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Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Madrid Masters after failing to sufficiently recover from the injury which he suffered at the Barcelona Open.

Most recently, the Spaniard was in action at the ATP 500 on Tuesday, defeating Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round.

However, despite the scoreline, Alcaraz looked extremely concerned by wrist discomfort towards the end of the first set.

The next day, he opted to skip practice and then withdrew from the tournament entirely.

The world No 2 was next scheduled to participate in the Madrid Masters, taking place from April 22 – May 3, an event that he has now also withdrawn from.

“There are some pieces of news that are very difficult to share,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion in a post on Instagram.

“Madrid is like home to me – one of the most special stops on the calendar – and that’s why it hurts so much not to be able to play here for the second year in a row.

“It’s especially painful not to be there in front of my fans at such an important tournament. Thank you, as always, for your support, and I hope to see you all again soon.”

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A post shared by Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (@carlitosalcarazz)

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The Spaniard also skipped the event in the Spanish capital last season, due to right leg abductor discomfort.

Less than 48 hours prior to his Barcelona Open first round, Alcaraz had suffered a 7-6(5), 6-3 loss to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters.

As a result, the Spaniard lost the world No 1 spot for the first time since mid-2025.

Alcaraz immediately flew to the ATP 500 event and looked set on attempting to capture his third title in Barcelona.

Even after taking the medical timeout against the Finn, he quelled concern in his post-match press conference and suggested that the discomfort was not a novel issue.

“It’s just discomfort, discomfort that pops up, considering the few days I’ve had to recover, when everything has been practically back-to-back, so in the end things come up in some unusual movements,” the world No 2 stated.

“We’ve tried to calm ourselves down, try to keep going, and above all, be more relaxed, especially in the second set, and see what happens.

“It’s a discomfort I’ve had before, which has never led to anything more serious, so let’s hope it’s the same this time.”

The following day, he underwent scans which concluded that the injury was significantly more serious than first thought – with the exact diagnosis not being disclosed to the public.

“It’s a more serious injury than we all expected, and I have to listen to my body so it doesn’t affect me in the future,” Alcaraz stated during his withdrawal press conference.

“With great sadness, I have to return home and recover as quickly as possible for the upcoming tournaments.”

Alcaraz’s next scheduled tournament is the Italian Open, which takes place from May 6 – May 17.

The post Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from the Madrid Masters as injury concern grows – ‘It hurts me’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Toni Nadal has spoken out for the first time since Rafael Nadal was seen alongside a practising Iga Swiatek at his academy, clearing up rumours that the tennis legend would help coach the Pole.

Just days after her shock loss at the Miami Open to compatriot Magda Linette, Swiatek travelled to Mallorca for a week of practice at the Rafa Nadal Academy alongside new coach Francisco Roig.

Roig coached Nadal for nearly 20 years and helped the Spaniard win all of his 22 Grand Slams.

The Pole had been searching for a replacement for former coach Wim Fissette, who had filled the role for around 18 months.

However, whilst the purpose of the trip was for Swiatek to gain clay-court practice and further bond with Roig, Nadal was spotted courtside during nearly every practise – sparking coaching rumours.

Toni Nadal, the legend’s uncle and former coach, weighed in on the coaching discussion and gave a clear answer as to whether the younger Nadal will ever take up coaching.

“Swiatek asked Rafael if he could go to the academy, some advice and a coach,” revealed Toni Nadal during an interview with Mundo Deportivo.

“Francis Roig told him. And he, as someone linked to tennis for so long, likes to intervene, even if it’s minimal.

“No [he won’t coach], because his life is set up for other things. It’s very difficult. A coach has to dedicate himself 100%.

“My nephew has quite a few responsibilities for his own affairs. He lived more than twenty years on the courts; now he has many other things that require a lot of time, apart from the fact that he is very happy with the family, with his children.

“And the life of a coach is not easy either, more and more changes are being experienced.

