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Former doubles world No 1 Nicolas Mahut has questioned Novak Djokovic’s choice to play in Athens as he argued that the tennis great’s scheduling “isn’t very coherent.”

Djokovic is currently competing at the inaugural edition of the Hellenic Championship, an indoor hard-court ATP 250 tournament staged in Greece’s capital.

The event, which replaced the Belgrade Open, is organised by the Djokovic family, with Novak’s brother Djordje the tournament director. Djokovic and his family moved from Serbia to Greece in September.

Nicolas Mahut on Novak Djokovic’s schedule

• Nicolas Mahut does not understand Novak Djokovic’s decision to play the Hellenic Championship in Athens ahead of the ATP Finals
• The Frenchman thinks it would have been more logical for Djokovic to play the Paris Masters instead
• Djokovic recently paid tribute to Mahut, who played the final match of his career in Paris last week

Djokovic has revealed he will make a decision on his participation at the ATP Finals in Turin after his campaign at the Hellenic Championship. The ATP Finals will begin on November 9, the day after the final in Athens.

The 38-year-old Serbian is seeking his second title of 2025 in Athens, having won his 100th and most recent ATP singles title at the ATP 250 in Geneva in May. Djokovic, who is ranked fifth in the world, is the top seed and favourite to win in Greece.

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What Mahut said about Djokovic’s scheduling decisions

Speaking to Eurosport France, Mahut assessed Djokovic’s end of season schedule and pointed out how the 24-time major winner’s progress in Athens could impact him at the ATP Finals.

“I don’t understand this scheduling of the Athens tournament, even if it’s his family organising it,” said the five-time Grand Slam doubles champion.

“Logically, he plays Shanghai, prepares indoors, and then plays the Rolex Paris Masters. But Athens is just the week before the Masters (ATP Finals).

“He travels, and if he reaches the final, it adds matches to his schedule every day because the tournament finishes the day before the Masters starts.

“For me, considering his plan to play the Masters, this scheduling isn’t very coherent.”

What Djokovic said about Mahut’s retirement

Mahut, who is 43, called time on his 25-year professional career at last week’s Paris Masters, where he partnered Grigor Dimitrov in his last match.

The Frenchman revealed Djokovic had agreed to play doubles with him if he played the ATP 1000 event in Paris, but the Serb ultimately chose not to compete.

“Initially, I was kind of waiting for Novak, who had told me at Roland Garros, ‘If I come to Paris, I promise we’ll play together.’ In the end, he didn’t come, so it was a bit tough,” Mahut explained.

Following Mahut’s retirement, Djokovic wrote on his Instagram story: “Well done Nico, congratulations on your brilliant career.”

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s rankings battle at the ATP Finals is not only crucial in terms of the year-end No 1 spot, but it will also decide who is the top seed at next year’s Australian Open.

With Alcaraz losing early at the Paris Masters, Sinner reclaimed top spot in the ATP Rankings with a title run at the ATP 1000 event in the French capital as he returned to No 1, having lost this position to the Spaniard after the US Open.

The Italian leads his rival by only 250 points [Sinner is on 11,500 points compared to Alcaraz’s 11,250], but his stay at the top will be brief as they will swap places again when the rankings are updated this coming Monday as points from the 2024 ATP Finals will be removed.

But their final positions will be determined after this year’s season-ending tournament in Turin with Alcaraz the favourite to finish the year at No 1 and it will be crucial as it will also confirm who will be the top seed at the 2026 Australian Open.

Following a rule change, entries for the 2026 Australia swing – including the season-opening Grand Slam – will be based on the year-end ATP Rankings, with the final update taking place on November 17, the day after the ATP Finals conclude.

In the past, the entries for the Australian Open were only determined one week before the start of the tournament. For example, this year’s Melbourne event started on January 13 and seedings were based on the rankings of January 6.

The thinking behind the tweak is that it will stop players from battling for ranking points at lower-tier events during December and early January to secure a last-minute entry into the hard-court major.

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The change will not only have an impact on the official main draw and qualifying lists for the Australian Open, but also the seedings with this week’s Moselle Open and Hellenic Championships and next week’s ATP Finals the final ATP Tour events.

The points players earn on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour before the cutoff date of November 17 will also count and give those lower down the rankings a chance to qualify.

But of course, it will also determine the top 32 seeds.

