing the Canadian Open final.

Osaka was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 1-6 by 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko in the Montreal WTA 1000 title match last week.

The four-time Grand Slam champion drew controversy after failing to mention Mboko in her brief speech during the trophy ceremony.

“Thanks, I guess. I don’t really want to take up too much time,” said a visibly emotional Osaka.

“So, I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, thank you to the ball kids, thank you to the organisers, and all the volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night.”

The Japanese star later apologised to Mboko for forgetting to congratulate her.

“Thanks, Montreal, it’s been a really great run,” Osaka wrote in a post on Instagram Threads.

“I also want to say sorry and congratulations to Victoria. You played a great match and have an amazing career ahead! I realise I didn’t congratulate you on the court.

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“Honestly, I was in a daze and I was so focused on not having the same speech as IW 2018 finals or the Jenny/Jennifer situation that I tried to make my speech as short as possible. Thanks everyone for the week, see you in NY.”

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast with fellow retired American star Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey did not hold back when discussing Osaka‘s speech.

“Can Osaka not just act like an adult for five minutes? Just give a nice speech, fake it for a minute and then move on to the locker room. It drives me nuts,” the former world No 11 said.

“She is also going to make $30 million, you can’t just shy away from that. Give a decent speech, congratulate your opponent.

“But having said that, great week for Osaka. She hasn’t been playing great there has been little signs here and there but to make a final, she can go to the US Open now and make a run to the semis, finals or maybe win it.”

Johnson agreed with Querrey, saying: “It drives me nuts too. Look, as athletes you take the good with the bad. You can’t just take praise when you are playing well.

“I get it’s a tough moment, we had [Aryna] Sabalenka do the same, and we have seen it on the men’s side too.

“But I don’t think [Aryna] Sabalenka deserves what she got after the French Open talking about that loss, because she was critical of her own game and didn’t thank Coco [Gauff].

“In a way, it’s like you get to the biggest stage and you lose and you talk to the press 10 minutes later, you haven’t had time to process it and your mind is not that clear.

“Nobody on their regular day job is getting talked about like ‘did you have a bad day at the office?’. Sometimes it is hard and she is going to figure it out.

“But at least give an honest answer and thank your opponent. Do these things and move on. I know it’s hard to do, but as an athlete, that is your job.”

READ NEXT: Andy Roddick gives verdict on Naomi Osaka after criticism of post-match comments

The post ‘Can Naomi Osaka not act like an adult for five minutes? – Ex-star on Victoria Mboko speech controversy appeared first on Tennis365.

Maria Sharapova has opened up on the financial rewards of winning a Grand Slam title, in comments that give a snapshot into the kind of life-changing moment Emma Raducanu lived through when she won the US Open four years ago.

Sharapova’s interview on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast was compelling from first to last, as an athlete who became a superstar way beyond the boundaries of tennis opened up on all aspects of her career and her new life as a mother and businesswoman.

Sharapova’s honesty and the comfort she felt speaking to a long-time acquaintance made for wonderful viewing and when it came to the rewards in tennis, Sharapova gave an eye-opening account of how her life changed after she won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004.

A run to the French Open quarter-finals a few weeks earlier had seen Sharapova emerge as a star in the making, but few expected her to beat Serena Williams and win the Wimbledon title at such a tender age.

With her stunning good looks and precious talent instantly ensuring her global fame after her Wimbledon triumph, Sharapova was showered with offers from sponsors who wanted a slice of her story.

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Agent Max Eisenbud, who later worked with Raducanu after her breakthrough Grand Slam win, oversaw the rise of Sharapova’s empire off the court, as she became the highest-paid female athlete in the world for many years.

And when she spoke about the finances coming her way after that famous win at the All England Club 21 years ago, Sharapova revealed the kind of finances involved in a sporting breakthrough of that magnitude.

Raducanu was handed a host of mega money sponsorship deals after she cam through qualifying and won the US Open in stunning fashion, yet her poor form since then has seen some of those deals come to an end.

Sharapova is better placed than anyone in tennis to reflect on a story like Raducanu’s, as she suggested a young player in her position has to take advantage of the financial rewards of a Grand Slam win, even though the pressure that comes with trying to hold on to a big sponsor is a huge burden to carry.

“I understand their position,” said Sharapova. “You are a young athlete and you win a Grand Slam in your sport and based on my own experience, you’re pretty much guaranteed that for the next two or three years, you are not making less than $1m on a deal, on any deal.



“Say it’s a three-year deal, at the end of the second year, (if) you are not consistent with your results and you are not going deep into second weeks at (Grand Slams), guess what?
“You are going from millions in your bank account every year to something different. At the end of that second year, every brand has their eyes on you.

