Category: Articles

  • WTA Queen’s Club draw: Raducanu could face Wimbledon champion, Keys and Rybakina on same half

    The Queen’s Club Championships women’s singles draw has been revealed, and Emma Raducanu could find herself up against a Grand Slam champion in round two.

    It will be the first grass-court match of 2025 for Raducanu, who had a relatively strong grass season in 2024.

    The Brit reached the semi-final in Nottingham and the quarter-final of Eastbourne, before reaching the second week of Wimbledon.

    After her second-round loss to Iga Swiatek at the French Open, Raducanu will await to see who she faces in her opening match at the WTA 500 event in London, with the Brit up against a qualifier.

    However, the 22-year-old could then find herself up against reigning Wimbledon champion and former world No 2 Barbora Krejcikova in the second round.

    Seventh seed Krejcikova has struggled with injury in 2025 and has missed most of the season to date, losing in the second round of the French Open to Veronika Kudermetova.

    The Czech begins her campaign against Rebecca Sramkova, before a potential clash against Raducanu.

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    Krejcikova and Raducanu are in the same quarter of the draw as top seed Zheng Qinwen, with the Chinese a potential quarter-final opponent for both women.

    After receiving a round-one bye, world No 7 Qinwen will begin her campaign against either wildcard Francesca Jones or America’s McCartney Kessler.

    Qinwen’s projected semi-final opponent is third seed Emma Navarro, who will be in action for the first time since losing 6-0, 6-1 in the opening round of the French Open.

    The world No 9 will start her campaign against either Beatriz Haddad Maia or two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

    Navarro is projected to face an all-American quarter-final against eighth seed Amanda Anisimova, who begins her campaign against wildcard Jodie Burrage.

    The bottom half of the draw is headlined by two Grand Slam champions, with second seed Madison Keys and fourth seed Elena Rybakina set to meet in the last four.

    Reigning Australian Open champion Keys, like all top four seeds, receives a bye in round one but could face 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic in the second round.

    Keys is projected to meet fifth seed Diana Shnaider in the quarter-final, before a hypothetical semi-final against fourth seed and former Wimbledon champion Rybakina.

    The Kazakh could face compatriot Yulia Putintseva in her opening match, with Putintseva up against a qualifier in round one.

    Former world No 3 Rybakina is then projected to face sixth seed Karolina Muchova in the last eight.

    Read Next: 2025 WTA Queen’s Club points and prize money: How many points are Raducanu and Boulter dropping?

    The post WTA Queen’s Club draw: Raducanu could face Wimbledon champion, Keys and Rybakina on same half appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Carlos Alcaraz displayed rare weakness at Roland Garros that will encourage his rivals

    Carlos Alcaraz powered into his second successive Roland Garros final with a win against Lorenzo Musetti in Paris, but his rivals will have spotted his weaknesses in a curious end to the first set.

    Italian Musetti was clinging on for periods of the first set, but he didn’t need to do too much to create an opening as Alcaraz served to stay in the opening set.

    Playing under the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Musetti won the first set after a tame error from Alcaraz and the young Spaniard looked rattled as he returned to his seat to compose himself.

    The second set was also on a knife edge as Alcaraz broke early and then dropped his serve straight away, with the final twist in this story coming with what appeared to be a leg injiry for Musetti as he was forced to quit with the score 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0.

    “Well, it is not great, you know, winning the match like this,” said Alcaraz, as he reflected on his win.

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    “Lorenzo is a great player, he has had an incredible clay season, he is one of the few players who have reached at least the semi-finals in the big events on clay.

    “Just four players have done it before, and he is the fifth player, so that shows what an incredible player he is.

    “I wish him all the best with his recovery. I am sure that we are going to enjoy his tennis again pretty soon.”

    “The first two sets were really tough. I had chances to break his serve and be up in the match, but I could not make the most of it. He was playing great tennis.

    “When I won the second set there was a feeling of relief and then, in the third set, I knew what I had to do from the beginning.

    “I just had to push him to the limit and just try to be aggressive, and not let him dominate the game more.

    “I just had to be myself, so I was calmer, I could see things more clearly and I could play more great tennis at the beginning of the third set.”