As things stand in the Live Rankings, Alcaraz has already regained top spot from Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic is up to No 4 as he is in action at the Hellenic Championships, while Jack Draper has been confirmed as the year-end No 1 despite missing the final few months of the season due to injury.

Top 10 In Live Rankings:

1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Ben Shelton
6. Taylor Fritz
7. Alex de Minaur
8. Felix Auger-Aliassime
9. Lorenzo Musetti
10. Jack Draper

Djokovic and Musetti are still in action in Athens this week while the top eight players will also feature at next week’s ATP Finals, so there could still be a few changes to the top 10.

In terms of the remaining players currently among the top 32, only Cameron Norrie is still in action as he has reached the quarter-final in Metz and a title run could see him rise to No 24.

Meanwhile, Valentin Vacherot – who was outside the top 100 just over a month ago – is set to be seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career as he is at No 29 following his Shanghai Masters title run.

Rest Of The Seeds:

11. Alexander Bulbik
12. Casper Ruud
13. Daniil Medvedev
14. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
15. Holger Rune
16. Andrey Rublev
17. Jiri Lehecka
18. Karen Khachanov
19. Jakub Mensik
20. Tommy Paul
21. Francisco Cerundolo
22. Flavio Cobolli
23. Denis Shapovalov
24. Joao Fonseca
25. Tallon Griekspoor
26. Luciano Darderi
27. Arthur Rinderknech
28. Frances Tiafoe
29. Valentin Vacherot
30. Cameron Norrie
31. Tomas Machac
32. Brandon Nakashima

As for those outside the current seeding positions, Learner Tien (No 37), Lorenzo Sonego (No 42) and Alexandre Muller (No 43) could still move into the top 32.

Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas won’t be seeded for the first time since 2018 as he is at No 33 and has not played since the US Open.

The post ATP Rankings: How rule change will affect seedings at 2026 Australian Open appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s participation at the ATP Finals has been a major talking point in the latter part of the 2025 season, with the tennis legend yet to confirm whether he will compete.

The 24-time major champion dismissed a claim from Angelo Binaghi, the Italian Tennis Federation president, that he would play in Turin.

Djokovic insisted he will make a decision on the ATP Finals once he has concluded his campaign at the Hellenic Championship in Athens this week.

Why Novak Djokovic should play the 2025 ATP Finals

• With winning a Grand Slam becoming increasingly difficult for Novak Djokovic, the ATP Finals may be his best chance left to win a big tournament
• The ATP Finals arguably provides Djokovic with the best conditions to beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
• Djokovic beat Alcaraz and Sinner in stunning fashion at the same event in 2023, and a similar victory could fuel his belief for 2026

The ATP 250 event in Athens — Djokovic’s new home — has been organised by his family, with his brother Djordje the tournament director.

With the ATP Finals set to begin on Sunday November 9, Djokovic may not be at his freshest if he does choose to play in Turin.

The world No 5, who is the top seed and favourite to win the Athens title, could play the final in the Greek capital the day before the ATP Finals gets underway.

Djokovic, who is fourth in the Race to Turin, has qualified for the ATP Finals for the 18th time. If he plays, it would be a record-equalling 17th appearance as he missed the 2024 ATP Finals having qualified.

The Serb has made it clear that the four Grand Slam tournaments are what matter most to him, but it it is only getting harder for him to win a record-extending 25th major.

Djokovic fell in the semi-finals at all four majors this season — a remarkable feat given he turned 38 in May — but he did not come close to reaching a final.

He lost to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, Jannik Sinner at both the French Open and Wimbledon, and he retired after losing the first set against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open.

Since Djokovic won the 2023 US Open, Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last eight Slams between them, and the leading duo have distanced themselves from the chasing pack in 2025.

Djokovic dealt with physical issues at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, with the best-of-five set format becoming an increasingly difficult hurdle to navigate.

There is, therefore, an argument that Djokovic should target the ATP Finals — the fifth biggest prize in the men’s game after the majors.

The prestigious season-ending event, which Djokovic has won a record seven times, is played on a quick indoor surface he has previously excelled on.

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The indoor conditions are less physically demanding, and players are required to play five, best-of-three set matches. This is far more manageable than seven, best-of-five set matches, or even the six matches needed to win most Masters 1000 events.

In addition, players can usually afford to lose a round robin match and still progress to the semi-finals.

Winning the ATP Finals is, therefore, arguably Djokovic’s best opportunity left to add to his unrivalled collection of big trophies.