“They are following your ranking, they are following your results, they are following how you are doing and every player knows that.

“So there is a part of me that understands they will pack in the s*** out of every deal and I will have a little piggy bank and who know what will happen in three years.

“Am I going to get injured? Am I never going to play at the same level? Am I going to find another interest? You never know.

“It’s a very fine balance of taking advantage which you absolutely should of a big moment in your career. To finally see that reward is significant, but you also have to understand that in two years, if your results are not consistent, no one is re-signing you.”

Raducanu’s impressive form in recent weeks suggests she is rising back to the top of the game and sponsorship deals that may have slipped away from her might now start to come back if she emerges as a contender for the top titles all over again.

The longevity Sharapova achieved in her career after that initial Grand Slam breakthrough is a model Raducanu will look to follow, as she prepares to return to the scene of her greatest triumph later this month.

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The post Maria Sharapova reveals how much money she made after Wimbledon win in a story that echoes Emma Raducanu’s appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka was full of praise for Emma Raducanu and made a prediction about the Brit after the pair’s epic Cincinnati Open showdown.

The world No 1 overcame 39th-ranked Raducanu 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) in an intense third round Cincinnati contest lasting three hours and nine minutes.

After the pair split the first two sets, Sabalenka prevailed in a decisive tiebreak after a marathon 90-minute third set.

The three-time major champion now holds a 3-0 record against 2021 US Open winner Raducanu, although all three encounters have been competitive.

In their third round Wimbledon meeting last month, Sabalenka won 7-6(6), 6-4 in a pulsating clash after saving a set point in the first set and recovering from 1-4, 30-40 down in the second.

Following the match at the WTA 1000 tournament in Ohio, Sabalenka hailed Raducanu’s development.

“I’m super happy once again to see her back and fighting,” said Sabalenka.

“Every tournament, I feel like she’s improving and getting better, and she definitely gonna get back into the top 10.

“She’s moving well, she’s a smart player. She’s serving well, even though sometimes you can see where she’s going. But the speed, the spin is very difficult to adjust to. She’s basically doing everything [well].”

The Belarusian added: “As I said at Wimbledon I am really happy to see her healthy – mentally and physically.

“Every time she is improving and I can see she is getting back to her best. I’m enjoying fighting against her – she is such an incredible player.”

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In an interview with Tennis Channel, the 27-year-old admitted Raducanu had made her feel “old” during the match.

“The whole time I’ve been thinking this is what they call aging,” Sabalenka declared.

“I was like, ‘This is how it feels to be old.’ I looked at Emma and she was pumped and ready to play the next point and I was still trying to recover my breath. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’

“I couldn’t believe I’m getting old. I looked at Jason (her fitness coach), didn’t say anything, but we need to do something because I’m getting old.

“I was just trying to control my breath. I was just trying to do those slow exhales, just make sure I can breathe normal. And I was hoping that I’m going to be able to stay there in these conditions and get the win.”

On playing matches of such intensity, Sabalenka said: “It’s fun to watch, not fun to play. I go for the shots and I pray. My team is always cramping up watching me, but it’s fun afterwards — especially if you win.

“I never go for crazy amounts of practice during a tournament, but we’ll do some extra recovery, stretching, mobility — just to make sure my ‘old’ body will be ready.

“I just did the cold plunge for ten minutes. The last time I did it in Florida, I could only last one minute. That’s how hard it felt today — I didn’t even want to get out. But I had to, because I had to talk to you guys.

“I was brave enough to come to the net and go for some risky shots I’ve been working on in the last couple of weeks.

“[New coach] Max [Mirnyi] is happy with my volley, but at the same time, he’s like, ‘That’s too risky.’ Still, I was pretty happy with those shots. I think I just made quite brave decisions, and that’s why I got the win.”

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu gets strong verdict on top 10 and Grand Slam hopes from Serena Williams’ ex-coach

The post Aryna Sabalenka gives her honest verdict on Emma Raducanu after Cincinnati Open thriller appeared first on Tennis365.

Victoria Mboko was the talk of tennis after her stunning breakthrough win in front of her home fans and her ranking received a stunning lift after her win in Montreal.

The 18-year-old received a wildcard entry into the Canadian Open and she certainly cashed on that opportunity by pulling off a staggering win that fired her up to No 24 in the updated WTA Rankings.

That represented a stunning rankings rise of 61 places for Mboko, who is now on course to be seeded at the US Open later this month.

She is positioned even higher in the UTR Rankings, which offer an alternative view of where the best players in the world are ranked using a different system compared to that of the official WTA Ranking.

Victories against higher-ranked players are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA Ranking, meaning they offer a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.

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So it was no surprise to see Mboko receive a huge rankings boost in the updated UTR Rankings, as she broke into the top 20 for the first time.