“Nowadays, it’s more difficult. I experienced a different era with coaches like Lennart Bergelin and ‘Pato’ Alvarez, who were very strict and didn’t allow players much say.

“I’m not saying it should be like that, but respect has to go both ways – and if anything, there should be more respect for experience.

“These days, it can be difficult to work with some players, and we’re seeing more frequent coaching changes.

“When things go wrong, the coach is often blamed, rather than the player taking responsibility. I don’t know any coach who tells a player to miss shots – if you fail, it’s your responsibility. I said that to Felix [Auger-Aliassime] one day: don’t look for excuses.”

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Rafael Nadal retired from professional tennis, after more than 23 years on tour, in 2024 at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga after struggling to return to form following major hip surgery.

Since then, the Spaniard has kept a relatively low profile, attending a few tennis tournaments and featuring in a handful of long-form interviews.

In addition to Swiatek, coaching changes have been in the news for months, given Alcaraz’s highly-discussed separation with Juan Carlos Ferrero – who he had worked with for seven years.

The Spaniard made the decision towards the end of the latest off-season, a move which surprised Toni Nadal.

“I was surprised, although I think there were other reasons behind it, because Alcaraz finished world No 1, won two Grand Slams and had a very strong season,” he analysed.

“It wasn’t a sporting issue – it was more of a personal matter for them.

“The player is still winning. I was asked in December whether the split would affect him, and I said not at all. That’s not because Ferrero didn’t do a great job, but because Alcaraz is simply that good.

“The foundations are already in place, and he has kept another coach he was working with last season, so I don’t expect any major change.”

Despite the split, Alcaraz went on to become the youngest man to win all four Grand Slams, breaking Rafael Nadal’s 2010 record.

Overall, the world No 2 increased his Grand Slam haul to six, two ahead of rival Jannik Sinner.

Toni Nadal believes that Alcaraz may continue to surpass expectations and win the remaining three Grand Slams in 2026.

“He could [complete the Calendar Grand Slam], because there are very few players capable of beating him,” he added.

“Sinner is one, but at Roland Garros I think Alcaraz has the edge – maybe 60-40. At Wimbledon, he is the favourite, and at the US Open as well.

“It’s possible, though not easy. I would give him around a 75% chance at Roland Garros, and about 60% at Wimbledon and the US Open.

“He is only 22 and look at what he has already achieved. If he stays on this path, it’s certainly possible [that he betters Novak Djokovic’s haul of 24 Grand Slams).

“Of course, a lot can happen over time, but if he continues playing at this level, he has a strong chance.

“He is an exceptional player, and I don’t currently see any younger player capable of surpassing him.”

Alcaraz will next compete in the Madrid Masters, which takes place from April 22 – May 3.

The post Toni Nadal breaks silence on Rafael Nadal coaching talk and assesses Alcaraz’s Calendar Slam chances appeared first on Tennis365.

The Madrid Open marks the first of two back-to-back WTA 1000 events on European soil and all the top players will feature at the 2026 edition.

World No 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will be the top seed and she will be joined in the draw by Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Elina Svitolina, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko.

Sabalenka is on a high as she became the fifth woman to complete the Sunshine Double on the North American hard courts after winning the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open in March.

But the action has switched from hard courts to clay and most of the four-time Grand Slam winner’s rivals will head to Madrid with some matches on the red dirt under their belts while the Belarusian will be slightly undercooked.

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The world No 1 has not featured on the WTA Tour since she beat Gauff in the Miami Open as she opted to skip this week’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

Points The Big Names Will Drop In Madrid

The WTA uses a rolling 52-week cumulative system for the rankings and players have to defend points from corresponding periods/tournaments 12 months ago.

Those points drop at the start of a tournament and players then earn points for their round-by-round progression at that event.

Aryna Sabalenka – 1,000

The top seed will be under a bit of pressure in Madrid as she is the defending champion so she will drop 1,000 points at the start of the WTA 1000 event.