More significantly, perhaps, is that the best-of-three set, indoor event surely represents Djokovic’s best chance to beat Alcaraz and Sinner at a significant tournament.

Djokovic himself declared that he now prefers his chances of beating the pair in best-of-three after his US Open defeat to Alcaraz.

The Serb, who is one of the greatest indoor hard-court players of all-time, triumphed at the ATP Finals in Turin two years ago in memorable fashion.

A 36-year-old Djokovic produced a stratospheric level in back-to-back matches to dismantle Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 and Sinner 6-3, 6-3 in the 2023 semi-finals and final.

Those wins, which have aged very well, illustrated how indoor conditions can bring the very best out of Djokovic’s serving and aggressive ball striking. He also won the 2022 edition of the event at the same venue without dropping a set.

Even if Djokovic did not go on to lift his 101st ATP singles title, earning a win against Alcaraz and/or Sinner in Turin would only enhance his legacy.

It should be said that it would be no easy feat for Djokovic to beat Sinner, the reigning ATP Finals champion, who has won 26 consecutive indoor matches.

Alcaraz, though, has been at his most vulnerable indoors in his career to date, reinforced by his erratic display in his opening match loss at the Paris Masters last week.

A win against even one of the top two could, crucially, fuel Djokovic’s belief for 2026.

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic serves up incredible statistics as he snaps unwanted record in Greece

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Novak Djokovic is now arguably the greatest male tennis player in the history of the sport, with 24 Grand Slam singles titles to his name.

However, he is not the only member of his family beginning to hold influence in the tennis world, with his youngest brother, Djordje Djokovic, the tournament director of the Hellenic Championship in Athens this week.

A former player himself, Djordje has been growing in influence within the sport in recent years, and has been forging his own successful career through the business side of the sport.

Playing career

The third and youngest son of Srdan and Dijana Djokovic, Djordje followed his older brothers, Novak and Marko, into pursuing a professional tennis career.

He reached a career high of world No 1,463 in the ATP Rankings in September 2013 as an 18-year-old, though he called time on his singles career in 2015 after qualifying defeats at the Shenzhen Open and China Open.

Djokovic reached 559th in the ATP doubles rankings in May 2016 and played doubles alongside Novak at the 2015 China Open in Beijing.

The pair defeated Gong Maoxin and Michael Venus in the first round, before falling in round two to eventual champions Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil.

His final doubles match came at an ITF event in 2017, after which he retired from tennis and turned his focus to a behind-the-scenes role in the sport.

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Tournament director roles

Djordje is overseeing action at the Hellenic Championship in 2025, though this is not the first time that he has taken on such a role.

He was the tournament director of the Serbia Open, an ATP 250 clay-court event that returned to the calendar for two years in 2021 and 2022.

The 30-year-old was then the tournament director of the Srpska Open in Banja Luka in 2023, another ATP 250 event held instead of the Serbia Open that season.

Twelve months ago, Djordje was the tournament director of the Belgrade Open in the Serbian capital — the event which has moved to Athens this year.

The tournament is not currently on the ATP Tour calendar for 2026, but speaking before the event, Djordje revealed an ambition for the event to become a mainstay on tour.

He said: “We hope a high-level tournament will take place and, afterwards, we will negotiate to host it again.”

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The WTA Finals has faced its first mid-tournament withdrawal of 2025, with Madison Keys pulling out of her final singles match of the round-robin stage.

Seventh seed Keys, who was competing at the year-end championship for the first time since 2016, was set to take on Elena Rybakina on Thursday, though has now pulled out.

Mirra Andreeva was widely expected to step in to replace Keys, though it is in fact Ekaterina Alexandrova who will take to court in Riyadh — here’s why that is the case.

Why did Keys withdraw?

Concerns grew for Keys following the end of her second match versus Amanda Anisimova, the Australian Open champion falling 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 after leading by a set and a break.

The seventh seed did not shake hands with Anisimova following the contest, telling her compatriot that she had a cough and did not want to risk passing any illness to her.

Having already tasted defeat at the hands of Iga Swiatek prior to facing Anisimova, Rybakina’s win over Swiatek on Monday ensured that Keys was officially out of the event after her own defeat later that day, falling to 0-2 in the group.

That led many to believe that Keys would ultimately withdraw from the competition due to her illness, a situation that has now ultimately come to pass.