The UTR Rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The UTR Ranking is open to players of all levels of the game and the algorithm used provides an intriguing insight into the current form of the top players in the game.

Emma Raducanu is another player who has made a big move in the UTR Rankings after her impressive run of form in recent weeks.

The Brit pushed world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka all the way in a thrilling three set contest in Cincinnati that went the way of the defending champion from Belarus in a third set tie-break.

Yet it is clear that Raducanu is playing tennis at a higher level than her current WTA Ranking of No 39 reflects and she is positioned at a more appropriate No 12 in the latest UTR list.

Mboko and Raducanu may both be contenders to break into the top ten of the UTR Rankings if they continue their good form at the US Open and with both players having limited WTA Ranking points to defend for the rest of 2025, they can also expect a big leap in those rankings.

Intriguingly, Coco Gauff leads the current URT Rankings ahead of WTA No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with these rankings offering plenty of talking points.

Updated UTR Rankings

1. Coco Gauff

2. Aryna Sabalenka

3. Iga Swiatek

4. Mirra Andreeva

5. Zheng Qinwen

6. Ekaterina Alexandrova

7. Elena Rybakina

8. Elina Svitolina

9. Madison Keys

10. Jessica Pegula

11. Marketa Vondrousova

12. Emma Raducanu

13. Jasmine Paolini

14. Liudmila Samsonova

15. Paula Badosa

16. Amanda Anisimova

17. Elise Mertens

18. Belinda Bencic

19. Victoria Mboko

20. Naomi Osaka

READ NEXT: Why Emma Raducanu was treated badly by the umpire in what was is hailed as a ‘ridiculous’ incident

The post Victoria Mboko and Emma Raducanu closing in on stunning rankings breakthrough in alternative list appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu found herself caught up in a storm she would not have wanted any part of when umpire Miriam Bley served up an unexpected response to her valid complaint during an epic clash against Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati.

If an unruly fan was shouting at crucial moments and distracting players as they were about to serve, there is an assumption that they will be removed from the stadium.

When the attendee making a noise is a small child, the balancing act between fairness to the players and expectations of spectator behaviour can become a little blurred.

So when Raducanu asked umpire Miriam Bley whether a crying baby could be asked to leave, she got a response that instantly made the player and not the baby the talking point as the chair umpire said: “It’s a child… do you want me to kick the child out of the stadium?”

The inference from Bley was that Raducanu was being mean-spirited by asking for a baby to be removed from the stands, but that was the wrong way to look at this story.

Instead, we could question why a baby was taken to a sporting event where some level of control is expected from spectators and this is nothing new.

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Babies are often present for major tennis matches and they often cry when the crowd roars and they are naturally scared by the commotion around them.

Maybe the bigger question here is whether there should be an age limit for spectators in tennis and this point was aired by media personality and Simon Jordan, former of Premier League club club Crystal Palace,  gave his pointed verdict on his talkSPORT radio show.

“I don’t think it’s very helpful for an umpire to have responded that way,” said Jordan.

“The umpire was trying to maintain some popularity with the audience because, ultimately, the tennis players were distracted.

“If a tennis player is in the middle of serving and someone shouts out, they’d be the first person to be reprimanded and told the audience has got to be quiet and mindful.”

“I’m not sitting there being some horrid person, it’s me looking at it thinking – it’s ridiculous.

“I wouldn’t bring a young child, theatres don’t allow people to bring young children into an auditorium when actors are in the middle of acting, so they can scream out.

“The fact of the matter is, it’s not appropriate. It’s not mean-spirited, I’m simply saying it’s not appropriate. I would suggest that there should be an age limit in place.”

Jordan is right to suggest that a baby screaming at a play or a performance of an opera would not be tolerated, so why should tennis have different rules when one of the players was clearly being distracted by a young spectator?

When Raducanu suggested the baby could be asked to leave, even temporarily, a large section of the crowd screamed ‘yes’ to give her their backing.

As a parent, I would never have brought my daughter to a top level sporting event when she was still as young as the child who was crying during the Raducanu match.

Children under the age of five are not allowed to enter the show courts at Wimbledon and that feels like an appropriate rule to ensure the environment is right for the players and other spectators who have paid big money for tickets to watch the action.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu, the crying baby, her vocal coach Francisco Roig and breaking the rules

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The first hard-court Grand Slam event was not held until 1978 but, less than five decades on, the surface is the most common on the ATP Tour.

Several all-time greats of the sport have found huge success on hard courts across the globe, but who are the greatest hard-court players of all time?

Here, we rank the 10 greatest male hard-court players of the Open Era.

Grand Slam success is a factor, though we also factor in that the US Open was not on hard until 1978, and the Australian Open was not on the surface until 1988.