    The levels of excellence Alcaraz has set at the age of just 22 ensure any blip in his form is a surprise and the concerned look on his face as Musetti took the opening set was telling.

    We have only seen Alcaraz crack on a few occasions in his career, with his fraying temper following his defeat against Novak Djokovic in last year’s Olympic Games gold medal match seeing him slump to a couple of shock defeats, including a big loss at the US Open against Botic van de Zandschulp.

    Occasionally, and this is very occasionally, it feels like the weight of expectations and the levels of perfection we expect from Alcaraz catch up with him when an opponent puts him under pressure.

    Musetti’s dip in form in their Roland Garros semi-final helped him get back into the match and the injury to the Italian finished him off.

    Now Alcaraz will face an even bigger test as he looks to win the fifth Grand Slam of his remarkable career in Sunday’s final.

    READ: Carlos Alcaraz joins Rafael Nadal in record books as he makes second French Open final

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  • Why Lois Boisson could be frozen out of Wimbledon despite stunning rankings rise

    Lois Boisson served up one of the stories of the Roland Garros with her remarkable run to the semi-finals in her first Grand Slam final, but it may not be enough to get her into Wimbledon.

    Boisson is set to rise almost 300 places up the WTA Rankings after her heroics in Paris and she is set to rise to around No 65 in the updated rankings on Monday.

    However, the cut-off point for direct entry into the third Grand Slam title of the year passed a month ago and Boisson was a long way from direct entry into the draw at the All England Club at that point.

    Boisson will now hope her heroics at Roland Garros will encourage Wimbledon chiefs to hand her a wildcard into their tournament, but a more likely scenario may see her get a chance to play in qualifying.

    That would leave her needing to win three matches to reach the main draw at Wimbledon, but the good news is she will feel the full impact of her Roland Garros run once we get to the American hard court swing on the WTA Tour.

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    She will have a chance to play in some upcoming WTA 1000 events and should gain direct entry to the US Open, which will give Boisson a chance to make further rises up the WTA Rankings.

    Despite her defeat against Gauff, Boisson left Roland Garros with her career transformed and she was already looking towards what comes next.

    “I’m just going to take the time to digest this and then we’ll see afterwards. But, no, it will probably not take very long (to get over it).

    “She played really, really good. She was just too good for me today, and that’s it.

    “I just feel like I was running everywhere on the court today, so it was really tough. She was really solid, and I couldn’t play my game today because she was just too good.

    “This week was very positive for me. It’s just that today it was quite simply too tough for me. I couldn’t manage to get my game going, but apart from today’s match… the tournament as a whole was very positive.

    “Even today, there are a few positives even if there aren’t many.

    “We know that particular injury is very complicated, but at the beginning, yes, I kind of lost faith because I didn’t know what was to come next, and I didn’t know that things could go so well,” reflected Boisson.

    “I was really worried at one point, but you know, as the rehabilitation progressed, I realised that things are getting better. In the end, what’s happening today is great.”

    Boisson’s boost in confidence on the court will be enhanced by the riches coming her way off it, with the Roland Garros semi-final appearance earning her €690,000.

    READ NEXT: Lois Boisson set for astonishing prize money payout after reaching French Open semi-final

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  • Carlos Alcaraz joins Rafael Nadal in record books as he makes second French Open final

    Carlos Alcaraz moved into a second French Open final after Lorenzo Musetti retired at 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 – joining Rafael Nadal, and three others, as the youngest players to reach five men’s singles Grand Slam finals.

    Both players came out of the gates near the top of their games, with the Philippe-Chatrier crowd treated to two sets of high-quality tennis.

    The Italian broke Alcaraz’s serve whilst the Spaniard attempted to stay in the first set, before the world No 2 twice led by a break in the second set, before – ultimately – claiming it in a dominant tiebreak.

    However, once the third set got underway, it was clear that Musetti was unable to push into the corners with the same commitment as before, with his service statistics also dropping – both due to what appeared to be a thigh injury.

    Once broken in the fourth set, the Italian was unable to continue and retired from the match.