Why is Alexandrova replacing Keys in the WTA Finals?

In case any player withdraws midway through the round-robin stage, two alternates are present at the WTA Finals to step in.

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This is the second straight year that an alternate has been called into action, with Daria Kasatkina replacing Jessica Pegula after the American’s withdrawal in 2024.

Heading into the tournament, the first alternate was Andreeva — who missed out on qualifying for the main event by just six points, finishing in ninth place in the WTA Race to Riyadh.

Finishing 10th in the Race to Riyadh, Alexandrova was the second alternate in the draw after a career-best season.

On paper, Andreeva would have been in line to replace Keys, and step in to face sixth seed Rybakina — who is already confirmed as the group winner — on Thursday.

However, the 18-year-old did not sign in as a potential singles player on Thursday, citing that she was not fit to play.

The Russian has been in doubles action alongside Diana Shnaider this week, and it would appear that she has prioritised her final doubles match instead of playing in the singles event.

Having signed in, Alexandrova therefore steps in to play Rybakina, a rematch of the Ningbo Open final from last month.

The 31-year-old has the chance to earn 200 ranking points and $355,000 with victory against the Kazakh on Thursday, alongside a fee for stepping in as an alternate.

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Barely 24 hours after the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation proudly stated that Novak Djokovic would compete at the ATP Finals, the tennis great himself has offered a different opinion.

Djokovic is one of seven players who have secured their places in the draw for the season-ending tournament in Turin with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Alex De Minaur also set to compete.

However, there had been doubts over the 24-time Grand Slam winner’s participation in the event as he opted not to compete last year as he played a reduced schedule, insisting he would only play the four Grand Slams and tournaments that have a special meaning to him.

The Serbian has followed a similar schedule this year, leading many to believe that he would once again skip the ATP Finals, but Angelo Binaghi, chief of Italian tennis, announced earlier this week that Djokovic would play.

“We have confirmation that Djokovic will play in Turin,” he boldly told radio channel Rai Gr Parlamento.

But the former world No 1 has dismissed that claim, saying: “I don’t know where he (Binaghi) got that information from. Definitely not from me or my team. I will decide at the end of this tournament.”

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Djokovic is in action at the Hellenic Championship and he won his opening match against Alejandro Tabilo, winning 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 to deny the Chilean a third consecutive win in their head-to-head rivalry.

The Greek event is one of the events that has a special meaning for the 38-year-old as he recently moved to Athens with his family.

“It feels really at home, playing in Athens. A few months ago when I came here with my family, I was very excited because I have always loved Greece,” the current world No 5, whose only title this year has come at the Geneva Open in May, said.

Djokovic – who will face Nuno Borges in the quarter-final – is the overwhelming favourite to win the title and he is projected to meet second seed Lorenzo Musetti in the final and the outcome of that match could have a big impact on the ATP Finals.

Musetti is ninth in the ATP Race To Turin, but a title run will help the Italian to overtake eighth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is not playing this week.

Of course, both could still play at the lucrative event if Djokovic decides not to compete in Turin.

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The WTA Finals is in full swing and, believe it or not, we are already approaching the final round of round-robin matches in Riyadh.

Group Serena Williams will be the first group to come to a close on Wednesday, with the unbeaten Elena Rybakina set to take on Madison Keys, before 2023 WTA Finals champion Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova do battle.

Here, we look at the qualification scenario set to unfold inside the King Saud University Indoor Arena — with two players fighting for their place in the knockout stage.

What do we know?

In Group Serena Williams, two things are currently certain.

One is that, having beaten both Anisimova and Swiatek in Riyadh, Rybakina is through the knockout stage — and is guaranteed to finish as the group winner.

Should she beat Keys, her perfect nine points from nine will see her win the group comfortably, while she will still edge either Anisimova and Swiatek on tournament head-to-head if she finishes on six points.

What we also know is that, regardless of how she fares against Rybakina, Keys cannot progress and is officially out.

The American would hold three points should she triumph, but with Rybakina already on six points and one of Anisimova and Swiatek set to hold six points, there is no mathematical way for her to qualify.

However, individual prize money and ranking points are attached to each match, meaning there is still something for her and her Kazakh opponent to play for — assuming she does not pull out due to illness.

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All that means there will be a straight shootout between Swiatek and Anisimova on Wednesday.

Who will qualify?