However, she is not in danger of losing the No 1 ranking after the tournament as she has a 2,787-point lead over Rybakina in the Live Rankings, although that could be reduced to 2,395 if the reigning Australian Open champion wins the Stuttgart Open.

Despite then dropping 1,000 points in Madrid, Sabalenka and will leave the Spanish capital at No 1 even if she loses early.

Elena Rybakina – 0

The Kazakh star lost in the third round last year, but according to ranking rules, she is keeping her sixth-best combined WTA 1000 result (65 points) as it is higher than the Madrid result, which does not need to be counted in her ranking points.

Coco Gauff – 650

The American recently overtook Swiatek at No 3 in the rankings, but she could start the Madrid Open behind the Pole in the rankings as they are separated by only a handful of points.

Gauff finished runner-up to Sabalenka last year so she will lose 650 points at the start of the event.

Iga Swiatek/Elina Svitolina – 390

World No 4 Swiatek and No 7 Svitolina lost against Gauff and Sabalenka, respectively, in the semi-finals at the 2025 tournament.

The Pole is set to move ahead of Gauff in the Live Rankings once their points come off, and Svitolina will likely remain in seventh.

Marta Kostyuk/Moyuka Uchijima/Mirra Andreeva/Madison Keys – 215

Quarter-finalists earn 215 points so Kostyuk, Uchijima, Andreeva and Keys will drop that tally.

Andreeva is currently at No 9 in the rankings, but she could move up depending on her results in Stuttgart while Keys could drop out of the top 20 and Kostyuk out of the top 30.

Uchijima is currently at No 86 and she is set to slip out of the top 100.

Jessica Pegula – 65

The American was upset by Uchijima in the third round last year so she will defend only 65 points.

Victoria Mboko – 32

The Canadian star, who sits at No 10 in the WTA Rankings, was still competing on the lower levels 12 months ago and she will defend points from her 18th-best result.

Others

Iva Jovic 100

World No 16 Jovic didn’t play in Madrid last year so the 18-year-old is defending 100 points from an ITF event 12 months ago.

Emma Raducanu/Alex Eala – 35

British No 1 Raducanu, who is yet to confirm if she will play in Madrid following her recent health struggles, lost to Kostyuk in the second round in 2025.

World No 45 Eala earned a wildcard last year and she made the most of it as she beat Viktoriya Tomova in her opener before losing against second seed Swiatek.

The post WTA Madrid Open: Points being dropped by Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, Raducanu, Eala appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will not feature at the 2026 Madrid Open, which means he will once again head into a Grand Slam with limited matches under his belt.

The 22-time major winner has not featured on the ATP Tour since being beaten by Jack Draper in the round of 16 at the Indian Wells Open in mid-March as he skipped the Miami Open and Monte Carlo Masters, citing an unnamed injury.

The three-time Madrid champion was expected to make his 2026 clay-court debut in the Spanish capital next week as he was seen practising on clay in Marbella a few days ago, but he has taken to social media to reveal he won’t play.

“Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete @MutuaMadridOpen this year. I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!” he wrote.

The tennis great has played only two tournaments so far in 2026, the Australian Open where he finished runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz and teh aforementioned Indian Wells Open.

What Is To Come?

The Italian Open will take place after the Madrid Open and last year Djokovic played in Spain, but not in Rome and he could well swap things around this year and head to Foro Italia for some matches on clay.

Having lost in the second round in Madrid, the former world No 1 then accepted a late entry into the Geneva Open – which took place a week before the French Open – and went on to win the tournament to secure his 100th ATP Tour singles trophy.

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It meant he started the 2025 French Open with only six matches on clay under his belt – four in Geneva and one at the Madrid Open as he lost in the second round against Matteo Arnaldi and one at Monte Carlo as he was beaten in his opening match by Alejandro Tabilo.

And despite being undercooked on the red dirt, Djokovic still went on to reach the semi-final at Roland Garros before losing in straight sets against Jannik Sinner.