    “It’s never great, you know, to win the match like this,” stated Alcaraz, during his on-court interview.

    “Lorenzo is a great player. He has done an incredible clay season.

    “He is one of the few players who achieved the semi-finals in all the biggest events. That’s the incredible player he is and I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and I’m sure he will be enjoying his tennis again pretty soon.

    “The first two sets were really, really tough. I had chances to break his serve but I couldn’t make the most of it. He was playing great tennis. When I won the second set, it was a little bit of relief and in the third set I knew what I had to do.

    “I just tried to be aggressive and not let him dominate the game and just be myself, so I was more calm. I could see more clearly and I was playing great tennis.”

    Next, Alcaraz will face the winner of the other semi-final between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic – two rivals who he knows extremely well.

    “For sure. I’m not going to miss it [the other semi-final],” answered the Spaniard.

    “This match is one of the best match-ups we have in tennis right now.

    “It is going to be great tennis. I’m going to watch it, and I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to take tactics from the match.

    “They’re going to play great tennis.

    “I’m feeling great, feeling good. Obviously, it has been three intense weeks but I have another step to make. I am playing great tennis and I have a lot of confidence right now.

    “I’m going to give everything on Sunday. As I said, I’ve been doing great things in this tournament and now it’s time to give 100 per cent and go for the final on Sunday.”

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    In reaching the final, Alcaraz becomes the fifth-youngest male player to reach five singles Grand Slams – at 22 years and 20 days.

    Ahead of the Spaniard are Mats Wilander, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, and Boris Becker.

    The world No 2’s had previously reached the showpiece match at the US Open in 2022, the French Open in 2024, as well as Wimbledon in both 2023 and 2024 – victorious in all.

    The post Carlos Alcaraz joins Rafael Nadal in record books as he makes second French Open final appeared first on Tennis365.

  • ATP Rankings Winners & Losers French Open: Boost for Sinner & Djokovic, Paul’s milestone, Zverev & Fritz suffer

    Only four players remain in the French Open men’s singles draw, and there is set to be a lot of movement in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings next week.

    As we arrive in the final days of the Paris Grand Slam, we look at the rankings winners and losers on the men’s side.

    ATP Top 10 at start of French Open

    1. Jannik Sinner, Italy – 10,380
    2. Carlos Alcaraz, Spain – 8,850
    3. Alexander Zverev, Germany – 7,285
    4. Taylor Fritz, United States – 4,675
    5. Jack Draper, Great Britain – 4,610
    6. Novak Djokovic, Serbia – 4,230
    7. Lorenzo Musetti, Italy – 3,860
    8. Casper Ruud, Norway – 3,655
    9. Alex de Minaur, Australia – 3,635
    10. Holger Rune, Denmark – 3,440

    Jannik Sinner could not lose the world No 1 ranking irrespective of what happened at Roland Garros, but he has ensured his lead at the top will not be reduced.

    The Italian has defended his points from last year by reaching the semi-finals, and he could still increase his tally if he goes further.

    World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz will need to retain his title to avoid dropping points, but he could stretch his lead over third-ranked Alexander Zverev.

    Zverev has dropped 900 points after his quarter-final exit, having been a runner-up last year.

    Jack Draper is up from fifth to a projected new career-high ranking of world No 4 after reaching the last 16 in Paris.

    Novak Djokovic has climbed from sixth to fifth for advancing to the semi-finals and could displace Draper from fourth spot if he reaches the final.

    Lorenzo Musetti has guaranteed he will jump to a new career-high ranking, with his semi-final run lifting him from seventh to sixth. The Italian could finish as high as No 4 if he wins the title.

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    Live ATP Top 10 (As of June 6, 2025 – before semi-finals)

    1. Jannik Sinner, Italy – 10,380 (10,880 if he is a runner-up, 11,580 if he wins the title)
    2. Carlos Alcaraz, Spain – 7,650 (8,150 if he is a runner-up, 8,850 if he wins the title)
    3. Alexander Zverev, Germany – 6,385
    4. Jack Draper, Great Britain – 4,800
    5. Novak Djokovic, Serbia – 4,630 (5,130 if he is a runner-up, 5,830 if he wins the title)
    6. Lorenzo Musetti, Italy – 4,560 (5,060 if he is a runner-up, 5,760 if he wins the title)
    7. Taylor Fritz, United States – 4,485
    8. Tommy Paul, United States – 3,510
    9. Holger Rune, Denmark – 3,440
    10. Alex de Minaur, Australia – 3,285

    Taylor Fritz started the French Open as the world No 4, but he will drop to seventh after his opening round exit.