With both women on one win and one loss so far, the equation for these two is quite simple.

They will enter the court knowing that whoever wins will finish second in the group and qualify for the semi-final, while the loser will join Keys in exiting the tournament.

As mentioned, defeats to Rybakina mean they cannot finish above the Kazakh, meaning that second place is guaranteed for the winner of this match.

It will be the third meeting between the two in the space of four months, and all of those matches have been of extreme importance.

Swiatek memorably double-bagelled Anisimova in the Wimbledon final in July, before the American earned revenge with victory in the quarter-final of the US Open in September.

WTA Finals Order of Play (Wednesday, November 5)

n/b 14:00 (local time): (6) Elena Rybakina vs (7) Madison Keys
Followed by: (2) Iga Swiatek vs (4) Amanda Anisimova

Group Serena Williams standings

1) Elena Rybakina – 6 points (2-0)
2) Iga Swiatek – 3 points (1-1)
3) Amanda Anisimova – 3 points (1-1)
4) Madison Keys – 0 points (0-2)

Read Next: ‘Battle of the Sexes’: What we know and what Aryna Sabalenka & Nick Kyrgios have said

The post Iga Swiatek vs Amanda Anisimova: What’s at stake in crunch WTA Finals clash? appeared first on Tennis365.

The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios has been confirmed, and it will take place next month.

Sabalenka and Kyrgios will face off at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 28 December.

The match has been organised by Evolve, a sports agency founded by Naomi Osaka, which represents both Sabalenka and Kyrgios.

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios will meet in ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition

• Aryna Sabalenka said she is ready to bring her A-game and also spoke of her respect for tennis icon Billie Jean King, who won the most famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in 1973
• Nick Kyrgios asserted he “has never backed down from a challenge”, adding he is “here to entertain”
• Tennis365 readers are unsure the match will be a close contest, but some feel it will be an entertaining watch

Sabalenka won her fourth and most recent Grand Slam title at the 2025 US Open in September, and she will finish the season as the WTA world No 1 for the second straight year.

Kyrgios, a former world No 13, has played just five singles matches this season since returning from a wrist injury that had kept him out of action since June 2023.

The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up is currently ranked 652nd in the world having won just one match since October 2022. The Aussie has not featured in singles since the Miami Open in March due to ongoing injury issues.

This will be the fourth match labelled the ‘Battle of the Sexes’

There have been three tennis matches previously billed as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’, with two of them featuring former American player Bobby Riggs in 1973.

Riggs, a Wimbledon and US Open champion, was 55 when he played the two women’s tennis legends.

He crushed a 30-year-old Court 6-2, 6-1 in May 1973 before losing 4-6, 3-6, 3-6 to a 29-year-old King four months later in what was by far the most famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match.

Despite the age gap between the two, King’s victory was seen as a big step forward for women in sport and was watched by an estimated 90 million viewers worldwide.

In 1992, 40-year-old Jimmy Connors defeated a 35-year-old Martina Navratilova 7-5, 6-2 in a third ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match played under hybrid rules.

Sabalenka and Kyrgios’ reaction to the announcement

Here is what Sabalenka and Kyrgios said after the match was confirmed.

Sabalenka: “I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake, I’m ready to bring my A-game.

“I have so much respect for Billie Jean King and what she has done for the women’s game.

“I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match.”

Kyrgios: “When the world number one challenges you, you answer the call. I’ve got massive respect for Aryna; she’s a powerhouse and a true champion.

“But I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’m not just here to play, I’m here to entertain. This is what I live for.”

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What Sabalenka and Kyrgios have previously said about the match

In a conversation with Alexander Bublik on the First & Red podcast earlier this year, Kyrgios insisted he would not have to try fully to beat Sabalenka.

“I’m super excited for that. I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win,” Kyrgios said.

“She (Sabalenka) is not gonna beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent? I’m going to try. Because I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say [the score will be] like 6-2 maybe.

“I’m not going to go there and say, ‘Oh, she’s so good, I can’t play this.’ That would make me look so bad. I’d imagine the internet would go crazy — go bananas.

“I mean, our serves, women can’t really return those. And then we can just chip and drop shot.

In a press conference during the US Open in September, Sabalenka declared that she believed she would win the match.

“Well I think it’s a cool idea, you know. It’s going to be spectacular to watch, it’s going to be fun, especially against someone like Nick,” Sabalenka said.