The Serbian’s withdrawal won’t have much of an impact on his position in the ATP Rankings as he will only drop 10 points while he has a points lead of more than 700 over fifth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

As for the Madrid Open, it leaves organisers facing the possibility of being without the three biggest names in men’s tennis as Carlos Alcaraz is struggling with a forearm injury while world No 1 Jannik Sinner has admitted he is yet to decide if he will compete.

The post Novak Djokovic’s next move up in the air as he issues 23-word Madrid Open message appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has a chance to set a new ATP Masters 1000 title-winning streak record, but it remains to be seen if he will chase that milestone or take an extended break.

The world No 1 has won four consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments as he followed up his Paris Masters title from last November with the Sunshine Double Indian Wells and Miami Open in March before collecting the Monte Carlo Masters trophy last Sunday.

His quadruple saw him emulate Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the list of players to win four ATP 1000 events in a row with the Serbian achieving the feat three times (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) while Nadal did it in 2013.

Djokovic, though, twice managed to win five consecutive Masters events that he participated in, but during both of those runs he missed a tournament in between.

Back in 2011, he won the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open, but then missed the Monte Carlo Masters before returning with titles at Madrid Open, Italian Open and Canadian Open.

The tennis great’s second streak started with the 2015 Paris Masters and he followed it up with the Indian Wells, Miami Open and Monte Carlo titles before missing Madrid. He then returned in Rome to win the Italian Open.

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So Sinner has a chance to go where no other ATP player has gone before since the Masters series was adopted in 1990 as he could make it five in a row with a title run at the upcoming Madrid Open.

But the four-time Grand Slam winner faces a major decision as he has hinted he could skip the Spanish event in order to be fresh for the Italian Open and French Open.

Sinner has a win-loss record of 24-2 so far in 2026 and 17 of those wins were collected in just over a month from 7 March with his opening match at the Indian Wells Open to 12 April when he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final.

And while Alcaraz signed up for the Barcelona Open, Sinner made a shrewd decision not to enter any events this week as he wanted some rest after his recent exertions.

But that week might not be enough as he confirmed after the Monte Carlo final that he will “evaluate with my team whether to go to Madrid or not”.

Sinner is set to travel to Madrid on Saturday, but Italian media reports he will only make a decision on whether or not to play after he practices at Caja Magica.

Alcaraz has already suffered a setback following his decision to play in Barcelona, as he picked up a forearm injury during his first-round win and was forced to withdraw from the tournament, raising doubts about his participation in Madrid.

Sinner and Alcaraz don’t have any points to defend in Madrid and the Italian would no doubt prefer to win the Italian Open on home soil before an assault at the French Open.

Last year, Sinner finished runner-up to Alcaraz both in Rome and Roland Garros and he will be all too aware of the importance of being fresh as he lost the French Open in five sets against the Spaniard.

The post Jannik Sinner faces Madrid Open decision: Chase record that eluded Novak Djokovic or avoid Carlos Alcaraz situation appeared first on Tennis365.

The Grand Slam battle between newly crowned world No 1 Jannik Sinner and his big rival Carlos Alcaraz has dominated the men’s game for the last two years and now a player who has taken on both has predicted who will end up with the most Grand Slam titles.

Alcaraz is already climbing up the list of all-time greats in the major title stakes, as his win at the Australian Open in January was his seventh in a Grand Slam at the tender age of 22.

By contrast, Sinner has won two Australian Open titles, a US Open crown and he also added his first Wimbledon title by beating Alcaraz in last year’s final.

Now, former world No 18 Benoit Paire has given Tennis365 his verdict on who will end up with the most major titles in the battle between Sinner and Alcaraz.

While Paire suggested the duel between the pair will be tight for years to come, he was quick to predict it will be the Italian with more major titles on his record in the final analysis.

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“I would say Sinner will win the most majors,” Paire told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview as he promoted the Roland-Garros eSeries.

“I think he is very solid on hard courts and little more focused win the game. He wants to win everything, so that’s the difference between him and Alcaraz. Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know, but that’s what I think.