    Another American, Tommy Paul, is set to rise four places to a new career-high of eighth after his quarter-final result.

    Holger Rune, who reached the fourth round, will take the world No 9 spot from Alex de Minaur after the Aussie’s shock first round loss.

    The Winners

    Sinner, Draper, Djokovic, Musetti and Paul are all clear winners at the top of the rankings.

    Frances Tiafoe will climb from 16th to 13th after a run to the quarter-finals very few would have predicted.

    Alexei Popyrin is on the brink of cracking the top 20, with his last 16 effort lifting him four places to a projected career-high of 21st.

    Alexander Bublik is up 19 spots from 62nd for 43rd in the live rankings on the back of his stunning quarter-final run.

    Daniel Altmaier (+15 from 66th to 51st) and Cameron Norrie (+21 from 81st to 60th) will be rewarded with significant jumps for reaching the fourth round.

    Matteo Gigante (+38 from 167th to 129th) and Henrique Rocha (+52 from 200th to 148th) will make sizeable leaps to new career-high rankings after they each made the third round after qualifying.

    The Losers

    Zverev, Fritz and de Minaur are the losers among the top 10 given they all either lost significant ground or dropped places.

    Two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud will drop 750 points after a second round exit, having been a semi-finalist 12 months ago.

    This will see the Norwegian fall from eighth to 16th — a significant blow with the clay season now behind him.

    Stefanos Tsitsipas’ shock second round loss has resulted in him dropping from 20th to 26th as he will lose 350 points as a 2024 quarter-finalist.

    Zizou Bergs made the third round at the French Open in 2024, but his opening round exit this year has seen him fall from 63rd to 50th place.

    Corentin Moutet is down 18 places from 73rd to 91st after his second round effort fell short of his last 16 run in 2024.

    READ NEXT: WTA Rankings Winners & Losers French Open: Sabalenka & Gauff boosted, Swiatek battles on, Boisson’s milestone

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  • John McEnroe makes ‘Superman’ claim as he offers up alternative Novak Djokovic verdict

    Novak Djokovic is a big outsider heading into his French Open quarter-final against world No 1 Jannik Sinner, but tennis legend John McEnroe has served up an alternative narrative around how the match might play out.

    Sinner has been in sensational form throughout the two weeks at Roland Garros, with his ball striking and consistency allowing him to blow away any opponent that has been placed in front of him.

    Sinner has beaten Djokovic in their last three meetings, but McEnroe believes the script could be different this time if the 38-year-old can unsettle his youthful rival.

    It may seem illogical to suggest that the veteran Djokovic’s hopes of beating Sinner would have a better chance of winning if the match is extended into a fifth set, but that is the verdict from McEnroe.

    Sinner missed three months of tennis due to a doping suspension, with McEnroe giving this verdict on one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the year to TNT Sports.

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    “Believe it or not, I think that if it went to five sets, I would favour Novak, even though he’s older,” said McEnroe.

    “Sinner hasn’t played that much for a while. I think there’s a little bit of a question mark of how he would hold up physically and mentally, having not played a lot of matches, which is pretty amazing to say that if you think about it, when one guy’s 38 and the other guy’s 23.

    “He’s not going to be easy to deal with; I can promise you that. He knows that he’s got a limited amount of chances left, I’m guessing unless he’s Superman. Maybe he is. But Sinner’s going to be more aggressive than Zverev. He’s not going to take it.

    “Sometimes when you watched Carlos play Tommy Paul, you could say Tommy Paul’s not 100%, so play it safer. But actually what these guys do is play bigger – bigger because you have to make these super fast movements because they’re hitting it so hard.

    “And that actually is another way to break someone down. So I think Sinner’s gonna come out trying to play that way and see if Novak can stay with him.”