“Like he said in another interview, that I genuinely think I’m going to win. And I’ll definitely go out there and try my best to kick his a**. It’s going to be a good thing if I beat him.

“We’re going to bring it to somewhere where there’s going to be a lot of people watching and we’re going to put a lot of pressure on Nick.”

What Tennis365 readers have said about ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash

There is intrigue about what the match between two big tennis personalities will look like, although the tennis community is not convinced it will be a good contest.

Here’s what some Tennis365 readers had to say about the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in response to our Instagram post about the match in September.

“If Nick tries it’ll be 6-0. This isn’t controversial.”

“Anyone who knows anything at all about tennis will know that Nick would beat her 100% of the time whether he gives it his all or not.”

“I love the fact that she (Sabalenka) is doing it.”

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“Maybe a college player [could lose to Sabalenka]. Not a player that beat the Big Three (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic) the first time he played all of them.”

“This will be hilarious with both of their personalities on court.”

“There is literally no chance of her winning. Great idea and fun to watch though.”

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Former WTA Tour star Laura Robson has given her verdict on Iga Swiatek’s crushing loss to Elena Rybakina at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Swiatek fell 6-3, 1-6, 0-6 to world No 6 and 2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina in her second round robin match at the season-ending championships.

The defeat comes after Swiatek destroyed reigning Australian Open champion and world No 7 Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2 in her opening match in Riyadh.

Laura Robson reacts to Elena Rybakina beating Iga Swiatek at 2025 WTA Finals

• Laura Robson lauded Elena Rybakina’s performance against Iga Swiatek and identified the ways the Kazakh improved to turn the match around
• The former British No 1 thinks Swiatek “hit panic mode” after Rybakina made adjustments in the second set
• Robson said it is “not a good sign” that Swiatek was frequently talking to her coach Wim Fissette

In the opening set, Swiatek made five winners to six unforced errors, while Rybakina registered just one winner and 17 unforced errors.

There was a seismic shift, though, as Swiatek recorded seven winners and an alarming 36 unforced errors across the second and third sets. Rybakina, meanwhile, hit 19 winners to 17 unforced errors in the second and third sets combined.

Robson’s assessment of Rybakina’s comeback

Speaking on Sky Sports after the match, Robson was full of praise for the tactical changes Rybakina implemented after losing the first set.

“It’s so impressive how she [Rybakina] did not panic after the first set,” said the former world No 27.

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What Elena Rybakina dismantling Iga Swiatek at WTA Finals means for the pair’s qualification hopes

“She got back to work and made the changes that were necessary. She took half a step back with her neutral position once the rally started, so she had some more time on the forehand to play with and what a difference that made.

“Every time she had it at a mid-court position, it was a put away. That is when you see Swiatek start to panic, when she feels she doesn’t have time and she can’t make herself known in the point.

“It was a really strong performance; the serve picked up for sure. From courtside, it was clear that she was getting more shape to Swiatek’s backhand return, but the first [serve] picked up as well in terms of speed, and she completely turned that match around.”

What Robson said about Swiatek

Robson suggested that Swiatek was caught off guard by Rybakina’s adjustments and claimed the six-time Grand Slam champion panicked as a result.

“She (Swiatek) did not anticipate the changes Rybakina made after the first set. From there, that’s where the panic mode was hit by Swiatek,” the Brit said.

“She just felt like she couldn’t do anything out there. You could see she was talking to Wim Fissette and lots of hands signals. That was not a good sign.

“Serving to Swiatek’s backhand made a difference. Then the willingness to compete when the rallies were over three shots was an issue. It’s tough when you are being outplayed.

“On a court like this, when it’s bouncing up so much, she probably didn’t know what the tactics would be. It didn’t really feel like there was a Plan B, but so much of that was to do with how well Rybakina was playing.”

What next for Rybakina and Swiatek at the WTA Finals?

Rybakina has already ensured she will finish top of Group Serena Williams, and she can conclude the round robin stage with a 3-0 record if she beats Madison Keys on Wednesday.

Swiatek will take on Amanda Anisimova, and the winner will progress to the knockout stage with Rybakina.

READ NEXT: Questions over Madison Keys’ health and next WTA Finals match after no handshake

The post What Iga Swiatek did in Elena Rybakina WTA Finals loss was ‘not a good sign’, reveals ex-star appeared first on Tennis365.