“In the future, it will be a big battle between those two. I am also hoping that there will be more players coming through like Joao Fonseca, but for the moment, I think it is between those two.”

Paire also reflected on the first time he came across Alcaraz, as he revealed his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, encouraged him to watch his young gun in action.

“I played against Juan Carlos in my career and he said to me, you have to look at this guy because he is very good,” added Paire. 

“Then, after just one year, he was already challenging at the top and we can also see how good he was.

“He has matured so quickly and achieved so much already. He is just 22 and he has won at the Slams. It’s something different.

“I think Ferrero helped him to be like this and I believe he can try and chase the records of Novak Djokovic. I believe this is possible, but the only question mark I have would be mentally.

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“We can see that he likes to enjoy like also and sometimes he can struggle mentally. So we don’t know what Alcaraz will be like in 10 years time.

“For me, I can’t understand how you can be so professional all the time. To be in a tunnel. You win a Slam and the next day, someone like Novak is thinking about the next one. I can’t believe this.

“If I win a Slam, you would not see me for a year as I would be celebrating!”

Paire is cut from a very different cloth to Sinner, with the relentless winning mindset that exudes from the world No 1 giving him a chance to challenge some of the game’s all-time great as he looks to find his position in the pecking order of the men’s game.

READ NEXT: How Carlos Alcaraz’s Barcelona Open withdrawal affects No 1 ranking battle with Jannik Sinner

The post Jannik Sinner backed to ‘win more Grand Slams’ than Carlos Alcaraz by former top 20 player appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has been warned that he has only won the phoney war with his great rival Carlos Alcaraz, with the titles that really matter still a little distance over the horizon.

Alcaraz appeared to have moved clear of Sinner in the battle between the two dominant players in men’s tennis when he clinched his first Australian Open and became the youngest male to complete a career Grand Slam of all four major titles.

Sinner has snapped back in impressive fashion as he completed the ‘Sunshine Double’ by winning the Indian Wells and Miami Open titles, with his victory over Alcaraz in last weekend’s Monte Carlo Masters final securing his return to the top of the rankings.

The balance of power at the top of men’s tennis appears to have tilted in Sinner’s favour for now, but former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has suggested the French Open at Roland Garros in June and the Wimbledon title are the two tournaments that matter over the next few weeks.

Speaking on the latest edition of his Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast, the 1997 US Open finalists suggested Grand Slams are more significant than rankings for the ‘Big 2’ in men’s tennis.

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“Sinner can probably take over as No 1 and Alacarz is like ‘yeah, no big deal’,” said Rusedski.

“For these guys right now, No 1 is important. They love to be the top dog, but for me, it’s all about winning majors.

“If Sinner goes on and he wins Madrid, he wins in Rome, but he loses in Roland Garros final, and Alcaraz wins Australia and wins in Paris, you know they would trade their Masters titles for the two majors.

“That’s where they want to peak, but also it’s a combination of confidence coming through.”

Rusedski went on to suggest Alcaraz is more vulnerable than Sinner, as he argued the rock solid Italian has a methodical approach that is tough to break down when he is at his best.

“I think it’s much more difficult to get through Sinner because of his return to serve,” he added.

“With Alcaraz, if you hit your spots, you can get on the front foot and you can knock him around the court a little bit because he’s not as tall

“As we saw with Valentin Vacherot on a few points in the semi-finals in Monte Carlo, when you have a big server, he’s not always comfortable.

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“If you look at Jannik, no matter what server he’s playing, whether it’s a big server, he always looks like he’s there and he’s in every return game. Also, his own serve numbers have been phenomenal.”

Alcaraz and Sinner may be exchanging the world No 1 ranking over the next few weeks, with Sinner favourite to be top of the list heading into the French Open and Alcaraz then having a chance to reclaim top spot at Wimbledon, where Sinner will be defending 2,000 ranking points from his win last year.

READ NEXT: How Carlos Alcaraz’s Barcelona Open withdrawal affects No 1 ranking battle with Jannik Sinner

The post Jannik Sinner warned he has only won the first phase of his battle with Carlos Alcaraz appeared first on Tennis365.