    McEnroe also offered up his views on Carlos Alcaraz’s semi-final with Lorenzo Musetti, as he predicted the defending champion will face a bigger test than his last match, when he demolished American Tommy Paul.

    “Carlos played incredible against Paul, but I think that Musetti is doing everything he possibly can,” added McEnroe.

    “He’s fitter than ever. He’s more comfortable at net. He’s able to use his, he’s got great hands and skills.

    “It’s a little bit like him and Zverev are the farthest back of any top players. And that usually means if you’re playing the best of the best, you’re gonna be doing more running. So I think he showed that Carlos will be able to step forward more and I think he’s gonna need to do more of that.

    “Musetti was here four years ago. He got two against Novak and he ran out of gas. And then last year, it looked like he had him. They played until three in the morning. It was crazy. He’s getting closer

    “He’s better than he’s ever been but so is Carlos. That’s the problem. It’ll be interesting to see Musetti does try to do different things and be more aggressive. That’s not easy to do against Carlos because he still hits it so big.”

    Watch every moment of the French Open live and exclusively on TNT Sports and discovery+

    READ NEXT: Leading coach reveals Carlos Alcaraz ‘changed everything’ with key moment against Jannik Sinner

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  • Iga Swiatek’s shocking rankings slide confirmed after French Open hammering

    Iga Swiatek’s reign as the queen of Roland Garros has come to an end, with Aryna Sabalenka inflicting a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 defeat on her rival in a compelling semi-final.

    Sabalenka will now get a chance to confirm her status as Swiatek’s successor as the new dominant force in women’s tennis when she plays in her first French Open final on Sunday.

    The defeat for Swiatek confirms her shocking slide down the WTA Rankings, with the 2,000 points she won at Roland Garros last year dropping off her total.

    It means she is on course to slide down to No 7 when the rankings are updated on Monday, ending a long spell in the top four of the women’s rankings for the five-time Grand Slam champion.

    That dip in ranking will have an impact on Swiatek’s hopes in upcoming tournaments, as she could face Sabalenka as early as the quarter-final if she is seeded No 7 for Wimbledon.

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    This win ensured Sabalenka became the first player to reach the final in three consecutive women’s singles Grand Slam events (US Open 2024, Australian and French Open 2025) since Serena Williams (Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon 2016).

    She also became the third player in the 2000s to reach multiple singles Grand Slam finals for three or more consecutive years after Venus Williams (2000-2003) and Serena Williams (2008-2010).

    The bigger concern for Swiatek must be the impact this loss will have on her already fragile self-belief, with former French Open finalist Alex Corretja telling TNT Sports that he was impressed by the quality served up by Swiatek and Sabalenka.

    “It was amazing, the way they were playing. It was fast,” said Corretja.

    “The conditions were difficult for both, but I was amazed they both kept their focus and momentum. In the third, I’m not sure if Aryna was going to be OK, but she cruised it. It was difficult for Iga to adapt.

    “The beginning of the match was difficult for Iga and she was making too many mistakes. I think the conditions benefitting Aryna, heavier with no wind that she could hit through. She then got more stable and the second set changed completely.

    “Iga lost a little bit of her DNA in the third set. I feel like Iga has been working hard to become an aggressive player which is very good for her when she faces Rybakina or Sabalenka who have so much power.

    “She also needs to stay solid. She seems a little bit rushed and she’s maybe going for shots she’s not comfortable with. So she needs to do both because there were too many unforced errors.

    “It’s not easy because she has been so solid and won four times here but realised she needed to add something else. I think she will find it but it takes a little while to understand how to play without losing her identity.

    “It was a good tournament for her to come back and do well, but she was the defending champion. Aryna is showing why she is number one in the world right now.”

    Swiatek will now head into a grass court swing where she has traditionally struggled, with questions over her coaching set up and so many elements of her game now likely to come under the microscope as she prepares to restart her faltering career.

    READ NEXT: One number will sting Iga Swiatek more than any other after French Open exit

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  • One number will sting Iga Swiatek more than any other after French Open exit

    Iga Swiatek’s reign as French Open champion has come to an end and one brutal statistic will hurt more than any other.