We also look at overall impact and legacy on the surface, big titles and overall titles won, match wins and win percentage, and the era each player was competing in.

Agree or disagree with our list? Let us know in the comments.

10) Jannik Sinner

It may feel a little presumptuous to put Sinner on this list, though the world No 1 is one of just three men to have won three consecutive hard-court Grand Slam titles.

The Italian already has back-to-back Australian Open titles and a US Open title to his name, with a further four victories at Masters 1000 level and an ATP Finals title on hard courts.

At the end of 2024, Sinner’s hard-court career win percentage (79.13%) was the eighth-highest of all time, and it feels as if the best could be yet to come for the 23-year-old.

9) Andy Murray

Across his career, Murray won 34 of his 46 ATP Tour titles on hard courts – a tally that only five men in the Open Era can beat.

The Brit triumphed at the US Open in 2012 and achieved a further five Australian Open runner-up finishes, also winning Olympic gold on the surface at Rio 2016.

Murray won 12 Masters 1000 and the 2016 ATP Finals title on hard courts, and holds an overall career win percentage of 74.08% on the surface – with an impressive 503 match wins.

8) John McEnroe

Tennis great McEnroe was one of the leading players when hard courts became more prominent in the sport, and the US star found huge success on the surface.

McEnroe won 22 hard-court titles across his career, ranking him joint-11th in the all-time standings, with an impressive four US Open crowns his standout successes.

The American won 81.36% (288-566) of his hard-court matches across his career, the sixth-highest win percentage in ATP history.

7) Ivan Lendl

One of the dominant forces of the 1980s, Czech great Lendl cemented his place as one of the leading hard-court stars of his era, and one of the best of all time.

The Czech won three straight US Open titles on the surface, reaching eight finals in a row in New York across the 1980s, and also claimed back-to-back Australian Open titles once the event switched to hard.

Lendl’s record of 82.45% ranks as the fourth-highest win percentage on the ATP Tour, with only six men having won more hard-court titles (31) than the former world No 1.

6) Jimmy Connors

Though the gradual move to more hard-court events came midway through Connors’ career, the US icon more than made his mark on the surface.

His 45 hard-court titles rank him fourth all-time, with his 530 match victories also the fourth-most among men recorded on the ATP Tour.

Three of Connors’ five US Open titles came on hard courts, with a highly impressive overall win percentage of 82.55% on the surface.

5) Pete Sampras

Sampras was the leading player of the 1990s, and a significant chunk of his success came on hard courts across his legendary career.

The American won an impressive 36 titles on the surface, including five US Open and two Australian Open titles, alongside one of his five ATP Finals triumphs across the 1990s.

Sampras’ overall match wins (426) and win percentage (80.53%) both rank him seventh in ATP Tour history.

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4) Rafael Nadal

Up against the No 1 and No 2 picks on our countdown (more on them shortly), Nadal well and truly held his own on hard courts in a hugely competitive era.

Despite his opposition, the Spaniard managed to pick up four US Open and two Australian Open titles, with 25 overall titles on the surface – including 10 victories at Masters 1000 level.

Nadal’s 516 match wins are the fifth-most in ATP Tour history, with an overall win percentage of 77.48% across his career.

3) Andre Agassi

Agassi found success on all surfaces across his career, though hard courts proved to be his happiest hunting ground.

Forty-six of his 60 ATP Tour titles came on the surface, the third-highest tally in tour history, with 14 Masters titles, with a total of 596 match wins across his career on hard courts.

Agassi won two US Open titles in the 1990s and was a four-time Australian Open champion, despite not playing the event for the first decade of his career.

The American’s CV on the surface is boosted by an impressive win rate of 78.94%, the ninth-highest on the ATP Tour.

2) Roger Federer

Few have dominated on hard courts quite like Federer, whose 71 tour titles on the surface is an Open Era record.

Eleven of those titles came at Grand Slam-level, with five straight US Open titles won from 2004-08, coupled with an impressive six Australian Open titles.

The Swiss won 22 Masters titles on hard courts and has an overall career win percentage of 83.26%, the second-highest on the surface.

Federer won a total of 776 matches on hard courts, the most of any man.

1) Novak Djokovic

Though Djokovic and Federer are level with 71 hard-court titles, the tilt of other stats in the Serbian’s favour means he is our pick as the greatest male hard-court player.

No man has won more Grand Slam titles than Djokovic on hard courts, with a record 10 Australian Open crowns joined by four US Open triumphs across his career.

The Serbian has also won a record 29 Masters 1000 titles on hard courts, with his 708 wins (as of the end of 2024) only beaten by Federer.

Djokovic’s hard-court win percentage of 84.09% (as of 2024) is the highest of all time, cementing his place our No 1 pick.

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