Toni Nadal has described Carlos Alcaraz’s Monte Carlo Masters loss to Jannik Sinner as a “bad result” and assessed that it may “raise some doubts” for the Spaniard.

Alcaraz was beaten 7-6(5), 6-3 by Sinner in the championship match at the Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo last week.

The result denied Alcaraz a second consecutive Monte Carlo title and ended his 17-match winning streak on clay dating back to last year’s Barcelona Open final.

It also saw Alcaraz lose the world No 1 ranking to Sinner, ending his 22-week stint in top spot, which had started in November.

Speaking on Radioestadio Noche on Spanish radio channel Onda Cero after the Monte Carlo final, Nadal argued Sinner is currently “controlling his emotions better” than Alcaraz.

“It was a bad result for Alcaraz because Monte Carlo is the closest thing to Roland Garros,” said the 65-year-old.

“I think Alcaraz played at a pace that favoured Sinner… the gap between them is very small.

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“I think Sinner is controlling his emotions better. This result may raise some doubts for Alcaraz.

“Those conversations Alcaraz has with his bench are more due to nerves and frustration.

“Sinner was more consistent than Alcaraz.”

Following his run in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz competed at the Barcelona Open this week, but he was forced to withdraw after suffering a wrist injury in his first round win.

After Alcaraz’s shock third round loss to Sebastian Korda in Miami last month, Nadal revealed he thought Alcaraz may skip some tournaments as he thought the 22-year-old looked tired.

“I’ve seen him looking a bit tired. In some rallies, he seemed to be running on fumes and with less energy than usual, and I thought, ‘Maybe he’s going to stop playing in some tournaments’,” Nadal said.

“But he’s also fighting for the No 1 spot. I don’t know; Samu Lopez and he will decide.”

Toni Nadal coached his legendary nephew, Rafael Nadal, from the age of three until 2017 and helped him win 16 of his 22 Grand Slam titles.

READ NEXT: Former world No 1 gives honest opinion on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s relationship

The post ‘Jannik Sinner is controlling his emotions better than Carlos Alcaraz’, claims Rafael Nadal’s ex-coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Injuries have become a dominant feature on both the women’s and men’s tennis tours in recent years and two factors are often cited as the primary reason.

World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to pull out of this week’s tournament in Barcelona with a wrist problem after he opted to play back-to-back tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, while British No 1’s Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu have struggled to spend lengthy spells on court in the last year without suffering from physical issues.

Former top 10 player Holger Rune is on the comeback trail after he sustained a serious injury at the back end of 2025, with the growing list of players who are sidelined creating a big debate over the sustainability of tennis.

The chase for ranking points and prize money compels players who are not at the very top of the game to play when they are not fully fit, with the ongoing debate over the hectic tournament schedule a gripe most players struggle to contend with.

No player is compelled to play in any event, but there is a drive to chase the next ranking goal or fund your career and that means tournaments are happening all over the world and former British No 1 Tim Henman suggests that mindset needs to change.

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“You know, there’s so much tennis going on in different parts of the world and too much of it is irrelevant,” Henman told Tennis365 at a Sky Sports event in London.

“You look at a week in February and you have Doha, Dubai, Rotterdam, Acapulco, Buenos Aires. What does it mean to a fan? And I think that’s where you could shorten things up. 

“I understand why the Masters 1000s have really gone towards 12 days, but I don’t think it’s conducive to a good calendar for the players.

“At the moment, it doesn’t provide a clear narrative for the fan so certain weeks where there is no tennis are a good thing for everybody.

“It gives the players an opportunity to rest and it gives fans the chance to build the excitement about the next event on the calendar.

“I think we have great assets in tennis, led by the four Grand Slams. The Masters 1000 events are good concepts to get the best players but I think they should be eight or nine days, not 12. Then you can build that product.”