    Aryna Sabalenka will play in her first Roland Garros final on Saturday after a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 win against her biggest rival and this match confirmed Swiatek’s demise is now complete.

    The Polish star has won the French Open title four times over the last five years and when she retained her crown in Paris last June, it seemed as if her dominance would continue for years to come.

    Yet she has failed to win a tournament since that fifth Grand Slam title success and now her reign as the queen of Roland Garros has been ended by the player who has replaced her as the dominant force in women’s tennis.

    The final set scoreline will have stung for Swiatek, as she was famous for winning 6-0 sets against her rivals when she was in her prime.

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    Now she is the player accepting that punishment, with Sabalenka becoming the first woman to win a 6-0 set against Swiatek on Court Philippe Chatrier in what felt like a significant moment in the careers of two players heading in opposite directions.

    “I’m thrilled. It was an incredible match,” said Sabalenka. “Tricky in the beginning. Super glad I found my serve.

    “The third set, oh my god. To win a set against Iga 6-0 on the clay. It’s like something out of mind. I’m super happy right now, but the job isn’t done. I will make sure to bring my best tennis and best fighting spirit on Saturday.”

    “Honestly it feels incredible, but I also understand the job is not done yet.

    “I’m just thrilled with my performance today and with the win. The atmosphere in the stadium, thank you so much. It makes us feel amazing, so thank you.

    “Iga [Swiatek] is the toughest opponent, especially on the clay and at Roland Garros. I’m proud that I was able to get this win. It was a tough match, it was tricky, but I managed it somehow and I’m super proud right now.

    “I’m glad that I found my serve [in the third set]. It was a bit easier with the serve. What can I say, 6-0 – it couldn’t be much more perfect than that!”

    Sabalenka will now look to confirm her status as the new queen of women’s tennis by winning her first Roland Garros title on Saturday, with the questions mounting for Swiatek after this latest defeat.

    The Pole would have hoped that returning to the Roland Garros stage she has made her own would see the switch flick inside her and her best tennis to rise back to the surface.

    Instead, she crumbled once again when Sabalenka applied the pressure in the third set, with this latest collapse adding to numerous shock setbacks over the last year.

    Swiatek’s blip in form in now clearly a much more serious issue and we wait to see how this great champion responds to the biggest slide she has suffered in her career.

    READ NEXT: Patrick Mouratoglou makes controversial Iga Swiatek comment amid French Open row

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  • Alexander Zverev sends firm message to Novak Djokovic’s doubters after Roland Garros battle

    Alexander Zverev expressed his surprise at the fact some have written Novak Djokovic off as he labelled the tennis icon “underrated” after the pair’s French Open clash.

    Djokovic delivered a stellar performance to earn a decisive 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Zverev in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

    The 38-year-old has been viewed by some as an outsider for the French Open title, although Zverev disagreed with the suggestion the Serbian could ever be a “black horse” ahead of the quarter-final.

    The 24-time Grand Slam champion has lost his opening match at four tournaments this year, but he arrived in Paris in form after securing his 100th career title at the Geneva Open.

    Djokovic, who won his most recent major at the 2023 US Open, was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open in January and a runner-up at Wimbledon last year.

    In his press conference, Zverev was asked if he expected Djokovic to be able to play in the way he did for three hours and 17 minutes.

    “What do you want me to say? He’s won 24 of these things,” replied the world No 3.

    “Yes, I expected him to be able to play like this. I have not seen him play like this this year yet.

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    “I think it was a very, very high level from him. It was, at some point, difficult for me. In the first set, when the sun wasn’t completely down, there was still some heat on the court. I felt like I could still hit some winners and do some damage with my serve.

    “Then later on, when it got really really cold, I couldn’t really do much. I, at some point, felt like I didn’t know how to win a point from the baseline against him.

    “I thought he was having solutions to a lot of things I was doing. Credit to him. He played better than me today.”

    Zverev then addressed whether the tennis world is underappreciating what Djokovic is achieving at the age of 38.

    “Yeah, I think at the moment he’s a bit underrated, to be honest,” said the German. “Funny that you say that.