Many players agree with Henman on this point, but the counter-argument comes when star names like Alcaraz use their weeks off to play lucrative exhibition events that boost their bank balances.

It remains to be seen whether a shortened calendar that may be designed to reduce injuries would, in fact, lead to player taking on more travel and matches as they cash in on their star status on the exhibition circuit.

The second talking point on injury is balls and more significantly, the amount of changes around the balls on the tours.

Dunlop balls have been criticised in recent weeks for fluffing up and getting too heavy too quickly, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski among those leading the calls for change. 

“Can we not just have one ball for every tournament that players are happy with,” said Rusedski on a recent episode of his podcast.

“Stick a logo on the same ball if you have a sponsorship deal, but these Dunlop balls are terrible. They are fluffing up and then you change them after seven games and it completely shifts the balance of a match.

“I have been talking about tennis balls and why they are not good enough since I was playing so why is this still going on.”

The change in balls has been cited as a factor in injury issues as players try and fail to adapt to new conditions from week to week, with Daniil Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka among the big names who have complained publicly about the sub-standard balls being used in the professional game in recent months.

Every tournament will sign sponsorship deals with ball manufacturers and that revenue is part of the reason why different brands are used from week to week, but if it is a factor in injuries, changes need to be made.

What we don’t want is to see the sport’s biggest names in the treatment room and any moves we can take to stop that should be explored.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu loses British No 1 ranking in alternative list as uncertainty hovers around her

The post Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu – are tennis chiefs contributing to an injury crisis? appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz was forced to pull the plug on his Barcelona Open campaign due to a wrist injury, and the setback has impacted his hopes of returning to world No 1.

The Spaniard withdrew before his scheduled second round match against Tomas Machac in Barcelona after sustaining the injury in his opening round win over Otto Virtanen.

In a press conference announcing his withdrawal, Alcaraz said: “It’s a more serious injury than we all expected, and I have to listen to my body so it doesn’t affect me in the future.

“With great sadness, I have to return home and recover as quickly as possible for the upcoming tournaments.”

Alcaraz, who has spent 66 total weeks as the ATP world No 1, saw his sixth and most recent stint in top spot end at 22 weeks after he lost to Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final last week.

Sinner’s victory in Monte Carlo earned him 1,000 ATP ranking points and lifted him above Alcaraz into the world No 1 position.

The Italian — who is in his 67th week at the pinnacle of the rankings — has 13,350 points, which put him 110 points ahead of Alcaraz in this week’s ATP Rankings.

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However, Alcaraz was defending 330 points this week as he was a runner-up at the 2025 Barcelona Open 12 months ago, meaning he effectively started the week with 12,910 points.

If Alcaraz had secured the 500 points available for winning the title in Barcelona, he would have jumped to 13,410 points and overtaken Sinner to return to world No 1.

The 22-year-old’s opening round win earned him 50 points and increased his tally to 12,960 points — moving him to within 390 points of Sinner.

Alcaraz’s withdrawal means he has been unable to add further to his tally, which ended his hopes of reclaiming the No 1 ranking in Barcelona.

Sinner will, therefore, retain top spot until at least after the Madrid Open — which will begin on 21 April and conclude on 3 May.

Alcaraz’s revelation that his injury was “more serious” than anticipated has cast some doubt over his participation in Madrid, but he is yet to confirm whether he will feature.

If Alcaraz is able to play the Masters 1000 event in the Spanish capital, he will have the opportunity to return to world No 1 after the tournament.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner is not dropping any points in Madrid as he missed last year’s edition of the event, which means he could increase his points tally by up to 1,000 points.

Sinner is in the same position as he was unable to compete at the 2025 Madrid Open. The 24-year-old could guarantee that he remains the world No 1 by claiming the Madrid title, or by matching Alcaraz’s result.

Following his victory in Monte Carlo, Sinner revealed he was yet to decide whether he will compete in Madrid.

“I’ll take two or three days off, then I’ll evaluate with my team whether to go to Madrid or not,” the four-time major winner said.

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