    “I think a lot of people count him out already. This year, he’s had a win over Alcaraz at the Australian Open and he’s had a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age, I think for any player those are pretty good results.

    “Of course, you’d have to ask him how he feels physically and how he will recover… if he’ll be 100% for the next match, because I do think it was quite a physical match for both of us.

    “But he’s still beating the best of the best, so I think everybody needs to respect that.”

    READ NEXT: Tim Henman makes bold Novak Djokovic prediction as he looks beyond Roland Garros

    The post Alexander Zverev sends firm message to Novak Djokovic’s doubters after Roland Garros battle appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Leading coach reveals Carlos Alcaraz ‘changed everything’ with key moment against Jannik Sinner

    Carlos Alcaraz is on course for a showdown against world No 1 Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s Roland Garros final, with leading coach Patrick Mouratoglou suggesting the Spaniard is the only player who intimidates the dominant Italian.

    Alcaraz and Sinner have been the stand-out players in Paris this year, as they have lived up to their billing in impressive fashion in the opening rounds of the tournament.

    Now defending champion Alcaraz needs to get past Lorenzo Musetti to book his place in the final once again, while Sinner needs to beat Novak Djokovic to seal his spot.

    With the odds on the ‘Big 2’ clashing on Sunday narrowing, Mouratoglou has given her verdict on what to expect, as he suggested Alcaraz’s win against Sinner in the Italian Open final earlier this month could be crucial to what comes next in Paris.

    “It’s the new rivalry everyone’s talking about, and for good reason. It wears two names: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz,” said Mouratoglou on a LinkedIn post.

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    “Jannik is in the semifinals of Roland-Garros, without dropping a single set. Carlos is also in the final four, back to his explosive best. The rivalry is building, and it’s becoming something very special.

    “Right now, only one player seems to have the key to beating Sinner and that’s Alcaraz. The reverse isn’t true. Alcaraz has beaten Sinner in their last four matches.

    “Sinner dominates most players. Why? Because he gives them nothing. He’s mentally strong, consistent, and has no real weaknesses to target.
    When players face Sinner, they don’t know what to do. You can feel the resignation. That fear. He reminds me of what Rafael Nadal used to impose at Roland-Garros: when you stepped on court against him, deep down, you knew you were going to lose.

    “Alcaraz? He’s different. Earlier this season, he wasn’t quite there mentally. Too many unforced errors. No rhythm. He was winning, but far from his best level, maybe at 50 or 60% of it.

    “Now? He’s back to 100%. Inspired. Confident. Free. And the win over Sinner in the Rome final changed everything. That victory triggered a switch. Since then, he’s looked like a Grand Slam favorite again.

    “This rivalry could define the next decade of men’s tennis. And I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet. Can’t wait to see how the next chapter unfolds in Paris.”

    Former British No 1 Tim Henman gave Tennis365 his verdict on the Alcaraz vs Sinner battle, as he spoke to us inside the TNT Sports studio at Roland Garros.

    “I think Carlos is the favourite,” Henman told Tennis365. “You look at the clay court tournaments he’s played and his results are impressive.

    “He won Monte Carlo, reached the final in Barcelona and he won in Rome, beating Sinner in straight sets in the final.

    “He’s won here, defending champion, he’s playing well and the only issue for me with Alcaraz is these dips in focus he seems to have in matches occasionally.

    “You can get away with that against the lower-ranked players and come back and find a way to win, but you can’t do that when you get to play the top players in the world and that’s the area Alcaraz needs to iron out of his game.

    “When you are having these lapses of concentration in matches against the lower-ranked played, you are increasing the chances of them happening at the end of the tournament.

    “So he needs to ingrain these good habits. If he has those dips against a player like Jannik Sinner in the final, Sinner will take advantage.

    “When you compare him to Sinner, he doesn’t have those dips. He is relentless in his ball striking.

    “Sinner is looking fantastic and while we know Alcaraz gives him different problems, Carlos needs to play at his best to beat him.”

    READ NEXT: Tim Henman fires a warning to Carlos Alcaraz ahead of potential Jannik Sinner showdown

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